sons in the Godhead work together in the constitution of the church.

:

Fifthly. The church thus gathered together of redeemed men must have visibility; inasmuch as it consisteth of embodied men, and not of disembodied spirits only; and also it must have invisibility, inasmuch as it consists of disembodied spirits, as well as embodied men. Yet is it essentially and indissolubly one, and that an unity like to the Divine unity, wherein many persons subsist. Its unity ariseth from the one sustaining Head, the one informing Spirit, and the one inworking God. To the Divine persons it is the one creature form through which their existence, power, and goodness is communicated to the knowledge and enjoyment of the creation. The finite cannot comprehend the infinite; and therefore the infinite must take a limited form, in order to be seen, known, and possessed. That form is the church; constituted by the three persons of the incomprehensible Godhead, as is said above and because the three persons of the Godhead are essentially one, the church must be one. Yet this unity, like the unity of a man, consisteth of two parts; the spirit and the body; not dissevered indeed, though distinct substance, but made for one another, and working together the one great end of demonstrating God's one being and attributes. These two parts are in existence apart; the one a company of departed spirits, and the other a company of living men. But they are one not the less, and as one working together the work of one God, one Christ, by the one Spirit.Concerning the invisible part of the church, we have no light in this vision, but not a little in the next. Christ is the only invisible person of all his church which in this vision is presented to our view. It is the vision of the church as existent in the several places of the world, under the sole inspection, ministry, and support of the great High Priest in the heavens. Neither angel nor disembodied saint comes between him and us in all this vision. The Holy Spirit alone, besides himself, hath part or lot in our preservation. This is a most important conclusion to establish, inasmuch as it sets the church into immediate communication with Christ; and teacheth every member thereof, that he needeth no intercession of blessed virgin, or of saint, between him and his own flesh, which is Christ.

We know not what place or function in the body the disembodied spirits may occupy. No doubt they continue of the body still a constituent and integral part; for there is no separation from Christ, when we have been once joined to him by the Holy Spirit. Whatever it be, it is swallowed up in Christ: their's is only a subsidiary portion of his action: occupied they may be by the Spirit for carrying on his ministry, but not seen in any way, though they may be seeing.

Sixthly. The one church, inspected by the one Shepherd and inspired by the one Spirit, subsisteth in various places upon the earth, without having its unity at all disturbed thereby, and likewise in all times from the departure to the coming of Christ. Nor is there the least hint given as to the numbers necessary in any place, or in any time, to constitute the church. Time, place, and number of persons are of no account in respect of these integrant portions of the church. It would seem to say, that in every place upon the wide earth, where there is any number of believers, however few, or however numerous, they should consider themselves as forming one church: the church in London for example, the church in Edinburgh. To this idea the original scheme of the Church of Scotland seems to have striven to conform itself by uniting the churches of a town under one eldership. But it doth seem to want some point of conformity, in not having one angel over all the churches in one place. This the Church of England seems to have better preserved, in appointing one bishop over the church in the cities. But then we are nearer the truth in the smaller towns and villages, having there an angel, whereas the Church of England hath only one of inferior dignity. But it is manifest that these angels over the churches were all of co-equal and co-ordinate dignity. Upon the whole, we have the advantage; though, in the cathedral towns, the Church of England seems to have the advantage, in this respect.

Seventhly. No church is without an angel, whose office it is to bear the church upon his heart continually, and to be between them and Christ. I know not whether the Romish superstition, of every village, town, and city having its guardian angel, be not derived from the true Christian idea, that

every town, however small, ought ever to have an angel over its church, however few the members be. Seeing no mention is made of elders or deacons, it seems to be intended, both that they are not absolutely necessary to the being of a church in any place, and also, that like the counsellors of a king, they are included with the subsidiary offices in the person of the angel. There is no mention of Presbyteries, Synods, or General Assemblies; nor of Deacons, Archdeacons, Bishops, Archbishops, or Primates; teaching us, that none of these are necessary to the constitution of a church, but have their origin in the occasion or necessity, and must be able to shew reason for themselves, One responsible person, in whom the church may be regarded as summed up, whom Christ may look to, as his delegate, the Shepherd or Pastor, the Minister or Preacher, or by whatever name he is called, there must be; and no church, without such a head, hath completeness. Who are these heads? The parochial clergy in their several parishes. And are they not of derived authority? I think not, or else the churches are not rightly constituted. For if there be churches which assemble in the parishes of the land, it is absolutely necessary, in order to their being so, that there should be over them a man taking his orders from Christ, and Christ only. And what is a Presbytery? A court like that which met at Jerusalem, for settling questions that may arise among the churches. And what is a Synod? For the same end, when the Presbytery cannot accomplish it. And the General Assembly ? Just the same. order, for the prevention of schism, for the preservation of unity. May they not without a cause interfere with a minister's liberty? They do it at their peril. Must a minister resent such interference ? He doth give way to it at his peril. And the same things say I, where this matter is ordered by grades of persons instead of courts. I like that worse, lest it should lower the angels of the several charges into some inferior station, which may not be permitted for any sake. In one word, church government, which hath cost so much blood and controversy, is in these epistles a simple matter; namely, a church in every place, and an angel over it who representeth Christ in the midst of them. And I believe a church thus constituted might be sure of Christ's fostering hand. But how they are

For

to choose their angel, the vision saith not; or how they are to remove him, the vision saith not. Other parts of Scripture do indeed testify to this matter; as the Acts of the Apostles and Epistles; but this vision is intent on other things.

Eighthly. Every church is tempted in its angel, and in its angel is judged; just as every kingdom is visited in its king. It is, like angel like church; and, like church like angel. Each several church is so; and not the combina tion of churches, as the Church of England or the Church of Scotland. These combinations are growths of charity, not constitutions of God. And even though they had been constitutions of God, as is a kingdom, still they would not have broken up the law of the several churches laid down in this vision, any more than the constitution of the kingdom breaks up the law of the family, which is, that the children are judged and represented in the father of the family. I wish particularly to impress this upon the angels of the churches, because I feel it to be a cause of watchfulness, and an encouragement to piety, and a stimulus to perfection, which nothing else can supply; and I am assured that it is not felt as it ought to be. The confederation hath taken away the dignity and responsibility of the persons. I would restore the dignity and responsibility of the persons, in order that the confederacy may regain its end of charity and promotion of unity. Whenever the persons merge their personality in the combination, it is the combination of slaves; for the feeling of personality is indispensible to freedom, and such a combination must sooner or later oppress the liberty of the church. Now, this is the very state of things at present in existence in our church. The responsibility of the several ministers for their several flocks, which this vision maketh paramount, not deigning to mention another, is lost sight of in the responsibility of the whole confederacy. Now, in as far as the church is a confederacy, it standeth under the kingdom, and is represented in the king, who employeth its ministry for the sake of his people. Hence cometh the uniformity of its creeds and books of discipline. Thus it hath a being national, as being "the king's prophet." Creeds, in most cases, were drawn up under authority of the king in the exercise of his high function, of providing proper instructions for his people. Christ will not, at the

judgment-seat, acquit me of my responsibility as the head of a flock, if I should say, I did not this because the church forbade it, or yet because the state forbade it. We must do the will of His Father which is in heaven, if we would pass that tribunal. This is a great point of truth. There is no mention of either king or prelate, or church court in this vision; but there is continual mention of Christ. To him then I, an angel of the church, must look, and him serve, though the church should cast me out and the king slay me.

Ninthly. While the angel of each several church thus addresseth himself to his responsibility, with all reverence for every other angel, with subjection to none; with all reverence of ecclesiastical traditions, with subjection to none; with all consideration of the authority of councils and assemblies of the church, with blind subserviency to none; let him draw close to Christ, and feel himself ever under his eye, and before his face; and let him give heed to the answer of the Spirit in the members of the body of which he has the oversight; whom he is to feed, and treat in all respects according to their wants; in whom he is to rejoice according to their prosperity, and for them to give thanks according to their blessedness. And to bear them on his heart always, as Aaron did bear the names of the children of Israel on his breast-plate, and to give himself for them, as Christ gave himself for the sheep. He is to think of nothing else but Christ and his sheep, between whom he stands to receive the supply, and to serve it out and to receive the increase, and to return it to the great Giver. He is a representative in his little sphere of the Headship of Christ, and should fulfil it as Christ doth; thinking only of God and Christ, and the people of his charge. Thus should every settled minister and pastor of a flock carry himself; nor is he to think of the persons who were instrumental in putting him there. They, be they laymen or clergymen, are but agents of Christ, to the effect of bringing him into a station, of which Christ himself hath defined the law and the limit; and no man, nor body of men, dare alter that law or limit, by a single hair's-breadth. Therefore I cry aloud to every minister of Christ, administering word and sacrament to a people, be they few or many, of this name or of that name, to think neither of