added the saved daily to the church. 5:11. And there was great fear upon all the church, and upon all that heard these things. 8:1. At that time there was a great persecution against the church at Jerusalem. 11: 22. — And tidings of these things came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem. And they (the church) sent forth Barnabas to go as far as to Antioch. 15: 4. And when they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church, and the apostles and the presbyters, and related what things God had done with them. Verse 22. Then it seemed good to the apostles and the presbyters, with the whole church, to send chosen men of themselves to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas; (namely) Jude called Barnabas, and Silas, leaders among the brethren.

11: 26.. "And it came to pass

The church at Antioch. that for a whole year they met with the church (at Antioch) and taught many, and the disciples were first called Christians at Antioch." A. D. 41. 13: 1.-"Now there were at Antioch in the church certain prophets and teachers, as Barnabas, and Simon called Niger, Luke the Cyrenean, and Manaen, fosterbrother of Herod the tetrarch."

Other churches:

Rom. 16: 1.-"I commend to you Phoebe our sister, who is deacon of the church in Cenchrea."

Verse 23. "Gaius salutes you, who is my host, and host of the whole church" (at Corinth).

1 Cor. 1: 2.-"To the church of God in Corinth, the sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints."

Col. 4: 15. "Salute the brethren in Laodicea and Nym phas and the church at his house;" that is, that meets at his house.

Verse 16. -"And when this epistle is read with you, cause that it may be read in the church of the Laodiceans."

Churches. 1 Cor. 4: 17.-"For this reason I sent you Timothy, who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord, who will remind you of my methods in Christ (in religion), as I teach

everywhere in every church." 7:17. —“But as our Lord has imparted to each one, and as God has called each one, so let him live, and so diataσooμai, I direct in all the churches." 1 Thess. 2: 14. -"For ye, brethren, became followers of the churches of God which are in Judea, in Christ Jesus, because the same things which ye have suffered from your countrymen, they also have suffered from the Jews." Acts 9: 31. — “Then had the churches rest through all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were built up; and, walking in the fear of the Lord and comfort of the Holy Spirit, were multiplied." 15: 41.- “ Paul went through Syria confirming the churches." 1 Cor. 16: 1.“As dietaža I appointed to the churches of Galatia, so do ye.” 2 Cor. 8: 1. 166 We inform you, brethren, of the grace given to the churches of Macedonia."

Mention is made of the seven churches of Ionia, in Asia Minor, in Rev. 1: 4, with a specification of

6. The church in Philadelphia. - Verse 7.

7. The church in Laodicea. - - Verse 14.

5. Besides denoting a congregational and local association of Christians, exxoa denotes the entire body of Christians on earth.

Matt. 16: 18. "And I say unto thee, that thou art Peter (rock), and upon this rock will I build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." 1 Cor. 12: 28.—“And God hath set in the church, first, apostles; second, prophets; third, teachers; then miraculous powers, then gifts of healing (medicinal powers), helps, governments, different languages."

Eph. 1 : 22, 23. —“ And made him head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all things in all." Eph. 5: 23-32; Phil. 3: 6; Col. 1: 17, 18.

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He is before all things, and all things exist in him, and he is the head of the body the church; who is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, that he might have the preeminence in all things." Eph. 5: 23-32; Phil. 3: 6.

Heb. 12: 22, 23.

"But you have come to Mount Zion, even the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads the general assembly of angels, and to the church of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven, and to the judge and God of all, and to the spirits of the just made perfect." Ecclesiasticus 24: 2.-"In the church of the Most High shall she (wisdom) open her mouth, and glory in the presence of his power."

This church is universal, the same as the Catholic church; but it is never referred to in the New Testament as under any general government, except that of Christ. There is no universal bishop, no general council, no supreme court. The universal church of the New Testament consists of the particular churches. But it does not appear as an organization in which the particular churches are made subject to a common central jurisdiction. The New Testament gives us no organization of the universal church into a single incorporation, no national churches, and no provincial churches; but simply congregational and city churches; societies of Christians belonging to single cities and other localities, and meeting to a great extent in the same assemblies for divine worship, and for the transaction of church business.

In modern times, the word church is applied to denote any society of the professed followers of Christ, however organized, and whatever principles of religion and morality it may hold: as, the Roman Catholic church, the Greek church, the Armenian church, the Nestorian church, the Coptic church, the -Abyssinian church, and the Protestant churches of different orders. The highest order of Protestant churches is the national. Protestantism has no universal churches.

National Episcopal churches are divided into provincial

churches, provincial churches into dioceses, and dioceses into parochial churches or parishes. National Methodist Episcopal churches are divided into annual conferences, the annual conferences into circuits and stations, and the circuits and stations into classes of about twelve members. National Presbyterian churches are divided into presbyteries and local churches of single congregations."

Congregationalism does not allow of national churches under a single control or jurisdiction, though it admits of national associations of independent Congregational churches for mutual advice and counsel.

All men agree in referring the origin of the Christian church to Jesus Christ as its founder. But the precise constitution which he gave it, the offices which he established in it, the precise powers attached to those offices, and the elements which are essential to its genuineness as a church of Christ, and without which it is not a genuine Christian church, with a valid ministry and valid ordinances, all these, and other points, are matters in regard to which there is a great diversity and contrariety of opinion among professing Christians, and that not only among the illiterate and the uninformed, but among the most eminent Christians and the most accomplished biblical scholars and theologians. And yet it is evident that, as far as light is to be had on this subject from the Scriptures, ancient history, and from the nature and operation of different principles and schemes, and their agreement or disagreement with the known principles and ends of the Creator, there ought to be agreement among candid and competent inquirers after truth; and beyond this the sphere of knowledge does not extend. All beyond this is baseless and unprofitable conjecture.

Let us, therefore, examine the institution of the church as it was organized by its divine founder, and modified and administered by the apostles with his express approbation, with a view to determine, as far as possible, the precise form and principles of its organization.

If there are doubtful and conjectural principles, which cannot be settled, there being no evidence to establish and none to refute them, let us mark them as conjectural, and hold them, if we hold them at all, only as such. But what can be known with perfect certainty, and all that can be known thus, let us learn and hold; and, having learned it, let us teach and support the same, and contribute what we can to its becoming an object of general knowledge with all liberal inquirers after truth.

The origin of the church dates from the commencement of Christ's public ministry. This is proved by the early institution and administration of Christian baptism. Christian baptism is a rite of purification, a symbol of moral cleansing, and a seal of consecration to Christ as his disciple and servant. Its origin marks the origin of the Christian society. The baptized were a society of professed Christians, and were made so by their baptism. The early institution of Christian baptism appears from the following Scripture testimonies:

John 3: 22. "After these things, Jesus came with his disciples into the land of Judea, and there he abode with them and baptized." The followers of Christ are here spoken of as his disciples. They are also spoken of as a society by themselves. There he abode with his disciples, not with others. The title of disciples marks their acknowledgment of him as their master and teacher, and their submission to his authority.

It appears, from another testimony, not only that Christ admitted persons to his church—the society of his followers - by baptism, from the commencement of his public ministry, but that his admissions were quite numerous at this early period. John 3: 25, 26. —“There was a debate of the disciples of John with a Jew concerning (baptismal) purification. And they went to John, and said to him. Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou didst bear witness, behold the same baptizeth, and all men come to him." John 4:1–3.· "When the Lord knew, therefore, that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John, though