Motion 4, What is the Church

Passed by a majority of clergy and members.  The Puritan Church in America defines what the Church is.

The Puritans are more of a federation of churches than a denomination.  We have never claimed to "know it all"-and we would not make the claim now.  We do believe we think with a depth and a breadth that few modern believers can match. Thus, without following pastors blindly, we can learn from the scriptures which are the very word of God.  And all Christians ought to weigh the message of their pastor and the doctrines of their denomination in the light of God's Word.

The Puritan View of Church and Public Worship.

WHAT IS THE CHURCH?

Puritans try to be clear in their thinking, we are fussy about defining our terms. Thus, before saying anything about what the Church does, we shall begin with what the Church is. John Davenport provides the fullest definition,

"It is a company of faithful and holy persons called

out of the world to fellowship with Jesus Christ, and

united in one congregation to Him as members to

their head, and one with another by a holy covenant

for mutual fellowship in holy worship and edification".

Most of us, I think, would agree with Davenport. But it's hard to understand how radical the idea was at the time of Davenport and more so today. Puritanism appears against the background of Roman Catholicism, The Church of England, American Episcopalians, Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Assembly of God, Pentecostals, Evangelicals, Pentecostals, and Mormons in the USA.  Around the world we mission in Buddhist, Hindu, Islamic, Orthodox Christian, Jewish, Atheist, and Animist native religion nations.  For many non-Christians the idea of  "church" is not readily understandable.

Catholics define the Church with the organization. To their doctrine since Vatican II, the Church is not only the people of God, but primarily the Pope, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, and Priests who dispense the grace of God to sinners through the sacraments.

The same may be said of the Anglican, Episcopal, Lutheran, and Methodist churches.  They are a Protestant "Catholic Lite" that see the Church as God's people but also as a Christ representative administering sacraments from the altar.

Then there are the Presbyterian Christians, those of the Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Church of Christ, and Disciples of Christ who view the Church as God's people together with the clergy living and worshiping together in community with the Church as a weekly rest and duty to God.

Puritans tear up this doctrine root and branch!  It simply makes sinners dependent on the Church and not Christ!

As for the supposed reform churches? It has always occupied a middle ground between Catholicism and Puritanism.   Martin Luther defines the Church as, "A congregation of faithful men".  That's the formal doctrine of Anglicans, Episcopalians, Lutherans, and Methodists.  But, with its Real Presence in the Lord's Supper, its priesthood, its ceremony, costumes, sacred buildings, and so on, it leaves the impression-at least-that It is the Church and the people are only there to receive God's grace through its officers and ritual.  No more reformed than the post Vatican II Catholics.  In fact an argument can be made the Catholics in Vatican II became more Protestant than Protestants actually stopped being Catholic.  They simply became vernacular liturgy Catholics.

Puritans say no to all of this "reform".  The Church is the People-not everyone who comes to worship on Sunday, of course, but, as William Gouge said,

"Those who inwardly and effectively,

by the Spirit, believe in Christ".

WHAT DOES THE CHURCH LOOK LIKE?

If this is what the Church is-the People of God-how can you tell it from others who make the same claim? Remember, there were cults in those days-not much different than the ones we have today. They all said they were God's people. How can you know that your church is God's Church-and not a synagogue of Satan?

Puritans leave no doubt.  Improving on the Reformers, we believe the Church is identified by three marks. Richard Sibbes tells us what they are,

"The outward marks whereby a true Christian Church

is known are the preaching of the Word purely,

ministering of the Sacraments sincerely, and eccle-

siastical discipline".

The Church is first identified with the pure preaching of God's Word. By "God's Word" here, we mean the Gospel. Because there is no salvation apart from the Gospel, there can be no church where the Gospel is not faithfully preached. If the Church is like a garden, then the Gospel is its source of water. Dry up the water and there is no garden; take away the Gospel, and there is no church.

The faithful preaching of God's Word must not be confused with infallibility.  Puritans do not believe that any man or group of men was above error. John Preston,

"Not to be capable of errors is the inseparable

attribute of God Himself which cannot be said

of any creature".

No Pope, no priest, no presbyter! No one's understanding or preaching is perfect. The Westminster Confession of Faith says,

"The purest churches under heaven are subject

both to mixture and error".

It is the Word preached purely not perfectly that identifies the Church of Christ.

The second mark of the True Church is "ministering the sacraments sincerely". The only Sacraments are Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

Puritans baptize believers who are over 13 only, either by submersion, sprinkling, or by pouring.  It depends on the construction of the church and the local customs of the congregation.  A winter baptism in the river in Massachusetts is impossible in winter.  A cotton mouth infested river in Texas poses problems as well.

Under the right administration of the sacraments, Puritans really mean this: Baptism and the Lord's Supper are means of grace, but they do not necessarily convey salvation to everyone who shares in them. In other words, you're not saved by them. Churches that say you are, are not true churches.

Why not? Because Salvation by Sacrament nullifies the Gospel.

The third mark of a True Church is Ecclesiastic Discipline. If the Church is the People of God, then those who don't belong to God cannot be part of the Church. Either they're not let in at all or, if they are, they are put out after proving they're not saved by their heresies or immoral lives. That's what Church Discipline means. Without being perfect or even mature, the church is made up of, Visible Saints.

In summary, the Church is the People of God and it's recognized by Gospel preaching and holy living.

WHAT DOES THE CHURCH DO?

Now that we know what the Church is and what it looks like, we may look at What the Church does.

It worships Jesus Christ.  Puritans have no King but Jesus Christ.  We respect civil authority, but our first allegiance is to Christ the King.  Whatever benefit we get out of going to church, it is secondary to what Christ gets out of it. And that's worship.

Worship is the Church's first priority. How do we decide what goes into worship and what doesn't? Everyone would agree that some things are appropriate for public worship and other things aren't. But how do we make the call?

There are only three possible answers: tradition, personal preference, and God's Word.

The Roman Catholics (and to a lesser degree, Lutheran and the Church of England reformed churches) arranged their services under the guidance of Tradition. They didn't say the Bible commands us to genuflect in the service, to make the sign of the cross, to burn incense, to use holy water, and so on.  But they added the Church has long done these things, holy men have always approved of them, and many have been blessed by them. And to their way of thinking that's good enough.

Evangelical Churches don't have much of that today, but their standard tends to be personal preference. The pastor wants it; the church likes it; the experts recommend it; or, it appeals to the unsaved or the culture we mission in.

Puritans rejected both the authority of tradition and the spirit of the age.  As for culture, we are children of one God and one Gospel.  The Gospel is the sole authority. Since it is Christ being worshiped in Church it is up to Him to decide what to put in and what to leave out!

Martin Luther was not as strict as we Puritans, but long before we were born, he explained what was wrong with most worship-

"There is an amazing confusion of religious forms

in the world. This came about because all proceeded

without the Word of God, according to the opinion of

men. God does not want to be worshiped in any way

but that which He Himself prescribed".

If God is to be worshiped His way and not ours we have to know where to find His way.  Puritans tell plainly in words one cannot mistake,

"The Scripture is not a partial, but perfect rule of

faith and manners: Nothing is to be observed in

the Church.but what is contained in the Scriptures"

(William Ames).

"Scripture contains all things necessary to be

practiced in the worship of God" (John Owen).

"The New Testament is absolutely perfect for

delivering the whole manner of God's worship"

(Henry Jacob).

God is to be worshiped His way-and His way is revealed in the Bible, especially in the New Testament!
This came to be known as The Regulative Principle. It is well summed up by William Bradshaw,

"We hold and maintain that the Word of God

contained in the writings of the Prophets and

Apostles is of absolute perfection, given by

Christ, the Head of the Church, to be unto the

Same the sole canon and rule of all matters

Of religion, and the worship and service of God

Whatseover. And whatsoever cannot be

Justified by said Word is unlawful".

God's Worship in short is contained in and limited to the Word of God.  God's Worship God's Way.


HOW DID THE PURITAN DOCTRINE CHANGE WORSHIP?

Now that we know what we are aiming for and on what basis we make our decisions, it's good to ask: How did the Puritan Doctrine change the worship of the Church?

In short, it simplified things. Here's a string of quotes from Cotton Mather:

"I am of the opinion that all things in the church

should be pure, simple, and removed as far as

possible from the elements and pomps of this world. "

"If the religion be pure, spiritual, simple, and lowly,

As the Gospel most surely is, such must the face

Of ministry be."

"Our principal care and desire is to administer

the ordinances of Christ Himself in their native

purity and simplicity, without any dressing or

painting of human invention".

The Puritans simplified just about everything in the churches. For example, we simplified our Ritual. The Catholics, the Anglicans, and others excelled in ceremony; their services were multi-media presentations the Word was heard, bright colors were seen, the incense was smelled, holy water was felt, and the Wafer was eaten.  Puritans recoiled from the extravaganza. Richard Greenham said,

"The more ceremonies, the less truth".

We do not give special attention to the Church Calendar with its required feast days and fast days. Oliver Cromwell once said,

"Our Christmas Day, Easter Day, our Ascension Day, our

Whitsuntide is every Lord's Day".

Our observance of Christmas is first in the family.  Without trees, gifts, lights, and all the other distractions.  We offer our family to have Christ be born as the King of the family.  In our churches without tree, ornament, manger scene, or lights our pastors preach how Christ can be born into our hearts.  Easter is without eggs, bunnies, baskets, candy, or fashion show.  We worship Resurrected Jesus.  Puritan means we "purify" the celebration of secular and pagan nonsense and get to the Christ centered celebration.

Because the Lord's Supper is not a sacrifice, the stone altar is replaced with a wooden table. And, because the Church must be Word centered, the Table was moved to the side and the pulpit is put front and center.

We simplified Church Music. Because singing is the heritage of all God's People, choirs were dismissed and their challenging songs were replaced with Psalms set to tunes that were easy to sing and consistent with the Glory of God.

Finally, we simplified The Seven Sacraments of the Catholic Church and they were replaced by the two found in the Bible, Baptism and the Lord's Supper. And these, too, were simplified, in that Puritans take the mystery (or, magic, maybe) out of them and tell the people what they really are signs of God's love and our salvation.

WHAT EFFECT DID THE SIMPLYING OF WORSHIP HAVE 

One last thing: What effect did the simplifying of worship have on the Puritans? It had the best effect of all: It allowed everyone to take part in the worship of God.

When the screens were taken down in front, everyone could draw near to God through Jesus Christ.

When the choirs were dismissed, everyone could sing God's praises in his own language.

When the reading and preaching of God's Word was made central to the service, everyone could know God's will for his life. William Weston was a Jesuit priest who hated the Puritans. What made him angry, made the Puritans glad,

"They held arguments, also among themselves, about

the meaning of various Scripture texts, all of them,

men, women, boys and girls, laborers, workmen,

and simpletons".

Gothic buildings, mysterious ceremonies, Latin chants, priestly costumes, and the like leave the people awed, perhaps, but still far from God. But simplify the service and you not only honor God, but bring His people home to their Father.

That's the Puritan view of the Church and Public Worship.  It is all for Christ's glory.