Congregationalism

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The retention by theAnglican State Church of the prelatical form of government and of manyCatholic rites and ceremonies offensive to genuineProtestants resulted in the formation of innumerablePuritan factions, with varying degrees of radicalism. The violent measures adopted by Elizabeth and the Stuarts to enforce conformity caused the more timid and moderate of thePuritans to remain in communion with the State Church, though keeping up to the present day an incessant protest against "popish tendencies"; but the more advanced and daring of their leaders began to perceive that there was no place for them in a Church governed by ahierarchy and enslaved to thecivil power. To many of them, Geneva was the realization ofChrist's kingdom on earth, and, influenced by the example of neighbouringScotland, they began to form churches on the model ofPresbyterianism. Many, however, who had withdrawn from the "tyranny" of the episcopate, were loath to submit to the dominion of presbyteries and formed themselves intoreligious communities acknowledging "no head,priest,prophet or king save Christ". These dissenters were known as "Independents" and in spite of fines, imprisonments, and the execution of at least five of their leaders, they increased steadily in numbers and influence, until they played a conspicuous part in the revolution that cost Charles I his crown and life. The earliest literary exponent of Independence was Robert Brown, from whom the dissenters were nicknamed Brownists. Brown was born in 1550, of a goodfamily, in Rutlandshire, and studied atCambridge. About 1580 he began to circulate pamphlets in which the State Church was denounced in unmeasured terms and theduty was inculcated of separating from communion with it. The godly were not to look to the State for the reform of theChurch; they must set about it themselves on the Apostolic model. Brown defines theChurch as a "company or number ofChristians or believers, who, by a willing covenant made with theirGod, are under the government ofGod and Christ, and keep hislaws in one holy communion". This new gospel attracted numerous adherents. A congregation was formed in Norwich which grew rapidly. Summoned before thebishop's court, Brown escaped the consequences of hiszeal through the intervention of his powerful relation, Lord Burghley, and, with his followers, migrated toHolland, the common refuge of thepersecuted reformers of allEurope. TheNetherlands were soon flooded with refugees fromEngland, and large congregations were established in the principal cities. The most flourishing Independent Church was that of Leyden under the direction of John Robinson. It was to this congregation that the "Pilgrim Fathers" belonged, who in 1620 set sail in the Mayflower for theNew World.

The successful establishment of the New England colonies was an event of the utmost importance in the development of Congregationalism, a term preferred by the AmericanPuritans to Independency and gradually adopted by their coreligionists in Great Britain. Not only was a safe haven now opened to the fugitives frompersecution, but the example of orderly communities based entirely on congregational principles, "without pope, prelate, presbytery, prince or parliament", was a complete refutation of the charge advanced byAnglicans andPresbyterians that Independency meantanarchy and chaos, civil and religious. In theMassachusetts settlements, "the New England way", as it was termed, developed, not indeed without strifes and dissensions, but without external molestation. They formed, from thePuritan standpoint, the veritable kingdom of thesaints; and the slightest expression of dissent from the Gospel was punished by theministers was punished with scourging, exile, and even death. The importance of stamping out Nonconformity in the American colonies did not escape the vigilance of Archbishop Laud; he had concerted measures with Charles I for imposing theepiscopacy upon them, whenwar broke out between the king and the Parliament. During the Civil War inEngland, though few in number compared with thePresbyterians, they grew in importance through the ability of their leaders, notably of Oliver Cromwell who gained for them the ascendency in the army and the Commonwealth. In the Westminster Assembly convened by the Long Parliament in 1643, Independency was ably represented by fiveministers, Thomas Goodwin, Philip Nye, Jeremiah Burroughs, William Bridge and Sidrach Simpson, known as "The Five Dissenting Brethren", and ten or elevenlaymen. They all took a prominent part in the debates of the Assembly, pleading strongly for toleration at the hands of thePresbyterian majority. They adopted thedoctrinal articles of the Westminster Confession with slight modifications; but as there could be no basis of agreement between them and thePresbyterians regarding church government, a meeting of "elders and messengers" of "the Congregational churches" was held at theSavoy in 1658 and drew up the famous "Savoy Declaration", which was also accepted in New England and long remained as authoritative as such a document could be in a denomination which, theoretically, rejected all authority. From this Declaration we obtain a clearidea of the Congregationalist notion of theChurch.

Theelect are called individually by the Lord, but "those thus called (through the ministry of the word by His Spirit) he commandeth to walk together in particular Societies or Churches, for their mutual edification and the due performance of that Public Worship which He requireth of them in this world". Each of these particular churches is theChurch in the full sense of the term and is not subject to any outsidejurisdiction. The officers of the church,pastors, teachers, elders, anddeacons, are "chosen by the common suffrage of the church itself, and solemnly set apart byfasting andprayer, withimposition of hands of the eldership of that church, if there be any before constituted therein"; the essence of the call consists in election by theChurch. To preserve harmony, noperson ought to be added to theChurch without the consent of theChurch itself. TheChurch has power to admonish andexcommunicate disorderly members, but this power of censure "is to be exercised only towards particular members of each church as such". "In case of difficulties or differences, either in point ofdoctrine or administration, wherein either the churches in general are concerned, or any one church, in their peace, union, and edification, or any member or members of any church are injured in or by any proceeding in censures not agreeable totruth and order, it is according to the mind of Christ that manychurches holding one communion together do by their messengers meet in a Synod or Council to consider and give their advice in or about that matter in difference, to be reported to all the churches concerned: Howbeit, these Synods so assembled are not entrusted with any church power properly so called, or with anyjurisdiction over the churches themselves, to exercise any censures, either over any churches orpersons, or to impose their determination on the churches or officers." If anyperson, for specified reasons, be dissatisfied with his church, "he, consulting with the church, or the officer or officers thereof, may peaceably depart from the communion of the church wherewith he hath so walked, to join himself to some other church". Finally it is stated that "churches gathered and walking according to the mind ofChrist, judging other churches (though less pure) to betrue churches, may receive unto occasional communion with them such members of these churches as are credibly testified to be godly and to live without offense".

Such are the main principles of Congregationalism regarding the constitution of the church; indoctrine the Congregational teachers were, for the most part, strictlyCalvinistic. Independent ascendency came to an abrupt close at the death of Cromwell and the restoration of Charles II. ThePresbyterians, who had seated the Stuart on his throne, might hope for his favour; there was slight prospect that he would tolerate the democratic tenets of Congregationalism. As a matter of fact Charles and his servile parliamentpersecuted both forms of dissent. A succession of severe edicts, the Corporation Act, 1661, the Act of Uniformity, 1662, the Conventicle Act, 1663, renewed, 1670, the Five-Mile Act, 1665, and the Test Act, 1673, made existence almost impossible toNonconformists of all shades ofbelief. Yet in spite ofpersecution, they held out until the eighteenth century brought toleration and finally freedom. It is characteristic of thePuritans that, notwithstanding the sufferings they had undergone they spurned the indulgence offered by James II, because it tolerated popery; in fact, they were morezealous than the rest of the nation in driving James from the throne. The exclusion of Dissenters from the Britishuniversities created a serious problem for the Congregationalists as well as for theCatholics; to thesacrifices which these and otherdenominations out of communion with the State Church made for the maintenance of academies and colleges conducted according to their respective principles,England, like America, owes that great boon so essential to the well-being of civilized nations, freedom ofeducation. During the eighteenth century, while theclergy of the Established Church,educated and maintained by the State, werenotoriously incapable and apathetic, whatever there was of spiritual energy in the nation emanated from the denominational colleges.

Congregational unions

The Congregational churches were at their best while the pressure ofpersecution served to cement them; this removed, the absence of organization left them an easy prey to the inroads ofrationalism and infidelity. Before the end of the eighteenth century many of them lapsed intoUnitarianism, alike inEngland and America. A new problem was thus forced upon them, viz. how to maintain the unity of the denomination without consciously violating their fundamentaldoctrine of the entire independence of each particular church. "A Congregational Union of England and Wales", formed in 1833 and revised in 1871, issued a "Declaration of the Faith, Church Order, and Discipline of the Congregational or Independent Dissenters", and provided for annual meetings and a president who should hold office for a year. American Congregationalism has always been of a more organic character. While persisting in emphasizing the complete independence of particular churches, it has made ample provision, at the expense of consistency, for holding the denomination together. No minister is admitted except upon approval of theclerical "association" to which he must belong. To be acknowledged as Congregationalist, a new community must be received into fellowship by the churches of its district. Should a church fall into seriouserror, or tolerate and upholdnotoriousscandals, the other churches may withdraw their fellowship, and it ceases to be recognized as Congregationalist. If a minister is found guilty of grossheresy orevil life, a council summoned to examine his case may, ifnecessary, withdraw from him the fellowship of the churches. The statements of Henry M. Dexter, D.D., the historian of hissect ("American Encyclopedia", s.v. "Congregationalism"), prove that there is a marked contrast between Congregational theory and practice. The Congregationalists have been very active in home and foreign mission work and possess eighttheologicalseminaries in theUnited States viz. Andover,Massachusetts; Atlanta, Georgia; Bangor, Maine; New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut; Oberlin,Ohio;Chicago, Illinois; and the Pacific, Berkeley,California. Since 1871 national councils, composed of delegates from all the States of the Union, are convened every third year. "The Congregational Handbook for 1907" gives the following statistics of the denomination in America: Churches 5931;ministers 5933; members 668,736. Included in this count are Cuba with 6ministers and 636 members and Porto Rico with 3ministers and 50 members. InEngland andWales the statistics for 1907 were: sittings 1,801,447; communicants 498,953;ministers 3197; local preachers 5603. The efforts made in recent years to find a basis for some kind of corporate union between the Congregationalists, theMethodist Protestants, and the United Brethren in Christ have not been successful.

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