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LECTURE III.

ICONCLUDED the last discourse I gave you on the subject of Sacred History, with an account of the origin and primitive nature of the christian church. I observed to you, that being founded in the concurrence of its members in the faith of the doctrine, and the observance of the precepts of Christ their common Lord, and being supported by brotherly affection one to another, as well as ardent zeal for the happiness of the whole, it was in no respect calculated to interfere with the rights of princes, or afford matter of umbrage or jealousy to the secular powers. But what God makes upright, man always corrupts by his inventions. This was the case of the human species itself. This was the case of the first religion, call it traditional, or call it natural, which, in process of time, did, in the different nations of the earth, degenerate into the grossest idolatry and abominations. And as to what has been communicated since by written revelation, this was certainly the case of the preceding or Mosaical institution. And this, upon inquiry, will be found to have been eminently the case of the present or christian dispensation.

When the disciples in populous cities began to multiply, as no association of imperfect creatures will ever be found, in all respects, perfect, it is by no means strange, that sometimes differences and interferings should arise between individuals concerning matters of property and civil right. These differences occasioned law-suits before the ordinary judges who were pagans. Law-suits, as might be expected, not only occa sioned, to the great prejudice of charity, heart-burnings among themselves, but tended to bring a scandal on the profession, whose criterion or badge had been expressly declared by their master to be their mutual love. Examples there were of these mischiefs as early as the times of the apostles, particularly at Corinth, a city abounding in wealth and luxury. The apostle Paul, effectually to remedy this evil, and to prevent the scandal and hurt which must arise from its continuance, first expostu fates with the Corinthians (1 Cor. vi. 1. &c.) on the nature

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and dignity of their christian vocation, to which it would be much more suitable patiently to suffer injuries, than, with so imminent a risk of charity, to endeavour to obtain redress :— "Why do ye not rather," says he, "take wrong? Why do ye "not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?" And even should the injury appear too great to be entirely overlooked, he enjoins them, and with them doubtless all christians in the like circumstances, to submit those differences, which should unhappily arise among them, to arbitrators chosen from among themselves. By this expedient a double end would be answered the parties would, by the mediation of their brethren, be more easily conciliated to each other, and the reproach of the heathen would be prevented. It is evident that in this there was no encroachment on the province of the magistrate. A similar practice, ever since the Babylonish captivity, had obtained among the Jews in all the countries through which they were dispersed. To put an end to differences, either by compromise or by arbitration, is the exercise of a natural right, which all civil establishments acknowledge, and which most of them show a disposition to encourage and promote. Jars and quarrels are universally admitted to be evils, though unavoidable in the present lapsed condition of human nature.. Judicatories are erected to put an end betimes to these evils. The litigation of the parties, though a bad consequence, is permitted solely to prevent a worse. But no human polity commands men to be litigious. The less a man is so, he is the better subject of the state. The apostle's aim is to crush strife as early as possible, and to prevent an ill effect, though not the worst effect, of private differences; to wit, publick contention in courts of law. His advice is such as every good man, every lover of peace, and therefore every good citizen, would very readily give to the members of any society in which he had a concern. It was, besides, perfectly suitable to the peaceful maxims of his great master: "Resist not evil. "Agree with thine adversary quickly whilst thou art in the "way with him." And "Blessed are the peace-makers, for 66 they shall be called the children of God."

Let it be remarked further, that those primitive and chosen arbiters claimed no coercive power of any kind over their fellow-christians. The judgment they pronounced was very properly termed, in primitive times, the judgment of charity or love. By this principle alone were the judges influenced (without salary or emoluments) to undertake the office: by this principle alone were the parties disposed to submit to the sentence and by this principle alone, where an injury had been committed, the offender was induced, as far as possible, to

make reparation, and the offended as readily to grant forgiveness. No mention do we find of bailiffs or tipstaves; fines, imprisonments, or distraining of goods. As their principal view in examining and deciding such questions was the radical cure of the evil, that is, of every thing that might look like animosity or discontent among the disciples of Christ; they neither had, nor desired to have any other means of enforcing their decisions, than such as the love of peace and union, and the interest of the common cause necessarily gave them. To have applied, as umpires in christian states are wont, for the interposition of the secular arm to enforce their decrees, would have been recurring to that very evil, for the 'prevention of which they had been nominated as judges by their brethren.

It deserves also to be taken notice of, that the apostle, far from taking upon him to assign this office of terminating their differences to such as he might think properly qualified, does not so much as recommend, or even mention to them any individual, or any class of men. On the contrary, he leaves the matter entirely to their own free choice. And indeed it was proper it should be so. This expedient is recommended purely from the charitable and prudential considerations of decency and peace. These could not be promoted otherwise than by the people's perfect confidence, not only in the equity but in the abilities of the persons to be intrusted, who therefore doubtless ought to be of their electing. Besides, it would have ill suited the genuine but spiritual dignity of the apostolick office, for Paul, so unlike the examples given by his Lord, to have assumed an authoritative direction in matters merely temporal. For this reason I am inclined to think that, if he had judged it necessary to offer his opinion as to the particular persons proper to be chosen, he would have judged it fitter to exempt the pastors from a charge which might, in some respects, appear foreign from their office, than to recommend them to it.

The consequence however in fact was, that at least in several congregations or churches, the choice fell upon their ministers, a very natural effect of that confidence and respect which, in those times of purity, we have ground to believe they merit-, ed. Nor let it be imagined, from any thing advanced above, that this was a charge which the ministers of religion, as things then stood, ought to have declined. I have indeed acknowledged, that, in some respects, the cognizance of secular matters did not so naturally unite with their spiritual functions. But, consider the affair in another view, and we shall find that both in regard to the motive which influenced them,

and the end which their acceptance of this task tended to pro mote, there was a real suitableness to the nature and design of their office. Hardly could ambition be supposed to ope rate in inducing them to accept a charge which added to their labour, and exposed them the more to the notice of the common enemy, and consequently to danger, without adding to their wealth, or rank, or even power in the common acceptation of the term! For the award of these judges was no more than the declaration of their opinion; and the execution of the sentence was no more than the voluntary acquiescence of the parties. The pastors derived no kind of authority from this prerogative, except that which integrity and discernment invariably secure with those for whose benefit these talents are exerted. An authority this which depends entirely on the right discharge of the trust, and is incompatible with the abuse of it. Their motive therefore could only be the charitable desire of making peace and preventing offences. The harmony of christians among themselves, and their unblemished reputation in respect of the heathen, were no less manifestly the blessed ends to which their labour of love contributed.

But might it not be urged, on the other hand, that this work would infallibly prove an avocation from the spiritual and more important duties of their office? In those early ages, before the love of many had waxed cold, before the christian congregations were become either so numerous or so opulent, as some time afterwards they became, it is not to be imagined that such questions, in relation to property and civil rights, would be either so frequent, or so intricate, as to occupy a considerable portion of the arbitrator's time, and thereby interfere with his other more essential duties. Had it been otherwise, this judiciary charge ought doubtless, from the beginning, to have been devolved into other hands. The apostles themselves, we find, at first took the trouble of distributing to the people, according to the respective necessities of each, the money which the charity and zeal of the converts had thrown into the common stock. But when this work became so burdensome, as to interfere with the peculiar functions of the apostleship, they made no delay in resigning it to others. "It is not reason," said they, "that we should leave the word "of God, and serve tables." The like part no doubt ought those primitive pastors to have acted; the like part no doubt they would have acted, had there been the like occasion. That they did not, ought to be accounted by us as sufficient evidence that the like occasion did not exist, and that the task was then no way cumbersome. They had apostolical example

alike for undertaking an office of benevolence, when it did not interfere, and for renouncing it when it did interfere, with the sacred duties of their spiritual function.

But to return, this custom of nominating their pastors to be arbitrators of all their differences in matters of civil property and right, from being pretty common, seems very quickly to have become general. The example of one christian society influenced another, who did not choose to appear deficient in any testimony of esteem for their teachers. From being ge neral it became universal. Every congregation would think it proper to avoid distinguishing themselves by a singularity, which would be understood to reflect either on the judgment or the discretion of their pastors.

Some learned men seem to be of opinion, that the business of determining such civil controversies as arose between christians, belonged at first to the whole congregation; or, in other words, to that particular church or society whereof the parties concerned were members. But this mistake appears to have arisen from confounding two things totally distinct. When one christian had ground, real or supposed, to complain of the conduct of another as unbrotherly and injurious, after private methods of reclaiming the offender had been tried in vain by the offended, it belonged to the congregation to judge between them; and either to effect a reconciliation, or to discard one who, by his obstinacy in the wrong, showed himself unworthy of their fellowship. This method had been clearly pointed out to them by their great founder. "If thy brother," says he, "trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault, between "thee and him alone: if he hear thee, thou hast gained thy "brother; but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one "or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses "every word may be established; and if he neglect to hear "them, tell it to the church; but if he neglect to hear the "church, let him be to thee as a heathen and a publican. "Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall, bind on earth, "shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on "earth, shall be loosed in heaven." What thus do, agreeably to the instructions I give you, God himself will ratify. The practice of the apostolick age, which has the best title to the denomination of primitive, is the surest commentary on this precept of our Lord. Not only were such private of fences then judged by the church, that is, the congregation, but also those scandals which affected the whole christian fraternity. Accordingly, the judgment which Paul, by the spirit of God, had formed concerning the incestuous person, he enjoins the church, to whom his epistle is directed, that is, (to

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