more authority to determine the question judicially for the Church, than counsel at a le gal bar have to determine for the jury, whether the prisoner on trial in a court of justice, is guilty or not guilty, or what punishment, if any, he shall receive. If it be asked, what shall a man do, who cannot in conscience submit to the determin. ation of the church? It is answered, let him do as he would after he had carried his cause from the lowest judicatory to the highest, on any scheme of Church Government, and after all could not submit; viz. he must commit his case to God, and continue by himself without special church privileges; unless he can find a church will ing to receive him. That Standing or Stated Councils are of dangerous tendency, I infer from what has already taken place in the Church. When the primitive churches departed from the plain, simple rules and directions of God's word, and from the mode of man. aging ecclesiastical affairs as they were in the days of the Apostles, and established a form of government of human invention, they gradually lost their liberty, and in time became wholly subject to the exorbitant tyranny and dominion of the Man of Sin. Worthy, indeed, of consideration, is the account given of this by Dr. Mosheim, in his Ecclesiastical History, Vol. I. pp. 144, 145. "During a great part of this (the second) century, the Chris tian churches were independent on each other, nor were they joined together by association, confederacy, or any other bonds but those of charity. But in process of time, all the Christian churches of a province were formed into one large ecclesiastical body, which like confederate states, assembled at certain times to deliberate about the common interests of the whole. This institution had its origin among the Greeks, with whom nothing was more common than the confederacy of independent states; and the regular assemblies met at fixed times and were composed of each respective state. To these assemblies, in which the deputies or commissioners of the several churches consulted together, the name of Synods was appropriated by the Greeks, and that of Councils by the Latins; and the laws that were enacted in these meetings were called canons, that is rules. These councils, of which we find not the smallest trace before the middle of this century, changed the whole face of the Church, and gave it a new form; for by them the ancient privileges of the people were considerably diminished, and the power and authority of the bishops greatly augmented. The humility, indeed, and prudence of these pious prelates, prevented their assuming, all at once, the power with which they were afterwards invested. At their first appearance in the general Council, they acknowledged that they were no more than the delegates of their respective churches, and that they acted in the name and by the appointment of their people. But they soon changed this humble tone, imperceptibly extended the limits of their authority, turned their influence into dominion, and their Councils into laws; and openly asserted, at length, that Christ had empowered them to prescribe to his people authoritative rules of faith and manners. Another effect of these councils was the gradual abolition of that perfect equality which reigned among all bishops in primitive times; for the order and decency of these assemblies required that some one of the provincial bishops, met in council, should be invested with a superior degree of power and authority; and hence the rights of Metropolitans derive their origin. In the mean time, the bounds of the Church were en larged; the custom of holding councils was followed wherever the sound of the Gospel had reached, and the universal Church had now the appearance of one vast republic, formed by a combination of a great number of little states. This occasioned the creation of a new order of Ecclesiastics, who were appointed in different parts of the world as heads of the Church, and whose office it was to preserve the consistence and union of that immense body, whose numbers were so widely so widely dispersed thoughout the nations. Such were the nature and office of Patriarchs among whom, at length, ambition being arrived at its most insolent period formed a new dignity, and invested the Bishop of Rome and his successors, with the title and authority of Prince of the Patriarchs " Such we find have been the effects of allowing the Church to be modelled by human inventions; but the Word of God has left no room for such a course, without contradicting its plainest dictates. "We may not suppose the Gospel less perfect than the law. Moses was particularly required to make all things ac cording to the pattern shewn him in the mount. Christ is accounted worthy of more glory than Moses. If the latter was faithful as a servant, in all God's house, the former was faithful as a son over his own house." It is unreasonable, therefore, to sup. pose, that he has left his Church, which he purchased with his own blood, without the best regulation and order. Undoubtedly, he has given complete directions, how to behave in his house, which is the Church of the living God. I believe the matter, form, and government of Christian Churches are all pointed out in God's word. A brief sketch of a fundamental article of this government I have attempted to give; with what success, your readers will judge. The subject is of too much importance to the peace and welfare of our churches, to be decided on after a hasty and partial discussion only; and we trust, that neither the Platform, nor an essential article of our Church government, will be abandoned for the substitution of theory, the wisdom and excellency of which have not been approved by experience and the word of God. A LAY-CONGREGATIONALIST. P. S. "Consider (says President Oakes) what will be the end of receding, or making a detection, from the way of Church government established among us. I profess, that I look upon the discovery and settlement of the congregational way as the boon, the gratuity, the largeness of divine beauty, which the Lord graciously bestowed upon this people, that followed him into this wilderness, and who were separated from their breth ren. Consider what will be the sad issue of revolting to one extreme or the other; whether it be to Presbyterianism or Brown ism. And for my part, I fully believe, that the congregational way far exceeds them both, and is the highest step that has been taken towards reformation; and for the substance of it, it is the very same way that was established according to the institution of Jesus Christ." The Rev. Messrs. Higginson and Hubbard, (the two most aged ministers in the country, when they wrote their testimony in favor of Congregationalism,) thus remark, "If that Church discipline were more thoroughly and vigorously kept alive, it might be hoped the Lord would sanctify it, for the revival of godliness in the land. But if this church discipline come to be given up, we think it our duty to leave this warning with the churches, that probably the apostasy will not stop there: for the same spirit that will dispose the next generation to change their way in one point, will dispose them to more and more changes, even in doctrine and worship as well as manners, until it may be feared the candlestick will quickly be removed out of its place. "If the rising generation might be a pious, praying, devout and regenerate generation, there will not be such danger, as now there is, of their easily giving away the precious legacy which their fathers (now beholding the face of the Lord Jesus Christ in glory) left unto them; or of their doting upon innovations fatal to the order of the Gospel among us", I recommend the whole of their testimony to the perusal of our Churches. See Wise, page 68. In reply to the proposals for a standing Council, Mr. Wise says, "This sort of Discipline has sunk great part of the Christian world, as many times over as ages have past since" it was established; "And must the waves and present currents set and waft these churches towards those Rocks and Shipwrecks? God forbid! Therefore let these churches, and the noble fraternity of them stand their ground, keep fast hold of what you have got, that no man take thy crown." Page 83. THE subjects of a certain King, in a remote province of his empire, made insurrection against his laws and government. The outrage was entirely unreasonable and unprovoked; for the King was an exceedingly wise and good king: his laws were excelJent; and his government was administered with such entire rectitude, that not one of his subjects had ever experienced the least provocation to rebel. Should it be demanded, how subjects once loyal, and never ill treated by their king, should become disposed to rebel against. him, we confess that the answer is difficult. All that we know with certainty in this case is, that oth er subjects who had rebelled near the seat of empire, and had been driven into exile, came among the subjects first mentioned, and succeeded in stir ring them up to sedition. How the first rebels came to assume so unhappy a character, or how they were able to entice the others, are questions which our historical knowledge does not enable us to answer. We could conjecture many things; but conjecture is not history. The King, however, was not, it seems, surprised by the event: it had been anticipated; and before it happened he had determined what to do. It was in his power to crush the insurrection instantly, by exterminating the rebels; but being merciful, he preferred their reformation, if it could be accomplished consistently with his character, and the honor and efficacy of his laws. The only question was, how the rebels could be pardoned and the King's authority maintained. When the king proposed the difficulty, all his wise men were silent. They saw no way to reconcile the preservation of law and good government with the exercise of mercy in pardoning rebels; and the prospect was, as it appeared to them, that the law must take its course and the rebels must die. At this moment the Son, the only Son of the King, arose. He could not consent, he said, that his Father should be dishonored, or the influence of his laws impaired; but, if his own obedience and sufferings might be substituted for theirs, he would willingly descend to the humble condition of the revolted, and before their eyes obey and suffer, if that could avail for their pardon and restoration. In short, he proposed, that his Father should inflict on him as much suffering, as should be suf ficient to teach all the King's subjects his abhorrence of rebellion; and that the rebels in question, should, on becoming penitent, sue for pardon in his name, and receive it at his intercession, and for the sake of what he had done to vindicate the laws of the empire, and make them honorable. The King was well pleased with this proposal of his Son; and the day was appointed to declare the righteousness of the lawgiver, by inflicting upon his Son such ignominious punishment, as should correspond with the circumstances of the case. The day arrived, and the solemn expiation was made. The Father withdrew every token of complacency, and let loose his indignation against his Son. The scene was beyond measure affecting; the sweat rolled down the face of the Royal Sufferer, and the blood, starting from the pores, mingled with the descending streams. He wept and cried aloud, my Father, my Father, why hast thou forsaken me? The good subjects of the King were smitten with amazement at his compassion for rebels, while they trembled at the demonstration given of his justice, and more than ever abhorred and feared to sin. When the scene of suffering was over, the Son returned to the palace, amidst the shouts of loyal subjects, and received at the hands of his Father the entire dominion of the province, for whose deliverance he had suffered. The Son, invested with plenary power, immediately despatched heralds to proclaim to the rebels what he had done for their relief; and to intreat and command them instantly to repent of their folly, and return to their duty, relying solely on what he had done and would do, if they complied, to obtain their pardon and restoration to the King's favor. At the same time, he assured them, that the King was in rapid march against them, and would destroy all, who should be found in arms when he should arrive. The heralds carried and distributed copies of the King's statutes, and of the proclamation of peace and amnesty which the King's Son had issued. As they had been commanded, they pursued their journey to all parts of the province, and, whereever they came, assembled the revolted subjects of their King, and read to them the statutes, reproved them for their folly, explained the proclamation of the Son, and intreated them, in his name, to repent of their rebellion and return to their duty. Your readers, Sir, may, perhaps, have the curiosity to know how the heralds were treated. Their curiosity can be gratified, however, by a very brief account only. The largest part of the province refused utterly to let the heralds come among them. They did not like to retain the King and his laws in their knowledge; and, of course, took measures which ended in their entire forgetfulness of both. Great numbers, where the heralds came, refused even to assemble to hear their embassy explained. They had done nothing, they said, of which they were ashamed, or on account of which they were afraid; and they knew, without hearing their embassy, that the heralds were either fools or knaves. A considerable number, however, came together, when invited, to hear what the heralds had to say; but strange as it may seem, numbers who came did not even hear the message delivered; and when they went away could give no account of what the messenger had said: and many, who did hear, paid no more attention to the message, than if they had not heard it. A few, when charged with re- . bellion against the good King, declared peremptorily that there was no such thing; and that the whole story of king, laws, and government, was a forgery. Others, who had never doubted their own wisdom, listened with seeming reverence to what was said concerning the King; but when his statutes were read, and the proclamation of peace was published, they broke out into a loud laugh of contempt, declar ing the whole to be a base fabrication. They had a copy of the King's laws, they said, in their own breasts, written upon their hearts, and they had never violated them; for the substance of the whole was, that every one should follow nature; which they understood to mean, that they should do just as they pleased; a thing they were quite sure they had ever done, it being indeed quite impossible to have done otherwise. These wise men were reproy |