But to admit the members, in general, of a church to an equality of power with those who are nominally invefted with the rule, appears to be improper for the following reafons.

In the 1ft place, Most of the members of a church are commonly unqualified for the exercise of such power; and to suppose that Jefus, the King of Zion, has warranted those whom he has not qualified to exercise this authority is worse than contradictory. But that the greater part of the members of a church are not fo qualified, Mr. Ewing, as was remarked, has already acknowledged in the most decided terms. He grants that fuch is the ftate of the people, that a few of the most active spirit and readieft elocution will ufually be able to sway a congregation; and that fuch is the collected ignorance of the brethren, and fuch their collected infirmities and corruption, that it would be extremely dangerous to the cause of truth, and of Christian liberty, to make every thing that ought to be done, even though trivial and obvious, wait for difcuffion in full affembly. And this representation unquestionably accords with fact. How many are there, in every congregation, who, though undoubtedly attached to the cause of Chrift, and though

to apply it to the conscience, they are entitled to fuperior power in the church. But is it not evident, that if their power refults from their gifts and not from their office, and is to be proportioned to the degree of them which they are fuppofed to poffefs, every member who is believed to have equal qualifications, must be entitled also to an equality of power; and every member who is imagined to have fuperior wisdom, and whofe labours as a pastor are not needed by the church, must have a right even to an influence fuperior to that of her elders and nominal rulers in all their determinations? Befides, whatever may be the gifts and endowments of the elders, as their proposals are fubjected to the opinion and vote of the members at large, before they can be confidered as decifions binding upon the church, all that fuperiority of power, which in profession and title they attribute to the elders, must be completely annihilated.

:

fo far acquainted with the doctrines of his gofpel as feems neceffary to falvation, are persons of very feeble powers, and very limited information! Are there not many among them, who, in the language of scripture, are weak, as well as others who are ftrong; many who are but babes and children in Chrift, as well as others who are fathers? Nay, it will perhaps be found upon a candid furvey, that the majority of those who are received as members even in the best regulated churches, though they understand fo much of the doctrines of the gospel as entitles them, if attended by a correfpondent practice, to the privilege of communion, are, in fome measure at leaft, of this defcription. The original faculties of many of them are weak the degree of culture which they have received in youth is comparatively scanty: from the attention which is requifite to their fecular employments, they can find but little time in their future life for intellectual improvement; and even that little, if they are men of piety, is almost entirely devoted to the inftruction of their families, or the acquifition of fuch knowledge as is fubfervient merely to their perfonal religion. Whatever, in fhort, may be the attainments of others, are there not many among them, whom, though you could not exclude from the table of the Lord on account of any defect in their piety, you would not intrust with a very inferior share in the management even of your temporal affairs? Are there not many to be found among them, to whom, though men of the moft amiable characters, you could not commit even the loweft offices in the government of the ftate, or the guardianship fimply of your external interefts, where no extraordinary knowledge or wisdom was required? Can you fuppofe then for a moment, that the King of Zion has conftituted fuch perfons the governors of his church? Can you believe that he has appointed every such member, however weak, who has a right, from the evidences of his faving know

ledge, and child-like holinefs, to the facrament of the fupper, to be a judge alfo in the most important and difficult matters which regard the dearest interests of his people? Nay, is it poffible to admit, as must evidently be the cafe upon the Independents fcheme, that though the majority of the members of a particular congregation be of this description, he has committed to them the power of judging refpecting every matter the moft dubious and momentous that concerns the most valuable rights of their brethren; and that this plan is more conducive to the promotion of truth, and the adminiftration of equal and impartial juftice, than that which vefts this power in a few of the wifest and most enlightened of the members together with the teachers?

It is of importance ftill farther to be remarked, that ftrongly as this difficulty appears to militate against the fcheme of Independency in the prefent age, it must be much more formidable, if we attend to the church at a more early period, or in a less favourable fituation. If even in our own country, where the means of information have fo long and fo plentifully been enjoyed by all, very few are qualified to be ecclefiaftical rulers, muft not the number of these in the primitive ages, when they had just emerged from the fuperftition of Judaism or the darkness of Heathenifm, and were in some measure shackled by their former prejudices-when the opportunities also of géneral knowledge were much lefs abundant, and when the copies of the fcriptures, from their ignorance of printing, were both lefs numerous, and few but the paftors of the church could read them-must not the number, I fay, of those who were qualified to be ecclefiaftical rulers at that period have been greatly more limited? And if even among ourselves, fo few are fitted for this arduous work, fhould the gofpel be propagated in Pagan countries, as among the Caffres, or inhabitants of O'why'hee or Otaheite, would not the individuals who would be

found, in their different congregations, capable of judg ing upon every point of doctrine or government, however difficult, be much less numerous? Every Caffre or Hottentot however, upon the Independent fcheme, who feemed to have as much knowledge as is neceffary for falvation, and was enabled to exhibit a correfponding practice, would be recognized in effect as a ruler of the church; and to the judgment and vote of an affembly of fuch men, would every propofal of their elders, however fuperior in knowledge, neceffarily be subjected, before they could be adopted and acted upon in their congregations *.

2dly, It feems clearly to be taught in scripture, that the power of ruling, whether by perfuafion and advice, or by minifterial authority, is committed to fome only, and not to all the members of the church indifcriminately. "Salute all them that have the rule over you," fays Paul to the Hebrews (Heb. xiii. 24.), “and all the "faints." Now, as we have already proved that the word which is here tranflated rulers, moft probably fignifies, not merely presidents or governors by advice and perfuafion, but authoritative rulers, is it not a natural confequence from the phrafeology in this paffage, that as the faints are here diftinguished from their rulers,

* How would Meffrs. Ewing or Little relish the submission of all their meafures to the cognizance of fuch a court? Or, if paftors of congregations, like those mentioned by Paul, Heb. v. 1z. (and if there were fuch congregations then, there may be many fimilar to them now), who, while they might have been teachers, needed to be taught again what were the firft principles of the oracles of God; if pastors, I fay, of fuch congregations, would they be willing that every point, however difficult and important, should be fubjected to their judgment, and determined by their vote? In Prefbytery, however, though there was not one of a congregation fitted to be an elder, to affist the pastor in the government of the church, this want could be fupplied by having recourfe to the minifters of other churches met as a claffical court of review, an expedient which is utterly impracticable to Independents.

E

every Christian member is not entitled to be fuch a ruler? Or, if it mean fimply, as Independents allege, perfons who are to govern by advice and perfuafion, is it not equally plain from it, that every faint is not to be fuch a governor * ? "God," fays the fame Apoftle (1 Cor. xii. 28.), "hath fet fome in the church, first, "apoftles; fecondarily, prophets; thirdly, teachers; after "that miracles; then gifts of healing, helps, govern"ments."-Here it is neceffary to remark, that in the whole of this context, from the 12th verfe, the Apoftle is fpeaking of the church of Chrift under the emblem of his body, and affirms that in it there is a variety of offices adapted to the comfort and convenience of the whole, as in the natural body there is a variety of members, each of which is neceffary to its happiness, and all of which are effential to its beauty. This variety of members, in the natural body, he afferts to be a proof of the Creator's wifdom, and contends that it is not only beneficial to the interefts of the whole, but that fuch is the dependence of one member upon another, that none of them has a right to look down with contempt upon the lefs honourable members. "For the body is not one member," fays he (ver. 14.), "but many. "the foot fhall fay, Because I am not the hand, I am

If

* Glafs and other Independents translate the word 'nyɛmoves, which is rendered in our Bibles rulers, guides. This however, as was before evinced, is contrary to its usual acceptation in the New Testament, where it generally fignifies rulers or governors. Befides, how could this term, upon the principles of Independents, if it fignifies merely guides who had a right only to advise, be applied exclusively to the elders of the church? As the members indifcriminately, according to them, have a right to advise as well as the elders, nay, as the opinion of the former may be adopted occasionally by the congregation while that of the latter is rejected and fet afide, have not the members frequently an equal, if not a fuperior title to this name, of being guides to their minifters or elders?