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exact; but never so exact as to be hated for their religious conduct, unless they expect more recompense in the love and credit of some other men, for having incurred the hatred of a few. They have little religion, where that little will answer; and more, in places where it is necessary; so that they even commend good men, good sermons, good books, and drop two or three good sentences. They cover themselves over with the fig-leaves of common honesty, to hide their spiritual nakedness; and fish for the' applause of men. But follow them to the place of trial, to their own houses, and their chambers, and you shall see the worldliness, passion, and looseness of these stageplayers. Here no honesty is to be found, because their windows are shut, and none is to be displayed. Let some minister, or faithful friend search, try, discover, accuse, and condemn them, as unsound, hollowhearted persons, and they will swell like toads, hiss like snakes, and bark like dogs, against those who have detected them, and thus robbed them of their gods..

The guilty, self-condemned sinner goes further than the formalist, and contents himself with so much holiness as will pacify his conscience. Hence all the heathen have had some sort of religion, because they had some conscience to trouble them. The convinced man, having lived in foul sins, begins to be troubled for them, and will confess and forsake them; but how? As a dog his meat, when he loves the carrion, but fears the cudgel. He performs some holy duties, not because he delights in them, but because they are necessary to his quiet. If conscience be still, he omits duties: if conscience stirs, he falls to praying, hearing and sorrowing; and boasts over hypocrites, because his holiness is not a mere show. He bribes conscience, but his Judge has heavy things to lay to his charge.

The pining and devout hypocrite,
VOL. I.

being pursued with the fears of hell, goes further still, and labours for just so much holiness as will barely carry him to heaven at last. He will

ask, very inquisitively, What is the least measure of grace? and the least grain of faith? The best sermons, with such persons, are not such as humble them most, but those which flatter them best; by informing them how acceptable good desires are to God: and if these will save them, God shall be served with good desires only, and the devil by all their actions. Thus they make any thing serve for God; and labour not after SQ much holiness as will honour Christ, but just so much as will pay their charges to Paradise Here is one of the greatest differences betwixt a child of God and a hypocrite: the first per forms duty from love to Christ, from a desire to possess him; and mourns, daily, because Christ is not more honoured by him; but the last obeys merely from love to himself, to save his own soul; and mourns over his sins, only because they may damn him.

5. Our doctrine should induce men to seek after the restoration of the divine image. Honest men will labour to pay their debts; and this is due to God. How do men labour to be in the fashion? But to be like God is the fashion of angels, is heaven's fashion; and it will be fashionable one day to be holy, when the Lord Jesus shall appear in glory. Then if thou hast the superscription and image of the devil on thee, God and Christ will never acknowledge thee. Labour, then, to have Satan's image washed out, and God's image restored. Put off the old man, and then put on the new. Seek not to purchase any Christian grace but labour to subdue that sin which is opposed to each grace of the Spirit. Strive to have a tender heart in relation to the least sin. Gold when melted only is fit for receiving a desired impression; and when thy heart is heated at a serY

mon, pray, 'Lord, now strike, now imprint thine image on me.'

Labour to see the Lord Jesus in his glory; for as wicked men, by becoming familiar with the evil example of the great ones of the earth, grow like them in villany; so the very beholding of the glorious grace in Christ, this Lord of glory, transforms men into his image. 2 Cor. iii. 18. As a mirror receives not only the rays, but the image of the sun, so the understanding, with open face beholding Christ, is turned into the likeness of Christ. Men too frequently look only to the lives of the best men, to see how they walk and rest there: but Oh! look higher to the face of God in Christ.

(To be continued.). 193.

Heviews.

The Divine Appointment, the Duties and the Qualifications of RULING ELDERS; a Sermon preached in the First Presbyterian Church, in the City of New York, May 28, 1819. By Samuel Miller,

D. D.

The CHURCH OF GOD is that holy society established by himself on earth for the maintenance of his worship, and the promotion of his glory, in the midst of a race of rebellious creatures. It is styled his house or family; and it ought not to be doubted, that this house of the living God, like that of every wise man, is subject to wholesome regulations. Under the former dispensation it was governed by laws delivered with great solemnity, and placed under the ministry of men, whose offices and duties were defined with great precision. As government is as necessary to the welfare and prosperity of the church under the present, as under the preseding economy, it were marvellous indeed, if, at a period when God has blessed his people with the clearest light and the greatest privileges, he should have deprived them of the benefit of a government

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framed by his own wisdom, and committed their interests to one devised by the wisdom and prudence of fallible men. We believe that he has provided a constitution, and appointed officers for the government of the Christian, as he had before done for the Jewish church. Great diversity, it is true, does exist in the views of Christians in regard to the plan prescribed in the New Testament for ordering the affairs of this heavenly society; but this diversity of sentiment no more proves that no such plan is to be found in the inspired writings, than the discordance in the views which Christians of different denominations entertain in

regard to revealed truths, proves that the particular doctrines in dispute are not taught by the sacred writers. That some doctrines are not revealed with such clearness as to secure uniformity of faith among all the pious disciples of Christ, is manifest and therefore, while we deplore this want of unity of judg ment, and pray for the arrival of that time when all shall be of one mind, we ought to bear with the infirmities and errors of others, and cordially love all who hold the head, Jesus Christ, how much soever they may differ from us in points not essential to the existence of unfeigned piety. From the fact, that men of great learning and acknowledged godliness have differed widely from each other in regard to church government, it is equally manifest, that the principles of it laid down in the New Testament, are not stated with sufficient clearness to harmonize the views of all Christians on this important subject, in the present state of the world, liable as men are to have their sentiments affected by education and a thousand different circumstances. Whether one and the same ecclesiastical lity will prevail over the whole church, in that day of light and glory, to which the finger of prophecy directs the eye of faith, we

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shall not undertake to assert. But
this we venture to affirm, that, al-
though diversity of sentiment has
sadly cut
up the church into many
sects, yet Christians, by whatever
name called, are bound to love one
another: and we see no reason why
pious Episcopalians, and Presbyte-

to that office in the First Presbyterian Church in the city of New York, of which he was at that time one of the pastors; but owing to the delicate state of his health, and unavoidable engagements, he was prevented from complying with his promise to his friends, who had re

rians, and Methodists, and Bap-quested its publication, till January,

tists, &c. might not, in proper circumstances, hold occasional communion with each other at the table of our common Lord and Saviour.

Principles of ecclesiastical government, however, are not to be regarded as matters of indifference. They are important; and it is the duty of every church, to endeavour to discover those which have been laid down in the records of divine truth, and to adopt them in the management of its affairs. A greater degree of harmony of views on this subject existed among the reformers, than exists among ministers at present. Archbishop Cranmer, and many bishops and learned divines

1811.

The review of this sermon is undertaken at this late period, because the subject, though important, is seldom discussed from the pulpit, and we wish to draw the attention of our readers to a discourse that will amply reward a careful perusal. Let not this subject be supposed to concern only ministers and other officers of our church. Their stations do indeed impose on them official obligations to study the nature of that government, by which the affairs of the church are directed and her interest promoted: yet it certainly is the duty of all Christians to form as extensive an

which Jehovah condescends to instruct us in his heavenly oracles, as their ability and opportunities will allow; and consequently they cannot, consistently with the respect they owe to their divine teacher, turn away their ears from him, when he utters his will in regard to the regulations by which his infinite wisdom deems proper to govern his house.

of the Episcopal Church of Eng-acquaintance with every subject on land, so far from advancing the exclusive notions embraced by some of their successors in that church, and elsewhere, entertained the same opinions on church government as the Helvetic churches. (See note N. p. 427, in Mr. M'Crie's Life of John Knox. On some future occasion this note may be published for the information of our readers.) As Presbyterians, we are sincerely attached to that form of ecclesiastical government which was adopted by the wisdom and piety of our forefathers; and we believe that it approaches nearer to the scriptural plan than that of any other church.

The Christian public are indebted to the pen of the author of this sermon for an able and temperate vindication of the great doctrine of MINISTERIAL PARITY, in opposition to diocesan Episcopacy. In this discourse he has selected as the subject of discussion the office of RULING ELders. It was preached in May, 1809, when several individuals were ordained

Qur author has selected for his text those words of the sacred historian, contained in Acts xiv. 23. "And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed."

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bles, and take care of the poor." (p. 5.) In accordance with this opinion he discusses, in the sermon under review, the office of ruling elder, by showing "its WARRANT," by explaining "its NATURE," and by exhibiting "the QUALIFICATIONS of those who bear" this important office.

Of the first head of discourse he takes a comprehensive view, and establishes in a very satisfactory manner the warrant for appointing ruling elders, by arguments derived from four different sources. One is drawn from the fact, that the Christian church was formed after the JEWISH SYNAGOGUE, as its model.

Having established this fact, and shown that the synagogue had ruling or lay elders, as well as teachers, it was very natural to "conclude, that a class of officers so useful and important, could not have been left out in constructing the government of the church." p. 10.

The second argument is founded on the fact, that RULING elders were appointed in the church as organized and left by the APOSTLES.

That these inspired men ordained elders and directed others to imitate their example, there can be no doubt. The great question is, did they appoint ruling, in distinction from teaching, elders? In maintaining the affirmative of this question, Dr. M. reasons from that well known passage in 1 Tim. v. 17. "Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine." This important text he thus explains:

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Every man of plain good sense, who had never heard of any controversy on the subject, would conclude, on reading this passage, that, at the period in which it was written, there were two kinds of elders, one whose duty it was to labour in the word and doctrine, and another who did not thus labour, but only ruled in the church. The apostle says, elders that rule well, are worthy of double honour, but especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. Now, if we suppose that there

was only one kind of elders then in the church, and that they were all teachers, or, labourers in the word, we make the inspired writer employ a language utterly unworthy of his character. There was, therefore, a class of elders in the apostolic church, who did not preach, nor administer sacraments, but assisted in government. These, by whatever name they may be called, were precisely the same with those officers which we denominate ruling elders." p. 11.

In support of this interpretation of the text, our author presents us with quotations from the writings of two learned and able Episcopal divines, Dr. Whitaker and Dr. Whitby; from which it appears, that they fully coincided with him in the construction he has put on the passage. We should gladly transcribe both quotations; but our limits constrain us to content ourselves with that of Dr. Whitaker:

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"By these words,' says he, 'the apostle evidently distinguishes between the bishops and the inspectors of the church. If all who rule well be worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine, it is plain there were some who did not so labour; for if all had been of this description, the meaning would have been absurd; but the word especially points out a difference. If I should say, that all who study well at the university are worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the study of theology, I must either mean that all do not apply themselves to the study of theology, or I should speak nonsense. Wherefore I confess that to be the most genuine sense by which pastors and teachers are distinguished from those who only gaverned,'"* p. 12.

This passage in Timothy is not the only one which Dr. M. adduces to prove that ruling, in distinction from teaching, elders, were found in the apostolic church. He quotes two others; one in Rom. xii. 6—8. and the other in 1 Cor. xii. 28. Our readers who may choose to turn to these passages, will please to observe that, as Dr. M. justly observes, "in both of them there is a plain designation of an office for

* Prælect. ap. Didioclav. p. 681.

ruling or government, distinct from that of teaching; and in both, also, this office has evidently a place assigned to it below that of pastors and teachers." p. 14.

The sacred scriptures constitute the only infallible rule of our faith and practice. But from the writings of divines of any age we may derive assistance in interpreting the scriptures. The testimony of those. eminent men, usually styled the fathers, some of whom were contemporary with the apostles, and

tion, but also quotes as an authority for it the principal text which Presbyterians quote for the same purpose."

The third argument in this discourse to support the distinction between ruling and teaching elders in the Christian church, is drawn from the authority of the REFORMERS, and other distinguished witnesses for the truth in different ages and countries.

In urging this argument the preacher assigns to human autho

others lived in the second, third,rity its just place; and while he

and fourth centuries of the Christian church, is of great importance, particularly in relation to facts that occurred, either in their own age, or in that of the apostles. Dr. M. tells us that it would be easy to produce passages from the fathers to prove that ruling elders were appointed in the church from its first establishment; and that this class of officers continued to exist long after the decease of the founders of the church. (p. 15.) It would have carried the preacher far beyond the limits prescribed to a discourse delivered from the pulpit, to have gone at large into an investigation of this testimony. He has, however, favoured us with a passage from Hilary, who lived in the fourth century, and who in explaining 1 Tim. v. 1. affirms that " the synagogue, and afterwards church, had elders, without whose counsel nothing was done in the church;" and ascribes the disuse of this office to "the sloth, or rather the pride of teachers, while they alone wished to appear something." (p. 16.) In a note (p. 15,) it is shown, that two learned Episcopal divines, the Rev. Mr. Marshall and Bishop Fell, in commenting on the 29th epistle of Cyprian, in which he speaks of teaching elders, acknowledge the distinction between teaching and ruling elders in the primitive church;" and the latter, "an eminent bishop, not only allows that Cyprian referred to this distinc

the

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rejects it as a rule either of faith or practice," he justly deems the opinions and decisions of men so profound in learning, so fervent in piety and so eminent in their services, as were many of the reformers, entitled to high regard. (p. 16.) Under this particular we find adduced the testimony of John Paul Perrin, the celebrated historian of the Waldenses; and of Gillis, another historian, of that people; both ministers among them, who assures us that they had elders as well as pastors: (p. 17, 18.) the testimony of "Martin Bucer, a learned Lutheran divine, whose fame induced archbishop Cranmer to invite him to England, where he received preferment, and was held in high estimation ;" who testifies that the Bohemian brethren maintained the distinction between ruling elders, and ministers of the word, and speaks of their practice in this respect as excellent and praiseworthy (p. 18.) the testimony of the celebrated Peter Martyr, a Protestant divine of Italy, whose high reputation induced Edward VI. to invite him to England, where he was made professor of divinity at Oxford, and canon of Christ Church;" who speaks of ruling elders in very "decisive terms," as an apostolic institution: (p. 19.) the testimony of "the learned Voetius, a German divine of great eminence; and of Ursinus, another eminent German divine;

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