Men and women who had
committed crimes or misdemeanors, and who had sincerely repented of their
sins, or who were filled with remorse for some violation of conscience, or
even with regret for some neglect of religious ethics, rose in the Sabbath
meeting before the assembled congregation and confessed their sins, and
humbly asked forgiveness of God, and charity from their fellows. At
other times they stood with downcast heads while the minister read their
confession of guilt and plea for forgiveness. A most graphic account of one
of those painful scenes is thus given by Governor Winthrop in his "History
of New England:"--
"Captain Underhill being brought by the blessing of God in this
church's censure of excommunication, to remorse for his foul sins,
obtained, by means of the elders, and others of the church of Boston, a
safe conduct under the hand of the governor and one of the council to
repair to the church. He came at the time of the court of assistants,
and upon the lecture day, after sermon, the pastor called him forth and
declared the occasion, and then gave him leave to speak: and in
it was a spectacle winch caused many weeping eyes, though it afforded
matter of much rejoicing to behold the power of the Lord Jesus in his
ordinances, when they are dispensed in his own way, holding forth the
authority of his regal sceptre in the simplicity of the gospel
came in his worst clothes (being accustomed to take great pride in his
bravery and neatness) without a band, in a foul linen cap pulled close
to his eyes; and standing upon a form, he did, with many deep sighs
and abundance of tears, lay open his wicked course, his adultery, his
hypocrisy, his persecution of God's people here, and especially his
pride (as the root of all which caused God to give him over to his
other sinful courses) and contempt of the magistrates.
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