3. Every member of such a church except so far as Scripture or common sense may have made some special abridgment in the case of female or minor members1- has rights, powers, and privileges equal to those of every other.2 4. Together, by majority vote-while entire unanimity should always be sought, and in all important matters, by the exercise of a Christian spirit, may usually be gained - the members of such a church have the right and duty of choosing- and, if need be, of deposing all necessary officers; of admitting, dismissing, and disciplining members; and, in general, of transacting all the appropriate business of a Christian church.5 5. Every such local body of covenanted believers is independent of any outward jurisdiction or control — whether from assumed vicegerents of Christ, or from other churches in any associate or individual capacity -being amenable directly and only to their great common Head." 6. Every such local church is on a level of equality of genuineness, privilege and duty with every other church on earth." 7. All such churches, being equal sisters of the great 11 Cor. xiv: 34, 35; 1 Tim. ii: 11-15. 2 Acts vi; 5; xV: 12, 25; xxi: 22. Acts i: 15-26; vi: 1-6; xiv: 23; XV: 4-31, 4 Acts ix: 26-30; Matt. xviii: 15-17; 1 Cor. v: 13; 2 Cor. ii: 6; Rom. xvi: 17; 1 Cor. v: 9-13; 2 Thess. iii: 6; Tit. iii: 10; 1 Cor. v: 1-5. 5 Acts xi: 1-18; xv: 4-31, "See the passages cited under the fourth principle above. 7This follows from the fact that all churches get their origin equally from living union with their Great Head. family of Christ, owe to each other sisterly esteem, fellowship, and coöperation in the common work of the Lord. 8. Such fellowship requires that the advice and countenance of other churches be sought and gained by means of an Ecclesiastical Council, in ordinary cases of demand for it; such as when a church begins its organic life, when a pastor is to be settled or dismissed; and in extraordinary cases when some trouble, with which unassisted it feels itself incompetent to deal, is perplexing a church.1 9. The result of such a Council is not in the nature of a judicial decision, but is simply friendly advice — having so much force as there may be force in the reason of it. Yet should a church unreasonably refuse to follow advice thus tendered, and so be led into scandal, sister churches may purify their own fellowship, and bear testimony against disorder and sin, by suspending with regard to it their sisterly relation until the wrong be rectified. 10. Christ has appointed two, and only two, classes of permanent officers for his churches; the first-called by inspiration indiscriminately bishops, elders, evangelists, angels of the churches, pastors and teachers - for the care of its spiritual; the second- called deacons— 1 Acts xv: 1-30. 2 Apostles and Prophets were extraordinary and temporary laborers. So, whatever was meant by "miracles" [1 Cor. xii: 28], "gifts of healings" and "diversities of tongues," appears to have been intended to have no perpetual relation to the churches, and so to describe no permanent offices in them. In like manner Helps," and "Governments" appear to refer to the same functionaries usually spoken of as pastors and deacons. For the line of proof that these names are all applied indiscriminately, as above suggested, see the argument in my Congregationalism, etc., pp. 100-110. For a discussion of the Presbyterian theory of Ruling Elders see the same, pp. 110-121. for the care of its temporal concerns; both to be chosen and set apart by the membership from their own number.2 II. The coöperation of these churches in the common work of the Lord requires that they devise and prosecute wise methods of joint action; and the history of the rise and progress of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the American Home Missionary Society, the American Missionary Association, and their kindred voluntary associations through which the members of the American Congregational churches have been and now are coöperating for the spread of the Gospel at home and abroad, illustrates the practicableness of reaching every need by such methods; and the superior value in simplicity, economy, celerity, and all general elements of success, of their voluntary system over the more strongly ecclesiasticized methods of differently organized bodies. Generalizing these eleven principles to their simplest form, we obtain the following, which are the two germelements of the polity of the New Testament: (a) The independent self-completeness often known as the autonomy-under Christ of the local church. (b) The equal sisterhood-which might in like manner be known as the adelphity—under Christ of all such local churches. 1 Acts vi: 1-6; 1 Tim. iii: 1-15. 2 For a discussion of the whole question of ordination see the manual just referred to, pp. 136-146. CHAPTER III. THE DOCTRINE OF CONGREGATIONALISM. BODY must have a spirit, or it is dead. Congregationalism is merely one method - as its advocates believe, the simplest, most efficient and most Scriptural method of embodying church life, for the carrying forward of church work. But church life rests upon and grows out of, and church work is prompted by, dogmatic conviction. When our Lord laid down a course of procedure in the case of those offenses which "will come,' - which can be in so good faith followed by no other system, He was speaking not of the adjustment of differences intellectual, æsthetic, passional, between gentlemen at large in human society; He was addressing the "little ones" of "your Father which is in Heaven,” and seeking the readjustment of ruptured spiritual relations between trespassing brethren of a common faith. The churches which the apostles fostered, and which Paul, Peter, John, James, and Jude addressed in their Epistles, were composed of men who "continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship." Those whom "the Lord added" to those churches "daily," were [Tous owoμévovs-tous sōzomenous], those "who are becom[τοὺς σωζομένους. ing saved;" that is, those who—as Wordsworth [in loco] happily expresses it: 'were escaping (as it were) from the Flood, and taking refuge in the Ark, the Church; those who were flying from the bondage of a spiritual Egypt, and were entering on the way of salvation toward the land of Promise; those who were being delivered from the death of sin, by incorporation into the spiritual body of the Saviour." I The whole tenor of the Acts of the Apostles shows that the Congregational churches of that early time were unquestionably characterized by an intense and overmastering faith in Him whom God had exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour "for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins." They ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. When scattered abroad by persecution they "went everywhere preaching" that word. A man must believe with all his heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, to be eligible for baptism, which was their initial rite. Only when even such an one as Paul spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the heresies of the Hellenists [Acts ix: 29] was the confidence gained of many who had been "all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple." Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and turned to the Gentiles, because the Jews of Pisidian Antioch put from them the doctrine that through the man Christ Jesus was preached unto them the forgiveness of sins. Paul described to the Athenians when he strove to enlighten and win them to the church, a living God, a Father in heaven, yet a 1 "The Greek should have been Tous σɛowσμέvovç (perfect), to signify that they had already secured their salvation; and roùs ownooμévovç (fut.), to signify that they were certain of its completion. The expression implies a certainty resulting not so much from God's purpose, as from human conduct." - Hackett, in loco. |