of several congregations; for the number of disciples, when Matthias was numbered with the eleven apostles, was "about an hundred and twenty," i. 15; probably only a part of the whole church, as our Lord appeared to above five thousand brethren at once, 1 Cor. xv. 6. Το these were added on the day of Pentecost "about three thousand souls," Acts ii. 41. But it is said, many of these might have come up from other countries to the feast at Jerusalem. Perhaps so; though the remark that they "continued stedfastly in the apostle's doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers—continuing daily with one accord in the temple," v. 42, 46, is strongly opposed to such a supposition. The same objection, however, cannot be made to the next accounts in which we find mention made of "the number of the men being about five thousand," Acts iv. 4'; and of believers being "added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women," ch. v. 14. After this we read that "the word of God increased, and the number of disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith," ch. vi. 7; and some time afterwards, when St. Paul visited Jerusalem, James and the elders said unto him, "Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of

1 1 'Avòpŵv, mascul. from which many infer that this account does not include the women; äveрwπоç being the generic name for both; but this is doubtful.

the Jews there are which believe," ch. xxi. 20; where the Greek is, "how many myriads;" and if we are not bound to understand the expression literally for ten thousand, yet it must denote a very great, though indefinite multitude.

Such being the account of the Church at Jerusalem, it must be evident to common sense that so immense a multitude of believers could not by any possibility assemble in one place for divine worship. And this is not only a matter of inference, but also of positive information, for the inspired historian relates that the disciples continued daily both "in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house," Acts ii. 46; and a little after that the apostles were "daily in the temple, and in every house," ch. v. 42. In the opinion of some, the Greek expression denotes an apartment in the temple, or a particular edifice set apart for religious services; and others explain it at home, privately; but, without staying to discuss these interpretations, this much is plainly implied in the phrase, that the numbers were too large to assemble in one place, and that therefore they "divided themselves into lesser bodies, and met for religious purposes, some in one house, and some in another." In so immense a multitude this must have been the case, yet all these separate assemblies or congregations are denominated collectively "the Church at Jerusalem."

2. St. Paul writes to the Colossians, "Salute the brethren which are in Laodicea, and Nymphas, and the Church which is in his house. And when this epistle is read among you, cause that it be read also in the Church of the Laodiceans," ch. iv. 15, 16. Here the "brethren in Laodicea" are expressly distinguished from the "Church" in the house of Nymphas; consequently there were at least two, but probably more, congregations in Laodicea; and yet in v. 16. they are called "the Church of the Laodiceans;" showing plainly that there were certain congregations which formed only parts of one church.

3. The same apostle directs his epistle "unto the church of God which is at Corinth," 1 Cor. i. 2; yet that it comprehended more than one congregation is demonstrated from the injunetion, "Let your women keep silence in the churches," ch. xiv. 34. Whether by "churches" be here meant the edifices, or the assemblies, it is clear there must have been several bodies of the faithful who met for divine worship in separate places, which nevertheless constituted the church which was at Corinth.

4. St. Paul says that he sent back Philemon's slave Onesimus, Philem. 10. et seq.; and, as this latter was a Colossian, his master Philemon must have been an inhabitant of Colosse. The same inference may be drawn from the salutation in ver. 2. to Archippus, who appears from

M

Col. iv. 17. to have been a minister at Colosse. Now the apostle makes mention of the church in the house of Philemon, ver. 2; yet addresses an epistle to the whole body of "the saints and faithful brethren in Christ which are at Colosse," Col. i. 2; of course there must have been more than one congregation at Colosse; and the church in Philemon's house formed one, which, therefore, could not have been independent, but was a part of "the saints and faithful brethren," an expression of an equivalent meaning with "the church at Colosse."

5. "The Church of Ephesus" is spoken of in Acts xx. 17. and Revel. ii. 1. The word of God grew mightily and prevailed there, Acts xix. 20; and St. Paul "persuaded and turned away much people" from idolatry, v. 26; which is also further apparent from the number and value of the books of curious arts burned by the converted, v. 19; and from the great uproar in the city raised by Demetrius and the craftsmen through fear lest their craft should be set at nought, and the temple of the great goddess Diana despised, v. 27. He tarried some time in that city, "for a great door and effectual was opened to him," 1 Cor. xvi. 8, 9. These circumstances prove that a great multitude had, at the time spoken of, embraced the Christian faith, much too great to have assembled for worship in a private house. The historian also informs us, that there were "elders (presbyters)

of the Church" of Ephesus, Acts xx. 17; and of course several congregations. The apostle besought Timothy to abide at Ephesus to "charge some that they teach no other doctrine," 1 Tim. i. 3; which infers a number of elders, some of whom preached erroneous doctrines, and consequently a number of congregations. The same conclusion results from the apostle's directions to Timothy for the ordination and treatment of elders, ch. v. As the 1 Cor. was written from Ephesus, ch. xvi. 8. the church in the house of Aquila and Priscilla, mentioned ch. xvi. 19. formed one of the Ephesian congregations; several of which, it is plain from what has been stated, must have existed in Ephesus ; but they could not have been independent, as they constituted only one church, called in the Revelations" the Church of Ephesus."

6. We read of the Church at Antioch, Acts xiii. 1; xv. 3; at Cesarea, ch. xviii. 22; of the Church of the Thessalonians, 1 Thess. i. 1; 2 Thess. i. 1; of the Philippians, Phil. iv. 15; of Smyrna, of Pergamos, of Thyatira, of Sardis, of Philadelphia, Rev. ii. 12, 18; iii. 1, 7, 14. We certainly have no scriptural proof of the number of congregations in each of these; yet it would be offering violence to common sense to suppose that every one of the nine churches spoken of in the texts referred to consisted of only one congregation. The believers in some, if not in all, these places, must have been so