out the world be called the church, any otherwise than as they appear, and, in the judgment of charity, are reckoned to be of this "general affembly and church of the first-born?"

But the propofition plainly speaks of a particular "church "of, Chrift," wherein this "general affembly" is fomeway vifible; fuch as the church in Jerufalem, the church at Antioch, the church at Corinth, the church at Ephefus, &c. If these churches appear to have been no more but congre gations, or companies affembling together in one place, it will then be manifeft, that, throughout the word of God, the word church, in this matter, is of the fame use as in the propofition; and if this appear to have been the cafe in Jerufalem, there will be no great ground of needful dispute a bout the reft.

Before we proceed to inquire into this, it may be observed, that we do not find the officers or reprefentatives of any church or churches, or any congregation or affembly of them, called the church; but we find the people diftinguished from them, and called the church: Acts xv. 22. " It pleased the apostles and elders, with the whole church." Acts xiv. 23. "And when they had ordained them elders in every "church." Acts xx. 17. 28.—" He fent to Ephesus, " and called the elders of the church.- Take heed unto "yourfelves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy "Ghoft hath made you over feers, to feed the church of "God." By thefe and fuch like places, it appears, that the propofition fpeaks in fcripture ftyle, when it fays a church of Jefus Chrift, with its prefbytery. It is true, that both flock and overfeers are frequently called the church; but it cannot be made manifeft, that the overseers or reprefentatives of the flock or flocks are ever called a church, as it is manifeft, that the whole flock, the multitude, the λbs, or full body of the difciples, when spoken of diftinctly from the overfeers, is called the church. The church-reprefenta tive, as it is called, is a thing altogether foreign to the scrip ture ftyle; and the ufe that has been made of it in after ages, fhews the wisdom of God in forbearing to afford any encou ragement to it, in his word, and cutting off from us all pretences unto any authority from his word, for our own in: ventions.

Now, it cannot well be denied by them that believe there is a plan of the conftitution and order of the church laid down in the fcriptures, that the church in Jerufalem, fetting afide what may be fhewed to be extraordinary, is a pat

tern

:

tern for the conftitution and order, of all the churches of Christ and therefore they who contend for the divine right of that church described in the Formula, appeal conftantly to the church at Jerufalem, judging their great strength lies there. Here then we must come for the decifion of this question, Whether the churches of Chrift be only congregations? And the whole of this caufe turns upon this, Whether the church in Jerufalem was many congregations united in one common prefbytery? or, Whether it was but one congregation affembling from time to time in one place? And though there might be many meetings of difciples in Jerufalem, yet if the whole body, calied the church, affembled together in one place from time to time?

They that contend for many congregations united in their common overseers, infift mainly upon the multitude of disciples there; from which they infer, it was impoffible they could all be one congregation.

It is true, there were very great numbers converted in Jerufalem by the gospel, and many difciples of Chrift in Jerufalem; as these paffages fhew, Acts i. 15. "The number " of the names together were about a hundred and twenty." Acts ii. 41. "And the fame day were added unto them "about three thousand fouls ;" and, ✰ 47. "The Lord "added to the church daily fuch as fhould be faved." Acts ill. II. "And as the lame man which was healed, held Peter " and John, all the people ran together unto them in the "porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering." Acts iv. 4.-"Many of them which heard the word, belie "ved; and the number of the men was about five thousand." Acts v. 14. "And believers were the more added to the "Lord, multitudes both of men and women." Acts vi. 1.7. "And in those days, when the number of the difciples was "multiplied, and the word of God increased, and the "number of the difciples multiplied in Jerufalem greatly, " and a great company of the priests were obedient to the "faith." All this is before the difperfion by the perfecution that arose about Stephen, Acts viii. 1. and xi. 19. After that difperfion, we find James and the elders faying to Paul, Acts xxi. 20. "Thou feeft, brother, how many thousands "of Jews there are which believe, and they are all zealous "of the law."

Now, befides that it cannot be made appear, that all the multitudes were members of the church at Jerufalem*, the See Clarkson's primitive Episcopacy.

inference

inference that is made from these accounts of the numbers is plainly befide the fcope of the Holy Ghost in speaking of the numbers, which is not to fhew, that the difciples and churchmembers in Jerufalem could not be one congregation, but many, under one common prefbytery. There is not the leaft intimation of fuch a fcope: but the plain scope of his speaking of the numbers is, to fhew the great power of the grace of the Lord Jefus by the gofpel, and the accomplishment of the Old-Teftament prophecies, in gathering finners unto him. If we had but the least hint of their being divided into several congregations, then the inference would have the more weight; but that feems to be a thing much avoided, in the account we have of the church at Jerusalem. We find a confiderable difficulty arofe from the multiplication of the number of the difciples in that church, Acts vi.; and it may be thought it would have been a very good expedient, to have divided them into feveral congregations, for remedying that evil that arose from their numbers. But what do the apostles of Chrift under the direction of the Holy Ghoft? They call the multitude of the difciples unto them, and feven deacons are chosen for ferving tables to the whole multitude in com. mon. And they that infift upon this inference from the number of the difciples in that church, allow no place for deacons but in a congregation. They are alfo obliged to own, that there were not different fixed congregations in Jerufalem, but that they affembled in different places promifcuously, and were all under the common oversight of the apostles acting as elders, and afterward of the elders bearing part of the burthen with the apoftles. But this is to give up the caufe of different fixed congregations under a common prefbytery, and to ftrike out feffions; and makes the church at Jerufalem fomething very near akin to one congregation. They that reafon from the conftitution and order of the church in Jerufalem, to fhow what is of divine right in this matter, are bound still to follow what they take to have been the order in that church; and not to change it, by erecting feffions under the jurisdiction of a prefbytery in different fix. ed congregations. Yet this inference from the number of the disciples in that church, how foever wide, might be tole rable, if it were not crofs to plain texts, fhewing that the church in Jerufalem was a congregation. And it is not a decent way of treating the fcripture, to draw long confe quences from texts that have another scope, contrary to plain texts against thofe confequences; or to explain clear o

pen

pen fcriptures, by confequences from other texts that do not appear to have thefe confequences in their scope; and thus to explain away the plain obvious fenfe of thefe clear fcriptures. This would not be a fair way of treating a human writing. And there must be something elfe than the influence of fcripture-light, and a regard to fome other thing than the confifting of the fcripture with itself, at the bottom of this way of doing.

Now, let us fee what the Holy Ghost fays exprefsly of the multitude of difciples in the church at Jerufalem. He tells us, (and this is a short sum of the state of the church in Jerufalem), Acts ii. 41. 42. "The fame day were added unto "them above three thousand fouls. And they continued ftedfaftly in the apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in break"ing of bread, and in prayers." 44." And all that be"lieved were together." 46." And they continued daily "with one accord † in the temple." y 47. " And the "Lord added to the church daily fuch as fhould be saved.” Acts iv. 31. 32. "And when they had prayed, the place was "fhaken where they were affembled together. And the "multitude of them that believed, were of one heart, and of one foul." Acts v. 12. 13. "And they were all with one "accord in Solomon's porch ‡. And of the rest durft no " man join himself to them: but the people magnified them." Acts vi. 1. 2. 3. 5. 6. "And in those days, when the number " of the difciples was multiplied, there arofe a murmuring of "the Grecians against the Hebrews. Then the twelve call

❝ed

* izì rò durò, which is fometimes tranflated in one place. And I know not if that phrafe occurs any where in the New Teftament in another fignification. See thofe places where it is found, 1 Cor. xiv. 23. 1 Cor. xi. 20. Acts ii. 1. and iii. 1. Luke xvii. 35. Η ομοθυμαδόν. Neither feems this word to be ufed in the New Teftament, but in the cafe of more or fewer concurring perfonally in the fame action. See thofe texts, Acts i. 14. and ii. 1. and iv. 24. and v. 12. and vii. 57. and viii. 6. and xii. 20. and xv. 25. and xviii. 12. Rom. xv. 5. 6. 7.

Here the Holy Ghoft tells us exprefsly of the place where they all affembled with one accord, Solomon's porch. Against this it is faid, That it was impoffible for Solomon's porch to hold them all. But they that fo flatly contradict the teftimony of the Holy Ghoft, must own, if they will believe him in any cafe, that the place now under that name was greater than the porch of old built by Solomon: for by comparing chap. iii. 11. with chap. iv. 4. VOL. I.

X

we

:

"ed the multitude of the difciples unto them, and faid, It "is not meet that we fhould leave the word of God, and "ferve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among 66 you feven men of honeft report, whom we may appoint "over this business. And the faying pleased the whole mul❝titude and they chofe Stephen, &c. whom they set be"fore the apoftles". Acts xxi. 18. 22. "The day follow. ❝ing, Paul went in with us to James; and all the elders were "prefent. And they faid unto him, The multitude + muft "needs come together: for they will hear that thou art " come." Acts xv. 4. 5. 6. 12. 13. 22. "And when they were come to Jerufalem, they were received of the church, "and of the apostles and elders.—But there rose up certain "of the fect of the Pharifees which believed, faying, "And the apoftles and elders came together for to confider "of this matter. Then all the multitude ‡ kept filence, "and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul. And after "they had held their peace, James anfwered, faying, Men " and brethren, hearken unto me. Then it pleafed the "apofiles and elders, with the whole church, to fend chofen men of their own company to Antioch, with Paul and

"Barnabas."

What now should be the scope of the Spirit of God, in telling us of all that believed; the multitude of them that believed; the multitude of the disciples; the whole church; their being together, or in one place; their continuing with one accord, or in perfonal communion in the temple, and in Solomon's porch; and their being a feparate body there, the reft not daring to join themselves to them; their joining all together in the choice of deacons to ferve them in the matter of their common charity; and joining with the apostles and their elders in fending letters to Antioch; and all this without ever giving us the leaft hint of their being divided into many congregations? Does he thus conftantly speak of

we fee that two thousand at leaft were converted in that place, by that fermon, and these were not all they that heard the word there. But if they who would make the numbers fo great that they could not be one affembly, will have the number converted by that fermon, in that porch, to be five thousand, they must also acknowledge that this fame porch held more than five thousand. † πλῆθος.

* τὸ πλῆθος.

Hav To λeos. See Lauder on the divine inftitution of bishops, having churches confifting of, &c. p. 17.

them