away from any long-existing church, or company of churches, and therefore unable to trace an outward lineal descent, is a true church of Christ;—for Christianity is not a religion of circumstances, but of principles;-while a church, so called, not standing on the apostolic principles of faith and practice, and yet able to look back through a long line up to time immemorial, may have never belonged to that body of which Christ is the Kead.

Proper use of this book.

A word or two, in regard to the proper use of such a book as this. It is not to be read through hastily, and then laid aside. As it is a book of principles relating to church matters, designed also to show their practical operation on the various occasions which arise in a church and in the religious community, it ought to be read in short portions, and at intervals. It may be considered as a reference-book, to be examined on the particular topics which will claim attention in the transactions of a church, and on the questions which will arise in the religious community, concerning the order and discipline of a church, and the connections of churches with one another. Whatever may be thought of the correctness of the opinions which it presents on particular points, it cannot fail to be profitable to one who should thus employ it. And without presuming to endorse every opinion and statement which it contains, I take this occasion to recommend it, particularly to the members of Baptist churches, as a book which they would all do well to read with much care. May I also suggest, that pastors would find it serviceable in their endeavors to form in the more youthful professors of religion just and enlarged views of the relations and duties of church-members? Pastors know, well, that this whole range of subjects, unless indeed the primary topics be excepted, is too little understood. And yet circumstances may at any moment arise, which would prove it important for members of a church to understand their church-relations, as well as the doctrine of repentance towards God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

H. J. R.

too

CHURCH MEMBER'S MANUAL.

PART I.

PRIMITIVE CHURCH CONSTITUTION.

A CHRISTIAN church, viewed as an organized society, is a peculiar institution. The character of its members and the principles of their union, its powers and the mode of their exercise, its organization and purposes, are all peculiar to itself, as a church of Christ. As it is the visible representative of an invisible kingdom-a kingdom not of this world, the principles of its constitution are necessarily different from those of all societies of human origin for temporal purposes.

Every associated body of men involves certain elementary, constituting principles, on which its existence depends, by the operation of which it became a society. Civil government is founded on principles peculiar to its nature and its purposes; and these principles constitute individual human beings a civil society, or state. A voluntary society, formed for the mutual improvement of its members, in science, literature, or the arts, in manners or in morals, is constituted on different principles; a benevolent, or philanthropic society on principles still different; and a church is constituted on principles different from them all. The first point of inquiry into the constitution of a church, is, in relation to the elementary principles of its associated existence.

When a society of any kind is formed, it necessarily comes to possess certain powers, which its members, as individuals, did not possess. The powers of a church, and the principles on which they are exercised, are very different from those of civil government, or of a common voluntary society. The source, nature, and extent of those powers, and the manner in which they should be exercised, must next be inquired into. A church, too, like every associated body, must be organized, and have officers or public servants, appointed to the discharge of certain duties. The principles of its organization, therefore, form the last topic of inquiry into the constitution of a church. Within this threefold division, all that relates to the structure of churches may be contemplated.

But by what means are the principles on which the existence, the powers, and the organization of churches depend, to be ascertained? It is evident that they cannot be discovered from the light of nature alone, for Christianity is a revealed religion. Its doctrines, duties, and ordinances, are matters of record. This record claims to be divinely inspired, infallible, and perfect. And the purpose for which it was given to men, "by inspiration of God," is, "that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." The simple question now before us is, Do they reveal to us all the principles which are essential to the constitution of a church? Are the scriptures alone sufficient for this purpose, or do they need the addition of some other writings, of oral tradition, or of human legislative wisdom? This question must first be settled.

We proceed, then, to state as a first great principle, which all Baptists hold and maintain, that THE SCRIPTURES FURNISH THE ONLY RULES AND LAWS FOR THE FORMATION, ORDER, AND GOVERNMENT OF CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. We unanimously appeal to the Bible, the whole Bible, and to nothing but the Bible. The instructions of our Saviour and his apostles, illustrated by the practices of the apostolic churches as recorded in the New Testament, comprise the standing law, the rule, and the authoritative examples to chris

tians, ministers, and churches through all succeeding time. The churches formed under the ministry of the apostles are the models after which all others should be formed.

For if the scriptures are the infallible, the sufficient, and the only rule of faith and practice to individual christians, they must also be to churches. Do they contain precepts, and present examples, to regulate the belief and the conduct of individual christians? They do also of churches. Many portions are addressed to churches, giving specific directions to meet particular cases, or laying down general principles of action. Is there any reason to believe that the commands, the warnings, the threatenings, and the promises to churches, in relation to their order and discipline, are defective, or stand more in need of uninspired additions, than those addressed to individual christians? If tradition, or human inventions, are necessary to the one, they are equally so to the other. Whoever, therefore, presumes to maintain that the inspired volume does not contain all needful instructions for the formation and government of churches, must remember that he is assaulting the integrity, and destroying the authority, of that Divine Word which opens the only way of salvation to the human soul.

It is certain that the scriptures often make mention of bodies called "churches," and they inculcate important duties on believers in relation to them. In other words they enjoin duties which could not be performed unless churches were in existence. How, for instance, could the Saviour's directions, Matt. 18: respecting an offending brother, or those of Paul, 1 Cor. 5: and 2 Cor. 2: in regard to the exclusion of an offending church member, and his restoration on repentance, be obeyed, unless churches, such as Christ and apostles approved, were in existence? The same classes of duties are obligatory on believers still, and from the nature of the case must continue to be so, to the end of time. But no one could know how to obey the Saviour's directions, nor even understand the meaning of those directions which relate to a church, unless he was also told what kind of an institution is entitled to that name. The reception of the

idea of a church involves necessarily the knowledge of what constitutes a church, and if the scriptures do not furnish this knowledge, they contain commands which can neither be understood nor obeyed. How can a man be required to unite with, or to perform any duty towards, an institution which is not described to him, and which he has never seen? If the scriptures do not describe a church, nor furnish the means of knowing what a church is, how can they enjoin on us duties towards such a body? Aye, if the scriptures do not furnish this knowledge, how can we know that such an institution exists, or ever did exist, in the world? We must, therefore, take the New Testament description of a church, or have none at all. And we must discharge our duties towards such bodies as are there described by the name of churches, or experience the consequences of disobedience to a large portion of the commands of God.

It is certain, however, that collective bodies of believers in Christ came into being through the labors of the apostles, which they called "churches," all constituted, so far as the record informs us, on precisely the same principles. If, then, we would know what kind of societies the apostles then called or would now call churches, we must examine the description of those bodies to which they applied the term. As the scriptures give us no reason to suppose that the principles on which those churches were formed are ever to be changed, it is the duty of all christians to study them diligently, and to connect themselves with churches formed on the same principles as those described in the Word of God.

The object of this FIRST PART of the present work is, to unfold the scriptural account of the structure, the powers, and the officers of those churches which were formed under the ministry of the apostles, as authoritative in the formation of churches for all future time. Receiving the record as inspired, and consequently perfect, the examples and precepts will be treated as of equal authority. It is true there are many actions and customs mentioned in the scriptures, which, growing out of the state of society, the habits of the times, or some peculiarity of circumstances, are of no au