Vindication of the Government of New England Churches 2, Chapter 6 – Chapter 1
CHAP. VI.
4. I Shall nextly conſider the fellowſhip and communion that diſtinct churches had and held one with another.
It is very obvious by this time, (and he muſt blind his own eyes that won't ſee it) that the primitive churches according to the account we have of their regiment for the firſt three hundred years from Chriſt) were diſtinct, political bodies; and neither diocaeſan, national, provincial nor claſſical, but properly congregational churches. And as ſuch, were perfect and compleat ſocieties incorporate; ſo that they had a power, and capacity of carrying on all church work within themſelves, and wanted not to borrow, or receive from others, for the ſupport of their being, and ſo were independent. Yet conſidering they were imperfect in their matter, and therefore to help forward their well-being, wanted the advantage of all good means; with the influence of the grace, love, knowledge, experience, wiſdom, and counſel of each other; ſo they were dependent, and became mutually officious, and accountable each to other: ſomewhat after the manner, as Mr. Hooker diſtinguiſhes on the independency, and dependency of goſpel churches. Pol. lib. 2. Chap. 3. Says he, independency implies two things. Either,
1. An abſolute ſupremacy, oppoſed to ſubordination; and ſo a particular church is not independent, it being accountable to civil government, &c. And alſo to the conſociation of churches. Or,
2. Independency ſignifies a ſufficieny in its kind, for the attainment of its end. And in this ſenſe, independency is oppoſed to imperfection: And if we take it thus, then a particular church may be ſaid to be independent, it being ſufficient to attain the end it was inſtituted for; it having compleat power, when rightly conſtituted, to exerciſe all the ordinances of God. And thus we find that the primitive churches in this ſenſe were independent churches: that is, every particular church had a ſufficient right, and power, without the concurrence and authority of any other church, to carry on the worſhip of God, and exerciſe of diſcipline in their diſtinct ſociety. And yet as they were parts of the univerſal church, held themſelves obliged to a ſuitable communion. And for the ſupport of unity, love, and concord amongſt them, and to adviſe about their common circumſtances and condition; and alſo to regulate their eccleſiaſtical affairs within their general limits, for their mutual advantage; did therefore form themſelves into ſynodical aſſemblies, & and were governed in common by them; for their ſynodical decrees, canons or inſtitutions, were accounted abligatory to all the churches, who had their repreſentatives in the ſynods. For indeed to what purpoſe elſe did they draw up their reſolves, but for the good and benefit of the whole community. And it would have been very fruitleſs to have made weariſome journeys, with great coſt and pains to determine ſuch things, as they judged expedient for the churches well-being; if after all, it were indifferent whether they were obeyed or no: or that when the whole was agreed, ſome ſhould reluct, and remonſtrate; and eſpecially when things were fairly ſettled by a joint ſuffrage in ſynods, ſome ſmall ſet of wiſe men ſhould hold themſelves wiſer than whole ſynods; and afterward ſhould of their own heads in their more private apartments ſet forward new ſchemes, which in itſelf is diſorderly, and a way to keep the churches conſtantly fluctuating and wreſtleſs like the unſtable ocean. And indeed, conſidering the regularity, wiſdom and union in ſynodical ſettlements, whilſt that all ſorts of perſons intereſted, both officers and people having had their full liberty in debates, and their free votes and ſuffrages, in drawing up the decrees and ſettlements; it is a bold intruſion, and little better than defying and trampling under foot the unity, love, honor an… authority of the churches, to run counter with ſynodical ſettlements, till they are fairly repealed by the like power which made the ſettlements. And thus we come to conſider the members of the ſynods of the primitive churches.
And theſe were biſhops, preſbyters, deacons, and deputed lay-men, in behalf of the people of their reſpective churches. At a great ſynod at Antioch, which condemned Paulus Samoſatenus, there were preſent biſhops, preſbyters, deacons, and the church of God; that is lay-men, who repreſented the people of their ſeveral churches. Euſeb. l. 7. cap. 30. Alſo when the hereſie of the Montaniſts was fixed and preached, the faithful in Aſia met together ſeveral times to examine it, and upon examination condemned it. Euſeb. lib. 5. cap. 16. Alſo there being ſome heats in the church of Carthage, about the reſtitution of the lapſed, Cyprian, biſhop of that church, writes from exile,—That there ſhould be convened a ſynod of biſhops, and of the laity, who had ſtood firm through the perſecution, to conſult about, and determine their affairs. Epiſt. 14. And moreover at a great ſynod held at Carthage, Anno 258, there were preſent eighty-ſeven biſhops, together with preſbyters and deacons, and a great part of the laity. Apud Cypri. p. 443.
The principles of the churches in New-England, aſſerting the right of the people in ſynodical meetings, is fully ſet down in the chapter concerning ſynods. Platf. And the practice of theſe in harmony with the primitive churches has been all along agreable to it. In the laſt ſynod which was in New-England, in the year 1679, ſome churches ſent only their elders without their brethren, with which the ſynod was ſo far unſatisfied, as that they would not allow thoſe paſtors to ſit with them, until they had prevailed with their churches to ſend brethren alſo; being very tender of admiting any thing, that ſhould look like the infringement of that liberty and priviledge, which does by the inſtitution of Chriſt belong to the brotherhood in particular churches. Dr. Mather's Order. Q. 11. I ſhall conclude this head or demonſtration with theſe weighty and ſolemn words of the learned and famous Mr. Oakes, praeſident of the college, in his election ſermon. Conſider (ſays he) what will be the end of receeding, or making of a defection from the way of church government eſtabliſhed amongſt us. I profeſs that I look upon the diſcovery and ſettlement of the congregational way, as the boon, the gratuity, the largeneſs of divine bounty, which the Lord graciouſly beſtowed on this people, that followed him into this wilderneſs, and who were ſeperated from their brethren. Thoſe good people who came over had 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 ſhewing them the pattern of his houſe, and the truer ſcriptural-way of church government and adminiſtrations. God was certainly in a more than ordinary way preſent with his ſervants, in laying of our foundations; and in ſettling church-order, according to the will and appointment of Chriſt. Conſider what will be the ſad iſſue of revolting from the way fixed on to one extreme or to another, whether it be to preſbyterianiſm or browniſm. 'As for the preſbyterians, it muſt be acknowledged, that there are amongſt 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 as for the ways of their church government, it muſt be confeſſed, that in the day of it, it was a great ſtep to reformation. The reformation in king Edward's days, was a bleſſed work, and the reformation of Geneva and Scotland, was then a larger ſtep, and in many reſpects purer than the other. And for my part, I fully believe that the congregational-way far exceeds both, and is the higheſt ſtep that has been taken towards reformation; and for the ſubſtance of it, it is the very ſame way that was eſtabliſhed and practiſed in the primitive times, according to the inſtitution of Jeſus Chriſt.' Thus ends my firſt demonſtration in a fair parallel drawn up between the holieſt churches that ever were in the world, and the churches of New-England; and however they may differ in their morals, they are very harmonious in their order. And conſidering that the former cannot rationally be thought but they derived their conſtitution from the apoſtles, and ſo it muſt needs be of a divine original: and if ſo then theſe in New-England who are faſhioned ſo exactly like them, muſt needs be of the ſame pedigree, &c. But I ſhall wave all improvement of the premiſes, and leave the whole to the ſerious and judicious thoughts of every impartial reader, not doubting but he will find ſufficient evidence of the divine original of theſe churches in what has been ſaid. And that I might now obtain a ſuperſedeas, and forbear adding any further plea in their defence. But yet to gratify my own curioſity, and divert the reader, I ſhall proceed to inquire in to the natural reaſon of the conſtitution of thoſe churches we have been comparing. In this queſtion I ſhall go out of the common road, and take into an unuſual and unbeaten path; wherein poſſibly I may fall into ſome thickets now and then, and be ſomewhat entangled; yet I hope the candid reader will afford ſome ſuccour by his tender clemency, and his friendly interpretation of my good intentions. For tho' I may in ſo devious a way, miſs of ſome part of the truth▪ yet I have a great preſumption that I may open a road to men of greater learning, and a deeper ſearch, that will lead to a rich treaſure of knowledge, and wiſdom, for eaſe and relief under thoſe many queſtions and crabbed debates concerning church-government in the chriſtian world; for to me it ſeems moſt apparent, that under Chriſt the reaſon of the conſtitution of theſe and the primitive churches, is really and truly owing to the original ſtate and liberty of mankind, and founded puculiarly in the light of nature. And thus I come to the
2. Demonſtration in defence of our platform, which is founded in the light of nature.
CHAP. I.
THE divine eſtabliſhment in providence of the forenamed churches, in their order is apparently the royal aſſent of the ſupreme monarch of the churches, to the grave deciſions of reaſon in favour of mans natural ſtate of being, and original freedom. For if we ſhould make a new ſurvey of the conſtitution before named under the brighteſt light of nature, there is no greater example of natural wiſdom in any ſettlement on earth; for the preſent and future ſecurity of human beings in all that is moſt valuable and grand, than in this. That it ſeems to me as though wiſe and provident nature by the dictates of right reaſon, excited by the moving ſuggeſtions of humanity; and awed with the juſt demands of natural liberty, equity, equality, & principles of ſelf-preſervation originally drew up the ſcheme, and then obtained the r…l approbation. And certainly it is agreable that we attri…te it to God whether we receive it nextly from reaſon or revelation, for that each is equally an emanation of his wiſdom, Prov. 20.27. The ſpirit of man is the candle of the Lord, ſearching … the inward parts of the belly. There be many larger volumes in this dark receſs called the belly to be read by that candle God has lighted up. And I am very well aſſured the forenamed conſtitution as a tranſcript out of ſome of their pages, John 1.4, 9. And the life was the light of men, which lighteth every man which cometh into the world. This admirable effect of Chriſt's creating power in hanging out ſo many lights to guide man through a dark world, is as applicable to the light of reaſon, as to that of revelation. For that the light of reaſon as a law and rule of right, is an effect of Chriſt's goodneſs, care and creating power, as well as of revelation; though revelation is natures law in a fairer and brighter edition. This is granted by the London miniſters, p. 8. C. 3. 'That, that which is evident by, and conſonant to the true light of nature, or natural reaſon, is to be accounted, Jure Divine, in matters of religion. But in the further and more diſtinct management of this plea; I ſhall,
1. Lay before the reader ſeveral principles of natural knowledge.
2. Apply or improve them in eccleſiaſtical affairs.
3. Infer from the premiſes, a demonſtration that theſe churches, if not properly formed; yet are fairly eſtabliſhed in their preſent order by the law of nature.