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Accommodation and Discernment in Jeremiah Burroughs’ Irenicum

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Accommodation and Discernment in Jeremiah Burroughs’ Irenicum KNOWING WHEN TO YIELD: ACCOMMODATION AND DISCERNMENT IN JEREMIAH BURROUGHS’ IRENICUM by RACHEL SUE BRIGHTON B.B. Sc. (Hons), LaTrobe University, 1992 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Theology, Acadia University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Theology) Acadia Divinity College, Acadia University Spring Convocation 2014 © RACHEL SUE BRIGHTON, 2014 ii This thesis by RACHEL SUE BRIGHTON was defended successfully in an oral examination on 14 April, 2014. The examining committee for the thesis was: Dr. Anna Robbins, Chair Dr. Gary Thorne, External Examiner Dr. Glenn Wooden, Internal Examiner Dr. William Brackney, Supervisor This thesis is accepted in its present form by Acadia Divinity College, the Faculty of Theology of Acadia University, as satisfying the thesis requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Theology). iii I, RACHEL SUE BRIGHTON, hereby grant permission to the University Librarian at Acadia University to provide copies of my thesis, upon request, on a non-profit basis. Rachel Sue Brighton Author Dr. William Brackney Supervisor April 14, 2014 Date (This page is blank on purpose.) iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS viii INTRODUCTION 1. Statement of the Problem 1 2. Method 3 3. Claim 5 4. Delimitation 5 5. Outline 7 6. Christian Ethics from an Historical Perspective 8 7. Literature Review on Burroughs 10 Chapter 1: BURROUGHS IN CONTEXT 1. Biography 12 2. Political and Ecclesial Context 18 A. The Westminster Assembly 22 B. Congregationalism 24 C. Presbyterianism 28 D. Political and Religious Accommodation 29 3. Burroughs’ Doctrine of the Church 30 4. Burroughs’ Views on Worship and Discipline 32 5. Hermeneutics 36 A. Reading the Bible 36 B. Puritans and Paul 39 v Chapter 2: IRENICISM AND ADIAPHORA 1. Irenicism 40 2. Adiaphora as an Instrument of Church Unity 44 A. The Early Lutheran Understanding 48 B. Richard Hooker’s Understanding 51 C. William Ames on Conscience and Adiaphora 52 3. Summary 55 Chapter 3: IRENICUM 1. Literary Genre 56 A. Introduction 56 B. “Irenicums” in England in the 1600s 56 C. Contemporary Irenic Works 58 1) Joseph Hall: Christian Moderation 59 2) John Davenant: Exhortation to Brotherly Communion 60 3) Leonard Busher: Religion’s Peace 62 D. English Practical Divinity 1) Overview 63 2) The Ramist Influence on Practical Divinity 64 2. The Text of Irenicum 66 3. Structure 67 4. Dividing Principles 70 A. FIRST: “There can be no agreement without uniformity” 70 B. SECOND AND THIRD: “All religions are to be tolerated” 72 “That nothing which is conceived to be evil is to be suffered” 72 C. FOURTH: “Division is the best way to maintain Dominion” 73 D. FIFTH: “That every man is bound to profess … truth” 73 E. SIXTH: “What is in itself best must be chosen and done …” 75 F. SEVENTH: “It is obstinacy … not to be convinced …” 76 G. EIGHTH: “If others be against … the truth …” 77 H. NINTH: “Rules of prudence are sufficient to guide us…” 77 I. TENTH: “Every difference in Religion is a differing Religion” 78 vi 5. The “Knotty Business” of Knowing When to Yield 78 6. Rules and Parameters 80 7. Burroughs’ Use of “Things Indifferent” 84 8. Theological Motivation 86 9. Summary 89 Chapter 4: ACCOMMODATION IN THEOLOGICAL USE 1. Overview 91 2. Linguistic Meaning of “Accommodation” 92 3. Recent Scholarship 94 4. Negative Connotation 98 5. Pauline Studies 100 6. An Historical Example of Accommodation 106 7. A Contemporary Example of Accommodation 107 8. Summary 108 Chapter 5: THE NEED FOR DISCERNMENT 1. Discernment 110 2. Practical Moral Reasoning and Prudence 113 3. Metaethics and Heuristics 115 4. ‘Ecclesial Ethics’ 116 5. Paul and “Strife” 119 6. Adiaphora and Discernment 123 CONCLUSION 127 BIBLIOGRAPHY 131 APPENDIX A: Additional Works of Burroughs 154 APPENDIX B: Outline of Chapters 15-34 of Irenicum 158 vii ABSTRACT This thesis offers a critical assessment of the principles for peaceful fellowship advanced by Jeremiah Burroughs (1599-1646) in a series of lectures on division and concord in the church, which were published in London in 1645 under the title Irenicum. The focus is on his moderating and conciliating principles and their theological justification. The concept of accommodation, as understood in the context of recent Pauline scholarship, is used to examine the central ideas grouped around the practice of “yielding” in Burroughs’ proposal. It is suggested that his Irenicum makes a contribution to discourse on ecclesial ethics, by offering a practical and scriptural framework for congregational discernment in times of conflict. viii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to thank the professors of Acadia Divinity College who have taught me over the past many years: Drs. William H. Brackney, Craig A. Evans, Robert S. Wilson and R. Glenn Wooden. I am grateful for Dr. Brackney’s guidance and encouragement in my preparation of this thesis. My research would have been impossible without the gracious and attentive librarians at the Vaughan Memorial Library of Acadia University, the Annapolis Valley campus library of the Nova Scotia Community College in Lawrencetown, and the various librarians from other universities associated with the Novanet consortium of libraries. Without comparison in all their support and motivation are my husband, Daniel Lillford, and our sons, Rupert, Jesse and Harry. May God bless you and make His face to shine upon you and keep you in the palm of His hand. 1 INTRODUCTION “So far as reason and conscience will give way, yield to those you contend with.” “If there be any soul-disease that is opprobrium Theologorum, the disgrace of Divines, it is this of contention and division. How little has all that they have studied and endeavoured to do, prevailed with the hearts of men?” “Variety of opinions, and unity of those that hold them, may stand together.” “If I must needs err, considering what our condition is here in this world, I will rather err by too much gentleness and mildness, than by too much rigour and severity.” – Jeremiah Burroughs, Irenicum 1. Statement of the Problem Disputes among Christians can and do arise when scripture appears “silent” or open to reasonable differences in interpretation. How do Christians discern between right and wrong in disputed matters within their congregation or church tradition? When consensus or compromise through dialogue has failed, should you stand your ground or “give in?” Upon what theological resources would you draw, and on what principles would you stand? Presuming that fellow Christians with whom you disagree also rely on scripture, as you do, then on what grounds would you, or should you, yield for the sake of fellowship? Jeremiah Burroughs (1599-1646) tackled questions like this in his lectures on division and unity in the church, which were published in London in 1645 under the title Irenicum.1 1 Irenicum, to the lovers of truth and peace. Heart-divisions opened in the causes and evils of them: with cautions that we may not be hurt by them, and endeavours to heal them (London: Printed for 2 Burroughs was an English Congregationalist minister and lecturer who sought to reconcile tensions between Christians in a period of sharp theological dispute during the first English Civil War (1642–46) and while the Westminster Assembly of Divines was in session. Amidst this turmoil of church and state, he delivered a series of lectures that diagnosed causes of division and prescribed remedies for what might loosely be called intellectual and affective aspects of disunity. In doing so, Burroughs addressed the difficult question of when it is good for Christians to yield to one another in disagreements, for the sake of fellowship. As will be seen in his Irenicum, Burroughs also sought to hold certain things in dynamic tension, principally: diversity and unity; fellowship and freedom; and being right as an individual and walking uprightly and in unison as Christ’s church. I hope this report on my research will help some congregations today as they face situations of conflict within the church. Robert Dawlman, 1643, 1653). Digital facsimiles of the 1645 and 1653 editions were consulted for this study and the page numbers cited are from the latter. I have retained the syntax, changed spelling, and kept the punctuation as much as possible, but altered it occasionally to clarify meaning. The only word I have consistently replaced is “then,” which meant then what is now meant by “than.” The texts I used can been seen in the subscription database, Early English Books Online. A searchable digitized version of the 1653 edition is available at The Internet Archive of the University of Toronto Libraries, https://archive.org/details/irenicumtothelov00burruoft. 3 2. Method This study has attempted to establish a valid method for evaluating Burroughs’ approach to church conflict, to warrant bringing forward his example to aid congregations that may be facing divisive situations within their own fellowship. It endeavours to show the theological principles upon which Burroughs encouraged Christians to “yield to those you contend with,” so far as “reason and conscience will give way.” [Irenicum, 290] To establish a framework for evaluation, Burroughs’ concept of accommodating difference is “tested” against the teaching of Paul as understood in recent scholarship. There are some obvious difficulties in interpreting an historic text, especially when the aim is to harvest resources for the church today. It proved necessary to understand in reasonable detail the ideas and arguments circulating in Burroughs’ milieu, so as to figure out which arguments and principles were time-bound and which might make the difficult passage across time. For instance, the text advances classic arguments for tolerance by the state or the church and outlines a typology of conflict and peace-making within the church. It is very likely that its publication in 1645 aided the apologetics of the Independents as they pressed Parliament for congregational concessions and then for autonomy.2 My premise was that Burroughs’ case for peace and unity may well have been self-serving to some degree.
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