Customs of Primitive Churches, Morgan Edwards; No. 1

Thanks to Chris Hanna, I recently obtained an e-copy of Customs of Primitive Churches by Morgan Edwards (Philadelphia, PA: 1768). Edwards (1722-1795) was for many years clerk of the Philadelphia Baptist Association,and compiler of Materials Towards a History of the Baptists in the United States. Customs of Primitive Churches is a fairly rare and hard-to-find book, though several libraries have it in microform. The information in Edwards's "Advertisement" suggests why it is hard to find -- that it was printed in limited quantity. I intend to try to post some excerpts from the book for your historical enjoyment and elucidation. Following below is the "Advertisement" on page 2 and the "Contents" on page 110. It seems that it was intended as a sort of church manual.

The book can be hard to read and decipher at times. I am using brackets [ ] to set off words of which I am unsure. Also trying for the most part to retain original spelling, but with correction of some typos.

Advertisement

THE publisher of the following piece knows that a thing of the kind requires much care and a multitude of counsellers in order to render it useful and unexceptionable. He means no more by the publication than humbly to engage his brethren to join him in a design of serving the churches this way, and to offer his mite towards the accomplishment of that design; therefore he intends to print but a few copies, and to let none go out of his hands but to the ministers of the philadelphia association, and some others; with an earnest request that each of them will consider the plan; mend it; or propose a better; correct what is wrong; retrench superfluities; supply defects, particularly texts more apposite to the propositions than some of those cited; and after all meet in a body to compare their thoughts together, and contrive the best method to put them forth, as was the case with regard to our Confession of faith in the year 1689. (page 2)

Contents (Page 110)

Of the word church
Of the distinctions of a church
Of the definition of a church
Of the constitution of a church
Of the officers of a church
Of a minister
Of his qualifications
Of his election
Of his ordination
Of his instalment
Of elders
Of eldresses
Of deacons
Of deaconesses
Of a clerk
Of missionaries
Of the right of church officers to pay
Of church censures
Of rebuke
Of suspension
Of excommunication
Of admission to the church
Out of the world
Out of another church
Of restoration of the suspended
Of the excommunicated
Of the ordinances of the church
Of baptism
Of the Lords Supper
Of laying on of hands
Of the right hand of fellowship
Of the love feast
Of washing feet
Of the kiss of charity
Of anointing the sick
Of collecting for the saints
Of fasts
Of feasts or thanksgivings
Of devoting children to God
Of burying the dead
Of marriage
Of public worship
Of the sabbath
Of a church judicature
Of decissions by suffrage
Of the subjection of women
Of the business of a church
Of the duties of church members to their ministers
Of their behaviour towards one another
Of their behaviour towards their church
Of their duties as men, women &c
Of their duties towards the world
Of the duties of a church towards itself and other churches
Of an association

After the customs book contents page, there are 6 pages of information about the churches of the Philadelphia Baptist Association.

 

Nevertheless, I don't know its printing history and it could have been reprinted several times. Considering that it was first issued in 1768 and the Revolution came on soon may mean it didn't get reprinted. Plus, Edwards was not a supporter of the Revolution like most of the Baptists of his day. To my understanding this was not because he supported the British victory, but that he feared the Baptists in America might fare worse, freedom-wise, under a Protestant government run by Congregationalist and such like, than under the Church of England.

 

Brother Glen, yes, Morgan Edwards considered those to be offices. I will start another thread on what Edwards said about deaconesses -- since it is shorter and quicker to type than what he said about eldresses. Edwards believed the office of eldresses "hath foundation in scripture and antiquity." It consisted of such things as praying, teaching and presiding in separate assemblies for the women, and assisting in the baptism of women "that all may be done orderly". On the other hand, concerning subjection of women he wrote "The Scripture forbids women to speak, ask questions, dispute, rule, and vote in the church. Yet they may make their minds known by means of a brother, and ought to have just regard paid thereto." So he was not talking about women preaching and pastoring churches.

I don't know whether many Regular Baptists in the Philadelphia Association agreed with Edwards on these two offices. My impression is that the majority would not have. (But that is just an impression). Many of the Separate Baptists recognized both offices. In Shubal Stearns and the Separate Baptist Tradition, Josh Powell mentions eldresses and deaconesses in the Sandy Creek Church.