HISTORY. As all Protestant communions are exposed to the charge of error on account of their recent origin, they usually appeal to the Scriptures for the confirmation of their opinions, and the justification of their conduct. Independents cordially unite in the appeal, and assent to the truth of the celebrated aphorism of Chillingworth, that "the Bible, and the Bible alone, is the religion of Protestants." If they can cite these Scriptures as the sources of their belief, and bring positive commands, or fairly-deduced inferences, for their peculiar mode of worship and discipline, they then dismiss things which others prize, as the unbroken succession of the ministry, and the visible uniformity of worship, as matters of little import ance. The members of this Christian communion believe that a careful perusal of the New Testament would confirm the conclusions which they have reached respecting the principles and forms of church government. They recognize as a fundamental truth the spirituality of the kingdom of Christ, and avow that its affairs are to be managed by spiritual persons only. Its independence of all secular power and patronage is fully proved by the circumstances under which the early churches were planted, sustained, and multiplied.* They believe that these churches were associations of spiritual persons whom an identity of character drew together; whose hearts were * Vide Note (A) at the end of the volume. B * united by common love to Christ, and a concern for his glory. The officers who superintended the primitive Christian churches, appear to have been bishops or presbyters, and deacons. It was the province of the former to watch over the religious interests of the flock; to administer instruction, consolation, and reproof, that he might " present every man perfect in Christ Jesus." He was to guide the activity of the church, and to furnish an example of that spiritual excellence which should give weight to his teaching, prove a stimulus to believers, and afford convincing evidence of the nature of Christianity to the world. The deacons were appointed to distribute the funds which Christian benevolence placed at their disposal among the poor and destitute members of the church; and to concur with the pastor and their brethren in seeking the great objects of their spiritual association. The characters which these officers should possess, are described in the epistles to Timothy and Titus and as there are no hints or directions for any other order of men, it is reasonable to suppose that these two only were known in any organized Christian society. The same Divine record informs us, that the peculiar duties enforced upon primitive churches : *The following opinions of the venerable Wycliffe upon this subject are given in Dr. Vaughan's Life of the Reformer. The origin of the distinctions which had obtained among the secular clergy is thus given :—“ By ordinance of Christ, priests and bishops were all one. But afterwards the emperor divided them-and made bishops lords, and priests their servants; and this was the cause of envy, and quenched much charity. For the ordinances of Christ are founded in meekness, in unity and charity, and in contempt of riches and high estate."-MS. on the Seven Deadly Sins. In his Trialogus the same doctrine is more than once inculcated. He there observes :-"I boldly assert one thing, viz., that in the primitive church, or in the time of Paul, two orders of the clergy were sufficient, that is, a priest and deacon. In like manner I affirm, that in the time of Paul, presbyter and bishop were names of the same office. This appears from the third chapter of the first epistle to Timothy, and in the first chapter of the epistle to Titus.-And the same is testified by that profound theologian, Jerome." were, the voluntary support of the ministry, (Gal. vi. 16;) the cultivation of sympathy, which supposes some common principles between the members which can never exist in a promiscuous assembly gathered by external force; and the exercise of discipline by expelling the offender from their communion; and, upon his penitence, by cordially receiving him again to their fellowship. As every church was complete in itself, they appealed to no other tribunal, and the administration of discipline was easy, expeditious, and effectual.* This primitive system exercised the whole of the new nature; was adapted to secure eminence of spiritual character; and afforded unexampled facilities for the propagation of the Gospel. Such is a brief outline of the system which the Scriptures favour; but every attentive reader of the New Testament, who was unacquainted with the facts of history, would be led to believe, from several intimations+ and predictions, that the simplicity and purity of the early church would hereafter be assailed by the corruptions of ungodly men. He would have decisive, though painful evidence, of the inspiration of the Scriptures, in the shape of fulfilled prophecy-if he placed the simple narrative of the Acts of the Apostles beside those pages which describe the universal ignorance, impiety, and delusion which extended from the pope, who boasted of Divine authority, to the peasant, who paid his mite for an * Bishop Burnet, in his History of the Reformation, gives a striking instance of the difficulty which the pious bishops of a former period felt in the administration of discipline. The confession presents a painful contrast to the facility with which offenders were formerly excluded from the church.-See 1 Cor. v., 2 Cor. ii. The following is an extract of a letter written (Anno 1567) by Cox, Bishop of Ely, to Gualter of Zurich :-" We have some discipline," he says, "among us, with relation to men's lives, such as it is; but if any man would go about to persuade our nobility to submit their necks to that yoke, he may as well venture to pull the hair out of a lion's beard." † 1 Tim. iv. 1-3. B indulgence to sin. He would observe the exact correspondence of the Bishop of Rome to that description given by Paul (2 Thess. ii. 9) of him "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God" and he would equally perceive that prophecy had faithfully described the means by which his ascendancy has been attained and upheld : "Whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish."-v. 9, 10. The mystery of iniquity which had been secretly operating, was now fully revealed; and the claims of Rome were as impious as they were extensive. These claims were at length successfully resisted in Germany and Switzerland (A. D. 1521) by Luther, Zuinglius, and their sainted fellow-labourers. By their successful exertions, the long-lost Bible was restored to the people; the circulation of indulgences was stopped, and Divine worship was rendered spiritual and refreshing. It is probable that the writings and labours of Wycliffe (A. D. 1356-1384) were as "bread cast upon the waters;" and although the direct efforts of his holy life cannot now be traced, it may be presumed that the precious truths which he circulated with such noble contempt of danger, have not been allowed to fall to the ground. They may have silently prepared some for resisting the papal authority; and the narratives of his fortitude may have inspired others to endure the persecutions to which their religion exposed them. Although the English Reformation, (A. D. 1533,) which was accomplished by Henry VIII., is sullied by its immediate origin and the temper with which it was effected, yet there were undoubtedly many who sighed for deliverance from papal bondage, and would have greatly rejoiced had it |