Primitive faith and discipline fell together.

cil with the presbyters, and 'with a due regard to the suf frages of the whole assembly of the people.'"***

It is apparent from the extracts, which have now been given, that the leading principles, and doctrines of Congregationalism were recognized by the primitive churches. of Christ, until they became "wise above what is written," and attempted improvements on the work of Christ and his apostles. The simplicity of the primitive faith, and the simplicity of the primitive church order and discipline fell together. The increase of philosophers and learned men, in the church, subverted the former; and the introduction of the princes and nobility, overthrew the latter.

INFLUENCE OF CONSTANTINE.

Constantine the Great was the principal agent in overturning that primitive church polity, which we have been contemplating. "While he suffered the church to continue to be, as before, a sort of republic within, he assumed to himself the supreme power over this sacred republic; and the right of modeling and controlling it as would best subserve the public good."* Though for a while, the ancient rights and privileges of the people to elect their own church officers, and to regulate the internal affairs of their respective churches, were recognized, it was not long before these rights and privileges were encroached upon, and finally destroyed, by the bishops; who, says Mosheim, " controlled everything at their discretion." The churches became subject to the bishops, and the bishops themselves, to the emperor as the head of the church.

Church modified to suit the State.

The church and the state being thus united when Constantine thought that it would secure the stability of his throne and the interests of his government, to change the laws, and alter the "dispositions and divisions of the Commonwealth," it became necessary, in his judgment, to adapt the church to this modification of the state. "In lieu of the ancient republican distinctions, says Tytler, which were founded chiefly on personal merit, a rigid subordination of rank and office now went through all the orders of the state. The magistrates were divided into three classes, distinguished by the unmeaning titles of (1) the Illustrious; (2) the Respectable; (3) the Clarissimi.”

To secure the desired uniformity between the ccclesiastical and political estates, the bishops of the four principal cities in the Roman Empire-Rome, Antioch, Alexandria, and Constantinople-were made ecclesiastical nobles. "These," says Mosheim, "answered to the four pretorian prefects created by Constantine." Next came the exarchs, answering to the prefect or civil governor, who had the ecclesiastical control of several provinces; next in order, stood the metropolitans, who governed single provinces ; then followed the archbishops, who had in charge certain districts of country; the bishops brought up the rear, more or less confined in their authority according to circumstances.* The number of bishops at this time,"

* Dr. Murdock in a note upon Mosheim, suggests that there were, in fact, only four orders of clergy; that the exarchs were only chiefs among the metropolitans and not over them-that they were, indeed, metropolitans or archbishops. For a particular account of the divisions referred to in the text, consult Dr. M's note, Vol. I. pp. 282, 283.

Number of bishops. Superiority of the bishop of Rome.

says Waddington, "was one thousand eight hundred.* In this whole body the bishop of Rome possessed a sort of indeterminate precedence, and preeminence, unattended by any other authority; and this precedence is attributed, first, to the imperial name of Rome and next, to the su periority in wealth, which he seems to have acquired at a very early period: to the splendor and extent of religious administration, and the influence naturally arising from these causes."

The church thus remodeled-shorn of her primitive simplicity and beauty-decked with honors, and enriched with imperial gold, was like David in the armor of Saul. This union of church and state was fatal to the purity and independency of the churches. The pastoral crook gave place to the insignia of metropolitan pride. Ambition and lust of power-strife for the supremacy-corruption in manners and doctrine, rapidly overspread the Christian church; upon her walls was soon written-" ICHABOD !"

Before the close of this century, we hear of fighting and bloodshed, and house-burning, by the contending parties of rival candidates for the bishopric of Rome.

Dr. Campbell, speaking of the rights of the people at this time, says: "The only vestige that remained of their former rights was, that in several places they continued to assemble tumultuously at the election of a bishop. But as this affair was generally conducted with riot and clamor, and sometimes ended in blood, the principles of sound policy required, that a practice so fruitful of bad conse

* A satisfactory testimony to the parochial, pastoral character of the bishops of the fourth century. And, near the commencement of the following century, we have the testimony of Augustine, that in Africa alone, there were 900 bishops; though there were not half that number of cities.

Testimony of Clement of Rome.

It

quences, and so barren of good, should be abolished. was not now, as formerly, a single congregation choosing their own pastor, who was to have the immediate charge of their spiritual instruction and guidance, but it was a mob, often a most outrageous one, collected from a whole diocese or province, to nominate a great man, better known by his extensive jurisdiction and splendid titles, than by any pastoral duties he had to exercise." Lect. Ecc. Hist. 8. p. 137.

TESTIMONY OF THE APOSTOLIC FATHERS.

The general representations of the order and discipline of the apostolic and primitive churches, which have been given in the preceding pages, are confirmed by the writings of the most ancient Fathers of the church;* and by various incidental notices and statements of writers of a later period.

Among the earliest and most valued pieces of antiquity is the epistle of Clement; written in the name of the church at Rome, to the church at Corinth, somewhere about A. D. 64-70.

The main design of this epistle seems to be to set before the Corinthian church, the impropriety and sin of suffering a few "ringleaders"-who are called "foolish and inconsiderate men"-so far to influence the church, as to induce them to disregard their spiritual guides and rulers;

*The Apostolic Fathers, or those who were contemporary with the apostles, were Barnabas, Clement of Rome, Hermas, Ignatius, and Polycarp. The Fathers of the church, include all the Christian writers between the second and the sixth century-some say, twelfth century.

1. To the Congregational character of the primitive churches.

and even to ric, who had

of it."

cast off those from their ministry, or bishopholily, and without blame, fulfilled the duties

The whole epistle is too long-occupying thirty-six octavo pages to be quoted entire besides much of it is occupied with matter not relevant to the subject under consideration. The epistle may be found in a work entitled "The Apostolical Fathers, translated and published by William [Wake] Lord Archbishop of Canterbury." Republished, New York 1810.

I will arrange under distinct heads the testimony of this venerable and admired writer, respecting the primitive order and discipline of the churches.

1. The first point established by this epistle is, that in Clement's time (as late as A. D. 64-70), the churches retained their Independent, Congregational organization.

The address, or salutation of the epistle goes to show this. It runs thus: "The church of God which is (or which sojourneth) at Rome, to the church of God which is at Corinth, elect, sanctified by the will of God through Jesus Christ our Lord: grace and peace," etc.

Here we have two distinct and complete churches spoken of; the one at or sojourning at, Rome; the other, at Corinth. The language employed is precisely what one Congregational church in these days would use, when addressing another.

In other places, Clement speaks of their "doing with one consent what is good and pleasing" ($21) and of the churches" being conscientiously gathered together, in concord with one another." Which goes to show that the church consisted of a single congregation only, which was accustomed to assemble together for church purposes.