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be satisfied, or we shall all run back into blood again. However, the protector did not live to see the fruits of this assembly, which was appointed to be held at the Savoy, October 12, 1658, where ministers and messengers from above one hundred congregational churches met to-. gether, of which the majority were laymen, the rest pastors in churches, and some younger divines about the court, as the reverend and learned Mr. John Howe, at that time chaplain to the young protector and others.* They opened their synod with a day of fasting and prayer, and after some debate, whether they should adopt the doctrinal articles of the Westminster assembly for their own, with some amendments and additions, it was thought more advisable to draw up a new confession, but to keep as near as possible to the method and order of the other. A committee of the most eminent divines was chosen for this work, viz. Dr. Thomas Goodwin, Dr. Owen, Mr. Phil. Nye, Mr. Wm. Bridge of Yarmouth, Mr. Jos. Caryl, and Mr. William Greenhill. While these were employed in preparing, and putting together the articles of their confession, the synod heard complaints, and gave advice in several cases which were brought before them, relating to disputes or differences in their churches.

The particular heads of doctrine agreed to by the committee, were presented to the synod every morning, and read by the reverend Mr. Geo. Griffith their scribe. There were some speeches and debates upon words and phrases, but at length all acquiesced, and the whole was soon after published in quarto, under the title of A declaration of the faith and order owned and practised in the congregational churches in England, agreed upon, and consented unto by their elders and messengers in their meeting at the Savoy, October 12, 1658. Next year it was translated into Latin by professor Hornbeck, and published at the end of his Epistola ad Duræum de Independentissimo. Some imputed their unanimity to the authority and influence of Dr. Owen, Mr. Nye, and the rest of the elder divines over the younger; but they themselves, in their preface, "look upon it as a great and special work of the Holy Ghost, that so numerous a company of ministers, and oth

* Calamy's Abridg. vol. ii. p. 444.

er principal brethren, should so readily, speedily, and jointly give up themselves to such a whole body of truths as is there collected." They add further, "that this agreement of theirs fell out without their having held any correspondence together, or prepared consultation, by which they might be advised of one another's minds." Which I confess is very extraordinary, considering the confession consists of thirty-thee chapters, in which are almost two hundred distinct articles of faith and discipline; and that the whole time of the synod's sessions or continuance, was not above eleven or twelve days.

The Savoy confession proceeds upon the plan of the Westminster assembly, which made the work very easy; and in most places retains their very words. They tell the world in their preface, that they fully consent to the Westminster confession for the substance of it, but have taken liberty to add a few things, in order to obviate some erroneous opinions that have been more boldly maintained of late than in former times. They have likewise varied the method in some places, and have here and there expressed themselves more clearly, as they found occasion. They have omitted all those chapters in the assembly's confession which relate to discipline, as the 30th and 31st, with part of the 20th and 24th, relating to the power of synods, councils, church cencures, marriage and divorce, and the power of the civil magistrate in matters of religion. These (say they) were such doubtful assertions, and so unsuited to a confession of faith, that the English parliament would never ratify them, there being nothing that tends more to heighten dissentions among brethren, than to place these doubtful speculations under so high a title as a confession of faith. After the 19th chapter of the assembly's confession, of the law, the Savoy divines have added an entire chapter, of the gospel, in which what is dispersed up and down the assembly's confession is collected, and put together. Upon the whole, the difference between these two confessions, in points of doctrine, is so very small, that the modern independents have in a manner laid aside the use of it in their families, and agreed with the presbyterians in the use of the assembly's catechism.

At the end of the Savoy confession there is a chapter of

discipline, entitled, of the institution of churches, and the order appointed in them by Jesus Christ ; in which they assert, “That every particular society of visible professors agreeing to walk together in the faith and order of the gospel is a complete church, and has full power within itself to elect and ordain all church officers, to exclude all offenders, and to do all other acts relating to the edification and well-being of the church,

"That the way of ordaining officers, that is, pastors, teachers, or elders, is after their election, by the suffrage of the church, to set them apart with fasting and prayer, and imposition of the hands of the eldership of the church, though if there be no imposition of hands, they are nevertheless rightly constituted ministers of Christ; but they do not allow that ordination to the work of the ministry, though it be by persons rightly ordained, does convey any office-power, without a previous election of the church.

"That no persons may administer the sacrament but such as are ordained and appointed thereunto. Nor are the pastors of one church obliged to administer the sacraments to any other, than to the members of that church to whom they stand related in that capacity. Nor may any person be added to the church, as a private member, but by the consent of the church, after a confession of his faith,† declared by himself, or otherwise manifested.

"They disallow the power of all stated synods, presby teries, convocations, and assemblies of divines, over par

It was also a practice of the independents, at the first formation of their churches, to sign an agreement, or covenant, which they entered on their church-books. This, sometimes, ran out into various articles, expressive of their devotedness to the service of God,their trust in Christ, their determination to study the scriptures, and to form their faith and worship by them, of their mutual engagement to keep the christian ordinances, to watch over one another in the Lord, to bear one another's burthens, and to preserve union and love, and of their resolutions to persevere in a course of faith and holiness. Of these forms of agreement, one of the most simple is that which was adopted by the church at Wattesfield in Suffolk. It was in these words: "We do covenant or agree in the presence of God, through the assistance of his holy spirit, to walk together in all the ordinances of the Lord Jesus, as far as the same are made clear unto us, endeavoring the advancement of the glory of our Father, the subjection of our will to the will of our Redeemer, and the mutual edification of each other in his most holy faith and fear." Mr Thomson's MSS. Collections, uuder the name Wattesfield. Ed.

ticular churches, but admit, that in cases of difficulty, or difference relating to doctrine or order, churches may meet together by their messengers in synods or councils, to consider and give advice, but without exercising any juris

diction.

"And lastly, they agree, that churches, consisting of persons sound in the faith and of good conversation, ought not to refuse communion with each other, though they walk not in all things according to the same rule of church order; and if they judge other churches to be true churches, though less pure, they may receive to occasional communion such members of those churches as are credibly testified to be godly, and to live without offence.

"These opinions (say they) may appear new to a great many people, because they have not been openly and pub licly professed in the English nation, but we are able to trace the footsteps of an independent congregational way, in the ancientest practice of the church, and in the writings of the soundest protestant divines." They add, "that their principles do not in the least interfere with the authority of the civil magistrate, nor do they concern themselves upon any occasions with him, any further than to implore his protection, for the preservation of the peace and liberty of their churches." They glory in this, that ever since they appeared in the world, they have distinguished themselves in the cause of christian liberty. We have always, say they, maintained this principle, that among all christian states and churches, there ought to be a forbearance, and mutual indulgence to christians of all persua sions, that keep to, and hold fast the necessary foundations of faith and holiness. This principle we have maintained for the sake of others, when we ourselves had no need of it." They conclude with thankfulness to their present governors, for permitting those who could not comply with the presbyterian establishment to enjoy the liberty of their consciences, and equal encouragement and protection with others; and that this liberty is established by a law, as long as they disturb not the public peace. This should engage us (say they) to promote the honor and prosperity of such a government to be peaceably disposed one towards another, VOL. IV.

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and to love as brethren; forasmuch as the differences between presbyterians and independents are differences between fellow-servants,neither of them having authority from God or man, to impose their opinions upon one another.

Mr. Baxter,|| in the main, a very peaceable and candid divine, loses all temper when he speaks of this assembly: He finds fault with their definition of justification, and makes these remarks: "They thought it not enough expressly to contradict St. James, and to say unlimitedly, that we are justified by the righteousness of Christ only, and not by any works, but they contradicted St. Paul also, who says, that faith is imputed for righteousness; and not only so, but they asserted, that we have no other righteousness but that of Christ. A doctrine abhorred by all the reformed and christian churches, and which (says he) would be an utter shame of the protestant name, if what such men held and did, were imputable to sober protestants." But is it possible that Mr. Baxter could believe, that the Savoy di. vines denied the necessity of sanctification, or personal holiness? when they have a whole chapter in their confession upon sanctification, another upon repentance and good works, and a third upon the moral law, which they declare does for ever bind all men to obedience, both justified and unjustified. When Mr. Baxter asked some honest men who joined them, whether they subscribed the confession? They said, no; he then enquired, why they did not contradict this? To which they answered, because the meaning was, that they had no other righteousness but that of Christ to be justified by; which is certainly the doctrine of the Westminster assembly. What does Mr. Baxter reply to this? Why nothing, but adds, very uncharitably, "that the independent confessions are like such oaths as speak one thing and mean another; so much could two men, [Dr. Owen and Goodwin] do with many honest tractable young men, who had more zeal for separating strictness than judgment to understand the word of God, the interest of the churches and of themselves." And yet there were in that assembly many divines of as great age and learning as himself; their design was not to underval

|| Life, p. 104.

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