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Here was much debate, as would seem, among the elders, before the Apostles delivered their opinions; when Peter, and after him Paul and Barnabas, took part in the discussion; and when they had finished, James declared sentence. This sentence, judgment or decree of James, was approved by the Apostles and elders. (Acts xv. 22, 23, and xvi. 4.) That the elders took part in the debate, seems necessarily to result from the facts; that there is no mention of the presence of any of the Apostles except those just named; and no intimation that any thing was offered by them before the speech of Peter. That their assent was given to the decree, we have already shown, when speaking of the part borne by the people in this transaction.

6. The Presbyter-bishops owed obedience to the commands of an Apostle. If the Apostles exercised authority over the Presbyters, it follows that they had a right so to do; and if they had a right to exercise such power, then it was the duty of those over whom the power was exercised, to obey. But an examination of this point belongs to another place a consideration of the power of an Apostle-to which the reader is therefore referred.

CHAPTER XV.

APOSTLES-APOSTOLIC BISHOPS.

We come now to speak of the third and last class of persons, who were ministers and officers in the Apostolic Church, that is, who possessed executive, judicial, and, in conjunction with others, legislative powers in particular Churches. It is not to be concealed that there is among Christians at this day, great differences of opinion on this point, nor, that it has ex

cited much angry and bitter controversy, all of which it is our wish to avoid, and to treat the question as one of mere history. Yet we aught to remark, that this question is interesting, important, and fundamental; but we hope to be able to show, that it is not difficult to decide it. We say that the question is fundamental, because, if the Apostles were not officers, but ministers at large, then there were but two orders of official ministers in the Apostolic Church. If, on the contrary, they had official authority in particular Churches, and that in a degree superior to either Presbyters or Deacons, then there were THREE ORDERS of official ministers in the Apostolic Church.

This part of our subject, therefore, involves two questions: first, were the Apostles officers? And, second, if officers, did they possess authority superior to Presbyters? These questions must be examined and decided in accordance with the rules of evidence already established,* and which are repeated here, that they may be the more strongly borne in mind.

"7. A name designates an office in the Church, when some person to whom it is applied, exercised some power in the Church by virtue of it.

"8. The nature of an office in the Church, must be determined by the nature and extent of the power ascribed to the office, or exercised by the officer filling the office.

"9. The grade or rank of an officer is to be determined by the extent of the power appertaining to the office, or exercised by the officer."

If then, the Apostles exercised executive, judicial, or legislative authority in the Church, by virtue of their Apostleship, they were officers in the Church; and if the extent of power appertaining to the Apostleship was superior in degree to that

*Ante. p. 27.

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exercised by Presbyters, or if the Apostles exercised official authority over Presbyters, then were the Apostles superior to Presbyters, and the Apostolic Church contained THREE ORDERS of officers and ministers.

To an examination of these questions, our attention will now be directed. But we are not here left to make out by inference, from brief ambiguous references, the nature of the Apostolic office, for we have the APOSTOLIC COMMISSION, in which they received their authority to act in Christ's stead, and by virtue of which they acted. We shall, therefore, 1. Inquire into the nature of that commission, and the extent of power therein granted.

2. Endeavor to ascertain the power exercised by the Apostles under that commission.

OF THE APOSTOLIC COMMISSION.

This commission, which is generally considered as dating from the appearance of CHRIST to the eleven after his resurrection, as collected from the Evangelists who have recorded it, reads as follows:

"Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature, baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the HOLY GHOST; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And unto you I give the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven; and whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto him, and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained; AS THE FATHER HATH SENT ME, EVEN SO SEND I YOU; and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matt. xvi. 19; xviii. 18; xxviii. 19, 20; John xx. 21, 23.)

This commission, as it here reads, is one of the most important things of which we can conceive, and yet the rule of construction furnished by the Scriptures, tends rather to en

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large than to limit the powers granted in it. It is a sound rule of evidence, sanctioned by both law and common sense, that when one instrument contains an express reference to another instrument, for further description, the description contained in the instrument referred to, thereby becomes a part of the description of the instrument in which the reference is contained. Now the phrase, as the Father has sent me, EVEN SO SEND I YOU," contains an explicit reference to the manner in which CHRIST was sent by the Father, accompanied by a positive statement that the Apostles were sent in like manner. The manner in which CHRIST was sent by the Father, becomes descriptive, therefore, of the powers granted in the Apostolic commission, and hence reference to that must be had, in order to ascertain the full extent of the powers therein delegated. This point must therefore first engage our attention. But lest it should be said that we over-estimate the authority conferred upon the Apostles, we shall first show, that the things included in the phrase, even so, had most, or all of them, actually been promised before, and that this was, therefore, only a renewal of previous grants, accompanied by an enlargement of the field of action. The powers granted in this commission, are,

1. Of preaching. That this was given in the early part of their Apostleship, is acknowledged by all, and a simple reference to the gospel history will be sufficient.*

2. Of baptizing. We are told, at the very outset of our Saviour's ministry, that the "Pharisees heard that JESUS made and baptized more disciples than John; though himself baptized not, but his disciples." (John iv. 1, 2.)

3. The power of the keys; that is, of admitting to, or rejecting from, the Church.t "Unto you I WILL GIVE the

* Matt. x. 7, 27; xi. 5. Mark iii. 14; vi. 12. Luke ix. 2, 6, 60; xvi. 16; xxiv. 27.

+ Rob. 445.

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keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." (Matt. xvi. 19.) And this power, which was first promised (not, as some erroneously say, given) to Peter, was shortly after promised to all of the twelve. (Matt. xviii. 18.)

There are several other points of comparison which will be seen to best advantage by contrast. Indeed, without bearing this in mind, we shall hardly feel the full force of the language made use of in this commission.

4. CHRIST was set apart to his ministerial office, by the HOLY GHOST descending upon him, (Matt. iii. 16;) and he caused the Apostles to be set apart in like manner. (John xx. 22; Acts ii. 3, 4.)

5. He had a kingdom appointed unto him, and he appointed one to his Apostles, in like manner. (Luke xxii. 29.)

6. CHRIST had power to forgive sins, (Matt. ix. 2; Mark ii. 5, 10,) and he gave authority to his Apostles to absolve and remit the sins of repenting sinners: "Whosoever ye shall loose on earth, shall be loosed in heaven," (Matt. xviii. 18,)* and "whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto him.” (John xx. 23.)†

7. The Father committed all judgment to the Son, (John v. 22;) and at the time he instituted the sacrament of the Holy Communion, he appointed to his Apostles, (diatithemai, made over or committed to them, as by devise or bequest,) the kingdom which the Father had appointed or committed to him, (Luke xxii. 29 ;) (ina,) in order that they might eat and drink at his table, and sit on thrones, (the emblems of

*Rob. 176.

Rob. 458, and comp. Matt. vi. 12, 14, 15; ix. 2, 5, 6; xii. 31, 32. Mark ii. 2, 5, 7, 9, 10; iii. 28; iv. 12; xi. 31, 32. Rob. 119.