of Christ, because Christ purchased it with his blood; sometimes his kingdom, because he is the king and governor of it; was set up in opposition to that kingdom of this world, which has Satan for its prince. Into this society, or kingdom, persons are admitted by baptism; which is the seal conveying to them an assurance of their future inheritance by the regular application of which, they are sanctified or set apart from the rest of the world, as the peculiar property of the Holy Spirit. Having, then, in consequence of their being born anew of the Holy Spirit in baptism, professedly withdrawn themselves from the service of the prince of this world, and entered into that of the living God; they become entitled to those privileges, which the King, into whose service they are entered, has purchased for his subjects.*

Whilst, therefore, those who, in their natural condition, are strangers from the covenant of promise, living without hope and without God in the world, those who have been translated from the world into the Church, may thereby be considered as delivered from the powers of darkness, and become heirs, with Christ, of an eternal kingdom. The privileges to which the members of the Church are entitled, namely, pardon of sin and * In reference to the above passage, it is observed, in the Vindicia, c. 3, p. 194, "the object I had in view was simply to describe the Christian Church in its general character, design, and properties, without reference to any national establishment of it whatever, or to the particular condition of individual members," &c. + Eph. ii. 12.

eternal life, having been purchased by Jesus Christ, the Church must of necessity be a society of his forming. For no man can take upon himself to form a Church; in other words, to call men out of the world, and by incorporating them into a certain society, thereby to invest them with Gospel privileges; for this plain reason; because no man can ensure to the members of a society of his own framing those privileges which he has it not in his power to confer. Every thing, therefore, in this matter, must be done in the name, and by commission from Christ; because Christ is the fulfiller of that divine engagement, by which alone man is delivered from condemnation with the world, and placed in a state of acceptance with God.

Now nothing can be more obvious to common sense, than that no man can engage for what he is not in a condition to perform, unless particular circumstances authorise him so to do. On the other hand, an engagement entered into on the behalf of another, can be binding only upon the party, by virtue of a commission received for that purpose. The application of these two selfevident positions, sufficiently points out the difference between those who have received a commission from the Head of the Church, to administer the affairs of his spiritual kingdom, and those who have not.

If it be admitted, then, that the Church is a society; as such, it must be possessed of power necessary to its own preservation. It must have its rules and orders, and consequently its governors,

to carry those rules and orders into effect. Without such a provision for order and government, no society can subsist.

That such a power was left with the Church by its Divine Founder, is to be proved from the commission, by which the governors of it received authority to admit members into the Church, and to exclude them from it, according to the qualification or disqualification of the respective parties. And that this power comprehended under it every exertion of authority necessary to the regulation of the society committed to their management, we conclude (to avoid multiplying proof upon a subject that speaks for itself) from St. Paul's charge to his disciples, that they should obey them that had the rule over them, and submit themselves; from the consideration, that their spiritual governors watched for their souls.*

Moreover, as there are differences of adminis trations, and diversities of operations to be performed in the Church, there must be persons regularly appointed to the discharge of the several offices, necessary to the well-being of the society to which they belong. But a regular appointment of offices pre-supposes a power lodged some where, to determine upon the qualification of the undertaking parties; for if individuals are left to settle this matter for themselves, the society will not only be worse served for the time being, (the most self-sufficient men being, generally speaking, the least qualified to discharge the office they undertake) but what is a still

*Heb. xiii. 17.

further consideration, the disorder consequent upon an indiscriminate exercise of public functions, must ultimately terminate in the dissolution of that society where such confusion prevails.

But the Church being a society, of which Christ is the head, from whom alone all the benefits belonging to it are derived; the appointment of the governors, together with the rules and orders by which this society is to be managed and directed, must originate with, and receive its sanction from him. For man, merely as man, can claim no rule over his fellow-creatures. Government, therefore, whether in Church or state, must look to that supreme Disposer, from whom all power is derived; by whose authority alone, the validity of its exertions can be established. The reason of the thing, in this case, we shall find upon enquiry to be confirmed by the history of facts.

When our Saviour, after his resurrection, proceeded to the regular establishment of his Church upon earth, he appointed eleven principal disciples, or Apostles as they are called by way of distinction, to meet him in a mountain in Galilee, for the purpose of delivering his commission and directions to them on that subject. "Then the eleven disciples (we read) went away into Galilee, into a mountain, where Jesus had appointed them. And Jesus came, and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach (or make disciples in) all nations, baptizing them in 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 am with you alway, even unto the world."

and lo! I end of the

It is to be observed, that our Saviour's disciples at this time exceeded the number of five hundred. After his resurrection, St. Paul tells us, that "he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once."+ But our Saviour did not deliver the commission for administering the sacraments of his Church to his disciples at large, but only to his Apostles; and to them not by accident, but, it should seem, by express design in the first instance, at his last supper; and in the second, when, in consequence of a particular appointment to meet him in Galilee after his ascension, he delivered to them his final commission to baptize all nations.‡ Now the granting a commission manifestly implies, that none but those to whom it has been delivered, have authority to act in that business for which the commission has been granted. Were it otherwise, the commission would be an useless form. Christ, therefore, by making choice only of eleven out of the whole number of his disciples, intended, it is presumed, that the business which he authorized them to do, should not be performed by every one that might think proper to take upon him to execute it.§

* Matth. xxviii. 16, 18, et seq.

Matth. xxviii. 19.

+ Cor. xv. 6.

§ Should there remain a doubt on this head, the particular selection of the eleven Apostles from the other disciples, for