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THE FAITH AND ORDER OF THE LEYDEN-PLYMOUTH CHURCH; AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON OTHER CHURCHES IN ENGLAND AND IN THIS COUNTRY.

"Vestra autem pietas, viri exules, quæ maluit patriam quam evangelium deserere, commodisque carere temporariis; quam permisceri sacris a Christo alienis, egregiam sane meretur laudem."

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Although the subsequent Article may appear to be chiefly historical, it is intended to be no further so than the historical facts are connected with the main design, which is to show, with some precision and some detail, the ecclesiastical polity of the Leyden-Plymouth church, and that the churches in England and Massachusetts were modelled on the Platform of this: the account is, however, carried somewhat further, when supposed to be of general interest.

These churches are usually denominated in England, "Independent," and in this country, "Congregational," although not uniformly so in either. It will appear that, from etymology and usage, the words are equipollent — of equal force, to express the true character of the order of our churches.

Robinson and Jacob, (about the year 1616,) although perhaps not designing to assume any particular name, yet, in declaring their principles, use this language:

Robinson. "Peter and Paul was no more one man, without relation to other men, than a particular congregation, rightly instituted and ordered, is a whole, entire, and perfect church, and independently, in respect to other churches under Christ. — Rob. Works, iii. 16.

Jacob, the coadjutor and pupil of Robinson, says, "Where each congregation giveth their free consent in their own government, there certainly each congregation is an entire and independent body politic." Han. vol. i. p. 231.

Mr. Cotton's books had reached England and were the means of

proselytizing Dr. Owen. He said, however, that opposers had no right to affix a meaning to the word "independent," and then argue against it.

Gov. Hutchinson says, "The Plymouth people were the first who took or received the name of Independents, which in a few years was given to a body of men in England, who assumed the government. The Massachusetts people refined and took the name of Congregationalists, although, perhaps, it will be difficult at this day to show any material difference between the churches of the two countries. —Vol. ii. pp. 414, 415.

Goodwin, Nye, Bridge, Burroughs, and Simpson, of the Westminster Assembly, were uniformly called "Independents," and only objected that the word was wrongfully charged as implying too much assumption a swelling word. Dr. Owen and Dr. Goodwin were called "the two Atlases of Independency," in the Savoy Synod, and brought in the articles under the name of Congregationalists. However, everybody persisted in calling them Independents, and the Union in 1833 made the declaration of their faith, order, and discipline, as of the "Congregational, or Independent Dissenters."

*

Dr. Vaughan, a man of great weight of character, in a book recently published by him in England, which he entitles "Congregationalism, or the polity of the Independent Churches," applies the word independent to the churches, and Congregationalism to their polity. He says, page 3, "The independence of particular churches is the centre principle, the great element of Congregationalism." The communion of the churches is as consistent with one term as the other, and, without jealousy, every one should be allowed to use convertible terms, for a designation, as he thinks most fit and proper.

Hooker says, "The church may be said to be independent,' sufficient to attain her end, and therefore hath complete power to exercise all the ordinances of God." Survey, p. 2.

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The ecclesiastical historians (Mosheim, Collier, Rapin, Buck, and others) treat of the order of our churches, both in this country and in England, by the name of the "Independents."

Rev. John Cotton says, "Independency is not a fit name for the way of our churches; it is too strait. It holds us forth as independent of all others," and much prefers and advises to call it "Congregationalism." Way of the Churches, 11. The framers of the Platform

*The Congregational Union of England and Wales.

adopt his suggestion. For, as Hubbard says, "whatever Mr. Cotton delivered was soon put into an order of court, if of a civil, or set up as a practice in the church, if of an ecclesiastical concernment." When the churches were forming under his plastic hand, the hard hand of Archbishop Laud was upon the Independents in England, "haling men and women, and committing them to prison." Good policy therefore required, or at least pointed, to a different designation for the churches in New England. Numerous facts show that the planters were cautious and even fearful of incurring the displeasure of the authorities of the mother country. It was not among the least of the reasons for banishing Roger Williams that the displeasure of the king was feared if he was allowed to question the validity of the patent, and the displeasure of the bishops, if he was allowed to preach that the Church of England was not a true church. Indeed these reasons are expressly assigned for some of their measures.

HISTORICAL NOTICE.

Questionless, the high character of the Pilgrims has its foundation. in their religion, their unwavering faith, their heroic fortitude, their patience in suffering, their perseverance in their pilgrimage, both in exile and colonization, their inflexible virtue, combined with their intelligence and enterprise, are now "known on earth by thousand signs," and we may almost say, "by thousand through the skies." But it is not less manifest, that that which gave occasion for their being called to show forth this faith and these virtues, was their ecclesiastical polity and practice. They admit that their first religious experience took place while they belonged to the Church of England, and that their doctrinal views were in accordance with the articles of that church. But they were soon convinced that the worship of that church was formal, supererogatory, and even idolatrous; and especially that its national character, which admitted the immoral and profane to its sacraments, and its episcopal government, were wholly unscriptural. Under this conviction, they could not conscientiously continue in its communion, and they were men who chose and dared to act according to this conviction and the dictates of conscience, even at the risk of the loss of all temporal good.

As early as 1602, they became an independent church. After remaining unnoticed a few years, they incurred the displeasure of the

bishop, and the condemnation of the civil tribunals. Imprisonment, exile, and pilgrimage, were their portion until they landed on the Plymouth Rock. Of their Christian fortitude, hardships, and patience; their perseverance and final success, "The New England's Memorial" is a true, though it may not be a full and complete record.*

It would seem that every inquiring mind would be desirous to become acquainted with the character, order, worship, and discipline of this first independent church, which through so many hardships obtained a home in New England, when it was the habitation only for savage men and savage beasts; preferring to encounter all these trials to a return to the "mother church." It is the design of these sheets to examine with care, exactness, and, in some matters, even minuteness, their history and their memorials, and the views of their contemporaries, and to compare them with the polity and practice of the some ten thousand churches of the same faith and order, (which have since been gathered in this and other countries,) with this first permanent Congregational or independent church, which a distinguished ⚫ historian has said, "is the mother of us all." †

We say first permanent independent church, because all previous attempts to sustain such a church in modern times had failed. Persecution was rife, the ministers and worshippers were seized, imprisoned, some of them slain, and multitudes of them perished in loathsome dungeons. Luther was at first a Congregationalist, but when the converts were multiplied and churches called for, he said "what can I do with these simple towns' people?" IIis fears prevailed; he became an Erastian and left them with the civil rulers. And Calvin, although the greatest of the reformers in matters of doctrine, (yet saw not all things,") and never established a Congregational church.

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Rev. John Robinson was pastor of this church of the pilgrims. He is spoken of by historians as "the author of Independency." But as Rev. John Cotton says, "it was instituted and practised in the first ages of Christianity, and our Saviour himself is the true 'Author' of this first ecclesiastical state of the church;" and Gov. Winslow says, "the Primitive Churches of the Apostolic age were the pattern which Mr. Robinson had in his eye." Questionless, he was a great re

* See Extracts from Founders of New Plymouth, by Hunter, appended to this Article.

† Hon. Alden Bradford.

D'Aubigne, vol. iv. p. 32.

former, and revived the true order of the churches, which had been, for ages, swallowed up and lost in Episcopacy and Romanism. Perhaps it was not wholly lost. We can perceive traces of it among the Paulicians and Albigenses, among the converts in Luther's time, among the followers of Wickliff, called Lollards and Gospellers, and even in the time of the "bloody Mary." In the reign of Elizabeth, Barrow, Penry, and Greenwood,* became martyrs for attempting reforms and meetings in the Congregational way, and one Robert Brown made himself notorious for his denunciation of the Established Church, and for collecting meetings which he called the only true churches. But his apostasy was very scandalous, his name became a reproach, and his followers were scattered.

But all these movements had been crushed, the ministers silenced by death or exile, and the worshippers were "as sheep without a shepherd," when, in 1602, Robinson and his coadjutors had constituted an independent church in the north of England. The publication of Robinson's works had been desired by the "Congregational Board" here, when it was ascertained that they were in a course of publication by "the Congregational Union" in England. The "Board" forthwith became interested in the enterprise, and at once purchased an edition, and have given extensive circulation to his life and works, in three volumes; books which should be read with attention, as the best expounders of our order yet printed. It will be seen that Mr. Robinson, having been beneficed in the Church of England, renounced that church and his fellowship in the university, and became pastor of the independent church before mentioned; that persecution drove him and his church to Holland in 1608; that his church made their pilgrimage to Plymouth in 1620; that they and he expected he would shortly follow them, but that he died in 1625 at the age of fifty years. In his exile he was followed with censorious books and denunciations by Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and even Puritans, charging him with Brownism, democracy, and as a Separatist who had broken away from the "mother church" to the scandal of all true religion. To all these books Mr. Robinson replied, and vindicated his course, his faith and "the order of the house of God," in the masterly argument and great purity of style exhibited in these his published works, and which commend themselves to all attentive readers.

*See Punch. Hist. Cong.

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