Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples, he left Judea, and went again into Galilee." This was in a. D. 30. It appears, therefore, that our Lord gained numerous followers in the early part of his ministry, and that he organized them into a religious society, acknowledging himself as its head, and had them baptized. Baptism was a rite of purification analogous to the purifications by sprinkling and affusion under the Jewish law. Heb. 9: 9, 10. "Which was a figure for the time then present, according to which gifts and sacrifices were offered, which were not able to make the worshipper perfect in respect to the conscience, consisting only in meats, and drinks, and StaQoçois baлtioμois, various baptisms, external ordinances, imposed till the time of reformation." It was administered to believers on their making a public profession of their Christian faith.. Acts 8: 36, 37. This profession involved that of allegiance to Christ as the Messiah. Hence baptism was said to be sis Xgiorov to Christ, and eis Davatov avtov to his death (Rom. 6: 3), importing that the subject was consecrated and set apart to Christ to follow him even to death. The primitive title of Christians was Mantai, disciples, that is, Christ's disciples; while the unbelieving Jews called themselves Moses' disciples. John 9: 28.- -"And they reviled him, and said, Thou art his disciple, but we are Moses' disciples." They are also distinguished by the same title from the Pharisees and John's disciples. Mark 2: 18.-"The disciples of John and the Pharisees fast, and they come and say to him, Why do the disciples of John and those of the Pharisees fast, and thy disciples fast not?"-John 13: 35; 15: 8. The society of Christ's disciples was not yet ordinarily spoken of under the title of a church. In Matt. 18: 17, it is spoken of under this title. If he will not hear them, tell it to the church; and if he will not hear the church, let him be to thee as a heathen and publican." Its more common title was the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of God. Matt. 3: 2.-"The kingdom of the heavens is at hand." 4: 23; 6: 10. 66 Thy kingdom come.” you it is given to know the mysteries of the 13: 11. 66 "To Verses 24, 31, 33, 44, 47, 52; Luke 66 My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom was of this world, my servants would have fought for me, that I should not have been given to the Jews." Luke 17: 20, 21. 66 Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them, and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation" (that is, with imposing array), "neither shall they say Behold it is here, or behold it is there. For behold the kingdom of God is among you." The doctrine of the kingdom of the heavens and the kingdom of God on earth seems to have been taken from Dan. 7: 18.. "But the saints of the Most High shall take the kingdom, and possess it forever, even for ever and ever." Verse 27.—" And the kingdom and dominion, and greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him."-Micah 4; Isa. 11: 52, 53; Ps. 2: 110. This amazing kingdom of God and glory was organized by Christ, under the title of the kingdom of the heavens and of God. It continued to be preached and extended under these titles after the pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Acts 19: 8; Col. 1: 13), when they gradually fell into disuse, and were supplanted by the less imposing title of the Christian church. The above is in conformity with Bretschneider, Rosenmuller, Robinson, and the English and German interpreters generally. The Second Adventists contend for the restriction of this title to the church in its more perfect development, yet to be attained. The sacrament of baptism was instituted, as we have seen, at the commencement of Christ's public ministry; that of the Lord's supper was added at the close. Matt. 26: 26-30; Mark 14: 22-26; Luke 22: 19, 20. As baptism was a religious washing, symbolical of our moral cleansing, the Lord's supper was a religious supper, symbolical of our interest in Christ, and commemorative of his death. The twelve apostles were chosen by Christ in the early part of his ministry, to act as preachers and expounders of Christianity, and were solemnly set apart by himself to the Gospel ministry in his church and kingdom. - Matt. 10:1-42; Mark 3: 13-19; Luke 6: 13-16. They were mainly preachers and teachers, with full power to perpetuate the office of instruction in the church. At a later period, seventy were added to the original twelve, and commissioned to take part in the work of preaching the Gospel.- Luke 10: 1-17. THERE is no indication of the form of government adopted in the Christian church in the Gospels, except in Matt. 18: 15— 17." If thy brother sin against thee, go and tell him his fault between him and thee alone. If he hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. If he do not hear thee, take with thee one or two, that by the mouth of one or two witnesses every word may be established. But if he refuse to hear thee, tell it to the church. But if he refuse to hear the church, let him be to thee as a heathen and publican." This, so far as discipline is concerned, is the government of the people by the people. The congregation is the church court, to which difficulties among the membership are to be brought; and not the church court only, but the supreme church court for the final decision of cases. When James and John desired the highest offices in Christ's kingdom, it was said to the disciples, Matt. 20: 25, 26, "Ye know that the rulers of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and the great exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your dianovos, deacon (servant), and whosoever will be first among you, let him be your doulos, slave (servant of the lowest class)." It does not appear, from this, that jurisdiction had been given to the twelve apostles over the church as its masters and spiritual lords, nor that Christ ever designed to invest them with such authority; but the contrary. These views are supported by Matt. 23: 8—12.- "Be not ye called Rabbi; for one is your z«Onɣŋīns (master), but all ye are brethren. And call no man father on earth; for one is your Father who is in the heavens. Neither be ye called masters; for one is your Master, even Christ. But the greatest of you shall be your Suazovos (deacon); and whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted." These two passages, Matt. 20: 25, 26, and 23: 8-12, are the key to the church polity instituted by Christ. They recognize · the essential equality of Christians under the rule of Christ, their subjection to him alone as their Lord and Master, and to God alone as their Father; and entirely exclude any spiritual lordship of the apostles, or any one of them, over the church. As all societies must have government of some kind, this denial of any lordship whatever to the apostles and Christian ministry requires the government to be vested in the membership, and makes the church a spiritual democracy, allowing an aggregation of such democracies in a Christian republic. According to this theory, the ministry of the church is not a ruling ministry, but a serving ministry; not an absolute spiritual magistracy, but a spiritual magistracy of limited powers; and the kingdom of Christ is not a kingdom of subjects under an absolute human sovereignty, but a kingdom of kings, under the sovereignty of the King of kings, a kingdom of priests, not subject to an earthly prelatical priesthood, but subject to the supreme and unchanging priesthood of Christ alone. There is a most sublime originality both in the moral instructions of Christ and in his institutions. He speaks as one having authority, but not as the Scribes. He is the founder of the church, 1. As a spiritual kingdom and society separate from the state, and having within its sphere independent jurisdiction. 2. As a kingdom subject to him alone as its supreme sovereign, in which all the organic powers of the spiritual government are vested equally in the entire people, to be exercised by them in their primary assemblies, or by delegates of their choice, representing them and acting by their authority. The church government instituted by Christ was not a hierarchy, a government of priests; but a democracy, a government of the people. The apostles were not a governing order in the church, but mainly a teaching order. It is supposed by some that the institution of the church is given us without a form and principles of government; that it is a scheme of religious association to which we have a right to add any government that we please, or that we judge expedient. But this is a mistake. A church without a government is a contradiction in terms. It takes organization to make a church, and organization is a provision for associated action. The church of Christ was an organization with provision for associated action. It was an organic body, constituted and prepared for action, and empowered to extend and perpetuate itself. As long as Christ was on earth, he was its acknowledged and visible head. After the ascension, it had no visible head on earth, but was in the condition of a kingdom whose sovereign is absent. It had an organization for the administration of its affairs, formed in agreement with the principles above specified, and was a spiritual democracy. The church was not governed, after the departure of Christ, |