With these directions and rules to Timothy, in his character of superintendant of the church at Ephesus, the apostle mixed many earnest charges to him, in his character as an evangelist, to shew himself a pattern of all the virtues which he recommended to others.-And, considering the excellency of Timothy's disposition, and his great veneration for the apostle, it cannot be doubted, that he observed the directions and charges contained in this letter, with the most religious care. There is even reason to think his labours at Ephesus were so blessed of God, that the false doctrines and corrupt practices of the judaizing teachers in that city, were for a while repressed. For at the time the epistle to the church of Ephesus was written, she seems to have maintained an excellent character, as appears from what is expressed in that letter, Rev. ii. 1.-7.

SECTION IV.

Of the Use which the Church, in every Age, is to make of St. Paul's Epistles to Timothy and Titus.

Though the errors of the judaizing teachers in Ephesus, which gave rise to the apostle's epistles to Timothy, have long ago disappeared, the epistles themselves are still of great use, as they serve to shew the impiety of the principles from which these errors proceeded. For the same principles are apt in every age to produce errors and vices, which, though different in name from those which prevailed in Ephesus in the apostle's days, are precisely of the same kind, and equally pernicious.— These epistles are likewise of great use in the church, as they exhibit to Christian bishops and deacons, in every age, the most perfect idea of the duties of their function; teach the manner in which these duties should be performed; describe the qualifications necessary in those who aspire to such holy and honourable offices, and explain the ends for which these offices were originally instituted, and are still continued in the church.

The very same things, indeed, the apostle, about the same time, wrote to Titus in Crete; but more briefly, because he was an older and more experienced minister than Timothy. Nevertheless the repetition of these precepts and charges, is not without its use to the church still, as it maketh us more deeply sensible of their great importance: Not to mention, that in the epistle to Titus, there are things peculiar to itself, which enhance it's value. In short, the epistles to Timothy' and Titus taken

together, containing a full account of the qualifications and duties of the ministers of the gospel, may be considered as a complete body of divinely inspired ecclesiastical canons, to be observed by the Christian clergy of all communions, to the end of the world.

These epistles, therefore, ought to be read frequently, and with the greatest attention, by those in every age and country, who hold sacred offices, or who have it in view to obtain them; not only that they may regulate their conduct according to the directions contained in them, but that by meditating seriously on the solemn charges delivered to all the ministers of the gospel, in the persons of Timothy and Titus, their minds may be strongly impressed with a sense of the importance of their function, and of the obligation which lieth on them to be faithful in discharging every duty belonging to it.

It is of importance also to observe, that, in these epistles, there are some explications of the Christian doctrines, and some displays of St. Paul's views and expectations as an apostle of Christ, which merit our attention. For if he had been, like many of the Greek philosophers, an hypocrite, who held a double doctrine, one for the vulgar, and another for the learned; and if his secret views and expectations had been different from those which he publicly professed to the world, he would have given, without all doubt, some insinuation thereof, in letters written to such intimate friends. Yet, throughout the whole of these epistles, no discovery of that kind is made. The doctrine contained in them, is the same with that taught in the epistles designed for the inspection and direction of the church in general; and the views and hopes which he expresses, are the same with those which he uniformly taught mankind to entertain. What stronger proofs can we desire of the apostle's sincerity and faithfulness than these? See Pref. to 2 Tim. sec. 4.

SECTION V.

Shewing in what Manner the Church of the living God, is the Pillar and Support of the Truth, as mentioned 1 Tim. iii. 15.

In discoursing of this subject, it will be necessary to inquire, first, what the church of the living God is, which is the pillar and support of the truth.-Secondly, To consider what the truth is, of which the church of the living God is the support.-And, thirdly, To shew in what manner the church of the living God

hath actually supported, that is, preserved, the truth in purity, and prevented it from being lost in the world.

I. With respect to the first of these, namely, what the church of the living God is, which the apostle hath denominated The pillar and support of the truth, it is proper to inform unlearned readers, that the clergy of the Romish church, with the bishop or pope of Rome at their head, and the laity of their communion, have long assumed to themselves the appellation of the Catholic church, exclusively of all other Christian churches: And have affirmed, that as the only true church of the living God, they are the pillar and support of the truth, by virtue of the power which the bishops of Rome possess, of declaring infallibly, what doctrines are true, and what false, and of making constitutions of discipline which are binding on the whole Christian world. These high prerogatives the Romanists attribute to the bishops of Rome, as the successors of the apostle Peter, on whom they affirm our Lord bestowed them, when he said to him, Matth. xvi. 18. Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven.

But in opposition to these high claims, I observe, 1st, That the church of Rome hath no right to call herself the church of the living God, exclusively of all the other churches of Christ. Every society of believers, who, with their pastors, meet together for worshipping God in spirit and in truth, according to the gospel form, is as really a church of the living God, as the church at Rome, and is called in scripture a church of God, whether the members thereof be more in number, or fewer. Thus, the church of God which is at Corinth, is mentioned, 1 Cor. i. 2. ; 2 Cor. i. 1. -and the churches of Galatia, Gal. i. 1.—and the church of the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. i. 1.; 2 Thess. i. 1.-Nay, in the conclusion of some of Paul's epistle's, the church in such and such a person's house, is saluted. These, with all the churches of Christ, which were gathered in the first age, however widely separated from each other in respect of place,were considered by the apostle Paul as making one great community,which he sometimes called the church of God, sometimes the body of Christ, and sometimes the house or temple of God; as is evident from Ephes. ii. 19. Ye belong to the house of God. 20. Being built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the bottom corner

21. By which the whole building being aptly joined together, groweth into an holy temple for the Lord. 22. In which ye also are builded together for an habitation of God by the Spirit.-This account of the house, temple, or church of God, sheweth, that no particular society of Christians, however numerous or pure, is the church of the living God, exclusively of all other Christian societies; but that the appellation belongs to every society of believers who hold the doctrines contained in the scriptures, and who worship God in the manner there prescribed: And that the whole of these churches taken collectively, is the pillar and support of the truth. For if the apostle had spoken of any particular church, as the pillar and support of the truth, exclusively of the rest, not the church at Rome, but the church at Ephesus, must have been that church: because Timothy, in this epistle, was instructed how to behave himself in the church of the living God at Ephesus, and not at Rome. Nevertheless, not even the church at Ephesus was called by the apostle, the church of the living God, exclusively of all the other churches of Christ, else he excluded the churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Colosse, and the rest, from being churches of the living God, notwithstanding they were planted by himself. But this, no reasonable person will believe.-Wherefore, the claim of the church of Rome to be the only Catholic church, if thereby they mean to exclude all those who are not of their communion from being churches of Christ, ought to be rejected with contempt, because it is an usurpation manifestly contrary to scripture.

In proof, however, that the Romish church is the only church of the living God, which is the pillar and support of the truth, the Papists appeal to Christ's promise, to build his church on Peter as on a rock; and boldly affirm, that the church which he was to build on Peter, was the church afterwards to be planted at Rome. But since, in speaking to Peter, Christ mentioned no particular church as to be built on him; also since it is not pretended, that the church at Rome, or any of the Gentile churches, was planted by him, there is no reason to think, that the church which Christ was to build on Peter, was the church at Rome. Our Lord spake of his universal church,which, it is well known, was built, not on Peter alone, but on the foundation of all the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the bottom corner-stone, as declared in the before cited passage, Ephes. ii. 19.-22.— Farther, the church to be built on Peter, was to be of such stability, that the gates of hell were never to prevail against it. Doth

this character belong to the church at Rome, or to any particular church built by any of the apostles? It belongeth to the catholic church alone. For notwithstanding some particular churches, of which the Catholic church is composed, have been, and others may yet be overthrown, they will at no time be all destroyed : but as in times past, so in times to come, there will always, somewhere, be societies of Christians, who maintain the true faith and worship enjoined in the gospel. So that, while the world standeth, the church of Christ shall at no time be extinct. Thus it appears, that the church of the living God, which is the pillar and support of the truth, and against which the gates of hell shall not prevail, is no particular church, but the catholic or universal church, consisting of all the churches of God, which have existed from the beginning, and which shall exist to the end of the world.

2. In opposition to the claims of the Papists, I observe, that as there is no reason for thinking the Romish church, the only church of the living God, so there is no reason for thinking her the alone pillar and support of the truth, by virtue of any powers which her bishops, as Peter's successors, have received from Christ to determine infallibly, what is true doctrine, and what false; and to remit or retain sins authoritatively. By Christ's promise, Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, shalt be loosed in heaven, infallibility in doctrine was not confined to Peter. The same promise, and in the same words, was made to all the apostles, Matt. xviii. 18.—In like manner, the power of remitting and retaining sins, was bestowed not on Peter singly, but on him with the rest of the apostles: not however, as bishops of particular churches, but as persons who were to be endowed with the gift of inspiration, to render them infallible in doctrine and discipline. This appears from John xx. 21, where Christ said to his apostles in general, As my Father hath sent me, even so send Į you. 22. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost. 23. Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted to them, and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained.

Granting, however, for argument's sake, that the powers of declaring infallibly what doctrines are true, and what false; and of remitting and retaining sins, had actually been bestowed on Peter alone, as the Papists contend, the bishops of Rome cannot claim these powers, as Peter's successors, unless they can shew,