mility, delight, and refolution, on the part of the difciples.

Of acceptance, as faithful and true. -Of approba tion, as fuitable and excellent.-Of gratitude, for the precioufnefs; humility, for the freenefs;---delight, for the fweetness of the bleffing and of refolution, through grace, to reduce the will of the decree, inftantly uniformly and perpetually to practice.

That fuch deference, is the indifpenfible duty of church members to their paftors and rulers, will appear farther, from the various lights in which the fcriptures reprefent it.

Chriftians, for inftance, are bound by divine authority, to confider their paftors and rulers as--their peers-only on a level with themfelves?--not at all; but, as 66 over them in the Lord," 1 Theff..v. 17. To be over them, and yet but joined with them, in their judicative capacity, are, in our apprehenfion, incompatible views.

Befides, the fame apostle makes ufe of that very verb *, in reprefenting the capacity of a man at the head of his own family, 1 Tim. iii. 4. But, would it be proper, would it be fcriptural, from thence, to infer, that his children and fervants were fo far on a level with him, as to have a vote, in the managment of his domeftic affairs?

When, therefore, the apoftle exhorted the Chriftians at Theffalonica to confider their office-bearers as over them, would it not be equally abfurd to alledge that thofe Christians were, at the fame time, to fit and judge alongst with these officers, in the management of the church?

Again, Chriftians are called to "efteem them "which labour among them, very highly in love, "for their work's fake," 1 Theff. v. 12. 13. i. e.

* Proifemi.

on

on account of their office itself, as well as of their labours in the discharge of it.

But, if the brethren are upon an equal footing with their elders in judging of church-affairs, why fhould they esteem them fo much more highly than their fellow church members? And yet the apo ftle,aware of the great neceffity of being explicit, ufeth a variety of words to exprefs that much fuperior veneration *.

Upon the fuppofition, therefore, that the brethren are co-rulers with their officers, it is impoffible to form a conception of Paul's defign, in the peculiar emphafis of that exhortation.

Once more, fubmiffion, in the Lord, is due by Chriftians to those who labour among them in the. work of the Gospel... For, concerning Timothy and Apollos, Faul faid to the Corinthians, "fubmit yourfelves unto fuch, and to every one that help"eth with us and laboureth," 1 Cor. xvi. 16.

The word made ufe of, in that paffage, + naturally implieth, an acquiefcing in their judgment, as to what decrees, refpecting the church, they may make; and a readinefs to fall in with the defign of them.

...

This view of the exhortation, however forbiding at first fight, will not appear fo unreasonable, if it is obferved, that Paul ufed the fame verb to prefs the fubmiffion of fubjects to civil magistrates; Rom. xiii. 1. of wives to their own husbands; Eph. v. 22. of fervants to their mafters: Tit. ii. 9. and Luke ufeth it, to exprefs the fubmiffion of children to their parents, Luke ii. 51.

To this, it may, reafonably enough, be objected, that, according to fuch a view, Chriftians may fometimes

* Not only periow, and ecperissow; but uperec+ Upotaffefthe.

perislow.

fometimes be called to an act of fubmiffion, by their rulers, which would be unlawful for them, in the fight of God.

Doubtlefs they may. But then, will not the fame objection hold in all the other relations mentioned?

And, therefore, as the orders of magiftrates, hufbands, mafters, and parents may, in as far as they are finful, be difregarded by fubjects, wives, fervants, and children: fo, in fimilar circumstances, the decrees of church officers may be treated, by church-members, with all the contempt which they deferve.

But, because ecclefiaftical rulers may fometimes iffue out wrong decrees; will it follow from thence that Chriftians are not bound to fubmit to them, in fuch deliverances as are fupported by fcripture ?

This reafoning will appear still more conclufive, if it is juft added, that the verb, now under confideration, is likewife ufed, by the Holy Ghoft, to express fubmiffion in cafes where no degree of parity can be fuppofed. The fubmiffion, for inftance, of devils to the difciples, in the name of Chrift; Luke x. 17. and the submission of all the creatures to the SON himself, 1 Cor. xv. 27. Eph. i. 22. Heb. ii. 8. The whole of this doctrine may be fummed up in the following aphorifms, or propofitions.

"That office-bearers and private Christians have "diftinct provinces in the New Teftament church.

While the former have a judicative capacity; "the latter have a right to weigh their decifions in the balance of the fanctuary. And though "the power af authorizing be lodged in thofe ;--the right of election is peculiar to these.

"That church-officers may have different fentiments concerning doctrines and duties both. "What appeareth of weight and importance to "one, may be lefs confiderable in the eye of ano

ther.

ther. Nay, the fame doctrinc or duty may be "urged and exploded, with equal zeal, by differ"ent perfons, of the fame order, in the church.

"That, as courts of review, in the church of "Chrift, are juftified by apoftolic practice, they "ought to be admitted and regarded, as far as the "ends of order, peace, and edification, may ren "der them neceffary.

"That where inferior judicatories cannot be "unanimous in their deliverance,-REFERENCE " is the most eligible and fcriptural way of carrying fuch litigated caufes to the bar of their fupe

❝riors.

"That church-officers alone, can properly con"fitute ecclefiaftical courts:-and, therefore, to "fuch, only, caufes fhould be brought,-whether by complaint, reference, or appeal.

"That all fentences, which muft be final, fhould "be framed, with the utmoft poffible precision, "according to the mind of the Holy Ghoft, reveal"ed in the facred volumes; or made known by the difpenfations of providence.

66

"That though decrees,.fo qualified, are bind"ing in their own nature;-yet, in announcing "and applying them, they fhould, as reafon and fcriptural prudence may direct, be cautiously re"commended to the approbation and acceptance ❝ of all concerned. And,

"That, in as far as decifions are conducted by "fuch rules-fubmiffion and obedience cannot be "with held, by church members, but at the ex"pence of rebelling against God."

We conclude with obferving, that in as far as the difciples-either claim a right of acting in a judicative capacity, or decline compliance with fuch decrees of their paftors and rulers, as are evidently juftified by the word of God; -they go from their fpheres,

fpheres, act out of character, and contribute greatly toward the production or promotion of fchism in the church of Christ.

As you would not chufe that church officers make encroachments upon your privileges,—be exhorted to guard against ufurping to yourselves any part of that province, which Jefus Chrift hath rendered peculiar to them.

The beautiful order of each member, in the natural body, is not more neceffary for the various purposes of life; than your keeping by your own fpheres, in the body ecclefiaftic, is for the purposes of edification.

Though you have no right to teach,—no right to rule in the church; you should not peevishly undervalue the place you fill, as if your fpheres of action were chimeras in themselves, and of no importance to the church at all. For, in the language of the apoftle, "If the foot fhall fay, becaufe "I am not the hand, I am not of the body;-Is it, "therefore, not of the body?-And if the ear "fhail fay, because I am not the eye, I am not of "the body;Is it, therefore, not of the body?" 1 Cor. xii. 15, 16.

...

If, according to our former reafoning, you were all to act in the teaching and ruling capacities, then, you could no more be a church conftituted according to the doctrine of the New Testament; than a number of hands or feet, ears or eyes, joined together, without other members, could conftitute a proper human body. The former would be equally monftrous in the moral, as the latter would be in the natural world. For, "if the whole body were an eye, "where were the hearing? If the whole body were "hearing, where were the fmelling?" verf. 17.

But if you should imagine, that it is competent for you, as church members, to bring the decifi

N

ons