Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

174 GENEALOGICAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES.
knowledged and acted upon to this day. Ministers and churches
by their delegates are invited to assist at ordinations, not to ordain,
though some careless writers speak of councils as the ordaining
power. Though Independents differ among themselves in
matters of faith and practice, especially the Baptists and Unitarians,
yet they all subscribe to these fundamental principles, name-
That a church should consist of as many members as can conveniently
meet together for worship.
That when so met they have power to elect the officers of the
church and install them.
JMr. Lothrop was pastor of the London church eight years.
He was a man of learning, of a meek and quiet spirit, tolerant in
his ox)inions, ever treating those who differed from him with kindness
and respect. The subject of baptism vras the cause of uneasiness
in England and after he came to New England. While
the pastor of the Barnstable Church he published a tract in London,
in which he states his own views with clearness, and supports
them with much vigor of thought and sound reason. In
England a member of his church carried his child to be baptized*
by the parish minister. Some of Mr. Lothrop's congregation
insisted that the child should be re-baptized because the other administration
was not valid. This opened the question, whether
or not the parish churches of England were true churches. Mr.
Lothrop and the leading members of the church acted discretely,
and resolved not to make any declaration on the question at issue,
because if they were to declare by their vote that the parish
churches were not true churches of Christ, it would be inviting
the persecution of the Bishops who were waiting to find an excuse
for breaking up and dispersing this little congregation.
"Upon this some of the more rigid, and others who were dis-
satisfied about the lawfulness of infant baptism, desired their dismission,
which was granted to them ; these set up by themselves,
and chose Mr. Jessey their minister, who laid the foundation of
the first Baptist congregation that I have met in England. But
the rest renewed their covenant to walk together in the ways of
God, so far as He had made them known, or should make them
known to them, and to forsake all false ways. And so steady
were they to their vows that hardly an instance can be produced
of one that deserted to the church of England by the severest persecutions."
(Neal).
April 29, 1632, Mr. Neal states that Mr. Lothrop's congregation
was discovered by Ibmlinson, the Bishop's pursuevant, at
the house of Mr. Humphrey Barnet, a Brewer's clerk in Black
Fryers, where forty-two of them were apprehended, and only
*I haye not a copy of ^eal to -which I can turn to Terify the accuracy of this statement.
Dr. Lathrop uses the word re-baptize, which is not consistent with subsequent statements.