CHAPTER VIII.

Different writers on Congregational Church Polity. Results of their discussions. Hooker's "Survey of the Summe of Church Discipline." Spirit as a controversial writer.

Ir was a natural consequence of the secession of our Puritan ancestors from the established church, that both in England and in this country they should early have taken up Ecclesiastical Polity, as a subject for earnest inquiry. Their love to the Scriptures as the great depository of divine instruction, naturally led them to "search the Scriptures," daily, that they might learn thence what is the Constitution of the Church of Christ. With all the respect they felt for the established Church of England, in consideration of the things good and right which there were in it, and of their former membership of it; and with all their reverence for the good men who remained in it and in the ranks of Conformity; they acted, still, upon that great principle taught by the Lord Jesus Christ, "And call no man master upon earth; for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren."

That different men, among the New England Fathers, should have written books, setting forth the results of their inquiries, was to be expected. It was their privilege, and their duty. And liberty to write, teach and publish their views on this great subject, must have been one of their sources of enjoyment, as time passed on with them, in this land of peace and religious freedom. We find their works on Church Polity, therefore, in such number, and of such ability, as to assure us that the Puritan Fathers were no idlers; nor disposed to spare study, research, pains, and labor, in discussing a subject of such magnitude, and so deeply involving their liberty of conscience, their order, comfort and spiritual prosperity. They did not discuss this subject so much for their brethren yet residing in England, as for themselves. The good fathers and brethren in England could take care of the interests of the subject for themselves. The New England churches and ministers had their own wants to provide for, as laying foundations for a new community of the followers of Christ, and for a nation which was to be born.

In the catalogues of the various writings of the Chief Fathers of New England, we find numerous books on Congregational Church Polity.

Among them were Cotton's Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; Cotton's Way of the Churches; and that Way Cleared; also his Holiness of Church Members, proving that visible saints are the matter of the church; Davenport's Powers of Congregational Churches; Samuel Mather's Apology for the Liberties of the Churches of New England; Discourse concerning Baptism and the Consociation of Churches; the Powers of the Pastor in administering the Sacraments; A Dissertation concerning the right of the Sacraments; Answer of the Elders of the New England Churches, to Nine Positions; Answer of the same to Thirtytwo Questions,-both these last attributed to Richard Mather; also his Answer to Herle, in Defence of the Way of Congregational Church Government; New England Brethren's Ratio Disciplinæ; and Thomas Shepard's Discourse, tending to clear up the Old Way of Christ in the Churches of New England.

Besides these books by good men in New England, the great interests of Congregational Church Polity were promoted in England by John Owen's Enquiry into the Original, Nature, Institution, Power, Order and Communion of Evangelical Churches; Dr. William Ames'

Fresh Suit against Ceremonies; Bartlet's Model of the Church Way; and others.

These strong men, on both sides of the Atlantic, were not likely to make any half-way work, of discussing a subject which had such hold on their hearts, and so involved their rights, and called for the outlay of their powers. There was every thing in their circumstances to drive them to their Bibles and to their closets, in their search for light. Especially moving them to such resorts, was the preciousness of the privileges they sought, and the value of which privileges they had learned in the old country, and in the severe school of ecclesiastical oppression and persecution. If ever christian men were certain to evolve and settle great first principles, to state them justly, and defend them ably and courageously, these were the men.

Nor were they doing a work which should turn to account for the future interests of Congregationalism alone, in this country. They were discussing -and settling great principles which were to be for the use and benefit of other denominations of christians, to have existence in this country; who were to live under our republican form of government; and who should deem it their privilege to exist, and to enjoy their rights as christians and as men,

without being amenable to Episcopal authority, or being dependent for their privileges in the word and ordinances of the New Testament upon the ministrations of Episcopal hands.

One remark farther; the principles of Congregationalism, thus early discussed, and thus ably and earnestly defended and brought into contact with New England mind, both in and out of the churches, were, in truth, the principles,-derived from the word of God itself,— which were to come into use for the good of the free State, as well as for the free Churches. The republicanism of the Bible pervaded the writings of those devoted men, on Church Polity. The grand elements of our national Constitution and Government were found by them, in their studies of this subject; and they brought them forth to the acceptance of the men of the civil State; and those elements came into powerful action in the country, long before the arrival of that great crisis, the American Revolution. They appeared in the Declaration of Independence, and have been embodied in our national and State Constitutions. These general remarks will be found illustrated, while we proceed to give some account of Mr. Hooker's Survey of the Summe of Church Discipline." A brief history of this book is here appropri