SECT. III. The Brownists, the Puri tans. CENT. XXI. This contest between the commissioners XVI. of the court, and their opponents, who desired a PARTIL more complete reformation than had yet taken place, would have been much more dangerous in its consequences, had that party, that was distina sect of guished by the general denomination of Puritans, been united in their sentiments, views, and measures. But the case was quite otherwise. For this large body, composed of persons of different ranks, characters, opinions, and intentions, and unanimous in nothing but their antipathy against the forms of doctrine and discipline that were established by law, was, all of a sudden, divided into a variety of sects; of which some spread abroad the delusions of enthusiasm, which had turned their own brains; while others displayed their folly in inventing new and whimsical plans of church-government. The most famous of all these sects was that which was formed, about the year 1581, by ROBERT BROWN, an insinuating man, but very unsettled and inconsistent in his views and notions of things. This innovator did not differ, in point of doctrine, either from the church of England, or from the rest of the Puritans; but he had formed new and singular notions concerning the nature of the church, and the rules of History of the Puritans. This latter adds a sixth article, not 66 XVI. of ecclesiastical government. He was for divid-CENT ing the whole body of the faithful into separate SECT. III. societies or congregations, not larger than those PART II. which were formed by the apostles in the infancy of Christianity; and maintained, that such a number of persons, as could be contained in an ordinary place of worship, ought to be considered as a church, and enjoy all the rights and privileges that are competent to an ecclesiastical community. These small societies he pronounced independent, jure divino, and entirely exempt from the jurisdiction of the bishops, in whose hands the court placed the reins of spiritual government; and also from that of synods, which the Puritans regarded as the supreme visible sources of ecclesiastical authority. He also maintained, that the power of governing each congregation, and providing for its welfare, resided in the people; and that each member had an equal share in this direction, and an equal right to order matters for the good of the whole society [u]. Hence all points both of doctrine and discipline were submitted to the dis-, cussion of the whole congregation, and whatever was supported by a majority of votes passed into a law. It was the congregation also that elected certain of the brethren to the office of pastois, to perform the duty of public instruction, and the several branches of divine worship, reserving, however, to themselves the power of dismissing VOL. IV. these D d [] It is farther to be observed, that, according to this term, one church was not entitled to exercise jurisdiction over 2nother; but each might give the other counsel or admonition, if they walked in a disorderly manner, or abandoned the capital truths of religion; and if the offending church did not receive the admonition, the others were to withdraw, and publicly disown them as a church of Christ. On the other hand, the powers of their church olicers were confined within the narrow limits of their own society. The pastor of a churc might not administer the sacrament of baptism, or the Lord's supper, to any but those of his own communion. GENT these ministers, and reducing them to the condi XVI. SECT. II. tion of private members, whenever they should ARTI think such a change conducive to the spiritual advantage of the community. For these pastors were not esteemed superior, either in sanctity or rank, to the rest of their brethren, nor distinguished from them by any other circumstance than the liberty of preaching and praying, which they derived from the free will and consent of the congregation. It is, besides, to be observed, that their right of preaching was, by no means, of an exclusive nature, or peculiar to them alone; since any member, that thought proper to exhort or instruct the Brethren, was abundantly indulged in the liberty of prophesying to the whole assembly. Accordingly, when the ordinary teacher or pastor had finished his discourse, all the other Brethren were permitted to communicate in public their sentiments and illustrations upon any useful or edifying subject, on which they supposed they could throw new light. In a word, BROWN aimed at nothing less than modelling the form of the church after that infant community that was founded by the apostles, without once considering the important changes both in the religious and civil state of the world since that time, the influence that these changes must necessarily have upon all ecclesiastical establishments, and the particular circumstances of the Christian church, in consequence of its former corruptions and its late reformation. And, if his notions were crude and chimerical, the zeal with which he and his associates maintained and propagated them was intemperate and extravagant in the highest degree. For he affirmed, that all communion was to be broken off with those religious societies that were founded upon a different plan from his, and treated, more especially the church of England. as a spurious church, whose ministers were were unlawfully ordained, whose discipline was CENT. XVI. popish and antichristian, and whose sacraments and SECT. III. institutions were destitute of all efficacy and vir- PART II. tue. The sect of this hot-headed innovator, not being able to endure the severe treatment which their opposition to the established forms of religious government and worship had drawn upon them, from an administration that was not distinguished by its mildness and indulgence, retired into the Netherlands, and founded churches at Middleburg in Zealand, and at Amsterdam and Leyden in the province of nolland; but their establishments were neither solid nor durable [x]. Their founder returned into England, and, having renounced his principles of separation, took orders in the established church, and obtained a benefice [y]. The Puritan exiles, whom he thus abandoned, disagreed among themselves, split into parties, and their affairs declined from day to day [x]. This engaged the wiser part of them to mitigate the severity of their founder's plan, and to soften the rigour of his uncharitable decisions; and hence arose the community of the Independents, or Congregational Brethren, which still subsists, and of which Dd2 [x] The British churches at Amsterdam and Middleburg are incorporated into the national Dutch church, and their pastors are members of the Dutch synod, which is sufficient to shew that there are at this time no traces of Brownism or Independency in these churches. The church at Leyden, where Robinson had fixed the standard of independency about the year 1595, was dispersed; and it is very remarkable, that a part of this church transplanting themselves into America, laid the foundation of the colony of New-England. P[y] Brown, in his new preferment, forgot not only the rigour of his principles, but also the gravity of his former morals; for he led a very idle and dissolute life. See Neal's History of the Puritans, vol. i. p. 376. [x] Neal's History of the Puritans, vol. i. chap. vi. Hoornbeckii Sumina Controvers. lib. x. p. 738.——— Ecclesiastical History of Britain, book x. p. 163. -Fuller's CENT. which an account shall be given in the history of XVI. the following century. SECT. II. PART II. The state of the re formed church in the Nethe. lands. XXII. In the Belgic provinces, the friends of the Reformation seemed for a long time uncertain, whether they should embrace the communion of the Swiss, or of the Lutheran church. Each of these had zealous friends and powerful patrons [a]. The matter was, nevertheless, decided in the year 1571, and the religious system of CALVIN was publicly adopted. For the Belgic confession of faith, which then appeared [b], was drawn up in the spirit, and almost in the terms, of that which was received in the Reformed churches in France, and differed considerably, in several respects, from the confession of Augsburg, but more especially in the article relating to CHRIST's presence in the eucharist [c]. This will not appear surprising to those who consider the vicinity of the French to the Low-countries; the number of French protestants that were constantly passing or sojourning there; the extraordinary reputation of CALVIN, and of the academy of Geneva ; as also, the indefatigable zeal of his disciples in extending the limits of their church, and propagating, throughout all Europe, their system of doctrine, discipline, and government. Be that as it may, from this period, the Dutch, who had before been denominated Lutherans, assumed universally the title of Reformed, in which also they imitated the French, by whom this title had been first invented and adopted. It is true, indeed, that, as long as they were subject to the Spanish yoke, the fear of exposing themselves to the displeasure of [a] Loscheri Histor. Motuum, part III. lib. v. cap.iv. p. 74. [b] Kocheri Biblioth. Theolog. Symbolicæ, p. 216. [e] See Brandt's History of the Reformation of the Netherlands (written in Dutch), vol. i. bock v. p. 253. |