existence, that renders obedience a duty. Every Christian should be a peaceable and quiet citizen. If he lives under a government in which he has a voice in the choice of civil rulers, he is bound to give it in favor of just men, who will rule in the fear of God. A Christian is at liberty to hold office in the State, provided its duties are not inconsistent with morality and piety.

matters.

From these passages, and from all the teachings of scripture on the subject, it is evident that the just rights and powers of civil government are all confined to temporal Civil government has no right to interfere, in the least, with religion, either with doctrines, forms of worship, the administration of ordinances, or the appointment or control of ministers. These are things which God has seen fit to leave to the free action of the human mind and the human conscience. If men, under the pretence of religious zeal, infringe on the rights of other citizens, they may be restrained or punished, as for any other crime against the peace and order of society; but for their religious opinions and practices, they are accountable to God alone.

PART III.

CHURCH GOVERNMENT.

Experience has shown that human beings cannot live together, in a social capacity, without government. All history proves that a just, watchful, and vigorous civil government is always necessary, to protect the quiet from the tyranny of the ambitious, and the weak from the rapacity of the strong. Pecuniary forfeitures, and penal inflictions, are the only efficient sanctions by which such a government can be maintained.

Christian churches, being composed of persons who are professedly renewed in knowledge and in love, must also have government adapted to their circumstances and wants. Their members are enlightened and sanctified but in part; they are exposed to the example of a selfish and wicked world; they, therefore, need laws, by which to regulate their individual conduct, to preserve order, to restrain the unruly, to define and protect the equal rights of all, so that the church may be the home of peace, the pattern of pro

*

* "Of law there can be no less acknowledged, than that her seat is the bosom of God, her voice the harmony of the world: all things in heaven and earth do her homage, the very least as feeling her care, and the greatest as not exempted from her power: both angels and men, and creatures of what condition soever, though each in a different sort and manner, yet all, with uniform consent, admiring her as the mother of their peace and joy."-Richard Hooker.

priety, the house of God, and the gate of heaven. Besides, churches are always liable to receive unsanctified persons among their number, on whom affectionate christian admonition is spent in vain. But as their government and laws are founded in persuasion and love, they can, in the execution of their severest penalty, only return the transgressor to the world, from whence he came.

As the principles on which churches should be constituted+ have been exhibited, with the doctrinest which they are required to believe and to teach; the remaining point of inquiry, in order to a complete view of the whole subject, is, what form of government, or course of church order, policy, and action, grows out of these principles of church constitution, and this system of doctrine, united? For it must be obvious to every attentive reader of the New Testament, that it contains no code of enactments, specific statutes, or canons, for the exact ordering of christian churches, like those given to the Jewish commonwealth. It makes no definite form of church government essential to the salvation of its members. Personal salvation is connected with personal holiness, and there can be no surer mark of an apostate and corrupt church, than the setting up of exclusive high church claims to efficacious grace only in connection with its own ecclesiastical arrangements, and the performances of its own ministry. That form of church government which most effectually guards purity of life, christian liberty, private judgment, sound doctrine, and peace among the brethren, and among the churches; which best promotes holy zeal, activity, self denial, and love, while it is closely and scrupulously conformed to the precepts and examples recorded in the scriptures, and perpetuates the ordinances inviolate, as they were originally given, is undoubtedly the best.

Yet the truth cannot be too deeply engraven on the mind and the heart of every Christian, that the least deviation from the principles or precepts of the scriptures, respecting

church polity and government, is always attended with some degree of danger to the soul, and with certain, positive injury, to the cause of the Redeemer on the earth. The common distinction between essentials and non-essentials in religion, is entirely unauthorized by scripture, and is profane and irreligious in spirit. Our Lord declared respecting the precepts, even of the Old Testament, "Whosoever shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven." Matt. 5 19. Compare 1 Samuel 15: 21, 23. 2: 30. The Bible contains no non-essential, unimportant, or trifling precept, principle, doctrine, or ordinance; nor any one which men can remain in ignorance of, without peril and loss.

:

It is of the highest importance that church government, in its principles and rules, be thoroughly understood, not only by ministers, but by all Christians. There is no priesthood appointed by Christ to govern his people, but he has made them all to be "kings and priests unto God,” to administer his laws; and he holds them accountable to himself, at last, for this most solemn and important part of their earthly stewardship. They are bound, therefore, to study diligently their duties as fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." Those church members who take no pains to qualify themselves for the duties of church government, that they may perform their part in sustaining the discipline, the order, and the dignity of the church, are mere drones in the hive- dead weights for others to carry. The apostle, in reproving the Corinthian church for their ignorance of this subject, says to them, "Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men." This precept should be engraven on the heart of every church member.

In treating the subject of church government, the practices which are manifestly founded upon the principles and doctrines established in Parts First and Second, will be

considered as lawful and proper for churches, though not obligatory, unless sustained also by direct scriptural precept, or example. The Bible is very full of instruction on this subject. All given by inspiration of God, and profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for discipline in righteousness that the man of God may be perfect, fully prepared to every good work.'

A church is made up of its members, and of course its character is the aggregate of theirs. We have already seen what manner of persons they ought to be, according to the scriptures. The members of a church, collectively, ministry and private members, compose the church. They are the repository of its doctrines, and the instruments of its efficiency. The word of God, the grace of Christ, and the work of the Spirit, dwelling together in their hearts, form the principle of its perpetuity. The doctrines, ordinances, government, officers, and discipline of the church, are designed for their special benefit. The first point, therefore, in unfolding the plan of church government, is to ascertain the individual characters, rights, and duties of its members, and their relations to the church and to each other.

The proper members of a church, are such persons only as are regenerated, or "born of the Spirit." This is the fundamental principle in the formation of Baptist churches. It implies a change, an ascertainable change, and an authorized judge of the fact.

This changet of moral character, feeling, and action, implies the belief of the christian system as a creed, and conformity of the inward and outward life to its teachings. It is produced by the Spirit of God working in the soul, promoting right feelings towards God, and right views of

* Part I, Chap. 1, Sect. 3. + See Part II, Chap 3, Sect. 4.