Old and New Testament in their assemblies, and, on occasion, expounded them. They offered up solemn and public prayer for kings and all in authority; and although they did not approve of a form of prayer in their assemblies, they admitted that public prayer ought to be framed by the study and premeditation of their ministers, as were their sermons.

"The word of God was constantly preached among them, and the two sacraments of baptism and the Lord's Supper regularly and frequently administered in their assemblies, to which were added the singing of psalms, and a collection for the poor, every Lord's day.

"In doctrine, they professed an agreement with the church of England, and other reformed churches. Their officers were, pastors, teachers, ruling elders, and deacons. They practised no church censures, but admonition, and excommunication, upon obstinate offenders; which last, they maintained, should not be pronounced, but for crimes of the greatest magnitude, and which it may be presumed, were committed contrary to the light and conviction of the person's conscience."

The reasons which the Independents assigned for entering so largely into the explanation and defence of their principles, was, that they had been so grossly calumniated, and their opinions so misrepresented, that although they were well aware, that they should be overborne by numbers, yet they judged it a fit opportunity to vindicate themselves, and their tenets, from the odium which had been cast on them.

Clarendon and Eachard, represent the Independents as ignorant and illiterate enthusiasts; which, in regard to their leaders, was certainly a great mistake. Rapin also, while he acknowledges that he knew nothing of their origin, paints them in very disadvantageous colours; and says, "that their principles were exceeding proper to put the kingdom into a flame; that they abhorred monarchy, and approved of none but a republican government; and that as to religion, their principles were contrary to all the rest

of the world; that they would not endure regular ministers in the church, but every one among them prayed, preached, admonished, and interpreted Scriptures, without any other call than what himself drew from his supposed gifts, and the approbation of his hearers."

The above shows, how accurate historians are often misled, in regard to things with which they have little acquaintance. In answer to similar reproaches, in the year 1647, they declare, "That as magistracy and government, in general, is the ordinance of God, they do not disapprove of any form of civil government, but do freely acknowledge, that a kingly government, bounded by just and wholesome laws, is both allowed by God, and a good accommodation unto men.' 99

It may here be remarked, however, that as both the Browists and Anabaptists hold the entire independence of all churches, they were commonly included under this denomination, and their peculiarities seemed to give character to the general body; but there was not one of either of these sects in the Assembly of Divines.

The testimony of Baxter, respecting those properly called Independents, may be considered as impartial and accurate, as, though he was not one of them, he was well acquainted with the men and their principles. He admits, "that most of them were zealous, and very many, learned, discreet, and pious, capable of being very serviceable to the church, and searchers into Scripture and antiquity;" although he blames them for making too light of ordination; for their too great strictness in the qualifications of church members; for their popular form of church government, and their too much exploding synods and councils. But then adds, "I saw commendable care of serious holiness and discipline in most of the Independent churches."

As to the Presbyterians, they formed a large majority in the Assembly, and there is no need to enter into any detail respecting their opinions, since the

"form of government" adopted by the Assembly and established by the Parliament, shows clearly enough, what principles they held on this subject. The only extraordinary thing in regard to them is, that having all been educated Episcopalians, there should have been such an agreement among them, respecting the Scriptural form of church government. The fact furnishes a strong argument in favour of this plan of ecclesiastical polity; and an argument of the same kind, but of greater force, may be derived from the agreement of nearly all Protestant churches, in all countries, in the same principles, at the era of the Reformation. For even the English reformers can scarcely be said to form an exception; for Episcopacy was retained by them, not so much from conviction of its Scriptural origin, as from external and political circumstances, which they had no power to control. It is true, that the intolerant and domineering conduct of the bishops, under James and Charles I., had produced in the minds of both clergy and laity, an unfavourable impression, in regard to the Episcopal office; but when the Assembly met, their views of reformation extended, as has been said, no further than to diminishing the authority of bishops, and reducing the system to that form, which was believed to have been prevalent in the times immediately after the apostles, when bishops were poor, pious, and laborious men. Two reasons may be assigned for the general consent of the members of this Assembly, to the Presbyterian form of church government; the first was, that after the arrival of the Scottish commissioners, there was a full and extended discussion of the subject, in which these Scottish divines took a large share; and they possessed the advantage of having thoroughly studied the subject, in relation to their own kirk, and were, therefore, fully prepared to defend the cause of presbytery. It is a remarkable fact that the young Scot, Gillespie, was, on this subject, more than a match for all the learned Erastians and Independents in the Assembly. Many of the English divines, it is probable, had come to the Assembly,

without any determinate opinions on church government, and were now convinced of the just claims of presbytery, from the arguments which they heard; others had come to the same conclusion previously, by the careful study of the Scriptures.

But a second consideration, which might have influenced a number who were not convinced of the divine right of presbytery, was, that unless they adopted the Presbyterian polity, there was no prospect of uniformity in religion with the church of Scotland, which was one great object of calling the Assembly, as is set forth in the ordinance of Parliament, heretofore inserted; and it was evident, that the kirk of Scotland would never agree to any form of Episcopacy, however modified. They had recently discarded, utterly, their own bishops, and solemnly excommunicated most of them, in the General Assembly of 1638; and it would have been as easy at this time to introduce popery, as prelacy, into the church of Scotland.

There is one other consideration, which ought to be mentioned, in accounting for the almost unanimous adoption of Presbyterian principles by the Westminster Assembly. The bishops, and high-toned Episcopalians, had generally sided with the king, in the dispute between him and the Parliament. This would very naturally create a prejudice against that form of church government which was so zealously defended by his majesty and his adherents. Parliament were more and more tending towards republican principles; and it is easy to see, that Presbytery is more in accordance with such principles, than high church Episcopacy.

The

When the Assembly came to determine the point of the jus divinum of Presbytery, most of the Erastians and the Independents withdrew from the body, and returned no more; but of this we shall speak in another place.

CHAPTER VI.

Correspondence with Foreign Divines.

THE Assembly were naturally led to wish to receive the countenance and aid of foreign churches, and of the most learned and esteemed theologians in the foreign Protestant universities. They therefore addressed the following circular:

"To the Belgic, French, Helvetian, and other reformed churches.

"Right reverend and dearly beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ,

"WE, the assembly of divines, and others, convened by the authority of both houses of Parliament, with the commissioners from the general assembly of the church of Scotland, do heartily salute you in the Lord. We doubt not, but the sad reports of the miseries under which the church and kingdom of England do bleed, and wherewith we are ready to be swallowed up, is long since come to your ears; and it is probable, the same instruments of Satan and Antichrist have, by their emissaries, endeavoured to represent us as black as may be among yourselves.And we sometimes doubt whether we have not been wanting to our own innocence, and your satisfaction, in being thus long silent; but pardon us, dear brethren, if this cup of trembling wherewith our spirits have been filled to amazement, and our wrestling with extreme difficulties ever since our meeting, has hindered from that which was our duty; and give us leave now a little to ease our grief, while we relate the desolation made by the antichristian faction, who are for hindering the work of reformation, and for intro