CHAPTER VII.

TESTIMONY

OF THE REFORMERS, AND OTHER WITNESSES FOR THE TRUTH, IN DIFFERENT AGES AND NATIONS.

THE reader has been already reminded, that neither the question before us, nor any other which relates to the faith or the order of the church, is to be decided by human authority. We have a higher and more unerring standard. But still, when there is a remarkable concurrence of opinion among learned and holy men, in favour of any doctrine or practice, it affords a strong presumptive argument that such doctrine or practice is conformable to Scripture. Thus the fact, that the great body of the reformers concurred in embracing and supporting that system of evangelical truth, which has been since very improperly styled Calvinism, is justly viewed by the friends of that system as a powerful argument in its favour. Let us apply this principle to the case under consideration.

*

It has been common for the zealous friends of prelacy to insinuate, that the Presbyterian doctrine of parity was unknown till the time of Calvin; that he was the first distinguished and successful advocate for this doctrine; and that the great body of the reformers totally differed from him on this subject, and em

* I say improperly styled Calvinism, because, to say nothing of its much greater antiquity, the same system had been distinctly taught by several eminent reformers, and among others, by Luther himself, before Calvin appeared.

braced Episcopacy. How persons even tolerably versed in the history of the reformed churches, could ever allow themselves to make such a representation, I am altogether at a loss to conceive. Nothing certainly can be more remote from fact. The smallest attention to the subject will convince every impartial inquirer, that the most distinguished witnesses for evangelical truth, through the dark ages, long before Calvin lived, maintained the doctrine of ministerial parity; that the earliest reformers, both in Great Britain and on the continent of Europe, admitted the same principle; that all the reformed churches, excepting that of England, were organized on this principle; that the church of England stands alone in the whole Protestant world, in making diocesan bishops an order of clergy, superior to presbyters; and that even those venerable men who finally settled her government and worship, did not consider this superiority as resting on the ground of divine appointment, but of ecclesiastical usage and human expediency.

If I mistake not, it will be easy to satisfy you, by a very brief induction of facts, that these assertions are not lightly made.

In the honourable catalogue of witnesses for the truth, amidst the corruption and darkness of papal error, the Waldenses hold the first place. They began to appear as soon as the "man of sin" arose, when they resided chiefly in the valleys of Piedmont. But they afterwards greatly multiplied, spread themselves extensively in France, Switzerland, and Italy, and, under different names in different districts, continued their testimony in favour of evangelical truth, for a number of centuries. All Protestant historians concur in representing them as constituting the purest

part of the Christian church for several ages: and Reinerius, who had once lived among them, and who was their bitter persecutor, says, "They are more pernicious to the church of Rome than any other sect of heretics, for three reasons: 1. Because they are older than any other sect; for some say that they have been ever since the time of Sylvester; and others say, from the time of the apostles. 2. Because they are more extensively spread than any other sect; there being scarcely a country into which they have not crept. 3. Because other sects are abominable to God for their blasphemies; but the Waldeness are more pious than any other heretics; they believe truly of God, live justly before men, and receive all the articles of the creed; only they hate the church of Rome."

Among the numerous points in which these witnesses for the truth rejected the errors of the Romish church, and contended for the doctrine of Scripture, and of the apostolic age, one was that there ought to be no diversity of rank among ministers of the gospel; that bishops and presbyters, according to the word of God, and primitive practice, were the same order. Nor did they merely embrace this doctrine in theory. Their ecclesiastical organization was Presbyterian in its form. I know that this fact concerning the Waldenses has been denied; but it is established beyond all reasonable question by authentic historians.

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Eneas Sylvius declares concerning the Waldenses, They deny the hierarchy; maintaining that there is no difference among priests by reason of dignity of office."-Hist. Bohem. cap. 35.

In one of their public documents, dated in 1395, those pious witnesses of the truth declared, "that the Romish priests were grossly immoral; while theirs

were humble, generous, chaste, sober, full of love, peaceable, &c., and therefore gave greater evidence than the Papists of being ministers of Christ, though not ordained by ecclesiastical bishops.”—Blair's History of the Waldenses, Vol. I. 435.

"Of

John Paul Perrin, who was himself a pastor among them, in his history of that people, delivers at length, "the discipline under which the Waldenses and Albigenses lived; extracted out of divers authentic manuscripts, written in their own language, several hundreds of years before Luther or Calvin." From this work the following extracts are made. Art. 2. “ Pastors." "All they that are to be received as pastors amongst us, whilst they are yet with their own people, are to entreat ours, that they would be pleased to receive them to the ministry; and to pray to God that they may be made worthy of so great an office. We also appoint them their lectures, and set them their task, causing them to learn by memory all the chapters of St. Matthew and St. John, and all the Epistles that are canonical, and a good part of the writings of Solomon, David, and the prophets. Afterwards, having produced good testimonials, and being well approved for their sufficiency, they are received with imposition of hands into the office of teachers. He that is admitted in the last place, shall not do any thing without the leave or allowance of him that was admitted before him. As also he that was admitted first, shall do nothing without the leave of his associates, to the end that all things, with us, may be done in order. Diet and apparel are given unto us freely, and by way of alms, and that with sufficiency, by those good people whom we teach. Amongst other powers and abilities which God hath given to his

servants, he hath given authority to choose leaders, to rule the people, and to ordain elders in their charges. When any of us, the aforesaid pastors, falls into any gross sins, he is both excommunicated, and prohibited to preach." Art. 4. "Our pastors do call assemblies once every year, to determine of all affairs in a general synod.”*

In another Confession of Faith, drawn up about the year 1220, they declare that the functions of ministers consist in "preaching the word and administering sacraments," and that "all other ministerial things may be reduced to the aforesaid." Speaking of the rite of confirmation, and of the popish claims that it must be administered by a bishop, they assert, that "it has no ground at all in Scripture; that it was introduced by the devil's instigation, to seduce the people; that by such means they might be induced the more to believe the ceremonies, and the necessity of the bishops."+

In the same work, (chap. 4,) it is expressly and repeatedly asserted, that the synods of the Waldenses were composed of ministers and elders. This mode of speaking is surely not Episcopal.

In perfect coincidence with all this, is the testimony of Gillis, in his History of the Waldenses. This writer, like Perrin, was one of the pastors of that people, and therefore perfectly qualified to give an account of their peculiar doctrines and practices. He speaks familiarly of the pastors of their churches, in the Presbyterian style. He says, "These pastors, in their ordinary assemblies, came together and held a synod once a year, and most generally in the month of September, at

* Perrin's History of the Old Waldenses, Part II. Book V. Chap. 7 + Ibid. Chap. 8.