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CHURCH DESIGNED TO BE PERMANENT.

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that there should be an express command to render the Apostolic practice binding upon all succeeding generations; on the contrary, it is requisite that there should be an express permission to authorize a deviation from it.

Yet the truth of this very reasonable inference is sometimes denied, and it is claimed, that as the Apostles did not command that the Ecclesiastical organization which they had adopted should be continued in the Church, it is not obligatory upon us, and we are at liberty to follow it or not, as we choose. But if we examine the principle from which this conclusion is drawn, we shall find it so exceeding broad, as to be of dangerous tendency; for if one man may fairly urge that the Apostolic form of the Church is not binding on us, because there is no command requiring our obedience to it, another may urge, upon the same principles, that the doctrines which they preached are not obligatory upon us, as there is no command requiring us to obey them. Some persons, however, have obtained the belief, that the doctrines of the gospel are of divine authority, and of perpetual obligation, because delivered under the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit, while the form of the Apostolic Church they suppose not to be of divine authority, and, therefore, not of perpetual obligation, because, as they imagine, the Apostles, in establishing it, were not guided by divine inspiration, but left to consult their own views of expediency. Now, if such persons would endeavor to look up some authority for this opinion, they would find it not only destitute of any scriptural foundation, but in direct opposition to the whole tenor of it.*

When speaking of the orders of the ministry, St. Paul is unusually explicit as to their divine original. In order, how

* Unless they take the untenable and sophistical ground of Dr. Whately, that the Apostles were supernaturally withheld from recording these things, in order to allow us to deviate from their forms, if we please. See King. Christ.

ever, to see the full force of the language where he enumerates them, we must bear in mind, that the first Epistle to the Corinthians was written in answer to one they had previously written to him. Thus, St. Paul says to them: "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote," (vii. 1 ;) that is, having finished that part of his epistle which related to things not spoken of in their letter, he recurs to it and says: "Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote;" continuing to reply to their inquiries to the end of the epistle. One of these inquiries related to "spiritual gifts," (xii. 1,) and especially to the degree of precedence, which should be observed among those who were endowed with such gifts. It would seem, also, from the tenor of his argument, that they had inquired "whether those who wrought miracles and spoke with tongues, were not entitled to the highest places or rank in the Church, ranking above the permanent officers thereof?" In reply to this, St. Paul says, (xii. 28 :)“ GOD HATH SET IN THE CHURCH, first, PROTON,' that is, first of all, or, before all,* APOSTLES; secondarily, PROPHETS; thirdly, TEACHERS; afterwards, (peita,) miracles, gifts of healing," &c. Now epeita, according to Buttman,† often expresses "censure and reproach, the cause of the indignation or surprise being first stated." This is precisely the usage in this place; and, consequently, the Apostie expresses his surprise that they could even have thought of asking such a question; and censures them for so far forgetting the order of God's Church as to ask it. The question of the Corinthians was a plain one, and the answer of the Apostle, strikingly explicit. This answer asserts, (1,) that the ministry is of divine appointment; (2,) that it consists of three orders, called Apostles, Prophets, and Teachers; and (3) that the power of working miracles, and the gift of tongues, for no necessary part of the ministe

*Comp. Matt. xxiii. 26. Acts xiii. 46. Rom. i. 8. 1 Cor. xi. 18. + Gr. Gram. § 149, p. 429. Ed. Andover, 1833.

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rial office, and is, in fact, to be regarded as inferior to it. The orders of ministers in the Apostolic Church, were, therefore, equally the suggestions of divine wisdom, with the doctrine contained in the gospel, and hence, the Apostles had no more right to change them, than they had to vary the doctrines they had received from CHRIST. And if the inspired Apostles did not possess such authority, surely it would seem that their uninspired successors could not be endowed with it.

We have proceeded thus far, as though the Scriptures gave no intimation concerning the perpetuity of the Apostolic Church, and that, therefore, the whole was to be made out by inference; but we shall now show, that this is not the fact. We have already seen, that the Great Head of the Church, in the commission he granted to his Apostles, expressly promised, "to be with them always, even unto the end of the world." But as this could not be fulfilled in their own persons, it requires us to suppose a perpetual succession. It would not be enough to suppose perpetuity without succession, for in that case, the language could not apply to the Apostles. The language, "I will be with you always, even unto the end of the world," is equivalent to the phrase, I will be with you and your successors, to the end of the world. This conclusion is in perfect accordance with the every-day practice of mankind, and is sanctioned by the plainest dictates of common sense. If a body of men were made a perpetual corporation, with power to fill all vacancies which should happen in their numbers, either by death or removal, no one would hesitate to say, that a grant to such corporation forever, was for the benefit of the present members and their successors, though the latter were not mentioned.* So in the case under

*This is the common law, (which is said to be "the perfection of common sense,") on this subject, so that a grant of lands to a corporation aggregate, passes a fee simple, without the word successors. (Coke on Littleton, L. ii. § 133, fol. 94, b, and Hargrave's Note, No. 4.)

consideration, Christianity is made permanent and perpetual, and the Church which was founded to preserve and propagate it, must, therefore, be alike durable; and as we have shown that the Apostles were officers in the same, having authority to add to their numbers, it follows that a grant or promise to them forever, must inure to their successors, though they are not named.

The command of Paul to Timothy is decisive of the continuance of the office which Timothy held, which we have already shown was that of an Apostle. "The things that thou hast heard of me, the same COMMIT thou (i. e. give in charge, or entrust)* to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." (2 Tim. ii. 2.) The same inference flows from the language of Paul to the Ephesians, where it is said the ministry which CHRIST established, will continue "until we come unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of CHRIST," (Eph. iv. 13;) or, " until the Church of GoD shall have obtained a state of perfection in a future world." The language of St. John, in the Revelations, is to the same effect. To the Angel or Apostle of the Church of Ephesus, he says: "repent, or I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place," or, destroy the Church, (Rev. ii. 5; and comp. i. 20;) which threat would be idle and unmeaning, unless the Church and the office of Apostle were designed to be permanent.

The argument made use of by Paul, in his Epistle to the Hebrews, leads to the same conclusion. Thus he tells us, that "perfection came not by the Levitical Priesthood,” therefore, "the Priesthood was changed, and has now become an unchangeable Priesthood." (Heb. vii. 11, 12, 24.)

From this, we are led to infer, that the Apostolic Church,

* Rob. p. 624.

+ Storr and Flatt, Elem. Bib. Theol. B. 4, Sec. 102, Ill. 6.

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with its three orders of ministerial officers, viz., Apostles, Presbyter-bishops, and Deacons, was designed to be a permanent and perpetual institution—a conclusion sustained by every presumption of Scripture. We are compelled to believe, therefore, that this conclusion is just, and, therefore, binding on all succeeding ages.

CHAPTER XVII.

THE MINISTRY OF DIVINE APPOINTMENT.

HAVING seen that the Scriptural evidence leads to the inevitable conclusion, that the ministry was of divine appointment, and that it was designed to be permanent, and is, therefore, of universal and perpetual obligation, we might rest our inquiry here. But to render assurance doubly sure, to do away all possible ground of cavil, and to examine all the evidence that can be produced on the subject, we shall proceed to inquire how the primitive Christians understood this matter. But first we must ascertain when a thing can properly be said to be of divine appointment or authority.

In reply to such an inquiry, we answer, whatever is done by the command of God, is of divine authority. If, then, the Church was instituted by the command of GoD, then the Church is of divine authority. Or if any part of its organization was directed by GoD, then that also, is of divine authority. And if the Church, or any part of its organization, is of divine appointment, then that may not be changed or modified, except by divine authority. Now we have seen that the Apostle makes THE MINISTRY OF THE CHURCH of divine appointment, (1 Cor. xii. 28: Eph. iv. 11, 12;) and consequently, it may not be changed or modified, but by the same

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