ency one may have made, there is none but will require to be taught as long as he lives.'

Christ terms his followers disciples; but a disciple is a learner. Let us ever, then, seek to grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

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CHAPTER XVIII.

DISCIPLINE.

"Their fish stinketh, because there is no water, and dieth for thirst."-Isa. 50:2.

Every living thing, to thrive, must be in its native element. If in a fish-pond, the water should fail, and the fish begin to die, the first thing to be done would be to let in the water. To wait until you could separate the weak and dying from the well, would be to lose the whole.

If an organization, called a church, is composed mainly of those who have backslidden from God, or of those who were never converted, or of the two classes combined, it is of but little use to attempt to enforce godly discipline among them. What is needed is a revival of religion. The waters of life must be let in upon them until all but those who are hopelessly gone are revivedthe dying recovered and the dead restored to life. Then, without injury to the living, those of whom there is no hope, and who are a reproach to the cause of Christ, "the fish that stink," can be thrown out.

That we may have a correct idea of discipline, by whom and in what manner it should be exer

cised, it seems necessary that we should present briefly, the New Testament idea of the constitution of the church of Christ. The word translated "church" is, in the original, ¿««λŋσia, ekklesia, from ¿kkaλéw, to call out, to summon forth. The word occurs frequently in the New Testament, and in every place where it is found it is translated church, except in the 19th chapter of Acts, where it is three times translated "assembly." It is often called the "church of God,"—once the "church of Christ."

The ministers do not constitute the church. In Acts 15:22, we read that "it pleased the apostles and elders with the whole church." Then the apostles and elders were not the whole. church. In Rev. 1:20, Jesus says, "The seven stars are the angels or ministers' of the seven churches; and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches." The preachers then, whether called apostles, bishops or elders, are not the church. They should be a part of it; but they are not the church itself. Their voice is not the voice of the church. It may coincide with it and it may not. If there were ever ministers who might, with any show of propriety, assume to act for the church, it was the apostles: and if there ever was a period when such an assumption of authority would be appropriate, it would be when Christianity was being planted, and old prejudices were strong, and there were no prior

examples for instruction. But when a question of practical godliness came up in the primitive church-whether the Gentile converts should be required to be circumcised or not, THE WHOLE CHURCH was consulted and their decision was regarded as a settlement of the matter. "Judas and Silas, chief men among the brethren," were chosen to accompany the apostles and announce the decision; which they did, "and then exhorted the brethren with many words and confirmed them." Does this countenance the ministerial pretensions so common in our day? Could it be proved that the church is infallible, it does not follow that the Pope is infallible, for neither pope, nor cardinals, nor bishops, nor conferences of preachers are the church, and their decree is not therefore the decree of the church. They are simply the servants of the church, useful while they keep their place, but usurpers when, in their pride and arrogance, they lord it over God's heritage.

The true church is composed of those who, through faith in Christ are saved from sinning. Its members belong to Christ. They are His people. But His people are "saved from their sins."-Matt. 1:21. If Jesus does not save an assembly or people from their sins, then it is not His church. It is a pretender. It does not belong to Him. The true church is holy; not in name merely, but in reality. "She looketh

forth as the morning, fair as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners." Such is the general description of the church, given in the word of God.

So in addressing particular churches, the apostles speak of them in the same way, as being composed of those who are saved from sin. The epistle to the Romans, Paul inscribes, "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints.”—Rom. 1:7. The words "to be” in our translation, have no business there whatever. Neither they nor their equivalent are found in the original. Every one to whom the Gospel is preached is called to be a saint. But the believers at Rome were called saints because they were truly such, and "their faith was spoken of throughout the whole world." The first epistle to the Corinthians is addressed, "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them which are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints." The words to be are again unwarrantably supplied by the translators. We have here (1.) The church of God. (2.) Paul's description of those of whom it is composed. These are not those who hear the truth preached and who receive the ordinances-but those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus-not who expect to be when they die. These lead such holy lives; are so unlike the world that they are called saints. In the second epistle to the Corinthians, Paul and