4. Duties of servant and master. (P. 555.)

(a) This is a relation which must exist, as equality of condition is impos sible.

(b) But it is a source of great evil, when unregulated by religion.

(c) The precepts of the New Testament go to prevent this evil, by as

signing,

(1.) The duties of servants, viz., honour and obedience-which are to be cheerful and from the heart.

(2) The reciprocal duties of servants and masters; involving obedience on the one part, and kindness, moderation, and justice, on the other; and,

(3.) The religious duties of masters, including-1. Religious instruction. 2. The observance of the Sabbath. 3. Existing influence in favour of religion.

(III.) Political justice.

1. Origin of power. (P. 569.)

(a.) The Scriptures declare government to be an ordinance of God. (b.) The doctrine of a "social compact" is therefore unscriptural

(c.) Paley's view, which places the obligation in the will of God, as collected from expediency, is too loose: that will is declared in Scripture

2. Rights and duties of sovereign and subject reciprocal. (P. 562.) (a.) Duties of government,-enactment of just laws, etc. Obligation grounded on direct passages of Scripture. (Pp. 562, 563.)

(t) Duties of subjects,-obedience, tribute, prayer, &c.

3. Question, "How far does it consist with Christian submission to endeavour to remedy the evils of a government?" (P. 564.)

(a.) No form of government is enjoined in Scripture. Hence there is no divine right in particular families.

(b.) Resistance to an established government, whatever may be its form, is consistent with duty only in certain extreme cases. (P. 556.) There are two kinds of resistance :—

1. Of opinion. In order to be lawful, this resistance must be, (1) just; (2) directed against public acts; (3) practical; (4) deliberate; (5) not factious; (6) not respecting local but general interests.

2. Of force. This may be divided into two kinds :—

(1.) That of a controlling force in the government: e. g., the British Parliament, which can refuse supplies, etc. This resistance, which is implied by a constitution, is lawful, when advisedly and patriotically employed.

(2.) That of arms. Three cases may be supposed :

a.) Where the nation enjoys and values good institutions. Here unjust aggressions will not succeed.

b.) Where popular opinion is only partly enlightened. Here the work of improvement should precede resistance. Should the despot triumph, patriotism will suffer. Should the reformers triumph, the ignorant mass run on into licentiousness: e. g., French Revolution and Parliamentary War.

c.) Where the sovereign power acts, by mercenaries or otherwise, in opposition to the views of the majority. Here resistance is jus tifiable: e. g., Revolution of 1688.

(c.) The case of rival governments.

(d) Resistance for conscience' sake.

I. THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Ch. i.

THE Church of Christ, in its largest sense, consists of all who have been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ; in a stricter sense, it consists of those who are vitally united to Christ. Taken in either view, it is a visible, permanent society, bound to obey certain rules; and of course government is necessarily supposed to exist in it. We have four points to examine in this chapter:

I. The nature of this government. It is wholly spiritual, for,

1. It is concerned only with spiritual objects.

2. Its only punitive discipline is comprised in "admonition," "reproof," sharp rebukes," and finally, "excision from the society."

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necessary

II The persons to whom this government is committed, (P. 574.) It is here to consider the composition of the primitive Church, as stated in the New Testament.

1. Enunciation of offices in the church. Eph. iv, 11.

2. Whether the words bishop and presbyter express two distinct sacred orders, has been a subject of much controversy. But it may be easily shown that there is no distinction of order, whatever distinction of office may exist.

(1.) The argument from the promiscuous use of these terms in the New Testament seems incontrovertible. Acts xx, 28; Titus i, 5; Phil. i, 1; 2 John 1; &c.

(2.) A distinction between bishops and presbyters did indeed arise at a very early period; but it proves nothing for a superior order, nor

for diocesan episcopacy; for it cannot be shown that the power of ordination was given to bishops to the exclusion of presbyters; and this early distinction may be easily accounted for.

a.) It became expedient, doubtless, in the meetings of presbyters, at a very early period, that one should be chosen to preside over the rest; but the practice, as testified subsequently by Jerome, was founded solely upon expediency. It is to be remembered, that the primitive churches were formed very much upon the model of the Jewish synagogues.

b.) As Christianity made its way, the concerns of the districts of country surrounding cities naturally fell under the cognizance of the bishops of those cities. Thus diocesans arose; subsequently, metropolitans, primates, patriarchs; and finally the pope came in. (Pp. 579–582.) (3.) The doctrine of succession cannot be made out; and if it could, would only trace diocesan bishops to the bishops of parishes. (4.) As for episcopacy itself, it may be freely allowed as a prudential regulation, wherever circumstances require it. But it may be questioned whether presbyters could lawfully surrender their rights of government and ordination into the hands of a bishop, without that security which arises from the accountability of the administrator. (Pp. 582-586.)

3. On the subject of the church itself, very different views have been held. (1.) The Papist view contends for its visible unity throughout the world, under a visible head. (P. 586.)

(2.) The modern Independent view goes as far the other way. (P. 587.) The persons appointed to feed and govern the church being, then, those who are called "pastors," we have now to notice,

II. The share which the body of the people have in their own government. (Pp. 587-596.)

a General views.

1. The connexion of church and state gives rise to questions of peculiar perplexity and difficulty. We do not consider the church in this

state.

2. The New Testament view of the churches is, that they are associations founded upon conviction of the truth of Christianity, and the obliga. tory nature of the commands of Christ; and the mutual interdepen dence of pastors and people, with perfect religious liberty, is everywhere recognized in it.

8. Questions of church government are often argued on the false ground that the governing power, in churches to which communion is perfectly voluntary, is of the same character as when it is connected with the civil authority Nothing can be more fallacious.

4. In settling church government, there are pre-existing laws of Christ, which cannot be neglected or set aside. The government of the church is in its pastors, open to formal modifications; and it is to be

conducted with such a concurrence of the people as shall guard against abuse, without interfering with the Scriptural exercise of pastoral duties.

D. These views applied to particular cases.

(1.) As to the ordination of ministers. This power was never conveyed by the people: it was vested in the ministers alone, to be exercised on their responsibility to Christ. (Pp. 590, 591.)

(2.) As to the laws by which the church is to be governed. Those which are explicitly contained in the New Testament are to be executedl by the rulers, and obeyed by the people. (Pp. 591–594.)

(3.) Other disciplinary regulations are matters of mutual agreement; but democratic tendencies are to be shunned. (P. 594.)

(4.) Power of admission and expulsion rests with the pastor, as also that of trying unworthy servants. (P. 595.)

IV. The ends to which church authority is legitimately directed.

1. The preservation and publication of sound doctrine: called by systematic writers, potestas doynarikn: which may be thus summed up :

(1.) To declare the sense in which the church interprets the language of Scripture.

(2.) To require all its members to examine such declarations of faith with docility and humility; while their right of private judgment is not violated.

(3.) To silence within its pale all preaching contrary to its standards. 2. The power of regulation: called, technically, potestas diaraktikŋ.

3. The power of inflicting and removing censures: potestas diakgirikn. (Pp. 600-605.)

(1.) Undoubtedly this power lies in the church: it has, however, been sadly abused.

(2.) The claims of the Romish Church, in this particular, are arrogant assumptions: e. g., views founded on the gift of the keys to St. Peter.

The labour of church government, and its difficulty, will always be greatly mitigated by a steady regard, on the part of both pastors and people, to duties as well as to rights. (P. 605.)

II. THE SACRAMENTS. Ch. ii-iv.

(1) NUMBER and nature OF THE SACRAMENTS. (Ch. Ë.) 1 Number of the sacraments. Two only, baptism and the Lord's supper, are instituted in the New Testament, and admitted by Protestants; the Romish Church added five others.

1. The word used by the Greek Fathers was vçnglov; the Latin term is sacramentum, which signified (1,) a sacred ceremony, and (2,) the oath