neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church; but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." Look into the directions of St. Paul concerning the mem. ber guilty of a publick and most scandalous offence in the Corinthian Church. The apostle does not give his orders for discipline to the particular pastor of his Church, nor to an individual Bishop, nor to the convocation of the presbytery, but to the Christian body. "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus."—(1 Cor. v. 4, 5) Deprive him of his Christian privileges, that he may be brought to repentance, and thereby save his soul. When our religion was taken under the auspices of the civil government, the clergy took on themselves the title of ecclesiasticks, denominated themselves the Church, and assumed power to lord it over the heritage of God. But no authority is found in the bible to denominate the clergy the Church. Nor, in primitive times, was the distinction between congregation and Church known. For three hundred years at least, after the death of our Saviour, the Christian society existed in one body; and in one united society Christian disciples attended publick worship, and joined in all the ordinances of the gospel; and in one assembly, all concerns of general interest were transacted. To this assembly, and not to the clergy, the right of electing to office, and the power of government, were committed.

That the election of Deacons, in the age of the apostles, was by the assembled brethren, cannot be doubted. When complaint was made of the unequal distribution of publick charity, "the twelve apostles called the multitude unto them and said, (Acts vi. 2-5) It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost, and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry. And the saying pleased the whole multitude; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Ghost," &c.

The apostles, during their lives, unquestionably selected and ordained ministers. As inspired men, they exercised more power in the Church, than they permitted ordinary ministers, their successors, to exercise. But even in the high concern of appointing an apostle to take the place of the fallen Judas, regard was had by divine direction, to the right of the brethren in electing their ministers. Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and directed them to choose two candidates for the office of the apostate; and he selected one of these by lot, to take a part in the apostleship from which Judas, by transgression, fell.

From scriptural history it is evident, that pastors of particular Churches were not uniformly ordained by the apostles or by evangelists during their lives. Nay, it is apparent, evangelists themselves did not always receive ordination from the apostles. St. Paul thus exhorts his son Timothy-" Neglect not

the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, and the laying on the hands of the presbytery." Paul and Barnabas, as well as Timothy, were separated to their work, by the imposition of the hands of the presbytery.

The sacred history of the Christian Church is not continued beyond the lives of the apostles. We must depend on the authority of ecclesiastical historians for the usages and practices of the next age. Respecting the choice of ministers, there is not complete harmony among them. Some affirm that the election was solely with the brethren; others favour the supposition, that ordained ministers nominated candidates to vacant churches; but they concede that the brethren had a right to reject the candidate nominated, without assigning a reason for rejecting him. The fact probably was, that ministers then, as they frequently do now, recommended candidates; and perhaps in some instances, the recommendation, which societies at first solicited as a favour, ministers eventually claimed as their right of nomination. In the western Church, pastors of particular Churches, and even Bishops, were chosen by the brethren till 1050, when the council of Avignon deprived them of this privilege.

The ordination of candidates was in usual cases considered as the appropriate office of ordained pastors; but when peculiar circumstances rendered it expedient, lay ordination was acknowledged to be valid.

Churches in primitive times were independent. They possessed equal rights, and each had the ex

clusive management of its own concerns. But to a certain extent a community of interests has ever existed among neighbouring Churches; and ecclesiastical councils have been common in every age. But general councils, on scriptural grounds, I conceive, have authority only to give advice. They do not possess power to coerce the adoption of measures recommended. Particular ecclesiastical councils, called mutually by the parties in controversy, are similar to references in civil affairs, and their results are binding on the parties only by their own agreement.

I have gone into this review for two purposes; 1st-To make it manifest that we have a reason to give for the constitution and order of congregational Churches. And 2d-That a view of the primitive state of the Christian Church being fixed in your minds, you may be the better able to judge of the corruptions and abuses, which at a subsequent age were introduced.

SERMON VII.

ECCLESIASTICAL POWER AND DOMINION WERE GRADU ALLY ASSUMED BY THE PRIESTHOOD.

1 PETER v. 3.

Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

IN this chapter, the apostle gives particular directions to the ordinary ministers of the gospel."The elders who are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away." These directions are plain, important, and sol

emn.

Christian disciples are here represented under the allusion to a flock, which has ever been considered as an emblem of innocence. Of this flock the pastor has the oversight in the Lord; and