. UCSB LIBRARY X-ZI488 PRINCIPLES AND DOCTRINES; TESTIMONY OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY IN ITS FAVuR, ITS PRACTICE, AND ITS ADVANTAGES. BY GEO. PUN CHARD. WITH AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY, BY R. S. STORRS, D.D. THIRD EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. BOSTON: CONGREGATIONAL BOARD OF PUBLICATION, 16 TREMONT TEMPLE. 1856. Entered according to Act of Congress, In the year 1856, by GEORGE PUNCIIARD, In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts CAMBRIDGE : ALLB* AND FABNHAM, BTEREOIYPEK3 ASD FR1XTEBS. TO JOHN PUNCHARD, ESQ., SALEM, MASS., MY AGED AND REVERED PARENT, WHOSE INSTRUCTIONS AND EXAMPLE FIRST TAUGHT ME THE VALUK OF THE SYSTEM HERE ADVOCATED THESE PAGES ARE RESPECTFULLY AND AFFECTIONATELY DEDICATED. PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. THIS work is designed to answer the inquiry, WHAT is CONGREGATIONALISM IN THEORY AND IN PRAC- TICE ? It accordingly contains an exposition and discussion of the fundamental PRINCIPLES of the system ; a statement and defence of its more important DOCTRINES respecting church order and discipline ; the testimony of ECCLESIAS- TICAL HISTORY, that such for substance was the polity of the Primitive Churches ; an enumeration and explanation of the ecclesiastical PRACTICES of Congregationalists ; and a development of some of the prominent ADVANTAGES of this system over all others. No one can be more sensible of the difficulty of execut- ing such a plan, than the writer now is ; had he been equally so before he undertook the task, it probably would have saved him the trouble of this preface. An apology for the work may perhaps be found in its history. About three years since, the writer was appointed A* (v) vi PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. by the Clerical Association of which he is a member, to prepare a dissertation upon Congregationalism. This he was requested to publish ; but, though the result of con- siderable reading and reflection, it was regarded by him as too immature to be offered to the public. A renewal of the request of the Association at their next meeting, induced the author to re-write the essay and to preach the substance of it to the people of his charge. The unsolicited opinion of intelligent parishioners, who were ignorant of the doings of the Association, led to the belief that the substance of the discourses might prove acceptable to the denomination generally. A revision was accordingly begun. This re- vision led to a further examination of authorities, a multi- plication of topics, a more extended range of discussion, and ultimately, to the decision to submit this volume to the judgment of the public. The work has been written, not for the wise, nor for those exactly who are simple ; but, mainly, for that large class of persons who occupy the intermediate space between the learned and the ignorant. The English reader will occasionally find a word or phrase in Latin or Greek; but rarely unaccompanied by a translation, and never, it is believed, in such a position as to break the sense of the sentence. It is no part of the author's plan to make war on other denominations : yet, he has felt constrained to speak freely, though it is hoped kindly, of those from whom he differs. That he has fallen into no errors, in a work so abounding in distinct and controverted topics, is, perhaps, more than can be reasonably expected ; but, he has certainly used his PREFACE TO THE FIRST EDITION. V1J utmost care to avoid mistakes. The opinions expressed in these pages may possibly be somewhat modified by further investigation and reflection ; but as they now appear, they are not the offspring of haste, nor, it is confidently be- lieved, of mere prejudice. The Appendix contains numerous articles of considerable importance to the illustration of the general subject of Con- gregationalism. Adopting the language of the learned and excellent Samuel Mather, in his " Apology for the Liberties of the Churches in New England," the author commends his labors to the favor of the churches and to the blessing of God : " I am far from assuming any thing of authority to myself in the following sheets. If I have collected the sense of others right, and well epitomized their thoughts, which are variously dispersed, and reduced them to a clear and natural order, I shall think it sufficient." PLYMOUTH, N. H., July, 1840. PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. IN publishing a second edition of this little work, the author would first express his grateful acknowledgments for the unexpected kindness and favor with which the first edition was received. And as the best return that he can make for this, he has endeavored to render the present edition more deserving of public confidence and regard. To this end, it has been thoroughly revised, and large por- tions of it entirely re-written ; the range of discussion has been considerably extended, and the number of distinct topics multiplied ; the usages of our churches have been more particularly detailed ; a number of new forms of letters missive, etc., have been inserted, and the most approved modes of transacting ecclesiastical business more distinctly described. The whole amount of new matter which has been thus added, is equal to about one third of the entire volume. It is hoped that the book will now be found a guide, both safe and complete, however humble, to all that pertains to (ix) X PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION. the principles, doctrines, and practice of the Congregational denomination. That the blessing of the great Head of the Church may attend this, and every effort to awaken and enlighten the public mind respecting the nature and design of a Christian church is the heart's desire and prayer to God of the author. November 3, 1843. PREFACE TO THE THIRD EDITION. AT the request of the Congregational Board of Publi- cation, the author has carefully revised this work ; re- written portions of it; and he thinks, somewhat increased its value as a book of reference on the subject of church polity. BOSTON, July 22, 1856. (xi) CONTENTS. FA OX INTRODUCTORY NOTICE, BY REV. R. S. STORRS, D. D. . xiii PRELIMINARY REMARKS ON CHURCH POLITY, AND THE INFLU- ENCES ADVERSE TO THE GROWTH OF CONGREGATIONALISM IN NEW ENGLAND . 1 PART I. PRINCIPLES OF CONGREGATIONALISM 17 PART II. DOCTRINES OF CONGREGATIONALISM 69 PART III. TESTIMONY OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY IN FAVOR OF CON- GREGATIONALISM ......... 133 PART IV. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE OF CONGREGATIONALISTS . . 183 PART V. ADVANTAGES OF CONGREGATIONALISM ..... 233 B (xiii) XIV CONTENTS. APPENDIX. CONTAINING FORMS OF LETTERS MISSIVE, LETTERS OF DIS- MISSION AND EECOMMENDATION, NOTES, CHURCH COV- ENANT, ETC 305 INDEX. To THE PRINCIPAL TOPICS DISCUSSED IN THE WORK . . 353 INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. IT is a matter of devout congratulation, that, among the friends of Congregationalism, the scriptural polity of the church is now becoming the subject of more serious and thorough investigation, than for many bygone years. Un- happily, it has been too long regarded as a matter of insuffi- cient importance to engage the earnest attention of the churches, if not also as positively interfering with the pros- perity of religion ; nor is it too much to affirm, that an overweening confidence has been reposed in the common- sense, the sound judgment, and sterling piety of the Con- gregational churches, as insuring to them, in perpetuity, a system of government, so strongly recommended by the purity of its principles, the clearness of its doctrines, the simplicity of its rules, and the consonance of its spirit with the meek breathings of the gospel. But the day of slum- ber is passing away. Our invaluable religious immunities are coming again to be rightly appreciated. The spirit of Puritanic times is reviving. The labors accomplished, and the sufferings endured by our fathers in defence of a scrip- (XV) Xvi INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. tural organization and discipline of the churches, are re- membered with increasing veneration and gratitude ; and the solemn question, ' What will the Lord have us to do,' for the maintenance of the primitive " order of the gospel,' is agitated with an earnestness, and to an extent, that has called forth prompt and able responses from several of the watchmen on the walls of Zion. UPHAM and POND, BACON and MITCHELL not to mention others have successfully devoted a portion of their strength to the en- lightenment of the public mind, and the revival of the bet- ter days of New England Congregationalism, when the Mathers, and Cottons, and Wises, stood forth as its ex- pounders and defenders. But there remaineth much land yet to be possessed. Ignorance, fanaticism, and superstition, are not yet driven from the field. Other leaders of the " sacramental host " are called for by the exigencies of the times. They can hardly be multiplied too much. The energies of the churches need to be aroused and judiciously directed, if the hopes of the fathers and the aims of their most enlightened sons are ever to be accomplished. The appearance of every new and skilful champion in this cause, will therefore be hailed with pleasure. The field before him is wide. To retain what has been already gained, demands great firmness and prudence. To make further conquests, aad secure them against future intrusion, requires high resolve and heroic courage. Antagonistical principles are everywhere to be met and combated ; and their defenders, relying on that love of variety and change which is wrought so deeply into the constitution of man, press onward with bold hearts, and confident expectation of INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. XV11 establishing themselves in possession of the same ground once covered exclusively with the trophies of Congrega- tional and evangelical achievement. Their efforts are com- mensurate with their hopes. Their pulpits abound with earnest discussions their presses teem with elaborate argu- ments their measures are all conceived and carried out with an address that indicates a determination to put to flight the imperfectly organized, and unmarshalled hosts of Congregationalism. Nor are they to be blamed for their conscientious adherence to principles they believe to be scriptural, nor for any honorable efforts they make to extend those principles. Their consistency is worthy of honor and more than that of imitation. Would that the friends of Congregationalism might emulate their zeal, and furnish to the world equally bright examples of devotedness, in defence of their distinguishing views of church polity. But how rarely, in point of fact, is " the order, the disci- pline, and the worship of the church," discussed in a Con- gregational pulpit ! How long the term of years, in which no volume came from the press, explaining and vindicating the principles, doctrines, and usages of our churches ! How few, jejune, and powerless are the measures that have been adopted to secure the influence of those principles over any portion of the public mind ! There is a reason assigned for this ; but is it defensible ? If the weightier matters of the law may not be omitted, are we justified in neglecting to pay our tithes of the mint, anise, and cum- in ? If the great doctrines and duties of vital godliness are of paramount importance, are the doctrines and duties involved in the scriptural regulation of the churches of no xviil INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. importance at all? Let every thing have its appropriate place in the church of the living God ! True it will not be inquired in the day of judgment ' belonged you to this denomination or that were you an Episcopalian, a Pres- byterian, or a Congregationalist ? ' but will not the amount of individual spirituality, and usefulness, be inquired after ? and is there no intimate connection between the improve- ment of the heart, and the observance of the most scrip- tural form of church government and discipline ? It is the firm conviction of many, that the symmetry and perfection of the Christian's character depend in no slight degree, on his acquaintance with the teachings of the Holy Spirit on " the order of God's house," and his obedience thereto. And it is under this conviction, that I cheerfully venture a compliance with the suggestion of the beloved and respected author of the following pages, to associate my own name with his, by this brief introductory notice, in an earnest en- forcement of the claims of this subject, on the renewed and prayerful attention of the whole body of Congregational ministers and churches. The volume has evidently been prepared with great care and labor. It embodies in a suc- cinct form, and in regular order, the distinguishing features of Congregationalism, as hitherto received by the great body of our denomination, whether in our own or other lands ; and discriminates fairly between this and other sys- tems of ecclesiastical government, that claim, like it, the Holy Scriptures as their basis. It is a work well adapted to the existing wants of the Congregational community, and conducted throughout in a spirit of candor and faithfulness that all must admire, whether or not they approve of the INTRODUCTORY NOTICE. XIX conclusions at which it arrives. Its highly popular form of discussion, its simple yet elegant style, together with its studied brevity and fulness, recommend it strongly to the widest circulation. Finally, if Congregationalism finds much to commend it, in its consonance with the genius of Christianity, and with the design of Revelation to place all men on an equality of rights and privileges before God, and lead them to look beyond all forms, and penetrate the mysteries of godli- ness it finds not a little additional commendation to us, in the fact that it stood approved to the judgment of the Fathers of New England, men of whom the old world was not worthy, and of whom the new world thinks not highly enough men of learning, zeal, and self-sacrificing devo- tion men who boldly threw off from them the manacles of religious despotism, and every shred of the false faith protected by it, pushing to the utmost their researches into the oracles of God, and receiving his testimony without equivocation or demur, even at the cost of expatriation and the loss of all the pleasures of kindred and home. We honor their memory, we hold fast to the inheritance they bequeathed us, and sell not our birthright for the " mess of pottage." RICHARD S. STORRS. BKAINTEEE, July 20, 1840. CONGREGATIONALISM. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. GOD has always had in this apostate world "a seed " to serve him. This seed has been variously called " the Sons of God " " the People of God " "the Church of God" "the Church, or the body of Christ." In order to serve God more efficiently, his people have always had some visible organiza- tion, and have been subjected to some rules of order, discipline, and worship, varying with the different circumstances and necessities of the Church and the world. To these rules we give the general name of CHURCH POLITY. The polity of the Patriarchal Churches partook of the simplicity of that age, and was adapted to the migratory habits of those pious nomades. The fam- ily of each believing patriarch was a sort of congre- gational church. The head of the family was its prophet and priest : he announced the revealed pur- poses of heaven, he gave religious instruction, exer- cised godly discipline commanding his children and his household to keep the way of the Lord, and 1 (i) 2 CONGREGATIONALISM. to do justice and judgment and officiated at the family altar, presenting sacrifices, and offering prayers to the Most High God.* Such appears to have been the Patriarchal Polity : and but for the grow- ing wickedness of man, it might, for aught that we can see, have continued for substance to the present day.f In the days of Enos there may have been some modification of this family-church order. We are told that " then began men to call upon the name of the Lord," Gen. 4 : 26 ; or, as the margin reads, " then began men to be called by the name of the Lord." At this period of the world, family religion may have so far degenerated, as to have made it necessary for the pious members of different house- holds to separate themselves from their irreligious kindred and to meet together in order to worship God. But, notwithstanding this attempt to revive religion, iniquity continued to abound, until the " holy seed " was found only in the family of Noah perhaps in Noah alone. After the Flood, the Church of God was reduced to the family order again ; and the world began anew. But human nature remained unaltered : and, for the greater se- curity of the "godly seed," God chose the family of Abram ; called them from their native land and their idolatrous kindred; made a covenant with them ; and instituted the rite of circumcision. This * Compare Gen. 4: 3-5. 8: 20-22. 12: 7, 8. 13: 3-5. 14: 14, 18-20. 15: 17: 18: 19. 20: 7. 26: 24, 25. 27: 26-40. 35: 1-15. 49: 1-28. Job 1: 1-5. f Sec Eom. 16: 5. Col. 4: 15. Philemon 2. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 3 family-church was thus strongly guarded against the corrupting influences of the age, and its continuance as a pure church of God rendered more secure. The households of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob all appear in sacred history as religious communities churches assembling together and worshipping God under the direction of their respective heads, and" in conformity with the established rites and order of the Abrahamic Church. It had long been the revealed purpose of God, to set apart from all the nations of the earth the de- scendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as the de- positaries of his truth as his visible Church in the world. When the time for the accomplishment of this purpose had arrived, and Jehovah was about to remove his chosen people to the promised land, there to be settled compactly as an agricultural people, he saw fit to re-organize his Church, and to adapt it to its new position. To prevent his people from amal- gamating with the surrounding nations, and to ac- complish his purposes of truth and mercy in and through them, he gave the Israelites " ordinances of divine service," as remarkable for their number and minuteness as the previous ordinances had been for their extreme simplicity.* These ordinances had their designed effect, in making the Israelites a separate and peculiar people. But, as the nation degenerated in its religious char- acter, these outward rites and ceremonies were per- verted from their intended use, and came at length * See Exodus, Chaps, xxv-xxx. Lev. Chaps, i-vii. xxi-xxvii. 1 Chron. xxii-2 Chron. vii. 4 CONGREGATIONALISM. to be regarded as constituting the very substance of true religion, instead of being but " a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things." Thus it was when Christ appeared in the world: the professed people of God had wellnigh lost all the power of religion in their devotion to its forms. There seems to have been, however, a prevail- ing belief, that the Messiah might introduce some changes into the existing institutions and ordinances of religion. Accordingly, upon the introduction of Christianity, men were taught that the old dispen- sation was but a type and shadow of the new ; that its significant rites and ceremonies were intended to point the mind towards a dispensation in which the shadow should be exchanged for the substance, the type for the anti-type. It was announced by the Divine Author of Christianity, that the hour was coming, yea and then was, when, neither in the mountain of Samaria, nor in Jerusalem alone, should men worship the Father acceptably : or, in other words, that the true worshippers of God were no longer to be confined to any of the existing forms and rites of religious service ; the grand de- sideratum of acceptable worship being spirituality and truth. See John 4 : 23-26. In accordance with this doctrine, the private house, the open field, the lake shore, were all made places of public worship by Christ and his apostles, with relig- ious forms remarkable chiefly for their entire sim- plicity. The order and discipline of the first Christian Church were extremely simple. The same is true of all those churches which were erected by the PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 5 apostles and their fellow laborers. They were all copies of the Divine original at Jerusalem. But, when the fervency of their first love had subsided, and outward peace and prosperity had softened and ungirt the spirits of Christians, then worldliness and ambition rapidly undermined the apostolic polity of the churches, and erelong built upon the ruins there'of a splendid hierarchy, of materials partly Jewish and partly Pagan. Doctrinal errors and unchristian practices followed in the train and paved the way for the Man of Sin." The establishment of the tyrannous polity of Rome was succeeded by a dreary night of a thou- sand years. At the dawn of the Lutheran Reformation, the constitution of the church attracted much less atten- tion than the gross religious errors, and the infamous superstitions of Romanism. And so engrossed were the Reformers in purifying the church of these evils, that they overlooked for a time, the sources through which many of these evils had entered the church. If the connection between a pure and simple church order and a sound religious faith and practice oc- curred to them, they acted upon the common prin- ciple, of reforming the greatest abuses first; leaving the lesser ones for after consideration. An apology for their course was found in the ignorance and pre- judices of the common people, and the fear of fanat- ical excesses.* * See Luther's Tract on the regulation of the external matters of the churches. Milner, Century 16th, ch. 8. The regulations respecting the constitution, government, form 1* 6 CONGREGATIONALISM. There was, perhaps, another more serious imped- iment to a thorough reform : I refer to the connec- tion of the Church with the State. The Reformers were more or less dependent on the princes and nobles of this world ; and these are generally the last men to desire simplicity in the order and worship of the church. Whether, indeed, those princes who favored the Reformation would have countenanced a reform in doctrine and morals even, had this been connected with a thorough reformation in church polity, is -very doubtful. WicklifYe, the pioneer of the Reformation, seems to have lost the support of his prince and of the nobility when he started senti- ments which countenanced such a reformation. And whether Luther would have succeeded in his labors without the protection of Frederic, the Elec- tor of Saxony ; whether the Reformation in Eng- land could have been carried so far, without the con- currence of Henry VIII. and Edward VI. ; whether what was done could have been accomplished except by the cooperation of these princes, without an entire overturn of then- respective governments, is very improbable. However this may be, one thing seems evident, that while these princes supported the Reformers in their partial labors, they held them back from a thorough and radical reform of the Church from reinstating it in its primitive sim- plicity, and independency of the State. and mode of public worship in the Lutheran Church were not drawn up until 1527. Mosheim, Vol. III. p. 39, 40, Harper's Edition. The Reformation may be said to have commenced as early as 1517. The German Liturgy was not, however, completed until 1 543. Mackenzie's Life of Calvin, p. 77. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 7 In republican Switzerland, however, the Reforma- tion was more of a popular movement : the people were consulted, and they acted ; and their ecclesias- tical rights were more fully restored, and the refor- mation of the church was more thorough than in Germany or in England.* It was not generally until men began to experi- ence" the extreme difficulty of preserving purity of doctrine and practice under worldly and unscrip- tural establishments, that their thoughts were turned earnestly towards a reformation in the general polity of the church. The philosophy of the connection between church order and church purity seems not to have attracted much attention prior to the latter part of the sixteenth century. Yet this is remarkable, since all previous history had shown, that a simple form of ecclesiastical government and purity of religious faith and practice had ever been intimately associated. The English Puritans, if not the discoverers of this connection, were the men who acted most fully upon the discovery. The religious ancestors of the Congregationalists of New England, of all men who ever lived, had, perhaps, most occasion to study church polity in all its connections and bearings. Thrown out of the church which they regarded as * D'Aubigne, in his elegant History of the Reformation, says : "Luther had restored the Bible to the Christian community Zwingle went further he restored their rights. This is a char- acteristic feature of the Reformation in Switzerland. The main- tenance of sound doctrine was intrusted, under God, to the people ; and recent events have shown that the people can discharge that trust better than the priests or the pontiffs." Vol. III. p. 251. 8 CONGREGATIONALISM. the mother of them all; driven to a land of stran- gers ; left to begin the world anew, and to decide what form of ecclesiastical government they would adopt ; being men of piety, and learning, and expe- rience; familiar with the Scriptures, and well read in the history of the world; conversant with the treasures of antiquity with the writings of the Fathers and with classic authors ; having had great experience of the workings of an ecclesiastical estab- lishment in their native land, and having, while in Holland, opportunities to examine ihe polity of the Reformed Churches on the Continent; and feeling the deep responsibility of laying aright the religious foundations of a new world : under such circum- stances it was natural, it was unavoidable, that the constitution, discipline, and worship of the church should arrest, and fix, and for a time all but absorb their attention. If men in their circumstances could not and did not study to advantage this great sub- ject, then may we well despair of ever having it thoroughly and impartially investigated. Our fa- thers did study the science of church polity as no other men ever did; and the fruits of then- study New England and the world at large have long been gathering. For many years after the settle- ment of New England, the subject of church order and government received much attention ; some have thought too much. But he who has well weighed the bearings of this question upon the inter- ests of pure religion, will be of a different opinion. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. DECLINE OF CONGREGATIONALISM CAUSES. However it may have been in the days of our fathers, certain it is that for many years past this subject has excited comparatively little interest among the Congregational descendants of the Puri- tans.^ Various causes have contributed to this state of things. Among the more prominent, perhaps, may be named : 1. The anxiety of Congregationalists to unite different denominations in benevolent, religious asso- ciations. To accomplish this, there has been a readiness on their part to keep out of sight, and even to sacrifice, their denominational peculiarities. However benev- olent the design of these Unions, the influence of them has been injurious to Congregationalism. Other denominations, while acting to a limited extent with us in these Associations, have kept up their separate and denominational organizations. But we have had nothing of this sort by which to propagate our peculiar views. And though Con- gregationalists have furnished a large proportion of the funds of these Unions, yet, as a denomination, they have derived probably the least benefit from them. They have even in some instances, with an unauthorized generosity, yielded the entire advan- tage to other denominations. " What then," it may be asked, " shall we give up all united attempts to save men, through fear of in- juring Congregationalism ? " If the question were Shall we save men or promote the interests of Con- 10 CONGREGATIONALISM. gregationalism ? it would be easy to answer. This, however, is not the question. It is Shall we, in connection with our efforts to save and benefit men, endeavor to promote the interests of our most scrip- tural and excellent system of church government; or shall we utterly disregard this ? Our denomination have contributed largely of money and of mind to erect and sustain churches at the West; yet scarce one in fifty of these is upon the Congregational Platform.* Scores of young men, professedly Congregationalists, have gone out from our Theological Seminaries, educated by the aid of Congregational funds, and thrown themselves into the bosom of the Presbyterian Church. And why have they done this ? "To do good ! " But could they not have done good and yet have retained their Puritan principles? Have these principles made New England an intellectual and moral gar- * " It is computed that 400 churches, or more, have been gath- ered in the West, for the Presbyterian Church, by the benev- olence of Connecticut alone. And I have seen it stated by high Presbyterian authority, that not less than 1500 of their churches are essentially Congregational in their origin and habits." Mitch- elUs Guide to the Principles and Practice of the New England Churches, p. 71, note. It must be borne in mind that these Preliminary Kemarks were written in 1840 and revised in 1843, since which time there has been more attention given to Congregationalism as a simple, scrip- tural, and beautiful system of church polity than for a long period prior to those dates. But, as most of the causes here assigned for the decline of Congregationalism, still continue to operate, though some of them with much less force than formerly, and as a matter of historical record, I have retained the chapter nearly as originally written. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 11 den ! and yet shall we be told, that " they will not answer for the South and West ? " Had New Eng- land men and money carried New England princi- ples of church government wherever they went, and boldly and faithfully sustained them, other sections of our country would now, it is verily believed, more nearly resemble the land of the Pilgrims. 2. Another cause of this state of things may be, the operation of the principle on which some or all of our Theological Seminaries in New England have been conducted. Though endowed and sustained by Congregationalists, these seminaries have been equally accessible to Protestants of all denomina- tions. To this, as a general principle, there certainly can be no objection, if evidence of piety be made an essential requisite for admission. But if, in connec- tion with this admission of different denominations, there must be any hesitation on the part of the teachers to advocate openly, thoroughly, and ear- nestly, Congregational Principles of Church Govern- ment, the influence of this policy cannot be other- wise than injurious to our own denomination. If young men of other denominations please to avail themselves of the advantages of our institutions, they should be welcomed, and kindly treated ; but should hear all the doctrines of the Puritan Congregation- alists of New England faithfully and earnestly advo- cated. But if the Professors of any of our Theo- logical Seminaries are even apparently indifferent to our church polity, we need not be surprised to find their pupils really so. 3. Another cause of the apathy of our churches on this subject, may be found in the impression that 12 CONGREGATIONALISM. no efforts are required to protect and promote our excellent system of church government. It has per- haps been thought, that intelligent New England men must, of course, prefer, to every other system, that to which they have been accustomed from then- childhood ; especially, as it has so many incontro- vertible arguments to support it, and is so perfectly in accordance with the spirit of our free institutions. That, however, must be a good cause indeed which will take care of itself; a better cause than this world has yet known. The truth is, while Congre- gationalists have been sleeping in their fancied secu- rity, other denominations have not been idle. Other systems of church order have been advocated and urged with a zeal and confidence which, contrasted with our own apathy, have been as arguments for them and against us. 4. Another cause of the state of things of which we complain, is found in the neglect of our pastors to preach upon this subject, and in the dearth of modern books upon Congregationalism. The fathers of New England felt the importance of keeping the community awake to this subject. They therefore frequently proclaimed from the pulpit and published from the press the principles of Con- gregationalism. They demonstrated the consistency of these with the light of Nature, the teachings of God's Word, and the testimony of Ecclesiastical History. But, how rarely have such discussions been heard of late unless it be very lately from the sacred desk, or read from the press ! Within a few years, it is true, several valuable works relating to this subject, have been published ; PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 13 among which may be named : Dr. Hawes' " Tribute to the Pilgrims," Dr. Bacon's Church Manual," Prof. Pond's work, " The Church," Mr. Mitch- ell's " Guide," Prof. Upham's " Ratio Disciplinse," and Cummings' " Dictionary of Congregational Usages and Principles." These have found many readers, and have done much to awaken an interest in our excellent system of church government. Yet only one of these, Prof. Upham's, professes to give more than a summary account of our church polity : and even this, though a work of great value, is chiefly devoted to our church usages, rather than our principles. The things of which I speak, while they illustrate the apathy of Congregationalists, suggest also one of the causes of the declension of Congre- gationalism. 5. Once more. A prevalent impression, that Con- gregationalists have no well-defined and settled prin- ciples of church polity, has operated injuriously upon our denominational interests. From whatever source this impression may have come, I must regard it as alike erroneous and injurious. We have not, it is true, and I rejoice in the truth any authori- tative church canons, of human origin, to which pastors and churches must bow, under pains and penalties ; but we have general principles of church order and discipline, as well defined, and as effective in the government of our churches as their highest interests require. If, through ignorance or disregard of these princi- ples, any of our churches have failed to be well gov- erned, the fault is in the churches, and not in the system which they have professedly embraced. 2 14 CONGREGATIONALISM. If it be asked, "Where are these principles to be found? and who has defined and explained them? The answer is They are found in the New Testa- ment: and their expounders are all the standard writers of the denomination ; such as Johnson, Ains- worth, Robinson, Jacob, Thomas Hooker, John Cot- ton, John Owen, the Mathers, the authors of the Cambridge Platform, etc. I might go even further back to Penry, and Greenwood, and Barrowe, who suffered martyrdom for these very principles of church order now called Congregational.* After a somewhat careful examination of the writings of all these worthy men our ecclesiastical ancestors I feel justified in saying, that although they differ among themselves, and from modern Congregation- alists on some minor points, yet, in regard to all the essentials of our church polity, there is a most re- markable agreement among them, and with modern authorities, as to what is Congregationalism. * See some account of these good men, in the " History of Congregationalism ; " and of Penry, particularly, in Waddington's Life of "John Penry, the Pilgrim Martyr," London: 1854, and republished by the Congregational Board of Publication, Boston. In Hanbury's " Historical Memorials relating to the Independents, or Congregationalists, from their Rise to the Restoration of the Monarchy, A. r>. 1660," the student will find notices of all the dis- tinguished writers of our denomination, together with very full analyses of their writings on church order and government. It is a work of great value to the Congregationalist student, and indeed, to every one who would fully understand the religious history of England during the 16th and 1 7th centuries. For a vindication of Barrowe, Greenwood, and Penry, see Bradford's Dialogue, in New England's Memorial, new edition published by the Cong. Board, p. 327-356. PRELIMINARY REMARKS. 15 If the above suggestions respecting the causes of the decline of Congregationalism be in accordance with truth, they furnish an obvious answer to the question : How shall the evil be remedied ? This little volume has been prepared with the hope of contributing something towards awakening an interest in Congregationalism, and affording instruc- tion relative to the principles and usages of this most APOSTOLIC SYSTEM OF CHURCH ORDER AND GOV- ERNMENT. PART I. PRINCIPLES OF CONGREGATIONALISM. IN pursuance of the plan which has been adopted, our attention is to be directed, first, to the PRINCI- PLES OF CONGREGATIONALISM. By the principles of Congregationalism, I mean the most essential, fundamental truths of the system. What, then, are the principles of this system ? Or, in other words : WHAT IS CONGREGATIONALISM? Congregationalism is that system of church govern- ment in which the Scriptures are recognized as the only infallible guide respecting church order and dis- cipline ; and which maintains, that according to the Scriptures, a Church is a company or congregation of professed Christians, who, having voluntarily cov- enanted and associated together to worship God and to celebrate religious ordinances, are authorized to elect necessary officers, to discipline offending mem- bers, and to act authoritatively and conclusively on all 2* ( 17 > 18 CONGREGATIONALISM. appropriate business, independently of the control of any person or persons whatsoever. This definition is believed to embrace the funda- mental, distinctive principles of Congregationalism. Some of these principles it holds in common with other systems of church government ; others of them are peculiar to itself; but all are essential to sound Congregationalism. And who will deny that a sys- tem based on principles like these, has, indepen- dently of any direct proof, much to commend it to our confidence: its Protestantism, in taking the Bible for its only infallible guide ; its recognition of the inalienable rights of man, in giving to the church the power to choose its own officers and to administer its own affairs; its provision for securing the purity of the churches, by giving the power of discipline to those most interested in the mainte- nance of that purity ; and its care for the rights and privileges of every church, however small, manifested by its recognition of the independency of each : * these, and such like considerations, might be urged as a priori arguments for the Congregational System. But I shall waive, for the present, all particular con- sideration of these topics, and proceed at once to discuss the principles which have been brought to view in the definition of Congregationalism. And in this discussion the Scriptures will be appealed to as the infallible standard of truth. What, then, say the Scriptures ? Are the princi- * The terms " independency " and " independent," as applied to Congregational churches, are never used in these pages as synony- mous with unaccountability and unaccountable, but to denote com- pleteness of church powers and privileges. PRINCIPLES. 19 pies of Congregationalism recognized and authorized by the Word of God ? I. It is a principle of Congregationalism, that the Scriptures are the only infallible guide in matters of church order and discipline.* By this is meant, that the injunctions of Christ and his apostles, and the authorized practice of the apostolic churches as exhibited in the New Testa- ment, are a sufficient guide, in all ages, to the order and discipline of the churches of Christ. Or, in other words, that the churches founded by the apostles are the models, after which, " for substance," all Chris- tian Churches should be formed. If the Scriptures furnish not an infallible directory to what is essential to the constitution of a Christian church, we certainly have no such directory ; and if we have not, how are we to know that any such thing as a church of Christ now exists ? The very idea of a Christian church, necessarily presupposes a knowledge of what constitutes such a church : but, * To show on what authority these assertions are made, a num- ber of references will be given under each head, to approved Congregational authors. These references will show whether or not our denomination have any fixed principles. This first principle may be found in the Creed of John Robin- son and the Leyden Church. See Prince's New Eng. Chronol- ogy, Part II. sec. 1, p. 176, ed. of 1826 ; Thomas Hooker's Survey of Chh. Discipline, ch. 1, Definition, and p. 5, 6 ; Cotton Mather's Ratio Discipline, Intr. p. 9 ; Samuel Mather's Apology for N. E. Chhs. p. 2, and App. Part IV. Nos. 1, 2; 'Cambridge Platform, ch. 1, 3; Cummings' Congregational Dictionary, Art. "Scrip- tures a sufficient Guide to Order." See also History of Congre- gationalism, passim. 20 CONGREGATIONALISM. if the Scriptures do not furnish this knowledge, then they do not furnish us with the means of forming any distinct notion of what is meant by a church of Christ. And if they fail in this particular, on what authority are any existing organizations called churches of Christ? And by what authority can any person be required to unite with one of these organizations ? * * Dr. George Campbell, though unwilling to admit that any particular form of church government is binding upon all Chris- tians, yet allows : . . . " That a certain external model of govern- ment must have been originally adopted [that is, by Christ and his apostles, as I understand him] for the more effectual preserva- tion of the evangelical institution [the church] in its native purity, and for the careful transmission of it to after ages." Lectures on Ecc. Hist., Lect. iv. p. 47, Phil. ed. 1807. As I shall have occasion frequently to refer to the works of this learned and impartial Avriter, it may be well to state, for the in- formation of any who may be unacquainted with his writings, that Dr. Campbell was a distinguished scholar, Principal of Marischal College, Aberdeen, Scotland. He is the author of a standard work on the Four Gospels, and of a celebrated answer to Hume's work on Miracles. Dr. C. was a Presbyterian by profession; yet, he seems not to have regarded any particular church organ- ization as essential, " it affects not the essence of religion in the least," he says. He supposed that one form of church government might be more convenient in one country, and another form in another country. Lect. iv. p. 50. With these views, he pro- poses in his Lectures on Ecclesiastical History, " to speak out boldly what appears to him most probably to have been the case, without considering what sect or party it may either offend or gratify." Ib. The testimony of such a man certainly deserves great respect. The references in the following pages will show how his testimony corroborates the views of Congregationalists. PRINCIPLES. 21 Again, it will be conceded, that it is an important part of every Christian minister's duty to make dis- 'ciples of those to whom he preaches (Matt. 28: 19), to gather these disciples into Christian churches, and to administer to them the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper. Religion cannot long exist in the world, much less flourish, if these things are neg- lected. But, how can the ambassador of Christ dis- charge these important duties, if the Scriptures fur- nish no infallible directions for the organization of churches? And, if he is left in ignorance of the Divine will respecting these matters, how can it be true, as the apostle asserts, that " All Scripture is given by inspiration of God .... that the man of God may be perfect [pnof, prepared for every emer- gency] thoroughly furnished unto all good works" or, every good purpose that his ministry is intended to answer ? 2 Tim. 3 : 16, 17. Indeed, if " the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth " (1 Tim. 3 : 15), should fail to be suitably organized and governed, would not one great end of the ministry of recon- ciliation itself fail ? Another view of this subject may be taken : It will be admitted that the apostles did organize, in different parts of the Roman Empire, what they called churches, and, that these were all formed upon the same general principles. Now, whatever these principles were, they may be fairly considered as de- scriptive of the term " church," as used by Christ and the apostles. If, then, we would understand what Christ and his apostles meant by a church, we must 22 CONGREGATIONALISM. examine the peculiarities of those bodies which they called churches. And where shall we look for these, but in the New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? And furthermore, since the duty of men to become church members is now as imperative as when the apostles preached ; and since God has given no other revelation of his will respecting the order of his churches than that which the New Testament fur- nishes; it follows, that men should now become members of the same kind of churches that is, churches built upon the same general principles as those which the New Testament recognizes as Christian churches. If, then, we can learn from the Scriptures what was the general polity of the apos- tolic churches, we can ascertain what should be the polity of all churches, in all ages of the world. OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED. Will it be said, in order to avoid the force of the above suggestions, that the circumstances of the apostolic churches were so unlike our own as to re- quire an entirely different organization ? But in what respects were their circumstances pe- culiar? " They were in their infancy." So is every church when first formed. " But, Christianity itself was then in its infancy." So it is in every heathen land when the first mis- sionary church is organized. Shall we, therefore, institute churches at our missionary stations, first, PRINCIPLES. 23 on the primitive plan ; and afterwards, pull them down and put up those which some men consider an improvement on the Divine model ? If the churches and Christianity itself were in their infancy when the apostolic models were erected, then, surely, if ever, the churches should have been " under governors and tutors ; " and should have enjoyed the least freedom of choice and liberty of action. But instead of this, those who object to the apostolic churches as models for us, are for restricting the lib- erties of the churches, and giving them less freedom, rather than more, and their governors more authority rather than less, as the churches and Christianity it- self advance towards maturity. A strange procedure this. It is as though it should be said : " When you are a child, you may and ought to have your own way ; but as you approach manhood, your liberty of choice and your freedom of action must be re- stricted." But we are told : * In the days of the apostles, Christians were hated and persecuted, and the out- ward form of the churches was adapted to this state of things ; now, however, something more attractive, and better fitted to arrest the attention of men something more congenial with the improved state of society, and the more prosperous condition of the churches, is required, to meet the taste and supply the wants of Christian communities.' In reply, we admit that the apostolic churches were adapted in their organization to the exigencies of their condition ; but we regard it as a great mis- take to suppose that their condition was so essen- tially unlike our own as to require of us any mate- 24 CONGREGATIONALISM. rial modification of their church polity. It appears to us, that the difficulties which environed them were substantially those which surround us. The World, the Flesh, and the Devil were then leagued against Christ and his churches : the unholy league remains unbroken. The world yet hates all those who are not of the world ; the carnal mind is still enmity against God ; the flesh still lusts against the Spirit ; our adversary, the Devil, still walketh about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour ; " the Dragon " yet persecutes " the woman." It is indeed true, that the outward manifestation of this enmity against Christ and his churches is not now, and everywhere, the same that it was eighteen hundred years ago ; but the source of this enmity and its spirit are still precisely the same ; and the words of the Apostle are as true now as when first uttered : " All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." The apostolic churches were, indeed, very simple and unostentatious in their constitution, discipline, and worship ; and in this they were perfectly ac- cordant with the spirit of Christianity. And fur- thermore, all history tells us that a departure from this simple order and worship has been attended with a parallel departure from the simplicity and godly sincerity of the apostolic faith and practice. Men of fastidious taste may cry out against ' the literal, naked, bald character of the public religious services ' of those churches which attempt to follow apostolic example. But they would do well to con- sider what have been the results of all attempted improvements on this example. The history of the PRINCIPLES. 25 Church during the third and fourth centuries ; ihe his- tory of the Papacy; the history of the Church of England ; are all instructive on this point the dan- ger of accommodating Christian institutions to the taste of worldly men. The truth is, that if we give up the principle, that the apostolic churches are the models after which all churches should be formed and regulated, we are at sea, with nothing better than an ignis-fatuus for our guide. But let us not be misunderstood. We do not advocate an exact and entire conformity to all the peculiarities of the apostolic churches ; for we know this to be impossible. We plead only for conformity in essentials, and so far as our circumstances are similar. And it is certainly possible to imitate the apostolic models thus far, without following them in all the minutiae of their arrangements. Thus we in- terpret the instructions of Christ and his apostles, and the authorized example of primitive Christians in re- spect to other matters ; why should we not in the case under consideration ? This, then, is the sum of our belief: We suppose that whatever was essential to a church of Christ in the days of the apostles, is equally essential in these latter days ; that Christ designed that the principles of church order and discipline should remain essen- tially the same in all ages of the world ; that his dis- ciples have no liberty to adopt other principles ; and, that these principles may be learned from the Scrip- tures; though not always from express injunctions and instructions, since the authorized example of the apostolic churches is equally authoritative with ex- 3 26 CONGREGATIONALISM. press commands, and a fair and legitimate inference from admitted premises, is of nearly equal weight. In adopting and acting upon these views, Congre- gationalists regard themselves as thorough Protes- tants. The Bible is our infallible guide, in matters of church order and discipline, as well as in those of faith and religious practice. We cannot believe it to be necessary to resort to the writings of any men, as an authoritative and necessary "supplement to Scripture in these points." * Adopting this principle * A dignitary in the Church of England (Dean of Worcester, in a sermon " Concerning Ecclesiastical Authority," published about the year 1738), has asserted, that "He must never have looked into Scripture who is capable of thinking it a perfect rule of wor- ship, I mean external worship and discipline : but he that will take in the writings of the primitive church, as a supplement to Scripture in these points, cannot be at a loss to know what are the powers of church governors, or what the obedience due unto them." See Samuel Mather's Apoloyy for the New England Churches, p. 2, 3. And yet this " supplement " to points of such vast importance to the Church, is found in tongues unknown to the great mass of its members in the Greek and Latin languages ; and in vol- umes of frightful magnitude, and inaccessible to the community generally. And more than all, many of the Fathers are so cor- rupt in their text, and so contradictory in their statements, that the most opposite testimonies have been drawn from them. The reader may find some of the errors of the Fathers pointed out in De Laune's Plea for the Non-conformists, p. 19-21. Mr. Tay- lor, in his Ancient Christianity, shows very clearly the extreme danger of taking the Fathers for our guides. Jortin, in his Re- marks on Ecclesiastical History, says : " The Fathers are often poor and insufficient guides in things of judgment and criticism, and in the interpretation of the Scriptures, and sometimes in point of morality also, and of doctrine ; as Daille, Whitby, and others have fully shown. The men themselves deserve much re- PRINCIPLES. 27 we are on firm and safe ground. All else is uncer- tain. " The very Papists do see and acknowledge this that I say, namely, both that these grounds of the Scripture's perfection in all ecclesiastical matters, whereon we exactly do stand, are the true and right principles of the Protestants' Religion ; and also, that Diocesan Lord-Bishops do, and must needs turn away- from these principles, and deny them when they deal with us ; and must join plainly with the Catholics in their answers, if they will maintain themselves." * Having settled in our minds this first and great principle that the Scriptures should be our only infallible guide we next inquire : What, according to them, is essential to the character of a Christian church ? I speak now of what is usually termed a visible, or organized church. The answer to this question will be the statement of the second princi- ple of the Congregational system, namely : IL A visible, Christian church, is a voluntary as- sociation of professed Christians, united together by a gpeet, and their writings are highly useful on several accounts. It is better to defer too little, than too much to their decisions and the authority of Antiquity, that handmaid to the Scriptures, as she is called. She is like Briareus, and has a hundred hands, and these hands often clash and beat one another." Vol. II. p. 57. * Henri/ Jacob's " Reasons, etc. Proving a necessity of Re- forming our Chhs. in England." A. D. 1604. Jacob, though for a time opposed to those who advocated our principles in England, came at length to be a devoted defender of them. He was pastor of the first Congregational church in Lon- don which was formed on Mr. Robinson's plan, in 1616. 28 CONGREGATIONALISM. covenant for the worship of God and the celebration of religious ordinances.* * Mr. Robinson and Church, Prince, Chro. P. II. sect. 1, or Hist. Congreyati&naliwn, p. 362; Hooker's Swcey, P. I. p. 14-1G, 46, 47; Mathers Ratio Dis., Intr. p. 8, 9; Camb. Platf. ch. 2, 6; S. Mather's Apoloyy, p. 1, 2. John Locke thus defines a church : " A church I take to be a voluntary society of men, joining themselves together of their own accord, in order to the public worshipping of God in sucli a manner as they judge acceptable to him and effectual to the salvation of their souls." Letter I. on Toleration. The whole body of believers in the world, constitute T/te Church general or universal ; but such of them as may be at any time and in any place organized into a distinct body in order to profess their faith in Christ more openly and distinctly, and to worship God and celebrate Christian ordinances more effectually and profitably are called the visible church. In 1589 a tract was published in England entitled, " A True Description out of the Word of God, of the VISIBLE CHURCH." Though anonymous, its authorship was ascribed at the time to " Robinson's Pastor ; " that is, to either Mr. Clyfton, or Mr-. Smyth, who were both pastors of Congregational churches in the north of England, of which Robinson, and what was subsequently " the Lcyden Church," and finally the " Church of Plymouth, Massachusetts Bay," were members. This rare and valuable tract thus discriminates between the Church universal and the Church visible : " As there is but one God and Father of all, one Lord over all, and one Spirit ; so is there but one Truth, one Faith, one Salva- tion, one Church called in one Hope, joined in one Profession, guided by one Rule, even the Word of the Most High. This Church, as it is universally understood, containeth in it all the Elect of God that have been, are, or shall be : but being consid- ered more particularly, as it is seen in this present world, it con- sisteth of a Company and Fellowship of faithful and holy people, gathered in the name of Christ Jesus, their only King, Priest, and PRINCIPLES. 29 1. When we use the expression voluntary associ- ation, we do not mean that Christians are under no obligations thus to associate together; for we be- O O i lieve that every disciple of Christ is bound by the most solemn obligations, to separate himself from the world and to unite with a visible church of ..Christ; but we mean, that in doing this, it is essen- tial that every person should act freely, under the in- fluence of motives ; and that no circumstances of birth, no civil law, no ecclesiastical regulations, should be thought sufficient to constitute a church, or en- title a person to church membership. We think it manifest, that the apostolic churches were, in this sense, voluntary associations. A whole province was not organized into a church ; neither were entire cities ; and even all the members of the same family were not of course church members. But the churches were composed of such persons as on embracing Christianity separated themselves from the Jewish or Heathen communities in which they lived, and for Christian purposes, and of their own free-will, associated and united together. These things seem to us to lie upon the very face of the New Testament account of Christian churches. 2. But, voluntary association for religious purposes is not all that is requisite to constitute a church of Christ. The persons thus associated must be pro- Prophet ; worshipping Him aright, being peaceably and quietly governed by his officers and Laws ; keeping the unity of Faith in the bond of Peace, and love unfeigned." See Hanbury, Vol. I. p. 28 ; History of Congregationalism, Appendix. 3* 30 CONGREGATIONALISM. fessing Christians : that is, persons who avow openly their repentance for sin, their faith in Jesus Christ, and their cordial submission to the laws of Christ's kingdom. The entire system of church government which we advocate is based on the presumption, that those who adopt it will be governed by religious principle. The system is as unsuited to irreligious men, as a republican form of civil government is to ignorant men. All power being vested in the hands of the church, for the glory of God and the good of man, it is indispensable that the members of the churph should understand and appreciate the principles and design of their organization. But no unregenerate mind can fully understand and appreciate these spiritual, religious principles. 1 Cor. 2 : 14-16. You can never make such an one feel the importance of that purity of heart, thought, word, and action which God's law requires, and by which the mem- bers of his churches are expected to be governed. Ignorant and regardless of the principles of God's moral law, he is utterly disqualified to administer a government based on these holy principles, and hav- ing for its great end the recognition and establish- ment of these principles throughout the world. Hence appears the reasonableness and necessity of this requisition for church membership a profes- sion of repentance for sin, of faith in Christ, and of submission of soul to God. This peculiarity of our church polity, so far from being an objectionable feature, as some regard it, is one of its highest recommendations. It proves it to PRINCIPLES. 31 be in harmony with the whole spirit of the gospel ; and thus furnishes very strong presumptive evidence of its truth. 3. As it respects the matter of covenanting, it may be remarked, that wherever there is a union of indi- viduals for particular purposes, there must be of . necessity a covenant among them, either expressed or implied. The very act of associating for specific purposes implies a covenant or agreement on the part of those who associate, to cooperate in effecting the specified purposes of their association. And if, to obviate all misapprehension, the character and design of the association be expressed in words, and each member of it be required to assent to these, the words are only a translation of the original act. The manifold advantages of an expressed covenant are such as to have induced Christians, associating for church purposes, to adopt this form of covenanting together, from a very early period, if not from the times of the apostles themselves.* And in this prac- tice they were countenanced by the church of God under previous dispensations. The Old Testament, abounds with notices of the covenants which the an- cient people of God made and renewed from time to time, to walk together before God in obedience to his requisitions. In Gen. xvii. we have an account of the covenant made with Abraham and his seed. The book of Exodus, from the nineteenth chapter to * Lord Chancellor King gives us no less than ten creeds and parts of creeds which are found in the writings of the Fathers of the first 300 years, A. D. " Primitive Church" Part II. ch. 3. The entire chapter illustrates the subject discussed in the text 32 CONGREGATIONALISM. the end of the book, contains the written Covenant and Articles of Faith, Order, and Discipline to which the church in the wilderness was required to assent and walk by, under the pain of God's displeas- ure. Another covenant is mentioned and described Deut. xxix. and xxx. See also 2 Kings 23 : 1-3. 2 Chron. xv. and 29 : 10. Here and elsewhere we have accounts of covenants made and written. In Nehemiah ix. we have a long covenant which was made, written, signed, and sealed by the children of Israel after their return from captivity ; which illus- trates, doubtless, Isaiah's words (44 : 5), who, in pre- dicting the restoration of the Jews from Babylon, and their religious condition, and at the same time probably glancing at the state of things under the the Messiah's reign, says : " One shall say, I am the Lord's ; and another shall call himself by the name of the God of Jacob ; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the Lord, and surname himself by the name of Israel." 4. In regard to the purposes for which these asso- ciations should be formed : it is obvious, that they should be exclusively religious. They are churches of God Christian churches ; and the worship and glory of God, the celebration of Christian ordinances and the extension of Christian influences are the ends contemplated in their organization. All this appears from the duties enjoined, and the directions given in the several epistles addressed to the apostolic churches and to their teachers. As a sample, read 1 Cor. xiv. and the epistles to Timothy and Titus. It is very apparent from the New Testament, that all who were connected with the apostolic churches voluntarily PRINCIPLES. 33 and publicly professed their faith in Christ and their cordial submission to the principles of the gospel ; and virtually covenanted, or agreed with each other, to walk together in accordance with this faith and these principles. In the second chapter of Acts we have the follow- ing account of the first admission of members to the Christian church, after the Saviour's ascension : " And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they (i. e. the 120 disciples, who constituted the first Christian church at Jerusalem) were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they \vere sitting. And there ap- peared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." This being noised abroad, a multitude of persons came together. " And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this ? Others mocking, said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven " apostles, addressed the assembled multitude in the most instructive and affecting manner. He cdn- cluded his address, by charging those before him with having crucified the Lord Jesus Christ. " Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the 34 CONGREGATIONALISM. Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word, were bap- tized : and the same day there were added unto them, about three thousand souls. And they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul ; and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles, and all that believed were together, and had all things common ; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with glad- ness and singleness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." From this account it is evident, that the church at Jerusalem was a voluntary association. Motives were presented, arguments were employed, truth was urged ; then it was left to every hearer to decide on the course he would take. Those who were per- suaded whose hearts were touched who gladly received the word came forward and offered them- selves for baptism ; after receiving which, they were " added to the church." It also appears from this account, that the apostles received none into the church at that time, but those who publicly professed their repentance for sin, and then* faith in Christ ; none but those who " believed " PRINCIPLES. 35 " who gladly received the word." That they pro- fessed this belief, and this reception of gospel princi- ples, is clearly implied in the declaration, that " they were baptized ; " for Christian baptism was a solemn renunciation of previous opinions, so far as these were inconsistent with the gospel, and an open pro- fession of faith in Christ. And furthermore, we are told,^ that these penitent, believing, and baptized persons " were added unto them " i. e. to the disci- ples who composed the church and were thus separated from the unbelieving world. The subse- quent conduct of these converts confirms this inter- pretation ; for, in the forty-second verse and onward we read : " And they continued steadfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul : and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had ah 1 things common; and sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to ah 1 men as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and single- ness of heart, praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." If all this was not a renunciation of their Jewish prejudices and a public profession of faith in Christ, actions have no significancy. And that there was a virtual covenanting, or agreeing to walk together on certain common principles of belief and practice, appears from the declaration that "they continued 36 CONGREGATIONALISM. steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." Here we have, as I conceive, the outline of their covenant: they entered into fellows/lip with the apostles and with one another, professing to believe the doctrines taught by the apostles ; (which were the " form of doctrine," or " sound words," delivered to all the churches. See Rom. 6: 17. 2 Tim. 1 : 13,) and engaging to commune together in the breaking- of bread sacramentally, and in social prayer. And notwithstanding all their temptations to violate this covenant, " they continued steadfastly " in the same.* * I am aware that commentators do not agree in the exposition of this passage; some supposing that the "breaking of bread" spoken of in the text was social, and not sacramental. I prefer the interpretation in the text: (1) Because of the use of the word fellowship (YLoivuviq, communion,) which is generally used in ap- plication to acts strictly religious: as in 1 Cor. 10: 16. 2 Cor. 6: 14. Phil. 1 : 5. 1 John 1 : 3, 6, 7, etc. (2) Because the act of breaking bread stands in immediate connection with two others the one before and the other after it which are confessedly religious acts : namely, the belief of the apostles' doctrine, and the practice of prayers. The passage in the text, may perhaps be illustrated by 2 Cor. 8 : 5. Neander supposes that every daily meal was followed by the eucharistic use of bread and wine : " At the close of the meal, the president distributed bread and wine to the persons present, as a memorial of Christ's similar distribution to the disciples. Thus every meal was consecrated to the Lord, and at the same time was a meal of brotherly love." Hist, of the Planting and Training of the Christ. Chh. Vol. I. p. 27, 3d Ed. Edinb. Bloomfield sug- gests that the meaning of Luke is, that their ordinary meals were taken " in charitable communion and religious thankfulness, and followed by prayer." Note on Acts 2 : 42. Mosheim would make PRINCIPLES. 37 And here we have, also, the sacred purposes for which these good people associated and covenanted together : namely, the maintenance of the apostles' doctrines, and the practice of Christian rites and du- ties. See Acts 20: 7. 1 Cor. 11 : 17-34. Here then, we find in this single chapter, a con- firmation of all the specifications in our second great principle of church organization. For, though this is but a brief account of one of the many churches organized by the apostles, yet we may believe that after this model all their churches were constituted. We are not, however, to be confined to this chapter. By referring to other parts of the New Testament, we find the view we have taken of the above account confirmed. Thus, the position that piety and the profession thereof are both requisite to church mem- bership, receives further confirmation from the lan- guage of the apostle, Rom. 10 : 8-10 ; " This is the word of faith" [or the faithful word the gospel] " which we preach ; that if t/iou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus Christ, and shalt believe in thy heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness ; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." The words of the Saviour himself, Matt. 10 : 32, inculcate the same doctrine : " Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." The manner in which the apostles speak of, and Koivuvia, fellowship, communion, refer to the particular act of pre- senting gifts and offerings for the relief of the poor. Com- mentaries, Vol. I. p. 194, note. 4 38 CONGREGATIONALISM. to the churches in their epistles, clearly proves that these churches were composed of persons who had made a credible profession of faith in Christ. Paul, in his epistle to the church at Rome, addressed them as " beloved of God, called to be saints ; " and says : " I thank my God that your faith is spoken of throughout the world." Rom. 1 : 7, 8. But how could this be, if they had not made a public profes- sion of their faith ? To the Corinthians, Paul wrote : " Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in [or through faith in] Christ Jesus, called to be saints." ... 1 Cor. 1 : 2. See also Gal. 4: 28. Eph. 1 : 1. Phil. 1 : 1, 5, 7. 1 Thess. 1 : 1-10. " Unto the Church of the Thes- salonians, which is in God the Father and in the Lord Jesus Christ," Paul wrote : " Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God" He then declares to them : " Ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost; so that ye were ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For, from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also, in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad" 1 Thess. 1 : 1-10. All this could not have been said of them, had they not publicly professed their faith in Jesus Christ. In the 2 Cor. 6 : 1418, is this remarkable passage: " Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbe- lievers ; for what fellowship hath righteousness with PRINCIPLES. 39 unrighteousness ? and what communion hath light with darkness ? and what concord hath Christ with Belial ? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel [uniarov, an unbeliever].* And what agreement hath the temple of God [or the church of God, Eph. 2 : 19-22] with idols ? For, ye are the temple of the living God ; as God hath said : ' I will dwell in them and walk in them [see Rev. 2 : 1] ; and I will be their God and they shall be my people. Wherefore, COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, AND BE YE SEPARATE, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and be a God unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty." This passage furnishes direct and positive proof, that a Christian church should consist of believers in Christ, who have openly pro- fessed their faith in him and separated themselves from the unbelieving world. Such an interpretation of the passage harmonizes with the design of the apostle as expressed in the context, and with his in- structions elsewhere, and is required by the natural and obvious meaning of the words of the text.f Philip acted on this principle, when he required of the Eunuch an open and solemn profession of faith in Christ, before he would baptize him and thus rec- ognize him as a member of the Church of Christ. Acts 8 : 26-40. And so, doubtless, did all the apos- tles and disciples of Christ, who went forth preach- * So the word is translated in the 14th verse, and elsewhere, and so it should be here. f See D wight's Theology, Sermon 149. Also, Preface to Owen, on " The Nature of a Gospel Church." 40 . CONGREGATIONALISM. ing the gospel and gathering Christian churches. It is perfectly evident from the passages which have now been quoted, and from the general tenor of the epistles, that the apostolic churches were composed of those only who were regarded as " saints," as pen- itent believers in Jesus Christ ; and who associated together under the bonds of a covenant, expressed or implied, to worship and glorify God and to celebrate the ordinances of the Christian religion. Read the tenth chapter of the epistle to the Hebrews, partic- ularly from the sixteenth to the twenty-fifth verse. Now, if all the members of the apostolic churches were required to make an open profession of their faith in Christ as a prerequisite to church-fellowship, and to enter into covenant with each other to walk together in the faith and ordinances of the Gospel ; and no alteration has been made in the nature of a Christian church, or in the terms of communion, it follows, that no person should now be admitted to a Christian church unless he gives evidence of conversion of soul to God, makes a public profession of his faith in Jesus Christ, and of his own free-will enters into covenant with the people of God, to walk with them in accordance with the faith and ordinances of the gospel. III. Another principle of Congregationalism is, that a church should ordinarily consist of only so many members as can conveniently assemble together for public worship, the celebration of religious ordinances, and the transaction of church business.* * See Hooker's Survey, P. I. ch. 4, p. 45, 49; Principles of Mr. Robinson and Church, in Prince's Citron. P. II. sec. 1, or Hist. Cong., p. 362 ; Mather's Ratio, Intr. p. 8, and art. 1 ; Comb. PRINCIPLES. 41 The Greek work kKKhjcla (ecclesia) commonly ren- dered church, literally signifies " a congregation, an assembly," " an assembly called out or separated from others ; " and it is used in the New Testament, for the most part, to designate either the whole body of Christians, or a single congregation of professed be- lievers, united together for religious purposes.* In this' latter sense it seems to be used by the sacred writers in more than sixty different instances. In Acts 2 : 47, we read : " The Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved." Now this church is expressly described as a single congregation, a vol- untary association of persons for religious purposes, who could meet together to worship God and trans- Plaff. ch. 3, 4 ; Bartlett's ''Model of the Primitive Congrega- tional Way" in Hanbury, Vol. III. ch. 72 ; Congregational Man- ual, prepared by Drs. Woods, Humphrey, Snell, Shepard, Cooley, Storrs, and Cooke, ch. 2, 3. * See Campbell's Lectures on Ecclesiastical History, Lect. vi. p. 100, 105, 106; King's Prim. CM., ch. 1, particularly 2; Ne- ander, Vol. I. p. 169. See on, Part III. of this work. Henry Jacob, ' whose writings,' says Anthony Wood, ' bespeak him learned,' remarks upon the word eKKfyaia as follows : " I ap- peal to all authentic Greek authors Thucydides, Demosthenes, Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, etc. out of whom plentiful allegations may be brought, all of them showing that this word Ecclesia (f/c/c/b?cn'a) did ever more signify only one assembly, and never a dispersed multitude, holding many ordinary set meetings, in far re- mote places, as Diocesan and larger churches do. Now according to these, and other Greeks, living in the apostle's days, do the apostles speak. And this, I have heretofore often propounded and affirmed, as a principal ground and cause of our dissent from the Church state in England. And the ground is certain : It cannot be with reason spoken against." Attestation, p. 209, 210, 16mo, printed 1613. 4* 42 CONGREGATIONALISM. act church business. Acts 2 : 44, 46. 4 : 23-31. 5 : 11-14 compared with 3 : 2, 11. 6 : 1-6. Such was the church at Jerusalem, the first Christian church, and the model after which all the apostolic churches seem to have been formed.* This was a complete church ; and was, therefore, called " the church at Jerusalem." Other churches are spoken of as equally complete ; and are designated by the names of the several places in which they were formed ; as, " the church at Antioch," "the church at Corinth," "the church at Ephesus," etc. If each of these compa- nies of Christians had not been regarded as aij en- tire and complete church, they certainly would not have been thus designated. Instead of such phrase- ology, we should have read of that portion of the church of Christ which resided at Ephesus, Corinth, or Antioch ; and not of the church of Ephesus, etc. There was a church at Corinth, and another at Cen- chrea, the port of Corinth, which, being but nine miles distant, was usually considered as the suburbs of the city itself. From the language of the apostle, it is evident that the associated believers at Cenchrea were as truly and completely a church as their more numerous brethren in the parent city : " I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea." Rom. 16 : 1. The obvious reason why the Christians in these two places were not united together in one church, was, that in the organization of churches the apostle proceeded on the principle that a church should consist of only * Sec Gieselor's " Text-Book of Ecclesiastical History" trans- lated by Mr. Cunningham, Vol. I. p. 56. PRINCIPLES. 43 so many persons as could conveniently assemble together for public worship, the celebration of relig- ious ordinances, and the transaction of church busi- ness; and, as these brethren were nine miles apart, though resident in the same city, and sufficiently numerous in each place to constitute a distinct church, he organized them separately. In the Epis- tle 'to the Colossians we have three, if not four dis- tinct" churches mentioned, all within a very shori distance of each other, namely : that of Laodicea,. that in the house of Nymphas, in Colosse, and in Hierapolis. The first and the last were about six miles apart, and Colosse was between them : " Them that are in Laodicea and them in Hierapolis. .... Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the church which is in his house. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans ; and that ye also read the epistle from Laodicea." Col. 4:13-16. Another consideration which goes to establish the position that the churches founded by the apostles were single congregations, is, that so many distinct churches are mentioned in the New Testament. Not less than thirty-five different churches are expressly named, or so referred to as to leave little doubt of their existence.* And yet these evidently constituted * The following are the particular churches mentioned or re- ferred to in the New Testament : Jerusalem Acts i-viii ; Sama- ria, 8:5; Damascus, 9: 10, 19; Lydda, Saron, and Joppa, 9: 32, 38; Cesarea, x.. 18: 22; Antioch, xi. Antioch in Pisidia, xiii. Iconimn, 14: 1-4,21-23; Lystra, 16: 2; Derbe, 16: 1, 2,4-6; Philippi, 16: 12-40; Thessalonica, 17: 1-10; Berea, 17: 10-14; 44 CONGREGATIONALISM. but a small part of all the " churches of the saints " which were organized by the apostolic laborers ; for the inspired writers often refer to " the churches " of certain districts of country, as if they were very nu- merous : thus we read of " the churches throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria " Acts 9 : 31 ; of the apostles going "through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches" Acts 15: 40, 41 ; " of the churches [of Phrygia] being established in the faith and increased in number daily " Acts 16 : 1-6 ; in another place we read that Paul went " over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthen- ing all the disciples." Acts 18: 23. 1 Cor. 16: 1. Gal. 1:2. In Pisidia and Pamphylia the apostles " ordained them elders in every church." Acts 14: 23, 24. We read also of " the churches of Asia " 1 Cor. 16: 19; of "the churches of Macedonia" 2 Cor. 8:1; and Paul's direction to Titus to " ordain elders in every city " of Crete Tit. 1 : 5. Now, these expressions clearly imply, that the number of individual churches in the days of the apostles was very great ; so great as to constrain us to think that a church then consisted only of a single congregation of believers, and this not so numerous as to forbid a " whole church " from assembling together for public worship, the celebration of religious ordinances, and Corinth, xviii.; Ephesus, xix.; Troas, 20: 5-11; Tyre, 21: 4; Ptolemais, 21: 7; Puteoli, 28: 13, 14; Rome, 28: 14, 16; Colosse, Hierapolis, Laodicea, Col. 1: 2. 4: 13-16; Cenchrea, Rom. 16: 1; Babylon,! Pet 5: 13; Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Phil- adelphia, Rev. 1:11; the church in the house of Priscilla and Aquila, v Rom. 16: 5; 1 Cor. 16: 19; Nymphas, Col. 4: 15; and Philemon, Phil. 2. PRINCIPLES. 45 the transaction of business, sometimes even in a private house. See Acts 14 : 27. 1 Cor. 5 : 4. 2 Thess. 2 : 1. Rom. 16 : 5. 1 Cor. 16 : 19. Col. 4 : 15. Philemon 2. If, then, such was the character of the apostolic churches, we infer that such should be the character of all Christian churches, in all countries, and all periods of time. OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED. It is objected to these views, that the size of some of the apostolic churches forbids us to believe that they were congregationally organized.* Milner says : " It is absurd to suppose that the great church at Ephesus, in the decline of St. John's life, should be only a single congregation ; and, most probably, the same is true of all the rest." He then goes on to estimate the Christians of Ephesus at " many thou- sands," and the church at Jerusalem at the same. Hence he draws the inference, that their members could not all have met together for church purposes ; and therefore, could not have been congregationally organized. And Slater insists, that it is highly im- probable that the church at Antioch could have been a single congregation. It is a sufficient reply to these objectors, to say, that two, out of the three churches which they have selected as examples for their purpose, are expressly declared to have been congregational in their char- * See Milner 's Chh. Hist., Cent. HI. ch. 20, and Slater's " Orig- inal Draught" Am. ed. p. 70-72. 46 CONGREGATIONALISM. acter, i. e. capable of assembling together in one place for religious purposes. It is true that three thousand were added to the church at Jerusalem, as the result of the preaching of Peter and the other apostles on the day of Pentecost, and two thousand or more after- wards. Acts 4 : 4. But it must be remembered that many of these were Parthians, and Medes, and Elam- ites, and dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, etc. (Acts 2: 9-11), who had assembled at Jerusalem to keep the feast of Pen- tecost, and who soon left the city for their distant homes. Subsequently, additions were made to this church, from time to time, " of such as should be saved;" but how many of them were stated residents in the city, we are not informed. The following ref- erences will show, that however numerous this church may have been, its members could, neverthe- less, assemble together for religious purposes, and often did. Acts 2 : 46. 5 : 12, 42. 6:2. 15 : 4, 12. Dr. Bloomfield, in a note on Acts 5 : 12-14, says, among other things : . . . " The words faavrfs and kv -rn area Zoto/ujvof [' all ' and ' in Solomon's porch'] are added, because now that believers were become so very numerous, they could no longer hold any gen- eral assemblies for divine worship in the vnepouv, [upper chamber] which they had before occupied, but were obliged to resort to the portico of the Temple, here mentioned. Of course, by faav-eg [all] are meant Ihe Christians at large ; and not, as some have thought, the apostles." Milner (ut sup.) and Slater (p. 32) both urge the expression in Acts 21 : 20, addressed to Paul by the elders of the church at Jerusalem, to prove that there PRINCIPLES. 47 must have been more than one congregation of be- lievers in that city : " Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are \vhich believe." These learned men, in their eagerness to make up a diocesan church at Jerusalem, seem to have over- looked the fact, that, at the time these words were spoken, the city was full of Jews from all parts of the empire, come up to keep the feast of Pentecost. See 'Acts 21 : 27 compared with 20 : 16. Of Eph- esus, we only know that Paul labored there "in season and out of season," " by the space of three years ; " and that " mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." But Paul, doubtless, would have considered the encouragement to remain in this city ample, had he seen a few hundreds turning to the Lord, instead of "many thousands," as Milner sup- poses ; and Luke would have been justified in de- claring that " mightily grew the word of God," had some hundreds of souls been converted in that prof- ligate city. It should be borne in mind, also, that Ephesus was a great mart for the country round about it, and a famous resort for the idolaters of Asia Minor, because here was that wonder of the world, the temple of Diana, the goddess of the Ephesians. For this reason, if for no other, the apostle might have thought it proper to devote special attention to Ephesus; since by being there, he could, in effect, preach the gospel throughout all Asia, as Luke tells us he did. See Acts 19: 10. And if there were " many thousands " converted in this city, multitudes of them, doubtless, were but temporary residents there. Slater labors hard to rebut the idea that the church 48 CONGREGATIONALISM. at Antioch was a congregational church. For this purpose, he refers repeatedly to the lltn chapter of Acts. He quotes, however, only a few words from the sacred text under each specification: had he given the entire passage, he would have overturned his whole argument, so far as the testimony of Scrip- ture goes. In reference to the religious excitement among the Antiochians, he says : " Tidings of this came to the church of Jerusalem, where the whole college of apostles were in readiness to consult for them. They send Barnabas, a good man, etc. . . . to improve this happy opportunity." . . . Was it by design, or accident, that we are thus left to understand that the apostles sent Barnabas to Antioch ? However this may be, certain it is, that the sacred text gives no countenance to such a rep- resentation. It reads thus : " Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of THE CHURCH which was in Jerusalem : and THEY sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch." Acts 11: 22. Not one syllable is said of " the whole college of apos- tles ; " but the whole matter is spoken of as one in which " THE CHURCH which was in Jerusalem " was concerned. It was the church that received the glad news, and it was the church that sent forth Barnabas. Notice, again, the representation in the next par- agraph of the " Draught : " " But to forward this work, . . . Barnabas travels to Tarsus, and joins Saul, . . . and returning with him to Antioch, they continue a whole year together in that populous city, teaching much people." Now, compare this passage with the text, of which it is a paraphrase : " And it came to pass, that a whole year they [Barnabas and PRINCIPLES. 49 Saul] assembled themselves with the church,* and taught much people," u^ov lK.avb.v, a great multitude. Acts 11: 26. It is evident, from this passage, that large as was the multitude, the church at Antioch at this time was not so large but that it could assemble together with their teachers for public worship. Another observation of Slater's respecting the "harvest of Christian converts those apostolical la- borers made, assisted by all that fled thither from Jerusalem, besides by the men of Cyprus and Cy- rene," etc. deserves remark. This observation, de- signed evidently to carry the impression that there must have been a sort of diocesan church at Antioch, even in the apostles' days, receives a satisfactory answer from two or three texts of Scripture. Not to urge Acts 13 : 1-4, where we are plainly taught that the whole church of Antioch were assembled, and were concerned in the work of setting apart Barna- bas and Saul as missionaries to the Gentiles we may refer to Acts 14 : 25-27 ; " And when they [Barnabas and Saul] had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia ; and thence sailed to An- tioch, from whence they had been recommended to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled ; " that is, the work of preaching the gospel to the Gen- tiles, to which they had been set apart, as I suppose, by the church of Antioch. " And when they were * ~Lvvax&fivai kv rrj eKK^aia. Bloomfield would render it, " were associated in the congregation [as colleagues]." Kuinoel however, sanctions our translation : ' convenicbant cum coetu" says he they assembled with the church. It is not, however, material to our purpose which interpretation we adopt. 5 50 CONGREGATIONALISM. come, and had gathered the church together, they re- hearsed all that God had done with them." . . . Now, here we have "the church that was at Antioch 7 " "gathered together" It was not the elders of the church that were gathered together, but the church itself. We are thus taught, that all the " harvest of Christian converts" which had then been reaped, could as yet be gathered into one place. And even at a somewhat later period, after the di- vision of the church about the question of circum- cision, to which Slater refers as a further evidence that the converts at Antioch were too numerous to be included in a single congregational church even after this, we learn that the whole multitude could be gathered together. In the 15th chapter we read, that it pleased "the apostles and elders, ivltli the whole church " at Jerusalem, " to send chosen men of then- own company to Antioch," to carry the opinion of the Jerusalem church upon the agitated question : " So when they were dismissed [by the church at Jerusalem] they came to Antioch ; and when they had gathered the multitude together they delivered the epistle," etc. See Acts 15: 22-30. By "the multitude," no one can doubt but that the whole body of believers is intended ; for the same expression is used in the 12th verse of this chapter to denote the whole body of Christians at Jerusalem. Compare 4th, 6th, 12th, 22d and 23d verses. Now, I would " refer to the sober judgment of all " impartial men to say, whether the Scriptures must not be wrested from their natural and obvious mean- ing, in order to make the church at Antioch any thing more than a congregational church ? that is, PRINCIPLES. 51 a body of believers who could assemble together in one place for religious purposes ? As to what is true of this church after the apostles' times whether An- tioch contained one or fifty congregations of Chris- tians I am not concerned just now to know; but if any man will open the Acts of the Apostles and read from the lllh to the 16th chapter, and find any thing that savors of Diocesan Episcopacy, or any thing that contradicts the idea that the church at Antioch and the others there spoken of were congre- gational in their character, he must understand lan- guage very differently from what I am able to do. The church in Corinth, which we may reasonably suppose was not the least among the apostolic churches, was yet, evidently but a single congrega- tion ; for the apostle speaks of their coming " together into one place " to eat the Lord's supper, 1 Cor. 11 : 20, 33 ; and of " the whole church " coming " together into one place " for public worship, 14 : 23, 26. Thus it appears, from the express words of the New Testament, that the church at Jerusalem, though large, yet consisted of but a single congrega- tion ; and that " the whole multitude of the disci- ples " composing it could, and did meet together for public worship and the transaction of church busi- ness. The same is true of the church at Antioch, and of the church at Corinth; and if so, we may reasonably believe, of all the churches mentioned in the New Testament. So clear is the testimony of Scripture upon this point, that many Episcopal and Presbyterian writers have been constrained to admit, that the apostolic 52 CONGREGATIONALISM. churches were congregational in their organization and practice, and so continued until their inspired teachers were removed. But these writers object to the inference, that all churches should be modelled after these primitive patterns ; because they regard these as adapted to the apostolic age alone.* But why, we ask, did the apostles organize churches throughout the Roman Empire upon a plan which they must have known (according to the supposition under consideration) would be adapted to their circumstances for a very few years only ? Could Paul have regarded himself as " a wise master- builder " when laying the foundation, and framing together a " house " which would require an entire remodelling as soon as the grave should close upon himself and his inspired companions ? an event of which he lived in daily expectation. Can it be, that the apostolic organizations were no better than so many temporary sheds, constructed merely for the emergency of the times, and designed to be taken down, and replaced by the fair temple of Episcopacy or Presbyterianism so soon as the church should become sufficiently numerous and rich for this pur- pose, and her inspired guides should be removed ? We cannot regard such a supposition as reasonable. IV. It is a principle of Congregationalism, that every church is competent to choose its own officers^ discipline its own members, and transact all other ap- propriate business, independently of any other church^ * See Waddington's Ilixtory of the Church, (Harper's edition,) ch. 2, 2. Machine's note to Mosheim, Vol. I. P. II. ch. 2, n. 6. See also Part III. of this work. "Modern Writers." PRINCIPLES. 53 or ecclesiastical body or person ; or, in other words that all church power is vested in the hands of those who constitute the church.* This principle flows naturally and unavoidably from the preceding. If a church be an authorized, voluntary association, organized for specific and lawful purposes ; then this association must have the right to choose such officers, make such regulations, and adopt such measures as are essential to the ends for which it is formed ; all being done in accordance with the general directions of God's Word, or at least, in a manner consistent with the spirit of that Word. (1) As to the election of church officers. We find this right fully recognized in the practice of the apos- tolic churches. For example : in Acts 1 : 15-26 there is an account of the proceedings of the church at Jerusalem immediately after Christ's ascension, in choosing an apostle in the place of Judas. It is as follows : " And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of the names together were about a hundred and twenty,) men and brethren, this Scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus. For he was num- bered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry * Robinson and Church Prince Chron. Part II. sect. 1, and Hist. Cong., p. 327, 330, 338, 339, 362; Thomas Hooker, P. I. ch. 11-13, partic. at p. 187, 188, 219, 220, 221, 5; Cotton's Way of the Cong. Chhs., ch. 1, sect. 1, andWay of Cong. Chhs. Cleared, P. II. ch. 1, partic. at p. 3, 5, 10, 19 ; Keys of tlie Kingdom of Heaven, p. 67-70, 76-91, 100; Ratio Disc., p. 9 ; Camb. Platf. ch. 5, 8, 10, 2, 5 ; S. Mather's Apology, ch. 1. 5* 54 CONGREGATIONALISM. . . . Wherefore of these men which have companied with us, all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which know- est the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, that he may take part of this min- istry and apostleship, from which Judas by trans- gression fell, that he might go to his own place. And they gave forth their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles." By " lots " (tfj/povf) here, we may understand votes they gave their votes. " And the lot fell upon Matthias ; and he was numbered with the eleven " apostles : (Tvy/carev^^, chosen by a common suffrage, says Wahl. That is, Matthias became one of the apostles by the common suffrage of the brethren of the church at Jerusalem.* * Mosheim, in his " Commentaries on the Affairs of the Chris- tians before the time of Constantino the Great," has a long note, in which he maintains the above view of the matter. He consid- ers K^f/pof, a lot, as synonymous, in this connection, with ipfyos, a suffrage or vote; and he supposes that Luke meant by the ex- pression " they gave forth their lots," simply this: " and those who were present gave their votes." He also supposes that the sub- sequent method of the most ancient Christian churches, in electing their teachers and pastors, was founded on the manner of pro- ceeding to which the apostles had recourse on this occasion. Vol. I. p. 136-138. PRINCIPLES. . 55 Now, if the brethren of the church at Jerusalem, in the presence, and by the direction of the apostles themselves, were authorized to make such an elec- tion, are not those churches which are formed after the model of this primitive church, empowered to choose their own officers ? In 'Acts 6 : 16, we have another instance in which this same model-church exercised the right of choosing ecclesiastical officers : " And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this busi- ness. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude : and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicholas a proselyte of Antioch, whom they set before the apostles : and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them." But, why did not the apostles select these men ? or the apostles and elders select them ? Why was the matter submitted to " the whole multitude of the disciples ? " For the very obvious reason, that it was, in the judgment of the apostles, the prerogative of the church to choose its own officers. In Acts 14: 23, 24, we have an account of the 56 CONGREGATIONALISM. election and consecration of elders in the churches of Pisidia and Pamphilia, under the direction of Paul and Barnabas : " And when they had ordained them elders in every church [or as Doddridge renders it constituted presbyters for them, etc.] and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord on whom they believed," etc. The Greek word here translated " ordained," is x^poTovf/vavref (cheirotone- santes), from *> (cheir) the hand, and reivu (teino) to stretch out. Wahl renders the word, " to vote by holding up the hand." Schrevelius gives, as the meaning of the word, " to raise up and extend the hands to elect by hand-vote to vote by holding up the hand." Bloomfield, as we might expect, re- sists this interpretation ; but admits that " several of the ablest commentators " adopt it. Doddridge has a long and able note upon this passage. He main- tains that the Greek word employed in the text clearly denotes that the elders were elected by a vote of the several churches over which they were respec- tively placed. In this opinion agree Erasmus, Calvin, and Beza. Beza says : " The force of this word (xEiporovT/oavTef) is to be noted, that we may know Paul and Barnabas did nothing by their private will, nei- ther exercised any tyranny in the church." Calvin says : " Luke relates that elders were ordained in the churches by Paul and Barnabas, but at the same time he distinctly marks the manner in which this was done, namely, by the suffrages or votes of the people ; for this is the meaning of the term he there employs | X L P OTOV 'l aav ' 1 ^ npcafivTTjpovc; /car' enK^rjaiav. Acts 14 : 23. Those two apostles, therefore, ordained ; but the whole multitude, according to the custom ob- PRINCIPLES. 57 served in elections among the Greeks, declared by the elevation of their hands who was the object of their choice." * Dr. Owen maintains the correctness of this inter- pretation, with great learning and ability.f "Xeipo- roveiv," says he, " is the same with raj- #>*? alpeiv [to raise the hands], nor is it ever used in any other sig- nification." " He," continues Dr. Owen, " is a great stranger unto these things, who knoweth not that among the Greeks, especially the Athenians, from whom the use of this word is borrowed or taken, xeipoTovia [the act of voting] was an act oAw r??? tnK^ma^, ' of the whole assembly ' of the people in the choice of their officers and magistrates." He quotes from Demosthenes and Thucydides in proof of this. It is clear that this word is employed 2 Cor. 8 : 19, to designate such an act of the church a popular vote. In speaking of Titus, the apostle says "he was chosen (or being chosen) of the churches (a'porov^e^ VTTO TUV e/c/t/i;/cnwv) to travel with us with this grace ; " that is, with the collection made for the relief of the persecuted Christians in Judea. No one can doubt that Titus was chosen by a popular vote ; and as the same word is used in both places, the inference is, that it designates the same act in both instances. The old English Bible translates the passage : " When they had ordained them elders by election." Harrington, in his Prerogative of Popular Govern- ment, renders the passage " Ordained them elders by the votes of the People." The Evangelist evidently * Institutes, Book IV. ch. 3, 15. f Owen's Works, English edition, Vol. XX. p. 415-418. 58 CONGREGATIONALISM. meant to teach, that the ordinations in the several churches were in accordance with the wishes of the brethren of each church, as expressed by their votes. Another instance of popular election is recorded in Acts 15 : 22-29 ; where we read : " Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church [at Jerusalem] to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas ; namely, Judas, surnamed Barsabas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren | " itCM&nEvovs uvdpae ^ avruv KE/j.tjjai " having chosen men from among themselves, to send [them]." See also 25th verse. This was not an election of church officers exactly, but rather of church represent- atives. The proceedings of the church, neverthe- less, furnish an important hint respecting the Chris- tian method of doing church business. The del- egates were not appointed by the apostles, nor by the apostles and elders ; but by " the apostles and elders, with the whole nJiurch." Neander says : " Re- specting the election of officers in the church, it is evident that the first deacons, and the delegates who were authorized by the church to accompany the apostles, were chosen from the general body. 2 Cor. 8: 19. From these examples, we may conclude that a similar mode of proceeding was adopted at the appointment of presbyters." * But, if it was the right and privilege of the churches formed by the apostles themselves, and while under their special supervision and instruction, to choose their own officers and representatives, can * History of Hie Apostolical Churches, Vol. I. p. 181, 3d ed. So says Mosheim. Commentaries, Vol. I. p. 219 and note. PRINCIPLES. 59 this right and privilege be lawfully denied to any church founded on the same general principles, and composed of the same materials as were the apos- tolic churches ? (2) In proof that Christ has given to his churches the right to discipline offending members, may be ad- duced, first of all, that important passage in Matt. 18 : 15-18, " If thy brother shall trespass against thee, [a/zap: rjai), amartese, commit a serious offence, sin against thee. The same word is used Matt. 27 : 4. Luke 15: 18, 21. Rom. 2: 12. 3 : 23. 1 John 1: 10, and is translated sinned,] go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone : if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more ; that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established. And if he neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church : but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven : arid whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven:" * that is, your doings as a church on earth shall be ratified by me in heaven. To avoid the natural inference, that the power of excommunication is here put into the hands of the church, it has been said: that it is only the ag- grieved person who is to count the obstinate tres- passer " as an heathen man and publican ; " " let * Sec an excellent sermon upon this text by Dr. Emmons, in which he terms the passage, " The Platform of Ecclesiastical Gov- . ernment, established by the Lord Jesus Christ." 60 CONGREGATIONALISM. him be unto thee" etc. To this it may be replied : that whatever the trespasser is to the offended brother, he is after the course pointed out in the text has been pursued to the whole church ; for, when the matter is told to the church, and the church undertakes to reclaim the trespasser, then the tres- pass ceases to be private, and becomes the affair of the church ; or, in other words, the church then takes the place of the offended brother. It would, there- fore, be manifestly absurd to suppose that the church ought to retain in their fellowship one who had been guilty of such an offence as to render it the duty of a brother of the church to consider and treat him as a heathen and publican i. e. as one destitute of re- ligious principle, whose society should be shunned. The correctness of this interpretation of the passage is supported by the following texts. Rom. 16 : 17. 1 Cor. 5: 9-13. 2 Thess. 3: 6, 14, 15. Tit. 3: 10. Any one who will examine these several passages will see, that they all relate to the duty of churches towards the disorderly, heretical, and ungodly among them. And they show, conclusively, that it is the duty of churches, after admonishing, and striving to reclaim trespassers against the laws of Christ's king- dom, without effect to purge them out to put them away from among them to withdraw themselves from them to have no company with them, that they may be ashamed or to reject them from their number and fellowship, as no longer deserving the name of brethren, or the Christian confidence of the churches. The passages here referred to may be re- garded as a commentary on the common law of Christ's kingdom laid down in the 18th chapter of PRINCIPLES. 61 Matthew; for it is reasonable to suppose that the directions of the Head of the Church are to be fol- lowed, substantially at least, by all churches, and in all ordinary cases before they put away from among them, or withdraw themselves from any man who has been called a brother. This view of the matter, while it furnishes a conclusive answer to the objec- tion which has been stated above, and shows that the apostolic churches had the power of discipline in their own hands, also assists us in understanding this fundamental law of Christian discipline in Matt. 18: 15-18. In 1 Cor. 5 : 1-8, we have Paul's instructions to the church at Corinth, to discipline, and even to excommunicate an offending member : " In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my Spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ " [being present to sanction your doings, I counsel and direct you] " to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus : " [i. e. to cast him out of the church, which is the kingdom of Christ, into the world, which is the kingdom of Satan, there to experience the painful consequences of his fleshly lusts, until humbled and mortified by the fruits of his apostasy, he shall be brought back to Christ by sincere repentance.] . . . . " Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump ? Purge out, therefore, the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump." Having disposed of this particular case of fla- grant sinfulness, the apostle is reminded of some in- structions previously given the Corinthian church 6 62 CONGREGATIONALISM. about the treatment of inconsistent church-members. These instructions they had somewhat misappre- hended ; he therefore explains more fully his mean- ing; showing that he spake not of irreligious and immoral men who were of the world, but of such as had crept unawares into the church. He tells the brethren, that they had power to pass judgment on such offenders, and requires them to put them away from among them : " I wrote unto you in an epistle, not to company with fornicators : yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the cov- etous, or extortioners, or with idolaters : for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extor- tioner : with such a one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within ? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person." Is it not perfectly evident that the Corinthian church are here directed to perform acts of discipline of ths highest and most solemn character ? even to cut off, and to put away from among them, their own members. See also, 2 Cor. 2 : 6-11, where Paul gives inti- mations to the church respecting then: duty to the incestuous person after his repentance for his sin: " Sufficient," says he, " to such a man is this punish- ment WHICH WAS INFLICTED OF MANY," [that is, doubt- less, by a vote of the majority of the church,] "so that ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort PRINCIPLES. 63 him Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him." But how? Evi- dently by restoring him to their favor and commun- ion. The apostle does not here speak as one having alone the key of the Corinthian church ; but con- trariwise, as one who recognized the power " of the many " (fad v XMWVUV, of the majority of the church) to act in the matter. He does not command the church to restore the penitent ; but he " beseeches " them : much less does he restore the excommuni- cated person by the authority vested in himself as a minister of the gospel of Christ.* In view of these facts, the inquiry arises : If the church at Corinth were authorized to perform these most solemn and most important of all ecclesiastical acts, were they not empowered to transact all appro- priate church business ? And if Paul himself, " the chiefest of the apostles," did not presume to act for the church, but contented himself with directing them how to act for themselves not in his name, nor by his authority, but in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by His authority then, surely, no person has a right to control and dictate a church; but the power to act authoritatively must rest in the church alone, assembled together in the name, and by the authority of Jesus Christ. If in these passages the keys of the church are not * Calvin says : " It is to be marked, that Paul, though an apos- tle, yet did not excommunicate alone, after his own will, but did participate the matter with the church, that it might be done by common authority communi auctoritate." John Cotton takes substantially the same view of this case, in his " Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven," p. 87-90. 64 CONGREGATIONALISM. put into the hands of the church if the power to discipline, and even to excommunicate (the most important of all church acts) is not committed to the associated brethren, called the church there is no meaning in words.* With what show of reason, then, can it be main- tained, that the power of excommunication is here given to the apostles; and "in a qualified sense, may apply to Christian teachers, in all ages ; " especially, when it is admitted by the same critic, that " tell it to the church," (tiri ry emdwiq) must mean to the par- ticular congregation to which you both, respectively, belong ? f What unprejudiced reader of the Saviour's direc- tions will think of denying, that the power to bind and loose, to receive and to excommunicate, is here expressly given to the church, as such ; that is, to the "particular congregation" of believers to which the trespasser and the complainant respec- tively belong ; and, not to the apostles, as such, nor to Christian teachers alone ? The great Head of the Church knew that " offences must needs come." He knew, too, that a church could not long continue an organized and religious body, separate from the world, if destitute of power to "purge out " the leaven of impurity which would inevitably infuse itself into the mass. Knowing all this, can we believe that He has neglected to provide an effectual remedy ? We * Zuinglius says : " If we look thoroughly into the words of Christ which are in Matt, xviii. we may find him only to be ex- communicated, whom the common consent of that church in which the man dwelleth, hath shut out." Jacob's Attestation, p. 30. f See BloomfielcCs New Test, in loc. PRINCIPLES. 65 cannot. This remedy is pointed out in the passages which have been quoted. Here we have an infallible guide, unto which if we take heed we shall do well. Admitting the Congregational principle that every company of believers who have entered into covenant engagements for church purposes is a com- plete church, and authorized to transact all business, independently of the authoritative control or direc- tion- of any person or body of men whatever ad- mitting this, the directions of the Saviour are easily understood and obeyed. But, denying this principle, how can we proceed in cases of trespass? Who, and what is "the church," to which we are ulti- mately to carry our cause ; and whose decision is to be final ? If the apostles alone were intended, in the direction " tell it to the church," then there is no one now authorized to settle difficulties between church- members ; yea, church discipline is out of the ques- tion ; every member may walk as seemeth right in his own eyes, with none to say, " why do ye so ? " Who can believe that Christ has left his churches in such a condition ? But suppose it be said, that this disciplinary power is lodged with the teachers of the churches, as the successors of the apostles ? Then I ask, What if a church be destitute of teachers, as some of our churches are for a succession of years ? or what if the teachers themselves become corrupt ? What then becomes of discipline? To avoid this difficulty, the power to discipline offenders may be committed to a " Church Session." * But is " a * The Church Session consists of the Pastor or Pastors, and the Ruling Elders of a Presbyterian Congregation. See Con- 6* 66 CONGREGATIONALISM. church session" i. e. the pastor and ruling elders of a particular congregation " the church " of which Christ speaks in Matt, xviii. and to which Paul refers in his directions to the Corinthians ? If it be, why then, we ask, did Paul (1 Cor. v.) direct the Corin- thian church "gathered together," to pass an act of excommunication upon the incestuous person? Why were not his instructions addressed to the officers of the church alone ? Is it not as clear that the apostles directed " the church which was in Corinth" that is, "them that were sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints " (1 Cor. 1 : 2) to perform this act of discipline, as it is, that his epistle was directed to the church as a body, and not to the officers merely ? And if so, then have we not evi- dence from the Scriptures, that the power and right to exercise Christian discipline were anciently vested in the congregated church? and that neither the elders of the church, nor any representatives of the body, could act independently of the brethren who constituted the church ? This is a principle of our system : that so far as the management of its own affairs is concerned, fession of Faith of the Presbyterian Church, 18mo, p. 388, Phil. 1821. This body is constructively, the church, or the congregation. Dr. Campbell's remark upon such sort of churches, is worth re- peating : " The notion .... of a church representative, how commonly soever it has been received, is a mere usurper" .... Lectures on Ecc. Hist. L. x. p. 166. Zuinglius says of a repre- sentative church " ecclesia representiva." " Of this, I find noth- ing in the Holy Scriptures. Out of man's devices any may feign what they list. We rest in the Holy Scriptures." . . . Jacob's Alt. p. 101. PRINCIPLES. 67 every church is a little independent republic ; in- vested by Christ with all needful authority to elect officers, to discipline offenders, to administer its own government, and to do all other things which are necessary to its individual welfare, and consistent with the general principles of the gospel. The principles which have now been discussed, may be regarded as the corner-stones of the Congre- gational system. On these the whole edifice rests. Remove either of them, and the fair fabric of Congre- gationalism will be shattered. But the storms of centuries have beaten upon it in vain, and it is confi- dently believed, that nothing can move it, for it is " founded upon a rock." 1 PART II. DOCTRINES OF CONGREGATIONALISM. IN the preceding pages we have considered what Congregationalists regard as the most essential char- acteristics of a Christian church. In respect to these, we have ever been of one mind. But, in relation to what are here called (for the sake of a distinctive term, and for want of a better) the Doctrines of Con- gregationalism, it is somewhat otherwise. These have for the most part been gradually developed and adopted by the denomination, in connection with the practical application of fundamental principles. But the doctrines which will now be enumerated, are believed to be in accordance with our essential prin- ciples, and to have the very general, if not universal assent of consistent and intelligent Congregation- alists of the present day. Congregationalists maintain, I. That there should be but two kinds of per- manent church officers: ELDERS (sometimes called (69) 70 CONGREGATIONALISM. pastors, teachers, ministers, overseers, bishops,) and DEACONS.* In the maintenance of this doctrine, modern Con- gregationalists differ materially from Episcopalians and Presbyterians, and even somewhat from the fathers of their own denomination. As it is manifest to every reader of the New Tes- tament that there were, in the apostolic churches, several orders of religious teachers and helpers, besides pastors and deacons ; and, as we profess to copy after those churches, it is a reasonable question, " Why do you deviate from the inspired model ? " We reply, Because we believe that all the official persons in the apostolic churches, except elders and deacons, were extraordinary assistants, designed to meet the peculiar exigencies of the churches in their early existence. This conclusion we think fully au- thorized by the Scriptures themselves. In the Epis- tles we are furnished with several distinct catalogues, more or less full, of those who were employed by the Holy Ghost in the days of the apostles, in converting men and in building up the churches. In 1 Cor. 12 : 28 we have as complete and orderly an arrangement of these religious helpers as can anywhere be found. It is as follows : " God hath set some in the Church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers ; after that, miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, gov- ernments, diversities of tongues." We have here eight different sorts of spiritual men ; and by com- * See Upham's Ratio Discip. ch. 4 ; Bacon's Chh. Manual, p. 36-40, 1st ed. ; Pond's Church, sec. 8; Mitchell's Guide, p. 38, 2d ed ; Congregational Dictionary, Art. Officers. DOCTRINES. 71 paring this verse with the tenth verse we may, per- haps, add two more those possessing the power of discerning spirits, and of interpreting tongues. But no one, it is presumed, will aver, that the apostle is here describing the ordinary and permanent officers of a Christian church. He is evidently speaking of the supernatural gifts and graces of the Holy Spirit, and of the persons endowed with these several gifts and qualifications for usefulness. Compare 111 vs.* In Eph. 4 : 11 we have another list of the gifts im- parted by Christ to his Church : and " He gave some apostles [power and qualifications to become apostles] ; and some prophets ; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, [Jz/covt'af,] for the edifying of the body of Christ : " i. e. Christ, on leaving this world, authorized and instituted these several orders of religious teachers, namely, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers; to the end, that their labors might perfect the saints in knowledge and holiness, and build up the Church in this apostate world. This passage seems to imply, that the several re- ligious teachers here named are essential to the accomplishment of the great work for which Christ came into the world ; and that the churches will always need, and should always have these instru- mentalities. This may be true, and yet it may not be true that the churches should always have living * The reader will find an exceedingly interesting exhibition of these charismata (spiritual gifts) of the apostolic age, in Neander's History of the Apostolical Churches, Vol. I. ch. 5, bk. 3. 72 CONGREGATIONALISM. teachers answering to the four or five kinds above named. Indeed, from the very character of some of these teachers, it is a settled point that the churches cannot have them as permanent officers ; I refer par- ticularly to apostles and prophets. I know not that anybody pretends that there should be an order of prophets in our churches. Inspiration being indis- pensable to the prophetic office, prophets, of neces- sity, cease to exist so soon as the gift of inspiration is withdrawn. Still, the labors of prophets were essential to the establishment of Christianity, and their recorded predictions will be of great value to the Church in all periods of her existence. APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION. In respect to the apostolic office, some Episco- palians claim that this should be continued ; and assert that in fact it is continued in their order of Bishops, so far as superiority in " ministerial power and rights " over the elders and the churches is con- cerned. It will assist us in -deciding this question, to in- quire What were the apostles ? The Greek word translated apostle (inroarotof, apostolos), means, " one who is sent with commands, or with a message." Thus it is used in John 13 : 16, " The servant is not greater than his lord : neither is he that is sent (uxoa- roAor, an apostle), greater than he that sent him." And in 2 Cor. 8 : 23, " Whether any do inquire of Titus, he is my partner and fellow-helper concerning you: or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers (anoarotoi, the apostles) of the churches, DOCTRINES. 73 and the glory of Christ." So Epaphroditus is called "the messenger, (u^oaro^ov, the apostle] of the church of Philippi." Phil. 2: 25. This title is, however, applied by way of eminence and distinction, to the twelve men whom Christ selected to be his personal attendants, and witnesses of all that he did, and said, and suffered ; and eye-witnesses of his crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension ; and his principal agents in "Establishing his kingdom in the world. This is expressed in Mark 3 : 14, 15, " And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils." So Matthew tells us: " These twelve Jesus sent forth" etc. 10 : 5. See the whole chapter, which contains Christ's instructions to his apostles. If from these instructions we turn to Christ's last interview with his chosen eleven Judas having apostatized we shall find the same character as- signed to them. Having " opened their understand- ing, that they might understand the Scriptures," he said unto them : " Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day : and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all na- tions, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things." Luke 24 : 45-48. That the great design of their appointment was thus understood by the apostles, appears from the words of Peter when they were about to select one to fill the place of Judas, who had fallen by transgression from his high calling : . . . " Of these men which have com- panied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went 7 74 CONGREGATIONALISM. in and out among- us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness, with us, of his resurrection" Acts 1 : 21, 22. Now, from these passages it is evident, that the prominent and distinctive peculiarity of an apos- tle was this HE WAS A WITNESS FOR CHRIST a chosen messenger, sent forth to bear witness to what he had seen and heard of what Christ did and said during his public ministry, and particularly to his resurrection from the dead ; for it was on this fact that the entire truth of the Christian System was made to rest. See 1 Cor. 15 : 14, 17. In further confirmation of this view of the apostolic character and work, see Acts 2 : 32. 3 : 15. 4 : 20, 33. 5 : 30-32. 10 : 39-41. 13 : 31. 1 Pet. 5 : 1. That Paul was not an exception, see Acts 22 : 14, 15, and 26 : 16, 22, 23. 1 Cor. 9:1,2. 15 : 8. So far then as the distinctive peculiarity of the apostolic office is concerned, it is manifest that the apostles can have no modern successors. We need their testimony to the important truths of Chris- tianity ; and in their inspired writings we have this testimony. But, as to such an order of living Chris- tian teachers as were the apostles, it is impossible, except by a miracle, that there should be any such now. It may be asked: "Did not the apostles possess and exercise a superiority in ' ministerial power and rights' over other religious teachers, and over the early chrisiian churches, which may be transmitted to modern successors ? " In turn it may be asked : Did the apostles possess or exercise any superiority DOCTRINES. 75 over other teachers, or over the churches, which was not founded on their peculiar relation to Christ as his chosen witnesses and specially commissioned and qualified agents ? And, if they did not, could they transmit this superiority to any persons not holding this relation to Christ, and not possessing these su- pernatural qualifications ? That their authority over others was based exclu- sively on these extraordinary and incommunicable peculiarities, seems to us evident from the usual form of introduction in the epistles : " Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle" etc. " Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ." That it was on their character as the inspired apostles of Jesus Christ that they relied for authority over the churches, is further apparent from numerous express references to this fact : e. g. 2 Cor. 2 : 10, where the apostle declares, that in granting forgiveness to the penitent offender, he acted " in the person of Christ" fr xpoauiru xpiarov as the representative of Christ. The same idea is repeated in the 17th verse, " speak we in Christ ; " i. e. " in the name of Christ, as his legates." In the 10 : 8, Paul speaks of the " authority " which Christ had given him for the edification of the church ; and in the 11 : 5, he declares his belief that he " was not a whit behind the very chiefest of the apostles : " and this he gives as a reason why his authority should be regarded by the Corinthians. In the 12th chap- ter, throughout, he defends his claim to the confi- dence and obedience of the churches, by the evidence he had furnished of his apostolic and inspired char- acter. He says : " In nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing. Truly the 76 CONGREGATIONALISM. signs of an apostle were wrought among you in all patience, in signs, and wonders, and mighty deeds.*' See also 13 : 2, 3, 10. Gal. 1 : 11, 12. 2: 2, 6-10. 4: 14. Eph. 3: 1-7. These texts seem fully to authorize the belief, that the apostles spoke and acted authoritatively, solely on the ground of their apostolic and inspired char- acter. The reason why Paul had occasion to insist so much upon his apostolical character, was, that many persons, particularly the false teachers, ques- tioned and denied his right to speak with authority in the churches ; because, as they said, he was not an apostle, chosen of Christ, and empowered to act in his name. The fact that Paul deemed it sufficient to establish his apostolical character, in order to silence these opposers, proves conclusively, that the ground of the apostolical superiority over other teachers, and over the churches, was, that they, the apostles, were Christ's chosen witnesses and specially and divinely authorized and qualified agents. But for this, they would have possessed no more author- ity than other teachers. These peculiarities of char- acter they could not, however, transmit to others: consequently, they could not, as apostles, have any successors. It deserves remark, that Episcopalians, though in their controversies with Congregationalists and Pres- byterians they assert that their bishops are successors of the apostles in then- superiority over the churches and in " ministerial rights and power," yet, in arguing with the Papists, find it necessary to maintain the same views of the apostolic office which we do. For example, the learned Dr. Barrow, in his work on DOCTRINES. 77 the " Pope's Supremacy," asserts, that " The apos- tolical office, as such, was personal and temporary ; and therefore, according to its nature and design, not successive or communicable to others, in perpetual descendcnce from them. It was, as such, in all re- spects extraordinary, conferred in a special manner, designed for special purposes, discharged by spe- cial aids, endowed with special privileges, as was needful for the propagation of Christianity and founding of churches." He then goes on to specify that it was necessary that an apostle should have " an immediate designation and commission from God " . . . " should be able to attest concerning our Lord's resurrection or ascension " ..." be endowed with miraculous gifts and graces "... perhaps be able " to impart spiritual gifts " that " his charge was universal and indefinite" "that the whole world was his province ; " ... and that, by the " infallible assistance " afforded him, he could govern in " an absolute manner." He continues : " Now such an office, consisting of so many extraordinary privileges and miraculous powers, which were requi- site for the foundation of the Church and the diffu- sion of Christianity, against the manifold difficulties and disadvantages which it then needs must en- counter, was not designed to continue by derivation; for it containeth in it divers things which apparently were not communicated, and which no man, without gross imposture and hypocrisy, could challenge to himself. " Neither did the apostles pretend to communicate it ; they did indeed appoint standing pastors and teachers in each church ; they did assume fellow-laborers or 7* 78 CONGREGATIONALISM. assistants in the work of preaching and governance ; but they did not constitute apostles, equal to them- selves in authority, privileges, or gifts ; for, ' who knoweth not,' saith St. Austin, ' that principate of apostleship to be preferred before any episcopacy ? ' ' And the bishops? saith Bellarraine, ' have no part of the true apostolical authority? " * He elsewhere tells us, that " the most ancient writers, living nearest to the fountains of tradition " . . . " do exclude the apostles from the episcopacy," i. e. they do not reckon them as bishops ; or " were not assured in the opinion, that the apostles were bishops, or that they did not esteem them bishops in the same notion of others." f EVANGELISTS. Having given our reasons for supposing that the authoritative and controlling power of the apostles over the churches and their ministers cannot be transmitted to successors, we may pass to the con- sideration of another order of religious teachers that of Evangelists. Evangelists are ranked next to prophets. There is much difference of opinion respecting the character and the work of an ancient evangelist. The Greek word (evayyekurrfa, euangelistes) means literally, " one * See under Supposition II. 4, Vol. VII. p. 201-203. Also Supp. I. Arg. I. 13-15, p. 168 seq. f Supp. IV. throughout, particularly 6. Dr. Campbell pre- sents very nearly the same general view of the apostolic char- acter, etc., as Dr. Barrow does. See Lecture v. DOCTRINES. 79 who announces joyful news," a preacher of the gospel ; hence, some have questioned whether it designated a distinct order of religious teachers. That it did, seems to me evident from the use of the term in Eph. 4: 11; "He gave some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pas- tors and teachers." Evangelists are thus made as distinct from apostles and prophets as pastors and teachers are. We find the word used in two other places, Acts 21 : 8, where Philip is called an " evan- gelist ; " and 2 Tim. 4 : 5, where Timothy is exhorted to do " the work of an evangelist." The best commentators agree that evangelists, in the apostolic age, were religious teachers who had not the permanent care of any particular church, nor any fixed place of abode ; but were sent by the apostles into different cities, that they might either preach the gospel to the heathen, or carry on the work of evangelization already begun by the apos- tles* It is quite apparent that these important agents in promoting Christianity, so far as they were endowed with miraculous gifts, can have no successors : their office, in other respects, was substantially the same * See Kuinoel, Acts 21 : 8 ; Bloomfield on Eph. 4:11; Doddr. ib ; Macknight, Henry, Scott, Burkitt. Neander takes the same view pf the Evangelist : " Next to these [the apostles] were the missionaries or evangelists" Hist. Apostolical Churches, Vol. I. p. 173. So does Dr. Campbell, Lect. v. p. 78. This account agrees with what Eusebius tells us, Bk. III. ch. 37 of Cruse's Transl. or thirty-third chapter of Hanmer's. Mosheim (Vol. I. p. 66, 67, Harper's ed.) supposes that many of the original seventy disci- ples, chosen and sent forth by Christ, were evangelists. 80 CONGREGATIONALISM. as that of a missionary of modern days ; whose min- isterial work is the same as that of an ordained elder. Entertaining such views as have now been sub- mitted, Congregationalists can recognize but one order of religious teachers, namely, that of Elders, sometimes called pastors, teachers, bishops. Thus far, Presbyterians and Congregationalists perfectly agree : and upon this point there has ever been an entire agreement among all who have advo- cated our denominational peculiarities. Upon some other points, modern Congregationalists differ from their Presbyterian brethren, and also from the fathers of their own denomination. To these points we will next attend. TEACHERS, RULING ELDERS, AND DEACONESSES. Our religious ancestors recognized a distinction, in office, not in grade, between Pastors and Teachers : they also admitted the office of Ruling Elder ; though they gave the elders no such judicial power as Pres- byterians do.* They had among them, too, the * Governor Hutchinson, in his " History of Massachusetts Bay," gives the following account of the Ruling Elder. " Most of the churches, not all, had one or more ruling elders. In matters of offence the ruling elder after the hearing, asked the church if they were satisfied ; if they were, he left it to the pastor or teacher to denounce the sentence of excommunication, suspension, or a'dmo- nition, according as the church had determined. " Matters of offence, regularly, were first brought to the ruling elder in private, and might not otherwise be told to the church. It was the practice for the ruling elders to give public notice of such persons as desired to enter into church fellowship with them ; and of the time proposed for admitting them, if no sufficient objec- DOCTRINES. 81 office of Deaconess or Reliever, in conformity with the practice of the apostolic churches. These sev- eral offices were recognized in the Confession of the North of England Congregational church, as early as 1589. And (with perhaps the exception of Dea- coness) by the London Congregational church, formed 1593.* Thomas Hooker believed that the New Testa- ment authorized these five church officers : Pastors, tion was offered ; and when the time came, to require all persons who knew any just grounds, to signify them. " When a minister preached to any other than his own church, the ruling elder of the church, after the psalm was sung, said pub- licly : ' If this present brother have any word of exhortation for the people at this time, in the name of God, let him say on.' " The ruling elder also read the Psalm. " When a member of one church desired to receive the sacra- ment at another, he came to the ruling elder, who proposed his name to the church, for their consent. " At the communion they sat with the minister. " They were considered, without doors, as men for advice and counsel in religious matters ; they visited the sick ; and had a gen- eral inspection and oversight of the conduct of their brethren. " Every thing which I have mentioned, as the peculiar province of the ruling elder; so far as it was in itself necessary or proper, may with propriety enough be performed by the minister. " It is not strange, therefore, that this office, in a course of years, sunk into an almost entire desuetude in the churches. Indeed, the multiplying unnecessary, and mere nominal offices or officers, whose duties and privileges are not, with certainty, agreed upon and determined, seems rather to have had a natural tendency to discord and contention, than harmony and peace." Vol. I. p. 426, 427. * History of Congregationalism, App. No. 1. Also, p. 277. 82 CONGREGATIONALISM. Teachers, Ruling Elders, Deacons, and Deaconesses.* The Cambridge Platform, framed the same year that Hooker wrote, mentions the same church officers ; f though it speaks of the Deaconess as a church officer less essential to the interests of the churches than are the other officers. Its language is : " The Lord hath appointed ancient widows, when they may be had, to minister in the church, in giving attendance to the sick, and to give succor unto them and others in like necessities : " 1 Tim. 5 : 9, 10. Chap. 7, 7. When the ' Ratio Disciplinae, Frat. Nbv- Anglorum ' was published, in 1726, the office of Deaconess seems to have been entirely dropped ; and that of Ruling Elder extensively questioned, and " almost extinguished." See Art. 7. Both were at length given up by our churches ; as was that of Teacher, in distinction from Pastor : and now, but two kinds of church officers, Pastors and Deacons, are recog- nized by Congregationalists as jure divino required by the Scriptures. Even from the time that the Cambridge Platform was laid, (1648,) there were some persons in our churches, according to Mather, who could not " see any such officer as we call a Ruling Elder, directed and appointed in the word of God." And as early as 1702, Cotton Mather wrote : " Our churches are now nearly destitute of such helps in government." J Before we examine the evidence tending to show * Survey of Chh. Discip. P. II. cli. 1. Printed in 1648. f Chapters 6 and 7. % Magnolia, Bk. 5, ch. 1 7, 4. DOCTRINES. 83 that pastors and deacons are the only divinely con- stituted, permanent church officers, it may be well to consider, why our churches have given up the other officers : (1) As it respects the office of Teacher. This office, in distinction from that of pastor, was built on what the apostle says, Eph. 4 : 8, 11. " When he [Christ] ascended up on high, he led cap- tivity captive, and gave gifts unto men : And he gave some, apostles ; and some, prophets ; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers" etc. This text was supposed to indicate that our churches should have both pastors and teachers. The very arrangement of the text, however, suggests, that a different interpretation ought to be given to the last clause. This does not read, as the preceding do, some pastors ; and some teachers ; but " some pastors and teachers ; " which arrangement certainly allows, if it does not require, that the same officer should be both pastor and teacher : especially, as feeding ihe church of God i. e. instructing it is declared to be an important part of the pastor's work. See Acts 20: 28. 1 Pet. 5: 1-4. Compare these pas- sages with 1 Cor. 12 : 28, where the apostle, in de- scribing the provision made by God for the edifica- tion of his Church, enumerates first, apostles, sec- ondarily, prophets, thirdly, teachers, after that, mira- cles, etc. Now, unless he includes the pastor in the term teacher, he has entirely omitted this most im- portant church officer. He, doubtless, used the term as synonymous with pastor. Indeed, the two offices seem naturally to run into each other : and this very difficulty of keeping them separate, may have helped 84 CONGREGATIONALISM. to convince our fathers that they had misinterpreted the passage on which the distinction had been founded. (2) We come next to speak of Ruling Elders. The principal foundation on which this order of church officers is built, is 1 Tim. 5 : 17 " Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor [5nr^ Ti/ajf may denote both competent reward and suitable respect] especially they who labor in the word and doctrine." This passage was supposed by our fathers, and is still believed by our Presbyterian brethren, to teach that there should be one order of elders who should be simply rulers in the churches; and another, an- swering to our pastors and teachers, who should labor in word and doctrine also. To this inference, it is objected: First, that the verse may be otherwise construed ; and that, without violence to the original, thus : especially as they labor in word and doctrine ftuhiaTa ol KomuvTCf Iv "kayo nal diSaanaTua. The word rendered labor (KomuvTef) means literally, wearing out, fainting through weariness; and the expression, especially those wearing themselves out, etc., intimates that the apostle, instead of designating two kinds of elders, and saying that the latter had special claims on the bounty and respect of the churches, intended rather to be understood, that, though all their divinely con- stituted leaders and guides were deserving of a liberal support (for this is evidently the meaning of double) and the respect of the churches yet, more especially did those spiritual guides and rulers (a general name for those who had the care of the churches) deserve this compensation and respect, who DOCTRINES. 85 were eminently faithful and laborious in their pastoral and ministerial duties ; those who were wearing 1 out their very lives for their people.* Secondly. In support of the general position al- luded to above, it may be further remarked: that, while there is scarcely another text which, indepen- dently of this, would even suggest that there should be an established eldership for ruling the churches merely, there are several passages which connect ruling and teaching together, as the appropriate work of those who have the care of the churches : e. g. 1 Thess. 5 : 12, 13 " We beseech you, brethren, to know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord [the same words are here em- ployed as in 1 Tim. 5 : 17 Komuvrac . . . not npoiarane- vovs] and admonish you ; and to esteem them very highly in love for their works' sake." . . . The nat- ural and obvious construction of this passage will teach us, that one and the same order of persons is here spoken of, namely, such as labor in word and doctrine preside in the assemblies of the church, and act as the mouth of the church in admonishing the unruly ; and if so, then this text throws light on that in 1 Timothy, and is very nearly a parallel. Another passage of the same general import may be found in Heb. 13 : 7, 17, 24 ; " Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God" ... or more correctly " Remember those who, having presided over you, * See Upham's Ratio, 38. Limborch, in Doddridge; and Scott, and Henry, in loc. 8 86 CONGREGATIONALISM. have spoken to you the word of God."* These rulers (qyovpevuv) are allowed by almost all expositors, to be the same as those spoken of in Timothy .f And to these rulers, presidents, or guides is expressly assigned the work of teaching the word of God. See also, verses 17, 24. Now, these passages furnish no intimation that there were any rulers established in the churches except such as watched for souls spoke the word of God labored in the word and doctrine ; or, in other words, such as were the pastors and overseers of the churches. Another text, somewhat relied on by the advo- cates of Ruling Elders, is 1 Cor. 12 : 28 ; " God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers ; after that, miracles, then gifts of healing, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." But this passage is too weak to stand alone in the controversy. The apostle indeed speaks of helps (uvrdfrfeif, those who aid, assist, etc.); but we may just as well suppose this expression refers to any other kind of aid or assistance as that of ruling. The word governments (/cv/3f/w7tiimtoi.s ) . The church is addressed as con- sisting of persons who had " the root of faith " re- maining firm in them. 1. Polycarp speaks not as one having authority ; but apologizes for writing to the Philippians, by alluding to the fact that they had desired it : " These things, my brethren, I took not the liberty to write unto you concerning righteousness, but you yourselves before encouraged me to it." 3. He then goes on to speak of the duties of the whole church. After this follows : " Also the dea- cons must be blameless before him, as the ministers [or servants] of God in Christ, and not of men." He tells the church that it is their duty to be " subject to the priests [or elders] and deacons, as unto God and Christ ; " that is, to obey them who, by the consent of the whole church, have the rule over them and admonish them. He then tells the elders how they must conduct in the church. " Let the elders be compassionate and merciful towards all ; turning them from their errors ; . . . . being zealous of what is good," etc. 6. He speaks of the defection of " Valens, who was once a presbyter [or elder] among " them ; and exhorts the church in their dis- cipline of him : " be ye also moderate upon this oc- casion ; and look not upon such as enemies, but call * Owen and Waddington and Lardner place it about A. D. 108 ; Wake, A. D. 116-117. Campbell says, it must certainly have been within " a considerable time before the middle of the second century." Lee. iv. p. 72. CONGREGATIONALISM. them back as suffering and erring members, that ye may save your whole body: for by so doing, ye shall edify your own selves." 11. In this epistle there is nothing to lead us to sup- pose that the churches had undergone any material change in their order and discipline since Clement wrote between forty and fifty years earlier. The churches are still spoken of as separate, indepen- dent, congregational bodies ; as composed of visible saints ; as not subject to the authoritative direction or instruction of any one out of their own body; and to their own officers, only "as the ministers of God in Christ ; " and these officers we learn were elders and deacons, who, in common with the other brethren, were subject to the discipline of their re- spective churches. Ignatius. We have seen that there were at first in most, if not all of the apostolic churches, several elders, of equal rank and authority.* We have now if we may trust to these epistles arrived at that period in the history of the churches, when it was thought necessary to appoint one of the elders of each church to be a sort of president, a princeps inter pares a presiding officer among equals in rank. To distinguish him from the other elders, he was called kmanoxos, the superintendent, overseer, bishop. To this arrangement in the churches, the next apostolic father from whom we shall quote, often alludes. Ante, p. 91, 92. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 143 Ignatius wrote near A. D. 116.* There has been much dispute about his writings. Many have ques- tioned whether any of his genuine epistles are extant. Dr. Campbell regards these epistles as interpolated and corrupted : " I say not that these epistles ought to be rejected in the lump, but that undue freedoms have been used even with the purest of them, by some overzealous partisans of the priesthood." .... "The style, in many places, is not suited to the sim- plicity of the times immediately succeeding the times of the apostles." . ..." It abounds with inflated epithets." . . . . " But it is not the style only, which has raised suspicion, it is chiefly the sentiments." Lee. 5, p. 99, 100, 101. Prof. Norton rejects these epistles as manifest forgeries : " I doubt," says he, " whether any book, in its general tone of sentiment and language, ever betrayed itself as a forgery more clearly, than do these pretended epistles of Ignatius." Prof. Pond says : " After an impartial view of the whole case, I accord with the sentiment of Prof. Norton, as expressed in his very learned work on the ' Genuineness of the Gospels.'" " The Church" p. 126. Gibbon says : " We cannot receive with entire confidence either the Epistles or the Acts of Igna- tius." Dec. and Fall of Rom. Enip. Vol. I. ch. 16, note 70. Mosheim says : " The whole subject of the Ignatian Epistles in general, is involved in much obscurity and perplexity." Vol. I. p. 76, 2d Ed. Dr. Murdock, in his note (No. 31) upon this remark * Authorities vary about the date of these epistles, as they do about every thing which concerns them. Dr. Lardner dates them about A. D. 107. 144 CONGREGATIONALISM. of Mosheim, says : " Moderate men, of various sects, and especially Lutherans, are disposed to admit the genuineness of the epistles in their shorter form ; but to regard them as interpolated and altered." Wad- dington speaks of " the interpolations with which the party zealots of after-times have disfigured them." p. 31. Lardner, speaking of the genuineness of even the smaller epistles of Ignatius, says : " What- ever positiveness some may have shown on either side, I must own, I have found it a very difficult question." Credibility Gosp. Hist. Vol. I. ch. 5. I pretend not to be competent to decide this ques- tion. This, however, I will venture to say and every man of common sense will say the same on examination that the reputed epistles of Ignatius are extremely unlike those attributed to his contem- poraries, Clement and Polycarp. These latter abound with simple Bible truths, and contain almost entire pages of quotations from the Scriptures ; they urge reverence to God and obedience to his commands as the whole duty of man; very little is said of the officers of the church, and nothing of any but bishops, or elders, and deacons. But the burden of Ignatius' epistles is " love your excellent bishop." But, as these epistles of Ignatius are greatly relied upon by Episcopalians to prove the early existence of three orders of Christian ministers, and as he is the first Christian father who mentions them, I have thought his testimony upon other points, of considerable im- portance. Archbishop Wake, from whose translation I gen- erally quote, regards seven epistles as unquestionably the genuine and authentic writings of Ignatius. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 145 These are addressed " To the church which is at Ephesus in Asia " " To the church which is at Magnesia, near the Meander " " To the holy church which is at Tralles in Asia " " To the church which also presides in the place of the region of the Romans " " To the church of God, etc., which is at Philadelphia, in Asia " " To the church which is at Smyrna, in Asia," and " to Polycarp, bishop of the church which is at Smyrna ; their overseer, but rather himself, overlooked by God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." 1. In these epistles the distinct, independent, com- plete, and congregational character of the churches is very fully recognized. The titles, or salutations of the several epistles, go to show this. In every instance in which a church is addressed, it is, " the church which sojourneth" etc. in such a city. He exhorts the church at Ephesus, " to come more fully together." " For," says he, "when ye meet fully together in one place, the powers of the devil are destroyed," etc. 13. To the Magnesian church, he says : " Being come to- gether into the same place, have one common prayer." . . . And again, " Come ye all together, as unto one temple of God, as to one altar," . . . 7. He speaks of the Romans being " gathered together in love," ( 2,) and of the Philadelphians coming l - all together into the same place." 6. Now, these expressions all indicate that a church in Ig- natius' day consisted of no more persons than could conveniently assemble together in one place, for prayer and the worship of God. This is what 13 146 CONGREGATIONALISM. we understand by a congregational church, in dis- tinction from a national, provincial, or diocesan church, or a church embracing several congregations of believers. 2. The churches are represented as " holy " as "blessed through the greatness and fulness of God the Father, and predestinated before the world began " " much beloved of God " " of \vell or- dered love and charity in God" persons of "blame- less and constant disposition through patience" as those who had " obtained mercy from the majesty of the most high God and his only begotten Son Jesus Christ, beloved and illuminated." All these expressions denote that the churches were composed only of visible saints professed Christians. 3. The language of these epistles is, indeed, some- what different from that of- Clement or Polycarp, re- specting the ministry of the churches. Mention is frequently made of the president, or superintendent, who after a while engrossed the title of bishop, or overseer, to the exclusion of his fellow-elders. Ignatius exhorts the Ephesians to be subject to their " Bishop and the Presbytery," 3 ; again, he speaks of their "famous Presbytery," worthy of God, " being fitted as exactly to the Bishop as the strings are to the harp." 4. To the Magnesians he says : " I exhort you that ye study to do all things in a divine concord: your Bishop presiding in the place of God, your Presbyters in the place of the council of the apostles; and your deacons most dear to me, being intrusted with the ministry of Jesus Christ." 6. To the Trallians he says: ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 147 '.' without your Bishop you should do nothing : also, be ye subject to your Presbyters, as to the Apos- tles of Jesus Christ our hope. . . . The Deacons, also, as being the ministers of the mysteries of Jesus Christ must by all means please all." To the Smyr- neans he writes : " See that ye all follow your Bishop as Jesus Christ, the Father : and the Presbytery, as the apostles. And reverence the Deacons, as the command of God," etc. 8. If these passages may be relied upon as genuine, they fully authorize the assertion of Mosheim, that a change was introduced into the government of the church during the second century. These quotations, however, by no means countenance the opinion that diocesan Episcopacy, having bishops, priests, and deacons, all different grades in the ministry, and oc- cupying different stations among the congregations of the Church, had any existence in the second cen- tury. The kind of bishop of which Ignatius speaks was associated with the presbyters and deacons in the management of one and the same church ; and this, not a diocesan church, but a congregational one that could " meet together in one place " which could worship in " one temple of God " which could follow its bishop, or pastor, as sheep their shep- herd. Thus he addresses the Magnesians : " Seeing then I have been judged worthy to see you, by Damas, your most excellent Bishop ; and by your most worthy Presbyters, Bassus and Apollonius ; and by my fellow-servant Sotio, the deacon, in whom I rejoice, forasmuch as he is subject unto his Bishop as to the grace of God, and to the Presbytery as to the 148 CONGREGATIONALISM. law of Jesus Christ; I determined to write unto you." 2. 4. There is not tlie slightest intimation in these epistles that bishops had the least authority beyond the limits of tiieir oion particular congregational churches.* And so far are these epistles from encouraging the notion that the bishops were the sole representatives of the apostles, and were for this reason a distinct and superior order in the ministry, that Ignatius re- peatedly speaks of the presbyters^ or the presbytery, as the representatives of the apostles. Thus he says : " Your presbyters, in the place of the council of the apostles " " Be ye subject to your presbyters, as to the apostles of Jesus Christ our hope." TralL sec- * Dr. Campbell says: "The great patrons of the hierarchy, who found so much on the testimony of Ignatius, will not deny, that on this article [the independency of the churches, and the limited extent of the bishop's power] he is quite explicit." " The bishop's charge is, in the primitive writers, invariably denominated 1 a church, or congregation, in the singular number, never iat;, churches, or congregations, in the plural." Led. vi. p. 105. Dr. C. discusses the merit of these epistles of Ignatius in this Lecture. Stillingffeet, in his Irenicitm, (p. 309,) though an Episcopalian, says of the support derived from these epistles : " In all those thirty-five testimonies produced out of Ignatius, his epistle for Episcopacy, I can meet but with one which is brought to prove the least resemblance of an Institution of Christ for Episcopacy ; and if I be not much deceived, the sense of that place is clearly mistaken too. The place is Ep. ad Ephesios : He is exhorting the Ephesians owrpe^eiv ri) -yvupri rdu 9eoi), which I suppose may be rendered, to fulfil the will of God" etc. Stillingfleet afterwards modified his opinions in some particulars and became a bishop; but, whether he ever saw reason to alter his translation of Ignatius, or his opinion of his doctrine, I know not. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 149 tion 2. " Reverence . . . the presbyters as the San- hedrim of God, and college of the apostles." Ib. 3. And so in other passages. 5. These epistles distinctly recognize the authority of the churches to elect, and set apart to their service, suck servants as they needed. To the Philadelphians, Ignatius writes : " Now as concerning the church at Antioch which is in Syria, seeing I am told that through your prayers and the bowels which ye have towards it in Jesus Christ, it is in peace ; it will become you as the church of God [jrpeTiw lanv ii/uv u? KKfa t c'ia Qeov it is proper for yOU as a church of God] to ordain some deacon [xeiporov- fjcai.* kmcKonov, to choose or appoint by vote a bishop] to go to them thither, as the ambassador of God ; that he may rejoice with them when they meet together [tiri TO av-d in the same place] ; . . . other neighboring churches have sent them [i. e. to the church at Antioch] some bishops, some priests, [npeapv- Tepoie, elders] and deacons." 10. Ignatius urges the same duty upon the Smyrneans : " It will be fitting, and for the honor of God, that your church appoint some worthy delegate, who being come as far as Syria, may rejoice together with them that they are in peace," etc. 11. Now, for whatever purpose these bishops, priests, and deacons were to be chosen and sent abroad by the churches, one thing is evident, namely the * It is observable that this is the very word which is used in Acts 14: 23; " ordained them elders in every church." One is at a loss to know why emaiionov should be translated deacon, as it is by Archbishop Wake ; or irpeapvTepoii;, priests. 13* 150 CONGREGATIONALISM. churches in the time of Ignatius possessed the right to elect their own representatives. This right con- stitutes a distinctive peculiarity of the Congrega- tional system of church government. From this cursory survey of the epistles of Igna- tius, it appears, that, although some changes had been made in the government of the churches since Clement wrote, still they remained, A. D. 10817, in- dependent> congregational bodies, subject to no human authority except that of their own overseers and guides. The Epistle of Barnabas is of somewhat doubt- ful authority, though very ancient.* Its spirit is, however, totally unlike the epistles attributed to Ig- natius. It more nearly resembles Clement's. He says nothing about the three orders, on which Igna- tius is made to harp so much ; and nowise contra- dicts the general impression made by Clement that the churches remained at the close of the first century in their organization and government very nearly as the apostles left them. Hermas, another reputed contemporary of Igna- tius, furnishes but little matter to our purpose. In his Dreams, Visions, and Similitudes, we discover nothing to contradict Clement's testimony and that of Polycarp nothing to support the Ignatian doc- trine of three orders in the ministry. In the second * Dr. Lardner says : " I shall quote it as being probably Barna- bas's " (the Barnabas spoken of Acts 4 : 36, 37, and 15 : 36,) and certainly ancient, written soon after the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus ; most likely in the year of our Lord 71 or 72." Cred. Gosp. Hist. Part II. ch. 1. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 151 Book, eleventh Command, there is a passage, which speaks of the congregational character of the churches : " When, therefore, a man who hath the spirit of God shall come into the church of the righteous, who have the faith of God, and they pray unto the Lord, then the holy angel of God fills that man with the blessed spirit, and he speaks in the congregation as he is moved of God." 2. In the second Vis- ion mention is made of " the elders of the church." 4. In his ninth Similitude there is a passage which seems to imply that bishops and deacons, such as the apostles ordained, still remained in the churches : " For what concerns the tenth mountain, in which were the trees covering the cattle, they are such as have believed, and some of them been bishops, that is governors of the churches : others, are such stones as have not feignedly, but with a cheer- ful mind entertained the servants of God : then such as have been set over inferior ministries, and have protected the poor and the widows, and have always kept a chaste conversation, therefore they also are protected by the Lord." 27. These " inferior ministries " are so described as to leave little doubt but that deacons are meant. Here, then, we have only bishops and deacons, in the churches. I transcribe these passages, not because I think any great stress should be laid on them, but simply to show that the Ignatian epistles stand alone, among the reputed writings of the Apostolic Fathers, in support of the doctrine of three orders in the min- istry. If from the most ancient Fathers of the church, 152 CONGREGATIONALISM. we come down to those of a somewhat later period to those who lived in the second, and the first half of the third century, we shall find that ihe churches still retained many of their Apostolical and Congre- gational peculiarities. Justin Martyr wrote an Apology for the Chris- tians, addressed to Antoninus Pius, the Roman Em- peror, and his two sons, about A. D. 150. In this apology he gives the following account of their man- ner of receiving members to the churches, and of their public religious services : " Whoever are con- vinced, and believe to be true the things which are declared and taught by us, and take upon themselves to live in accordance with our instructions, are taught to seek of God by fasting and prayer, the remission of their former sins, we uniting with them in prayers and fasting. Afterwards they are led by us where there is water, and regenerated [or baptized] in the same way as we ourselves are regenerated : For in the name of God, the parent and lord of all, and of Jesus Christ, our Saviour, and of the Holy Spirit, they are then washed in water. .... After we have thus baptized the person who is a believer and agreed with us in doctrine, we conduct him to the brethren, as they are called, where they are assembled together offering earnestly their united prayers and supplica- tions for themselves, for the illuminated [or baptized person] and for all others, of all nations Prayers being ended, we salute each other with a kiss. Then is brought to him who presides over the brethren, bread, and a cup of wine and water. Which being received, he offers praise and glory to ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 153 the Father of all, through the Son and the Holy Spirit And when he has finished the prayers and thanksgivings, all the people present proclaim their approval, by saying Amen Then those whom we call deacons distribute to each one present, the bread, and the wine and water, that each may partake of that for which thanks are given ; and then carry it to those who are absent. This aliment is called by us the eucharlst; of which it is not lawful for any one to partake except those who believe our doctrine to be truth, and have been washed in the laver for the remission of sins, and regeneration, and live as Christ has required On the day called Sunday, there is an assembly of all who live in the cities or in country towns, in one place (em TO avrb), and the commentaries of the apostles and the writings of the prophets are read as time permits. The reading being over, the president makes an oration [preaches a sermon], in which he instructs the people, and exhorts them to the practice of good works. After this, we all rise up and pour forth our prayers : And as we have before related, prayers being ended, the bread, and the wine and water are brought forward. And the president [woea^, the elder presiding over the church] according to his best ability, offers up prayers and thanksgiving, and the people signify their approbation, by saying Amen. And distribution and communication is then made of those things for which thanks are given, to each one present, and sent to the absent, by the hands of the deacons. Those who are rich and willing, con- tribute each one according to his pleasure ; and what is collected, is deposited with the president ; and he 154 CONGKEGATIONALISM. from thence relieves the orphans and widows, and those who, through disease or any other cause, are in want, and those also who are in prison, and those foreigners who happen to be our guests ; and, as we may in a word say He is the provider for all the indigent. We all assemble on Sunday, because this is the first day on which God, dispelling the darkness and forming matter, made the world ; and also, be- cause, on this day, Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from the dead; for the day before Saturday he. was crucified, and the day after it, which is Sunday, he appeared to his disciples, and taught them those things which we have now related for your consid- eration." * The above extracts teach us, (1) That in the days of Justin Martyr, apparent piety was essential to church membership. (2 ) That an open profession of this was required, and an engagement to walk in accordance with the instructions of Christ. (3) That after such a profession, baptism and the Lord's supper were administered to the initiated. (4) That the church, to whose communion the believing and baptized person was thus admitted, was a congrega- tional church, composed of no more brethren than could conveniently assemble together for fasting and prayer, to hear the Scriptures read and the truth preached, and to celebrate the Lord's supper. (5) That in this church there were but two kinds of officers a president, or presiding officer, and deacons. (6) That the work assigned to the president was * Apology, II. p. 93-99, Ed. Gr. et Lat. 1G86. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 155 very nearly what every Congregational pastor is now expected to do, namely : To preach and pray in the assemblies of the church, to administer the ordi- nances of baptism and the Lord's supper, and to take the general oversight of the church. (7) That the deacons, as among us, distributed the elements used at the Lord's supper, to the communicants. A Chris- tian church, in the days of Justin Martyr, A. D. 150, was, then, substantially, a congregational church in its constitution, discipline, worship, and officers. Passing by intermediate writers, we will next con- sider the testimony of a very distinguished father of the Church, who lived a hundred years after Justin Martyr. Cyprian lived, and wrote the epistles which we shall now examine, somewhere about A. D. 250. In one of these, he furnishes the following evidence that the original rights and divinely invested authority of the brethren of the several churches were not utterly destroyed, even after the lapse of more than two cen- turies from the death of Christ. " For this cause," says Cyprian, " the people, obe- dient to the commands of our Lord, and fearing God, ought to separate themselves from a wicked bishop, nor take part with the worship of a sacrilegious priest, since they especially have the power of choosing the worthy priests, and of rejecting the unworthy. Which power we see comes from Divine authority, that a priest should be chosen in the presence of the people, and before the eyes of all, and approved by the public judgment and testimony, as a fit and worthy person : as God commanded Moses in Num- 156 CONGREGATIONALISM. bers (20 : 2327) saying : " [here follows an account of the consecration of Eleazar, as high-priest, in the sight of the whole congregation of Israel]. " God orders that the priest should be constituted in the presence of the whole congregation ; that is, he teaches, and by example shows, that priestly ordina- tions should not take place except by the concurrence (conscientia) and assistance of the people. So that by the presence of the people, the crimes of the wicked may be exposed, or the merits of the good proclaimed, and that the ordination may be just and lawful which has been approved by the suffrage and judgment of all." In proof of these positions, Cyprian then refers to the election of Matthias to supply the place of Judas, recorded in Acts 1 : 1526 ; and to the popular elec- tion of deacons, given in- Acts 6 : 26. The very examples which Congregationalists quote in proof of their right to choose and ordain their own church officers. A little further on in this epistle, Cyprian speaks of " the vote of all the brethren " being had in the ordination of his colleague, Sabinus.* Indeed, he often speaks of " the suffrages of the people" as among the things which are essential to a rightly constituted, divinely sanctioned bishop. This Father also dis- tinctly acknowledges the right of the people to take part in the discipline of the church. In one of his letters to his church, he says of certain lapsed brethren whose cases were then under consideration : " Every thing shall be examined, you being present and * Epistoto LXXVIII. p. 117-120. Paris, 1726. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 157 judging of it" Epist. ad Plebcm. XL In another place, he tells his people of his purpose to examine these matters pertaining to the lapsed, in a convoca- tion of his associates and in their (the people's) pres- ence, and with their aid. Ib. p. 22. From this entire epistle, according to Cyprian's Annotator, is to be gathered that not the clergy alone, but also the laity, took part with the bishop and clergy in judging of all matters of serious import. See Notae, p. 398. In an epistle to his presbyters and deacons, he says, in regard to certain matters about which they had desired his opinion : " I cannot reply to it alone, since, from the very commencement of my ministry, I have resolved to do nothing privately, of my own mind, without your advice, and the consent of the people." Ep. V. p. 11. Other quotations to the same effect might be given were it necessary. This testimony to the rights of the primitive churches is the more valuable, because it comes from " the most bold and strenuous defender of epis- copal power that had then [about A. D. 250] arisen in the church," and the principal author of important innovations upon the government and rights of the churches, which were developed in the course of the third century.* Such is the testimony borne by the Fathers of the Church to the Congregational character of the Apos- * See Mosheim, Cent. III. B. I. P. 2, ch. 2, 3 ; Barrow's Theol Works, Vol. VII. p. 302. 12mo. 14 158 CONGREGATIONALISM. tolic Churches. And it is certainly sufficiently ex- plicit, to authorize us in claiming the weight of their authority, even, in our favor. MODERN WRITERS. From the most ancient writers, we will pass to the consideration of several modern divines and writers on ecclesiastical antiquities. Their testimony will be adduced simply to show, that " crude and absurd " as some wise men have professed to regard our views, yet many writers, distinguished alike for their learn- ing and impartiality, and not themselves Congrega- tionalists, have freely admitted, that the Apostolic churches were organized and governed substantially as our modern Congregational churches are. Mosheim. Many quotations from Mosheim's Ec- clesiastical History have been already given. For the information of such of my readers as have not access to his works, and for the convenience of others, I shall make some further extracts from this learned and impartial historian. Mosheim's statements are the more valuable, since, being himself a L/utheran, he had no partialities for Congregationalism. His opin- ions respecting what is now best, must go for what they are worth ; his facts, alone, are authoritative. Under the general head of " History of the Teachers, and of the Government of the Church" in the first century, Mosheim says : " As to the ex- ternal form of the church, and the mode of govern- ing it, neither Christ himself, nor his apostles gave any express precepts. We are, therefore, to under- ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 159 stand, that this matter is left chiefly to be regulated as circumstances may from time to time require, and as the discretion of civil and ecclesiastical rulers shall judge expedient. If, however, what no Christian can doubt, the apostles of Jesus Christ acted by divine command and guidance, then that form of the primitive churches which was derived from the church at Jerusalem, erected and organized by the apostles themselves, must be accounted di- vine ; yet it will not follow, that this form of the church was to be perpetual and unalterable.* " In these primitive times each Christian church was composed of the people, the presiding 1 officers, and the assistants or deacons. These must be the component parts of every society. The highest au- thority was in THE PEOPLE, OR THE WHOLE BODY OF CHRISTIANS ; for even the apostles themselves incul- cated by their example, that nothing of any moment was to be done or determined on, but with the knowledge and consent of the brotherhood. Acts 1 : 15. 6 : 3. 15 : 4. 21 : 22. And this mode of proceeding, both prudence and necessity required, in those early times. The assembled people, therefore, elected their own rulers and teachers; or, by their authoritative counsel, received them, when nominated to them. They also by their suffrages, rejected or confirmed the laws that were proposed by their rulers, in their assemblies ; they excluded profligate and lapsed brethren, and restored them ; they decided the controversies and disputes that arose; they heard * The dissent of Congregationalists from these views has been noticed, p. 19-27. 160 CONGREGATIONALISM. and determined the causes of presbyters and dea- cons ; in a word, THE PEOPLE DID EVERY THING THAT IS PROPER FOR THOSE IN WHOM THE SUPREME POWER OF THE COMMUNITY is VESTED. All their rights the people paid for, by supplying the funds necessary for the support of the teachers, the deacons, and the poor, the public exigencies, and unforeseen emergencies. " The rulers of the church were denominated, sometimes presbyters or elders ; a designation bor- rowed from the Jews, and indicative, rather of the wisdom, than the age of the persons; and some- times, also, bishops; for it is most manifest, that both terms are promiscuously used in the New Tes- tament of one and the same class of persons. Acts 20: 17, 28. Phil. 1: 1. Tit. 1: 5, 7. 1 Tim. 3: 1. These were men of gravity, and distinguished for their reputation, influence, and sanctity. 1 Tim. 3 : 1, etc. Tit. 1 : 5, etc. From the words of Saint Paul (1 Tim. 5 : 17) it has been inferred that some elders instructed the people, while others served the church in some other ways. But this distinction between teaching and ruling elders, if it ever existed (which I will neither affirm nor deny) was certainly not of long continuance ; for St. Paul makes it a qualification requisite in all presbyters, or bishops, that they be able to teach and instruct others. 1 Tim. 3 : 2, etc." " In this manner," continues Mosheim, " Christians managed ecclesiastical affairs, so long as their congre- gations were small, or not very numerous. Three or four presbyters, men of gravity and holiness, placed over those little societies, could easily proceed with harmony, and needed no head or president. But, ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 161 when the churches became larger, and the number of presbyters and deacons, as well as the amount of duties to be performed increased, it became necessary that the council of presbyters should have a presi- dent; a man of distinguished gravity and prudence, who should distribute among his colleagues their several tasks, and be, as it were, the central point of the whole society. He was at first denominated the Angel (Rev. 2:3); but afterwards, the Bishop; a title of Grecian derivation, and indicative of his principal business, (that is, of an overseer). It would seem, that the church of Jerusalem when grown very numerous, after the dispersion of the apostles among foreign nations, "was the first to elect such a presi- dent ; and, that other churches, in process of time, followed the example. But, whoever supposes that the bishops of the first and golden age of the church, corresponded with the bishops of the following cen- turies, must blend and confound characters that are very different. For in this century and the next, a bis hop had charge of a single church which might, ordinarily, be contained in a private house ; nor was he its head, but was in reality its minister or servant ; he instructed the people, conducted all parts of public worship, attended on the sick and necessitous, in person ; and -what he was unable thus to perform, he committed to the care of the presbyters ; but without power to ordain or determine any thing, except with the concurrence of the presbyters and the brother- hood. It was not long, however, before the extent of the Episcopal jurisdiction was enlarged. For the bishops who lived in the cities, either by their own labors or by those of their presbyters, gathered new 14* 162 CONGREGATIONALISM. churches in the neighboring villages and hamlets ; and these churches continuing under the protection and care of the bishops by whose ministry or pro- curement they received Christianity, ecclesiastical provinces were gradually formed, which the Greeks afterwards called dioceses* The persons to whom the city bishops committed the government and in- struction of these village and rural churches, were called rural bishops or chorepiscopi (jw x&P a s exiaKoxoi, episcopi rarales, seu villani), that is, bishops of the suburbs and fields. They were an intermediate class between the bishops and presbyters; being inferior to the former [because subject to them] and superior to the latter [because intrusted with discre- tionary and perpetual power, and performing nearly all the functions of bishopsj.f All the churches in those primitive times were independent bodies ; or * Dr. Bloomfield, in his note on Eph. 4:11, seems to admit the correctness of this account. " It is thought," says he, " that the iroiftevee [pastors] were those who had the more important pastoral charges in cities and large towns: the didaaKcthoi [teachers], the smaller ones. . . . Thus it would happen, that the city notfievec would have an influence with, and then an authority over the country pastors. Hence, gradually, their offices would vary and become distinct ; the xoiulvec [or city pastors] first discharging all the ordinary pastoral duties ; and afterwards, when they became regarded as superintendents and were then styled eniaKOTroi [that is, overseers, superintendents, or bishops] they discharged them or not, according to circumstances." Dr. Campbell, in his learned Lectures on Ecclesiastical History, gives substantially the same account. Lect.vui. p. 130-136. Phil. ed. 1807. f See Dr. Owen's account of this matter, in which he agrees with Mosheim. Complete Works, Vol. XX. Pref. p. 29 seq. Also Barrow, ut sup. p. 302 seq. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 163 none of them subject to the jurisdiction of any other. For, though the churches which were founded by the apostles themselves, frequently had the honor shown them to be consulted in difficult and doubtful cases ; yet, they had no judicial authority, no control, no power of giving laws. On the contrary, it is clear as the noonday, that all Christian churches had equal rights, and were, in all respects, on a footing of equality" * In giving an account of the government of the church during the second century, Mosheim remarks : " The form of church government which began to exist in the preceding century, was, in this, more in- dustriously established and confirmed in all parts. One president, or bishop, presided over each church. He was created by the common suffrage of the whole people. . . . During a great part of this century, all the churches continued to be, as at first, independent of each other; or, were connected by no consoci- ations or confederations." Vol. I. p. 142. The preceding testimony of Mosheim goes to sus- tain the following positions, namely : (1) The apos- tolic churches were single congregations of Christians, with their appropriate officers. (2) The government of these churches was essentially democratical. Each church elected its own officers, determined by what particular regulations it would be governed, exercised discipline upon its members ; in a word, did every * Murdoch's Mosheim, Vol. I. p. 80-86, 1st ed. The several points touched upon by Mosheim in the above extracts, will be found more particularly stated and argued in his Larger History of the First Three Centuries. Vol. I. p. 193-267. 164 CONGREGATIONALISM. thing that those possessing' the supreme power were authorized to do. (3) Their officers at first con- sisted simply of presbyters (who were also called bishops, or overseers, and elders) and of deacons ; and when, for prudential reasons, a president was chosen from among the elders of a single church, and the title of bishop, or overseer, was given to him, to dis- tinguish him from his coequal elders, his authority was confined to a single church or religious society, and was essentially unlike a modern diocesan bishop. (4) That all the churches in those primitive times, though bound together by a common faith and order, were equal and independent bodies, subject to no earthly power nor authoritative control beyond them- selves. Such, briefly, is Mosheim's testimony re- specting the order of the churches of Christ during the first, and a part of the second century. Before the close of the second century, this simple and beautiful form of church order and government lost something of its fair proportions. In the third century, " although the ancient mode of church gov- ernment seemed, in general, to remain unaltered, yet there was a gradual deflection from its rules, and an approximation towards the form of a monarchy. For the bishops claimed much higher authority and power than before, and encroached more and more upon the rights, not only of the brotherhood, but also of the presbyters This change in the form of ecclesiastical government, was followed by a corrupt state of the clergy." This deflection from apostolic church order, and this corruption of the clergy, prepared the way for the fatal union of Church and State, under Constan- ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 165 tine the Great, in the early part of the fourth century. This Emperor, after assuming the supreme power over the Church, proceeded to model its outward form and to adapt its government to the peculiarities of the Roman State. The Emperor governed the bishops; the bishops the churches; and the poor churches, by the hands of these governors, were grad- ually stripped of their ancient rights and privileges, nntil, at the close of the fourth century, they retained little else that was apostolic than the mere name of Christian Churches. It is not, however, my present purpose to trace the progress of declension in the ancient churches ; * but rather to mark out their ear- liest order and government. What these were, in the judgment of Mosheim, we have just read. Admitting, now, the competency and honesty of this witness, must we not conclude that the apos- tolic churches were essentially the same in their order and discipline as our modern Congregational .churches ? But Mosheim stands not alone. Other writers of distinguished learning maintain essentially the same positions : (1) In relation to the congregational character of the apostolic, and earliest Christian churches. Lord King", in his learned " Inquiry into the Con- stitution, Discipline, etc., of the Primitive Church," says : " The usual and common acceptation of the word [eKKfa/aia, church], and of which we must chiefly * I have attempted to do this briefly in the History of Con- gregationalism, particularly in the Introduction. 166 CONGREGATIONALISM. treat, is that of a particular church ; that is, a society of Christians meeting together in one place under their proper pastors, for the performance of religious worship and the exercising of Christian discipline." Chap. I. 2.* Zuinglius's definition of a Christian church is very nearly the same. See Jacob's " Attestation" p. 215. Neander says : In the apostolic age " the word * In quoting from the work of Lord Chancellor King, I am aware that it is asserted by Episcopalians, who are greatly annoyed by the " Inquiry," that Mr. Slater's review of the work converted the Chancellor from the opinions expressed therein. But what proof do they bring of this conversion V Why, that Lord King never replied to Mr. Slater ; and that he presented him with a lucrative benefice, which was at the disposal of the Lord High Chancellor. The fact that his Lordship never replied to Mr. Slater, to my mind is an evidence that he was not converted, rather than the contrary. For surely, a man of Lord King's integrity, modesty, impartiality, and earnest desire for truth, could hardly have satis- fied his conscience without retracting his opinions and assertions, if convinced that they were erroneous. But, instead of doing this, he suffered a second edition of his Inquiry to be published with- out any such retraction. See Dr. Vaughan, on " Religious Par- ties in England." And, though it has been asserted that he did not authorize the publication of this second edition of which, however, no satisfactory proof is furnished yet, knowing that it was published, if he had " given up his book," as it is said he had, at that time, it was incumbent on him to publish to the world his recantation. But this he never did ; and until better vouchers for its truth are furnished, we are not authorized to believe this story, that Mr. Slater's book convinced his Lordship that he was in error. As it respects the benefice : It can hardly be accounted strange that a man of Lord King's character and standing an Episco- ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 167 [church] signifies either the whole Christian church, the total number of believers forming one body, under one head ; or a single church or Chris- tian society." Apostolic Chh. Vol. I. p. 169, note. 3d Edition, Edinb. Dr. Campbell's definition of a church is the same as Neander's. Lect. Ecc. Hist. L. ii. p. 26, see also Lee. vi, p. 105, supra, p. 148. Augusti says : " The term eKKtyaia, in the New Testament, and by the ancient fathers, primarily de- noted an assembly of Christians, i. e. believers in the Christian religion, in distinction from all others." Coleman's Antiquities, p. 47 ; also p." 57. See Locke's definition of a church, supra, p. 28, note. (2) Regarding the right of individual churches to choose their own officers and discipline offending mem- palian of the Erastian school, and Lord High Chancellor of a kingdom in which Episcopacy was the established religion should give a valuable benefice to a clergyman of Mr. Slater's learning and ability, though he had written a book against him. That Lord King would have publicly recanted, had he been convinced of his errors, seems wellnigh certain from his preface to the " Inquiry." After modestly requesting any one to point out his errors, he says ; " And then 1 promise, if my mistakes are fairly shown, I will not pertinaciously and obstinately defend, but most icillingly and thankfully renounce them, since my design is not to defend a party, but to search out the truth." Now, that his Lordship did never " renounce " the statements and opinions con- tained in his " Inquiry," is very strong presumptive evidence that he never considered them errors ; and consequently, that Mr. Slater's review did not convert him. 168 CONGREGATIONALISM. bers, etc., we may add to Mosheim's testimony, the following : Barrow. " In ancient times, there was not any small church which had not a suffrage in the choice of its pastor." Barrow on the Pope's Supremacy, Supposition 5th, 12. Also, Supp. 6th, Argument 6th, 4. Beza. "I find nowhere in any Christian church built up, that any is promoted either to the ministry of the word, or the deaconship, or eldership, any other way than by a public and free election" Jacob's Attestation, p. 23, London. 16mo. Augusti. " That the church, i. e. the united body of believers, has had a part in the election of their pastor, from the earliest period downward, is certain ; not merely from the testimony of Scripture, but also from the most ancient of the Fathers." ... Cole- man's Antiquities of the Christian Chh. p. 60, 61. Wadding-ton, an Episcopal historian, agrees with Mosheim. His words are : " It is also true that in the earliest government of the first Christian society, that of Jerusalem, not the elders only, but ' the whole church? were associated with the apostles ; "... In a note he adds : " still, of course, with some degree of subjection to apostolic authority. This, according to Mosheim, was the model of all the primitive churches." Ecc. Hist. p. 41. Dr. Neander, a Lutheran, in his learned and elab- orate work on the History of the Planting and Pro- ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 169 gress of the Christian Church under the Apostles, Vol. I. ch. 5, distinctly maintains this doctrine that the whole church took part in the government of the same: " It is consequently certain, that each church was governed by a union of church elders or of church overseers, out of its own midst. . . . But their government by no means excluded the partici- pation of the whole church in the management of the common concerns." Vol. I. p. 169, 170. Dr. Campbell, a Presbyterian divine, takes the same ground, in his Lectures on Ecclesiastical His- tory. Lect. iii. p. 31-33. Lord King maintains essentially the same opinion of primitive church government. He tells us, that " every church," [that is, " every single parish, every particular church" or congregation of believers] was, in this sense, independent ; that is, without the concurrence and authority of any other church ; it had a sufficient right and power in itself to punish and chastise all its delinquent and offending mem- bers. Inquiry, ch. 8, 1, compared with ch. 1, 2. See, also, ch. 7th, throughout. Barrow says : " Each church was vested with a power of excommunication, or of excluding heretics, schismatics, disorderly and scandalous people." Unity of the Chh. Vol. VII. of his Theol. Works, p. 497 and 259. 12mo. Edinb. Augusti says : ..." As a member of the church, each communicant had that important right of 15 170 CONGREGATIONALISM. taking part in all the transactions of that body, es- pecially in the choice of the clergy and in the disci- pline of the church" etc. Coleman's Antiquities, p. 60, 61. Dr. Campbell tells us, that in the apostolic age, " Not only were such private offences [as are particu- larly referred to in Matt. 18 : 15-18] then judged by the church, that is, by the congregation, but also those scandals which affected the whole Christian fraternity." ..." Now, though in after-times the charge of this matter also came to be devolved, first on the bishop and presbyters, and afterwards solely on the bishop, yet that the people, as well as the presbyters, as far down at least as to the middle of the third century, retained some share in the de- cision of questions wherein morals were immediately concerned, is manifest from Cyprian's letters still ex- tant." Lect. 3d, p. 31, 32. Cranmer, Leyghton, Coren, and Oglethorp, the leading Reformers in the days of Henry VIII. and Edward VI., all agreed, that the Scriptures gave to the churches (i. e. to the people the congregations) the right to elect their own officers, and to excom- municate offending members. See Burners Hist. Reformation, passim; or, Hist. Congregationalism, A. D. 1509-47. (3) With Mosheim's declarations respecting the officers of the apostolic churches, coincide the follow- ing authorities : Wadding-ton, and others, as given at page 91 of ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 171 this work ..." Such is the plain interpretation of the Scripture passages." Hist. Chh. p. 41 and note. Milner, even, is compelled, though with apparent reluctance, to admit, that " at first indeed, or for some time, at least in some instances, church governors were only of two ranks, presbyters and deacons." Chh. Hist. Cent IL ch. 1. The identity of scriptural bishops and presbyters was admitted very generally by the Reformers. The " King's Book" published in 1543, asserted, that there was " no real distinction between bishops and priests ; " and taught essentially the same doc- trine respecting the deacon of the primitive church, as is now held by Congregationalists. It further de- clared, that the Scripture made no mention of any other church officers but these two, priests, or elders, and deacons. Hist. Cong, utsup. DwighVs TheoL Serm. 151. Neander's account of the officers and government of the Gentile churches during the apostolic age, is as follows : " It is, therefore, certain that every church was governed by a union of the elders or overseers chosen from among themselves ; and we find no in- dividual distinguished above the rest, who presided as a primus inter gares [a chief among equals], though, probably, in the age immediately succeeding the apostolic, of which we have, unfortunately, so few authentic memorials, the practice was introduced of applying to such an one the name of imaKoiros, [bishop, overseer] by way of distinction." Hist. Apost. Chh. Vol. I. p. 168, 169. 172 CONGREGATIONALISM. The correctness of Mosheim's account of the humble character and limited authority of the prim- itive bishop, is admitted by Wadding-ton; who says: " The government of a single person protected each society from internal dissension the electiveness of that governor rendered probable his merit." Hist. Chh. p. 44. Lord King's representation is : " There was but one bishop, strictly so called, in a church at a time, who was related to his flock as a pastor to his sheep, and a parent to his children." Inquiry, ch.'l, 5. And again : " There was but one church to a bishop : " And this church, he tells us, was " a single congre- gation." Ch. 2, 1. " The bishop's diocese ex- ceeded not the bounds of a modern parish, and was the same, as in name, so also in thing." . . . Ib. 2. Dr. Campbell gives the following account of the bishop's relation to his church, in the third century : " The bishop, who was properly the pastor, had the charge of no more than one parish, one church or congregation, the parishioners all assembling in the same place with him for the purposes of public wor- ship, religious instruction, and the solemn commem- oration of the death of Christ." . -. . Lee. viii. p. 128. Gieseler's account of the apostolic churches is this : " The new churches everywhere formed themselves on the model of the mother church at Jerusalem. At the head of each were the elders^ irpeffpinpoi, kmano^o^ [elders, bishops] all officially of equal rank, though in several instances a peculiar authority seems to ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 173 have been conceded to some one individual from personal considerations. After the death of the apos- tles and the pupils of the apostles, to whom the gen- eral direction of the churches had always .been con- ceded, some one amongst the presbyters of each church was suffered gradually to take the lead in its affairs. In the same irregular way the title of emaicoirof, bishop, was appropriated to the first presbyter." Cokman's Antiq. p. 101-103. (4) Respecting the independency of the primitive churches. Dr. Campbell agrees with Mosheim when he says : " The different congregations, with their ministers, seemed, in a great measure, independent of one another. Every thing regarding their own procedure in worship, as well as discipline, was settled among themselves. But it is extremely plain, that a total independency was not adapted to the more general character that belonged to all as members of the commonwealth of Christ." Lect. ix, p. 142. The reader will not fail to remark, that this is precisely what Congregationalists maintain. Each Congregational church is complete, and independent, " regarding its own procedure in worship, as well as discipline," while it maintains a sisterly relation to other members of the Congregational family. We abhor all such independency as would lead us to re- fuse to give account of our faith and practice to our sister churches. So said our fathers, and so say we. Dr. Campbell refers to the first council at Jerusalem, about circumcision and other Jewish ceremonies, to 15* 174 CONGREGATIONALISM. illustrate the nature of " the correspondence and in- tercourse with one another," which the early Chris- tian churches maintained. This is the very case to which the-framers of the Cambridge Platform refer. Chap. 15, 2. Barrow, speaking of "the primitive state of the Church," says : " Each church separately did order its own affairs, without recourse to others, except for charitable advice or relief in cases of extraordinary difficulty or urgent need. Each church was endowed with a perfect liberty, and a full authority, without dependence or subordination to others, to govern its own members, manage its own affairs, to decide con- troversies and causes incident among themselves, without allowing appeals, or rendering accounts to others. This appeareth by the apostolical writings of St. Paul and St. John to single churches ; wherein they are supposed able to exercise spiritual power for establishing decency, removing disorders, cor- recting offences, deciding causes, etc." Unity of the CM. Vol. VII. p. 486. Dr. Barrow in his celebrated work on the Pope's Supremacy, further says : " At first, each church was settled apart under its own bishop and presbyters ; so as independently and separately to manage its own concernments : each was avroKfoatog, and avrwouof, gov- erned by its own head, and had its own laws. Every bishop, as a prince in his own church, did act freely according to his will and discretion, with the advice of his ecclesiastical senate, and with the consent of his people, (the which he did use to consult,) without being controllable by any other, or accountable to ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 175 any, further than his obligation to uphold the verity of Christian profession, and to maintain fraternal communion in charity and peace with neighboring churches did require ; in which regard if he were no- tably peccant, he was liable to be disclaimed by them and rejected from communion, together with his church, if it did adhere to him in his misdemean- ors. This may be collected from the remainders of state in the times of St. Cyprian : " [which would be as late as the middle of the third century : for Cyp- rian suffered martyrdom, A. D. 258.] Supposition 5th, Arg. 10, Theol. Works, Vol. VII. p. 302. Dr. Campbell, speaking of the character, etc. of the churches during the first and second centuries, says : " Every church had its own pastors, and its own presbytery, [i. e. council of church officers], inde- pendently of every other church. And when one of the presbyters came to be considered as the pastor ', by way of eminence, while the rest were regarded as his assistants, vicars, or curates, who acted under his direction ; as then every church or congregation had but one who was called bishop, so every bishop had but one congregation or church. This is a remark which deserves your particular notice, as it regards an essential point in the constitution of the primitive church, a point which is generally admitted by those who can make any pretensions to the knowledge of Christian Antiquities." Lee. vi. p. 104 : also 7th Lee. See, also, quotations from Lord King, ch. 8, 1, supra, p. 169. The Magdeburg Centuriators, in their celebrated 176 CONGREGATIONALISM. work, published in 1559-1574, in describing the con- stitution and discipline of the churches of the first and second centuries, furnish the following testimony in our favor : " A visible church was an assembly, or congregation, of persons who believed and followed the writings of the prophets and apostles; which should be composed of persons regenerated by the word and sacraments, though there might be in this assembly, many persons, who, though they agreed with the regenerate in doctrine, were nevertheless, not sanctified in heart. Clemens [of Alexandria] says : I call not a place, but a congregation of the elect, a church." Century II. ch. 4, p. 39, Ed. Basil. 1624. Of excommunication, they say : " the right of ex- communication was committed to the hands of the church and its ministers." Cent. I. Lib. 2, ch. 3, p. 274. " The power of announcing the remission of the sins of penitent offenders was also in the hands of the church ; though, for the sake of order, except in cases of necessity, it was exercised by the ministers of the church." Ib. p. 276. " The whole assembly, or church in any particular place including laymen and clergy had power to elect, call, and ordain suitable ministers ; and to de- pose and avoid false teachers, or those whose evil lives threatened injury to the church. These things appear from the testimony of the Scriptures con- cerning the power of the keys ; for the keys were given to the whole church. But the church if she calls her ministers to act, does nothing else than commit to them the keys. That power, therefore, ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 177 pertains to the whole of the church. Moreover, the examples in the New Testament teach the same thing : for, in the first of Acts, it appears that not by the apostles alone, but by the whole church, Matthias was put in the place of Judas; and in Acts sixth chapter, the deacons were chosen, called, and or- dained, not by the apostles alone, but also by the rest of the church. In Acts thirteenth chapter, the whole church of Antioch gathered together by com- mand of God, and sent forth Paul and Barnabas to teach the Gospel to the Gentiles." Ib. p. 299. The following summary view of the constitution, government, and rights of the churches of the second century is given by these learned ecclesiastial histo- rians : " If any one examines the approved writers of this century, [the second,] he will see, that the form of church government was very like a democracy (c%/zo- Kpari'uf). For each church had equal power of preach- ing the pure word of God, of administering the sa- craments, of absolving and excommunicating heretics and wicked persons, of observing the ceremonies re- ceived from the apostles, or, even, for the sake of edification, of instituting new ones ; of choosing min- isters, of calling, of ordaining, and for just causes, of deposing them again; of assembling councils and synods ; of instituting and supporting schools ; and, in matters of doubt or controversy, of demanding the opinion of others ; of judging and deciding." Cent. II. ch. 7, p. 102-103. Father Paul of Venice (Fra Paolo Sarpi) a learned and distinguished Romanist of the sixteenth century, 178 CONGREGATIONALISM. author of the celebrated " History of the Council of Trent " and many other learned works, bears the most unequivocal testimony to the democratic and congre- gational character of the apostolic and primitive churches. In his profound " Treatise of Ecclesiastical Benefices and Revenues," he says : " It is plain the government of the Church in its beginning was entirely democratical, all the faithful having a share in all de- liberations of moment. Thus we find them all as- sisting at the election of Matthias to the apostleship (Acts i.), and of the seven deacons (Acts vi.), and when St. Peter had received the Centurion Cornelius, who was a Gentile (Acts iii.) into the number of believers, he gave an account of it to the whole church (Acts xi.). Thus the famous council of Jeru- salem was composed of the Apostles, the Priests, and other Brethren in the Faith ; and the letters which were writ from the assembly, went in the name of those three Orders (Acts xv.). But as the church in- creased in numbers, the Faithful neglecting to assist any longer at those public assemblies, and with- drawing themselves to the cares of their own families, the government rested solely in the Ministers of the Church, and so insensibly became aristocratical ; which brought all affairs to have then: determinations by Councils, excepting as to elections, which con- tinued popular still." * Neander says : " The view we are led to form of * Treatise of Ecclesiastical Benefices and Revenues, Ch. XVI. Westminster Edition, 1 736, p. 52, 53. See, also, in confirmation of these general statements, p. 5, and 6, Ch. III. ; p. 16, Ch. VI. ; p. 19 and 20, Ch. VII.; Ch. IX. ; p. 157 and 158, Ch. XXXV. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 179 the original constitution of the churches among Gen- tile Christians as they existed in the apostolic age that it was entirely democratic is also one of the distinguishing marks between the churches of Gen- tile and those of Jewish origin. The case appears to be thus: All the affairs of the churches were still transacted in an entirely public manner, so that every deliberative meeting of the church resembled a strictly popular assembly." Planting and Training of the Christian Church by the Apostles, Vol. I. p. 165, note, 3d Ed. Not to enlarge by quotations from other writers on Christian antiquities, in illustration of the several points under consideration, I will finish, by transcrib- ing the allegation of the learned and pious John Owen; who, after a labored investigation of this whole matter, lays down and successfully proves this proposition: " That in no approved writers for the space of two hundred years after Christ, is there any mention made of any other organical, visibly professing church, but that only which is parochial, or congrega- tional" " A church of any other form, state, or order, papal or oecumenical, patriarchal, metropolitical, diocesan, or classical, they [the writers of the first two centuries] know not, neither name nor thing, nor any of them appear in any of their writings." Vol. XX. p. 132. By which he means : that all the churches during the first two centuries were distinct, independent bodies ; no one of them so numerous as to prevent them from assembling together for public worship and the transaction of church business ; and that each one was invested with sufficient and com- 180 CONGREGATIONALISM. plete authority for all the purposes of church organ- ization. Every one who is acquainted with the character of John Owen, well knows that he did not deal in rash assertions. Every one who has examined his works on church order and discipline, must be aware that in these, neither sound argument nor extensive learning are wanting. His conclusions are those, of an eminently pious and learned man, who, after a careful examination of the arguments of Congrega- tionalists, for the purpose of refuting them,* became himself a decided friend to their views of church order, and, for nearly forty years, was a leader among the English Congregationalists. The work from which I have extracted, was written near the close of his life, and contains, with his maturest thoughts, his dying testimony to the .principles of church government which he advocated. It well deserves the careful study of every one who would fully understand the foundation on which rest our principles and doctrines, f / immqi-n* vnlt .10 .^wlamy Thus, I conceive, it has been shown, from the testi- mony of numerous and distinguished ecclesiastical * The book of which Owen undertook " the examination and confutation," was John Cotton's work " On the Keys." See Owen's Memoirs, p. 55, 56. f In these remarks, I would not be understood to express an unqualified approval and adoption of all his views of church order and discipline. There are some points on which modern, and especially New England Congregationalists, would slightly differ from Owen ; but his writings, as a whole, are almost incomparably excellent, sound, and learned upon this subject. ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 181 historians none of whom except Dr. Owen were Congregationalists, and who, consequently, were with- out any inducement to misunderstand or misinterpret facts in our favor that the leading principles and doctrines of the Congregational system were devel- oped in the constitution and discipline of the Apos- tolic Churches ; that this organization, for substance, was retained during the first two centuries of the Christian church ; and that corruption and error fol- lowed the abandonment of the apostolic models. The correctness of their opinions is not made to rest on the bare assertions of these historians, however learned and impartial they are acknowledged to be ; but, numerous extracts from the Apostolical and Christian Fathers have been introduced, to prove the statements made and the opinions advanced. And now, though the strength of our cause lies not in the testimony of the Fathers, nor the opinions of eminent men the Scriptures being our only infal- lible guide must it not be conceded by all parties, that the correctness of our interpretation of the Scriptures, or, the scriptural character of our system, receives strong confirmation from the testimony of the earliest uninspired writers of the Christian church, and the concurrent voice of many modern authors, alike distinguished for their profound learning and their sound and impartial judgment ? 16 PART IV. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. THE principles and doctrines embraced by Con- gregationalists have induced certain ecclesiastical practices, which have become a sort of common law to the denomination. A knowledge of these is nec- essary to a perfect understanding of Congregation- alism. There may be slight deviations among us from what will now be specified as agreeable to good usage ; but it is believed that the denomination will agree substantially in what follows : I. ORGANIZATION OF CHURCHES. If in any place a sufficient number* of persons wish to be organized into a Congregational church, an orderly procedure would be the following : * The number is not fixed : it may be more or less, according to circumstances. Under ordinary circumstances, it should not be less than seven ; because a less number cannot conveniently dis- charge the duties enjoined by Christ in the xviii. of Matt. When, however, there is a reasonable prospect of a speedy addition to (183) 184 CONGREGATIONALISM. After a season of fasting and prayer, the brethren would appoint a committee to advise with one or more of the neighboring Congregational pastors and churches ; to draw up a Confession of Faith and a Covenant, with articles of government and practice ; and, to send " Letters Missive," * as they are called that is, -letters of invitation to so many of the neighboring churches as should be agreed upon, so- liciting their attendance by pastor and delegate, at an appointed time, to take into consideration the question Whether the interests of religion required the organization of a Congregational church in that place ? At the time and place specified for the meeting of the council, the several persons proposing to unite in church fellowship would be present, with the record of their previous doings, a copy of their covenant and articles, and, so many of them as had been con- nected with Christian churches, with their letters of dismission and recommendation ; and prepared to give to the council any information which would be necessary to a perfect understanding of the merits of the question before them. If the associated brethren their number, if tico or three should covenant together in the name of Christ, they may expect his presence and blessing. Tertullian says : " Where there are three persons, though they are laymen, there is a church." De Exh. Castiiatis, p. 668, Ed. 1634. Cotton Mather says : " Seven is the least number that has been allowed among us, as capable to form a church state for the en- joyment of all special ordinances ; but usually there is a larger number expected." Ratio, Article I. 1. So, for substance, said Richard Mather, in his answer to Herle, 1644. * See form of this letter, Appendix, No. 1. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 185 had already selected their future pastor, it is agree- able to ancient usage that he should be present, to be embodied in the church as one of its members, and immediately afterwards ordained as its pastor.* The pastors and delegates of the churches being assembled, they are called to order by the reading of the Letter Missive, which is the warrant for their meeting. The council is then organized, by choosing a moderator and scribe; and proceeds, after prayer for Divine direction, to examine the papers laid be- fore them by the committee of the brethren at whose request they have assembled, and to hear statements from them respecting the peculiarities of their sit- uation, etc., which, in then- opinion, render the organ- ization of a Congregational church desirable. If satisfied with these statements, etc., and with the covenant and articles agreed upon by the brethren, and of their Christian character and standing,! the council vote to proceed to the organization of a Congregational church ; and fix upon the time and place for the public exercises. The parts are then assigned, as: Invocation and Reading of suitable portions of Scripture Introductory Prayer Ser- mon Reading of the Covenant Recognition of the Church and Consecrating Prayer, (usually as- signed to the moderator,) The Fellowship of the * Mather's Ratio, Art. I. 3. f This satisfaction is obtained either by a personal examination of the candidates, if they have never been connected with a Chris- tian church ; or by letters of recommendation and dismission from the church or churches of which they have been members. For a form, see Appendix, No. 1 2. 16* 186 CONGREGATIONALISM. Churches The Concluding Prayer, and the Ben- ediction. At the appointed time and place, these services are publicly attended, and the associated brethren recog- nized as a Congregational church.* II. CHOICE AND CONSECRATION OF OFFICERS. The church thus organized, as soon as convenient meet together ; and, after appointing a moderator and clerk, proceed to choose then- officers ; namely, a pastor, if previous arrangements admit of it, and two, or more deacons, according to the size and cir- cumstances of the church.f Choice of a Pastor. The orderly course in choosing a pastor is sub- stantially this: The church, having enjoyed a suffi- cient opportunity of hearing a minister preach and of becoming acquainted with his religious character, his literary attainments, his personal habits, etc. ; : * Mather gives a detailed and particular account of all the pro- ceedings in organizing a church, in his Ratio Disciplince, Art. 1. Mr. Upham's third chapter is devoted to this subject. It is full and valuable. f When it can be done, it is desirable that this meeting should take place in season to have the same council which organizes the church, assist in the consecration of the pastor. And, when this is intended, it should be mentioned in the letters missive ; and the necessary preliminary arrangements should be made. J There is reason to fear that our churches are not all as par- ticular upon these points as they ought to be ; they are certainly far less so than were our fathers. It was once thought necessary ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 187 after a season of fasting and prayer for Divine direc- tion, vote to give him a call to become their pastor.* It is usual, though not strictly necessary upon Con- gregational principles, to invite the religious society which statedly worships with the church, to concur in this call and to fix the salary to be offered to the candidate.f These preliminary steps being taken, the call of the church and the concurrence of the society are forwarded to the pastor elect, signed by the mod- erators and clerks of the respective bodies, or by committees appointed for this purpose. The call being accepted by the candidate, a committee of the church, after consultation with the pastor elect, agree upon the churches which shall compose the ordaining council. Letters Missive are then prepared,^ signed by the committee, and sent, agreeably to previous arrangements. At the appointed time and place, the pastors and for a candidate for settlement, to spend months among the people of his prospective charge ; but now, some churches are satisfied with an acquaintance of a few days only ; and some, are ready to call a pastor without having had any personal acquaintance with him. This, undoubtedly, is one reason why there is now so little permanency in the pastoral relation. Are we not verifying the maxim To innovate is not necessarily to improve. * See a form, Appendix No. 2. f Mather's Ratio, Art. II. ; Upkam's Ratio, ch. 6, 58-65. J See Appendix No. 3. It is common to intimate in these letters the wishes of the committee respecting the particular part in the ordination services which each pastor is desired to take : and the ordaining council usually regard the wishes thus expressed, in the assignment of the several parts. 188 CONGREGATIONALISM. delegates assemble and organize, and after prayer, proceed to business. The record of the doings of the church and society is first laid before the council ; then, the call of the church, the concurrence of the society, the provision made for the support of a pastor, and the acceptance of the same by Ihe candidate, are all made known. These being satisfactory, the council vote to pro- ceed to the examination of the candidate for ordina- tion. A certificate of his church membership is first pre- sented, or evidence that he has become a member of the church over which it is proposed to ordain him ; * then his license to preach the gospel. These papers being satisfactory, the council next examine the can- didate respecting his religious experience, his motives for entering the ministry, his theological views, and his literary acquisitions. This examination is usually conducted by the moderator of the council, each member being allowed the privilege of proposing any additional questions.! The council being satisfied upon these several points, vote to proceed to assign the parts in the ordination services. These are, generally, Invocation and Reading of the Scriptures Introductory Prayer, Sermon Ordaining Prayer, accompanied with the * This, as it seems to me, is most agreeable to Congregational principles and early usage. Every pastor should be a member of his own church. The reader will find this matter discussed in the Appendix, No. 13. j- The lay delegates have the same privilege as the pastors ; and should never hesitate to use it. This examination is open to the members of the church and society. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 189 Imposition of Hands Charge to the Pastor The Fellowship of the Churches Address to the People * Concluding Prayer, and Benediction.f INSTALLATION. In case the pastor elect has been previously or- dained, the proceedings of the council vary from those first described in two particulars : First, in re- quiring a certified copy of the proceedings of the * This is rather a modern innovation ; whether an improve- ment, I pretend not to decide. But one thing is certain that the Address to the people is generally little better than a twice told tale ; the appropriate topics of it being generally regarded as common property by the other speakers. And the people them- selves are weary enough by the time the Address begins, to wish to be left to their own reflections. If, however, every man would keep within the bounds of his own appointment, both as to matter and time, an address, or charge to the people, might be an appro- priate and profitable part of every ordination service. From Mather's Ratio Discip. it would seem that an address to the people was anciently included in the Right Hand of Fellowship. Art. II. p. 33-40. f The churches of our denomination in Great Britain invite neighboring ministers to assist in ordaining their pastors, but do not call ecclesiastical councils for this purpose. " The Right Hand of Fellowship " does not enter into their ordination or installation services. In England, laying on of hands does not always form a part of the ordination services. MS. letters from Rev. Mr. Rob- inson and Rev. Mr. Buckham ; the former a Scotch Congregation- alist, the latter an English. Thomas Hooker says : " The church of Scotland is so far from conceiving laying on of hands necessary in ordination, that they do not only not use it, but judge it unlawful to be used, unless some special considerations be attended." This was said in 1648. Survey, P. II. p. 60. 190 CONGREGATIONALISM. council which ordained him ; or, if he has been a pastor, of the council which dismissed him from his previous charge ; and their recommendation of him, as a worthy minister of the Lord Jesus : Secondly, in not imposing hands upon him at the time of the installing prayer. In all other respects, the pro- ceedings of the council are the same in ordination and installation.* Choice and Consecration of Deacons. Deacons are chosen by a vote of the church. They should be men of wisdom and integrity, of good, practical common sense, well rooted and grounded in the faith, and eminent for piety ; and, whenever it is possible, men of mature years, and considerable religious experience. It is judged proper that the choice should not be made until op- portunities have been enjoyed by the brethren to consult together freely, and perhaps repeatedly, and to become united in opinion respecting the most suitable persons for the office. When the choice has been made, it is proper to give the deacons elect some time to consider the question of acceptance. Their acceptance being signified it is consistent with the ancient usage of our denomination to set them apart to their work by * The first planters of N. E. imposed hands, on the settlement of a pastor, even though he had been previously ordained. See Magnolia, Vol. II. p. 209, Hartford ed. Some account of the sentiments of our fathers respecting ordination may be found in Appendix, No. 13. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 191 prayer and imposition of the hands of the pastor. Our churches have not, however, been very uniform or particular in the practice of ordaining deacons, for more than a hundred years past. Cotton Mather tells us, that even in his day (1726) ' in many of these churches this rite of confirmation is fallen into a desuetude.' So at the present time, some of our churches ordain their deacons by the imposition of hands ; others do not, perhaps from the apprehension that false impressions may be received respecting the design of the rite, and the nature of the office. But, if it be distinctly explained, that this ceremony is simply the act of designating, and setting apart in a solemn manner, these men to the appropriate work of the deaconship, I can see no sufficient reason for disregarding ancient, and what appears to have been, apostolic usage.* * Mather's Ratio, p. 130-1,33 ; Upham's Ratio, 40-43. Upon Congregational principles, the right and power to ordain church officers whether deacons or elders is undoubtedly in the churches. And when ordination is performed by ministers, they act not by any inherent right or power in themselves, as ministers, but as the representatives of their respective churches, and as the agents of the particular church over which the pastor is placed. Thus, Thomas Hooker says : " Though the act of ordination belong to the presbytery [i. e. the elders of a church] yet the jus el potestas ordinandi [the right and power of ordination] is conferred firstly, upon the church, by Christ, and resides in her. It is in them [the elders] instrumentaliter ; in her, oriyinaliter;" in them as instruments, in her as the original source. Survey, P. II. Ch. 2, p. 76. See, also, p. 73-77. See Ante, p. 158, seq. In regard to the ordination of Deacons, see Appendix, No. 16. There is, however, a propriety in calling upon neighboring churches to assist in the ordination of ministers, which does not exist in the case of deacons. A minister may be called to officiate 192 CONGREGATIONALISM. III. CHURCH MEETINGS FOR BUSINESS. Every well regulated Congregational church has occasional meetings for the transaction of business. to other churches, in the administration of the gospel and the ordi- nances of the church. But the work of a deacon is confined to the particular church which chooses and ordains him, and the fel- lowship of other churches is not, therefore, needed. In several instances, the fathers of the New England churches ordained their pastors even, without the aid of other ministers. Trumbull, in his History of Connecticut, mentions several cases, Vol. I. p. 298, 299. See also Winthrop, Vol. II. p. 18. Hutch- inson mentions one instance in which this was done when two clergymen were present. Hist. Mass. Vol. I. p. 425. This is according to the Platform; ch. 9, sect. 4. The synod of 1680 questioned the propriety of lay-ordination. See Maynalia, Vol. IT. p. 218, 219. Few Congregationalists would now approve of lay-ordination ; and I am not sure but that some would consider it invalid. Yet, upon Congregational principles, the church is the depositary of all ecclesiastical authority, under Jesus Christ : and if so, then must it have the right and authority to ordain its own pastor, with its own hands. I do by no means, however, advocate lay-ordination. I think that it is manifestly proper, for reasons already assigned, that the pastors of neighboring churches should be employed as agents in this work : but still, I must re- gard it as the abstract right of every duly organized church, to ordain its pastor without the aid of neighboring ministers. No body of believers can be considered an entire, complete church, which has not the power and right to do all that is essential to its personal well-being and usefulness. But, if a church must be absolutely dependent on ordained clergymen to institute its pastor, it surely is not that complete body which our principles suppose. The opinions advanced in this note, are maintained with great ability and earnestness by Samuel Slather, in his Apology for the ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 193 In our cities these are more frequent than in ihe country. Many city churches meet weekly, and busi- ness may be transacted at every meeting, if necessary ; though the special object of most of these meetings is religious improvement. Some churches devote one meeting a month to business ; while the other meetings are for devotional purposes. In a Congregational church the pastor is, ex officio as overseer, ruler, and guide of the church moderator of the meeting ; he puts all motions, and gives advice and instruction respecting the proper method of adjusting all matters under consideration.* This is believed to be in accordance with the doc- trine and practice of our churches generally. In many of our churches the pastor keeps the records of the church, and makes all the entries of Liberties of the Churches in N. E. He devotes an entire chapter to " The Right of these churches to ordain their Ministers." Chap. 2. This also was the opinion of those learned and famous English Independents, Goodwin, Nye, Burroughs, Simson, Bridge, Greenhill, and Carter. See account of Westminster Assembly De- bates, in NeaVs Puritans, Vol. III. p. 283. The distinguished Eng- lish Baptist, Andrew Fuller, was of the same opinion. See Vol. II. p. 661, Complete Works. " As for ordination," says John Mil- ton, " what is it but the laying on of hands ; an outward sign or symbol of admission ? ... It is but an orderly form of receiving a man already fitted, and committing to him a particular charge." . . Hanbury, Vol. I. p. 191,* 2, note. Richard Mather maintains essentially the same view of ordination, and of the right of churches to ordain their own pastors, in his Answer to Herle's 4th Arg. and Ans. to Rutherford, Chaps. 24th and 25th. So does John Cotton, in liisWay of the Cong. Chhs. p. 26. * See 1 Thess. 5: 12. Heb. 13: 7, 17. And Doddridge's re- marks on the same. 17 194 CONGREGATIONALISM. votes, etc. Others have a church clerk for this pur- pose, who makes the needful records under the pas- tor's direction. If at any time the church should be destitute of a pastor, or, if the pastor should be unavoidably absent from a church meeting, the senior deacon may act as moderator of the church, or one may be chosen for the occasion. At all church meetings, every brother has entire liberty to express his views and feelings upon every subject which is brought before the church ; and all questions are decided by the votes of the brethren.* It is not common, however, to settle questions of great importance, by a bare majority vote. A greater degree of unanimity is generally sought and usually obtained.f Very few ministers would feel justified in accepting the call of a mere majority of a church, unless the circumstances of the case were very pecu- liar. It is generally thought desirable that the female members of a church should be present at the trans- action of all ordinary business, for their satisfaction and instruction ; but, it is utterly inconsistent with established usage for females to take any part in * In the Appendix, No. 15, the reader will find 'A Manual for Church Meetings ; ' or, brief rules for transacting business in church meetings. f The churches of our denomination in Ireland seem to con- sider entire unanimity indispensable. " If there be but one mem- ber of a different mind from the rest, it is the same as if there were the one half." " Rev. A. Carson's Reasons for Separating from the Synod of Ulster," p. 12. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 195 business transactions. Their views and wishes are to be expressed privately to their pastor or their brethren. We suffer not a woman to speak in the church, agreeable to apostolic injunction. 1 Cor. 14: 34,35. 1 Tim. 2: 11,12.* . IV. ADMISSION OF MEMBERS. Congregational principles require that every candi- date for church membership should give to the church satisfactory evidence of his personal piety and his soundness in the faith.f In some instances the * I would not be understood to say that no Congregational church pursues a different course. I liave had occasion to know of one, at least, which has followed a different practice to its cost. All deviations from the course described in the text are spots upon the fair and scriptural practice of our churches. The apos- tolic prohibitions do not, as we suppose, exclude women from an- swering questions, or giving testimony when desired ; or from re- lating their religious experience when under examination for church membership ; or from making confession of particular sins by which their covenant engagements have been broken, and dis- honor brought on the cause of Christ. See Cotton's Keys, p. 86. f Camb. Platf. ch. 12; Magnolia, Vol. II. bk. 5, p. 209-212. It seems more consistent with our principles, and with early and good usage, that this account should be given, orally or in writing, before the whole church. I am aware that this is considered a fiery ordeal for a timid person ; but it should not be so regarded. Every church is a Christian family, having similar views and feel- ings, a common object, and like hopes and fears. The candidate for admission professes to be one with the church in all these particulars. In communicating with the church, he speaks to the family of which he is to become a member, to persons who can sympathize with him, and who are prepared to receive him with open arms, as soon as they are assured of his worthiness. After more than thirteen years' experience of the course here 196 CONGREGATIONALISM. relation of his religious experience is given verbally ; in others, in writing. In both cases, the candidate recommended, in the admission of some two hundred members, I am constrained to believe that the difficulties in the way of this practice are rather imaginary than real. The examination of candidates is always interesting and often highly useful to the church ; it gives the members a knowledge of God's dealings with his children, and furnishes encouragement to labor and pray for the conversion of sinners. Furthermore, the self-denying decision which it requires to submit to a public examination by public, I mean before the whole church is often of essential advantage to the candidate himself. It no doubt prevents, too, some proud and hypocritical persons from entering the church. Few such persons would care to submit to the scrutiny of a whole church, though they might venture upon a more private examination. Besides, it seems to me to throw too much responsibility upon the pastor and a few brethren of the church, to make them judges of the fitness of every candidate for church membership. The whole church are called upon to vote in the admission of a member ; is it not proper, then, that they should have an opportunity to form their judgment by personal examination of the candidate ? Should they trust wholly to others ? The admission of a member is now the act of the whole cliurch ; and not of a committee of the church. But if our churches are induced to yield their right to examine candidates for their fellowship, to a committee, is there no reason to fear that they may, erelong, be called upon to yield, to a com- mittee, their right to admit members ? And would not this be to renounce Congregationalism ? It is proper to add, that the question considered in this note is by no means a settled one ; nor have our churches been uniform in their practice for a long period past. Cotton Mather (ut sup.) gives the different views entertained by the churches in his day ; and they are not materially altered by the lapse of a century. Samuel Mather, who wrote about twelve years later than his father, C. Mather, warns the New England churches not to give up the business of examining candidates, to the elders, nor to be negligent of their duty ; but to insist on an open profession from ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 197 is expected to answer any questions which the pastor or brethren may propose ; and to remove, by expla- nation, etc., any difficulties which may exist in -the mind of any member of the church. After the church have satisfied themselves of the sincerity, re- ligious knowledge, and piety of the candidate, they vote to have him " propounded for admission." A week or more previous to the approaching com- munion season, his name is publicly announced, as a candidate for church membership ; and any person knowing aught against him, or any good reason why he should not be received to church fellowship, is desired to make known the same to the pastor. Whether this wish be expressed in words or not, such is the meaning and intention of the act of " pro- pounding a person for admission to the church." If, after being propounded, no objection appears to the admission of the candidate, on the next sacra- mental occasion which, in most churches occurs as often as once in two months, in many monthly, though in some country churches less frequently he publicly assents to the church covenant, articles of faith, government, and practice, and solemnly promises to walk with the church in accordance with these, and in the observance of all the duties of a religious life. He is then received into the church, by a vote or by tacit consent, and declared entitled to all its ordinances and privileges.* Thus strict and all candidates for church fellowship, and to except against all whom they think to be disqualified for communion with them. Apology, ch. 5th. * Many of our churches have their Covenant and Articles printed, with copious references to Scripture. A copy is placed 17* CONGREGATIONALISM. cautious are Congregational churches in the ad- mission of members. V. DISMISSION OF MEMBERS. If, for any good reason, a church member wishes to remove his relation to another church, he applies for a letter of dismission and recommendation.* If in the hands of candidates for church membership, that they may know what the church professes to believe, and the reasons for their faith, and what will be required of those who unite with the church. The Congregational churches in Scotland, with few exceptions, practise " weekly communion," at the Lord's supper. In the ad- mission of members, the work of examination is intrusted to the pastor and " two visitors," who are appointed by the church. After satisfying themselves of the piety, and other qualifications of the candidate for church fellowship, they report accordingly to the church ; and the candidate " is admitted, after exhortation to duties, etc., and prayer." I quote from a manuscript letter of Rev. Mr. Robertson, for thirty years pastor of a Congregational church in Scotland. I am greatly indebted to this gentleman, and to Rev. Mr. Buckham, already referred to, for valuable information, respecting Congre- gationalism in Great Britain. * It is believed to be contrary to regular Congregational usage, to dismiss a member, and recommend him " to any church with which he may please to unite." The church should be specified, and be known to be in fellowship with the dismissing church. If a member is about to leave the neighborhood of the church to which he belongs, and does not know with what church he shall wish to connect himself, he may take from the pastor or the clerk of the church, a certificate of his regular standing, and a letter of general introduction (see Appendix, No. 4) ; which will secure for him the privilege of occasional communion with any church which acknowledges that from which he goes, as a church of Christ. This, however, will not supersede the necessity of a letter of ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 199 the two churches are in fellowship that is, if they recognize each other as churches of Christ the church vote to dismiss their brother, and recommend him to the church specified. See Acts 18 : 27. Rom. 16 : 1. 2 Cor. 3 : 1. Until this letter is presented, and the individual is received by the church to which the letter is ad-, dressed, he remains a member of the church from which the letter is taken, and is subject to the watch and discipline of the same.* Any disregard of this authorized practice of our churches is considered an irregularity, alike injurious to the churches and to the individuals concerned. It may be proper to remark in this connection, that we suppose Christ has given his churches no au- thority to dismiss any of their members to the world. Church members have been known to apply to their pastor for " a dismission from the church ; " assigning as a reason, perhaps, their personal unfitness for church fellowship ; or, their dissatisfaction with the sentiments or doings of the church. Now, every person about to unite with a Congregational church ought distinctly to understand, that there are only two ways by which a member may become perma- nently separated from one of our churches ; one is, by dismission and recommendation to a sister church ; the other is, by exclusion from church fellowship.! dismission and recommendation to some particular church. This is the doctrine of the Cambridge Platform, ch. 13. Mather's Ratio,- Art. 8, 2. * See Appendix, No. 5. f Chauncey in his Divine Institution of Congregational Churches, says: "In such a dismission these things are to be observed: 200 CONGREGATIONALISM. There are no private ways to get in or out of our churches.* VI. DISMISSION OF A PASTOR. If, for any sufficient reason, it is deemed expe- dient to dissolve the connection between a pastor and his church, the regular course is as follows : The pastor lays before the church a statement of his wishes and his reasons for the same, and requests the church to unite with him in calling a council to advise in the premises. If the church are unwilling to dissolve the pastoral connection, they vote to that effect ; and appoint a committee to confer with their pastor, and to dissuade him if possible from his pur- (1) That the said brother dismissed be not under the censure or dealing of the church dismissing him. (2) That the letter of dismission may be either with or without commendation, as the case may require or the carriage of said member hath been, though he hath not been under the dealing of the church for any censurable action many a good man proving an ill church mem- ber (as such an one may be an ill husband) not carrying himself orderly and duly in his relation. (3) That a dismission be granted either upon good reason alleged by him, or upon his peremptory insisting upon it, for the peace of the church. (4) A church member is not to be dismissed at large, to join what church he pleases ; for this is to dismiss him to himself and not to a church, the church to which he is dismissed being not specified. ... A church may not dismiss a member to them that it hath no church communion with, and therefore not to the wide world," etc. etc. See Chap. XIII. 4. By " exclusion from church fellowship," is meant both excom- munication and withdrawing of fellowship ; between which acts I make a distinction, as may be seen a few pages over. * See Platf. ch. 13, 7. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 201 pose. If, however, the church consider it expedient to comply with the pastor's request, they so vote, and appoint a committee to assist in the selection and call of a mutual council.* When the council assemble, all the proceedings of the parties are laid before them. They examine the reasons assigned by the pastor for wishing a dis- mission from his church, and the grounds of concur- rence on the part of the church. If, in view of all the circumstances, it is judged proper that the pas- tor's request should be granted, the council so vote, and advise the church to dismiss him. If the coun- cil should deem the reasons in favor of a dismission insufficient, they advise the church and pastor ac- cordingly. A church may vote upon a pastor's request for dis- mission that they will grant it, provided a mutual council shall advise thereto ; and thus supersede the necessity of any further action of theirs after the decision of the council.f * For the form of a Letter Missive, see App. No. 6. f It is proper to apprise the reader that many churches and ministers advocate and pursue a course somewhat different from that pointed out in the text. They say, that in cases where there are no difficulties to be adjusted, and where a church and its pastor agree on the expediency of dissolving the pastoral connec- tion, and on the terms upon which it shall be done, there is really no occasion for an advisory council ; that the church and the pastor (the contracting parties) are entirely competent to annul the contract and to judge of the sufficiency of the reasons for so doing, and that the only work for a council in such cases is, to examine the proceedings of the parties sufficiently to satisfy the council that the retiring pastor is entitled to a letter,of commen- 202 CONGREGATIONALISM. If a church should think the removal of their pas- tor desirable, a regular procedure would be, for the deacons, or some of the older members of the church, to converse freely and frankly with him, state their convictions, and suggest to him the expediency of asking a dismission from the church. If the pastor should decline so to do ; they might then desire him to call a meeting of the church, for the purpose of conferring together, and acting, should it be judged expedient, in reference to the matter. The pastor would, of course, absent himself from such a meet- ing, unless he had some special communication to make to the church ; or, he would retire after having opened it in the usual form and stated the object of the meeting. The church being left by themselves, would proceed to discuss the subject before them : if agreed in opinion, they would appoint a committee to lay before the pastor their reasons for wishing a dissolution of the pastoral connection ; and request him to unite with them in calling a council to con- sider the matter and advise in the premises. Should he decline their offer of a mutual council, the church would then be entitled to the advice of an ex parte dation to the churches, as a faithful minister of the gospel, and de- serving their confidence. Such I understand to be the views and practice of some of our churches and ministers. It may be proper further to remark, that as councils are merely advisory, there is an obvious impropriety in their pronouncing the final decision, that " he (the pastor) be, and hereby is, dismissed." The council should merely advise to the dismission, and leave the final act with the church, where the power belongs, unless, as in the case supposed in the text, the church has already voted the dismission on condition that the council advise thereto. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 203 council. The way would thus be prepared for an orderly adjustment of the business, upon Christian and Congregational principles.* Vir. CHURCH DISCIPLINE. It is a settled conviction of Congregational! sts, that purity of faith and practice cannot be secured to the churches except by the maintenance of strict and faithful Christian discipline. The members of our churches are therefore pledged to watch over, to ad- monish, to reprove, and to discipline each other, as necessity may require. A church that neglects this care of its members is liable to be dealt with by its sister churches as a " disorderly walker." We regard the eighteenth chapter of Matthew 15-18 verses, as a general directory respecting all church discipline : " If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and * I regret to say, that our churches are not always so observant of the course pointed out in the text as they should be. Neither Congregationalism nor any other ism but barbarism, countenances the practice of starving, or driving a minister from his pastoral charge. The practice of the English and Scotch Congregationalists I call them by this name, though, in respect to all such matters as we are now considering they are Independents differs somewhat from that described in the text. Councils are unknown to them, either in the settlement or dismission of their pastors. A pastor wishing to leave his field of labor, resigns his office ; the church accepts his resignation, and thus the business begins and ends. It is, however, a thing of very rare occurrence for a Congregational pastor in those countries to leave his church unless called to another sphere of usefulness. " For a minister to be ' unsettled ' for any considerable time, would be injurious to his ministerial reputation." MS. Letters. 204 CONGREGATIONALISM. tell him his fault between him and thee alone ; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three wit- nesses every word may be established. And, if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church ; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven ; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven." Agreeably to these Divine directions, the regular course of procedure, when a church member is be- lieved to be chargeable with unchristian conduct or heretical sentiments, is substantially this : A brother who is acquainted with the circumstances of the case, immediately and without.conference with any one seeks a private interview with the trespasser ; he tells him plainly, but with gentleness and kind- ness (Gal. 6: 1), what he has seen or known offen- sive and unchristian in his conduct. If the trespass- er acknowledges his fault and makes Christian sat- isfaction, here the matter may end, nothing more need be said or done. What shall constitute Chris- tian satisfaction, must depend upon circumstances. If the offence be strictly private known only to the complaining brother a private acknowledgment of it and a promise of reformation would be deemed satis- factory. If known only to a few individuals, and not liable to greater notoriety, a confession to these persons might be deemed sufficient. But if the cause of complaint should be extensively known ; the confession must be public. This may be regarded ECCLESIASTICAL PKACTICE. 205 as a general rule Confession and satisfaction should be as public as the offence. So said John Robinson ; so say we. But, if the offender refuses to give such satisfaction, the complainant then selects one or two judicious and intelligent brethren, to assist him in his efforts to convince and reclaim the erring brother. If their united efforts prove unavailing, a regular complaint is laid before the church generally, if not always, in writing specifying the particular charges against the offending brother, and the persons by whom, or the means by which it can be proved ; and stating, also, the attempts which have been made to adjust the difficulty privately. It is considered entirely out of order for a church to receive a complaint against one of its members until assured that " the private steps " as these preceding measures are called have been taken.* The church being satisfied that * Many churches make an exception to this rule, in cases of open and notorious scandal, etc., and receive a complaint before private means have been tried to reclaim the offender. The Cambridge Platform admits of this summary mode of proceeding in offences " of a more heinous and criminal nature, namely, such as are condemned by the light of nature." Ch. 14, 3; sec, also, Mather's Apology, p. 97 ; Calvin's Inst. B. IV. Ch. 12, 3, 6 ; and Cotton's Keys, p. 85. The course pointed out in the text seems to me, however, preferable, as a general rule, in cases of public as well as of private scandal ; for one prominent reason, if for no more, namely : that it is better adapted to secure one great end of all church discipline the reformation of the offender. Almost any one will be more likely to be convinced of error and brought to repentance by the kind and faithful efforts of a friend in private, than by a public arraignment, in the first instance, be- fore the whole church. 18 206 CONGREGATIONALISM. this has been done, vote to examine the charges. Evidence of the truth of these is then called for. Witnesses may be introduced who are not professors of religion, if necessary. If by the testimony ad- duced, the church are convinced of the guilt of the accused, they, by their pastor or a committee not excluding others labor to convince the offender of his sin, and to induce him to make Christian satis- faction for his offence. These efforts being success- ful, he is restored to good standing. But if unsuc- cessful, the church, after suitable delay, proceed to excommunicate, and cut him off from all relation to, or connection with the church to cast him out, as " a heathen man and a publican." * The decision * Suspension and admonition, which are advocated "by some persons, may be proper, as steps preparatory to excommunication, in order to furnish the offender longer space for reflection and re- pentance ; hut never, I conceive, as punishments, which being endured, offset so to speak the offence, and entitle the suf- ferer to a restoration to church privileges, and to favor with his brethren. Christ's direction : " If he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican " re- quires the excommunication of every obstinate offender. Mather devotes sixteen pages to church discipline, giving the forms used in admonition, excommunication, etc. He teaches the doctrine above detailed. Ratio, ArL 8, 2, 3. Such, too, is the doctrine of the Platform. Ch. 14. Cotton's description of this process of church discipline in his day (1645) agrees substan- tially with the above. Way of the Chhs. p. 89-94. Chauncey says : " Some speak much of, and practise a censure of suspension, when an offending brother is forbid by the church to come to its communion in the Lord's Supper, till it appears whether he be guilty or no of the sin charged on him. Our Lord Jesus Christ hath given no such rule to churches to walk by," etc. Divine Inst., Ch. XIII. 18. I ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 207 of the church should be announced to the offender by the pastor ; either by an address to him reca- pitulating the circumstances of the case, and then solemnly pronouncing his excision from the visible body of Christ, and exhorting him to repentance, and assuring him of the readiness of Christ to forgive him, and of the church to receive him or by a letter of the same general import, written in the name of the church. If at any future time the excommunicated person should give evidence of repentance, he may be re- stored to the fellowship of the church by making a public confession and giving the church satisfactory evidence of a thorough reformation. If the question be asked: What do Congrega- tional churches regard as offences which render one liable to excommunication as " a heathen man and publican ? " It may be answered, in general terms, Whatever in doctrine, practice, or general spirit is plainly inconsistent with the character of a Christian. A fundamental principle in the organization of our churches is, that " none but good people " should be members of them. Reputed piety and visible con- formity to the laws of Christ's house are indispen- sable qualifications for church membership. What- ever, therefore, destroys the evidence of one's piety, or is inconsistent with such conformity, unfits, of course, that person for church fellowship. Besides such offences as affect a church member's moral or Christian character, and which are to be treated as above ; there are certain other irregular- ities which demand the notice, and if not corrected, the disciplinary labors of the church. Among these 208 CONGREGATIONALISM. may be classed, all breaches of covenant in relation to matters not fundamental. If a member, under the plea of having changed his views of duty, should leave the church with which he had covenanted to walk, and absenting himself from the assemblies of his Christian brethren, should associate with persons, who, though not fundamentally erroneous, yet did not recognize the body which he had left as a Chris- tian church ; or which so varied from what that church deemed orderly and correct in sentiment and practice that it could not fully recognize them as a church of Christ it would be the duty of the church to call their brother to account ; and, if he persisted in his course without exhibiting an unchristian spirit, it would be necessary for the church to " withdraw " from him, as one who " walketh disorderly" (drdxTca?, out of his rank, or place in an irregular manner), agreeably to 2 Thess. 3 : 6, 14, 15. " Now we com- mand you brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which ye received of us If any man obey not our word by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed. Yet, count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." * In the same way should those church members be treated, who, though not heretical or profane, yet leave the communion and fellowship of the churches * For additional remarks on this topic the difference between excommunication and the act of withdrawing fellowship see Appendix, No. 14. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 209 with which they have covenanted to walk, and wander about to different places of public worship, or attach themselves to one place of worship, but persist in neglecting to ask a letter of dismission from the church with which they are in covenant. The church, after reasonable efforts to reclaim them, should withdraw from them ; for, though their lives may not be scandalous, their conduct is irregular, disorderly, and very evil and disorganizing in its ten- dency, and should not be countenanced. VIII. DISCIPLINE OF PASTORS Sound Congregational principles subject every pastor to the watch and discipline of his church. This seems to be taught by Paul's direction to the Colossian church : " Say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it." Col. 4 : 17. If a pastor be- comes heretical in doctrine or corrupt in practice, we believe that he should be dealt with as any other member of the church would be ; " only with such special terms of respect, and repetition of address, as the relation of a father may call for." * Our churches, however, uniformly call for the ad- vice of a council, before they proceed to excommu- nicate a pastor. All the preparatory steps should be taken as in the case of a private member ; the charges * Cotton Mather's Ratio Discip. Art IX. 2, p. 162. See, also, Samuel Mather's Apoloyy, p. 80-85 ; John Cotton's Keys of the Kingdom, p. 31, 32, 41-43; and Channcey's Divine Inst. of Cong. Chhs. Ch. XII. 8. The reader will find this matter discussed, at some length, in the Appendix, No. 13. 18* 210 CONGREGATIONALISM. should be proved before the church, and the church should vote That they are convinced of the crim- inality of their pastor, out, in view of the peculiar importance and solemnity of the business, will take the advice of the neighboring churches before pro- ceeding further. The pastor is then invited to unite with the church in calling a mutual council. If he refuses, the church call an ex parte council. This council mutual or ex parte, as the case may be examines all the doings of the church, and hears all the evidence in the case ; if satisfied with the meas- ures pursued, and convinced of the guilt of the pastor, they vote accordingly. They then proceed to depose the unworthy man from the ministry, and advise the church to excommunicate him. The church follow the advice of council, and thus terminates the mel- ancholy business. It is no doubt true, as the Platform maintains (Chap. 10, 6), that the "church have power accord- ing to order" that is, according to the general principles on which a Congregational church is or- ganized to remove a pastor from office, without the advice and direction of a council ; though it dis- tinctly speaks of the propriety of " the council of other churches, where it may be had, directing thereto." But the reason why " the council of other churches" should direct thereto, is not because a church has not sufficient power to perform this act of necessary discipline, as well as every other; but because, having invited " the council of other churches " to advise and assist in putting their pastor into office, and thus declared their wish to be recog- nized as a member of the Congregational family and ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 211 to maintain fellowship and communion with sister churches consistency and decorum require that the same sort of advice and assistance should be sought in removing their pastor from office. And furthei- more, this course is proper, because sister churches have an interest and concern in the removal from office of one who has sustained a sort of official relationship to them all.* Another reason for the course pointed out, is, that as the business of licens- ing to preach the gospel, and thus introducing into the ministerial office, is committed to the hands of the ministry, it is evidently proper that the same hands should be concerned in taking away a license to preach, and deposing from the ministry. If it should be said, that the same body is not, after all, employed in deposing from the ministry which intro- duced into the ministry the latter being an associ- ation of clergymen, and the former, a council of churches the answer is obvious : every Association acts in the name of the whole ministry and on behalf of all the churches, in giving licenses to preach the gospel ; so that a council, composed of ministers and lay delegates, represents both the ministry and the churches ; and is, therefore, manifestly the most suit- able body to act under the circumstances supposed. The propriety of the course now urged, will appear from this consideration, among others : If the council did not first act decisively in the business, by de- posing the unworthy man from the ministry, it might happen, that a minister would be an excommunicated person and still be an authorized preacher of the * See Note, p. 191-193. 212 CONGREGATIONALISM. gospel. But on the other hand, if a council should be called previously to any action of the church in relation to charges preferred against their pastor, it might appear on examination, that there were not sufficient grounds for complaint against the pastor. For these reasons, regular practice requires the adop- tion of the course prescribed. IX. WHO SHALL COMPLAIN OF OFFENDERS. If an offence be private, .or known only to a very few individuals, it has already been remarked, that Congregational usage requires that one of the persons privy to the offence should go privately to his tres- passing brother. It is a great irregularity to com- municate the affair to any one previously unac- quainted with the circumstances, unless it be a case of such difficulty as requires advice. This course we conceive to be required by Christ's directions, Matt. 5 : 23, 24 ; "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way ; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." By parity of reason- ing If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thou hast aught against thy brother, leave there thy gift before the altar and go thy way ; first be reconciled to thy brother, etc. But, suppose the offence be one of public notoriety ; who then shall take the first step ? Generally, one of the deacons of the church, or some one of the more aged and experienced brethren. There may be prudential reasons for preferring one brother to ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 213 another in a given case, as the person to take the first step with an offender. These reasons should be allowed their full weight. But, if the most suitable person will not commence this important work, this will not excuse another from undertaking it yea, the least suitable person in the church. All are equally bound by their own covenant engagements to discharge this duty ; and if one, or ten, or one hundred neglect it, this will not cancel the obliga- tions of the others. The business must be attended to, or the whole church are made partakers of the sin of the offender. It is deemed important, generally, that some time should elapse between the several steps of discipline, in order that the offender may have opportunity for reflection, before the ultimate appeal is made to the church. It may be proper in some cases to repeat the private steps ; perhaps even several times, before the complaint is lodged with the church. Every case that can be adjusted without telling it to the church, should be ; and many cases may be, if judi- cious and persevering and Christian efforts are made for this purpose. X. DISCIPLINE OF SISTER CHURCHES. It has already been remarked, that though Congre- gational churches are independent of each other in respect to all their internal arrangements and man- agement, yet, every church regards itself as a part of a great family, each member of which has a com- mon interest in the welfare of every other branch, and holds itself bound to give account of its doings 214 CONGREGATIONALISM. to the family whenever desired. A prominent design in changing the name of our denomination, from Independents to Congregationalists,* was to avoid the imputation, that our churches were united by no common bond, and that they refused to give to each other any account of their faith or practice. Hence the Platform says : " The term independent we ap- prove not ; " f and makes provision for the discipline of churches as well as individual members.^: An orderly procedure in case a church has reason to think a sister church unsound in doctrine, lax in dis- ci pline, or corrupt in practice, would be to choose a committee to visit and converse with the officers of the suspected church. If they could satisfy the visiting committee that their fears were groundless, the state of the case would be reported to the in- quiring church, and there the matter would rest. But if the committee could not obtain satisfaction, on reporting this to the brethren, the church would vote to call on one or more neighboring churches to unite in the labor. These united committees failing to obtain satisfaction, the several churches to which they belonged would propose a council of churches (not including themselves), to whom the whole busi- ness should be submitted. This mutual council hav- ing heard the statements of the churches complaining, and that complained of, would give their opinion, whether there was sufficient ground of complaint * John Cotton, probably gave us this name. He, at least, is the first writer, so far as my reading goes, who used the term, t Chap. 2, 5. % See Platf. ch. 15, also Mathers Ratio, Art. IX. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 215 against the accused church, to warrant sister churches in withdrawing fellowship from it. If they believed that there was, they would vote to that effect ; and recommend to all Congregational churches to with- draw fellowship from the erring member of the family, lest they should become partakers in other men's sins. It would then be in order for individual churches to act upon the advice of the council. This being accepted and adopted, the offending church would no longer be regarded as a sister of the great family of Congregational churches ; its pastor would not be recognized as a minister of the Lord Jesus ; its members would not be received to permanent, or even occasional communion ; and any church recog- nizing them as a church of Christ, would be consid- ered as walking disorderly as countenancing the errors and sins of the offending member and would expose itself to be dealt with accordingly. But, in case the pastor or any members of the offending church should satisfy the council, or the committees of the churches, that they did not approve of, or countenance the conduct of the majority of the church with which they were connected, such pastor or dissenting members would not be included in the act of exclusion from fellowship to which the ma- jority of me church were subjected ; though they would be expected to use then: utmost endeavors to reclaim their erring brethren, and if, after due trial, they failed in their efforts, to renounce all connection with them, and to unite with some other Congrega- tional church. The remarks in the preface to the Platform upon this topic the removal of individ- 216 CONGREGATIONALISM. uals from corrupt churches deserve careful con- sideration. In all this, however, Congregational churches as- sume no authority nor power to disband and dissolve churches, or to interfere with the right and privilege of churches to order their affairs as may seem to them most accordant with the truth. They simply assert their own right to say with whom they will hold communion, and with whom they can walk as sister churches. The body from which they have thus withdrawn fellowship still remains, for aught that the withdrawing churches can say or do a church, if any are disposed so to regard it. The churches withdrawing, wash their hands of the errors and corruption complained of. To their own master the erring are left to stand or fall.* XL MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS. Under this general head, I shall mention several matters which are of a mixed character, scarcely be- longing to the Ecclesiastical practice of Congrega- tionalists, and yet illustrative of the peculiarities of the denomination. * S. Mather gives a particular account of these matters, and de- fends this method of proceeding. Apology, p. 133, 134. So does Mr. Uphara, in his XX Chap. The reader will find the usages of our churches more fully detailed by Prof. Upham, in his Ratio Discip. than the plan of this work allows. Mr. Mitchell, in his Guide to the N. E. Chhs. has an excellent chapter on church dis- cipline. Though constrained to differ from this brother on some points of church polity, yet I esteem his " Guide " a work of much practical excellence. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 217 The " way of Congregational churches," in rela- tion to the more important matters of Ecclesiastical usage, has now been considered. Those points only have been touched upon, in which there is a very general, if not uniform agreement among consistent and intelligent Congregationalists. In respect to va- rious other things of minor importance, there is some diversity of practice in the denomination : as, for example, respecting The Method of Raising the Salary of Ministers. Some societies do this by levying a tax on prop- erty ; others, by taxing pews ; some, by weekly con- tributions from the congregation ; others, by volun- tary subscriptions, running indefinitely, or for a term of years ; others still, by voluntary contributions of provisions, and clothing, and fuel, to a fixed amount. Some churches are the owners, in common, of their rneeting-house,* and raise a part, at least, of their pastor's salary, by the yearly sale or lease of the pews. Some few, to their injury, have funds suffi- cient to support their pastors. A multitude are so poor that they feel unable to do more than raise a part of their pastor's salary, depending on yearly grants from our Home Missionary Societies to make up the deficiency.! But in all cases a Congregational pastor has a stip- * Mather, in his Ratio Disciplinoe, takes pains to tell his readers that, " A Meeting-house is the term most commonly used by the New English Christians." f A diversity of practice and opinion respecting the best method 19 218 CONGREGATIONALISM. ulated salary ; and this is generally fixed at the lowest sum that will afford him a respectable maintenance. The practice of our churches is believed to be nearly uniform in this last particular. If it be not a funda- mental doctrine of the denomination as it is said of raising a minister's salary seems anciently to have prevailed. Some of the fathers of the New England churches maintained, that the pastor's salary should be raised by voluntary contribu- tions, " laid by" if not contributed " on the first day of the week ; " agreeably to 1 Cor. 16: 2 ; " Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him," etc. The famous John Cotton insisted that this was the only proper way to raise a minister's salary. Thomas Hooker, in his " Survey of the Summe of Church Dis- cipline," devotes several pages to the discussion of this question. See Part II. p. 27-32. The differing views of good men in his day are thus summarily expressed by Hooker : " Some conceive (the Lord's treasury being committed to the deacons, for the supply pf all tables of officers and the tables of the poor, both its own and others,) that this treasury should be fur- nished every Lord's day, by the freewill offerings of the assembly, every one casting into [it] as God hath blessed him. 1 Cor. 16 : 1, 2, 3. They also conceive this rule of Gal. 6 : 6, may be attended in this way, every one bringing in all of the good things ma propor- tional value, as may suit the occasion of the church. Others, again, conceive that the maintenance mentioned in the foregoing plan cannot be fully raised by a treasury common to the poor and to ministers, nor can it be gathered upon the Sabbath day." To this plan of raising the minister's support by contributions on the Sabbath, etc., Hooker mentions several objections. And it is not unlikely that these, and like objections, induced a gradual discontinuance of the method ; for, when Cotton Mather pub- lished his Ratio Disciplines Fratrum Nov-Anylorum (1726), the salary of our ministers was generally raised by a tax on all the in- habitants of a parish. See Ratio, p. 20, 21. Hooker's Survey of Chh. Discip. was published in London in 1648, ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 219 to have been of some of the early dissenters from the Papal Hierarchy that their pastors shall be poor ; certain it is, that the general practice of Congrega- tional churches very effectually accomplishes this end. It is presumed that in New England, the salaries of the Congregational clergy will not average five hun- dred dollars a year; multitudes of them do not re- ceive the value of three hundred dollars in money. That minister cannot be considered a bad econ- omist, who can support a family, keep "a bish- op's table," and meet the numerous calls for charity, with a yearly stipend of five hundred dollars.* The provision made for the support of the early Congregational ministers of New England, was nom- inally less than the average of modern salaries ; but really much better. In nearly every country parish and there were few others in those days every pastor was furnished with " a lot of land," which, with tolerable husbandry, provided a support for his family. His salary, whether much or little, was generally an addition to what was indispensable to his comfortable maintenance, and went for the pur- chase of books, the education of his children, and in * This estimate of the salaries of Congregational ministers was made in 1843. Since that time, there has been a very consider- able advance in the prices of all the necessaries of life, and a pretty general advance in the salaries of clergymen ; but not, cer- tainly, greater than in the cost of living. New England Congre- gational ministers have still, it is believed, harder work and poorer pay than any class of professional and educated men in the community. 220 CONGREGATIONALISM. some instances, became an accumulating fund for his family after his decease.* * I must be allowed to say a few words, in this connection, upon the prevalent notion, that whatever is paid for the support of a minister is a gratuity something for which he has no claim, and which, being a work of supererogation, entitles the parishioner to special commendation, and lays the minister under special obliga- tions. If the .eye of such a reasoner should ever look upon this note, I would ask him : Do you consider what you pay the me- chanic or day-laborer whom you employ, a gratuity ? Do you think that the lawyer, the physician, the schoolmaster, who serve you in their respective callings, have no claim on you for services rendered? Or, that the care of your property, health, and mind, are more important than the care of your soul ? Is it more nec- essary that your field should be ploughed, or your house or your furniture repaired, than that you should be taught the way of sal- vation ; and in the hour of sickness and death, have some one to instruct you and your family, and administer to you the consola- tions of the Gospel, and the rites of religion ? If you and your family wish to live and die as do the heathen ; so be it. If you never, in any way, claim or enjoy the services of a clergyman, he certainly will not set up any claim upon you. But if you regard the observance of the Sabbath, and the maintenance of the public and social rites of religion as necessary to the comfort and wel- fare -of yourself and family and the community at large, upon what principle can you refuse your aid in supporting a minis- ter? If he, after years of laborious and expensive preparation for his duties, devotes his whole time to the labors which you and others require at his hands, there is no principle of law or equity on which you can refuse your proportion of his support. And what you pay him is no more a gift than what you pay your phy- sician, or your schoolmaster, your mechanics, or your day-laborers. To such persons as are disposed to plead the freeness of salva- tion, and the example of Christ and his Apostles, as reasons for not contributing towards the support of those who preach the Gospel, I would commend a careful examination of the following passages of Scripture : Numb. 35 : 1-8, compared with Lev. 25: ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 221 Continuance of the Pastoral Connection. The theoretical practice of our churches (if I may be allowed such an expression) is now, as of old, to ordain a pastor for life ; but, the understanding has come to be very general, that the connection between a pastor and his flock will be short-lived. The de- nomination, however, are beginning to feel the evils of these temporary arrangements ; and are more dis- posed of late, to return to the good old way in which their fathers walked, and to give greater permanency to the connection between a pastor and his church. Solemnisation of Marriage. The first settlers of New England, in their hatred of Popery and Prelacy, were disposed to commit the work of solemnizing marriages exclusively to the civil magistrate.* At first, the magistrate performed 32-34; Deut. 12: 19. 14: 27. 16: 16, 17. 18: 1-8; 2 Chron. 31: 1-10; Neh. 13: 10, 11; Ezek. 44 : 15-31. The above references will show what care was taken of the min- isters of religion under the Law. The following will show that the Gospel is no less explicit in recognizing the principle, that they who labor about holy things should be supported by those for whom they labor ; or, that " the workman is worthy of his meat." Matt. 10: 9, 10 ; Luke 8:1-3; 1 Cor. 9 : 1-14 ; Gal. 6:6; Phil. 4: 10-18. 1 Tim. 5: 17, 18. * John Robinson, in his " Apology," says " of the celebration of marriage " " we cannot assent to the received opinion and prac- tice answerable in the Reformed churches, by which the pastors 19* CONGREGATIONALISM. all even the devotional parts of the service. After a while, the pastor of the church, when pres- ent at the marriage, was called upon to offer one or both of the prayers. And finally, the business of solemnizing marriages was left chiefly with the pas- tors. So it remains to this day. We have no prescribed form for solemnizing mar- riage. Every pastor consults his own taste and judg- ment. The ceremony commences generally with prayer; in which God the Former of our bodies and the Father of our spirits, who in the beginning created man male and female is adored, and his presence and assistance invoked. The parties are then directed to join hands. This being done, the minister addresses, first the man, to this effect: " The person whom you now take by the hand, you take to be your wedded wife ; depending on the grace of Heaven, you promise to love her, to honor her, to support her, ... so long as you live both together in this world. This promise you make as in the presence of God, and before these witnesses." And then the woman : " The person whom you now take by the hand, you take to be your wedded husband ; with depend- ence on the grace of heaven, you promise to love him, to honor him, to obey him, ... so long as you both live together in this world. This promise you do celebrate marriage publicly and by virtue of their office." He adds, that the pastor's office ought not " to be stretched to any other acts than those of religion, and such as are peculiar to Chris- tians, amongst which marriage, common ft the Gentiles as well as to them, hath no place." See also Mather's Ratio, p. 111-117. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 223 make as in the presence of the great God and these witnesses." * A consent to this covenant being in some way signified, the minister adds: " I then declare you to be husband and wife ; mar- ried according to the laws of this State ; and, so far as I know, in accordance with the will of God." Then follows either a nuptial benediction, or a set prayer, invoking the blessing of God upon the newly married pan: upon their basket and their store, upon their outgoings and their incomings, upon their bodies and their souls, for time and eternity. Thus were marriages celebrated among Congrega- tionalists in the days of Cotton Mather, and thus are they now. Funerals. The same may be said of funerals, as of mar- riages : we have no set form of service. Our relig- ious rites vary according to circumstances, and in different sections of the country. In our cities and large towns, where funerals are frequent, a single prayer often constitutes the whole burial-service. In our country parishes, an address to the company collected is common. And in some sections, a sermon is almost uniformly preached on the occasion, accompanied with prayer and singing. * I quote from the formula given by Cotton Mather, in 1726. Ratio Discip., p. 114-116. 224 CONGREGATIONALISM. Public Worship. Having no Liturgy, our method of conducting public worship has never been entirely uniform. John Cotton describes the usual services of the Sabbath in his day, (1645,) thus : " First, we make ' prayers, and intercessions, and thanksgivings for ourselves and for all men.' .... After prayer, either the pastor or teacher readeth a chapter in the Bible and expoundeth it, giving the sense, to cause ' the people to understand the reading.' And in sundry churches, the other whether pastor or teacher who expoundeth not, he preacheth the Word Before sermon, and many times after, we sing a psalm In the afternoon, after public prayer, .... and the Word read and expounded by them who preached in the morning, .... and the sacra- ment of baptism administered, if any of the church do offer their children thereunto ; the deacons .... do call upon the people, that as God hath prospered them and made their hearts willing, there is now time left for contribution After the contribu- tion is ended, the time is taken up, in sundry church- es, in the trial and admission of .... members into the church : . . . . and so, after a psalm of praise to God, with thanksgiving, and prayer to God for a blessing upon all the ordinances administered that day, and a blessing pronounced upon the people, the assembly is dismissed." * * Way of the Congregational Churches, p. 66-70. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 225 In the days of Cotton Mather, (1726,) the services of the morning of the Lord's day were generally commenced after reading the "bills," or requests for prayers from the sick, afflicted, etc. etc. with a long prayer ; then followed singing ; next came the sermon, "generally limited unto about an hour;" this was followed by a short, concluding prayer. In some congregations singing followed the last prayer, " at least in the afternoon." " And in some of the congregations they [had] also in the afternoon .... a collection^ according to apostolic direction, 1 Cor. 16 : 2." " The pastor dismissed the congregation with pronouncing a benediction." * Modern practice varies a little from the above. The more common method, perhaps, of conduct- ing public worship among us now, is, to begin the morning exercises with a short prayer, or invocation ; followed by the reading of the Scriptures, some- times accompanied with brief explanatory remarks ; then follows singing; then come the requests for prayers, and the long prayer; then singing again; then sermon not quite so long as of yore fol- lowed by a short prayer and the benediction. In the afternoon, the services are introduced by sing- ing; after this, prayer singing again sermon prayer singing and the benediction. Some pas- tors read the Scriptures both forenoon and after- noon. Our fathers were not entirely agreed about the propriety of reading the Scriptures, as a part of Mather's Ratio, Art. III. 226 CONGREGATIONALISM. public worship, unless accompanied with exposi- tion ; some calling simple reading " dumb read- ing" Others, however, approved of it, and prac- tised accordingly ; prefacing the reading, as in these days, with a short prayer or invocation. John Cot- ton approved, and pursued this latter course. In their general method of conducting public wor- ship, our churches are believed to conform essen- tially to the primitive practice.* As to the slight variations in different churches, we regard them as nowise objectionable. In the early ages of the Chris- tian Church, even after the introduction of Litur- gies which occurred " after the decay of the gifts of the first Primitive Church," f each bishop seems to have been left to form such an order of public service as appeared best in his own eyes and that of his church. And even the English Church knew nothing of strict and entire uniformity in the order of her worship, until after the Reformation : and well would it have been for her if her Reformers had been as wise in this particular as the Pope.J Associations of Ministers. It has long been the practice of Congregational ministers residing within convenient distances of each other, to associate together, for personal im- * See extract from Justin Martyr, in this work, ante, p. 152- 154. f StWmgfleefs Ircnicum, p. 238. J See NeaFs Hist. Puritans, Vol. I. p. 96, 97 ; Mosfieim, Vol. L p. 86, 413, n. 1, 2d ed. ; Hist. Congregationalism, p. 205-208. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 227 provement, for the cultivation of brotherly kindness, and to assist each other by council and advice in dis- charging parochial and ministerial duties. These Associations are mentioned by Cotton Mather, as things " proposed," though " not yet " [in 1726] in all regards universally complied withal.* " The Heads of Agreement" between the Congregational and Presbyterian churches in England, (1692,) recog- nize the importance of such associations. Ch. IV. Art, 1. It is now believed to be nearly or quite universal for our ministers to meet together, as often as once in three months, for the purposes above specified. And these meetings are regarded as most important helps to pastoral usefulness and ministerial improve- ment. On such occasions exegetical and critical essays on difficult passages of Scripture are exhib- ited ; recitations from the Greek and Hebrew text are attended to ; sermons and plans of sermons are submitted for criticism ; and questions of practical importance respecting church discipline, pastoral du- ties, and the best means for promoting the religious improvement of the people under their care are dis- cussed. The exercises which require preparation are assigned at a previous meeting. The advantages of such associations are manifold and obvious. County Conferences. These are usually composed of the pastors and delegates of all the Congregational churches of a * Ratio Disciplinie, p. 179-181. 228 CONGREGATIONALISM. county, if not too large. They meet once or twice a year, in different parts of the county, to hear ac- counts of the state of religion in each church and society, to consult together for the general good, and to stir up each other's minds " by way of remem- brance." They afford seasons of great religious interest and improvement. They are generally at- tended by large numbers of the brethren of the different churches, and also by delegates from corre- sponding bodies in other counties, and by the repre- sentatives of the different benevolent Societies. General Meetings of Pastors and Churches. As a bond of Christian union, and as a means of religious encouragement and improvement, our de- nomination have long practised the holding of stated general meetings of pastors, or of pastors and dele- gates from the churches. These bodies, though de- signed for the same general purposes, and essen- tially alike, are known by different names : as, Con- ferences, Associations, Conventions, Consociations. They usually include either all the pastors of a State, or their representatives. They sometimes embrace, with the pastors, lay representatives of the churches ; a plan most perfectly in accordance with the spirit of Congregationalism. These meetings are attended by representatives from correspond- ing bodies in other States, by delegates from the General Assemblies of the Presbyterian churches, and by the agents of the great charitable and benev- olent Institutions of the country. At these meetings the statistics of each Congrega- ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 229 tional church in the State are given ; e. g. the addi- tions removals, by death, dismission, or excommu- nication baptisms charitable contributions, etc. ; also any facts of interest connected with the relig- ious history of any of the churches. Thus a com- plete view is obtained of the condition and prospects of the entire denomination throughout the State. From the representatives of corresponding bodies, a general view of the churches within their respec- tive bounds is expected. From the agents of the various benevolent societies, and from the annual re- ports, etc., of the secretaries of the several State Societies which hold their anniversaries in connec- tion with the meeting of the General Conference, Association, or Convention, we are able to learn the condition, wants, and prospects of our country at large, and of the world. These general associations, etc., claim no legisla- tive nor judicial authority. The end of their exist- ence is, to promote vital godliness in the denomina- tion, and to preserve unbroken the ties of religious and denominational sympathy and union among all the branches of the Congregational family. Licensure of Pastors. For some time after the settlement of New Eng- land, our churches were supplied with pastors from the mother country, most of whom had been edu- cated at the Universities and had been preachers in England, and many of them, to the very people among whom they settled in this country. But, an- ticipating the time when they should be deprived of 20 230 CONGREGATIONALISM. their venerable pastors, most of whom, on their removal to this country, being advanced to the merid- ian of life, or beyond that period, the churches early made provision for the education of ministers in New England. To this end Harvard College was founded and nurtured by the contributions and prayers and affections of the Pilgrims. From this source came a considerable proportion of the minis- ters who occupied the New England pulpits during the next century after the landing of the Pilgrims. For more than half a century after the settlement of this country, (until 1692-1708,) there seems not to have been any provision made, or plan devised for the examination and licensure of candidates for the sacred ministry. " Any well-disposed young men of a liberal education [were] brought into the pulpits by any of the pastors, as soon as they pleased ; and, if the people approved of them, they were at liberty, without any more ado, to proceed unto an election of them for the work of the minis- try, and the pastoral charge in any vacancy." * The first suggestion on this subject, so far as I have discovered, came from the " United brethren " Congregational and Presbyterian in England, 1692. See Heads of Agreement, Ch. II. Art. VII. The next, from the Saybrook Synod, Conn., 1708, Art. XII. f The state of things at present is materially differ- ent from what it was in Mather's day. It is believed * Mather's Ratio Discip., p. 117. f TrumbuWs Hist. Conn., Vol. I. p. 506, 507, 508-513; " Con- gregational Order," p. 236, 279. ECCLESIASTICAL PRACTICE. 231 to be now the uniform practice of our churches, to commit the work of examining and licensing candi- dates for the ministry, to the local Associations of pastors. The approbation of an Association is nec- essary, even after a candidate has passed through a three years' training in one of our theological sem- inaries. At these examinations, personal piety and church standing are usually the first subjects of in- quiry ; and, unless a candidate can satisfy the Asso- ciation upon these heads, there is an end to all hopes of a license to preach the gospel. Another part of the examination relates to systematic theology; recitations from the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures are expected of all who have had an opportunity of studying them, and very few enter the ministry among us now who have not some acquaintance with these languages; the candidate is also exam- ined respecting his general intelligence literary, historical, and scientific. The examination proving satisfactory upon these several points, the applicant is furnished with a certificate, signed by the modera- tor and scribe of the Association, certifying their ap- probation of him, and recommending him to the churches, as suitably qualified and furnished to preach the gospel. If in any instance, there should be some doubt re- specting the propriety of a full license, and yet not enough to exclude the applicant entirely, Associa- tions sometimes give a permit to preach for a limited time ; at the expiration of which the permission is withdrawn, or, on further examination, renewed. Some Associations, ordinarily, give licenses for a term of years only, at the end of which the license 232 CONGREGATIONALISM. may be rescinded or renewed, at the pleasure of the Association. I have dwelt somewhat minutely on the usages of Congregational churches ; but I could not otherwise exhibit the practical operation of the principles and doctrines of the system which I am attempting to develop, nor make my little book a faithful guide to such as would walk in conformity with this system. But little use has been made of arguments to prove the correctness of the practices which have been de- tailed ; for most of these practices are deductions and inferences from principles and doctrines pre- sumed to have been established by previous testi- mony and arguments, and must, consequently, stand or fall with the foundations on which they rest. And, so far as our practice is merely prudential, it is sufficient for our purpose that it is not unscriptural nor unlawful, and that the wisdom and experience of ages have sanctioned it. And now, what shall we say of Congregational- ism in practice ? Is it not as fair in practice as in theory ? Does it allow of any disorder or irregular- ity in the churches ? Is there in it any lack of en- ergy and efficiency ? Can any churches show a purer or more blameless practice? or one better adapted to effect the great purposes of church or- ganization ? If not, what more can we ask or expect of any system of church government ? PART V. ADVANTAGES OF CONGREGATIONALISM. HAVING, in the preceding pages, discussed the principles and doctrines of the Congregational sys- tem, and described with some minuteness the eccle- siastical usages of the denomination, I know not that I can more suitably conclude my labors, than by summing up, and placing distinctly before the reader in a connected view, a few of the more prominent advantages which Congregationalism is supposed to possess over all other systems of church government. And this I shall do, not that I may rail at other sys- tems, but, that I may more fully and faithfully ex- hibit my own. Every man who has fixed principles or settled opinions on any controverted subject, has arrived at them by a process of comparison as well as investi- gation. And there is no way in which we can more effectually aid an inquirer in settling a disputed point, than by placing fairly before him the contending theories or systems between which he must judge. This is emphatically true in respect to the question 20 * < 233 ) 234 CONGREGATIONALISM. now before us. It is only by seeing the system ad- vocated in these pages, in contrast with opposing systems, that we shall be made fully sensible of its superior advantages. And why may not this comparison be made with- out subjecting the author to the imputation of invid- ious feelings or unworthy motives ? All systems and published opinions of church order and discipline are fairly open to examination, and comparison with other systems and opinions, and to animadversion, if occasion is discovered. And, if this be done with fairness and Christian courtesy, no one has any right to complain. We may number among our personal and cherished friends as the writer is most happy to do persons who embrace almost every form of church government ; and yet we may, and ought, as conscientious men, to claim for ourselves, what we cheerfully yield to others, the right of private judg- ment, and the liberty to express with entire freedom our convictions, without being charged with unworthy or unchristian motives and feelings. We may even go further, and say with a controversialist of some distinction : " We are not to be afraid to contend firmly against what we conceive to be error, even at the hazard of deeply offending those by whom it is embraced." * In what may now be said of other ec- clesiastical systems, I will not, knowingly, deviate in the smallest particular from the truth. But the best . intentions will not always preserve a man from error. And I beg, that my mistakes, if any I make, may be * Dr. How's Vindication of the Prot. Episcopal C/ih. quoted by Smyth, in his Lees, on Apostolical Succession. ITS ADVANTAGES. 235 attributed to misapprehension, not to design. "With these prefatory remarks which the language of some who have noticed my humble labors seemed to demand let us proceed to the inquiry : WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MORE PROMINENT ADVAN- TAGES WHICH CONGREGATIONALISM is SUPPOSED TO POS- SESS OVER OTHER SYSTEMS OF CHURCH ORDER AND GOVERNMENT ? 1. We regard Congregationalism as the most scrip- tural system of church government* We do not assert that all other systems are to- tally destitute of scriptural authority ; nor, that this is exactly conformed to the polity of the apostolic churches ; but we do assert, that the order and dis- cipline of our churches is more nearly in accordance with the model furnished by the New Testament than that of any other denomination. This consideration may be addressed equally to those who deny that the Scriptures furnish any model of church government, and to those who admit that the great outlines, if not the minor particulars of church polity, are given therein. Those who deny that the word of God furnishes any pattern for church building, will, it is presumed, admit, that the church which has most of scriptural architecture about it, best deserves their regard. Dr. Stillingfleet, though he considered "the form of church government a mere matter of prudence, regu- * "When I speak of the Scriptures furnishing a model of church polity for us, I would be understood to refer exclusively to the Neio Testament. 236 CONGREGATIONALISM. lated by the word of God," yet admits : " That form of government [to be] the best, according to princi- ples of Christian prudence, which comes the nearest to Apostolic practice, and tends most to the advanc- ing the peace and unity of the Church of God." * And Dr. Campbell, though he could " see no reason why a Church may not subsist under different forms, as well as a State ; " yet owns, " that one form may be more favorable than another to the spirit and de- sign of the constitution." f I beg leave to put it to any such person : If that form of church government may not be reasonably regarded as most agreeable to the principles of Chris- tian prudence, and most favorable to the constitution of Christianity, which most nearly resembles the one selected and established by the Founder of Chris- tianity ? If, now, it has been shown in the preceding pages, as I trust it has, that all the fundamental principles and the important doctrines of Congregationalism have the sanction of scriptural precept or apostolic usage ; and that the authorized practice of this de- nomination is nowise inconsistent with the same pre- cepts and example, then certainly, Congregation- alism is scriptural; the word of God allows^ if it does not require the adoption of it. And, if Con- gregationalism is scriptural, then it is more scriptu- ral than any other system, in just so much as any other system differs from this in its fundamental prin- * Irenicum, p. 414, 415, 2<1 Ed. f Lees. Ecc. Hist. L. iv.p.50, and L. 8, p. 128. ITS ADVANTAGES. 237 ciples and doctrines ; unless it can be proved which it cannot be that the Scriptures equally countenance different systems. But, in what particulars do other systems of church government differ from this ? All governments may be classed under three gen- eral heads : Monarchical, Aristocratical, or Democrat- ical. The distinctive peculiarities of these three forms may be, to some extent, intermixed in any given system ; but all governments, ecclesiastical as well as civil, may be classed under one of these heads. The Episcopal form of church government may be regarded as monarchical, the Presbyterian as aristo- cratical, and the Congregational as democratical. The predominating characteristics of these three forms of government are sufficiently, if not exactly expressed by these titles. Episcopacy is the government of the church by bishops. Each bishop is the sovereign of his diocese. His power may be that of a despot, or of a limited monarch, according as the people are allowed more or less influence in the government. Romish Epis- copacy may be considered a despotism. The Pope is the supreme, infallible head of the Church on earth. English Episcopacy is less despotic than Roman, though derived from it ; and American Epis- copacy is a modification of English Episcopacy, pre- senting a still milder form of monarchical church gov- ernment. 238 CONGREGATIONALISM. THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Suppose, in order to test the question, Which is the more scriptural system of church government ? we compare Congregational church order and gov- ernment, with that adopted by the Church of England. 1. The first objection which presents itself against the hierarchal government of the Church of England, is the intimate union which subsists between it and the State. By the act of supremacy, Henry VIII. became head of the Church of England, as really as he was before, head of the State ; and as truly so, as the Pope had previously been. With the Crown, the successors of Henry have inherited the supreme headship of the Church of England. And now a woman rules the Church of England; the govern- ment of the church being virtually committed to the sovereign, as its temporal head, and to Parliament, as the monarch's council. She convenes, prorogues, restrains, regulates, and dissolves all synods and ec- clesiastical convocations ; appoints the archbishops, bishops, deans, and a considerable portion of the clergy;"* or at least nominates them, simply be- cause she is the Head of the State ; though Christ, the Great Head of the Church, has emphatically de- clared, that his disciples and his kingdom, are not of this world. John 17: 14, 16. 18: 36. * Nearly one tenth of all the benefices 5n England and Wales, in 1853, were in the gift of the Crown. See Census of Great Britain Religious Worship, p. 37. ITS ADVANTAGES. 239 2. We object to the existence and authority of the dignitaries and officials of the Church of Eng- land. Next to the Queen, in ecclesiastical dignity, are the archbishops ; who, appointed by her authority, rule in her name. There are two of these dignitaries ; and between them, the kingdom is divided ; each being supreme in his own province, and in addition, having a diocese of his own, in which he exercises episcopal jurisdiction. Next to the archbishops, rank the Bishops ; of whom there are twenty-six ; each one of whom is a sovereign in his own diocese. Each diocese is divided into Archdeaconries ; of which there are about seventy in the kingdom; each archdeaconry is divided into Deaneries; and each deanery into Parishes. The archdeacon is the bishop's vicar, or vicegerent; and is authorized to examine candidates for " holy orders," to make pa- rochial circuits, and oversee the clergy within his ju- risdiction ; and also to hold ecclesiastical courts, in order to inflict censures, suspend or excommunicate persons, prove wills, hear ecclesiastical causes, etc. ; subject to an appeal to the bishop. The deans, and canons or prebendaries, are supposed to be the bishop's counsellors. Rural Deans are assistants to the bishops in smaller spheres. Anciently ten par- ishes constituted a Rural Deanery; but now they are diverse in extent, and the whole number in Eng- land and Wales amounts to about 463. I have now named the dignitaries of the Church of England. The working clergy are styled Rectors, Vicars, Perpetual Curates, and Curates. The title of rector is given to those ministers who have the 240 CONGREGATIONALISM. charge and care of a parish and are entitled to all the tithes ; that of v icar, to those who act as depu- ties to others, and are entitled to only a portion of the tithes, or to a stipulated salary.* A perpetual curate, is quite like a vicar, in that he ',s appointed for life, and as the delegate of the tithe- impropriator, is entitled to a portion of the tithes during life. A curate is the lowest grade of clergyman in the Church of England, and is generally employed by a rector to do the laborious work of a parish, at a mod- erate salary. * The usual form of inducting a person into a benefice, -who may be either a rector or vicar, is as follows : " The inductor takes the clerk [i. e. the person to be inducted] by the hand, and placing it on the key of the church, which must be then in the door, says : ' By virtue of this instrument, I induct you in the real, actual, and corporeal possession of the rectory or vicarage of A , with all its fruits, profits, members, and appurtenances.' This done, he opens the door, puts the clerk in possession of the church, and shuts the door upon him; who, after he has tolled the bell (if there be any) to give the parishioners due notice of their new minister, comes out, and desires the inductor to indorse a certificate of his induction, on the archdeacon's warrant, and all persons present signify it under their hands." Such is the process by which a man becomes the pastor of a flock in the Church of England. The people are made acquainted with the important fact that they have a spiritual guide provided for them, by hearing the bell toll, " if there be any ! " If a benefice is in the hands of a bishop, Institution and In- duction only, are requisite : these are called collatice benefices. There are, also, what are called donative benefices ; which are obtained by the donation of the patron in writing, without presen- tation, institution, or induction. London Encyclopedia, Art. In- duction. ITS ADVANTAGES. 241 These are the official persons who have in their hands the government of the Church of England, and the care of souls ; and yet, so far as I have been able to discover, the people who constitute the Church of England, have no voice in the election of these men to office ; church-wardens and parish clerks, alone, being chosen by the people ; and even these, are sometimes appointed by the minister of the parish. I need not say to any one who has read the authorities cited in this work, that this exclusion of the people from the government of the church is contrary to the usage of the apostolic and primitive churches, who held the supreme power, under Christ, and elected all their officers, governors, and teachers. In fact, the entire government and discipline of the Church of England is as unlike that of the apostolic churches as well can be. 4. The Ecclesiastical Courts of the Church of England suggest another most serious objection to this Hierarchy. Instead of recognizing the right of individual churches to " open and shut," to " bind and loose," agreeably to the words of Christ in Matt. 18: 18, the framers and governors of the Church of England have placed all disciplinary power in a series of Ec- clesiastical Courts. First on this list of courts stands the Court of Delegates, which is the sovereign's court, where, as Supreme Head of the Church, the King or Queen of England, represented by the Privy Council, tries and settles all cases of appeal from all inferior tribunals. The Provincial Courts, are the archbishops' courts, 21 242 CONGREGATIONALISM. and take cognizance of all ecclesiastical business within their jurisdictions respectively. The Dioce- san Courts are held in each diocese, in the name and by the authority of the respective bishops, and take cognizance of all matters of discipline within their several dioceses. There is an appeal from these to the archbishop's court. The Archdeacon's Court in- flicts censures, suspends or excommunicates persons, and transacts other business, subject to an appeal generally to the Bishop's Court. Besides these, there are Courts of Peculiars, so called, and Manorial Courts. These, though numerous, are of circum- scribed authority, though in these a portion of the business usually done in the Archdeacon's or Bishop's courts, may be transacted. To manage this disciplinary machinery of the Church of England, particularly in its higher depart- ments, a distinct and peculiar class of professional men has been raised up, called Doctors of Law, and Proctors. From the former of these, the archbishops select the judges of their archiepiscopal courts. The Proctors are the solicitors and attorneys of these spiritual tribunals. I have now enumerated and very briefly described the dignitaries by whom, and the Ecclesiastical Courts by which the Church of England is ordered and disciplined. The question recurs : Did Jesus Christ intend to have his Church governed by such instrumentalities ? Is it in this way that his disci- ples are to prove to the world that Christ's kingdom is not of this world ? May not the wayfaring man, though a fool, discern ITS ADVANTAGES. 243 the utter dissimilarity between this pompous and complicated hierarchal establishment and the simple organization and government which Christ sanc- tioned, and his apostles developed in the primitive churches of Christendom ? And yet, this very Hie- rarchy is pronounced by its friends and advocates " the most scriptural church in Christendom " " the sanctuary of scriptural piety " " the wonder and glory of Christendom." * 5. The enormous income deemed necessary to support the pomp and dignity of the English Hie- rarchy affords another serious objection to the entire Establishment Revenue of the Church of England. In order to estimate more accurately the value of such praise as has just been quoted, it may be well to inquire the cost of such a "sanctuary" as the Church of England provides. My limits will not allow me to go into many particulars. Look, how- ever, at the following items : To support a single dignitary of this " Scriptural church " the Arch- bishop of Canterbury a net, yearly revenue is al- lowed, of 19,182, or 85,168 dollars; and for the Archbishop of York, X 12,629, or 56,072 doUars; making a sum total of one hundred and forty-one thousand two hundred and forty dollars annually for these two ornamental dignitaries ! And what does it cost yearly to support some * British Review, No. 48, 1825, Review of James' Church Member's Guide. 244 CONGREGATIONALISM. seven and twenty bishops, who claim to be the di- rect successors of the apostles, and to receive their authority and dignity from him who had not where to lay his head ? No less than five hundred and sev- enty thousand, four hundred and fifty-five dollars !* * The following was the return of the Commissioners of Eccle- siastical Inquiry, of the net annual revenue of the different :>ces, at an average of three years, ending with 1831. Net annual income. Bishopric of St. Asaph 6,301 u Bangor .... 4,464 It Bath and Wells . . 5,946 u Bristol .... 2,351 u. Canterbury . . . it Carlisle .... 2,213 u Chester .... . 3,261 u Chichester .... 4,229 a St. David's . . 1,897 u Durham .... . 19,066 U Ely 11,105 u Exeter .... 2,713 u Gloucester . 2,282 a Hereford .... 2,516 (1 Llandaff. . 924 It Lichfield and Coventry . 3,923 u Lincoln .... . 4,542 11 London .... . 13,929 u Manchester . . u Norwich .... 5,395 u Oxford .... . 2,648 u Peterborough . . 3,103 u Ripon .... . u Rochester .... 1,450 (( Salisbury . 3,939 u Sodor and Man . 2,555 u Winchester 11,151 u Worcester .... 6,569 u York .... . . Total net annual income, 128,481 or $570,455. I reckon the English pound () at $4.44, only; whereas the ITS ADVANTAGES. 245 The total gross annual revenue of the twenty- eight Deans and Chapters in 1831, was estimated at .284,241, or one million, two hundred and sixty-two thousand and thirty dollars. This sum, added to the income of the archbishops and bishops, gives us a total of NEARLY TWO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS expended yearly on the dignitaries of the Church of England. This church should certainly be styled ''the WON- DER of Christendom ! " The whole number of benefices in England and Wales in 1851, was 11,728. The number of parishes somewhat exceeded this number. The total gross annual income of these benefices is about .3,251,- 159, or, fourteen million, four hundred and thirty-Jive thousand, one hundred and forty-five dollars ! This would give an average annual income to each in- cumbent, of 303, or one thousand, three hundred and forty-Jive dollars. Here, then, we find an annual sum total appropri- ated to the support of the dignitaries and the clergy of this establishment, of nearly SIXTEEN AND A HALF MIL- pound sterling is now worth about $4.84 ; and I make no account of the odd cents. Since the report of the Commissioners was made in 1831, some changes have been made in the bishoprics ; two new sees have been erected Ripon and Manchester and the boundaries of some of the other sees arranged with reference to an equalization of the inhabitants in them respectively ; but the total income of the sev- eral bishoprics has not been diminished ; for according to the Cen- sus Report of Great Britain for 1851, "no fewer than 2,029 new churches have been built, and the value of church property has much increased" since 1831. Religious Worship, Report and Tables, p. 37, 38, compared with p. 166, Table 24. 21* 246 CONGREGATIONALISM. LIONS OF DOLLARS. If we add to this, the revenue of the Irish Protestant Episcopal Church, < 865,535, or three million, eight hundred and forty-two thousand, nine hundred and seventy-five dollars we shall find the annual cost of the established churches in Eng- land, Wales, and Ireland, to be more than TWENTY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ! ! And, let no one suppose that these estimates are extravagant ; for they are much below what has been generally believed to be the truth. Good authority has set clown the revenue of the Episcopal Hierar- chies of England, Wales, and Ireland, as greater, by nearly two hundred thousand dollars, than that of all the other churches in the world.* I need not dwell on the points of difference be- tween this splendid, complicated, expensive hierarchal establishment, and the unostentatious, simple, eco- nomical, and yet effective polity of the Congrega- tional churches of this country and of Great Britain. A cursory view of the Church of England is suffi- cient to explain the rapid increase of Dissent in Eng- land and Wales. Already the Dissenting congrega- tions are numbered by tens of thousands ; and nearly * The Catholic Miscellany, as quoted in American Encyclo- pedia, Art. Church, estimates the revenue of the Churches of England, Ireland, and Wales, at 8,896,000, or $39,498,240 ; and the revenue of all other Churches in Christendom, at 8,852,000 ; which is 44,000, or, $195,360 less than that of the above estab- lishments. In the outline which has been given of the Chh. of Eng. etc., I have relied chiefly on McCulloch's Statistics of the British Em- pire, Vol. II.; the London Encyclopedia, passim; and the Cen- sus of Great Britain for 1851 Religious Worship. ITS ADVANTAGES. 247 or quite one half of the inhabitants of England and Wales are Dissenters from the State Church.* But we must leave England and her Hierarchal Church Establishment, to consider Episcopacy under a less objectionable form. * See Census Report Religious Worship, 1851. According to this Report, the Congregationalists, alone, had, in 1851, no less than 3,244 places of public worship, with sittings for 1,067,760 persons, and an actual attendance on public worship of more than one fifth as many persons as attend worship in the State Churches of England and Wales ; while the Methodists of whom there are no less than nine different kinds enumerated in the Cen- sus had 11,944 places of worship, (937 of which belonged to Calvinistic Methodists), capable of seating 2,443,976 persons; the Baptists of whom there are six different kinds, and all of whom are believed to be essentially Congregational in their church gov- ernment had 2,789 places of worship, with sittings for 752,- 343 persons; the Friends, 371 places of worship, and sittings for 91,599 persons; the Unitarians, 229 places of worship, and 68,- 554 sittings ; the Latter Day Saints, 222 places of worship, and 30,783 sittings; the Presbyterians, 161 places of worship, and 86,- 812 sittings; various other sects and isolated congregations, in- cluding 53 Jewish synagogues, 32 congregations of the " Catholic and Apostolic Church," 50 New Church congregations, and 32 Moravians 859 places of public worship, and 163,710 sittings; and finally, 570 places of worship, with 186,111 sittings, belong- ing to the Roman Catholic Church. Thus it appears, that in 1851 the various religious bodies not in connection with the Church of England, in England and Wales, had no less than 20,330 places of worship, with accommodations for 4,851,288 persons! while the Church of England, with all the patronage of the State 4 and the aristocracy to back her, had but 14,077 places of worship, capable of seating 5,317,915 per- sons! And, notwithstanding that the provision by the State Church, for the accommodation of worshippers, was somewhat larger than that furnished by all other denominations and sects together, it 248 CONGREGATIONALISM. THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF THE U. S. The Episcopacy of this country is a scion from the mother land a continuation of the Church of England under a new name. The first Episcopal bishops of America were consecrated by the arch- bishops of Canterbury and York;* but not until those functionaries were assured that no material de- viation from the English Hierarchy, in doctrine or practice, would be admitted by the American Epis- copal Church. This assurance seems to have been remembered by American Episcopalians ; for, in the Preface to the Book of Common Prayer, published by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United is a most noticeable circumstance, that by actual count, the Prot- estant Dissenting Congregations, on a given Sabbath, were more numerous than those of the Church of England by 159,529 per- sons ! and, adding the attendants on Roman Catholic worship (249,389), and some other bodies, the State Church had actually fewer worshippers by 433,711, than were found in the various other places of public worship in the kingdom ! The statistics on this head stand thus : The whole population of England and Wales in 1851, was 17,927,609; the whole num- ber present at the most numerously attended services on Sunday, March 30, 1851, by actual count, was 6,356,222; and of these 2,971,258 were in places of worship controlled by the Church of England, 3,110,782 in Protestant Dissenters' places of worship, 249,389 in Roman Catholic chapels, and 24,793 in other places of worship. See Census Report, 1851, Religious Worship, Table A, Supplement 1, p. 181, and Table N, p. 300. * One American bishop had been previously consecrated by the non-juriny bishops of Scotland. ITS ADVANTAGES. 249 States, speaking of the alterations made in it from the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of Eng- land, it is said : " In which it will also appear, that this church is far from intending to depart from the Church of England, in any essential point of doctrine, discipline, or worship ; or further than local circum- stances require" (1) We are constrained, then, to object to " The Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America" first, that it is essentially a National Church : " the jurisdiction of this Church extending in right, though not always inform to all persons be- longing to it within the United States." * For such a church we find no authority in the New Testament. (2) We further object, that in the general govern- ment of this church, the rights and privileges of par- ticular churches are not duly recognized, and that unauthorized power is given to the bishops and clergy. The members of a parish are allowed to elect a parish clerk, church-wardens, vestry-men, and depu- ties to the State, or Diocesan Convention. These persons, with their minister, represent the parish, and act for it in things temporal and spiritual. Each Diocese embracing usually a single State holds a yearly Convention, composed of all the clergy, and of lay delegates from each parish, with the Bishop as president. The members of this con- vention choose their, own bishop or bishops, subject to the approbation of the House of Deputies in Gren- * Canon X. sect. 3, 1853; also Articles of Religion in C. P. Book, Art. 34, 2. 250 CONGREGATIONALISM. eral Convention, and the consent of the House of Bishops ; they determine upon the mode of trying clergymen in the diccese, under certain restrictions ; they appoint a standing committee, to be a council to the bishop, if there be one, and to act in the place of a bishop in certain cases, if there be none ; they choose deputies, clerical and lay, from one to four of each order, to represent the diocese in General Con- vention ; and attend to such other local matters as are not otherwise provided for.* The General Convention meets once in three years ; and is composed of all the bishops of the church, who constitute the upper house, or " House of Bish- ops;" and of an equal number of clerical and lay representatives, or deputies, from each of the dioceses connected with the Convention, who constitute the lower house, or " House of Deputies." The House of Bishops has a negative upon the proceedings of the other house.f This Convention has the power of establishing for the Church " A Book of Common Prayer, Administration of the Sacraments, and other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church, Articles of Re- ligion, and a Form and Manner of Making, Ordain- ing, and Consecrating Bishops, Priests, and Dea- cons." $ And the 45th Canon of 1832, provides, that " every minister shall, before all sermons and lectures, and on all other occasions of public worship, use the Book of Common Prayer, as the same is or * Constitution of P. E. Chh. Arts. 2, 4, 6. Canons III., IV. of 1832. j- Constitution, Arts. 1, 2, 3. Also Bishop White's Memoirs of the Protest. Epis. Chh. Const. Art. 8. ITS ADVANTAGES. 251 may be established by the authority of the General Convention of this Church. And in performing said service, no other prayers shall be used than those pre- scribed by said book" All Missionary Bishops, whether for our own country or for foreign lands, are to be elected by " the House of clerical and lay Deputies, on nomination by the House of Bishops." * From this outline of the general polity of this na- tional church, it appears, that the rights and privi- leges of individual churches are not regarded, in sev- eral very important particulars : (a) They are gov- erned, not by the concurring voice of their own members, democratically, as were the apostolic churches, but by the bishops, clergy, and representa- tives of the laity. The bishops exercise a general supervision and government over ah 1 the congrega- tions in their respective dioceses, and the exclusive right to "confirm," or admit persons to the com- munion of the church, and to ordain to the ministry. For the manner in which they exercise their power, they hold themselves amenable neither to their clergy nor their churches, but only to their fellow-bishops, who alone can try them.f (b) The Scriptural rights of particular churches in selecting, ordaining, dismissing, and disciplining their ministers, are also disregarded by this system. When a minister has been elected into any church or parish, the bishop of the diocese must be notified * Canon X. of 1853. t Art. VI. of the Constitution of P. E. Chh. provides, that " the court appointed for the purpose of trying Bishops shall be com- posed of Bishops only." See also Bishop Onderdonk's Address to the Epis. Conv. in N. Y., 1843. 252 CONGREGATIONALISM. of the same ; or where there is no bishop, the stand- ing committee of the diocese, who take the place of the bishop ; and the approbation of the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese obtained, before said minis- ter can be inducted into office.* Neither does this system recognize the right of a particular church to dismiss its minister, or that of a minister to leave his people, without the concurrence of the ecclesiastical authority of the diocese.f In the " Office of Institu- tion of Ministers," the bishop tells the instituted presbyter : " In case of any difference between you and your congregation, as to a separation, and dis- solution of all sacerdotal connection between you and them, we, your bishop, with the advice of our pres- byters, are to be the ultimate arbiter and judge" $ In regard to the discipline of ministers, Canon V. of 1835 provides, that " Every minister shall be amen- able for offences committed by him, to the Bishop, and if there be no bishop, to the Clerical Members of the Standing Committee of the Diocese in which he is Canonically resident at the time of the charge." The bishop and his presbyters may settle authorita- tively all such controversies between ministers, hold- ing the rectorship of parishes, and their vestries or congregations, as cannot be settled by themselves. Canon XXXIV. of 1832. This system of church government does not recog- nize so far as appears in its Canons and Prayer Book the right of the brethren of particular * Canon XIV. of 1853. t Canon XXXIII. of 1832. | Office of Institution, in Book of Common Prayer. ITS ADVANTAGES. 253 churches to say who shall be admitted to their fel- lowship, or who shall be excluded from their com- munion. It is made " the duty of ministers to pre- pare young persons and others for the Holy Ordi- nance of Confirmation : " . . . and " to present, for Confirmation, such persons as [they] shall think prop- erly qualified : " * and these persons are confirmed, or admitted to the communion of the Church, by the Bishop. Canon XLIL of 1832 provides, that, " If any per- sons within this Church offend their brethren by any wickedness of life, such persons shall be repelled from the Holy Communion, agreeably to the Ru- bric " i. e. by the minister of the parish.f On complaint being made to the bishop, in writing, by the person thus expelled, the bishop may restore him if he think proper, or may institute an inquiry into the case : but unless such complaint is made to the bishop, it is not his duty to institute any inquiry. Thus, so far as appears, the whole business of receiving to the communion of the church and re- jecting from it, is in the hands of the minister of the parish and the bishop of the diocese. But for this we find no authority in the Scriptures. And to the claims of Episcopacy, that her Bishops only have the right to ordain and confirm, to exercise a general supervision over the churches, and to be * Canon XXVI. of 1832, and " The Order of Confirmation," in the Book of C. P. and the directions preceding. f See the Rubric, or directions for the administration of the Lord's Supper, in C. P. Book. J See Canon, Canon XLIL of 1832, and " The Order for the Administration of the Lord's Supper," in C. P. Book. 254 CONGREGATIONALISM. the chief administrators of spiritual discipline* we are constrained to object as unscriptural assump- tions. (3) The 1st Canon of this church, enacts that " In this church there shall always be three orders in the Ministry, namely : Bishops, Priests, and Deacons." For this canon we can find no authority in the New Testament. Neither can we for those canons etc. which give to bishops the superintendence of several parishes, and the charge and government of their ministers. (4) We object to the claim which this church sets up, of " power to decree rites or ceremonies," and authority to establish a Book of Service, and to re- quire entire conformity to decreed rites, and to pre- scribed forms of prayer and religious service.f We find no warrant for these things in Scripture, and no example justifying them in the apostolic churches. (5) We object not merely to the general claim of the Protestant Episcopal Church of power to es- tablish a Common Prayer Book, and to decree rites or ceremonies, etc. as unscriptural, but we also object to many things in this C. P. Book and these decreed rites, ceremonies, and requisitions as un- authorized by the Scriptures, and of dangerous ten- dency. In "The Ministration of Public Baptism of In- fants," for example, the Prayer Book teaches the doc- trine of Baptismal Regeneration ; or, in other words, * Bishop Onderdonk, Epis. Tested by Scripture, p. 11. f Articles of Religion in C. P. Book Art. 20 ; Canons XLV. and XL VII. of 1832 ; Constitution, Art. 8. ITS ADVANTAGES. 255 that children baptized by the ministers of this Church, and in the form and manner prescribed in the C. P. Book, are " regenerate and grafted into the body of Christ's Church." And the officiating minister, after praying God to " sanctify this water to the mystical washing away of sin," and the application of the water to the child, is required to say : " We yield thee hearty thanks, most merciful Father, that it hath pleased thee to regenerate this infant with thy Holy Spirit, to receive him for thine own child by adoption^ and to incorporate him into thy holy church" etc. Thus we are taught, that the Episcopal baptism of infants is " a saving ordinance" * But where is the chapter and verse for this ? And where shall we find scrip- tural authority for " god-fathers and god-mothers " not the parents of the child taking the part which they do in the baptism of infants ? and where, for signing the child with the sign of the cross ? In " The Order of Confirmation " the officiating bishop utters language scarcely less objectionable than that employed in the Baptismal Service. Having laid his hands on the heads of the persons to be confirmed, he declares, that he does this, " to cer- tify them, by this sign, of [ God's] favor and gracious goodness towards them" And this declaration is made, not in respect to intelligent, and hopefully pious adult persons, only, but includes all such " children as are come to competent age, and can say the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Com- * This has been distinctly and fully avowed by " The Church- man," while the official organ of the Bishop of New York. 256 CONGREGATIONALISM. mandments, and can answer to the other questions of [the] Short Catechism " in the Prayer Book, and are presented to the Bishop by the minister of the parish, for Confirmation.* Is such language author- ized by the Scriptures ? Is it safe is it scriptural, for one erring mortal, to certify another of the favor of God, after this manner ? (6) We consider it a very serious objection to this church, that evidence of personal piety is not required, according to the C. P. Book, of those who are ad- mitted to her communion. The rite of Confirma- tion admits one to full communion: but to enjoy this rite, the profession of an orthodox creed and a moral life, alone, are indispensable. Thus read the directions to the Order of Confirmation : " So soon as children are come to a competent age, and can say the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Com- mandments, and can answer to the other questions of this short Catechism, they shall be brought to the Bishop " to be confirmed. " And there shall none be admitted to the holy Communion, until such time as he be confirmed, or be ready and desirous to be confirmed." See also the last exhortation to the god-parents, at the baptism of a child. Does not apostolic example require that all who are admitted to the holy communion of Christian churches should intelligently believe, and publicly profess their belief, that they have been born of God, and become new creatures in Christ Jesus ? But, it will hardly be maintained that all children who can say the Creed, the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Command- * See in Book of C. P., Catechism and Order of Confirmation. ITS ADVANTAGES. 257 ments, and can recite the Catechism, give evidence of Regeneration. (7) To this enumeration of unscriptural features in Protestant Episcopacy, we feel constrained to add another, touching various rites, and ceremonies, and outward observances, established by this Church and enjoined upon its members; namely, that in many tilings, this Church symbolizes with Popery. The Service-Book of the American Episcopal Church is the same, with slight alterations, as that used by the Church of England : and the English Book is chiefly compiled from Popish Service- Books.* Hence the Jesuit, Dr. Carrier, declared: " The Common Prayer and Catechism [of the Church of England] contains nothing contrary to the Romish Service." f Bishop Montague asserted : "that our [the English] Service is the same in most things with the Church of Rome ; and that the differences are not so great that we should make any separation." $ The order of the Institution of Priests and Deacons is substantially the same in the Romish, English, and American Episcopal Churches. Their rites and ceremonies in public worship are strikingly alike ; they stand, and sit, and kneel together ; their confessions and absolutions, their Pater Nosters, Glo- ria Patri, Litanies, and Responses substantially agree together. Their method of rehearsing the Ten Com- mandments, and of reading the Psalms by alternat- * See Neal's Puritans, Vol. I. p. 95, 96 ; De Laune's Plea, p. 47, 52; Hist. Congregationalism, p. 205, 206. f De Laune's Plea for the Non-Conformists, p. 48. t Ib., and Neal's Puritans, Vol. II. p. 164-342. 22* 258 CONGREGATIONALISM. ing, is similar. Many of the Collects, Lessons, etc. of the English and American Episcopal Churches, are either word for word from the Romish Service- Books, or agree for substance. Their Saint's Days and Holy Days, their fasts and feasts fixed and movable, are taken from the Calendar of Rome. This conformity of the English service to the Ro- man ritual seems not to have arisen, originally, from any love for Popery, but from a fear, on the part of the early English Reformers, of doing violence to public prejudices, by a sudden and entire overturn of all the consecrated religious associations of the people ; and a hope and expectation of drawing in the Papists, to a conformity with the Reformed Church of England.* And for some time their an- ticipations seemed likely to be realized. The Pa- pists continued to attend the English service, until his Holiness, despairing of the recovery of his su- premacy by fair means, interdicted the practice, and excommunicated Elizabeth. But, so imposing were the services of the English cathedrals in the days of Elizabeth, that the very messengers of the Pope de- clared, " that they wondered the Pope should be so ill informed and advised [as] to interdict a Prince, whose service and ceremonies so symbolize with his own." f And it is, I believe, a well-supported asser- * Stillingjleet, in his " Irenicum," asserts this unequivocally ; and commends the Reformers for their policy. lie calls the English Liturgy " a bait" for the Papists. See p. 122, 123, 2d Ed. 166 2. t Hume's England, Vol. II. ch. 38, p. 572, Alb. ed., and Vol. III. ch. 40, p. 69 ; NeaCs Pur. Vol. I. p. 273 ; De Laune, p. 49. ITS ADVANTAGES. 259 tion, that Pope Pius V. and Gregory XIII. both, offered to confirm the English Liturgy, on condition that Elizabeth would acknowledge the supremacy of Rome.* Thus stood church matters in the days of Elizabeth. Some alterations were made in the Prayer Book by James I. and some by Charles II. ; " yet, so as the main body and essentials of it (as well in the chiefest materials, as in the frame and order thereof) have still continued the same unto this day." This was said in the Preface to the Prayer Book, in the days of Charles II. (1661), and is equally true now ; for no alterations have since been made in the Eng- lish Book of Common Prayer. And the objections to the " main body and essentials " of the English Common Prayer Book that they are borrowed from Popery, and cause the English Church to sym- bolize with Popery lie with full weight against the " chiefest materials " of the Common Prayer Book of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the U. S. of America ; for in most essential points and particulars the two books are alike.f * De Laune, p. 48 ; Neal, Vol. I. p. 202, also p. 191, 192. Neal says, Pius IV. ; but this must be a mistake or misprint ; for he says the offer was made in 1570 ; but Pius IV. died 1566. See Hume, ut sup. and Mosheim, Ecc. Hist. Vol. III. p. 91, 92, Harper's ed. f According to the Rev. M. Boyle, of Boston, a clergyman of the Protestant Episcopal Church, the service-book of the Ameri- can Episcopal Church differs from the English in the following particulars : (1) " A shorter form of absolution is allowed" though " the English one is most generally recited in Divine service." (2) " The Athanasian creed is omitted." ... (3) " In the office of Baptism, the sign of the cross may be dispensed with if re- 260 CONGREGATIONALISM. Regarding Popery as the " Mystery of Iniquity " the grand device of Satan to overthrow the Church of God we cannot but consider all sym- bolizing with this system of abominations as alike unscriptural and dangerous. That this complicated and peculiar ritual of the Episcopal Church is not required by the New Testa- ment, our only infallible guide, will sufficiently ap- pear on the most cursory examination and compar- ison. That these things in the Episcopal Church are of dangerous tendency, is sufficiently evident to our minds from the history of English Episcopacy. Repeatedly has the Church of England been brought to the very verge of Popery. And for some years past her Protestantism has been most seriously threatened by this symbolizing with Popery, which her own Prayer Book sanctions yea, requires in her members. The reasons why Protestant Episcopacy in Amer- ica has not developed more fully this same Popish tendency, are sufficiently obvious to such as consider that this Church, as an independent body, has ex- isted but little more than half a century, and has been constantly surrounded by influences most decidedly hostile to Romanism, in the institutions of this coun- try and in the vast predominance of dissenters " from quested." . . . (4) " The marriage service has been considei-ably abridged." (5) " In the general service, some expressions in the English Prayer Book . . . are altered or omitted." (6) " A change was, of course, made in the prayers for Rulers." ... (7) " And there may be a few other verbal differences of minor im- portance." Abridged from an article in Enc. llelig. Knowl. on P. E. Chh. in U. S. A. ITS ADVANTAGES. 261 the bishop of Rome and all his detestable enormi- ties." But the time is coming, yea, and now is, when the tendency of Episcopacy to countenance Popery, as a system of religious order and worship, will be more apparent.* * Since the above was written, the public press has furnished k a most remarkable confirmation of our apprehensions. On the 2d July, 1843, a young man was ordained by Bishop Onderdonk of New York, who openly avowed his agreement essentially with the Church of Rome : (1) " He did not see any thing to prevent or forbid " his having recourse to the ministry of Rome, if denied admission to the ministry of the Protestant Episcopal Church in this country. (2) " He did not deem the dhTerences between [the P. E. Chh.] and the Church of Rome to be such as embraced any points of faith." (3) " He was not prepared to pronounce the doctrine of transubstantiation an absurd or impossible doc- trine." (4) " He does not object to the Romish doctrine of Pur- gatory as denned by the Council of Trent." . . . (5) " He was not prepared to say whether she [the Romish Church] or the Anglican Church were the more pure." (6) " He regarded the denial of the cup to the laity [in the administration of the sacra- ment of the Lord's supper] as a mere matter of discipline." . . . (7) " He believes that the Reformation from the Church of Rome was an unjustifiable act, and followed by many grievous and lam- entable results." (8) He was not disposed to fault the Church of Rome for usin g Apocryphal Books ; " nor was he prepared to say that the Holy Spirit did not speak by these Books Apocry- phal." (9) " He considered the promise of conformity to the doc- trine, discipline, and worship of the P. E. Chh. as not embracing the 39 Articles in any close and rigid construction of them, but regarded them only as affording a sort of general basis of concord as those which none subscribed except with certain mental res- ervations and private exceptions ; and that this was what he re- garded as Bishop White's view." He further declared his con- viction of the lawfulness of the invocation of saints thought the souls in purgatory might be benefited by our prayers received the creed of Pope Pius IV. so far as it was a repetition of the de- 262 CONGREGATIONALISM. I have now frankly expressed some of our reasons for regarding Episcopacy as less scriptural in its order and worship than Congregationalism. I have spoken of the system, not of the men who embrace it. Towards Episcopalians so far as they exhibit the spirit of Christ we cherish the kindest and most fraternal feelings. Their ecclesiastical polity we be- lieve to be unscriptural in many particulars, and of dangerous tendency; and as honest, conscientious men, we hesitate not to say what we think. THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. The grounds of our preference for Congregation- alism over the Protestant Episcopal Church having been briefly stated, we will turn next to the Meth- crees of the Council of Trent, which decrees he could receive, the damnatory clauses only excepted, etc. etc. Notwithstanding the avowal of these Popish sentiments, and the solemn protest of two of his most respectable clergy, the Episco- pal Bishop of New York, with the concurrence of six of his pres- byters, and of Bishop Ives of North Carolina, (who has himself since gone over to Romanism,) proceeded to ordain this Romanist as a minister of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the U. S. A. See "A Statement of Facts in Relation to the Recent Ordination in St. Stephen's Church, New York, by Drs. Smith and Anthon, 1843." The controversy which has grown out of this matter, has de- veloped the arbitrary nature of the power claimed by high church- men Puseyites. It seems, that a bishop claims the right to say what motions may be made in Convention, and to refuse to put such as are offensive to him ; and even to silence and put down the mover of any such motion. See an account of the doings of the Episcopal Convention in New York, in September, 1843. ITS ADVANTAGES. 263 odist Episcopal Church, and cursorily examine its constitution and discipline. (1) " The government of this church is strictly Episcopal." So says one of its leading members. Another says, " It is a moderate Episcopacy." Like the P. E. Church, it asserts that there should be three orders in the ministry Bishops, Elders, and Deacons ; and its Book of Discipline contains the substance of the form and manner of making and or- daining these officers, which is found in the Book of Common Prayer of the Protestant Episcopal Church.* Their bishops, however, claim not the exclusive right to ordain, and may themselves be ordained by pres- byters.f They are regarded as superior to elders in office rather than grade.\ Still they appear to sym- pathize with Episcopacy. Soon after the establish- ment of an ' Episcopate ' in the P. E. Church of U. S., Dr. Coke, the presiding Methodist bishop, expressed his entire accordance with the P. E. Church, in their order and discipline, and his earnest desire for a union between the two denominations^ And though there is now, perhaps, less sympathy between these hierarchies than ever before, yet, as late as 1840, this proposal was renewed by a Protestant Episcopal Bishop. || So far, then, as this Church approves of * See The Doctrines and Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, for 1856, p. 122-149. f Discipline, p. 40. J Zion's Herald, Oct. 6th, 1841. See his letters to Bishop White, in Memoirs of P. E. Chh. p. 425-431. || In 1840, Bishop Smith, of the P. E. Church in Kentucky, addressed, through the " Protestant and Herald," a letter to the 264 CONGREGATIONALISM. the Constitution and Discipline of the P. E. Church, so far must we disapprove of Episcopal Methodism. M. E. Church in Kentucky, proposing and urging a union of the two churches. We copy a few paragraphs from the letter, to show its spirit. The Bishop says : " Between the members of the Protestant and Methodist Epis- copal Churches in these United States the sympathy is almost uni- versal, that they approach each other much nearer in doctrine and practice than any two other denominations. Why are they not one and the same ? " The causes out of which the Wesleyan interest first arose, and which resulted in its becoming a great separate branch of the Church of Christ in Great Britain and America, no longer exist ; or if they do exist, are not in the slightest degree applicable to the relative positions of Episcopalians and Methodists in this country ; and if the CAUSES of separation have ceased, how unwise or even criminal must it not be, for the separation to continue. ******** " Can a reunion take place ? The answer depends, first, perhaps, on the question, how far each side is wedded to its own pecu- liarities, inconsiderable as they are ; then, on the measure of real Christian love and sympathy pervading both sides ; and then, on the willingness to make mutual concessions. " The writer speaks solely in his own individual capacity, when he says, that there is no measure of concession, reasonable or un- reasonable, not absolutely involving principle, which he would not be willing to make, in view of an end so unspeakably auspicious and desirable. He would be cheerfully willing to adopt a modi- fied itineracy, love feasts, and class meetings, and to take such gradual, but prospective measures for reunion as should shock no man's prejudices, and take, if necessary, a generation to bring about a perfect union. " On the part of the Methodists, all that would be necessary would be a gradual return to the use of some Form of Common Prayer ; and a slight concession to the Episcopalians upon the question of a succession in the Episcopacy." N. Y. Obseri-cr, Xov. 21, 1840. Quite recently movements have been made in England to bring about an ecclesiastical union between the Wesleyan Methodist ITS ADVANTAGES. 265 (2) Another objection to this church organization is, that it is National, or Provincial, in its character. All the M. E. societies (or churches, we should call them,) in the U. S. were once recognized as parts of one great, National Church; but since the great schism on the slavery question, the U. S. have been divided into two ecclesiastical provinces, and the M. E. Church has become provincial in its character. But, for neither provincial nor national churches can we find any authority in the New Testament. In order to understand, and more fully to appre- ciate the character and workings of the Methodist Episcopal system of church order and government in the United States, let us, first, take a general view of this compact and symmetrical organism, as pre- sented in the " Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church," 1856. Beginning with the individual soci- eties, we find that these are organized into "classes" of about twelve persons each, over each of which is placed a " Leader," who has the general supervision and care of the members, and is required to report to the minister of the Society the state of the class every week. Every Methodist society is placed in what is called a " Circuit, or Station," in which there may be several societies and preachers. These, with the class leaders and stewards (who are the treasurers of the societies) are placed under the general supervision of an elder, deacon, or preacher, who has the special charge of the circuit. Each " circuit " goes to form a Establishment and the Church of England. The subject has been introduced into Parliament, as we learn from the newspapers, and into the Convocation of Canterbury ; but without success. 23 266 CONGREGATIONALISM. part of a " District," over which is placed what is called a " Presiding Elder ; " who holds to the several circuits in his district very much the same relation which the elder in special charge of a circuit holds to all in that circuit. The several districts, in their turn, are united together in what is termed an " Annual Conference ; " which may embrace within its bounds all the districts, circuits, and societies of an entire State, or the adjacent parts of several States. Fi- nally, all the Annual Conferences are bound together by what is called a " General Conference ; " which is the ultimate appeal, and the supreme power of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Thus it appears, that the organization of this church is as complete and compact as human inge- nuity can well conceive. From the class of twelve persons, with its appointed leader, up to the con- trolling power of this whole organism, the system is perfect, a wheel within a wheel, all working as moved by the supreme power, the General Conference. (3) Our objection to this organization is, that it is not scriptural. Who hath required such a cunningly devised system of church government at your hands ? And we particularly object, that ihis organiza- tion places the government of the M. E. Church abso- lutely in the hands of its ministers and office-bearers, to the exclusion of the body of the church, where Christ and his apostles originally placed all church power. The general government of this church is in the hands of convocations of the clergy and official per- sons of the M. E. Church, called " Conferences" Of these, there are three sorts General, Annual, and ITS ADVANTAGES. 267 Quarterly Conferences. The " General Conference " is composed of one member for every twenty-one members of each Annual Conference, all ministers ; meets once in four years ; and has " full powers to make rules and regulations for [the] church," under certain limitations and restrictions.* The M. E. Church North contains thirty-nine ecclesiastical di- visions, called " Annual Conferences," including Oregon, California, and Liberia, each of which di- visions holds a yearly convocation of the clergy, called the Annual Conference. These are made up of " all the travelling preachers both those who are in full connection and those who are on trial." The Bishops appoint the times of holding these Confer- ences, and a Bishop, or a presiding Elder appointed by him, presides in them ; or, in case of failure of these, a presiding officer may be chosen by the Con- ference. These Annual Conferences have the care of the church within their respective bounds. The general condition of the ministers and societies is in- quired into ; also " what amounts are necessary for the superannuated preachers, and the widows and or- phans of preachers, and to make up the deficiencies of those who have not obtained their regular allow- ance on the circuits ; and, what has been collected for Mission, Sunday School, Tract, and Bible Society purposes. This Conference likewise attends to the electing and ordaining of deacons and elders, and inquires where the preachers of the Conference are to be stationed during the year ; their appointments, * Discipline, p. 3210. 268 CONGREGATIONALISM. and those of the presiding elders being fixed and changed by the Bishops.* The " Quarterly Conferences " are composed of "all the travelling and local preachers, exhorters, stewards, and class leaders of the circuit or station, and none else ; " though the male superintendents of Sunday Schools and the Missionary Committee have a right to sit and act with the Conference while questions relative to these objects are before the Conference ; but at no other time.f The Presiding Elder of the District, or "the preacher in charge" presides over this Conference; the regular business of which is, to hear complaints, and to receive and try appeals ; to get an estimate of the amount nec- essary for fuel, and table expenses for the family or families of the preacher or preachers of the circuit or station ; to take cognizance of all the local preachers in the circuit or station ; to license proper persons to preach, and renew their license annually ; to recom- mend to the Annual Conference suitable candidates in the local connection for deacon's or elder's orders and for admission on trial in the travelling connec- tion ; and to try, suspend, expel, or acquit any local preacher in the circuit or station against whom charges may be brought; to appoint stewards (the preacher in charge having the right to nominate) ; and generally, to look after the local affairs of the circuit or station.^: The General Conference, composed entirely of * Discipline, p. 34-37, 40, 43, 45, 47. f Discipline, p. 37, 38, Chap. III. 4. J Discipline, p. 37-40. ITS ADVANTAGES. 269 travelling preachers, elects and ordains the bishops ; the bishops preside in the Conferences, form the Dis- tricts according to their judgment, fix the appoint- ments of preachers; in the intervals of the Confer- ences, change, receive, and suspend preachers, " as necessity may require and as the discipline directs ; " travel through the connections at large ; oversee the spiritual and temporal business of the church ; ordain bishops, elders, and deacons ; and decide all ques- tions of law in an Annual Conference, subject to an appeal to the General Conference.* In addition to these important, responsible duties, the bishops choose, station, and change the Presiding Elders ; whose business it is to travel through their appointed districts, and, in the absence of the bishop, take charge of all the elders and deacons, travelling and local preachers, and exhorters in his district; to change, receive, and suspend preachers and fill va- cancies in his district, during the intervals of the conferences and in the absence of the bishop ; and in general, "to oversee the spiritual and temporal busi- ness of the church in his district." f Next to the Presiding Elder, in this hierarchal system, is the Elder, Deacon, or Preacher, who has "the special charge of a circuit." It is his duty to see that the other preachers in his circuit " behave well, and want nothing ; " to renew the tickets for the admission of members into love feasts, quarterly ; to regulate the bands (little associations of three or four believers for personal, religious improvement) ; and to meet * Discipline, p. 40-43. f Discipline, p. 43-45. 23* 270 CONGREGATIONALISM. the steward and leaders as often as possible ; to examine the accounts of the stewards ; to appoint all the Class Leaders, and " to change them when he sees it necessary ; " to receive, try, and expel mem- bers, according to the form of the Discipline ; and generally, to look after the temporal and spiritual in- terests of his circuit.* The discipline provides (Part I. ch. 9, 4), that an accused member shall be brought to trial before the society of which he is a member, or a select num- ber of them, in the presence of a bishop, elder, or deacon, or preacher; and if found guilty, expelled. But if the minister or preacher differ in judgment from the majority of the society, or the select num- ber, concerning the innocence or guilt of the accused person, the trial, in such case, may be referred by the minister or preacher to the ensuing Quarterly Conference, which shall finally determine the case. Excluded members, also, have the right of appeal to this Conference. In relation to the admission of members to the church, it does not appear from the Discipline that the churches, or local societies of believers, are called to vote. Part I. ch. 2, 2, p. 30, directs that " none be received into the church until they are recommended by a leader with whom they have met at least six months on trial, and have been baptized ; and shall on examination by the minister in charge, before the church, give satisfactory assurances, both of the cor- rectness of their faith and their willingness to ob- serve and keep the rules of the church." And in order * Discipline, p. 58-63. ITS ADVANTAGES. 271 to be more exact in receiving and excluding members, the official minister or preacher is directed, at every quarterly meeting, to read the names of those that are received into the church, and also those that are excluded therefrom. But from all this, it does not appear that a vote of the church is essential to the reception or the rejection of a member. Now, from this brief and summary survey of the order and discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church (North) of the U. S. it must be apparent, that the government of this church is not in the hands of the brethren of the church, where Christ and his apostles placed it, and where it long remained ; but has been engrossed, almost completely, by the min- isters of the church. John Wesley was certainly right, when he said of himself and his Methodist friends, WE ARE NO REPUBLICANS.* And Richard Watson, a standard writer among the Methodists, but echoed Mr. Wes- ley's sentiments, when he said : " A popular form of church government . . . could only be tolerable, in very small, isolated societies, and that in times of their greatest simplicity and love." f Mr. Wesley's notions of church government were highly monarch- ical, if not despotic. Bishop Coke and Asbury tell us, that " Mr. Wesley, as the venerable founder (under God) of the whole Methodist Society, gov- * See Letter to John Mason. " As long as I live," said Mr. Wesley, " the people shall have no share in choosing either stew- ards or leaders among the Methodists." f Theol Institutes, Part IV. ch. 1, republished in New York by M. E. Book Concern. 272 CONGREGATIONALISM. erned without any responsibility whatever. . . . He was the patron of all the Methodist pulpits in Great Britain and Ireland for life ; the sole right of nomina- tion being invested in him by all the deeds of settle- ment ; which gave him exceeding great power." * The present Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States, received its first bishops from the hands of Mr. Wesley ; and if not actually organized by him, was shaped, and for some time controlled, by men imbued with his spirit. The first preachers of the denomination in this country, came from Ireland and England, in 1766-1771 ; and in 1784 Mr. Wes- ley sent over three regularly ordained clergy ; but "preferring the episcopal mode of church govern- ment to any other, he solemnly set apart, by the im- position of his hands and prayer, one of them, namely, Thomas Coke, doctor of civil law, late of Jesus College, in the University of Oxford, and a presbyter of the Church of England, for the episcopal office, and having delivered to him letters of epis- copal orders, commissioned and directed him to set apart Francis Asbury, then General Assistant of the Methodist Society in America, for the same epis- copal office," &c. And Mr. Asbury having been set apart accordingly, was, with Mr. Coke, then received by the General Conference, held at Baltimore, as their bishops, " being fully satisfied of the validity of their episcopal ordination." f It is for the reader to judge between Episcopal * See Bishop Hedding on Meth. Discip., Z ion's Herald, Dec. 1, 1841. f Diwipline, p. 13 and 14. ITS ADVANTAGES. 273 Methodism and Congregationalism, " whether of the twain " is the more scriptural in its character. PBESBYTERIANISM. Let us next look at Presbyterianism. I denomi- nate this aristocratical, because it recognizes no pre- siding and controlling head, under the title of a bishop, but commits the government of the church to the ministers and a few select persons from the churches. Its clergy are all on a footing of equality. Each congregation has the right of electing its own officers.* These consist of a pastor, ruling elders, and * They cannot, however, call a pastor except it be through the Presbytery to which the church belongs. Neither can they have a pastor ordained or installed over them, except it be by the con- sent and concurrence of their own presbytery, and that with which the candidate is connected. See "Form of Goo." ch. 15 and 16. I am now speaking of American Presbyterianism. In Scotland, Presbyterianism is the Established and endowed relig- ion of the State. This took place in 1592, after a struggle of about fifty years with Popery and Prelacy; and, after several changes, was confirmed soon after the Revolution in 1688; and thus has continued to the present time. This connection of Church and State has given the State a right to legislate for the Church, and has introduced the law of Lay Patronage. This law takes from the several parishes the right to elect their pastors. The patron of the living has the right to present any duly qualified minister to a vacant parish ; and the presbytery, within whose bounds the vacant parish lies, is obliged to receive such presented minister. Great opposition to this law has of late appeared ; and the Presbyterian Church is now in a ferment upon this subject. In other respects, the order and government of the Scottish Kirk is substantially the same with the Presbyterian Church of 274 CONGREGATIONALISM. deacons, in number according to the wants of the congregation. Thus far the difference between Con- gregationalism and Presbyterianism is not so essen- tial: but, from this point the two denominations rapidly diverge. (1) A radical difference between us is found in our definitions of a church. One of the "radical principles of Presbyterian church government is, that the several different congregations of believers, taken collectively constitute one church of Christ, called em- phatically The Church"* This principle is the groundwork of all our differences in respect to church government and discipline. (2) Acting upon this principle each Presbyterian congregation is governed, not by the united brethren thereof, but by " The Church Session;" that is, by the pastor and ruling elders of the congregation, who are " charged with maintaining the spiritual govern- ment of the congregation : for which purpose, they have power to inquire into the knowledge and Christian conduct of the members of the Church ; to call before them offenders and witnesses, being mem- the United States McCulloch, vol. ii. ch. 7, 3. Blackwood's Mag. for Dec. 1840 and Aug. 1841. Since the above was written, this ferment has burst forth into a secession of nearly five hundred ministers of the Church of Scotland, embracing a large proportion of the piety and talent of the Establishment. These men have separated from the National Kirk, surrendered their livings, organized themselves into a new body, under the title of The Free Church of Scotland, and thrown themselves on the voluntary contributions of the people for a sup- port. * See " Form of Government of Presbyterian Chh. in U. S" p. 3D7. I8mo. 1821. ITS ADVANTAGES. 275 bers of their own congregation, and to introduce other witnesses, where it may be necessary to bring the process to issue, and when they can be procured to attend ; to receive members into the church ; to admonish and rebuke, to suspend, or exclude from the sacraments those who are found to deserve cen- sure ; to concert the best measures for promoting the spiritual interests of the congregation ; and to ap- point delegates to the higher judicatories of the church." * Thus it appears, that " The Church Session " is, virtually, the church. A few leading men are in- vested with authority to control and manage all the affairs of the congregation. And these men are per- manent officers, independent of the congregation, and, after their election, not subject at all to the control- ling voice of the brethren. They can be removed from office only by death, or regular trial for misde- meanors. I speak particularly of the ruling elders, who are considered as the representatives of the con- gregation. The pastor, if obnoxious, may undoubt- edly be induced to remove by other means ; but not without the concurrence of the Presbytery. The gov- ernment of each congregation is, then, to all intents and purposes, aristocratical. (3) From the decisions of this court, The Session, an appeal may be made to a higher, called " The Presbytery" This is composed "of all the minis- ters, and one ruling elder from each congregation within a certain district," larger or smaller, accord- ing to circumstances. The Presbytery has, substan- * Plan of Gov. oh. 10, 6. 276 CONGREGATIONALISM. tially, the same power over all the congregations within its limits, that the Church Session has over a single congregation. (4) From the decisions of this second judicatory, an appeal may be made to a third, called " The Sy- nod" This is composed of the ministers and elders of at least three presbyteries. This court exercises a controlling influence and authority over all the presbyteries, church sessions, and congregations with- in its bounds. (5) From this body an appeal may be carried up to the " GENERAL ASSEMBLY ; " which is the highest judicatory of the Presbyterian church. This is the end of controversy ; or, perhaps I should say the reservoir into which all obstinate controversy finally runs, there to be disposed of as it best can be.* This body is thus constituted : Every presbytery is enti- tled to send one minister and one ruling elder ; and, if the presbytery embraces more than nine ministers, it may send two ministers, and an equal number of ruling elders ; and so on, one minister and one elder for every nine ministers in any presbytery. The * THE SECESSION CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, a large and increasing body of Presbyterians, differs from the Established Church (1) in having no General Assembly; the Synod, which meets twice a year, being their highest Ecclesiastical court ; (2) in abjuring patronage ; (3) in giving the right to choose its own pastor, to the communicants of each congregation. McCulloch, ut sup. Sect. 4. The "New-School" Presbyterians (as they are often called) of this country, agree with the Secession, in making their Sy- nods the highest judicatory body. Their General Assembly, which meets but once in three years, has no appellate jurisdic- tion. ITS ADVANTAGES. 277 General Assembly has the same authority over the whole Church that each of the inferior judicatories has over the particular portion assigned to its care. It is the bond of union among all the congregations. It is 1he General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States The Presbyterian Church itself. No one will deny that this system of church gov- ernment is orderly and methodical; that its move* ments are systematic and regular : but the question at issue is Where is the Scriptural model and au- thority for all this ? I go not into the specification of objections to this system I will not dwell upon the recent developments of the workings of this con- solidated system; but, with the Scriptures in his hands, I put it to any unbiassed mind to decide, which is the more Scriptural form of church gov- ernment, the Presbyterian or the Congregational. OTHER DENOMINATIONS. The Lutheran Church on the Continent of Europe, holds an intermediate position between Episcopacy and Presbyterianism, except in Denmark and Sweden, where the Episcopal form prevails or rather, Ro- manism " with its offensive parts lopped off." The sovereigns of the respective countries in which Lutheranism is established, " possess the su- preme power in Ecclesiastical affairs." The highest Ecclesiastical tribunal is the Consistory, which is composed of civil and ecclesiastical jurists, who manage the affairs of the Church in the name of 24 278 CONGREGATIONALISM. their respective sovereigns. Where the Episcopal form prevails, it is rather on the ground of expedi- ency, than from any belief in its Divine origin : " for the Lutherans are persuaded, that, by Divine right, there is no difference of rank and prerogatives among the ministers of the Gospel." * They admit of Su- perintendents sometimes called inspectors, seniors, or presidents who have the oversight of ministers and ecclesiastical affairs, but are superior to other ministers only in office. The churches use liturgies, practise confirmation, confession, and absolution. Their liturgies, though essentially the same in the articles of religion, differ widely in different countries ; and are much more simple than those of strictly Episcopal Churches, and admit of more liberty in using them. It is deemed unnecessary to go into any further comparison of different forms of church order and discipline. All other denominations are believed to recognize more or less of the general principles of government which have been already considered ; and may be classed under one or other of these great denominations, as the peculiarities of one or the other predominate. The Calvinist Baptists are Con- gregationalists in their government. Indeed, they are one with us, so far as the principles of church polity are concerned. The Freewill Baptists recog- nize a form of government, and order, substantially Congregational. " Government is vested primarily in the churches, which are usually composed of such * Mosheim, B. IV. Cent. XVI. Part II. ch. 1, 3, 4. ITS ADVANTAGES. 279 believers as can meet together for worship." * The Protestant Methodists, or Reformed Methodists have introduced into their government the representative principle allowing the laity an equal voice with the clergy in their church judicatories. They do not recognize the order of bishops, as distinct from that of elders ; but, in most other particulars, symbolize with the Protestant Episcopal Church, in their gov- ernment " The Christian Connection " maintain the strict independence of the churches. So do the Unitarians. Believing Congregationalism to be entirely Scrip- tural, we are constrained to regard this form of church order and discipline as more correct and Scriptural than any other, in just that proportion in which any other varies, in essential particulars, from this. And in the maintenance of this opinion of our favorite model, we do not regard ourselves as guilty of any arrogance in relation to other systems ; for, consist- ently with our principles, we can do no less than to esteem our own above all others. We maintain that the Scriptures are a sufficient guide to all that is es- sential to the good order and correct discipline of a church of Christ. We have carefully examined the Scriptures to ascertain what this order and discipline should be ; and have arrived at conclusions, which these pages partially, at least, detail. We have com- pared this system with others, and have briefly de- tailed the result : and if, in our investigations and * Elder Beede, in Rclig. Encyclopedia. See also the Appen- dix to their " Treatise on the Faith of the F. W. B." 280 CONGREGATIONALISM. our deductions we have not erred, then, in our con- clusion we are correct, that of all the systems of church government known to us, Congregationalism is the most Scriptural. And this we conceive to be one of the advantages and not a trifling one, either which this system possesses over every other. II. Another advantage of Congregationalism is, that it encourages self-government beyond that of any other system. In proportion as you abridge men of the privilege of governing themselves, and deprive them of the inducements to attempt it, in just that degree you encourage the doctrine that they are incapable of self-government, and discourage all attempts to exer- cise this inalienable and all-important right. Now, the Congregational system of church government, beyond all others, encourages every man to exercise this important birthright. It teaches him that Christ has intrusted the management of his kingdom upon arth to the hands of his people, with certain general rules for their guidance. And he who has learned from the Scriptures that Christ has committed such interests to his people, will not be slow to perceive, that if men are judged competent to manage affairs which pertain to their eternal interests, there is a gross inconsistency in denying their ability to man- age affairs which pertain only to the present life. The direct tendency of this system of church gov- ernment, then, is to a democratical form of State government. The early English Congregationalists seem to have had no design upon the State when they as- serted their rights as Christians ; indeed, they ex- ITS ADVANTAGES. 281 pressly avowed their cordial attachment to the mo- narchical, and all but despotic government under which they lived. And this was true of the Brown- ists even, the pioneers of our denomination, who were rigid separatists from the Episcopal Church, and often violent in their denunciations against those who upheld it ; and who denied the right of State governments to interfere at all with the affairs of the churches. Penry, one of the last of the Brownists who suf- fered death for his religious sentiments during the reign of Elizabeth, when accused of disloyalty, pro- tested against the accusation ; declaring that the queen had a daily remembrance in his prayers ; and with his dying breath, sent to her majesty the assur- ance of his loyalty.* Nevertheless, the politicians of those times were not slow to perceive the natural tendency of these principles of church government ; and could not be persuaded that the men who claimed independence in church matters, did not aim at the same independence in civil affairs. Hence it was, that the persecution of the Brownists during Elizabeth's arbitrary reign, was even more violent than that of the Protestants under the bloody Mary, Elizabeth's Popish predecessor. However it may have been with the English Inde- pendents while they remained in their native land, it is very obvious that the Leyden church early enter- tained democratical prepossessions in respect to civil * See an account of Penry's martyrdom in Waddington's Life of John Penry, or in the History of Congregationalism. See note, ante, p. 14. 24* 282 CONGREGATIONALISM. government. How much influence their residence in Holland may have had in modifying their views, it is difficult to say ; but it is certain that the very first act of the emigrating Pilgrims, in a civil capacity, was one which savored strongly of democracy. Be- fore landing upon the rock of Plymouth, they drew up and subscribed an instrument, by which they cov- enanted and combined together " into a civil body politic ; to enact, constitute, and frame such, just and equal laws and ordinances, acts, constitutions, and officers, from time to time, as should be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony." " This brief, but comprehensive consti- tution of civil government," says Pitkin, " contained the elements of those forms of government peculiar to the new world." From the outset, the English government was jeal- ous of the spirit of independence manifested by the Pilgrims ; and, to counteract this, the project of intro- ducing Episcopacy and a Governor-general into the colonies of New England, was early entertained by the Court. The commissioners appointed by Charles II., in 1664, to visit New England, with " full power and authority to heare and receive, and to examine and determine all complaints and appeales, in all cases and matters ; " or in other words, to overturn the government of the colonies if not found sufficiently loyal reported of Massachusetts : " Their way of government is Commonwealth-like ; then* way of wor- ship is rude, and called Congregational" * The last * Hutchinson, Vol. I. App. No. 15, and Am. Encyc., Art. New England. ITS ADVANTAGES. 283 word ill this sentence, whether by design or no't, ex- plains the first clause. That the English govern- ment was prepared to believe this report, is evident from the fact, that Lord Clarendon, in his draft of the plan for sending over commissioners, declared that the colonies " were already hardened into repub- lics" And when the struggle for civil independence actually began in this country, it was found that New England, the hotbed of Congregationalism in which, in 1760, there were 440,000 Congregation- alists, out of 500,000 inhabitants was also " the hotbed" of revolutionary principles. And to this form of Church government, we unquestionably owe our peculiarly free and excellent forms of State gov- ernment.* To those who regard a democratical form of gov- ernment as the inalienable gift of God and birthright of man, it will be no slight recommendation of Con- gregationalism, that it favors, if it does not unavoid- ably lead to, this form of civil government.! * " Several years before the American Revolution, there was, near the house of Mr. Jefferson, in Virginia, a church which was governed on Congregational principles, and whose monthly meet- ing he often attended. Being asked, how he was pleased with the church government, he replied, that it had struck him with great force, and interested him very much ; that he considered it the only form of pure democracy that then existed in the world, and had concluded that it would be the best plan of government for the American colonies." See an able article on Congregationalism in Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge. f A Avriter in the London Quarterly Review (Vol. XVI. p. 517, 518), says: "It soon became apparent (in the reign of Elizabeth in England) that they (the Puritans) tended naturally towards republicanism ; for certain it is, that monarchy and Episcopacy, 284 CONGREGATIONALISM. III. Another important advantage of this popular form of church government is, that it promotes gen- eral intelligence beyond any other. As no people are fit to manage their civil affairs unless intelligent and virtuous, so no body of men are qualified to conduct ecclesiastical affairs who are destitute of intelligence and piety. The motive in either case to be qualified for self-government is wellnigh irresistible. Every Congregationalist is ex- the throne and the altar, are much more nearly connected than writers of bad faith, or little reflection have sought to persuade mankind. Besides this insensible, but natural inclination towards democracy, which arises from the principles of a popular church government, there was another cause why the current should set in that direction ; it was only under Commonwealths that the Puritans saw their beloved discipline flourish." So, Bishop Laud told Charles I. and his second parliament : " They, whoever they be, that would overthrow ' sedes eccle- sice,' the seats of ecclesiastical government, [alias, the bishops' thrones], will not spare if ever they get power to have a pluck at the ' throne of David,' [i. e. the monarchy of the king- dom.] And, there is not a man that is for parity, all fellows, in the Church, but he is not for monarchy in the State. And certainly, either he is but half-headed to his own principles, or he can be but half-hearted to the house of David." Or, in plain English no man can be an enemy to Episcopacy, and yet a friend to monarchy. See Hanbury's Historical Memorials, Vol. I. p. 476. Thus, too, that organ of Ton-ism in Church and State, Black- wood, tells us, that " the anomaly of a popularly elected church [he is protesting against the right of the people to elect their own spiritual guides] and a hereditary monarchy cannot co-exist in the same country." And again he asks: "If the cause of uni- versal suffrage is triumphant in the Church, how is it to be resisted in the State?" Magazine, Vol. XL No. G, Art. "Non- Intrusion Question." ITS ADVANTAGES. 285 pected to take part in the most important business that is done on earth the business of the Church of Christ. He recognizes his accountability to Christ for the manner in which he does the work assigned him. He feels if he feels as he ought that there is deep responsibility incurred by him. Acting under this conviction, he is constrained to seek that preparation of heart and mind which will fit him to act well his part as a Congregational pro- fessor. I do not say, that such are actually the feelings and practice of all who embrace this form of church government ; for many, we have reason to fear, are merely nominal Congregationalists, have little ac- quaintance with the nature and operation of the principles which they profess, and no suitable sense of the responsibilities which they incur in transacting the momentous business of a Christian church. I speak not of all who profess this system, but of the tendency of the system itself, and of its actual results in multitudes of instances.* In saying what I have of the tendencies of Con- gregationalism, I would not be understood to inti- mate, that other Protestant denominations, do not encourage intelligence and piety among their mem- bers ; but this I do say, that the more free any * I have somewhere met with the remark, that the French na- tion were much less frivolous immediately after their late revolu- tion than before. The responsibility of sustaining the govern- ment for which they had fought, made them comparatively grave. A sense of responsibility always makes men thoughtful and sober- minded. CONGREGATIONALISM. system of government is, and the greater the respon- sibility laid upon men, the stronger will be the motive to be intelligent, in order to manage that government and to meet that responsibility. Now, as in no de- nomination so much is expected of the members of a church as in ours, so, in none are intelligence and other suitable qualifications for church membership so urgently demanded. Other forms of church gov- ernment favor these things just in proportion as they approach towards, or recede from, the standard of pure Congregationalism.* * In reply to a letter of inquiry, whether there were any Con- gregational churches in a particular section of our country ; an intelligent correspondent says " No." And assigns as a reason, the want of general intelligence among the people of that section of country. " I do sincerely think," says my correspondent, " that out of New England, it is exceedingly difficult to make Congregational churches live ; and why? Because, out of New England, there is (comparatively speaking) only here and there an enlightened man. He must be an elder and take care of the rest." I give this extract, in illustration of what is said in the text ; not because I accord entirely with my correspondent. Another cor- respondent, equally intelligent, and with far more extensive observation and experience, writing from a city full of Presby- terianism and Episcopacy, tells me, that Congregationalism can live and flourish at the South or the West, if good men will but try it, and boldly and faithfully maintain its precious principles and usages. This I most fully believe. Facts, as well as reason, testify to this truth. What surer method to keep men ignorant and unfit to govern themselves can be pursued, than to persuade them that they are so ? and to adopt a system of church govern- ment (or civil, if you please) which makes no demand on them for intelligence ? Richard Watson, a standard author among the Methodists, grounds an objection to " a popular form of church government " ITS ADVANTAGES. 287 Some of the legitimate effects of this system are seen in the early efforts of the Pilgrims to establish schools and seminaries of learning, as well as to plant churches and to propagate the gospel, in this land of their exile; for these schools were estab- lished, mainly, as auxiliaries to the churches. Scarcely had these venerable men felled the forest of New England, when they began to provide means to in- sure the continuance of their churches and the sta- bility of their civil government. " Learning and Re- ligion," they wisely judged to be " the firmest pillars of the church and the commonwealth." Harvard College, which had previously existed as a high school,* was established at Cambridge as early as on the supposed ignorance and youth and inexperience of the mass of every religious community. He speaks with a sort of holy horror, of " referring every decision to numbers and suf- frages, and placing all that is good, and venerable, and influen- tial among the members themselves, at the feet of a democracy." Theological Institutes, Part IV. Chap. I. Congregationalism unquestionably demands a greater measure of religious intelligence in the mass of the church, than any other system of church government. And it is too obvious to require argument, that the very necessity for intelligence, will, with good men, be a strong inducement to become intelligent And, it seems to me altogether reasonable to believe, that in those very communities where it is now supposed that the want of intelli- gence forbids the existence of Congregational churches, there would have been a vastly greater amount of religious knowledge and general intelligence, if such churches had long ago been there established. If the intelligence of New England originally established Congregationalism, it is equally true, that Congrega- tionalism has preserved for New England that intelligence. * " In 1636 the general court gave 400 towards a public school at Newton." Hutchinson. 288 CONGREGATIONALISM. 1638 ; eighteen years, only, after the landing of the Plymouth pilgrims, and only eight or ten years after the commencement of the Massachusetts colony. To Congregational principles we are indebted for most of the colleges of New England. From the same source has flowed down to us that system of common schools which, notwithstanding its defects, has so long and so richly blessed our land and the world. The same spirit has founded and endowed the Theological Seminaries of New England. The influence of Congregationalism in establishing theo- logical and literary Institutions at the South and West, is well known. Can any man consider the facts now alluded to, without perceiving that this system of church order and discipline is preeminently favorable to general intelligence ? * * Pitkin, in his Civil and Political History of the United States, says : " Primary Schools first commenced in New England. Aware of the importance and necessity of information among the people, in order to secure and perpetuate their liberties, the legis- lators of New England, at an early period, made provision for in- structing all in the first rudiments of learning. In this, the clergy, who were not less distinguished for their literature than their piety, cordially cooperated. In making this provision for the general and early education of their children, their views were not limited to the single object, though an important one, of mak- ing them better men and better, citizens, but, what was justly deemed by them of infinitely more importance better Chris- tians " Schools for general education were established in Boston, in 1635, by the inhabitants of that town ; and in 1647, the legisla- ture of Massachusetts declared, by a general law, ' that every township with fifty families, should provide a school, where chil- ITS ADVANTAGES. 289 IV. Another advantage of this system of church government and discipline is, that it presents the most drcn may be taught to read and write ; and that every township of one hundred families, should provide a grammar school, where youth could be fitted for the University.' This law was substan- tially adopted in the code of laws established by the colony of Connecticut, in 1650, with a preamble, declaring, in the quaint language of the day, that, ' It being one chief object of that old deceiver, Satan, to keep men from the knowledge of the Scrip- tures, as in former times, keeping them in an unknown tongue, so in these latter times, by persuading them from the use of tongues, so that at least, the true sense of the original might be clouded by false glosses of saints-seeming deceivers ; and that learning may not be buried in the graves of our forefathers in church and commonwealth,' etc. " In the system of New Haven colonial laws, published in 1656, it is ordered, ' that the deputy for the particular court, in each plantation in this jurisdiction, for the time being, or where there are no such deputies, the constables and other officers in public trust, shall, from time to time, have a vigilant eye on their brethren and neighbors, within the limits of said plantations, that all parents and masters do duly endeavor, either by their own ability or labor, or by improving such schoolmasters or other helps and means as the plantation doth afford, or the fam- ily may conveniently provide, that all their children and appren- tices, as they are capable, may, through God's blessing, obtain, at least, so much as to be able to read the Scriptures and other good and profitable books in the English tongue, being their native language, etc.' "In 1663, it was proposed by the court of Plymouth colony, to the several towns within that jurisdiction, as a thing that they ought to take into their serious consideration, that some course may be taken, that in every town there may be a schoolmaster set up, to train up children to reading and writing. " These laws laid the foundation of the system of free schools in New England." Vol. I. p. 151, 152. In estimating the influence of Congregationalism in promoting 25 290 CONGREGATIONALISM. efficient barrier to the inroads of heresy, and false doc- trine, and general corruption. I am not ignorant, that some persons regard Con- gregationalism as the very parent and nurse of all heresy, and the fruitful cause of all errors in doctrine and religious practice with which the country is now, or ever has been, afflicted. The freedom of our gov- ernment the right which our churches claim, to choose whom they will for pastors, and to adopt what articles of faith, and to pursue what particular practices they please, are regarded by many as ex- ceedingly objectionable not to say abominable peculiarities. But these features of our system are, after all, the best rampart against general defection and corruption. The very liberties of our churches so terrific in the eyes of those who plead for a " strong government " are, under God, our surest defence against universal defection. That this lib- erty may not be abused, I shall not contend. That any other than a virtuous people are capable of self- government, I do not believe. That the Congrega- tional system of church government is unsuited to any but truly pious persons, I have already asserted : for none others was it designed. But for these, it is admirably adapted. An unconverted, proud, ambi- tious, worldly minded church member may, perhaps, do more injury in a Congregational church, than in general intelligence, let it be borne in mind, that these laws were emphatically Congregational that nearly every man concerned in the formation and execution of them, was a decided Congre- gationalist ITS ADVANTAGES. 291 any other.* For men of this description our church government was never designed. Such men, how- ever intelligent, have not the first qualification for church membership. But, let our churches be con- stituted as they ought to be, and kept pure by disci- pline, and there will be no danger of intrusting to them the power of electing their own officers, mak- ing their own by-laws, and regulating all their own affairs, under Christ. It may perhaps be said: "It is impossible to keep out unworthy members ; they are in the church now, and they will always be found there." It is true, this matter demands great watchfulness on the part of our churches; and after all, some unworthy members may creep in : if, however, the great mass of any par- ticular church be sound and pious, there will be, under ordinary circumstances, comparatively little danger from the unsoundness of a few individuals. Certain it is, that there is much less danger that the majority of a church will become unsound and he- retical, than that a few men, constituted governors of the church, will swerve from the faith. Every system of church government which takes the power out of the hands of the brethren or the church itself places it in the hands of individuals. Now, it appears to us that the danger to the church will be in propor- tion to the fewness of those who take part in her gov- ernment and are interested in the maintenance of her orthodoxy : that is to say, there will be more danger that one man will become unsound and heretical, * Unless he should chance to be a " vestry-man " or a " ruling elder." 292 CONGREGATIONALISM. than that five will ; and more danger that five will swerve from the truth, than that one hundred will. Samuel Mather well says : " When a bishop or a small number of ministers [and he might have said or laymen] have the supervision, or oversight and management of affairs, it is next to impossible but that pride and ambition, faction and envy, political regards and secular interests, should govern ; and in- deed, this is no more than what is observed by the historians, Socrates and Sozomen, as well as by sev- eral other Fathers." * Upon this subject, Ecclesiastical History lifts an admonitory voice. It is notorious, that when the control of the churches fell into the hands of synods, then the purity of the churches began visibly and rapidly to decline. This declension became more serious, as the influence of many in the government of the churches diminished to &few; and it became total, when u TIIE MAN OF SIN " mounted the Papal throne and claimed to be the Head of the Church the Vicegerent of Christ the Infallible Interpreter of the mind of the Spirit and the Unerring Guide of the Faithful. Now, inasmuch as our Congregational polity places all church power in the hands of the brethren of the church, it provides a very important safeguard against the inroads of heresy. I anticipate an objection to these remarks, founded on the fact that Arrninianism and Unitariamsm have corrupted so many of the Congregational churches of New England. With persons not well acquainted * Apology, p. 104. ITS ADVANTAGES. 293 with our history, this is considered a sufficient and conclusive argument against our System. But I must take the liberty to say to such persons You understand not whereof you affirm. It was not Con- gregationalism which introduced Unitarianism into New England ; but it was the disregard of Congre- gational principles, even by some of the Fathers of our churches, which opened the way for Unitarianism. The half-way covenant, and afterwards, the ad- mission of baptized, but unregenerate persons to the Lord's Supper as " a converting ordinance " were the things which broke down our defences, and in- troduced unconverted men into the churches and the ministry, and prepared the way for the prevalence of Arminianism, and after that, of Unitarianism. I will only add, that this objection to our system comes with a peculiarly ill grace from our Presbyterian brethren ; because Stoddard, the leader in these in- novations upon our church polity, was himself, " in principle, a Presbyterian, and hoped to introduce substantially that mode of government" into New England.* Again, the independency^ of our churches, fur- nishes a further barrier against general defection from the faith. The more closely you connect the different communities of Christian professors, for purposes of government, the more readily are they affected by each other. Bring these associated com- * Dwir/ht's Life of Edwards, p. 381 quoted in "The Great Awakening," p. 5. See also Allen's Biog. Dictionary, Art Stod- dard. f I mean not absolute independency but, completeness all' sufficiency for their own government, etc., as before explained. 25* 294 CONGREGATIONALISM. munities under the government of one man, or of a few men, and you increase the danger of corruption in the whole mass in proportion to the intimacy of the association and the influence and power of its governors. But, should a Congregational church become heretical in its faith and erroneous in its practice, it will not necessarily affect sister churches. It cannot injure them except by the force of bad example. Each church, standing independently of every other so far as its internal management is concerned, has the means of defence in its own hands. It can shut the door, and no man can open it* Then, in respect to its teachers, this system fur- nishes as complete a barrier against false and dan- gerous doctrine as it is possible to raise. It recog- nizes no man's right to send to a church a preacher, or to place over it a pastor. We know no Metro- politan no General or Yearly Conference, having authority to say to this man, go, and he goeth ; and to another come, and he cometh ; no Presbytery to tells us whether we may, or may not, call a pastor. Each church judges and chooses for itself. Every brother in the church has a perfect right to object to the call of a pastor; and every man's vote counts equaUy in an election. The whole church being con- stituted judges, and being qualified by intelligence and piety to act their parts, the danger of being im- posed upon by an unsuitable man is comparatively small ; especially, if the scrupulous care of our fathers in trying their candidates for settlement, be imitated by their sons.* * It was not uncommon for candidates for settlement, to be on trial for several months before they received a call. Our ITS ADVANTAGES. 295 But, should a pastor prove an unsound and dan- gerous man, his influence does not necessarily affect any church but his own : and this has the power to discipline the offender, and thus to bring him to re- pentance ; or, at least, to purge out the leaven from their own body, and to make known his true charac- ter to others, and thus to impair his ability to injure them. Thus does Congregationalism protect the churches from heresy and error. Thus does it provide a sim- ple but effectual remedy, in case all previous caution should fail, for the extirpation of every thing false and dangerous. It is not denied, that notwithstanding all, errors in doctrine and practice have crept into our churches. And into what denomination of professing Christians have they not gone? Who what can guard effectually against the depravity and deceitfulness of human nature ? A Judas was among " the twelve." A Simon Magus, and " damnable heresies " corrupted the apostolic churches. Congregationalists claim not entire exemption from error. But, who shall cast the first stone at us? Shall the Church of Rome ? We point her to " the mark of the beast " fathers had no fellowship with the touch-and-take system of mod- ern days. John Milton's answer to such as object, that the brethren of a church are not competent to judge of the qualifications of a pas- tor, deserves repeating : " Many," says he, " may be able to judge who is fit to be made a minister, that would not be found fit to be made ministers themselves ; as it will not be denied that he may be the competent judge of a neat picture, or elegant poem, that cannot limn the like." Hanbury, Vol. I. p. 192, note. 296 CONGREGATIONALISM. upon her forehead. Shall the high-church Episco- pacy of England ? We beg her to stop long enough to reflect on the Arminianism of Laud's admin- istration, and the rapid strides which she made towards Popery itself during his reign. Or, if she prefer something of later date, we point to the ad- mitted diversity of religious sentiment which now exists among her clergy ; and this, too, upon funda- mental points, in spite of her liturgy, and creed, and subscriptions, and test-oaths.* Shall the Protestant * A clergyman of the Church of England, Rev. John Acaster, vicar of St. Helen's, York, in a work entitled, " The Church of England in Danger from Itself," fully admits the truth of the assertion in the text. He says : " To this (the neglect of a proper examination of the candidates for the ministry), more than to any other thing must be ascribed that great difference of opinion which exists among her ministers, ON SOME OF THE MOST IM- PORTANT DOCTRINES OF RELIGION, dangerous to the souls of men, and inimical to the peace and stability of the church" p. 44 ; quoted by Rev. J. A. James, in his " Defence of the Principles of Nonconformity," p. 75. In a note to the above, Mr. James adds : " No one can for a moment doubt, that the Church of England comprehends within her pale, persons holding the widest possible variety of religious opinions: Socinians, Arians, Arminians from Pelagianism to the modified Arminianism of Tillotson ; Baxterians, Calvinists of all grades, from the supralapsarianism of Dr. Hawker to the more moderate views of Davenant and South ; Hutchinsonians, Baptismal Regeneration Advocates, and their opponents; Swe- denborgians, the followers of Joanna Southgate, modern Mille- narians, Believers in the unconsciousness of the soul from death till the resurrection, Followers of Mr. Irving on the subject of the peccability of Christ's human nature, etc. etc." Ib. p. 75, 76, note. This catalogue was made out in 1830; whether it should now be enlarged or diminished, on the whole, I am unable to say; but doubtless the author, were he now revising it, would ITS ADVANTAGES. 297 Episcopal church of this country, claim greater pu- rity ? Will it be denied, that even in this country, the line is becoming more and more distinct between high-church and low-church? that it is not un- common, even now, to designate their clergy as Evangelical or Arminian? that the Oxford con- troversy is already fermenting in the bosom of the P. E. church of the TJ. S. ? and that her bishops, and ministers, and laymen, are openly taking ground on either side ? The very extensive prevalence of Ari- anism and Unitarianism among the Presbyterians of England, and the diversity of sentiment which pre- vails in the Presbyterian Church of the United States, prove the entire possibility of "grievous wolves " entering the Presbyterian fold, high as are its walls, guarded as are its entrances. While, therefore, we claim not for our system of church order and discipline, that it is a complete de- fence from error to which all denominations are more or less exposed we confidently believe, that the Congregational churches of Great Britain and America, will bear a favorable comparison, in point of purity, with any denomination in either country. add Travellers towards Rome, under the title of PUSEY- ITES. See Prof. Newman's admission, Oxford Tracts, Vol. I. p. 238 , quoted in Smyth's " Apostolical Succession," p. 1 7. Among other things, Prof. Newman says : " In the English Church may be found differences as great as those which separate it from Greece or Rome Calvinism and Arminianism, Latitudinarian- ism and Orthodoxy all these, sometimes simply such, and some- times compounded together into numberless varieties of school, . . . each denouncing all the rest as perilous, if not fatal errors." 298 CONGREGATIONALISM. It would be easy to swell this list of advantages of Congregationalism. But, if any thing like a just estimate of the system advocated in these pages has been expressed, there can be no occasion to say more, to commend to the consideration, to the confidence, and to the love of the descendants of the Pilgrims, a system which their fathers considered as essential to the highest welfare of their posterity, to the promo- tion of holiness in the land, and to the advancement of the Divine glory in the world. CONCLUSION. In conclusion, I commend to the friends of Con- gregationalism, the warning words of one of the fathers of New England, and the concluding address of one of the ablest defenders of our system : " Con- sider what will be the end of receding or making a defection from the way of church government estab- lished among us. I profess, I look upon the discov- ery and settlement of the Congregational way, as the boon, the gratuity, the largess of Divine bounty, which the Lord graciously bestowed on his people that followed Him into this wilderness ; and a great part of the blessing on the head of Joseph, and of them who were separate from their brethren. These good people that came over, showed more love, zeal, and affectionate desire of communion with God in pure worship and ordinances, and did more in order to it than others ; and the Lord did more for them, than for any people in the world, in showing them the pattern of His house, and the true scriptural way of church government and administrations. God ITS ADVANTAGES. 299 was certainly in a more than ordinary way of favor present with his servants in laying of our founda- tions, and in settling the way of church order accord- ing to the will and appointment of Christ. Consider what will be the sad issue of revolting from the way fixed upon, to one extreme or to another, whether it be to Presbyterianism or Brownism ; as for the Pres- byterians, it must be acknowledged that there are among them, as pious, learned, sober, orthodox men, as the world affords ; and that there is as much of the power of godliness among that party, and of the spirit of the good old Puritans, as among any people in the world. And for their way of church govern- ment, it must be confessed, that in the day of it, it was a very considerable step to reformation. The reformation in king Edward's days was then a blessed work. And the reformation of Geneva and Scotland was then a large step, and in many re- spects purer than the other. And for my part, I fully believe that the Congregational way far exceeds both, and is the highest step which has been taken towards reformation, and for the substance of it, it is the very same way that was established and prac- tised in the primitive times, according to the institu- tion of Jesus Christ." * " Thus I have endeavored to state and vindicate the more distinguishing liberties of the churches in New England. As these privileges have been pur- chased by the blood of the Lord Jesus, they ought to * Election Sermon of President Oaks of Harvard College, 1675-1681. Magnolia, Vol. II. p. 64, 65. 300 CONGREGATIONALISM. be very precious in our esteem, nor, upon any pre- tence whatever, to be slighted and undervalued by the happy people who enjoy them. " It is worthy to be always remembered by these churches, that it was not on account of any peculiar sentiments in doctrinal matters, that our wise and good fathers left their native country and came into this then howling wilderness ; for they agreed to the doctrinal articles of the Church of England, as much as the Conformists to that Parliamentary Church, and indeed, much more so than most of them ; but it was from a pure respect to ecclesiastical discipline and order, and to a more refined worship, that these excellent men, our ancestors, transported themselves, with their families, into this land. " The Church of Rome, as far as in them lies, have divested our great Saviour of his prophetical, sacerdotal, and kingly offices ; other churches have been so far overcome by the light of reason and reve- lation, that they have restored, as one may say, his sacerdotal office to him, and his prophetical office also : but our gracious predecessors, observing that their brethren in England were not willing to allow our Lord Jesus Christ to be the king and ruler of his church, nobly resolved, as the children of Zion, to acknowledge and rejoice in their king: and hence they quitted their ungrateful country, that so they might observe that refined worship and order, which their Lord and Sovereign had in his word appointed to be observed. It follows, therefore, that any de- generacies from the pure worship and scriptural order in these churches, would be a direct rejection of the ITS ADVANTAGES. 301 kingly authority of Christ Jesus, and a means of setting up another king or captain to lead us back- ward, in the steps we have taken from Babylon, to- wards it again. May God of his rich grace, there- fore, preserve these churches from any such degener- acies ! " It is evident, indeed, that great pains are taken to draw our people, especially our inconsiderate young people, who are too unmindful of the King and God of their fathers, from their love and attach- ment to those first principles of these churches, which I have been explaining and enforcing : but, as Naboth said to Ahab -concerning his vineyard, in 1 Kings 21: 3, < The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee ; ' even so it is fit, that we should say to such as would entice us to part with the pure order of these churches, this was our father's inheritance ; and God forbid, that any should persuade us to give up our inestimable rights ; for the very thought of parting with them is shocking. " Dear people, the liberties which have been chal- lenged for you, are the same as the brethren in the times of primitive Christianity enjoyed for hundreds of years together : and, whatever specious pretences some may make to the contrary, the dispossessing of the brethren of these their valuable liberties, was a considerable instance of the Romish apostasy. And, indeed, they have but a slender acquaintance with ecclesiastical history, who do not know, that the rise of Popery was owing to the people's tamely giving up their rights and privileges, either through 26 302 CONGKEGATIONALISM. ignorance or imprudence, to the clergy ; who unrea- sonably engrossed to themselves, and grasped in their own clutches, all things in the churches that were of any worth and importance. " There 'can be no doubt, that there are many who are sworn and inveterate enemies to the pure order in these churches : and, besides these, we have rea- son to think that there are many false friends to it ; by which sort, I mean those that pretend some re- gard to the order of the gospel in these churches, but yet, at the same time, would gladly subvert it. And it is well, if there are not sundry ministers in these churches, who are disaffected to it : for, as Luther has somewhere remarked concerning religion : Nun- quam magis periclltur quam inter reverendisslmos ; so it may be said in respect to the order in these churches ; probably it may be in most danger from some of the reverend body. But, surely, all such in these churches are very unadvised and blameworthy ; and, if they are not duly sensible of the tendency of their disaffection and undertakings, it is a pity but their brethren should be, and carefully guard against them. " And, in fine, much honored and entirely beloved churches ; be pleased to accept of this attempt of one, the most unworthy of your sons ; who, being set for the defence of the order of the gospel among you, has endeavored to illustrate and confirm that order in its primitive purity for your advantage. And wherein he has failed of giving the true sense of his and your fathers though from a diligent search of their meaning he has endeavored it be ITS ADVANTAGES. 303 pleased to impute it to human frailty and undesigned mistaking ; for into these alone his failing must be resolved. " Ut desint vires, tamen est laudanda voluntas." * * Samuel Mather's Apology for the Liberties of the Churches in N. E. p. 142-146. Published 1738. ther Pastors were only Elders. More effectually to secure their own exaltation, they maintained that the Deacons were ippointed as assistants to the Bishop, and not to the Elder. Having carried this point, they next labored to increase the power of the Deacons ; and thus there sprung up a sort of illiance between the diocesan Bishops and the Deacons, ooth of whom strove to take power from the Pastors and livide it between themselves. The Bishops made new orders of Deacons. Some of them were Arch-Deacons, and governed many Pastors in the name of the Bishops. Others of them were called Cardinal Deacons, and after- wards, simply Cardinals, being members of the Roman con- clave, whose business it is, when a Pope dies, to elect one of themselves as his successor. See Coleman's Chr. Ant. p. 107-114. For the successful execution of this plan, of breaking down the Pastors by means of the Deacons, it was neces- sary that the Deacons should be reckoned as a third order of the clergy, and for that purpose, should receive clerical ordination, and should be authorized to preach. So things went on till the Reformation. And even now, in the Prot- estant Episcopal churches, Deacons are ordained aa preach- ing officers, while their appropriate duties are left to be per- formed by church-wardens, or other officers not considered as clerical. It is not strange that a mistake which pre- vailed almost universally for more than a thousand years, and still prevails in all Episcopal churches, whether Greek, Romish, or Protestant, should be slow in disappearing from APPENDIX. 347 any part of the world, and that an indefinite impression in favor of ordaining Deacons should frequently reappear. The notion, that the office of a Deacon relates to spiritual things, and that he is appointed to exercise spiritual au- thority, still lingers in some minds ; and because they have such views of the office, they think it should be conferred by ordination. Let this error be thoroughly dispelled ; let it be fully understood that the Deacon is appointed, not to unite temporal and spiritual cares in his own person, but to separate them, by taking the temporal wholly into his own hands, and leaving the Pastor free to attend to the spiritual ; and then the seeming propriety of their ordination will dis- appear. One thing more ought to be particularly mentioned, though it has already been implied. The imposition of hands in prayer has fallen into disuse, except at ordinations and installations. By use, it has acquired a fixed and defi- nite meaning. It is understood to be a symbolical recognition of spiritual authority in him on whom hands are laid. The idea of conveying or recognizing spiritual authority is as clearly and unavoidably conveyed by that act, as it can be by the use of any words in our language. Its use, there- fore, in the ordination of a Deacon, when no such authority is to be recognized, has become a decided impropriety, and can hardly fail to deceive some of those who witness it. Its universal use would naturally lead, at no distant day, to a general misunderstanding of the nature of the office, to the serious injury of the Deacons themselves, of the Pastors, and of the churches. We conclude, therefore, that the Scriptural mode of in- ducting Deacons into office is the following : 1. Let the minister, in church meeting, state the nature of the office, and the necessary qualifications. 2. Let the brethren elect a suitable number of men to fill the office. 348 APPENDIX. 3. Let the minister invoke the divine blessing upon the transaction ; using the same attitude and gestures which are customary in prayer. These exercises, in the only apostolic example on record, appear to have followed each other in the order above stated, at the same meeting of the church. Sometimes, however, they will unavoidably be interrupted by an adjournment. In that case, there can be no objecting to the offering of ap- propriate prayer, as often as the subject conies before the church." No. 17. A CHURCH COVENANT. [It is a principle with our denomination, that every church, in order to be rightly constituted, must be united by solemn covenant, expres- sive of the principles on which their union is formed. This may be included in the Articles of Faith, or, as perhaps is most common among us it may form a distinct instrument, following the Articles of Faith. The Covenant here given from Cotton Mather's Ratio, appears to have been the common form used in 1726. It presents an excellent model for the substance of these important instruments.] " Covenant. " We whose names are hereunto subscribed, apprehend- ing ourselves called of God into the church-state of the gospel, do first of all confess ourselves unworthy to be so highly favored of the Lord, and admire the free and rich grace of his which triumphs over so great unworthiness ; and then with an humble reliance on the aids of grace therein promised for them, that, in a sense of their inability to do any good thing, do humbly wait on him for all, we now thankfully lay hold on his covenant ; and would choose the things that please him. APPENDIX. 349 " We declare our serious belief of the Christian Religion, as contained in the sacred Scriptures, and with such a view thereof as the Confession of Faith in our churches has ex- hibited ; heartily resolving to conform our lives unto the rules of that holy religion as long as we live in the world. " We give up ourselves unto the Lord Jehovah, who is the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and avouch Him this day to be our God, our Father, our Saviour, and our Leader, and receive Him as our portion forever. "We give up ourselves unto the Blessed Jesus, who is the Lord Jehovah, and adhere to him as the Head of his people in the covenant of grace, and rely on him as our priest, and our prophet, and our king, to bring us unto eter- nal blessedness. " We acknowledge our everlasting and indispensable obli- gations, to glorify our God in all the duties of a godly, and a sober, and a righteous life ; and very particularly in the Duties of a church-state, and a Body of people associated for an obedience to him, in all the ordinances of the gospel : and we thereupon depend upon his gracious assistances for our faithful discharge of the duties thus incumbent on us. " We desire and intend, and (with dependence on his promised and powerful grace) we engage, to walk together as a church of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Faith and Order of the gospel, so far as we shall have the same re- vealed unto us : conscientiously attending the public worship of God, the sacraments of his New Testament, the disci- pline of his kingdom, and all his holy institutions, in com- munion with one another ; and watchfully avoiding sin- ful stumblingblocks and contentions, as becomes a peo- ple whom the Lord has bound up together in a bundle of life. " At the same time, we do also present our offspring with us unto the Lord; purposing with his help, to do our part 30 350 APPENDIX. in the methods of a religious education, that they may be the Lord's. "And all this we do, flying to the blood of the everlasting covenant, for the pardon of our many errors, and praying that the glorious Lord who is the great Shepherd, would prepare and strengthen us for every good work, to do his will, working in us that which will be well pleasing to him ; to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." No. 18. THE VETO POWER. Does Congregationalism recognize the right of a pastor to veto the acts of his church? or to dissolve a church meet- ing, to prevent the church from acting contrary to his wishes ? Intelligent Congregationalists may smile at such questions, and may almost deem an apology necessary for introducing them, even into the appendix of a work on Congregationalism. We should think so, did we not know that the claim alluded to has actually been set up by minis- ters calling themselves Congregationalists ; and that two or more instances of this kind of assumption of power have recently occurred in this vicinity. The assumption is substantially this : By virtue of his ministerial office, and his pastoral relation to a particular church, the pastor of a church has the right to refuse to put motions which are offensive to him ; to dissolve a church meeting, in order to prevent the passage of objectionable votes ; or to interpose his veto, and thus annul the acts of the church. More preposterous assumptions of ministerial power than these in a Congregationalist, cannot easily be conceived. APPENDIX. 351 On Congregational principles, a pastor is, ex officio, the moderator of the church its presiding officer ; and as such, has all the power that a presiding officer in our best regulated legislative or deliberative bodies has ; but nothing more. It is his duty to see, so far as in him lies, that the business of the church is conducted in an orderly manner ; consistently with the general principles recognized in the Scriptures, and the approved practice of our churches. He may give his opinion as to the proper course to be pur- sued in a given case ; he may protest against any action which he may believe to be wrong ; he may, even, as a last resort, vacate the moderator's chair, and leave the church to go on, if they will, under the moderatorship of one of their own number, chosen for the purpose ; he may do all this, when he finds the church determined to act contrary to his settled convictions of what is proper, orderly, or right ; but he cannot dictate to a church ; he cannot annul their votes ; nor dissolve their meetings : in a word, he cannot "lord it over God's heritage." If authorities are demanded for these assertions, the inquirer is referred to the dictates of common sense, as manifested in the rules of all popular, deliberative assem- blies ; to the essential principle of Congregationalism that all church power on earth belongs to the individual church as a body ; and to the entire spirit of the teachings of the New Testament on this subject. No standard writer on Congregationalism, so far as I remember, has ever thought it worth while to discuss this subject, or even to allude to this absurd, unscriptural, and dangerous assump- tion of ministerial veto power, a power, which, if admit- ted by the churches, would at once destroy them as inde- pendent, Congregational bodies, authorized to transact all church business. INDEX. A. ABRAHAMIC Church, p. 3. ACCOUNTABILITY of Congregational Churches to each other, 129. ADMISSIONS, to the first Christian Church at Jerusalem, 33-37; to Congregational Churches, 195; to Protestant Episcopal Churches, 251-254, 256 ; to Methodist Episcopal Churches, 270; to Presbyterian Churches, 274. ADVANTAGES OF CONGREGATIONALISM over other systems of church order and government, 233-303. AGREEMENT of Congregationalists, ancient and modern, in fun- damental principles, 14. ANTIOCH, the Church in, congregational, 47-51 ; send Missiona- ries to the Gentiles, ib. ; ask advice of a sister church, 1 26. APOSTLES, witnesses of what Christ said and did on earth, 72- 74; no modern successors, 74-78; called on the churches to choose their own officers and messengers, 52-58 ; to discipline offending church members, 61-65. APOSTOLIC, Churches, orders of religious Teachers and Helpers in, 70-72; peculiarities of, 41-67, 133-181; models for all Christian churches, 21-26 ; voluntary associations, 29. Succession, 72-78; Dr. Barrow's views, 76; Bellarmine's views, 78 ; St. Austin's views, 78. APPENDIX, Letter Missive to Organize a Church, 305. Call from a Church to a Pastor, 306. Letter Missive for an Ordaining Council, 307. Letter of Introduction, 308. Letters of Dismission, 309, 315. Letter for a Dismissing 30 * t 353 ! 354 INDEX. Council, 309. Letter from a Church and from an ag- grieved brother, 310. Letter for an Ex parte Council, 311. Letter for a Mutual Council, 312. Minutes of an Ecclesiastical Council, 313. Discipline of a Pastor, 315. Church-membership of Pastors, 317. Excommunication and withdrawing Fellowship, 329. Manual for Church Meetings, 336. Report on Induction of Deacons, 340. A Church Covenant, 348. The Veto Power, 350. ARCHBISHOPS, English, their relations to Church and State, 239 ; their courts, 241 ; their incomes, 243, 244. ARCHDEACONS in the Church of England, 239 ; their courts, 242. ARMINIANISM and Unitarianisrn, how introduced into New Eng- land, 292, 293. ASSOCIATIONS of Congregational Ministers, 226 ; of Congrega- tional Churches, 227, 228. AUTHORITY of Pastors over Churches, Appendix, No. 13, p. 326- 329, and No. 18, p. 350, 351. B. BAPTISTS, Calvinistic, Congregationalists, 278. Freewill, essentially Congregationalists, 278. Christian Baptists, Independents, 279. BAPTISMAL REGENERATION, taught in the Book of Common Prayer of the Protestant Episcopal Church, 254. BELIEVERS in Christ, the only proper subjects for Christian churches, 27-40, 135, 140, 146. BENEFICES in the Church of England (11,728), 245; nearly one tenth of them in the gift of the crown, 238. BISHOP and ELDER, the same in the Apostolic Churches, 92-98, 110-112. English Bishops, 239-244. BROWNISTS, persecuted by Elizabeth, 281. Favored advisory councils, 113. BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER of the Church of England, whence derived, 257-259 ; in what it differs from that of the Protestant Episcopal Church of America, 259, n. ; "a bait" for the Papists, 258 and n. BUSINESS MEETINGS of a Church, 192-195, and Appendix, No. 15, p. 336-339. INDEX. 355 c. CALL of a Church to a Pastor, 186, Appendix, No. 2, p. 306. CAMPBELL, Dr. George's, views of church order, etc., 20 n. CANONS and Prebendaries of the Church of England, 239-245. CHAPTERS in the English Establishment, revenues of, 245. CHAUNCEY, Isaac, on the admission of church members, 199 n. ; on " direct and indirect excommunication," 334 ; on sus- pension, 206 n. CHURCH, a Visible one, always in the world, 1. Polity, what, 1 ; of the Patriarchal Churches, 1 ; in the days of Enos, 2 ; after the Flood, 2 ; the Abrahamic Church, 3 ; the Mosaic Church, 3 ; change of, by the Messiah, 4. Order and Discipline of the first Christian Churches, 4. How viewed by the Lutheran Reformers, 5 ; by the Puri- tans, 7 ; by the early settlers of New England, 8. Officers to be elected by the church, 53. See Election. Offenders to be disciplined, 59. A Christian Church, what, 21-52, 165-167; purposes of a church organization, 32-37 ; membership, requisites, 3 7-40. Of England, description of, 238-247; diversity of senti- ment in, 296, 297 and n. Protestant Episcopal, of America, 248-262 ; diversity of sentiment in, 261, 297. Methodist Episcopal, 262-273. Presbyterian, 273-277. Protestant Methodist, 279. And State, influence of, under Constantine, 164, 165; on the Reformers, 6. Session of a Presbyterian Church, 65, n. CHURCHES, thirty-five mentioned by name in the New Testa- ment, 41-43, n., 44 ; others referred to, 43-45. To be composed of believers only, 33-40. Apostolic, not too numerous to assemble together, 44-52. Communion of, how exercised, 129-131. CLARENDON'S remarks about the New England colonies in 1664, " hardened into republics," 283. CLEMENT'S (the almost Apostle's) testimony in favor of Congre- gationalism, 134-140. 356 DTDEX. COMMUNION OF CHURCHES, how exercised, 129-131. CONFERENCES of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 266-270. CONFIRMATION, the Episcopal rite of, objected to, 255. CONGREGATIONAL character of the Apostolic Churches, 41-52. Slater's and Milner's objections to this position, 4552. The title " Congregational," probably given to our churches by John Cotton, 214 and n. CONGREGATIONALISM, decline of, in modern times causes, 9-15. Definition of, 17. Principles of, 17-67. (1) The Scriptures are an infallible guide to church order, 19-27. Objections to this principle consid- ered, 22-27. (2) A Visible Church is a voluntary association of profes- sed Christians, united by covenant, for religious pur- poses, 27-40. (3) A Church should ordinarily consist of a single con- gregation of believers only, 40-52. Objections to this principle considered, 45-52. (4) All ecclesiastical power is in the hands of the individ- ual churches, 52-67. Doctrines of, 69-132. (1) Elders, or Pastors, and Deacons, the only perma- nent church officers required by the New Testa- ment, 69-112. (2) Ecclesiastical Councils are important helps in the ad- ministration of church government, 112-128. (3) An Ex parte Council cannot be regularly called until a Mutual Council has been proposed and refused, 123-128. (4) Congregational Churches recognize their general ac- countability to each other, 129-132. Testimony of Ecclesiastical History in favor of, 133-181. Apostolic Fathers. Testimony of Clement (A. D. 64-70), p. 134-140; of Polycarp (A. D. 108-117), p. 140-142; of Ignatius (A. D. 116), p. 142-150; of Barnabas and Hennas, p. 150-152. Fathers of the Church. Justin Martyr (A. D. 150), p. 152-155; Cyprian (A. D. 250), p. 155-157. INDEX. 357 Modern Writers, testimony of. Mosheim, 158-165; Lord King, 165-167, 169, 172 ; Zuinglius, 166 ; Neander, 166, 168, 171, 178; Dr. Campbell, 20, 167, 169, 170, 172, 175; Barrow, 168, 169, 174; Beza, 168; Augusti, 168, 169 ; Waddington, 168, 170 ; leading English Reformers, 170, 171 ; Milner, 171 ; the King's Book, 171 ; Gieseler, 172; Magdeburg Centuriators, 175, 177; Father Paul of Venice, 177; Owen, 179. Practice of, 183-232. (1) In the organization of churches, 183. (2) Choice and consecration of church officers, 186. (3) Church meetings for business, 192. (4) Admission of members, 195. (5) Dismission of members, 198. (6) Dismission of a pastor, 200. (7) Church discipline, 203. (8) Discipline of Pastors, 209. (9) Who shall complain of offenders? 212. (10) Discipline of sister churches, 213. (11) Miscellaneous Matters salary of ministers, 217; continuance of the pastoral connection, 221 ; sol- emnization of marriages, 221 ; funerals, 223 ; pub- lic worship, 224; associations of ministers, 226; county conferences, 227 ; general meetings of pas- tors and churches, 228 ; licensure of ministers, 229. Advantages of, over other systems, 233-303. (1) The most scriptural system of church order, 235-280. Compared with the Church of England, 238-247; with the Protestant Episcopal Church of America, 248-262; with the Methodist Episcopal Church, 262-273; with Presbyterianism, 273-277; with other systems, 277-280. (2) It encourages self-government, as no other system does, 280-283. (3) It promotes general intelligence, beyond any other system, 284-288. (4) It furnishes the most efficient barrier against heresy and general corruption, 289-297. CONGEEGATIOXALISTS might be better employed than in edu- 358 INDEX. eating ministers and gathering churches for Presbyte- rians, 10, 11. CONSOCIATIONS, what, 118; objected to, 119-120; influence of, on the Primitive Churches, 120-123. CONVENTIONS of the Protestant Episcopal Church, 249-251 ; take the government out of the hands of the churches, 51. CORINTH, the church in, congregational, 51. COUNCILS, Ecclesiastical, Congregational doctrine about, 112- 128; authority for, 125-128; Ex parte, 123-128; course of procedure of, 183-191. COURTS, Ecclesiastical, of the Church of England, 241, 242. COVENANT, expressed or implied, essential to a church organi- zation, 31 ; assented to by all persons admitted to Congre- gational Churches, 197 and n. The ancient form of, in the New England churches, Appen- dix, No. 1 7, p. 348-350. CREEDS of the Primitive Churches, 31 n. CURATES, in the Church of England, 239-240. CYPRIAN'S Epistles, 155-158. D. DANGER of concentrating church power in a few hands, 291. DEACONESSES, what, and why instituted in the Apostolic Churches, 89-91. DEACONS, original appointment of, office work, etc., 98-111. Objections to Congregational views of, 102-109 Choice and ordination of, 105 n., 190,491 and n. Appen- dix, No. 16, p. 340-348. DEANS AND CHAPTERS in the English Hierarchal Establish- ment, 239, 245. DECLINE of Congregationalism in modern times causes, 9-15. (1) Union with other denominations, 9. (2) Influence of Theological Seminaries, 11. (3) The prevalent impression that no exertion was neces- sary, 11. (4) Neglect of Pastors to preach on the subject, and dearth of books on Congregationalism, 12. (5) The impression that Congregationalism had no set- tled, well-defined principles, 13. INDEX. 359 DEMOCRACY of Congregationalism. See Republicanism. Of the Primitive Churches, 177-179. DISCIPLINE of church members, in the hands of the churches, 59-67, 203-209 ; Appendix 14, p. 329-336. Of pastors, power in the churches, 209-212. The course to be pursued, 209-212, and Appendix, No. 13, p. 315. Of sister churches, 213-216. In the P. E. Churches, in the hands of the Minister of the parish and the Bishop of the diocese, 253. In. the Methodist Episcopal Church, in the officials, 261T, 270. In the Presbyterian church, in the officials, 274-276. DISMISSION of members from a church, 198, 200 and n. The church to which he is dismissed to be known, 198, n. Members cannot be dismissed to the World, 199. Things to be observed, Ib. n. DISSENTERS from the Church of England very numerous, 246, 247 and n. DOCTRINES of Congregationalism, -what is meant, and what they are. See Congregationalism. E. ECCLESIASTICAL History, its testimony in favor of Congrega- tionalism, 133-181. See Congregationalism, Testimony of Ecclesiastical History. Councils, Mutual and Ex parte, 112-128, 183-191. E/c/c/b?<7a, (ecclesia, church,) meaning of, 41-45 and notes ; 165-167. ELDERS, sometimes called in the New Testament, Pastors, Teachers, Overseers, or Bishops, 91-98. Every congregation of believers had one or more, 91-93. ELECTION of Matthias to the Apostleship, by the Church at Jerusalem, 53 ; of Deacons, by the same church, 55 ; of Elders in the churches of Pisidia, 55-58; of Church Messengers, 58. Of Church officers in the hands of the churches, 53-59, 138-140, 149, 155, 156, 159, 163, 167-170, 176. 360 INDEX. EMMONS, Dr., on the right of churches to discipline their pas- tors, 324. ENGLAND, Church of, order and discipline of, 238-247. EPHESUS, church in, congregational, 42, 47. EPISCOPACY, symbolizes with Popery, 257-262 and notes. And monarchy, 281-284 and notes. English, American, and Methodist, described and objected to, 237-273. EVANGELISTS, what, 78-80. EXCOMMUNICATION of members, power of in the churches, not in the officers alone, 59-67, 138-181, passim. Course pur- sued by Congregational churches, 203-209. Difference between excommunication and withdrawing fellowship, 207-209, and Appendix, No. 14, p. 329-336. F. FAITH in Christ essential to church-membership, 34-40. FALSE FRIENDS to our Church Polity S. Mather's warning, 302. FATHERS OF THE CHURCH, who, 134, n.; unsate guides in many respects, 26, n. FIRST CHRISTIAN CHURCH, a model for all others, 4. See Church, Discipline, and Election. FUNERAL Services, how conducted by Congregationalists, 223. G. GOVERNMENT, the different kinds of Church Government de- scribed : the Episcopal, as monarchical ; Methodist Epis- copal, as an oligarchy ; Presbyterian, as an aristocracy ; Congregational, as a democracy, 238-277 H. HALF-WAY COVENANT, its leading advocate in N. E., a Pres- byterian, 293. Arminianism and Unitarianism introduced by it. Ib. HARVARD COLLEGE, founded by the Congregational Churches of New England, and dedicated to Christ and the Church in 1638, p. 287. INDEX. 361 HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH for the first two cen- turies, sustains Congregationalism, 133-181. See Congre- gationalism, Testimony of Ecclesiastical History. IGNATIUS' EPISTLES, of very doubtful authority, 142-150. IMPOSITION OF HANDS, in Ordination, etc., views of the eai'ly Fathers of New England, 190, 7?., 320. The significancy of the act, 105, n., 193, n. Appendix, No. 16, p. 340-348. See also Ordination. INDEPENDENCY, of the Primitive Churches, 52-67, 142, 145, 158-164, 169, 173, 174, 177-179. Meaning of the term, when applied to Congregational churches, 18, n. INDEPENDENTS, the English, Welsh, Scotch, and Irish, 247, n., 203, n., 198, n., 194, n. INSTALLATION of a Pastor, 189. INTELLIGENCE among the people encouraged, and even de- manded by Congregationalism, 284-288. J. JACOB, Henry, 27, n., 41, n. JEFFERSON'S OPINION of Congregational Church Order, 283, n. JERUSALEM, the first Christian Church organized there, congre- gational, 33-37, 51. Model for other churches, ib. JUSTIN MARTYR'S TESTIMONY in favor of Congregational views, 152-155. K. KEYS OF THE CHURCH, in the hands of the Church, 59-66, 320-325. See Church, Discipline, Election, Excommuni- cation, Independency, and Ordination. KA^pof (a lot, Acts 1 : 26), synonymous with y/0f, a vote, a suf- frage, 54 and n. Koivuvia (fellowship, Acts 2: 42), explained, 36 and n. 31 362 INDEX. L. LAY ORDINATION, 191-193, n. LAUD, Archbishop, on the intimate connection between Episco- pacy and Monarchy, 284, n. LETTERS MISSIVE of various kinds, Appendix, p. 305-313. LEVITICAL ORDINANCES, nature and design of, 3. LEYDEN CHURCH, 281. LICENSURE of Congregational Ministers, 229-231. LITERARY AND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARIES founded by Con- gregationalists, 287, 288 and notes. LITURGY, German or Lutheran, 5 and n., 277, 278. Of the Church of England, "a bait" for the Papists, 257-259 and notes. LITURGIES, when first introduced, 226. LOCKE, John's, definition of a chnrch, 28, n. LUTHERAN REFORMATION, peculiarities of, 5-7. Luther re- stored the Bible to the people, Zwingle their rights, 7 and n. Reformers, views, etc. of Church Polity, 277, 278. M. MANUAL for Church Meetings, Appendix, No. 15, 336-339. MARRIAGES, how solemnized by Congregational Ministers, 221- 223. John Robinson thought pastors ought not to do this work, ib. n. MATTHIAS chosen an Apostle by "common suffrage" of the Church at Jerusalem, 53-55. MEETINGS OF A CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH FOR BUSINESS, 192-195. A Manual for the government of, Appendix, 15, p. 336- 339. METHODIST Episcopal Church, 262-273. Protestant Church, 279. MINISTERS' SALARIES, Congregationalists, 217-220, and notes. In the Church of England, 243-245. INDEX. 363 MINUTES OF AN ECCLESIASTICAL COUNCIL, Appendix, No. 11, p. 313, 314. MODEL of a Christian Church found in those established by the Apostles, 21-26. MODERN WRITERS ON ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY, their tes- timony in favor of Congregational views, 158-181. See Congregationalism, Testimony of Ecclesiastical History. MONARCHY AND EPISCOPACY, 281-284 and n. N. . NATIONAL, OR PROVINCIAL CHURCHES, no authority for in the New Testament, 41-52. See, also, Modern Writers, passim, 158-180. The Protestant Episcopal, the Methodist Episcopal, and the Presbyterian Churches in the United States, all essentially National or Provincial, 249, 265, 274. O. OBJECTIONS, to Congregationalism considered, 22-27, 45-52, 102-109. To the church-membership of pastors consid- ered, Appendix, No. 13, p. 317-329. OFFENCES which subject church members to discipline, what, 207-209, Appendix, No. 14, 329-336. OFFENDERS, who shall complain of them? 212. None but Con- gregational churches can exactly comply with Christ's directions respecting offenders, 65, 66. Private steps to be taken with all offenders, 205, 206 and notes. OFFICERS in a Congregational Church, Elders and Deacons only, 109-112. By whom chosen, 52-59. See Election and Ordination. OFFICIALS in the Apostolic Churches, 70-72 ; chosen by the churches, 52-59. In the early Congregational churches of New England, 80-82. ORDAINED (xeipoTwqaavTef), the meaning of the term in Acts 14 : 23, 24, p. 55-58. ORDINATION, or laying on of hands, origin and significancy of, 105 and n. Of church officers, 105, n., 186-193 and notes : also Appendix, No. 16, p. 340-348. The right of ordina- 364 INDEX. tion in the churches, 191, ., 193, n., 320. Views of, enter- tained by the fathers of the New England churches, ib. See Imposition. ORGANIZATION OF CHURCHES, manner of, and number of per- sons necessary, 183-186 and notes. P. PARISHES, in the Church of England, not far from twelve thou- sand, p. 245. PARSON, in the Church of England, how inducted into office, 240, n. PASTORAL CONNECTION, theory and practice of Congregational churches, 221. PASTOR, how to proceed in choosing and consecrating one, 186- 193 and notes. Should be a member of the church over which he is or- dained, 188, and n., also Appendix, No. 13, p. 317-329. Moderator, ex officio, of the church. No power to veto the acts of the church, Appendix, No. 18. Dismission of, 200-203 and notes. Discipline of, 209-212, Appendix, No. 13, p. 315, 316. PATRIARCHAL CHURCiiEs r 1. PENRY, John, a martyr to Congregationalism, 14 and n., 281. PIETY, an indispensable requisite to church-membership, 30-34, 37-39, 135, 152-154. PHILIP, an Evangelist, as well as a Deacon, 108. POLYCARP'S testimony in favor of Congregationalism, 140- 142. POPERY, danger of, from Episcopacy, 257-262 and n. POPES Pius V. and Gregory XII. both offered to confirm the English Liturgy, 258, 259. POSTSCRIPTS TO PAUL'S EPISTLES, in which Titus and Timothy are called Bishops, spurious, 93 n. PRACTICE, Ecclesiastical, of Congregational churches, 183-232. See Congregationalism, Practice. PRAYERBOOK of the Church of England and of the American Protestant Episcopal Church, origin and character of, 257-259 and notes. See Book of Common Prayer. INDEX. 365 PRELATISTS compelled to adopt Popish reasoning when opposing Congregationalism, 26, 27. PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, 273-277. PRESBYTERS, see Elders. HpeofivTepof, meaning of the word, 95. PRIMARY SCHOOLS, first commenced by the Congregationalists of New England, 288 and n. PRINCIPLES, the general principles of church order and govern- ment recognized by Christ and the Apostles, designed to be permanent, 19-27. Of Congregationalism, identical with those of the Apostolic Churches. See Congregation- alism, Principles. PRINCIPLES OF CONGREGATIONALISM, what, 17-67. See Con- gregationalism. PROFESSION OF FAITH EN CHRIST, an open one, required of the first Christians, 33-40. Necessary to church-membership in Congregational churches, 195-198 and notes. PROPOUNDING a candid&te for church fellowship, what, 197. Universally practised by Congregational churches, ib. PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH in America described, 248- 262. Proposed union with the Methodist Episcopal Church, 263, 264 and n. PUBLIC WORSHIP, how conducted by Congregationalists, 224. PURITANS, thoroughly versed in the principles of church or- der, 7. R. RECTOR AXD VICAR in the Church of England, 239, 240, 245. REGENERATION, see Baptismal. REFORMERS of the Church restrained in their movements by the connection of the State with the Church, 6. RELIGIOUS Experience, relations of, to be given by candidates for church fellowship, 1 95 and n. Principle essential to church-membership, 30. Denominations in Great Britain, compared with the Church of England, 247, n. REPUBLICANISM, Congregationalism believed to favor this, 280- 283 and n. 31* 366 INDEX. Queen Elizabeth hated and persecuted the Brownists on this account, 281. Jefferson's views, 283, n. London Quarterly Review, on this topic, 283, n. Archbishop Laud's opinion, 284, n. Black- wood, ib. John Wesley's dislike of, in the church, 271; Richard Watson's opinion of, ib. REVENUE of the Church of England, 243-246. Of all the Churches in the world, 246, n. RIGHTS of the people disregarded by the Church of England, 238-243; by the Protestant Episcopal Church, 251-254; by the Methodist Episcopal Church, 2C6-271; by the Presbyterian Church, 273-277. ROMANISM in the Protestant Episcopal Church, 660, 261, n. See Popery. RULERS OF THE CHURCHES, danger from them, 291-295, 301- 303. RULING ELDERS, 80-82 ; their office and work in the early Churches of New England, 80, n. Is there any New Tes- tament authority for them? 84-89 and n. S. SAINTS, visible, none others admitted to the Apostolic Churches. See Piety. SALARY OF CONGREGATIONAL PASTORS, 217-220. Not a gra- tuity, 220, n. See Ministers. SCHOOLS, etc., the earl}" Congrcgationalists of New England the founders and patrons of, 287-289, n. SCOTLAND, Presbyterian Churches of, 273, /., 276, n. SCRIPTURES an infallible guide to church~ordor, etc., 19-27. SECESSION CHURCH OF SCOTLAND, 276, n. SECTS in the Church of England, 296, n. SESSION of a Presbyterian Church, constructively the church itself, 65, n. Duties of, 274, 275. SUSPENSION from church privileges, as a punishment for miscon- duct, not recognized by the Scriptures or Cougregational- ists, 206 and n. SWITZERLAND, the Reformation in, more thorough than in Ger- many, 7. SYNODS, views of early Congregationalists, 114-116, notes. INDEX. 367 T. TEACHER, in the early Congregational Churches of New Eng- land, his office-work, 83. TESTIMONY OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORIANS in favor of Con- gregational views of church order and discipline, 158-181. U. UNIFORMITY in the order of worship, not required in the An- cient Church, nor in the Church of England until after the Reformation, 226. UNION of Protestant Episcopalians and Episcopal Methodists pro- posed, 263, 264 and n. Of the Church of England and Wesleyan Methodists, proposed, 264, n. Of Congrega- tionalists with other denominations, effects of, 9. UNITARIANISM, how introduced into our churches, 293. USAGES of Congregational churches. See Practice. V. VICAR. See Rector. VISIBLE CHURCH, what, 27, 28, n., 175, 176. VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATION, in what sense a church is one, 29. W. WARDENS, Church, 249. WARNING TO THE NEW ENGLAND CHURCHES, President Oakes's, 298, 299 ; Samuel Mather's, 299-303. WESTERN STATES, churches gathered there by Congregational- ists for Presbyterians, 10 and n. WICKLIFFE, the Reformer, how he lost the support of the no- bility, 6. WITHDRAWING FELLOWSHIP AND EXCOMMUNICATION, the difference between these, 207-209, and Appendix, No. 14, p. 329-336. WOMEN, should be present, but take no active part in church meetings, 194, 195, n. WORSHIP, mode of, in the Primitive Churches, 152-154. In the Congregational Churches, ancient and modern, 224-226. THE CONGREGATIONAL BOARD OF PUBLICATION. The general Depository of the Congregational Board of Publication is kept at No 16 Tremont Temple. BOOKS AND TRACTS PUBLISHED BY THE BOARD. THE WORKS OF JOSEPH BELLAMY, D, D, Two Volumes, Octavo. Price, $3.50. Dr. Bellamy was one of the most distinguished writers of the last age. He is discriminating, and will aid his readers in detecting error, in un- derstanding the pure doctrines of the gospel, and in directing inquirers in the way of life. His works are eminently doctrinal, and eminently practical. They arc such as we would commend especially to students for the ministry, and also to ministers and members of the churches, for a careful perusal. The issue of this edition of Bellamy's Works will be regarded as a valuable sen-ice to the interests of theological literature in our country. Christian Observer, Philadelphia. There is a grandeur in the simplicity, spirituality, and deep earnest- ness of Bellamy. His theology is full of the glow and unction of prac- tical religion. He reasons to convince and convert men, and every form of thought and reason becomes subordinate to the great end of en- forcing the truth that saves. We hardly know of a work, since some of Baxter's, more searching in its spiritual analysis, and more powerful in the application of truth, than the True Religion Delineated. We are very glad to see it, and the other works of its pious and able author, present- ed in an attractive form, and at a cheap rate. If the Congregational Board shall go on as they have begun, they will not only deserve, but attain success, and lay the church under deep obligation. New York Evangelist. THE WORKS OP JONATHAN EDWARDS, D. D, Two Volumes, Octavo. Price, $3. Dr. Edwards was a very acute and able writer, who will be honored in succeeding ages for having given so much of its present excellency to the New England theology. Besides the intrinsic value of the works of the younger Edwards, they are an almost indispensable part of a minister's library, for the light they throw upon the obscure and abstruse portions of the works of nis father. Nne York O'tscn-fr. THE WORKS OF JOHN ROBINSON, Pastor of the Pilgrim Fathers. "With a Memoir, and Annotations, by Rev. llobert Ashton, Secretary of the Congregational -Board. London. Three Volumes. Price, $3.50. John Robinson was privileged to have opened the head-springs of New England character. Aside from the intrinsic value of this book, as a book, it deserves a place in the family library of every true son of the Pilgrims. Robinson is in such a sense the father of us all, that we do honor to ourselves by cherishing his memory, and using his printed pages to impress it upon the rising generation. But this book asks not a place in our libraries merely as a relic or memento of departed great- ness. It has intrinsic value. It is pervaded by living thought. Rob- inson, though an exile from his native country, and the pastor of a poor flock of exiles, had vast mental resources, and with all his disadvan- tages, won his way to the highest estimation in the University of Leyden. He stood in the first rank among theologians of that age. And one has to read only a few pages of his writings, to feel himself under the in- struction of a master mind. Puritan Recorder. THE WORKS OF SAMUEL HOPKINS, D, I), Three Volumes, Octavo. Price, $5. This is the first complete edition of Dr. Ilopkins's works. They must have an enduring interest, not merely on account of the high intellect- ual merit which they may justly claim, and the spirit of earnest piety by which they are pervaded, but as making an epoch in the history of the- ological opinion, at least in this country. There aro few men who lived in this country during the same period whose history possesses so varied an interest as that of this distinguished man. He becomes legitimately incorporated with the ecclesiastical history of his country and age. He was one of the greatest philanthropists of his day. The first volume contains an original memoir of the author, by Professor Park, which is remarkably complete, interesting, and instructive. Nobody can donbt that Hopkins was at once a profound reasoner and an eminent Chris- tian ; and he stood before the world, through a long life, as one of the lights of his generation. In speaking of the reproduction of the writings of the eminent men of former times, and of having their scattered productions brought to- gether and sent out on a new mission of wsefulness, the Recorder adds, In this labor of love for posterity, the Congregational Board of Pub- lication is taking a large share. It is only a short time since they gave us a fine edition of the works of the immortal Robinson, and at a little earlier period they published an equally good edition of Bellamy, who to this day must be reckoned a prince among New England preachers ; and now they have rendered another important service to our Christian and theological literature, by giving us, in three large volumes, tho works of Dr. Samuel Hopkins volumes well worthy the society's pub- lications. Puritan Recorder. The Memoir of Hopkins, by Professor Park, is a work of deep inter- est and great value. It is a perfect key to Hopkins as a man, a Chris- tian, a divine, a pastor, and a reformer. We cannot here attempt a critique upon Hopkins's works. We will only say, that without them, no man can understand the theological history of New England ; and that after the works of Edwards himself, no more important gift has been made to the churches of New England than these volumes of Hop- kins. Conyreyationalist. We congratulate the theological public that the Congregational Board of Publication have commenced the re-publication of such standard books. Our national honor demands this enterprise. We have no right, as good patriots, to allow the productions of our divines to lie, some of them unpublished, some of them forgotten. They are valuable in their intrinsic character. They are useful as developing the history of theological opinion. Thev will instruct and gratify many private Christians, while they task the energies of clergymen and scholars. Bibliotheca Sacra. MEMOIR OF ASAIIEL HETT1ETON, D, D, By Bonnet Tyler, D. D. 12mo. Trice, GO cents. Dr. Nettleton is too well known to need any commendation. Very few men have ever lived who have been the honored instruments of turn- ing so many souls from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God. This is a very faithful and instructive memoir of this uncom- mon man, and would be a very valuable book in every family. A COMPENDIUM OF THE SYSTEM OF DIVINE TRUTH, By Jacob Catlin, D. D. 12mo. Price, 60 cents. This is a series of brief and connected essays on the various topics of theology. It is well adapted for Bible classes, and adult classes in Sab- bath schools, and will be found particularly valuable to all families and individuals who cannot find time to read more extended discussions. INSPIRATION OF THE SCRIPTURES, By Robert Ilaldanc, Esq., of Scotland. 13mo. Trice, 25 cents. A timely, and important subject for this day of abounding scepticism and unbelief. From the importance of the subject, and the clearness with which it is treated, it possesses much value. THE GOSPEL WORTHY OF ALL ACCEPTATION. Or, The Duty of Sinners to lelievc in Jesus Christ. By Andrew Fuller. ISmo. Trice, 20 cents. The name of Ihe writer, who was decidedly the best English theolo- gian of his day, is a sufficient guaranty for this excellent little volume. THE SCRIPTURE DOCTRINE OF REGENERATION, By Charles Backus, D. D. ISino. Trice, 20 cents. This is a brief and clear view of the doctrine under the following heads : 1. Nature of Regeneration. 2. Necessity of Regeneration. 3. Agency of the Holy Spirit in Regeneration. 4. Character of the Re- generate. THE DOCTRINE OF ELECTION, By Gardiner Spring, D. D. ; and The Doctrine of the Terseverance of the Saints. By Bennct Tyler, D. D. 18mo. Trice, 20 cents. A most clear, scriptural, and convincing statement and defence of these important doctrines. THE WORKS OF THOMAS SIIEPARD, Pastor of the First Church in Cambridge, -with a Memoir. By J. A. Albro, D. D. Three Volumes. Price, $3. A more rich and valuable contribution to the cause of evangelical truth and godliness has rarely, if ever, been made by the labors of man. Shepard was taught of the Spirit ; he lived habitually at the foot of the throne. It is a service of inappreciable value which the Congregational Board is rendering to the church and the world by the collection and republica- tion of this and kindred works of the American fathers, in a style of neatness and elegance unsurpassed, and at a cost so reasonable that those of small means may without difficulty possess them. C'ongrega- tionalist. These works have at once a doctrinal, practical, and experimental character. Though they are characterized by great simplicity and di- rectness, there is in them a commanding power, and richness, and depth of thought, which could have been the product only of an extraordinary mind. But what seems to us their most striking feature, is the earnest and effective manner in which they expose a delusive experience, and the facility with which they probe the very depths of the heart. The exposition of the parable of the ten virgins, particularly, seems like a perpetual stream of light directed straight to the hypocrite's conscience. Puritan Recorder. DISTINGUISHING TRAITS OF RELIGIOUS CHARACTER, By Gardiner Spring, D. D. Price, 50 cents. This is a book of uncommon discrimination and excellence. It clear- ly distinguishes that hope which is as an anchor to the soul from that which is only as the spider's web. It should be read by every Christian, and especially by every young convert. PARK STREET LECTURES, By E. D. Griffin, D. D. Price, 60 cents. This is a work of great merit. It is enough to say that it is one of Dr. Griffin's happiest efforts. THE WORKS OF LEONARD WOODS, D. D, Five Volumes. These works are too well known to need any commendation. SCOTT'S FORCE OF TRUTH, Price, 30 cents. This is a handsome edition of this very instructive and interesting narrative. Appended are John Newton's Letters to Dr. Scott, which were among the means which led to his conversion. This little volume should have a place in every family. THE FAITHFUL STEWARD, By Rev. S. D. Clarke. Price, 20 cents. A Prize Essay. Discriminating, able, and faithful. NEW ENGLAND'S MEMORIAL, With Governor Bradford's History, and an Appendix containing the views of the Pilgrims and early settlers on the subject of Church Polity. Price, $2. This volume contains the most reliable and interesting history of the Pilgrims from the time of their first organization in England to the year 1690. With great care and labor, new Notes have been collected from Bradford, Prince, Hutchinson, and others, and a long Appendix of great value has been added, making this edition more valuable than those that have preceded it. So much is now said, and justly said, of the Pil- grims and their influence upon New England character and institutions, that this edition of this valuable work, so long out of print, is well timed. It should be read and studied by all the descendants of the Pil- grims, that their origin and ancestors may be known and appreciated. Children and youth should read this volume. Nobody in New England, or out of New England, should be ignorant of the principles and char- acter of the men who laid the foundations of all our good institutions. THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOHN PENRY, Martyr of Soutlrwark. 13 y John Waddington. Trice, 60 cents. " In this volume, new light is thrown upon the primal movements of the Nonconformists of England, by the documents which the singular industry of Mr. Waddington has brought to light Periry, it seems, was the actual originator of the migration of the Pilgrim Fathers a measure from which such important and world-wide results to liberty and religion have followed. It is earnestly hoped that the publication of such a Memoir, written with such simplicity, elegance, and brevity, will do not a little to vindicate the early Puritans from much of the obloquy thrown upon them by prejudiced or ignorant historians, and to exhibit the force, greatness, and worth of those principles for which they cheerfully suffered, many of them even unto death." PRIMITIVE PIETY REVIVED, Or, the Aggressive Power of the Christian Church; a premium Essay. By Henry 0. Fish, Newark, N. J. Price, 50 cents. This is a premium essay. The subject assigned was, The better ex- emplification of the doctrines of the Bible in Christian life, with a view to the conversion of sinners to Christ. It is eminently fitted to do a good work in reviving Christians, in bringing them back to a state of primitive, apostolic piety. It is truly a book for the times, and should be read by every minister and every professor of religion. It cannot be read without profit. It has in a few week* passed to its fourth edition of 2000 copies each. LIFE AND LETTERS OF REV. DANIEL TEMPLE, For twenty-three years a Missionary of the American Board in Western Asia. By his son, Rev. Daniel II. Temple ; with an Introductory Notice, by Rev. R. S. Storrs, D. D. Price, $1. It is chiefly letters of this godly man and missionary, containing many happy illustrations of passages of Scripture and interesting inci- dents in missionary life. THE CAMBRIDGE PLATFORM OP CHURCH DISCIPLINE, Adopted in 1648, and the Confession cf Faith adopted in 1680 ; to which is prefixed a Platform of Ecclesiastical Government, by Nathaniel Emmons, D. D. Price, 30 cents. MEMOIR OF DR. HOPKINS, By Professor Park. Price, 80 cents. See notice under Hopkins's works. A TREATISE ON THE MILLENNIUM, By Dr. S. Hopkins. Price, 25 cents. This is a scriptural and interesting view of this important subject, and well adapted to meet and confute the errors of many at this time. A DIALOGUE, AND OTHER ARTICLES ON SLAVERY, By Dr. Hopkins. Price, 12 cents. This is an able, scriptural, and common-sense view of the subject, exceedingly well timed, and all the more valuable for having been writ- ten during the last century. Its historical relations, as connected with the great men of the revolution, are interesting. PARABLE OF THE VIRGINS, By Rev. Thomas Shepard. Price, $1. The admirable work to which President Edwards so often refers. A PRACTICAL TREATISE, ON PRAYER, By Rev. Thomas Cobbett, Pastor of the Church in Lynn. Mr. Cobbett was distinguished for his " rii-h experience in prayer." Cotton Mather passes hisih encomiums on him, and especially on this book. He says, that of all the books written by Cobbett, none deserves more to be read by the world, and to live till the general burning of the world, than that on prayer. He was himself eminently a man of prayer. " His thoughts come out, all warm and glowing, from a heart deeply moved by the Spirit of God." A recent writer says, " This book ought to be republished and placed in every Christian family." PRACTICAL EVANGELISM, Or, Bible Christianity enforced. By Rev. William M. Cheevcr. Terre Haute, Indiana. This essay shows with great clearness and force the duty of Christians to come up to a higher standard of devotion to Christ, and to give them- selves more unreservedly and unremittingly to the promotion of his kingdom. It is like "Primitive Piety Revived," a book for the times, greatly needed, and should be universally read. HISTORICAL TEXT BOOK AND ATLAS OF BIBLICAL GEOGRAPHY, By Lyman Coleman, D. D. This is a work of laborious and extended research by its learned author. As the preface says, " It is the result of an humble effort and earnest desire to associate together the history and geography of the Scriptures, and to allure the young, and assist them in an interested and intelligent perusal of the Book of God. The subject of this book undeniably ought to have a place, not only in the Bible class and Sun- day school, but in the primary and grammar school, the college and the theological seminary. By means of the chronological table, and gen- eral index, this book offers the advantages of a gazetteer for occasional reference, as well as of a manual for the consecutive reading and study of the Bible." THE BOOK OF PSALMS. Metrically arranged. Price, 25 cents. THE NEW ENGLAND PRIMER, Price, 4 cents. A fac-simile of the original work, which, in former da5's, wrought such influence in the formation of New England character. TWO VOLUMES OF TRACTS, 12mo. Price, $1. Or separately, forty-five Tracts, on the fol- lowing subjects : Pages. No. 1. Doctrinal Knowledge, the Foundation of Religion, . . 16 2. Mankind utterly Depraved 12 3. Covenant of Redemption, 1 4. Slanderous Reports refuted 16 5. Objections to Prayer Answered, 4 6. Perseverance of the Saints, ...... 7. Decrees of God Consistent with Free Agency, . . .16 8. Doctrine of Election, 28 9. Purifying Influence of the Christian Hope, . . .1 10. Personality and Offices of the Holy Spirit, . 11. Things Secret and Things Revealed, 16 12. Disappointment in the Last Day 16 13. Nature and Influence of Faith, 24 14. Plea of Sinners against Endless Punishment, 15. Sinners Wilful and Perverse, 16 16. Love Thyself and thy Neighbor, 16 17. The Prayer of Faith, ...'.... 16 18. All for the Best, 16 19. Renewal of Sinners the Work of Divine Power, . . c 20. The Bible the only sure Test of Religious Character, . 20 21. Duties of Parents, 24 22. The Immutability of God, 23. Necessity of the Holy Spirit to give Efficacy to Preaching, 16 24. The Duty of Professing Religion, 20 25. Importance of Believing the Truth, 1 26. Man's Inability to Comply with the Gospel, ... 52 27. Man's Activity and Dependence, 20 Fages. 28. Doctrine of the Trinity, 20 29. Sovereignty of God in the Exercise of Mercy, . . .16 30. Mode of Baptism, 28 31. God glorified in the Work of Redemption, . . .16 32. Importance of Scriptural Views of the Character, Offices, and Works of the Holy Spirit 16 33. Receiving the Atonement Necessary, . . . .20 34. Nature of Submission to God, ..... 12 35. Infant Baptism, . ' "i . .48 36. Nature and Design of Infant Baptism, .... 16 37. Close Communion, ... .... 20 38. Prayer for the Holy Spirit, 20 39. The Duty of Young Children, . . . . . .36 40. Rotation in the Pastoral Relation, 20 41. The Divine Law, 20 42. Future Judgment in Opposition to the Opinions of Uni- versalists, 24 43. Justice of God Displayed in the Endless Punishment of the Wicked, 28 44. Doctrine of Divine Providence, 16 45. Assurance of Hope, . . . . . . .16 46. Scriptural Platform of Church Government, ... 24 Amount, . . 936 FORM OF BEQUEST TO THE SOCIETY. I give and bequeath to the Treasurer, for the time being, of the CON- GREGATIONAL BOARD OF PUBLICATION, incorporated by the Legisla- ture of Massachusetts in March A. D. 1850, with the name Doctrinal Tract and Book Society, which was changed in 1854 to the Congrega- tional Board of Publication, the sum of dollars for the purposes of said Society, and for which the receipt of said Treasurer shall be a sufficient discharge. ^ CORRESPONDENCE. All communications relative to the concerns of the society, or the means of extending its usefulness, should be addressed to Rev. SEWALI, HARDING, Secretary of the Congregational Board of Publication, No. 16 Tremont Temple. UCSB LIBKAKY 000495088 7