officers in the church, that this will, in many inftances, put it beyond the power of chriftians to obtain minifters → ór pastors, so as to be a regular church, and have the ordinances of baptifm and the Lord's fupper, adminis tered to them. A number of chriftians may be cast away on a defolate island, and be obliged to live there, where they cannot obtain a paftor, unless they can ordain him themselves, and give him authority to perform all the bufinefs of this office. And a number of true chriftians may live in a country, and at a time, where no minifters can be found, who will ordain any one to be their minifter, whom they shall choose, or think to be fit for that office. Muft those be deprived of ministers and the ordinances of the gofpel A reply to such an objection, has been already suggefted. It is really begging the queftion: For if Chrift has made fuch a conftitution, and ordained that those officers in his church, fhall be continued by an uninterrupted succession, he will not only fee that it does take place, and that it shall not be interrupted; but will always put it in the power of his people to be supplied with minifters in this way; and there never has been an ininftance to contradict this, and never will be. The fuppofition therefore which is made in the objection, is a groundless one, and impoffible. Chrift will not fuffer fuch an instance to take place, unless it be for his glory, the good of his church in general, and beft for the individual chriftians, who are deprived in this way, of gospel ministers and ordinances. And if there be any such instances, they can be no objection to this inftitution of Christ. Thefe minifters and officers in the church, are to be devoted to the bufinefs of their ftation and office, and to give themselves to this work, which they have undertaken, in preaching the gospel, and administering the ordinances of Chrift; in taking care of the church, and pre fiding in all the public tranfa&tions of it, acting with the For they have - concurrence and confent of the church. no authority to dictate to the church, and control it in any matter, contrary to their judgment and confent.They are indeed faid to have the rule over the churches ;* but this means only to take the lead or prefide in the churches, in their public devotions and tranfactions, as the word in the original fignifies. The churches, and every particular member of them, are obliged to submit to them, and obey them, fo far as they preach the doctrines of the gospel, and urge the commands of Chrift; for fo far as they do this, they have all the authority of Chrift; and disobedience to them, when they declare the will of Chrift, and urge obedience to his laws, is difobedience to Chrift, and rejecting him. But of this the members of the church are to judge for themselves, whether, what they preach and dictate, be agreeable to the revealed will of Chrift, and if they judge it to be contrary to revealed truth, they will confider the minifter as having no authority, and themselves under no obligation to regard him in those things; and he has no authority to compel them to obedience to his dictates, or to inflict any punishment upon them, or fubject them to any worldly inconvenience, on this account. They are indeed, accountable to Chrift for their judgment and conduct in such cases, and to him alone, as he has commanded them to judge and act right, and will condemn every thing that is not fo; and is the final judge, to whom all appeals are to be made. Thus the elders of I 3 Heb. xiii. 7, 17, 24. the † This is said with reference to the whole, or the majority of a church. If particular members, or the minor part of a church, reject the doctrines and refuse to practise the duties which the pastor inculcates, as prescribed by Christ, and the majority of the church approve of them; the former are so far accountable to the church, as to be the proper subjects of difcipline, and may be rejected by the church, as thofe who, in their judgment, refufe to obey the truth, and walk diforderly. the churches, are not to be lords over them; but to lead them, and be examples to them, while they prefide as overfeers, or bishops, feeding them, by preaching the truths of the gospel to them, and declaring the whole counsel of God.* There are other officers in the church, called deacons, who have the care of the temporal, worldly concerns of the church. The church, when regulated according to the laws of Chrift, makes provifion for the fupport of public religion; for a decent and convenient place in which they may attend public worship; the fupport of the minifters of the gospel; and furnishing the table of the Lord. They are also to provide for the relief and comfort of the poor members of the church. The care and overfight of this provifion, is committed to the deacons. And they are more efpecially to diftribute to the poor out of the common ftock of the church, and take care that no one may fuffer for want of the neceffaries and comforts of life. We have a particular account of the inftitution of thofe officers in the church, in the beginning of the fixth chapter of the Acts. The church pointed out, and chofe, thofe whom they thought beft qualified for this office, and presented them to the Apoftles, who ordained them to this office, by laying their hands on them, and praying. It does not appear from the fcripture, that there are more diftinct orders of men, and officers, appointed in the church, than these two, viz. elders or bifhops, and deacons. Both of thefe are repeatedly mentioned together, as being the only officers in the church, as nothing is faid of any other. The Apostle Paul, when he is directing Timothy, in his regulating the churches in which he had a particular concern, and ordaining officers, mentions only elders or bishops, and deacons, and particularly * 1 Pet, v. 2, 3. Acts xx. 28. And he ticularly describes the qualifications of these. directs his letter to the church at Philippi, in the following words, "To all the faints which are in Chrift Jefus, at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons." Had there been any other order of officers in that church, it may be presumed, he would have mentioned them, when he directs fo particularly to these. This fame Apoftle fays, that when Chrift afcended to heaven, "He gave fome apoftles; and fome prophets; and fome evangelifts; and fome paftors, and teachers."* Some have supposed, there are more than two orders of minifters, mentioned here; but there does not appear to be any, evidence of this. By Apoftles and Prophets, are intended the extraordinary gifts and officers in the primitive church, who were not to continue; but ceased, when those miraculous gifts, with which they were endowed, ceased; the church having no farther need of them.And if Evangelifts, were not also extraordinary officers and accordingly ceased with the others mentioned before; they were ordinary ministers of the gospel, ordained to travel, and preach at large, not being confined to a particular church, city, or country. Paftors and teachers, were the same office, which every elder in particular churches fuftained. So that by evangelifts, paftors, and teachers, but one fort and degree of officers is meant, viz. minifters of the gospel. Eph. iv. r. T 4 SECTION SECTION N III. On the Public Inftitutions, Ordinances and Worship of the Church. 1 SOCIAL and public worship, confifting in prayer, finging pfalms or hymns, and in preaching and hearing the gospel, appears to be an inftitution of Chrift, from what is recorded in fcripture. The disciples of Christ, after his ascension, met together, and continued with one accord in prayer and fupplication; being about an hundred and twenty.* And when converts were multiplied, and a church was formed at Jerufalem, "they continued ftedfaftly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread and prayers. And continued daily with one accord in the temple, praising God."+ At Antioch, Barnabas and Saul affembled themselves with the church a whole year, and taught much people. It appears, that the church at Corinth, often came together into one place, to attend on the preaching of the gospel, prayer, finging pfalms, and the administration of the Lord's fupper.§ Chriftians had places convenient for them to convene in public affemblies, and attend on public worship. And they were commanded, "Not to forfake the affembling themselves together,” for public exhortation, and mutual edification, &c. ¶ Public worship being an inftitution of Chrift, this neceffarily implies, a place where this may be attended decently, and with the greatest convenience to the members † Acts ii. 42, 46, 47. Acts i. 14, 15. Jam. ii. 1-10. ¶ Heb. x. 24, 25. |