the Bible and the church, the following language is used :

"It seems to us that no question need be raised as to which is above the other. Both are of divine and inspired origin. The church first, the Bible afterwards. Without detracting in the least from the inspired character of the sacred writings, the church is, quoad nos, above the Bible. But it is not usual to institute any comparison as to superiority between them. Both are of divine origin-both depositories of the same revelation."

But this theory not only puts the Bible below the church, but the church in opposition to the Bible. For we are taught by it that when the very words of the blessed Saviour, according to our private judgment, teach one thing, and the words of the church, according to our private judgment, teach something very different, we are to "yield"-what? nominally, our "private judgment;" but really, the words of Christ; for we are to have full confidence in the result upon our private judgment when the church speaks, and none when only Christ is the teacher. Thus is it plainly Christ we are to reject for the church, and not our own private judgment. Thus is not only the inspiration of the Bible made more fallible than that of the church, but the divine authority of the very words of Christ himself is supplanted by the church Catholic. The decrees of general councils have a force to us to which the Sermon on the Mount must yield. To embrace this is to become a churchman, in opposition to being a Christian. The New Testament may teach that marriage is "honorable in all;" but if the ancient church says, as say it does, that marriage is not honorable in all, but that a state of celibacy is one of superior holiness and honor, we must "yield our private interpretations of Scripture," and believe, in opposition, our private interpretations of the church. This is Anti-Christ, for it puts the church in opposition to Christ.

II. The true opinion, in regard to the ancient churches, is that their testimony is to be examined as that of witnesses, not received implicitly as the decision of a judge. This is the case even where it is most concurrent, much more where it is confused and conflicting.

This distinction is obvious. You may cross-question witnesses, and extract that which shall make them prove

just the opposite of what they desire, and at first seem to prove-something precisely contrary to their own opinion and conclusions.

Take the fathers one and all, the general councils, and councils not general, and let any claim be asserted tending to increase the dignity of the clergy or magnify the rites they administered, and it will never be opposed, but concurred in semper, ubique et ab omnibus; and yet cross examine these witnesses, the most arrogant and unscrupulous of them, and they will let out something that will prove that "in the beginning it was not so."

We prize and venerate the opinions of holy men in ancient times, especially in the early centuries of the Christian era. "There were giants in the earth in those days." There were men who loved and walked with God, as men have not walked with God since. Where is the man of this age who could write such a book as the Confessions of Augustine, without being chargeable with hypocrisy, or vanity, or affectation? Yet it was not vanity, it was not hypocrisy, it was not affectation in him. So used was he to walk with God as with a friend, that it was more pleasant to converse with God than with men, even when he knew that men were listening. It was more easy to write his history for the all-seeing eye than for that of men, though he knew that they were looking over his shoulder.

But yet all the best of these men were credulous, and the most of them unscrupulous to boot. They incorporated Therapeutism into the church almost entire; and the worst corruptions of Platonism gave its color to all their theology, and they studied a conformity with some. of the most absurd customs of paganism. And they made use of "pious frauds" to effect all their purposes. Even Augustine himself,-what was the great theological aim of his life, but to prove the terrible dogma that all "unbaptized infauts [if they die thus] will miss eternal life?" Still we welcome their testimonies, such as they are. We only ask that they shall be admitted as witnesses on the stand, and not as judges on the bench. We want liberty to cross-question them a little, and come to our own conclusions. Any thing which they can prove to have been primitive, upon a fair estimate of their testimony, though not even found in Scripture, shall be fully

VOL. XIII.-NO. L.

18*

admitted as therefore ever allowable and useful in similar circumstances now. Allowable we say, for those things omitted from Scripture are to be regarded as omitted for the express purpose of not being considered universally binding.

But we not only receive them as witnesses, but we hail the most of them as our friends, as our brethren and fellow-laborers, who have entered into their rest,-whose faith, in the main, we follow. Their errors are not going to prove so infectious, as their piety is inspiring. They viewed Christianity from a different stand-point; and such is the architectural magnificence of this great temple of God, that every fresh view exhibits unexpected beauties in the imposing fabric.

We turn then to examine evidence furnished by these Apostolic Constitutions on two points.

I. What were the primitive terms of admission to the membership of the Christian churches?

II. What were the primitive forms of their government? These must ever be the two questions most important to be ascertained in regard to any social organization.

As to the primitive terms of admission to church membership-baptism was of course the door of admission to the communion of the church. "Let no one eat of them" (i. e. the elements of the Lord's supper) that is not initiated; but those only who have been baptized into the death of the Lord." Bk. 7, c. 25.

The following are some of the prerequisites to baptism in point of character here given.

"And let him who is to be baptized be free from all iniquity; one that is not disposed to sin; the friend of God, the enemy of the devil; the heir of God the Father, the fellow-heir of his Son; one that hath renounced Satan, and the demons, and Satan's deceits; chaste, pure, holy, beloved of God, praying as a son to his Father, and saying, as from the common congregation of the faithful, thus: Our Father who art in heaven, &c." Bk. 3, c. 18.

After rejecting many other openly immoral characters, it is directed,

“If a maker of idols come (i. e. for baptism,) let him either desist from his employment, or let him be rejected. If one belonging to the theatre come, whether it be man or woman, or a charioteer, or a dueller, or a racer, or a superintendent of sports, or an Olympic game

ster, or one that playeth on the pipe, or on the lute, or on the harp at those games, or a pantomimic dancing-master, or a keeper of a grogshop, let them desist, or let them be rejected.. If any one follow the sports of the theatre, or hunting with dogs, or horse-races, or combats, either let him desist, or let him be rejected." Bk. 8, c. 32.

The following is a brief sketch, from the Constitutions chiefly, of the mode of administering baptism at this period, so far as it bears upon the points of difference among protestant denominations at the present time.

After the catechumens had received sufficiently the counsels and instructions of the catechumenical state, they were encouraged of themselves to apply to the bishop or pastor of the church for baptism. He would make the requisite inquiries, and if satisfied propound them to the whole church.*

One of the deacons would then exhort the Christian congregation in this strain:

"Ye that are about to be illuminated (i. e. baptized), pray. Let all of us, the faithful, earnestly pray for them, that the Lord may deem them worthy, after being initiated into the death of Christ, to rise with him, and become partakers of his kingdom, and communicants of his mysteries;-may unite them to and number them among those that are saved in his holy church. Save them and raise them up in thy grace." Bk. 8, c. 7.

The bishop then prayed for them thus:

"Thou who hast formerly said by thy prophets to those that were to be initiated, Wash ye, become clean; and hast through Christ appointed the spiritual regeneration; do thou thyself even now look upon these that are about to be baptized, and bless them, and sanctify them, and prepare them, that they may become worthy of thy spiritual gift, and of the true adoption; of thy spiritual mysteries; of being gathered together with those that are saved through Christ our Saviour; through whom glory, honor and worship be to thee, in the Holy Spirit, forever. Amen." Bk. 8, c. 8.

When baptism was going to be administered, the minister, candidates and church would walk to the baptistery in solemn procession. Much later than this period, they would sing the forty-second Psalm as they moved along on these occasions. "As the hart panteth after the water

*Cave's Prim. Chris. Part 1, ch. 11. p. 153. Oxford ed. 1840. Coleman's Antiquities, p. 54.

brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God," &c. In A. D. 536, these processions were so solemnly regarded that John, a minister of Constantinople, was charged, as a high offence, with administering baptism so that "there have been seen, which never happened before, two contrary processions of persons baptized." Du Pin, vol. 1, p. 700.

Many pomps and ceremonies marred the simplicity and beauty of this ordinance at this period. But the following will show the prevailing spirit of piety. In the baptistery, (a building of immense size,) before the whole church, standing on an elevated platform, the candidates would formally renounce the service of Satan and the pomps of the world, and dedicate themselves in future wholly to the service of God, confessing their sins, and their faith in the principal doctrines of Christianity. Generally this was done in the way of questions and answers, but not always.*

"After this he cometh to the water" and the bishop now prays:

"Look down from heaven, and sanctify this water; and bestow grace and power, so that he who is to be baptized, according to the command of thy Christ, may be crucified with him, and may die with him, and may be buried with him, and may rise with him to the adoption which is in him, by being made dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto righteousness.

The minister, it is then directed, shall "pronounce over them the sacred name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and shall dip them in the water, and let a deacon receive the man and a deaconess the woman." Apos. Const. Bk. 3, c. 16.

"This baptism, therefore," continues the next chapter, "is given into the death of Jesus; the water is instead of the burial. . . . the mention of the Father as of the author and sender, the joint mention of the Holy Ghost as of the witness, the descent into the water, the dying together with Christ, the ascent out of the water, the rising again with him." Bk. 3, c. 17.

* For a well known but most touching illustration of this kind of public confession, see Augustine's Confessions, Lib. 8, c. 2.