administered by the apostles, speaking in the name of Christ, and in all their acts, not one can be found which conflicts with the right of every church to choose its own officers and teachers. And this accounts for the fact that no class of church officers, ordinary or extraordinary, was commanded to perpetuate their order or their office. a fact which can be accounted for in no other way, for if they were not to be elected, how was the office or order to be perpetuated?

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SECT. 2. The Scriptural Officers in a Church.

The scriptural officers in a church are bishops or pastors, and deacons.* During the apostolic age there were others of special or miraculous appointment, but there is no satisfactory proof that they were designed to be permanent like these. The church at Philippi, it appears, was very dear to the apostle Paul, because united and obedient in all respects to the word of God, and very generous to him, their spiritual father. Twelve years after its origin, as recorded in Acts 16: 9-40, he thus commences his epistle to them. Phil. 1: 1. "Paul and Timothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus, which are at Philippi, with the Bishopst and Deacons." The reason why he uses this particular form of address to this church seems to be,

fragio "by vote of all the people." Clement, of Rome, brings forward the apostolic rule for appointment to church offices" with the consent of the whole church.”

*“In those primitive times," says Mosheim, vol. 1, p. 81, after laying down the sound principle that "that form of the primitive churches, which was derived from the church of Jerusalem, erected and organized by the apostles themselves, must be accounted divine,” he adds, "each christian church was composed of the people, the presiding officers, and the assistants or deacons. The highest authority was in the people, or the whole body of christians."

It would be well for those who contend that bishops are prelates, each having the oversight of several "inferior clergy," with their congregations, to inform us how many such the single city of Philippi in Macedonia, probably contained at this time,

because it was now correctly and perfectly organized, according to the scriptural pattern, by the choice of these two kinds of officers.

The epistles to Timothy are, as all admit, the instructions of an inspired apostle, or in other words, the commands of God, directed to an evangelist, who held no office in any particular church; in regard to the doctrines and church order which he and all others should teach and observe. The necessary qualifications of church officers are described in 1 Tim. 3. They are Bishops and Deacons only. It is evident that these epistles were not written for Timothy's private perusalonly; but to be exhibited if occasion required, as his divine commission, and to stand written in the inspired volume for the guidance of churches to the end of time.* Now as we cannot suppose that God would give directions respecting the qualifications of a part of the officers in a church only, or that an inspired man would forget or neglect to record them, we must conclude that the Holy Spirit intended to teach us that these were the only permanent church officers. So that whatever offices existed during the life-time of the apostles, originating in spiritual gifts which have now ceased, it is plain that they were not intended to be permanent.

And, finally, the two classes of duties appropriate to these two offices are the only ones referred to in the scriptures, or needful to the welfare of churches. Those of a pastor or bishop are to "take heed to all the flock," "to feed the church of God," and to "give himself continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." For this reason a bishop must be apt to teach," ," "able by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers." The duties of this

*

Clement, of Rome, in his first epistle to the Corinthians, says: "In the villages and cities where the Apostles preached, they ordained the first converts to be bishops and deacons." And, again, a few pages after: "The Apostles foreknew, through our Lord Jesus Christ, that contention would arise about the name of bishop, and, therefore, being endued with perfect foreknowledge, appointed these offices."

office are therefore to teach religion, and to look after the spiritual welfare of the church. The other class of duties is of a temporal nature, requiring not aptness to teach, but eminent piety, honesty, sobriety, good sense, and business habits. These are provided for in the office of deacon, whose duties may be inferred from the word diaconus; (waiting servant, from the circumstances in which the office originated; and from the requisite qualifications. 1 Tim. 3: 8-13. The wants of churches are all provided for in these two offices. They have no more occasion for the services of prelates, or diocesan bishops, to govern churches, ordain ministers, and administer discipline, than a civil state has for those of an autocrat, or a dictator.

SECT. 3. All Pastors or Bishops equal in rank.

As churches have equal powers and rights, so their pastors are entirely equal in ministerial rank and power. This point, however, is capable of independent proof from scripture, and as it is a disputed, though by no means a difficult one, the proof will be briefly exhibited.

1. Apostles. The choice of the Twelve is recorded in Matt. 10: 1—4, Mark 3: 13—19, Luke 6: 12 — 19; the occasion of sending them forth, in Matt. 9: 36-38; they are instructed and sent forth, Matt. 10: 5-42, Mark 6: 7-11, Luke 9:1-5. They are endowed with miraculous power are commanded to go two and two, without purse or scripto preach the gospel-heal the sick, &c. with promises of divine support. It appears then, 1. That the apostles were chosen, instructed, commissioned, and sent forth, by our Lord personally, and on His sole authority. 2. They were endowed with miraculous powers. 3. They were infallible in their teachings, at least after the Day of Pentecost. The reasons for their appointment, as far as the scriptures inform us, were, 1. To preach the gospel before churches could be raised up to designate them to the work and sustain them in it. 2. That they might be witnesses of the life and resurrection of Christ. 3. To pro

vide infallible teachers of religion and accredited organs of the will of Christ after his ascension, till the scriptural canon should be completed, and the disciples organized into regular churches with appropriate officers. Hence their apostolic power in respect to churches, had these two peculiarities: That each apostle might exercise, as occasion required, the ministerial functions of all the officers in a church, ordinary and extraordinary. In virtue of their apostolic office they were prophets; Acts 20: 25, 29; 2 Thess. 2: 1-17, missionary evangelists; Matt. 28: 19; Acts 10: 19-48; 20: 1–38; Rom. 1: 14, 15, teachers; 1 Tim. 2:7, presbyters, or elders; 1 Pet. 5: 1, they might preside and baptize as pastors or bishops; Acts 1: 15; 6: 2; 1 Cor. 1: 14-16, receive and distribute the bounties of the church as deacons; Acts 4: 35; 1 Cor. 8: 4—20, as well as declare the will of the Lord respecting particular questions in doctrine and discipline; 1 Cor. 2: 16; 5: 3 7, and in the infliction of special judgments; Acts 5: 1 11; 13: 11; 1 Tim. 1: 20. The other peculiarity was, that this power extended to all churches alike. They discharged these offices in particular churches as the messengers of God to all Christians and to all churches.*

No provision is made for the continuance of the apostolic office, nor is any hint given that it was intended to be permanent. On the contrary, apostles are in 1 Cor. 12: 28, numbered among those extraordinary "spiritual gifts" which we know have passed away. "First, apostles; secondarily,

* Or in the words of old John Cotton, in his " Power of the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven," "This Apostolicall power, centring all church power into one man, and extending itself forth to the circumference of all churches, as the apostles were the first subject of it, so they were also the last; neverthelesse that ample and universall latitude of power, which was conjoyned in them, is now divided -even by themselves amongst all the churches, and all the officers of the churches respectively, the officers of each church attending the charge of the particular church committed to them, by vertue of their office, and yet none of them neglecting the good of other churches, so far as they may be mutually helpfull to one another in the Lord."

prophets; thirdly, teachers; after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues." The word Apostle, signifies, simply, sent, and is never a term expressive of office, except when applied to the ORIGINAL TWELVE, and to PAUL, who was also called and sent by our Lord personally, though after his ascension. This is evident from the manner in which the word is used in 2 Cor. 8: 23, "or our brethren be inquired of, they are the messengers [apostles] of the churches, and the glory of Christ," and in Phil. 2: 25, "Epaphroditus my brother and companion in labor, and fellow-soldier, but your messenger [apostle]. The Apostles, therefore, neither had, nor could have, any successors in office, since each must be appointed by our Lord personally; their apostleship ceased with their lives, and contained in it no warrant for appointing nor for ordaining successors,* nor made any provision for transmitting or perpetuating the apostolic office. They were not officers in, or of, any church; they do not in their official epistles style themselves the apostles or bishops of any church, or churches, or diocese, nor "Right Reverend Father in God," but simply "apostle of Jesus Christ," and "servant of Jesus Christ." They never appoint any one to office, nor interfere with the internal affairs of any church, but simply assert their right to declare the infallible will of Christ, as his inspired messengers, requiring obedience of faith from all in every age, whether bishops, deacons, or private christians.

2. The Seventy Disciples. In Luke 10: 1—16, is the account of the sending out of seventy disciples on a similar mission. The occasion of their mission was the same, verse 2, and they received similar instructions. Their mission

* Successors in the apostolic office, the apostles have none. As witnesses of the resurrection, - as dispensers of miraculous gifts, as inspired oracles of divine revelation, — they have no successors. But as members, ·as ministers,of christian communities, their successors are the regularly admitted members, the lawfully ordained ministers, — the regular and recognized governors of a regularly subsisting christian church. Whately.

as governors,