1648
In Massachusetts, the attempt to maintain religious orthodoxy only increased demands for toleration. The General Court was petitioned in 1646 to call a synod for the purpose of relaxing church discipline; the ruling clergy (which still included John Winthrop, the first governor) consented to the synod partly to forestall the intervention of more latitudinarian England in the colony's affairs. However, although the synod met promptly, both liberal and conservative forces delayed the enactment of a formal definition of authority for two years, by which time Oliver Cromwell's seizure of power in England had made overseas interference unlikely. As a result, the so-called Cambridge Platform of the synod, adopted in 1648, denied rather than affirmed the liberties that had been sought by the petitioners. The Platform, part of which appears below, is generally regarded as the high-water mark of clerical domination in Massachusetts.
OF THE POWER OF THE CHURCH AND ITS PRESBYTERY
1. Supreme and lordly power over all the churches upon earth does only belong unto Jesus Christ, who is King of the church, and the Head thereof. He has the government upon His shoulders, and has all power given to Him, both in heaven and earth.
2. A company of professed believers ecclesiastically confederate as they are a church before they have officers, and without them; so even in that estate, subordinate church power, under Christ, delegated to them by Him, does belong to them in such a manner as is before expressed ... and as flowing from the very nature and essence of a church; it being natural to all bodies, and so unto a church body, to be furnished with sufficient power for its own preservation and subsistence.
3. This government of the church is a mixed government (and so has been acknowledged long before the term of independency was heard of), in respect of Christ, the Head and King of the church, and the sovereign power residing in Him, and exercised by Him, it is a monarchy; in respect of the body or brotherhood of the church and power from Christ granted unto them, it resembles a democracy; in respect of the presbytery and power committed unto them, it is an aristocracy. ...
5. The power granted by Christ unto the body of the church and brotherhood is a prerogative or privilege which the church does exercise: (1) in choosing their own officers, whether elders or deacons; (2) in admission of their own members and, therefore, there is great reason they should have power to remove any from their fellowship again. Hence, in case of offense, any one brother has power to convince and admonish an offending brother; and in case of not hearing him, to take one or two more to set on the admonition; and in case of not hearing them, to proceed to tell the church. And as his offense may require, the whole church has power to proceed to the public censure of him, whether by admonition or excommunication; and upon his repentance to restore him again unto his former communion. ...
9. It belongs also unto the elders to examine any officers or members before they be received of the church; to receive the accusations brought to the church; and to prepare them for the church's hearing. In handling of offenses and other matters before the church, they have power to declare and publish the counsel and will of God touching the same, and to pronounce sentence with the consent of the church. Lastly, they have power, when they dismiss the people, to bless them in the name of the Lord.
10. This power of government in the elders does not anywise prejudice the power of privilege in the brotherhood as neither the power of privilege in the brethren does prejudice the power of government in the elders; but they may sweetly agree together. ...
11. From the premises, namely, that the ordinary power of government belonging only to the elders, power of privilege remains with the brotherhood (as power of judgment in matters of censure, and power of liberty in matters of liberty). It follows that, in an organic church and right administration, all church acts proceed after the manner of a mixed administration, so as no church act can be consummated or perfected without the consent of both. ...
OF THE ADMISSION OF MEMBERS INTO THE CHURCH
1. The doors of the churches of Christ upon earth do not by God's appointment stand so wide open that all sorts of people, good or bad, may freely enter therein at their pleasure; but such as are admitted thereto as members ought to be examined and tried first, whether they be fit and meet to be received into church society or not. ...
5. A personal and public confession, and declaring of God's manner of working upon the soul, is both lawful, expedient, and useful, in sundry respects and upon sundry grounds. ...
6. This profession of faith and repentance, as it must be made by such at their admission that were never in church society before, so nothing hinders but the same way also be performed by such as have formerly been members of some other church, and the church to which they now join themselves as members may lawfully require the same. ...
7. The like trial is to be required from such members of the church as were born in the same, or received their membership and were baptized in their infancy, or minority, by virtue of the covenant of their parents, when, being grown up unto years of discretion, they shall desire to be made partakers of the Lord's Supper; unto which, because holy things must not be given unto the unworthy, therefore it is requisite that these as well as others should come to their trial and examination, and manifest their faith and repentance by an open profession thereof before they are received to the Lord's Supper, and otherwise not to be admitted thereunto.
Yet these church members that were so born, or received in their childhood, before they are capable of being made partakers of full communion, have many privileges which others (not church members) have not. They are in covenant with God; have the seal thereof upon them, viz., baptism; and so, if not regenerated, yet are in a more hopeful way of attaining regenerating grace and all the spiritual blessings both of the covenant and seal. They are also under church watch and, consequently, subject to the reprehensions, admonitions, and censures thereof for their healing and amendment, as need shall require.
OF CHURCH MEMBERS, THEIR REMOVAL FROM ONE CHURCH TO ANOTHER, AND OF LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION AND DISMISSION
1. Church members may not remove or depart from the church, and so one from another, as they please, nor without just and weighty cause, but ought to live and dwell together, forasmuch as they are commanded not to forsake the assembling of themselves together. Such departure tends to the dissolution and ruin of the body, as the pulling of stones and pieces of timber from the building, and of members from the natural body, tend to the destruction of the whole.
2. It is therefore the duty of church members, in such times and places when counsel may be had, to consult with the church whereof they are members about their removal, that accordingly they have their approbation, may be encouraged, or otherwise desist. They who are joined with consent should not depart without consent, except forced thereunto. ...
OF EXCOMMUNICATION AND OTHER CENSURES
1. The censures of the church are appointed by Christ for the preventing, removing, and healing of offenses in the church; for the reclaiming and gaining of offending brethren; for the deterring others from the like offenses; for purging out the leaven which may infect the whole lump; for vindicating the honor of Christ and of His church, and the holy profession of the Gospel; and for preventing the wrath of God that may justly fall upon the church if they should suffer His covenant and the seals thereof to be profaned by notorious and obstinate offenders.
2. If an offense be private (one brother offending another), the offender is to go and acknowledge his repentance for it unto his offended brother, who is then to forgive him; but if the offender neglect or refuse to do it, the brother offended is to go and convince and admonish him of it, between themselves privately. If, thereupon, the offender be brought to repent of his offense, the admonisher has won his brother; but if the offender hear not his brother, the brother offended is to take with him one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word may be established (whether the word of admonition, if the offender receive it, or the word of complaint, if he refuse it); for if he refuse it, the offended brother is by the mouth of the elders to tell the church. And if he hear the church and declare the same by penitent confession, he is recovered and gained; and if the church discern him to be willing to hear yet not fully convinced of his offense, as in case of heresy, they are to dispense to him a public admonition; which declaring the offender to lie under the public offense of the church, does thereby withhold or suspend him from the holy fellowship of the Lord's Supper till his offense be removed by penitent confession. If he still continue obstinate, they are to cast him out by excommunication.
3. But if the offense be more public at first, and of a more heinous and criminal nature, to wit, such as are condemned by the light of nature, then the church, without such gradual proceeding, is to cast out the offender from their holy communion, for the further mortifying of his sin and the healing of his soul, in the day of the Lord Jesus.
4. In dealing with an offender, great care is to be taken that we be neither overstrict or rigorous, nor too indulgent or remiss; our proceeding herein ought to be with a spirit of meekness, considering ourselves, lest we also be tempted; and that the best of us have need of much forgiveness from the Lord. Yet the winning and healing of the offender's soul, being the end of these endeavors, we must not daub with untempered mortar, nor heal the wounds of our brethren slightly. On some have compassion; others, save with fear.
5. While the offender remains excommunicate, the church is to refrain from all memberlike communion with him in spiritual things, and also from all familiar communion with him in civil things, further than the necessity of natural, or domestical, or civil relations do require; and are therefore to forbear to eat and drink with him, that he may be ashamed.
6. Excommunication being a spiritual punishment, it does not prejudice the excommunicate in, nor deprive him of, his civil rights, and therefore touches not princes or other magistrates in point of their civil dignity or authority. And the excommunicate, being but as a publican and a heathen, heathens being lawfully permitted to come to hear the word in church assemblies, we acknowledge therefore the like liberty of hearing the word may be permitted to persons excommunicate that is permitted unto heathen. And because we are not without hope of his recovery, we are not to account him as an enemy but to admonish him as a brother. ...
OF THE COMMUNION OF CHURCHES ONE WITH ANOTHER
1. Although churches be distinct, and therefore may not be confounded one with another, and equal, and therefore have not dominion one over another, yet all the churches ought to preserve church communion one with another, because they are all united unto Christ, not only as a mystical but as a political head, whence is derived a communion suitable thereunto.
2. The communion of churches is exercised sundry ways: (1) by way of mutual care in taking thought for one another's welfare; (2) by way of consultation one with another, when we have occasion to require the judgment and counsel of other churches, touching any person or cause wherewith they may be better acquainted than ourselves. ... (3) by way of admonition, to wit, in case any public offense be found in a church, which they either discern not or are slow in proceeding to use the means for the removing and healing of. ... (4) by way of participation - the members of one church occasionally coming unto another, we willingly admit them to partake with us at the Lord's table, it being the seal of our communion not only with Christ, nor only with the members of our own church, but also with all the churches of the saints. In which regard, we refuse not to baptize their children presented to us, if either their own minister be absent or such a fruit of holy fellowship be desired with us. In like case, such churches as are furnished with more ministers than one do willingly afford one of their own ministers to supply the place of an absent or sick minister of another church for a needful season. ...
OF THE CIVIL MAGISTRATES' POWER IN MATTERS ECCLESIASTICAL
1. It is lawful, profitable, and necessary for Christians to gather themselves into church estate, and therein to exercise all the ordinances of Christ, according unto the word, although the consent of the magistrate could not be had thereunto; because the apostles and Christians in their time did frequently thus practise when the magistrates, being all of them Jewish or pagan, and mostly persecuting enemies, would give no countenance or consent to such matters.
2. Church government stands in no opposition to civil government of commonwealths, nor any way entrenches upon the authority of civil magistrates in their jurisdiction; nor any whit weakens their hands in governing, but rather strengthens them and furthers the people in yielding more hearty and conscionable obedience unto them; whatsoever some ill-affected persons to the ways of Christ have suggested to alienate the affections of kings and princes from the ordinances of Christ; as if the Kingdom of Christ in His church could not rise and stand without the falling and weakening of their government, which is also of Christ. Whereas the contrary is most true, that they may both stand together and flourish, the one being helpful unto the other in their distinct and due administrations.
3. The power and authority of magistrates is not for the restraining of churches, or any other good works, but for helping in and furthering thereof; and therefore the consent and countenance of magistrates, when it may be had, is not to be sleighted or lightly esteemed; but, on the contrary, it is part of that honor due to Christian magistrates to desire and crave their consent and approbation therein; which, being obtained, the churches may then proceed in their way with much more encouragement and comfort.
4. It is not in the power of magistrates to compel their subjects to become church members and to partake at the Lord's table; for the priests are reproved that brought unworthy ones into the sanctuary. Then, as it was unlawful for the priests, so it is as unlawful to be done by civil magistrates. Those whom the church is to cast out if they were in, the magistrate ought not to thrust into the church nor to hold them therein.
5. As it is unlawful for church officers to meddle with the sword of the magistrate, so it is unlawful for the magistrate to meddle with the work proper to church officers. ...
6. It is the duty of the magistrate to take care of matters of religion and to improve his civil authority for the observing of the duties commanded. ...
7. The object of the power of the magistrate are not things merely inward, and so not subject to his cognizance and view, as unbelief, hardness of heart, erroneous opinions not vented; but only such things as are acted by the outward man. Neither is their power to be exercised in commanding such acts of the outward man, and punishing the neglect thereof, as are but mere inventions and devices of men, but about such acts as are commanded and forbidden in the word. Yea, such as the word does clearly determine, though not always clearly to the judgment of the magistrate or others, yet clearly in itself. In these, he of right ought to put forth his authority. ...
8. Idolatry, blasphemy, heresy, venting corrupt and pernicious opinions that destroy the foundation, open contempt of the word preached, profanation of the Lord's Day, disturbing the peaceable administration and exercise of the worship and holy things of God, and the like are to be restrained and punished by civil authority.
9. If any church, one or more, shall grow schismatical, rending itself from the communion of other churches, or shall walk incorrigibly or obstinately in any corrupt way of their own, contrary to the rule of the word, in such a case the magistrate is to put forth his coercive power, as the matter shall require.
SourceThe Creeds and Platforms of Congregationalism, Williston Walker, ed., New York, 1893, pp. 194-237.
