A website from the Massachusetts Historical Society; founded 1791.

Papers of the Winthrop Family, Volume 4

Thomas Jenner to John Winthrop1
Jenner, Thomas JW

1641-04-26

Worthy Sir,

Your pious and good letter I received for which I humbly thanke you. Your judicious counsel therin I loueingly imbrace, as concurring fully with mine owne Judgment: hence have I not troubled the people at all with Church discipline, or constitutions of Churches, etc. but haue bent my whole studdies to shew them their miserable and lost estate with out Christ, etc. Nor haue I enveyed, in the least measure against the Church of England (to my remembrance) but haue ben (and still am) very fearefull to giue one word of distast about those things; but altogether do seek to gaine them 332to Christ. True I do acknowledge that after I had ben here for the space of a month or 6 weeks, and perceiuing them very superstitious: (performing mans invention rather then the instituted worship of God:) now that I might gaine their good esteme of Gods pure ordinances and make them see the evill and folly of their superstition and willworship, I made choise of Ps. 19 and 7 to handle it at large. And in one of the uses of reprofe, I bent myselfe as strongly as I could against the religion of the papists, and condemned those practices which I saw the people here were superstitiously addicted to, in that use against the papists whose religion I shewed at large, consisted either of a new invented worship not mentioned in the law of God, or of Gods instituted worship miserably abused either by their additions or diminutions; and shewed the perticulars wherin. Now (I heartily thank God for it) it tooke a generall good impression: excepting Mr. Vines and one more: who told me that I struck at the church of Engld., though I mentioned her not. wherupon he pressed me to dispute with him about one part of Baptizing infants with Godfathers and Godmothers the which I was very loth to discourse about: yet I saw that either I must, or else sit downe with shame, for he had caled to gether his whole family to heare it. now it pleased God so to strengthen me (through the riches of his mercy) that he was utterly silent: and since that time hath manifested more respect and loue to me and my master then formerly, and doth take notes of the sermons dayly, and repeate them in his family very orderly, as I am informed.

Thus sweet sir I make very bold to enforme your worship with the truth of things, though not worth the writing. I haue ben solicited both from the inhabitance of Stratens Plantation, and from those of Caskoe to be a meanes to helpe each of them to a godly minister, wherfore I do make bold to intreat your worship to do your endevour to furnish them both.

Thus hopeing err long to se your face, I leaue you in the arms of our blessed Saviour, in whome also I rest Your worship's to command till death

Th. Jenner Saco, 26 of the 2d 1641
1.

Miscellaneous MSS., Bound, M.H.S.; Hutchinson Papers (1769), 111–112; (1865), I. 125–126.