Vindication of the Government of New England Churches 2, Chapter 4 – Chapter 5
CHAP. IV. The Prerogatives, or Peculiar Immunities of the Laity.
THE fraternity or body of the people had ſeveral high immunities inherent in them; and exerciſed by them as a church. As,
1. Voting and giving their ſuffrage, for the admiſſion and cenſure of members. To this purpoſe before.
2. The electing their own officers. For when a pariſh, or biſhoprick was vacant through the death of the incumbent, the members of that pariſh met in church to chooſe a fit perſon for his ſucceſſor; to whom they might commit the care and government of the church. When Alexander was choſen biſhop of Jeruſalem, it was by cumpulſion or choice of the members of that church. And ſo in the church of Rome when their biſhop was deceaſed; all the people met in the church to chooſe a ſucceſſor. Euſeb. Lib. 6. cap. 28. Though it is certain that after ſome time the aſpiring clergy rob'd the people of this as well as of other of their rights. As it is well repreſented by a late worthy anomolous author, writing de Ordinatione, p. 30. Creſcente Paulatim Cleri Poteſtate ad ſe magis indies, &c. The power of the clergy gradually increaſing, they daily drew more new rights to themſelves, which they took from the people; thinking that the dignity which they had obtained, was not ample enough, if the people had any ſhare with them in elections. Therefore at length ſnatch or take the whole buſineſs into their own hands; the people through their ſupine negligence not much oppoſing of them. Yet that the people might be huſht into quiet (with much grace) they grant them the favor of beggars, viz. Poſtulare; to aſk for an officer. But this plundering of the churches falls within the ſecond grand diviſion of time. Not within the firſt three hundred years.
3. Of approbating of ordination. All the people were conſulted; and none were admitted into holy orders without their approbation. As we are aſſured by Cyprian (Epiſt. 33.) who tells us it was his conſtant cuſtom, in all ordinations to conſult his people, and with their common counſel to weigh the merit of every candidate of the ſacred orders.
4. Of depoſing of their own officers the way. Pag. 96. Sect. 2. For if their biſhops proved ſcandalous and wicked in life; heretical and apoſtates from the faith, the churches had power to degrade and depoſe them, and chooſe others in their room. There is a peculiar example of this kind in a letter from the church of Rome to the church of Corinth, written by Clemens Romanus, Euſeb. Lib. 3. Cap. 14. upon which Dr. Owen makes this obſervation, viz. That the church of Corinth was fallen into a ſinful exceſs in the depoſition of their elders, whom the church of Rome judged to have preſided amongſt th…s laudably. But yet in the whole epiſtle the church of Corinth is no where reproved, for aſſuming an authority to themſelves which did not belong to them. It ſeems what Cyprian afterwards affirmed, was then acknowledged, namely, that the right of chooſing the worthy, and rejecting the unworthy was in the body of the people. But the Corinthian church is ſeverely reproved for the abuſe of their liberty and power, State of churches; p. 94. Alſo when two Spaniſh biſhops were depoſed by their churches, that the ſaid churches might not ſeem to act by a power which belonged not to them; they ſent into Africa to ſeveral biſhops to know their judgment thereupon, who being convened in a ſynod (Anno. Dom. 258.) whereof Cyprian was preſident; they commended, and approved their proceedings; aſſuring them it was according to the divine law, which was expreſs, that none but thoſe that were holy and blameleſs, ſhould approach God's altar; that if they had continued to have communicated with their prophane biſhops, they would have been acceſſary to their guilt and villany and would have contradicted thoſe examples, and commands in ſcripture, which obliged a people to ſeparate from wicked, and ungodly miniſters, that they had not acted irregularly in what they had done; ſince the people had the chief power in chooſing worthy biſhops, ſo alſo of refuſing thoſe who were unworthy. And many other paſſages there are in that epiſtle which flatly aſſert the peoples power of depoſing ſcandalous biſhops. Yet where the churches were aſſociated to render their action more unqueſtionable, they had aſſiſtance from others; but yet the power is plainly acknowledged to be inherent in the church. Epiſt. 68. Apud Cyp. §. 1.2.3. p. 200. Theſe premiſes are very harmonious with the conſtitution of th…ſe churches. Platf. C. 10. Sect. 5.6. The power which is granted by Chriſt to the body of the church, and brotherhood is a prerogative.
1. In chooſing their own officers.
2. In the admiſſion, and cenſures of their own members. And,
3. In caſe an elder offend incorrigibly &c. as they had power to call him to office; ſo they have power according to order to remove him from his office, &c.
CHAP. V.
3. WE come nextly to conſider the joint acts of officers and people, carrying on, as an organic body. And theſe peculiarly refer to the diſcipline, and good government of the church. And tho' miniſterial truſt (preciſely conſidered) was ſolely devolved on the officers; yet ſtill the fraternity ſtood intereſted in, and poſſeſſed of a ſhare in the juridical part of government, the whole church in ordinary caſes were the judges which compoſed the eccleſiaſtical conſiſtory. So that the power of the keys was ſo lodged both in the boſ…ops and people, as that each had a ſhare to exerciſe and improve in joint acts of judicature, and thus the clergy and laity conjunctly made up that ſupreme court which was in every pariſh, where all church offenders were tried, and when found guilty, were ſentenced and condemned. That the laity did exerciſe judicial power in the church, is further evident from ſeveral teſtimonies. As in that of Clemens Romanus. (Epiſt. 1. Ad Corinth, p. 69.) where he writes: Who will ſay according to the example of Moſes, If ſeditions, contentions, and ſchiſms are happened becauſe of me, I will depart, I will go whitherſoever you pleaſe, and I will do what ſhall be injoyned me by the people, ſo the church of Chriſt be in peace. So Origen diſcribes a criminal appearing be…re the whole church. In Mat. Tom. 13. Cyprian, when ſome had committed ſome great miſdemeanors, profeſſes himſelf not a ſufficient judge, but they ought to be tryed by all the people, Epiſt. 28. p. 64. And to the ſame purpoſe, he writes of other delinquents; viz. That ſuch matters ſhould be adjuſted according to the arbitrament, and common council of the people. And that the lapſed in admitting them to communion, ſhould plead their cauſe before the clergy, and before all the people. And concerning ſuch matters he writes to the people, that when it ſhould pleaſe God to reſtore peace to the church, and reduce him from exile, then the caſe of the delinquents ſhould be examined in their preſence, and according to their judgment. And Cyprian writes in another place, that all things were debated in common amongſt them. And that whoever was excommunicated it was by th… ſuffrages of the people. And though the elders were principally concerned, in preparing caſes for the churches cognizance; yet its plain that the deciſive ſuffrage was (in part) the prerogative of the people. To this purpoſe we have an inſtance in ſome that joined in the ſchiſm of Novatus; who being ſenſible of their fault, came into the preſbytery, and deſired the churches peace; the preſbytery accepted their ſubmiſſion, and propoſed it to the whole church, who readily embraced it. Now it is to be obſerved, that agreably with the fore-cited practice of the primitive churches, our own platform has decided the queſtion concerning the ſubject, and exerciſe of government, Platf. C. 10. Sect. 11. The ordinary power of government belongs only to the elders; and power of privilege remaineth with the brother-hood, (as the power of judgment in matters of cenſure, and and power of liberty in matters of liberty) thence it follows, that in an organic church, and right adminiſtration, all church acts proceed after the manner of a mixt adminiſtration, ſo that no church act can be conſummated, or perfected without the conſent of both.