30

and that if Christ be not risen, then is their faith vain, and the witnesses of the resurrection of Jesus false witnesses, bez sides being of all men the most miserable for acting from a hope which they must have known to have been fallacious, and which had subjected them to every sort of persecution and privation. The apostle is indeed strong in his censure against those who had denied this important truth-he warns the church against them-"be not deceived, evil communications corrupt good manners. Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God-I speak this to your shame!" 1 Cor. xv. 33, 34.

31

CONTROUL OF THE CHURCH OVER THE ACTIONS AND GIFTS OF ITS MEMBERS.

THE Controul of the church over the actions of its members, and their accountability to the church for all their public exertions in the cause of Christianity, emanate from the nature of its union, and is essential to the preservation of that union. The design of Jesus in forming a church was to separate to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works. (Titus ii. 14). The Christian character follows the man in all the relations of life, and in all his business with the world; hence the primitive church had the power of determining civil disputes among the members of its body, of reproving for error, and excommunicating for crime.* The gifts of the church were subject to the church, and all acted together to one and the same end, as long as the directions of its founders were adhered to, and the spirit of its institutions preserved. On this subject the apostle apeaks to the church of Corinth, "If the foot shall say, because I am not the body, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, because I am not the eye, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of the body 2" (1 Cor. xii. 15, 16.) Those who had taught the Gentile con

* 1 Cor. vi. 1; 1 Cor v. 1 to 11.

32

verts of Antioch the necessity of adopting the Mosaic law, are censured in direct terms by the church of Jerusalem for acting on their own authority; they are described in the celebrated letter that was issued on that occasion, as having gone out from the church—as having unsettled the minds of the new converts by their teaching-as (to use the express words of the letter) being those " to whom we gave no commission ;"* and they are strikingly contrasted to the chosen men whom the church had now sent with Barnabas and Paul. Even an apostle, and the chief of the apostles Į (Peter), had to justify himself to the church, when the Jewish believers " questioned him"+ concerning his admission of the Gentiles into Christianity. We are informed that " Peter began, and laid the matter before them in order." And so simple and convincing it appears was his statement, that the history relates, that "upon hearing these things they were satisfied, and glorified God, saying, hath God then given to the Gentiles alse repentance unto life." (Acts xi. 18. Wakefield, See also Acts. xxi. 17, 18, 19.)

No such commandment (Acts xv. 24,) is the reading of the common version. The term such however is a supplement of the translators, and its introduction rather spoils than assists the passage. The word commission also better expresses the sense of the original than commandment.

+ See Wakefield.

33

OF OFFENCES, DISPUTES, AND THE CONDUCT TO BE OBSERVED TOWARDS WEAK OR WICKED MEMBERS.

THE directions of the New Testament are various on this head, but not more so than the several classes of offences and disputes that are likely to occur among associated men. And,

" If

1st. FOR PRIVATE OFFENCES BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS, we have the advice of Jesus himself. thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell* him his fault, between him and thee alone. If he 'shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother; but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established; and if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it to the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican." (Matt. xviii.-15, 17.)

2nd. CIVIL DISPUTES AND DIFFERENCES between members are to be determined in and by the church. Paul's censure is strong and pointed against those who, in primitive times, dared to submit their disputes

» Tell, convince, or argue the matter. See Wakefield's Notes.

F

34

to the decision of the legal tribunals.* He recommends them rather to suffer wrong-rather to suffer themselves to be defrauded, than bring reproach upon Christianity by appealing in their disputes to the hea then and the unjust. "Now therefore (says the apostle) there is utterly a fault among you because ye go to law one with another."

3rd. OCCASIONAL ERROR in a Christian brother is to be corrected by kindness. Paul directs, "if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of meekness, considering thyself lest thou also be tempted." (Gal. vi. 1; See also James v. 19, 20; Jude xxii. 23.)

4th. CONFIRMED CRIME, in the absence of repentance, is to subject the offender to be cut off from the church. Paul directs the Corinthians, in the name of Jesus, that when they were gathered together, they would deliver over the incestuous individual, that had disgraced his profession, to the adversary.t have written (says this same apostle, and on the same occasion) unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or an extortioner, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard; with such a one, no not to eat!!" (1 Cor. v. 11.)

*

5th. CORRUPT AND WILFUL OFFENDERS, those who occasion divisions in the church, or act from cor

*These mean tribunals become you not, is the language of the Arabic and Æthiopic translations.

† Deliver such an one to Satan, to the adversary-cast him unto the world, which is supposed to be adverse to truth-a familiar mode of expression in the New Testament.