Second, the power of a church over its own members is limited by the right of private judgment and individual conscience. It is evident that in the apostolic churches great freedom in private judgment was allowed. "Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations." His doctrinal knowledge or his christian character may be defective, yet receive him, and make not slight errors the topic of dispute, for "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own Master he standeth or falleth." "But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at naught thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment-seat of Christ.” Let us not judge one another any more, but judge this rather, that no man put a stumbling block, or an occasion to fall, in his brother's way." It was the glory of the gospel then, as it should be now, that it could unite men of different theories, and dissimilar education, on the great principle of love. If Jew and Gentile could not harmonize in opinions, they could leave each other to their individual accountability to God, hold to what they had mutually attained, and love each other for Christ's sake. And they were cautioned against agitating "questions which minister strife, rather than godly edifying."

SECT. 2. Impartation and Reception of Church Power.

Before a christian church can be formed, the materials must be prepared. These, as we have already seen, are baptized believers. To prepare such materials previously to the formation of churches, our Saviour instructed, commissioned, and sent forth the apostles, and the seventy disciples, none of whom were, during his earthly ministry, either officers or members in any particular church. Of the converts made and baptized by them, churches were afterwards formed. How did these bodies of christians obtain the powers of christian churches? Or how does a body of baptized believers now, obtain the right to exercise those powers?

Two things are necessary. First, A mutual covenant,

voluntarily entered into by all the members, to obey and execute the commands of Christ; and, second, A faithful adherence to the obligations thus assumed.

purpose,

1. Without a mutual covenant on the part of believers to walk together in the duties and ordinances of the gospel, no church could ever have been formed. There might be real christians, unconnected, and recognizing no power of mutual watch, reproof, and discipline; but they could not be a church without entering into covenant for that and voluntarily assuming the obligations necessary to that relation. Civil government, and all the powers and obligations of civil society depend primarily on the same principle. A free, voluntary compact, and a mutual engagement to live and conduct according to certain rules and regulations, as expressed in written constitutions and laws, is, and must be, the origin of all civil authority in the body politic.

In fact there can be no enduring and obligatory unions among men except such as rest either on the laws of nature, or ultimately, on a voluntary covenant. Christian love in some sense unites believers in all lands, of all names, and of all the various shades of belief, but is not alone sufficient to unite any portion of them in the church relation. There are duties which the members of the same church owe to each other which they owe to no others. Christians not united in a church capacity have no right to call each other authoritatively to account for violating the laws of Christ. It is from the agreement of the members to watch over each other, and submit to the admonitions and censures of the body, that this power arises.

2. When a company of believers thus united take the law of Christ for their rule of action, and faithfully execute it, they possess all the power, rights, and authority, ever vested by Christ in any church on earth. This is evidently the import of the principle laid down by our Saviour in Matt. 18: 20. After having revealed the law of discipline, and granted his disciples the power of binding and loosing, with the assurance that their acts, when they should be united in the church capacity and obedient to his will should be ratified

in heaven, and having thus explained to them the sacredness of the church power with which they were to be invested, he adds: "For where two or three are gathered together in my 'In name, there am I in the midst of them." my name,' signifies, subject to the authority, and doing the will of Christ. This passage is often, and very properly mentioned in circles of christians gathered for prayer, as a source of encouragement to united supplication. But it extends further. It applies with full force only to a band of disciples pledged to each other and to the Saviour to honor and obey his commands. With any number of his disciples, thus united, he has solemnly promised to be, and where Christ is, approvingly, there is full church power.

This power or privilege comes directly from Christ, the supreme Lawgiver, to each church as a body of brethren thus united in covenant, and is not transmitted to them through any other hands. For if they are not the first subject of their church power they must have derived it either through their ministry, or through other churches. They did not derive it from or through their ministers, because they have the right to choose their own ministers, who have no authority previously to such choice. Therefore the church had this power before they had ministers, and so could not derive it from nor through them. They could not derive it from any other particular church, because all churches have equal powers, all of which are restricted within themselves, no one inferior or subordinate to another. They could not derive it from a combination of churches, because churches cannot increase their power by combination.

That the vitality of a church consists in faithfulness to its covenant, that it is perpetuated by obedience to Christ, is further evident from the inspired declarations. Respecting the church at Ephesus we are informed, Acts 19: 1–6, that when the Apostle first came to that city he found twelve men, called disciples, who had been baptized to John's baptism only, without a proper recognition of Jesus as their Lord, or the Holy Spirit as their Sanctifier. He, therefore, first instructs these men, then orders them to be baptized

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into the regular gospel church state, and then commences his evangelical labors for the purpose of building up this church, in that city, where he continued preaching two years. A few years after, in writing to this church on important points respecting the nature of the gospel and the commands of Christ, which they did not yet fully understand, this comprehensive language occurs. Eph. 2: 19, 20. Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone." From this passage we learn that Christ is the head of each and every church, and that each resembles a household, or a city. The members were "fellow-citizens with the saints" by performing the duties of citizenship. The church was the household of God while it continued on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ the chief corner stone; " when it removed from that foundation it would cease to be entitled to the name.

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After

These views are further illustrated, and their soundness placed beyond question, by tracing the history of this church still further onward, and examining carefully a message sent to it, dictated by the Lord Jesus himself. the Apostle Paul had been driven from Ephesus, he spent considerable time preaching in other places, and then returned to the neighboring town of Miletus, from which place he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church, and said to them, among other things: Acts 20: 28-30. "Take heed, therefore, to yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock also of your own selves [that is, from among them, the Elders,] shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." For the manner in which this prophetic declaration came to pass, let us examine the description which the Lord Jesus gives of the condition of this church

thirty-five years afterwards. "Unto the Angel of the church of Ephesus, write: These things, saith he, that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks: I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil, and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars; and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name's sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent." In this remarkable and instructive message, it is worth while to note at present, First, that the Lord Jesus commends the church for many excellent traits, especially for the exertion of that disciplinary power with which they, in common with every church were invested, of trying the claims of pretended apostles: Second, they are censured for having declined in love: Third, they are admonished to consider their fallen state, to repent and commence anew: and, Fourth, they are threatened with the repeal and withdrawal of all their powers, privileges, and rights as a church, unless they fulfill the obligations of that covenant by which they were constituted a church. While they continued to meet in Christ's name, in faithful, sincere obedience, he was in the midst of them, sanctioning their doings; when they ceased to do so, he withdrew from them the sanction of his authority. They might still remain united as a visible. society, they might call themselves, and be called, a church, as many organizations are, long after they have ceased to deserve the name, but they were no longer so in reality, when the approval and authority of Christ was withdrawn. "I will remove thy candlestick out of his place," is threatening the church with utter extinction.

The proof is, therefore, complete, that the power which each and every church exercises is conferred directly by Christ, is continued on condition of obedience to his laws,