PREFACE.

THE DESIGN of this volume is to answer the inquiry, WHAT IS CONGREGATIONALISM?

It contains a brief discussion of the principles on which Congregational and Calvinistic Baptist churches are organized; a statement and defence of their doctrines respecting church order and discipline; an enumeration and explanation of their ecclesiastical practices; and a consideration of some of the advantages of their church polity.*

No one can be more sensible of the difficulty of executing such a plan, than the writer now is; had he been equally so before he undertook the task, it might have saved both him and his readers the trouble of this preface.

An apology for the work may, perhaps, be found in its history. About three years since, the writer was appointed, by the Clerical Association of which he is

* The Baptists differ, somewhat, in their ecclesiastical practices, from what is usually denominated the Congregational order; but, in their general principles of church order and government, the two denominations are identified.

a member, to prepare a dissertation upon Congregationalism. This he was requested to publish. But, though the result of considerable reading and reflection, it was regarded by him as too immature to be offered to the public. A renewal of the request of the Association, at their next meeting, induced the author to rewrite the essay, and to preach the substance of it to the people of his charge. The re-writing of it, swelled the essay into six or eight sermons. The unsolicited opinion of several intelligent parishioners, who were ignorant of the doings of the Association, led to the belief that the substance of the discourses might prove acceptable to the denomination generally. A revision was accordingly begun. This revision led to a further examination of authorities, a multiplication of topics, a more extended range of discussion, and ultimately, to the decision to submit this volume to the judgment of the public.

The work has been written not for the wise, nor for those, exactly, who are simple; but for that large class of persons who occupy the intermediate space between the learned and the ignorant.

The English reader will occasionally find a word or phrase in Latin or Greek; but rarely unaccompanied with a translation, and never, it is believed, in such a position as to break the sense of the sentence.

It is no part of the writer's design to make war upon the opinions of others. He has spoken freelyhe has felt constrained so to do-though it is hoped kindly, of those from whom he differs.

That the writer has fallen into no errors, is more than can be reasonably expected; but, he has certainly used his utmost care to avoid them. That the opinions expressed in these pages may not be modified, in some particulars, by further investigation, is by no means impossible; but, as they now appear, they are not the offspring of haste, nor-it is confidently believed of prejudice.

The Appendix contains several articles, both original and selected, of considerable importance to the illustration of the general subject.

Adopting the language of the learned and excellent Samuel Mather, in his "Apology for the Liberties of the Churches in New England," the author commends his labors to the favor of the churches and to the blessing of God:-"I am far from assuming anything of authority to myself in the following sheets. If I have collected the sense of others right, and well epitomized their thoughts, which are variously dispersed, and reduced them to a clear and natural order, I shall think it sufficient."

Plymouth, N. H. July, 1840.