Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση
[ocr errors]

then the primitive tranquillity will return, and God will reign with the happy spirits in undisturbed felicity to all eternity.1

10. The state of learning, and especially of philosophy among the Jews, is manifest from what has already been said respecting the condition of that nation. It appears from the books of the New Testament, that the recondite science which they called Cabala, was then taught and inculcated by not a few among them. This science was, in many respects, very similar to that philosophy which we have called oriental; or rather, it is this philosophy itself, accommodated to the Jewish religion and tempered with some mixture of truth. Nor were the Jews, at that time, wholly ignorant of the doctrines of the Greeks; for some of these doctrines had, from the days of Alexander the Great, been incorporated into their own religion. Of the opinions which they had adopted from the Chaldeans, the Egyptians, and the Syrians, I shall say nothing.3

branch of learning and science was culti-
vated. The children of good families were
from their earliest years instructed especi-
ally in Grecian learning and eloquence;
they next applied themselves to philosophy
and the civil law, and at last repaired to
Greece to complete their education.1
Among the sects of philosophers, none were
more acceptable to the Romans than the
Epicureans and Academics, whom the lead.
ing men followed in great numbers in order
to indulge themselves in a life of pleasure
without fear or remorse.
While Augustus
reigned, the cultivation of the fine arts was
held in high honour. But after his death,
the succeeding emperors being more intent
on the arts of war than those of peace, these
studies gradually sank into neglect.

13. The other nations, as the Germans, Celts, and Britons, were certainly not destitute of men distinguished for their genius and acumen. In Gaul, the inhabitants of Marseilles had long been much famed for their attention to learning, and they had, doubtless, diffused knowledge among the neighbouring tribes. Among the Celts, the Druids, who were priests, philosophers, and legislators, were renowned for their wisdom, but the accounts of them now extant are not sufficient to acquaint us with the nature of their philosophy." The Romans moreover introduced literature and philosophy into all the countries which they brought under their subjection, for the purpose of softening their savage tempers and promoting their civilization.

11. The Greeks are regarded by most writers as continuing to hold the first rank in learning and philosophy. There were among them at that time, especially at Athens, acute and eloquent men, who taught the precepts of philosophy, as held by the ancient sects founded by Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, and Epicurus, and who also instructed youth in the principles of eloquence and in the liberal arts. Hence, those who were eager for learning resorted to Greece from all quarters. And at Alexandria in Egypt, Grecian philosophers and rhetoricians were no less numerous; so that thither also, there was a general resort of dogmas which the Jews had borrowed from the

scholars, as to a literary market.

12. Among the Romans in this age every

1 The reader will find some excellent observations on these Eastern systems of theosophy, on the supposed malignity of Matter, on the connexion of this central dogma of orientalism with asceticism and celibacy, and on its subsequent combination with the Christian system, in Milman's Hist. of Christ. ii. 82, &c. Nearly the same view is given by Isaac Taylor in his Ancient Christianity, vol. i. p 147, &c. and p. 177, &c.-R.

"

2 Ritter(Hist. of Philos.vol. iv. p. 402)says, "As to the Cabala of the Jews, recent investigations fully justify us in asserting that it belongs to a much later date." Tholuck is also of opinion that the Cabalistical works now in existence are, comparatively speaking, of recent date. In Europe the earliest vestiges of the Cabbala date in the twelfth century, but in Asia they go back to the eighth. See his Comment. de vi Græc. Philos in Theolog. Muham. et Judæor. Part ii. De Ortu Cabale. Hamb. 1837. On the other hand, Matter traces it up to a period antecedent to Christianity. See his Hist. du Gnost. i. 135.-R.

3 See Buddeus, Introductio in historiam philos. Hebræorum; and the writers named by Wolfius, Bibliotheca Hebraica, tom. ill. [but, especially Brucker's Hist. Crit. Philos. tom. ii. period ii. par. 1. lib. ii. cap. 1. p. 652.-Schl. [See also Matter, Hist. du Gnost. vol. i pages 76-105 and 164-186, for a view of the

Egyptians and Syrians.-R.

See Gaudentius, Liber de Philosophie apud Ro manos initio et progressu, in the 5th vol. of the Nova Variorum Scriptorum Collectio, Halle, 1747, 8vo, 2nd edition.

5 See the Histoire littéraire de la France, par des Religieux Bénédictins, Diss. prelim. p. 42, &c.

6 Martini's Religion des Gaulois, liv. i. chap. xxi. p. 175, and various others who have written concerning the Druids. [This work of Martin is said to be far inferior to the following, viz. Histoire des Celtes et particulièrement des Gaulois et des Germains, par Sim. Pelloutier, augmentée par M. de Chiniac. Paris, 1771, 8 vols. 12mo, and 2 vols. 4to.; also, Fréret, Obs. sur la nature et les dogmes de la relig. Gauloise, in the Histoire de l'Acad. des Inscrip. tome xviii.; and his Obs. sur la relig. des Gaulois, &c. in the Mémoires de Littérature, tires des régistres de l'Acad. des Inscript. tome xxiv. Paris, 1756: also the introductory part of Alsatia Illustrata, by M. Schoepflin, tom. 1. sec. 96. Colmar, 1751, fol.-Mur. [The works here referred to have been superseded by those of more recent inquirers. Among these modern works perhaps the fullest and most valuable is, Thierry, Histoire des Gaulois depuis les temps les plus reculés, jusqu' d

entière soumission de la Gaule à la domination romaine, 2nd edition, 1835, 3 vols. 8vo. The Ethnography of the Celts is admirably traced by Dr. Pritchard, in the 3rd vol. of his Researches into the physical history of mankind. London 1841.-R.

7 Juvenal, Satyra xv. 110-113.

CHAPTER II.

HISTORY OF THE TEACHERS, AND OF THE
GOVERNMENT OF THE CHURCH.

miracles when they were necessary, and who was sent by Christ himself to make known to mankind the divine pleasure and the way of salvation, 'to separate those who obeyed the divine commands from all others, and to unite them in the bonds of a religious society."

1. As it was the design of our Saviour to gather a church from among all nations, and one which should continue through all ages, the nature of the case required him 4. Our knowledge of the seventy disciples first to appoint extraordinary teachers who of Christ is still more imperfect than that should be his ambassadors to mankind, and of the apostles, for they are but once meneverywhere collect societies of Christians, tioned in the New Testament. Luke x. 1. and then that he should cause to be placed Catalogues of them indeed are extant, but in these societies ordinary teachers and in- these being fabricated by the Greeks have terpreters of his will, who should repeat little or no authority or credibility. Their and enforce the doctrines taught by the mission was, as appears from the words used extraordinary teachers, and keep the people by Luke, solely to the Jewish nation. Yet steadfast in their faith and practice; for it is very probable that, after the Saviour's any religion will gradually be corrupted ascension to heaven, they performed the and become extinct, unless there are per- duties of evangelists, and taught in various sons continually at hand to explain and in-countries the way of salvation which they culcate it.

had learned from Christ.5

5. As to the external form of the church and the mode of governing it, neither Christ himself nor his apostles gave any express precepts. We are therefore to understand, that this matter is left chiefly to be regulated by circumstances, and by the discretion of civil and ecclesiastical rulers. If, however, what no Christian can

2. The extraordinary teachers whom Christ employed in setting up his kingdom, were those intimate friends of his whom the Scriptures denominate apostles, and those seventy disciples of whom mention was made above. To these, I apprehend, must be added.those who are called evangelists, that is, as I suppose, those who were either sent forth to instruct the people by the apostles, or who, of their own accord, forsaking other 4 See Spanheim, De Apostolis et Apostolatu, tom. employments, assumed the office of pro-to the apostles I have proceeded considerately, and, as ii. Opp. p. 289, &c. In ascribing legislative powers mulgating the truths which Christ taught. think, on good grounds. I am aware that eminent And to these we must further add those to men at this day deny them this power, but perhaps they differ from me more in words than in reality. whom, in the infancy of the church, God [Mosheim founded his opinion on Matt. x. 20; John imparted ability to speak in foreign lan-xiii. 20; Luke x. 16; 1 Tim. iii. 1; 1 Cor. xi. 1-4, 34; guages which they had never learned; for he on whom the divine goodness conferred the gift of tongues, ought in my judgment to infer from this gift, that God designed to employ his ministry in propagating the Christian religion.2

3. Many have undertaken to write the history of the apostles, a history full of fables, doubts, and difficulties, if we pursue it farther than the books of the New Testament and the most ancient ecclesiastical writers can guide us. An apostle was a man who was divinely instructed, and who was invested with the power of making laws, of punishing the guilty and wicked when there was occasion, and of working

1 Ephes. iv. 11. See Eusebius, Hist. eccles. lib fil. c. Xxxvil

21 Cor. xiv. 22, &c.

3 Writers of the lives of the apostles are enumerated by Sagittarius, Introductio ad historiam eccles. cap. 1. p. 2; and by Buddeus, De Ecclesia Apostolica, p. 673, &c. [The English reader may consult Cave's Lives of the Apostles and Fathers of the first three centuries, fol. Lond. 1677, a diffuse and uncritical compilation; and Lardner's History of the Apostles and Evangelists, in vols. v. and vi. of his Works, Lond. 1838, marked with all the care and accuracy of that distinguished writer.-R.

I

and Titus i. 5. See his Instit. hist. Christ. majores, p. 158, &c.-Schl.

5 Catalogues of the seventy disciples are extant, subdated by Gaulmin, and again published by Fabricius,

joined to the Libri iii. de Vita et Morte Mosis, eluciAppend. ad Hippol. Op. tom. 1. p. 41. [See an account of these catalogues in note 4, p. 18, above.-Mur.

6 Those who imagine that Christ himself, or the apostles by his direction and authority, appointed a certain fixed form of church government, are not agreed what that form was. The principal opinions which have been adopted upon this head may be reduced to the four following. The first is that of the Roman Catholics, who maintain that Christ's intention and appointment was, that his followers should be collected into one sacred empire, subjected to the government of St. Peter and his successors, and divided, like the kingdoms of thereof, Peter fixed the seat of ecclesiastical dominion at Rome, but afterwards, to alleviate the burthen of his according to the division of the world at that time, office, divided the church into three greater provinces, and appointed a person to preside in each who was dignified with the title of patriarch; that the European patriarch resided at Rome, the Asiatic at Antioch, and the African at Alexandria; that the bishops of each province, among whom there were various ranks, were to reverence the authority of their respective patriarchs; and that both bishops and patriarchs were to be passively subject to the supreme dominion of the Roman Pontiff See Leo Allatius, De perpetua Consensu eccles. Orient et Occident. lib. i. cap ii.; and Morin, Exercitat. ecclesiast. lib. 1. exer. i. This romantic account scarcely deserves a serious refutation. The second opinion concerning the government of the church, makes no mention of a supreme head or of patriarchs constituted by divine authority; but it sup

this world, into several provinces; that, in consequence

doubt, the apostles of Jesus Christ acted elected their own rulers and teachers, or by divine command and guidance, then received without constraint those recomthat form of the primitive churches, which mended to them. They also by their sufwas derived from the church of Jerusalem frages rejected or confirmed the laws which erected and organized by the apostles them were proposed by their rulers in their asselves, must be accounted divine; yet it semblies they excluded profligate and will not follow that this form of the church lapsed brethren and restored them-they was to be perpetual and unalterable. In decided the controversies and disputes those primitive times, each Christian church which arose- -they heard and determined was composed of the people, the presiding the causes of presbyters and deacons ;-in officers, and the assistants or deacons.1 a word, the people did everything which These must be the component parts of belongs to those in whom the supreme every society. The highest authority was power of the community is vested. All in the people, or whole body of Christians; these rights the people paid for, by supplyfor even the apostles themselves inculcated ing the funds necessary for the support of by their example, that nothing of any mo- the teachers, the deacons, and the poor, the ment was to be done or determined on, but public exigencies and unforeseen emergenwith the knowledge and consent of the cies. These funds consisted of voluntary brotherhood. Acts i. 15; vi. 3; xv. 4; contributions in every species of goods, xxi. 22. And this mode of proceeding, made by individuals according to their both prudence and necessity required in ability, at their public meetings, and usually those early times. called oblations.

6. The assembled people therefore poses that the apostles divided the Roman empire into as many ecclesiastical provinces as there were secular or civil ones; that the metropolitan bishop, i. e. the prelate who resided in the capital city of each province presided over the clergy of that province; and that the other bishops were subject to his authority. This opinion has been adopted by some of the most learned of the Romish church (Petrus de Marca, De Concord. sacerd. et imperii, lib. vi. cap. 1; Morin, Exerc. eccles. lib. i. exerc. xviii.; and Pagi, Critica in Annal. Baronii, ad ann. 37, tom. i. p. 29), and has also been favoured by some of the most eminent British divines (Hammond, Diss. de Episcop.; Beveridge, Cod. Canon. vet. eccles. vindic. lib. ii. cap. v. tom. ii. Patr. Apostol.; and Ussher, De Origine episcop. et metropol. p. 20.) Some Protestant writers of note have endeavoured to prove that it is not supported by sufficient evidence (Basnage, Hist. de l'Eglise, tome 1. livr. i. chap. viii.; Boehmer, Annot. ad Petrum de Marca de Concordia sacerd. et imperii, p. 143.) The third opinion is that of those who acknowledge that when the Christians began to multiply exceedingly, metropolitans, patriarchs, and archbishops were indeed created, but only by human appointment and authority; though they confess, at the same time, that it is consonant to the orders and intentions of Christ and his apostles, that there should be in every Christian church one person invested with the highest authority, and clothed with certain rights and privileges above the other doctors of that assembly. This opinion has been embraced by many English divines of the first rank in the learned world, and also by many in other countries and communions. The fourth and last opinion is that of the Presbyterians,

who affirm that Christ's intention was, that the Christian doctors and ministers should all enjoy the

7. Among all members of the church, of whatever class or condition, there was the most perfect equality, which they manifested by their love-feasts, by their use of the appellatives brethren and sisters, and in other ways. Nor in this first century was there any distinction between the initiated and the candidates for initiation, for whothe Saviour of the world, and to depend on ever professed to regard Jesus Christ as him alone for salvation, was immediately baptized and admitted into the church; but in process of time, as the churches became enlarged, it was deemed advisable and necessary to distribute the people into two classes, the faithful and the catechumens. The former were those who had been solemnly admitted into the church by baptism, and who might be present at all the parts of religious worship, and enjoy the right of voting in the meetings of the church. The latter, not having yet re ceived baptism, were not admitted to the common prayers, nor to the sacred supper, nor to the meetings of the church.

8. The rulers of the church were desame rank and authority, without any sort of pre- nominated sometimes presbyters or elders, eminence or subordination, or any distinction of rights a designation borrowed from the Jews, and and privileges. The reader will find an ample account of these four different opinions with respect to church indicative rather of the wisdom than the government in Mosheim's larger history of the first age of the persons, and sometimes, also, century.-Macl. [On the question whether a fixed form of government binding on all churches was in- bishops; for it is manifest that both terms stituted by Christ and his apostles, see, on the nega- are promiscuously used in the New Testative side, Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity, books i. ii. ill.ment for one and the same class of and Stillingfleet's Irenicum, Lond. 1662, p. 170, &c.; persons. and for the affirmative, Rutherford's Divine Right of Acts xx. 17-28; Phil. i. 1; Tit. i. 5-7 ; Church Government, &c. Lond. 1646; and the Jus divi-1 Tim. iii. 1. These were men of gravity, num regiminis ecclesiastici of the London ministers. and distinguished for their reputation, in

Lond. 1647.-R.

1 Eusebius (Demonstratio Evang. lib. vii. cap. ii.) omits the deacons, unless he includes them among the rulers, for he divides a church into youuévoUS, TLOTOÙS, and camxonuevous, the rulers, the faithful, and catechumens Schl.

2 On this subject see the authorities quoted and the extracts given by Gieseler, Lehrbuch, &c. Davids. trans. vol. i. p. 88, note 1.-R.

fluence, and sanctity. 1 Tim. iii. 1, &c.; lestine; and as they appeared to act with Tit. i. 5, &c. From the words of St. Paul partiality in the distribution of alms among (1 Tim. v. 17), it has been inferred that some elders instructed the people, while others served the church in other ways. But this distinction between teaching and ruling elders, if it ever existed (which I will neither affirm nor deny), was certainly not of long continuance; for St. Paul makes it a qualification requisite in all presbyters or bishops, that they be able to teach and instruct others. 1 Tim. iii. 2, &c.1

9. As few among the first professors of Christianity were learned men, and competent to instruct the rude and uninformed on religious subjects, it became necessary that God should raise up in various churches extraordinary teachers, who could discourse to the people on religious subjects in their public assemblies, and address them in the name of God. Such were the persons who in the New Testament are called prophets. Rom. xii. 6; 1 Cor. xii. 28; xiv. 3-39; Ephes. iv. 11. The functions of these men are limited too much by those who make it to have been their sole business to expound the Old Testament Scriptures, and especially the prophetic books. Whoever professed to be such a herald of God, was allowed publicly to address the people; but there were present among the hearers divinely constituted judges, who could not fail, by infallible criteria, to discriminate between true and false prophets. The order of prophets ceased when the necessity for them was past.

the native and foreign Jewish Christians, seven other deacons were chosen by order of the apostles, out of that part of the church at Jerusalem which was composed of strangers or Jews of foreign birth. Acts vi. 1, &c. Six of these new deacons were foreign Jews as appears from their names; the other one was from among the proselytes; for there was a number of proselytes among the first Christians of Jerusalem, and it was suitable that they should be attended to as well as the foreign Jews. The example of the church of Jerusalem being followed by all the other churches, in obedience to the injunctions of the apostles, they likewise appointed deacons. 1 Tim. iii. 8, 9. There were also in many churches, and especially in those of Asia, female public servants, or deaconesses, who were respectable matrons or widows, appointed to take care of the poor and to perform other offices.

verepot and veavioko young men, are not always indicative of age, but often, both among the Greeks and Latins, indicate a function or office; for the same change is made in these words as in the word presbyter, which, every one knows, is indicative, sometherefore, the word presbyter often denotes the rulers times of age, and sometimes merely of office. As, or head men of a society or association, without any regard to their age, so also the terms young men and the younger not unfrequently denote the servants, or those that stand in waiting; because, ordinarily, men in the vigour of life perform this office. Nor is this use of the word foreign from the New Testament. The Saviour himself seems to use the word verepos in this sense, Luke xxii. 26, ò ueícov ev vμîv, yevéo Ow ὡς ὁ νεώτερος. The word μείζων he himself explains by youuevos, so that it is equivalent to ruler or pres 10. That the church had its public ser- byter; and instead of verepos he in the next clause vants or deacons, from its first foundation, uses o díakov@v, which places our interpretation beyond all controversy. So that μείζων and νεώτεροs are not there can be no doubt, since no association here indicative of certain ages, but of certain offices; can exist without its servants; and least and the precept of Christ amounts to this: "Let not of all such associations as the first Chris-him that performs the office of a presbyter or elder tian churches. Those young men who carried out the corpses of Ananias and his wife, were undoubtedly the deacons of the church at Jerusalem, who were attending on the apostles and executing their commands. Acts v. 6-10.3 These first deacons of that church were chosen from among the Jewish Christians born in Pa

[blocks in formation]

among you, think himself superior to the public servants or deacons "--Still more evident is the passage, 1 Peter .5, μow vеwтEρOL VжOτánтe πрeσBUτépols. It is manifest from what goes before that presbyter here is indicative of rank or office, denoting teacher or ruler in the church; therefore, its counterpart verepos, has the same import, and does not denote persons young in years, but the servants, or deacons of the church. Peter, after solemnly exhorting the presbyters not to abuse the power committed to them, turns to the deacons and says: "And likewise ye younger, i. e. ye deacons, despise not the orders of the presbyters, but per

form cheerfully whatever they require of you."-In this same sense the term is used by Luke, Acts v. 6-10, where verepot or veavíoxo are the deacons of the church at Jerusalem, the very persons whom, a little after, the Hellenists accused before the apostles of not distributing properly the contributions for the poor. I might confirm this sense of the term young men, by numerous citations from Greek and Latin writers, both sacred and profane; but this is not the place for such demonstrations.

4 For an account of the deacons and deaconesses of the ancient churches, see Ziegler, De Diaconis et diaconissis. Wittemb. 1678, 4to; Basnage, Annales Polit. eccles. ad. ann. 35, tom. 1. p. 453; Bingham, Origines Ecclesiast. book ii. chap. xx. [and Mosheim, De Rebus Christ, ante C. M. p. 118, &c. where he defends, at great length, his somewhat peculiar views respecting the seven deacons of the church at Jerusalem.--Mur.

11. In this manner Christians managed bishop, the presbyters, the deacons, and ecclesiastical affairs so long as their congrethe poor of the church. gations were small or not very numerous. 13. It was not long, however, before Three or four presbyters, men of gravity the extent of episcopal jurisdiction and and holiness, placed over those little socie- power was enlarged. For the bishops who ties, could easily proceed with harmony, lived in the cities, either by their own laand needed no head or president. But bours or by those of their presbyters, gawhen the churches became larger, and the thered new churches in the neighbouring number of presbyters and deacons, as well villages and hamlets; and these churches as the amount of duties to be performed, continuing under the protection and care was increased, it became necessary that of the bishops by whose preaching or the council of presbyters should have a advice they received Christianity, ecclesipresident, a man of distinguished gravity astical provinces were gradually formed, and prudence, who should distribute which the Greeks afterwards denominated his colleagues their several tasks, and be, dioceses. The persons to whom the city as it were, the central point of the whole bishops committed the government and insociety. He was at first denominated the struction of these village and rural churches, angel (Rev. ch. ii. and iii.), but afterwards were called chorepiscopi, rns Xúgas iπioxothe bishop, a Greek title indicative of his, or bishops of the suburbs and rural principal business. It would seem that districts. They were an intermediate class the Church of Jerusalem, when grown very between the bishops and the presbyters, numerous, after the dispersion of the apos- being inferior to the former and superior tles among foreign nations, was the first to the latter." to elect such a president, and that other churches in process of time followed the example."

among

12. But whoever supposes that the bishops of the first and golden age of the church corresponded with the bishops of the following centuries, must blend and confound characters which are very different. For, in this century and the next, a bishop had charge of a single church, which might ordinarily be contained in a private house; nor was he its lord, but was in reality its minister or servant; he instructed the people, conducted all parts of public worship, and attended on the sick and the necessitous in person; and what he was unable thus to perform, he committed to the care of the presbyters, but without power to determine or sanction anything except by the votes of the presbyters and people. The emoluments of this singularly laborious and perilous office were very small. For the churches had no revenues except the voluntary contributions of the people or the oblations, which, moderate as they doubtless were, were divided among the

The title of angel occurs only in the Revelation, a highly poetic book. It was not probably the common title of the presiding presbyter, and certainly was not an older one than that of bishop, which is so often used by St. Paul in his Epistles, written long before the Apocalypse.—Mur.

1 Mosheim, De Reb. Christ. ante C. M. p. 134, has a long note, in which he argues from the traditional accounts of a longer catalogue of bishops in the Church of Jerusalem, than in any other church, during the first ages, that the Church of Jerusalem must be supposed to have had bishops earlier than any other.-Mur. 3 All that is here stated may be clearly proved from the records of the first centuries, and has been proved by Bingham, Origines Ecclesiast; Beveridge, Codex Canon. primit. ecclesia, and others. Mosheim, De Reb. Christ. &c. p. 136.-Mur.

14. All the Churches in those primitive times were independent bodies, none of them subject to the jurisdiction of any other. For though the Churches which were founded by the apostles themselves frequently had the honour shown them to be consulted in difficult and doubtful cases, yet they had no judicial authority, no control, no power of giving laws. On the contrary, it is clear as the noon-day, that all Christian churches had equal rights, and were in all respects on a footing of equality. Nor does there appear in this first century any vestige of that consociation of the Churches of the same province, which gave rise to councils and to metropolitans. Rather, as is manifest, it was not till the second century that the custom of holding ecclesiastical councils began, first in Greece, and thence extended into other provinces."

ject, have debated whether the chorepiscopi ranked with 4 Learned men, who have written largely on the subbishops, or with presbyters. See Morin, De sacris ecPresbyt. sec. iii.; Beveridge, Pandect. Canon. tom. 11. cles. ordinat. par. i. exerc. iv.; Blondel, De Episc. et p. 176; Ziegler, De Episcopis. lib. i. cap. 13, p. 105, &c.; Peter de Marca, De Concordia sacerd. et imperii, lib. ii. cap. 13, 14; Boehmer, Adnot. ad Petrum de Marca, pages 62, 63; Thomassin, Disciplina eccles. vet. et nova, par. i. lib. ii. cap. i. p. 215. But they did not belong entirely to either of those orders. Mosheim, De Reb. Christ. ante C. M. p. 137-Mur.

5 It is commonly said, that the meeting of the church in Jerusalem, which is described Acts xv. was the first Christian council. But this is a perversion of the import of the term council; for that meeting was a conference of only a single church, called together for deliberation; and if such meetings may be called ecclesiastical councils, a multitude of them were held in those primitive times. An ecclesiastical council is a meeting of delegates from a number of confederate churches [This is the view of Archbishop Whately, in his King. dom of Christ. Lond. 1842, p. 105. It is also that of the Independents. The Presbyterian view, as embraced

E

« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »