placed themselves on a footing of equality. If Paul assured them of his intercessory prayers for them, he in return requested their prayers for himself." 7

(B) The apostles remonstrate with the members of the church as with brethren, instead of rebuking them authoritatively. Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you. 1 Cor. 1: 10. Furthermore, then, we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you. 1 Thess. 4: 1. My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. James 2: 1. They spoke not by commandment, but in the language of mutual counsellors. 1 Cor. 11: 13-16.8

(7) They treated with the church as an independent body, competent to judge and act for itself. They appealed to the judgment of their brethren personally. 1 Cor. 11: 13 -16. 1 Thess. 5: 21. They reported their own doings to the church, as if amenable to that body, Acts 11: 1-18. 14: 26, 27, and exhorted the brethren to hold their teachers under their watch and discipline. Rom, 16: 17.

(8) They exhorted the churches to deeds of charity and benevolence; but submitted to each the disposal of his goods and his charities. Acts 5: 4. 11: 29, 30, etc. 1 Cor. 16: 1, seq. 2 Cor. 9: 1 seq.

(8) They addressed their epistles, not to the pastors of the churches, but to the churches, or to the churches and pastors collectively, giving precedence, in some instances, to the church. Phil. 1: 1. Even the epistles which treat of controverted ecclesiastical matters, are addressed, not to the bishops and presbyters, but to the whole body of believers, indicating that the decision belonged to them. Had it been oth

7 Neander, Apostol. Kirch., I. p. 161, 3d edit.; and in the sequel much more to the same effect.

8 Comp. Socrates, Hist. Eccl. Lib. 5. c. 22.

erwise, would not such instructions and advice have been given to the ministers of the churches ?9

(5) They recognize the right of the churches to send out their own religious teachers and messengers, as they might have occasion. Acts 11: 19-24; 15: 32, 33. 2 Cor. 8: 23. Phil. 2: 25. 1 Cor. 16: 3, 4. These deputations, and the power of sending them, indicate the independent authority of the churches.

(1) They united with the church in mutual consultation upon doubtful questions. The brethren took part in the dissension with Peter, for, having preached unto the Gentiles. Acts 11: 1-18. The apostles united with them in the discussion of the question respecting circumcision, which was submitted to them by the delegation from Antioch, and the result was published in the name of the apostles and the brethren, jointly. Acts 15: 1 seq.

(9) They submitted to the church the settlement of their own difficulties. The appointment of the seven deacons, to obviate the murmurs of the Greeks, was made at the suggestion of the apostles, but the election was wholly the act of the church. Acts 6: 1-6. The apostles refused any authoritative arbitration in the case; and required the churches to choose arbitrators among themselves to settle their own litigations. 1 Cor. 6: 1.

() They entrusted the church, also, with the important right of electing its own officers. As in the case of the seven deacons, which we have just stated; the apostles refused even the responsibility of supplying, in their own number, the place of the traitor Judas, but submitted the choice to the assembly of the disciples. Acts 1: 15, seq. In this connection should the appointment of elders, Acts 14: 23, also be mentioned, as may hereafter appear.

(x) The apostles submitted to the church the discipline of

9 Comp. Ep. Clem. and Euseb., h. e. Lib. 4. c. 15. Lib. 5. c. 1,

its members; as in the case of the incestuous person, who was excommunicated and afterwards restored to the church by that body. "The relations of presbyters to the church was not that of rulers with monarchical powers, but of the officers of an ecclesiastical republic. In all things they were to act in connection with the church, and to perform their duties as the servants, and not the lords of the church. The apostles recognized the same relation. They addressed their epistles, not to the officers of the church, but to the whole body, when treating not merely of doctrinal points, but of moral duties and of church discipline. The apostle Paul, when speaking of the excommunication of the incestuous person at Corinth, regards himself as united in spirit with the whole church, 1 Cor. 5: 4; thus indicating the principle, that their co-operation was required in all such cases of general interest."10

The churches, therefore, which were planted by the apostles, were under their sanction organized as independent popular assemblies, with power to elect officers, adopt rules, administer discipline, and to do all those acts which belong to such deliberative bodies.

7. The popular government of the primitive church is apparent from its analogy to the Jewish synagogue.

This and each of the following articles, under this head, will be the subjects of consideration in another place. They are assumed as so many separate heads of argumentation, so far as they may appear to be founded in truth. Comp. Chap. II.

8. The primitive churches were, severally, independent bodies, in Christian fellowship, but having no confederate relations one toward another.

"The power of enacting laws," says Mosheim, "of ap

10 Neander, Allgem. Gesch., I, S. 324, 2d ed.

pointing teachers and ministers, and of determining controversies, was lodged in the people at large; nor did the apostles, though invested with divine authority, either resolve or sanction anything whatever, without the knowledge and concurrence of the general body of Christians, of which the church was composed."11 Comp. Chap. III.

9. These churches severally enjoyed the inherent right of every independent body-that of choosing their own officers. This right, which, as we have seen, belonged to the apostolical churches, was retained in the churches during the ages immediately following. Comp. Chap. IV.

10. As in the apostolical, so in the other primitive churches, the right of discipline was vested, not in the clergy, but in each church collectively.12

Even the officers of the church were subject to the authority of the same. Clement recognizes this authority in his epistles to the Corinthians.13 Comp. Chap. V.

11. The appropriate officers of the church were deacons and pastors. These pastors were denominated indiscriminately bishops, overseers, and elders, presbyters, and were at first identical. Comp. Chap. VI.

11 De Rebus Christ., etc. § 1, 37. To the same effect, also, is the authority of Neander, Apost. Kirch. pp. 1, 161, 201, 214, 3d ed.

12 Primo omnibus ecclesiae membris jus eligendi pastores et diaconos erat. Communicatio erat quaedam inter varios coetus christianos vel ecclesias; literae quas altera acceperat alteri legendae mittebantur. Pecunias ad pauperes sublevandos ecclesia ecclesiae donabat. De rebus fidei et disciplinae jam apostoli deliberaverunt. Quaequae ecclesia exercebat jus excommunicandi eos qui doctrinae et vitae christianae renunciaverant, eosque recipiendi quorum poenitentia et mentis mutatio constabat. Sic prima christianorum ecclesia libertate, concordia, sanctitate floruit. Sack Comment, ad Theol. Inst. p. 141.

13 Epist. § 54, comp. 44. Also Pertsch, Kirch. Hist. I. 362.

The government of the church was the peculiar office of the bishops or presbyters. It was their business to watch over the general order,—to maintain the purity of the Christian doctrine and of Christian practice,-to guard against abuses,―to admonish the faulty, and to guide the public deliberations; as appears from the passages in the New Testament where their functions are described. But their government by no means excluded the participation of the whole church in the management of their common concerns, as may be inferred from what we have already remarked respecting the nature of Christian communion, and as is also evident from many individual examples in the apostolical churches. The whole church at Jerusalem took part in the deliberations respecting the relation of the Jewish and Gentile Christians to each other, and the epistle drawn up after these deliberations was likewise in the name of the whole church. The epistles of the apostle Paul, as has already been remarked, which treat of various controverted ecclesiastical matters, are addressed to the whole churches; implying that the decision belonged to the whole body. Had it been otherwise, would he not have addressed his instructions and advice, principally at least, to the overseers of the church? When a licentious person belonging to the church at Corinth is to be excommunicated, the apostle treats it as a measure that ought to proceed from the whole society; and places himself, therefore, in spirit among them, to unite with them in passing judgment; 1 Cor. 5: 3-5. Also when discoursing of the settlement of litigations, the apostle does not affirm that it properly belonged to the overseers of the church; although, if this had been the prevalent custom, he would no doubt have referred to it; what he says, seems rather to imply that it was usual, in particular instances, to select arbitrators from among the members of the church, 1 Cor. 6: 5.14 Greiling, after going through with an examination of the 14 Neander, Apost. Kirch. I. pp. 1, 201. Comp. also, p. 214.