16 



nHmni<f pro vcris et gctiuinis habemus, cum iisdem 

 in sacru DM communioncin profitemur, et, quantum in 

 nobi* e*t colimua.'' In regard to political 



they have been top generally and hastily denounced as 



the uniform enemies of all kingly government, 

 most intemperate abettors of republicanism; but if es- 

 timated, not by tle proceedings of a political faction, 

 but by the writings of their learned men, and by their 

 avowed forms of doctrine, there will nothing be found 

 to justify these aspersions. On the contrary, it is ex- 

 pressly stated in a public memorial, which they drew 

 up in the year 1647, that, as magistracy in general is 

 the ordinance of God, " they do not disapprove of any 

 form of civil government, but do freely acknowledge 

 that a kingly government, bounded by just and whole- 

 some laws, is both allowed by God, and also a good ac- 

 commodation unto men." 



In rt-gard to church government, the nine articles, 

 mutually adopted in 1691, between the independents 

 and other dissenters in England, may be considered as 

 the foundation of the present practice, and are in sub- 

 stance as follows. The I., relating to churches and 

 church members, declares, that each particular church 

 has a right to choose their own officers; and, being 

 furnished with such as are duly qualified and ordained 

 according to the gospel rule, hath authority from Christ 

 for exercising government and enjoying all the exer- 

 cises of worship within itself. The II., relating to the 

 ministry, affirms, that ministers ought to be endowed 

 with competent learning, sound judgment, and solid 



INDEPENDENTS. 



fession of the congregational brethren to be agreeable 

 to the said rule. The IX.,^elating to the duty. and de- 

 portment of the brethren towards those* that 

 in communion with them, inculcates charity 



deration. 



It is argued by the independent writers in support Argu- 

 of their principles, that the word **>**, usually trans- ' 

 lated church, is always used in Scripture to signify 

 either a single congregation, or the place where a single 

 congregation is assembled; that, wherever there were 

 more congregations than one, there were more churches 

 than one ; that though the whole nation of Israel is 

 called a church, yet, as having but one place of wor- 

 ship, first the tabernacle, and afterwards the temple, it 

 formed no more than a single congregation ; that the 

 Catholic church of Christ is likewise a single congre- 

 gation, having one place of worship, namely, heaven, 

 where all the members assemble by faith and hold com- 

 munion, and where they shall be all finally gathered 

 together as one glorious assembly. They farther in- 

 sist, that the principle of congregational churches is 

 confirmed by the practice of the primitive church; 

 that the disciples in Jerusalem, though certainly nu- 

 merous before they were dispersed by persecution, are 

 never mentioned as forming distinct assemblies, but as 

 meeting in one place ; that after their dispersion, we no 

 longer read of them as one church, but as the churches 

 of Judea, Samaria, Gallilee, Galatia, Macedonia, Asia ; 

 but that whenever the disciples of a particular city, who 

 might ordinarily assemble in one place, are spoken of, 



v* ILII vvsi'i l/v vv ii i. iv** i i'i'_,. *r- J "f5"" O w * - *. 1_ 1? 



piety and that none are to be ordained to the work of they are uniformly called a church : as the church ot 



1 * 1 1 __ 1 _ _ 11 _ _1 il *_; 1_ *. I, _ ..1-. ....nV. ., *- f ' r,+*i n*\\ t-\-\n nVtuwnlt r\P T7i-\VOCllS 



the ministry but such as are chosen and called there- 

 unto by a particular church; that it is ordinarily requi- 

 site, that every such church consult and advise with 

 the pastors of neighbouring congregations ; and that, 

 after such advice, the person thus consulted about be- 

 ing chosen by the brotherhood of that particular church, 

 be duly ordained and set apart to his office over them. 

 The III., relating to censures, prescribes, that offend- 

 ing and scandalous members be first admonished ; 

 and, if that should prove ineffectual, be excommuni- 

 cated by the pastors, with the consent of the brethren. 

 The IV., relating to the communion of churches, as- 

 MTts, that the particular churches are all equal and 

 consequently independent; but that the pastors of those 

 churches have frequent meetings together, that, by 

 mutual advice, support, encouragement, and brotherly 

 intercourse, they may strengthen the hearts and hands 

 of each other in the ways of the Lord. The V., relating 

 to deacons, acknowledges that the office of a deacon is 

 of divine appointment, and that it belongs to their of- 

 fice to receive, lay out, and distribute the stock of the 

 church to its proper uses, but waves the subject of 

 ruling elders, as a point of mutual forbearance. The 

 VI., relating to occasional meetings of ministers, ad- 

 mits, that in weighty and difficult matters, it is need- 

 ful that the ministers of several churches meet together, 

 in order to be consulted and advised with about such 

 matters, and that particular churches ought to have a 

 reverential regard to their judgment so given, and not 

 depart therefrom without apparent grounds from the 

 word of God. The VII., relating to the civil magis- 

 trate, prescribes obedience to, and prayer for God's pro- 

 tection and blessing upon, their rulers. The VIII., re- 

 lating to confessions of faith, considers it sufficient that 

 a church acknowledge the Scriptures to be the word of 

 God, the perfect and only rule of faith and practice, 

 and own either the doctrinal part of the articles of the 

 church of England, or the Westminster confession and 

 catechisms drawn up by the Presbyterians, or the con* 



1 



Antioch, the church at Corinth, the church of Ephesus, 

 &c. That, in all these churches or congregations, there 

 were elders or presbyters and deacons, who all laboured 

 in word and doctrine, but none who merely assisted in 

 ruling or governing, they argue from Acts xiv. 23. 

 xx. 17 ; and that these office-bearers did nothing, of 

 common concern to the church, without the consent of 

 the multitude, they hold to be deducible from Mat. xviii. 

 15, &c. Acts vi. 1. xv. 22. xx. 28. 1 Cor. v. 3, 4, 5. 

 Rev. ii. 2. In regard to the ordaining of elders or pas- 

 tors in a particular church, they reason, that the ordi- 

 nary and permanent officers of Christ's appointment do 

 not succeed those that were extraordinary, such as pro 

 phets and apostles, in any thing peculiar to their work ; 

 that what these inspired teachers were to the disciples 

 of their time, their writings are to us ; and that no man 

 can now be called to the ministry of the word otherwise 

 than that word directs ; that the character, qualifications, 

 and duties of those who should exercise the office of 

 elders in the church, are completely delineated in the 

 New Testament ; and that, as far as concerns this de- 

 scription, it is not competent for any man or body of 

 men to add or detract ; that whoever possesses these 

 qualifications or characters, and is chosen by the con- 

 gregation, has all the call and mission that is requisite, 

 and can receive no new powers whatever from the or- 

 dination of a bishop or a presbytery.* See Mosheim's 

 Ecclesiastical History, v. ; Neale's History of the Puri- 

 laits ; Hoornbeek, Snmma Controversiarum Religionis ; 

 Glass' Works ; Ewing's Attempt towards a Statement of 

 the Doctrine of Scripture on some disputed Points respect- 

 ing the Government, Worship, and Discipline of the 

 Cliurch of Christ, a work which at once ably advocates 

 its principles, and frankly impugns the abuses to which 

 they are liable ; and Brown's Answer to Independency, 

 the most complete view of the arguments on the op- 

 posite side. See also PRESBYTEUY, in which will be 

 given also a view of EPISCOPACY as contrasted with the 

 other distinguishing systems of church government, (y) 



