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274

Plan of Church Government

ing elder is, to join with the pastor and teacher in those acts of spiritual rule, which are distinct from the ministry, viz. to admit, and excommunicate members, ordain officers, call the church together, prepare matters in private to be laid before the church, to moderate the church when assembled, to be guides and leaders to the church, to see that none of the church live out of rank or place, without a calling, or idly in their calling, to prevent and heal offences, to feed the flock with the word of admonition, to visit and pray with the sick, and others, as opportunity offers."

Church officers are not only to be chosen by the church, but ordained by the imposition of hands. In churches where there are elders, imposition of hands, in ordination, is to be performed by those elders; where there are no elders, it may be performed by brethren chosen for the purpose. But where there are no elders, and the church desire it,

we see not why imposition of hands may not be performed by the elders of other churches." He that is released from his office in one church, can. not be looked at as an officer, nor perform any act of office, in any other church. The things requisite in all church members, are repentance of sin, and faith in Jesus Christ. Church members may not remove or depart from the church. It is their duty to consult with the church. Just reasons: for a removal are, if he cannot continue without sin, if he be persecuted, if he really want a com

adopted by Synod.

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fortable subsistence. While a person is excommunicate, the church is not only to refrain from all member like communion with him, but from all familiar communion, further than the necessity of natural, civil, or domestic relations may require, and are therefore to forbear to eat and drink with him, that he may be ashamed.

It belongs to synods and councils to determine controversies of faith, and cases of conscience, to bear witness against mal-administration, and corruption in doctrines or manners, and to give directions for reformation, not to perform acts of discipline, or any other act of church authority."

Such are the leading articles in the platform of 1648. This is by no means a full view, some of the things are selected, because they are impor tant, others, because they are now obsolete and unknown to a great part of the people, for the purpose of giving the reader an idea of the religious opinions of our forefathers.

More than thirty years after this platform was adopted, it was confirmed by another synod. A vote was passed in these words: "A synod of the churches in the colony of Massachusetts, being called by the general court to convene at Boston, the 10th of September, 1679, having read and considered the platform of church discipline, agreed upon by the synod assembled at Cambridge, 1648, do unanimously approve of the said platform, for the substance of it, desiring that the

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New Subject of Controversy.

churches may continue steadfast in the order of the gospel, according to what is therein declared from the word of God."

These synods having been called by the legisla ture, and their doings approved by them, their platform and proceedings, were an authority in courts of law. But it has been determined lately by the superior court,* that by a law, made under the charter of William and Mary, in 1700, the platform has become obsolete as an authority in our courts. By the law it is enacted, that when a parish is destiute of a minister, the church may give one a call to settle, and if he accepts, and the parish concur, he shall be the minister of the parish, for whose maintenance, all the parishioners shall be taxed.

Several years after the death of Mr. Hooker, a violent contention arose in the church of Hartford,

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upon some nice point of congregationalism.” The governor, and other principal characters, taking a zealous part in the controversy, the flame soon spread to neighbouring churches, and finally through the whole colony. In 1654 or 5, a council was called to settle the dispute, but their opinion was little regarded, as they were supposed previously to have taken sides in the contest. other council was therefore called from Massa

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chusetts, in 1656, but their labours for peace were equally unsuccessful.

* HAWES versus MANN, and others. Norfolk, 1795.

New Subject of Controversy.

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A strong party seized this opportunity, when the churches were in a state of convulsion and weakness, to obtrude new claims. Their demand was, that all persons of regular lives should be admitted to full communion, and that all baptized persons should be treated as members of the church, and some insisted, that all who had been members of regular ecclesiastical parishes in England, and supported public worship, should be allowed the privileges of those, who were in full communion. A list of grievances was introduced to the legislature on account of their being denied, as they stated, their just rights and privileges by the ministers and churches. The churches had chosen their ministers; this was considered by the congregation as a great grievance, as they had an equal concern for themselves and families, and bore their share in supporting them. These points were warmly agitated through the colony. The times were altered. The people, who first settled the country, were generally pious professors of religion, but many of their children, and others, who had more recently immigrated here, made no profession of religion, and their children were not baptized.* These people, as all the honours and offices of the country were in the church, were engaged to obtain for themselves the privileges and honours of church membership, and also baptism for their children. These were joined by a more

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* TRUMBULL.

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Solicitude about Baptism.

serious party, who saw no other way to remedy distressing evils, which they devoutly deplored.

The first planters had a numerous posterity, and themselves had generally become grand parents. These excellent and godly fathers of the land, with the deepest distress, saw their grandchildren excluded from the ordinances of baptism, and the blessings of the church. Many of them appeared sober, were desirous of renewing their baptismal covenant, and submitting to the discipline of the church; "yet they could not come up to that experimental account of their regeneration, which would sufficiently embolden their access to the other sacrament. "" It became the study of the aged, how they might continue their descendants under the watch of the church, "that they might be in a fairer way to receive the grace of God." That they might be under the government of the shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ, they had brought their lambs into this forlorn wilderness. Yet, with their ideas of church purity, they feared that if all persons were admitted, not guilty of censurable scandal, a worldly part might bring things into a disagreeable state.*

The magistrates of Connecticut, observing the state itself, as well as the church, to be in danger from the paroxysm commencing, procured a draught of the questions, which disturbed the public mind, and sent them to the magistrates of

• MATHER.

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