CENT. may infer, that the regulation of this was, in I. some measure, to be accommodated to the time, and

PART II.

favoured by some of the most eminent British divines . Some Protestant writers of note have endeavoured to prove that it is not supported by sufficient evidence §. The third opinion is, that of those who acknowledge, that, when the Christians began to multiply exceedingly, metropolitans, patriarchs, and archbishops were indeed created, but only by human appointment and authority; though they confess, at the same time, that it is consonant to the orders and intention of Christ and his apostles, that, in every Christian church, there should be one person invested with the highest authority, and clothed with certain rights and privileges above the other doctors of that assembly. This opinion has been embraced by many English divines of the first rank in the learned world, and also by many in other countries and communions. The fourth, and last opinion is, that of the Presbyterians, who affirm, that Christ's intention was, that the Christian doctors and ministers should all enjoy the same rank and authority, without any sort of pre-eminence or subordination, any distinction of rights and privileges. The reader will find an ample account of these four different opinions with respect to church government in Dr. Mosheim's Larger History of the first Century. This learned and impartial writer, who condemns with reason the fourth opinion, as it is explained by those bigotted Puritans who look upon all subordination and variety of rank among the doctors of the church as condemnable and antichristian, observes, however, with equal reason, that this opinion may be explained and modified so, as to reconcile the moderate abetters of the episcopal discipline, with the less rigid Presbyterians. The opinion, modified by Dr. Mosheim, amounts to this: "That the Christian doctors are equal in this sense; "that Christ has left no positive and special decree which "constitutes a distinction among them, nor any divine com"mandment by which those who, in consequence of the ap"pointment of human wisdom, are in the higher ranks, can demand, by divine right, the obedience and submission of "the inferior doctors, &c. their abstaining from the exercise " of certain functions," &c.

The truth of the matter is, that Christ, by leaving this matter undetermined, has, of consequence, left Christian societies a discretionary power of modelling the government of

the

Hammond, Diss. de Episcop. Beverege, Cod. Cannon. Vet. Eccles. Vindic. lib. ii. cap. v. tom. ii. Patr. Apost. Usser, De Origine Episcop. et Metropol. p. 20.

S Basnage, Hist. de l'Eglise, tom. i. livr. i. cap. viii. Boehmer. Annot ad Petrum de Marca de concordia, sacerd et imperii, p. 143.

I.

PART II.

church at

and left to the wisdom and prudence of the chief CENT. rulers, both of the state and of the church. If, however, it is true, that the apostles acted by divine inspiration, and in conformity with the commands of their blessed Master, (and this no Christian can call in question), then it follows, that that form of government which the primitive churches borrowed from that of Jerusalem, the The form first Christian assembly established by the apostles of the first themselves, must be esteemed as of divine insti- Jerusalem. tution. But from this it would be wrong to conclude that such a form is immutable, and ought to be invariably observed; for this a great variety of events may render impossible. In those early times, every Christian church consisted of the people, their leaders, and the ministers, or deacons; and these, indeed, belong essentially to every religious society. The people were, undoubtedly, the first in authority; for the apostles shewed, by their own example, that nothing of moment was to be carried on or determined without the consent of the assembly [a], and such a method of proceeding was both prudent and necessary in those critical times.

of the peo

ple.

VI. It was, therefore, the assembly of the The right people, which chose their own rulers and teachers, or received them by a free and authoritative consent, when recommended by others. The same people rejected or confirmed by their suffrages, the laws that were proposed by their rulers to the assembly; excommunicated profligate and unworthy members of the church, restored the penitent to their forfeited privileges, passed

H 2

the church in such a manner, as the circumstantial reasons of times, places, &c. may require; and therefore, the wisest government of the church is the best and the most divine; and every Christian society has a right to make laws for itself, provided that these laws are consistent with charity and peace, and with the fundamental doctrines and principles of Christianity.

[a] Acts i. 15. vi. 3. xv. 4. xxi, 22.

PART II.

CENT. passed judgment upon the different subjects of I. controversy and dissension, that arose in their community; examined and decided the disputes which happened between the elders and deacons ; and, in a word, exercised all that authority which belongs to such as are invested with the sovereign power.

Their obla

tions.

A perfect

mong the

The people, indeed, had, in some measure, purchased these privileges, by administering to the support of their rulers, ministers, and poor, and by offering large and generous contributions, when the safety or interests of the community rendered them necessary. In these supplies, each one bore a part proportioned to his circumstances; and the various gifts which were thus brought into the public assemblies, were called oblations.

VII. There reigned among the members of the equality a Christian church, however distinguished they primitive were by worldly rank and titles, not only an Christians. amiable harmony, but also a perfect equality.

This appeared by the feasts of charity, in which all were indiscriminately assembled; by the names of brethren and sisters, with which they mutually saluted each other; and by several circumstances of a like nature. Nor, in this first century, was the distinction made between Christians, of a more or less perfect order, which took place afterwards. Whoever acknowledged Christ as the Saviour of mankind, and made a solemn profession of his confidence in him, was immediately baptized and received into the church. But, in process of time, when the church began to flourish, and its members to increase, it was thought prudent and necessary to divide Christians into two orders, distinguished by the names Believers of believers and catechumens. The former were and cate those, who had been solemnly admitted into the church by baptism, and, in consequence thereof, were instructed in all the mysteries of religion,

chumens.

had

had access to all the parts of divine worship, and CENT. were authorised to vote in the ecclesiastical assem- I. blies. The latter were such as had not yet been PART II dedicated to God and Christ by baptism, and were, therefore, admitted neither to the public prayers, nor to the holy communion, nor to the ecclesiastical assemblies.

of the

church.

or bishops.

VIII. The rulers of the church were called The rulers either presbyters [b], or bishops, which two titles are, in the New Testament, undoubtedly applied to the same order of men [c]. These were persons of eminent gravity, and such as had distinguished themselves by their superior sanctity and merit [d]. Their particular functions were not Presbyters always the same; for while some of them confined their labours to the instruction of the people, others contributed in different ways to the edification of the church. Hence the distinction between teaching and ruling presbyters has been adopted by certain learned men. But if ever this distinction existed, which I neither affirm nor deny, it certainly did not continue long; since it is manifest that St. Paul requires, that all bishops or presbyters be qualified, and ready to teach and instruct [e].

IX. Among the first professors of Christianity, The prothere were but few men of learning; few, who phets.

H 3

had

[b]The word Presbyter, or elder, is taken from the

Jewish institution, and signifies rather the venerable prudence and wisdom of old age, than age itself.

[c] Acts xx. 17, 28. Phil. i. 1. Tit. i. 5, 7. 1 Tim. iii. 1. [d]1 Tim. iii. 1. Tit. i. 5.

[e] 1 Tim. iii. 2, &c. See concerning the word presůyter, the illustrations given by the learned Vitringa, De synagoga vetere, lib. iii. part I. cap. i. p. 609; and by the venerable Jo. Bened. Carpzovius, in his Exerc. in Epist. ad Hebræos ex Philone, p. 499. As to the presbyters themselves, and the nature of their office, the reader will receive much satisfaction from the accounts that are given of that order by Budæus, De Ecclesia Apostolica, cap. vi. p. 719. and by the most learned Pfaffius, De originibus juris eccles. p. 49.

PART II.

CENT. had capacity enough to insinuate into the minds I. of a gross and ignorant multitude, the knowledge of divine things. God therefore, in his infinite wisdom, judged it necessary to raise up, in many churches, extraordinary teachers, who were to discourse in the public assemblies, upon the various points of the Christian doctrine, and to treat with the people, in the name of God, as guided by his direction, and clothed with his authority. Such were the Prophets of the New Testament [f], an order of men, whose commission is too much limited by the writers who confine it to the interpretation of the books of the Old Testament, and especially the prophecies [g]. For it is certain, that they, who claimed the rank of Prophets, were invested with the power of censuring publicly such as had been guilty of any irregularity. But, to prevent the abuses that designing men might make of this institution, by pretending to this extraordinary character, in order to execute unworthy ends, there were always present, in the public auditories, judges, divinely appointed, who, by certain and infallible marks, were able to distinguish the false prophets from the true. This order of prophets ceased, when the want of teachers, which gave rise to it, was abundantly supplied.

Deacons of

at Jerusalem.

X. The church was, undoubtedly, provided the church from the beginning with inferior ministers or deacons. No society can be without its servants, and still less such societies as those of the first Christians were. And it appears, not only probable, but evident, that the young men, who carried

11.

[f] Rom. xiii. 6. 1 Cor. xii. 28. xiv. 3, 29. and Eph. iv.

[g] See Mosheim's Dissertation De illis qui Prophetæ vocantur in Novo Fodere, which is to be found in the second volume of his Syntagma Dissertationum ad Historiam Eccles. pertinentium.