quiet, that church, in which they arise, or that minister or member aggrieved by them, shall apply themselves to the council of the consociated churches of the circuit, to which the said church belongs, who, if they see cause, shall thereupon convene, hear, and determine such cases of difficulty," &c.

CHAPTER XVIII.

SYNODS.

177. Nature of Synods and scripture grounds for the same.

* SYNODS are ecclesiastical assemblies, called together for the purpose of consulting on the general interests of the churches. So that they differ from Councils chiefly in attending to general, instead of particular interests, and in embracing a more ample representation.

"Synods," says the Cambridge Platform, сH. XVI. § 1, "orderly assembled, and rightly proceeding according to to the pattern, Acts 15th, we acknowledge as the ordinance of Christ; and though not absolutely necessary to the being, yet many times, through the iniquity of men and the perverseness of the times, necessary to the wellbeing of churches, for the establishment of truth and peace therein, Acts xv, 2-15.”

178. Powers and authority of Synods.

The duties, which properly come within the province of Synods, and the authority, which accompanies their decisions, are thus laid down in the Platform." It belongeth unto Synods and Councils to debate and deter

mine controversies of faith and cases of conscience, 1st Chron. xv. 13; 2d Chron. xxix. 6, 7; Acts xv. 24-29; to clear from the Word holy directions for the holy worship of God and good government of the church," to bear witness against mal-administration and corruption in doctrine or manners in any particular church, and to give directions for the reformation thereof; not to exercise church censures in way of discipline, nor any other act of church authority or jurisdiction, which that presidential Synod did forbear.",

"The Synod's directions and determinations, so far as consonant to the word of God, are to be received with reverence and submission, not only for their agreement therewith, Acts 15th, which is the principal ground thereof and without which they bind not at all; but also, secondarily, for the power, whereby they are made, as being an ordinance of God, appointed thereunto in his Word."

§ 179. Of the members of Synods and the calling of the same.

SYNODS, like ecclesiastical assemblies of a less important kind, are composed of ministers and lay-delegates after the pattern of the Synod mentioned in the fifteenth chapter of Acts, (see Platform CH. XVI. § 2.)

Some churches, as already stated, neglected to send lay delegates to the Synod of 1679. The assembly were dissatisfied; a debate ensued, and it was resolved, (says Mather, MAGNALIA, Bk. v. Pt iv. § 3,)“ that not only elders, but messengers also were to be delegated by churches, and have their suffrage in a Synod, representing those churches; the primitive pattern of a Synod in the fifteenth chapter of Acts, the primitive practice of the churches in the ages next following the Apostles, and the arguments of such eminent men as Jewell, Whitaker, Parker, and others against those, who mention that laics

are no fit matter for such assemblies, being judiciously considered as countenancing this assertion."

In the early periods of the country, Synods repeatedly assembled at the invitation of the Civil magistrate. At the present time, such is the entire separation of Church and State, an invitation of that kind would not be very likely either to be given or acceded to; and at any rate would come with more propriety and effect from some Conference, Association, or other religious body.

§ 180. Historical notices of Synods.

The earliest Synod of the Congregational churches in this country, of which we have any account, was held at Newton, (afterwards Cambridge,) in the year 1637; seventeen years after the first landing at Plymouth. It was called together in consequence of the prevalence of certain doctrines, which were deemed to be of an erroneous and hurtful tendency. Eighty two erroneous opinions, which had been disseminated in New-England, were examined and condemned. The Synod was composed of all the teaching elders in the country, and of messengers from the several churches.

A second Synod was held in the same place in 1643. Several persons had arrived in the country about this time, and attempted to set up the Presbyterian method of church government. This was the occasion of its being called together; and "the assembly," says Winthrop, "concluded against some parts of the presbyterial way."

A third Synod, consisting of ministers and delegates, met at Cambridge in 1646, for the purpose of settling an uniform scheme of church order and government. It protracted its session by adjournments to the year 1648. This Synod framed and adopted the plan of church government, called the Cambridge Platform, a work originally of great merit and influence and which is re

ferred to, and continues to exert an influence over the churches to this day.*

A fourth Synod, embracing all the ministers of Massachusetts, together with lay-delegates, was held at Boston in the year 1662, to deliberate on the subject of Baptism, and the more intimate union or consociation of the churches. There was another assembly of this kind, which met at Boston, Sept. 10th, 1679, commonly called the Reforming Synod. The deliberations of this body at their first session turned upon these two questions.-I. What are the evils, that have provoked the Lord to bring his judgments on New England?-II. What is to be done, that these evils may be reformed?-This Synod held a second session, which commenced May 12th, 1680, during which they considered and adopted a Confession of Faith.

* This Synod met in the autumn of 1646, and having continued in session but fourteen days, adjourned, in consequence of the smallness of the number present and the approach of winter, to meet again on the eighth of June in 1647. The principal business during this short session was the discussion and decision of a Proposition concerning the magistrate's power in matters of religion; and the appointment of three persons, viz. Cotton of Boston, Richard Mather of Dorchester, and Partridge of Duxbury, each of them to draw up a scriptural model of church government.

The Synod met, agreeably to adjournment, in the ensuing summer, but, as the season proved sickly, they soon adjourned again to meet in September of 1648. Of the models presented, that of Richard Mather was preferred, and was made the basis of the present Cambridge Platform. This fact is particularly stated in the anonymous Life of Mather, printed at Cambridge in 1670, which is affirmed by his son, President Increase Mather, to have been written by a person who had ample means of knowing the truth of what he relates. It is also averred in the same work, that he was the sole author of the answer to Ix. Positions, and of the answer to the XXXII. Questions, both written in 1639, although they pass under the name of the Elders of New England.

We are at liberty to infer then, even from these brief historical notices and independently of what is said in the Platform, that Synods are an authorized part of the Congregational polity; that they may properly be directed by the churches to inquire concerning all matters of discipline, doctrine, and practice; and that in many cases their deliberations and advice will be found highly conducive to the harmony and well being of the same. (See Winthrop's History of New England, Savage's Ed. vol. 1, p. 237, п, pp. 136, 264, 269, 308, 330, Holm's American Annals, 1st Ed. vol. 1, pp. 298, 328, 345, 382; Trumbull's History of Connecticut, CH. XIII; Mather's MAGNALIA, Bk. v. Mass. Historical Collections, vol. x. p. 6. Do. 2d ser. vol. 1. p. 195. v, 301,vi, 533.)

181. Synodical decisions persuasive or advisory.

If

It is a principle, held by the great body of Congregationalists, that particular churches and individuals retain the right of examining the decisions both of ordinary Councils and of Synods by the light of Aud's wuid. they find them agreeable to the scriptures and satisfactory to their consciences, they are to be received; but if otherwise, they may be rejected. This principle is concisely asserted in the passage already cited from the Platform; and is more fully illustrated and advocated in Samuel Mather's Apology for the Liberties of the New England Churches at chapter seventh. Among other remarks he has the following:

"The Synods of these churches are not like those of other churches; for they have no weapons but what are spiritual. They neither pretend to, nor desire any power, that is judicial. If they can but instruct aud persuade, they gain their end. But when they have done all, the churches are still free to refuse or accept their advice. As they have no secular power to enforce their