Right of the churches to elect their own officers.

The God of the church is a God of order. To secure order in the churches there must be a degree of subordination among the members, to one another, and to those who are constituted their rulers and overseers. This, Congregationalists are as ready to admit, as any denomi

nation.

The epistles distinctly recognize the authority of the churches to elect, and set apart to their service, such officers as they needed.

To the Philadelphians Ignatius writes: "Now as concerning the church at Antioch which is in Syria, seeing I am told that through your prayers, and the bowels which ye have towards it in Jesus Christ, it is in peace; it will become you as the church of God [πρέπον ἔστιν ὑμῖν ὡς ἐκxλnoia Osov—it is proper for you as a church of God] to ordain some deacon [χειροτονῆσαι * ἐπίσκοπον, to choose or appoint by vote a bishop] to go to them thither, as the ambassador of God; that he may rejoice with them when they meet together [enì tó autò in the same place]; other neighboring churches have sent them [i. e. to the church at Antioch] some bishops, some priests and deacons." $10.

**

Now, for whatever purpose these bishops, priests and deacons were sent abroad by the churches, one thing is evident, namely—the churches in the time of Ignatius, had the authority to elect their own officers.

This right constitutes a distinctive peculiarity of the Congregational system of church government.

From the cursory survey of these several epistles which has now been taken, it appears that, although some chan

* It is observable that this is the very word which is used in Acts 14: 23; "Ordained them elders in every church."

Testimony of Justin Martyr.

ges had been made in the government of the churches since Clement wrote, and especially, since the apostles began to organize churches-yet the churches of Christ remained in A. D. 108-17, substantially as they were organized by the apostles and their fellow-laborers; and retained most of the features of church order and discipline which are now denominated Congregational.

If from these most ancient fathers of the church, we come down to writers of a later period, we shall find that the churches still retained many of their Congregational peculiarities.

Justin Martyr, who wrote an apology for the Christians about the year of our Lord 150, testifies, that professed piety was a pre-requisite to church membership in his day. As many," says he, as are persuaded and do believe the things to be true which are taught and spoken by us, and take upon themselves [i. e. publicly profess] that they are able to live according to that doctrine, they are taught to seek of God by fasting and prayer, the pardon of their foregoing sins; and we also, do join together with them in fasting and prayer for that end."* After the baptism of the

convert, he says: 'Him who is thus baptized, who believeth and is received among us, we bring him unto those called the brethren, when they are met (or gathered together,)" etc.

"In this church," says Dr. Owen," he mentions only two sorts of officers προεστῶτες and διάκονοι, presidents and deacons.' Of the first sort, in the duty of one of their assemblies he mentions but one; o лgоɛστws,' the presi

*

6

* I quote from the learned work of Dr. Owen, for some time Vice Chancellor to the University of Oxford, on the “ State of the first churches after the Apostles." Works, Vol. XX. P. 151.

Testimony of Tertullian and Cyprian.

And that we may not

dent,' the ruler, the bishop, to whom belonged the administration of all the holy mysteries. think he is called the лооεστs, 'president,' with respect unto any pre-eminence over other ministers or elders, like a diocesan bishop, he terms him προεστὼς τῶν ἀδελφῶν, he that 'presided over the brethren' of that church. Now certainly that church wherein one president, elder, presbyter, or bishop, did administer the holy ordinances in one place, unto all the members of it, was a particular congregation.

"The things that he ascribeth unto this leader, to be done at this general meeting of the church every Lord's day, were (1) That he prayed; (2) That after the reading of the Scripture he preached; (3) That he consecrated the Eucharist; the elements of the bread and wine being distributed by the deacons, unto the congregation ; (4) That he closed the whole worship of the day in prayer." pp. 153-4. That is, he did precisely what every Congregational pastor does now in conducting the religious services of the sanctuary.

Tertullian, in his Apology for the Christians written about the year 200, says: The elders came unto their honor or office by the testimony of the people."

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Cyprian, in one of his epistles written about A. D. 250, says: For this cause the people obedient to the commands of our Lord, and fearing God, ought to separate themselves from a wicked bishop, nor mix themselves with the worship of a sacrilegious priest. For they principally have the power of choosing the worthy priests, and rejectting the unworthy, which comes from divine authority or appointment." pp 426-428. A power, and privilege still claimed by Congregational churches.

Dr. Owen's assertion.

Not to enlarge by quotations from other ancient writers, in illustration of any of the several points now under consideration, I will finish by transcribing the allegation of the learned, and industrious, and pious, John Owen; who, after a labored investigation of this whole matter, lays down and successfully proves this proposition: "That in no approved writers for the space of two hundred years after Christ, there is any mention made of any other organical, visibly professing church, but that only which is parochial, or congregational." By which he means; that all the churches during the first two centuries, were distinct, independent bodies; not so numerous as to prevent them from assembling together for public worship, and the transaction of church business; and that, for all the purposes of church organization, they were invested with sufficient and complete authority.

"A church of any other form, state or order, papal or oecumenical [i. e. general], patriarchal [such as the Greek church], metropolitical, diocesan, or classical, [Presbyterian], they [the writers of the first two centuries] know not, neither name nor thing, nor any of them appear in any c their writings." Vol. XX. p. 132.

y of

Every one who is acquainted with the character of John Owen, knows he did not deal in rash assertions. Every one who has examined his works on church order and discipline, must be aware that in these neither sound argument nor extensive learning are wanting.

His conclusions are those of an eminently pious and learned man, who, after a careful examination of the arguments of Congregationalists, for the purpose of refuting them,* became himself a decided friend to their views of

*The book of which Owen undertook "the examination and

Dr. Campbell agrees with Dr. Owen.

church order; and, for nearly forty years, a leader among the English Congregationalists. The work from which I have extracted was written near the close of life; and contains, with his maturest thoughts, his dying testimony to the principles of church government which he advocated; and well deserves the careful study of every one who would fully understand the foundation on which rest our Congregational principles and doctrines.*

But, to show that Dr. Owen is not alone in his opinion, I will quote a few sentences from the learned Presbyterian, Dr. Campbell. Speaking of the character, etc. of churches during the first and second centuries, he says: **"Every church had its own pastors, and its own presbytery, [i. e. council of church officers, including the deacons], independently of every other church. And when one of the Presbyters came to be considered as the pastor, by way of eminence, while the rest were regarded as his assistants, vicars, or curates, who acted under his direction; as then every church or congregation had but one who was called bishop, so every bishop had but one congregation or church.

"This is a remark," continues he," which deserves your particular notice, as it regards an essential point in the

confutation," was John Cotton's work "On the Keys." See Owen's Memoirs, pp. 55, 56.

* In these remarks, I would not be understood to express an unqualified approval and adoption of all his views of church order and discipline. There are some points on which modern, and especially New England Congregationalists, would slightly differ from Owen; but his writings as a whole, are almost incomparably excellent, sound and learned upon this subject. And yet, they are very little known in N. E. Even the valuable memoir of the life and times of Dr. Owen, has never, to my knowledge, been republished in this country.