them Here, however, it may be said that persons in adverse circumstances have the opportunity of making known their situation, and thereby avoiding the payments in question. But First-It is notorious that these churches continue to receive subscriptions from individuals known to be in very straitened circumstances. ye to the waters; and he that hath | are diligently employed in removing no money, let him come; yea come, a course which may tend in buy wine and milk without money and no small degree to the furtherance of without price. Freely (that is, gra- their principles. tuitously) ye have received, freely give. Whosoever will let him come, and take of the water of life freely." It may be doubted whether the Christianity of this day can lay claim to the same characteristics. In almost every church some fixed price is paid for hearing the word. Every convenient and desirable seat has its price affixed to it; and if any part of the place be left entirely free of access, there is generally a substantial reason for the exception. The accommodation there afforded is generally of such a nature that no bidder could be found for it at any price; and there, in the most exposed and cheerless situation, denuded of every convenience and comfort, where often the sound of the gospel is scarcely audible, the poor, the afflicted, the aged, are driven by the heartless arrangements of their Christian brethren. Second-There is a very general indisposition in individuals to any such disclosure of their, private circumstances. Third- No attempt can be made on any extensive scale to enforce such regulations without, in numberless instances, giving offence to the weak and the poor a course of conduct against which the Saviour has denounced the heaviest judgments. But where, we would ask, is the authority for imposing any tax upon the well of life? What passage in the New Testament sanctions its imposition or maintenance ? And is its imposition, without such authority, a lawful procedure, especially when it is known that its design is to promote the temporal interests of those who impose it. But when it is known that its imposition is not only without, but against divine authority-against some of the plainest and most express declarations of the word of God, and in contravention of some of its most important principles and designs, it assumes a grave importance, and the propriety of its further continuance would appear to merit the most serious consideration. In addition to this, in some societies there are fixed subscriptions for members; and though some of these may appear light when considered in detail, yet they do not always prove so when viewed in the aggregate. When we consider the general condition of our working populationthe inadequate remuneration they frequently receive for their labourthe precarious tenure and frequent interruptions they are wont to sustain in its exercise-and also bear in mind that their partners, if they would possess the same privileges, must also incur the same expenses when we carefully and seriously consider these things, I believe they will inevitably From these premises we conclude, lead us to the startling conclusion, that whatever funds may be wanted that Christianity-evangelical Chris- for Christian purposes, must be detianity has almost ceased to be ap-rived from the voluntary contributions plicable to the circumstances of the masses of our population. It may be remarked, that the Oxford, as well as the Catholic party, have seen the impropriety of these restrictions, and of individuals. God loveth a cheerful giver: He disdains to receive compulsory support, and can very well dispense with that kind of assistance for carrying on his work. We now come to the inquiry, who are the individuals who may be expected to contribute? The community of the faithful are certainly the proper, regular, and legitimate source from whence these contributions should be derived. Though I can see no reason, and can find no authority for absolutely excluding any man from the performance of whatever good work he may feel disposed and the Saviour has said that whosoever shall give a cup of cold water to a disciple in the name of a disciple, he shall in no case lose his reward still, their co-operation should never be invited in the regular support of the Christian cause. Great principles stand in the way, and will be inevitably sacrificed by such a course. The church that regularly receives any part of its maintenance from the men of the world, whatever it may protest to the contrary, has really concluded an alliance with the world and the most objectionable and humiliating of all alliances, one of dependence. The ancient church universally repudiated such a position. With respect to those who think that not only may we seek the support of the world, but compel it by the most violent methods-by seizure and confiscation of goods, by imprisonment, and as has happened in this kingdom, and in this age, by death itself*—such persons, whatever knowledge they may have of systematic theology, must be most profoundly ignorant of the real nature of the Christian religion. Believers, then, are the individuals by whom the Christian cause must be upheld, and their subscriptions should be regulated by the amount of means they may possess. An individual must know that he has the means of contributing before he undertakes to do it. The Scribes and Pharisees advocated liberality to the temple or synagogue, as the most important of all duties, and asserted that if a man Rathcormac, 1837. contributed to ecclesiastical purposes what he should have given to his parents, he was thereby free from the obligation of supporting them to that amount. But a high authority assailed and demolished their position, and restored those primary duties of nature and morality to their proper places. If, then, an individual has nothing whatever beyond what is absolutely necessary to supply the wants of his family, he is under no obligation to contribute to ecclesiastical purposes. Nor should he encourage the dream that a bountiful Providence will make up to him, in some unknown manner, the money he thus applies; for, the action itself being of doubtful morality, he has perhaps a better right to expect increasing difficulty and distress. But if he possess a surplus beyond what is required for that purpose, let him communicate of it as may most tend to the glory of God, and the present and future happiness of his fellow men. (To be continued.) J. N. S. CHURCH ORGANIZATION. NO. II. THE Committee to which was referred the subject of church organization has, as yet, had but one conference; and, therefore, we have not yet received any thing definite or final from them on this absorbing theme. Meantime we shall submit to their conjoint consideration, some of our reflections and reasonings on the premises offered to us in the volume of inspiration, touching the Christian community. We are highly gratified to see so many of our scribes, both old and young. devoting a portion of their thoughts to this very cardinal and interesting subject; and are especially well pleased to notice the becoming modesty with which the junior portion of them speak on it. "He that walketh slowly, walketh surely; but and in this single epistle, uses the word ekkleesia nine times, as indicating the whole multitude of the faith he that hasteth with his feet, erreth" | the subject of the church in this sense, -"Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit, there is more hope of a fool than of him"- —are sage observations. We must, then, abstain from a dog-ful, in all ages and nations. He says, matical spirit, while there remains a reasonable doubt on the premises before us. To assist myself and others in coming to scriptural conclusions on this topic, we will classify the scriptures, and deduce from them a few inferences bearing on a proper decision of the question concerning co-ope-church," "I speak concerning Christ ration. As though we had never before thought on the subject, let us, then, in the true inductive style, institute an examination of the sacred history of the word ekkleesia, as found in the Christian scriptures. This very important term is found one hundred and fifteen times in the New Testament. Three times only, in the common version of this volume, translated assembly, and one hundred and twelve times church. Christ "gave himself for the church,” is "the head of the church," "loved the church," "nourishes the church," "the church is subject to Christ," "the manifold wisdom of God is made known by the church,” a glorious church," "unto him be glory in the 66 and the church." These passages incontrovertibly apply to the catholic, or universal church of Christ. Paul, to the Colossians, in discussing the same subject says—“ Christ is the head of the church,” and the church is "the body of Christ." When applying to Christ a passage in the Psalms, he so uses this term"In the midst of the church I will sing praises to thee," Heb. ii. 12. And again, "the general assembly and church of the first-born." Heb. xii. 23. 66 It is found in the singular number seventy-eight times, and in the plural In the same general sense it is number thirty-seven times. But the probable that Paul speaks of himself, most important fact is, that it is used as persecuting the church of God;" in the singular number in two distinct Gal. i. 13; and 1 Cor. xv. 19, “Givsenses—one indicating a single com- ing no offence to the Jews, nor to the munity, meeting in a single place-Gentiles, nor to the church of God." the other indicating the congregated "God has set some in the church— multitude of all these communities, as Apostles, Prophets, Teachers," 1 Cor. existing in all ages and nations. We xii. 28. have, then, the church universal, and a church particular. These are facts of much importance, and demand our special regard. We shall, then, in the first place, exemplify and illustrate the last and most comprehensive use of the word. As indicating the whole Christian community, spread over all nations and throughout all ages, we find it so used by the Founder of it himself, when first it occurs in the Christian scriptures, Matthew xvi. 18—“On this rock I WILL BUILD MY CHURCH, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Paul, to the Ephesians, discusses But in the second place, the Apostles apply the term to a single congregation, meeting in a city or a village. Thus we have the church in Jerusalem, the church at Antioch, the church in Corinth, the church in Phillippi, the church in Cenchrea, the church of the Thessalonians, the church of the Laodiceans, the church of Ephesus, the church in Smyrna, the church in Pergamos, the church in Thyatira, the church in Sardis, the church in Philadelphia.* Besides these, we have particular * In the original text, as in the version, it is sometimes the church in, and sometimes the church of, such a place. crimination, any one of the apostolic epistles, without recognizing this great and important fact. churches, in private houses, such as the church in the house of Priscilla and Aquilla, Rom. xvi. 5; the church in the house of Nymphas, Col. iv. 15; and the church in the house of Phile-vidual responsibility of each and every mon, verse second. We also read of churches in provinces and political districts, such as the churches in Judea, the churches in Galilee, the churches in Samaria, the churches of Syria, the churches of Cilicia, the churches of Galatia, the churches of Asia, the churches of Macedonia, the churches of the Gentiles; and they are spoken of as "the churches of Christ," "the churches of God," "the churches of the saints." Such are the various uses of this very important word, as found on a careful consideration and analysis of all its occurrences in the apostolic writings. It is worthy of remark, that we never read of a church in or of any province or district, such as the church of England, the church of Scotland, or the church of Geneva. We might as rationally look for the church of America, or the church of Africa, as for any national or provincial church. Such an idea is as foreign to the sacred style and spirit of Christianity, as that of an Episcopal, Presbyterian, or Baptist church. There may, indeed, be "churches of God," "churches of Christ," "churches of the saints," in a city, as well as in a province or an empire. And there may also be but one church of Christ in a city or in a province. In both cases, however, a church of Christ is a single society of believing men and women, statedly meeting in one place to worship God through the one Mediator. But a church of churches, or a church collective of all the churches in a state or nation, is an institution of man, and not an ordinance of God. Nothing in the constitution of a church of Christ is more evident than its individual responsibility to the Lord Jesus Christ, for all its acts and deeds. No one can read, with proper dis But the independence and indi Christian community for all its own proceedings, is more fully set forth in the seven letters addressed by the Lord himself, through the Apostle John, to the seven churches then existing in proconsular Asia. Each and every church is addressed as though there was not another church in Asia than itself. No one is praised or blamed for anything beyond its own limits and operations. These were not state or provincial churches, but individual communities. So far from it, three of them are found in one and the same province. Philadelphia, Sardis, and Thyatira, were cities of Natolia; and of these, Sardis was not more than forty miles from Smyrna. Besides these seven churches, there were several other churches not far distant from these in Asia Minor, not named nor alluded to in their letters. Such were the churches in Galatia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Pontus, Cappadocia, &c. Had the Lord Jesus Christ placed the Asiatic churches under a supreme "Pontiff," or a "Diocesan Prelate," he would have, by his Apostle John, addressed him, and charged upon him the delinquencies of the communities entrusted to his care; and would, doubtless, have exhorted him, as Paul did the bishop of a single community, to take heed to the whole flock over which God had constituted him archbishop. But no one can imagine a more satisfactory matter of fact refutation of such an assumption than these seven letters, addressed, as they severally are, each to a single community, as though there had not been another one on earth. But the independent character and individual responsibility of the congregation established and organized by the apostles themselves, neither in theory nor in practice, inhibited co operation nor combined effort in furthering the interests, and elevating the character of the kingdom of Christ, as one grand institution. The constitutional independence and individual responsibilities of families do not prevent their consociation in towns, cities, and states, for the better securing their respective interests, prosperity, and happiness. Nor does the fact that every family has its own particular head and domestic arrangements, contravene or forbid the association of ten or a hundred such families in a township or other corporation, for the accomplishment of objects essential to their prosperity and safety, and which they could not so well accomplish and secure in their individual and independent capacities. Such were the tribes of Israel, and such, to a certain degree, were the churches planted by the apostles in Judea, Samaria, and among the Gentiles. ing the kingdom of Christ, and the opposition it was to meet with in the world. CHAPTER I, after a short exordium, (the import of which will come under our consideration in due time) presents us with a most sublime representation of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, in his glorified state, as the great prophet of the Christian church, appearing to his servant John, and dictating to him what he should write to the seven churches in Asia; and the two succeeding chapters are taken up with these epistles. On this division of the Apocalypse, I must inform you, that it is the opinion of some of the learned, that these seven epistles to the Asiatic churches are intended to furnish a general and typical representation of the state of Christianity in the world, from the first establishment of Christ's kingdom, to the time of his second coming. So that, according to this view of the matter, I mean, if the opinion be well founded, the state of these seven churches, as described in the epistles to them, is to be considered as prophetic of so many successive states of the Christian church, from the days of the Apostles to the end of the world. For instance, according to this hypothesis, we have in the Ephesian church, a representation of the state of the churches of Christ, and the profession of his name in them, which were planted by the apostles. In the church of Smyrna, we are said to have a representation of the state and condition of the disciples of Christ, in the churches under the persecutions of the Heathen Emperors, till the time of Constantine the Great-especially the ten years' persecution, which took place under the Emperor Dioclesian. In the church of Pergamos, under the figure THE first Part, Section, or Division of Balaam teaching the King of Moab of this book, I restrict to the first to cast a stumbling block before three chapters, and regard them as Israel, to mingle them with the peoIntroductory to the main subject, ple, and lead them to false worship viz. The prophecies which the apos- and idolatry, we are said to have a tle was instructed to reveal concern-representation of a ministry of worldly But that we may assume nothing in matters so fundamental, we must, in our next article, by an induction of the particular facts and circumstances found in the New Testament, ascertain what premises there are to authorise the conclusion that the principle of co-operation was recognized and acted upon by the apostolic churches, in extending the influences of the gospel, in securing the edification and happiness of the several churches, in protecting them from error, or in any way indicating concerted action in maintaining social rights, privileges, A. C. and honors. PROPHETIC DEPARTEMNT. |