the 19th chapter of the Acts of the Apoftles, the fame word is ufed by the hiftorian,therefore the fame kind of meeting was intended :whereas, in fact, the former was an unconftituted affembly, and the latter referred to a formally conftituted

court.

Now, if the apoftle, elfewhere, illuftrates the idea he meant to convey, by such an epistolary address, ...whether is it fafeft to reft in his own definition, or, without any farther data, to fix a different fenfe, according to our own judgment or inclination?

His apoftolic letter to the Philippians, is the only other that hath the leaft variety in the mode of addrefs. It is directed" to all the faints in Chrift "Jefus, which are at Philippi, with the bishops and "deacons," Philip. i. 1.

If the inference fuppofed, from Paul's manner of directing his letters, would hold in any of them, it behoved to hold in this -but, not to fwell our reafoning, it is most observable, that, through the whole of his letter to the Philippians, there is no hint about church rule or difcipline at all; and, therefore, nothing to fupport the hypothefis, under view, more than in his other epiftles."

But, there is one general argument, which we apprehend amounts to a demonftration, that Paul's way of directing his epiftles can never inftruct the right of private Chriftians to act as judges, in ecclefiaftical affairs. When he directs his letters, to the faints-the faithful the church-and all who call upon the name of Christ,-are not women as well as men comprehended under fuch general terms? Confequently, the fifters, as well as brethren, would have a perfona ftandi in church Courts. Than which, nothing can be imagined

more contrary to our apoftle's idea of church order, I Cor. xiv. 34.

It may, we are fenfible, farther be faid, in fupport of the brethren's right to act in a judicative ca pacity, that, from many hints in Paul's writings, it would feem they are authorized, not only to judge in the admiffion and expulfion of church members, but to admonifb, comfort, edify, and warn one another.

In fo far as these things are incumbent upon Chriftians, in their private capacity, the propofition will admit of no difpute: but, in any other view, it is liable to the strongest objections.

If, in a church or public capacity, every member may adminifter admonitions, confolations, and warnings, wherein, would thefe offices differ from preaching the gofpel; or feeding the flock of Chrift, which are provinces, as will appear, in the lequel of this argument, peculiar to paftors or teaching elders? would not this make them all, at the fame time, teachers, and difciples ;---Paftors, and yet the flock; Rulers, and ruled? would it not make them fill different parts in the body ecclfiaftic, while they were all one and the fame part? -And, if all were admonishers and reprovers, where were the hearers, or thofe to be admonished and reproved?-If all were judges and rulers,--were were the fubjects of their difcipline and go. vernment?-Nay, if all were fuch, where were the very face of a gofpel church?

But, inftead of refting this point upon a general argument, it may be more candid to try, if the mod probable authorities, to be met with in Paul's write ings, for the brethren's teaching and ruling capaci ties, will be able to fupport fuch a doctrine.

With regard to their teaching capacity, it may be laid, that "the faints and faithful brethren at "Coloffe,"

"Coloffe," Col. i. 2. were exhorted to "let the "word of Chrift dwell in" them " richly, in all "wifdom; teaching and admonishing one another," Col. iii. 16.

Without infifting upon the mode of address, which is evidently more applicable to Christians in their private, than church, capacity; let it only be obferved, that, in the context, wives are particularly addreffed, verf. 18. confequently they, being faints, as well as any of the faithful brethren, were exhorted to teach and admonish: which, in the view fuppofed, would have been manifeftly abfurd, fince it is exprefsly faid by the fame apostle, “let your women keep filence in the churches; for it is "not permitted unto them to speak," 1 Cor. xiv. 34.

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Befides, from the whole connection, that exhortation appears to have been addreffed to them exprefsly in their private capacity. The new nature is first taken notice of, Col. iii. 10. and then their teaching and admonishing one another are only numbered with mercifulness, kindnefs, humility, meeknefs, long-fuffering, forbearance, charity, and other fruits of regeneration, worthy of God's elect, holy and beloved, Col. iii. 12, 13, 14. which every Chriftian is called and bound perfonully to bring forth.

But, what puts it beyond doubt, that the exhortation before us did not refpect public teaching, but was addreffed to private Chriftians, is this; the only minifter, who feems to have then refided among them, is not fo much as meant by the apostle in the addrefs;-for the church members at Coloffe were defured to deliver a meffage from Paul to him. "Say to Archippus, Take heed to the miniftry "which thou haft received in the Lord, that thou " fulfil it," Col. iv. 17.

The

The distinction, however, between the private duties of Chriftians towards each other, and the public duties of paftors and elders towards their flocks, is ftill more explicitly stated by Paul in his firft letter to the Theffalonians.-The former are expreffed by "edifying one another, warning them "that are unruly, comforting the feeble minded,

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fupporting the weak, and being patient toward "all men," 1 Theff. v. 11, 14. and the latter are expreffed, in an exhortation to the brethren, concerning their office-bearers, not to their officebearers themselves; "( we befeech you (faid Paul "and Silvanus, and Timotheus) to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the "Lord, and admonish you; and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's fake," Theff. v. 12, 13.

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With refpect, agaia, to the brethren's ruling capacity, it may be urged, that to the faints at Corinth, Paul faid, concerning an incestuous perfon, "In the name of our Lord Jefus Christ, when ye

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are gathered together, and my spirit, with the "power of our Lord Jefus Chrift, deliver fuch an

one unto Satan, for the destruction of the flesh, "that his spirit may be faved in the day of the "Lord Jefus," I Cor. v. 4, 5.

1

We will not again avail our felves of the proba bility, that Paul addreffed this epistle to private Christians; and, therefore, that any deed or duty, which he exhorted them to, behoved to be of a private, not of a ministerial nature. And though his fending no fewer than four minifters to them from Philippi, 1 Cor. xvi. 10, 17. amounts to something more than a mere peradventure, that they were, at that time, as a flock without a shepherd, we shall not reft the argument upon it.

Let the paffage, alledged in favour of the brethren's

thren's right of difcipline, with it's whole context, be fairly and cooly examined; and then the ftrength or weakness of their claim will appear in it's true light.

The apoftle, firft of all condemned the believing Corinthians for priding themselves in holding Chriftian communion with one who had given the lie to his profeffion, by an incestuous practice. "Ye

are puffed up, (faid he) and have not rather "mourned," I Cor. v. 2.

I

But, is it not obfervable, that he did not condemn them for not excommunicating him them. felves, in a minifterial way? only-what argues very ftrongly against their having had any fuch power condemned them for their not mourning;-" That,' as a redress of the grievance," he that did fuch a "deed, might have been taken away from them," i Cor. v. 2. Not that he might have been put away or caft out, by a decree of their own; but, taken from them, by a proper authority, which was vested in others.

The apofle, fenfible that they had no power, confidered as church members, to pass any judg ment, or iffue out a decree, against the incestuous perfon, fuftained himself, in their then circumstances, and by virtue of his apoftolic powers, as a compe tent judge of what deliverance fhould be given, faying, I verily, as abfent in body but pre"fent in fpirit, have judged already, as though "I were prefent, concerning him that hath done this deed," verf. 3.

moft

I he next two verfes, verf. 4, 5 which may probably be adduced to prove the brethren's judicative capacity, are, in fact, an expreffion only, of what the apostle himself propofed thould be done, as foon as Timotheus and his fellow-elders, who carried this epiftle, 1 Cor. xvi. 10, 17. fhould have

an