SERMON V.

THE

SYNOD OF JERUSALEM:

OR,

COURTS of REVIEW in the Christian Church confidered *.

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ACTS XV. 31.

-They rejoiced for the confolation.

S a proper introduction to the business of this Provincial Synod, my reverend and dear hearers will, at once, fee the propriety of the fubject we have pitched upon; to whatever exceptions the profecution of it should be found liable.

The words transmit a short, but comprehenfive, account of the dutiful reception with which a judgment of the ra lical Synod at Jerufalem mer, from the Christians in Antioch; "They rejoiced for the "confolation."

The context will fall under view afterwards, and therefore, without introduction, we shall, through divine

* This fermon was preached at the opening of the Synod of Glasgow and Ayr, at Irvine, Oct. 13th, 1707.

divine assistance, illustrate the following observations, evidently contained in the history itself.

I. That at Antioch, from whence this cause came, there was a church.

II. That in the church at Antioch, there arose a question, about which the prophets and teachers could not agree.

III. That the office bearers at Antioch, as distinguished from the brethren, in that church, had a right to have given judgment in the important caufe.

IV. That though these Prefbyters were a court of Chrift, properly conftituted, they confidered their decisions as fubject to a court of review; and, for that reason, unanimously agreed to refer the whole caute, as it stood, to the venerable Synod of Judea.

V. That after the commissioners from Antioch had reached the metropolis of Judea,-produced their credentials, and opened up their caufe, -the Synod of Jerufalem-first reasoned upon it; and, then, came to an unanimous fentence.

VI. That two of the commiffioners from Antioch joined by two from Judea, were immediately difpatched with letters to the Gentile converts, containing an account of the Synodicaljudgment. And, VII. hat, upon receiving and reading the epistle, the Gentile converts, as in our text, re

In the illustration of these particulars, we shall endeavour, as a humble apology for the Prefbyterian form of church government, to exhibit

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The New Teftament original, after which every court of review, in the Christian church, on the one hand; - and every private churchmember, on the other; should attentively copy."

OBSER

OBSERVATION I.

That at Antioch, from whence this cause came, there was a church; for when Paul and Barnabas came thither, they "gathered the church " together," Acts xiv. 27.

In the New-Teftament, indeed, there are very different acceptations of that term.

Sometimes, it signifies no more than a concourse of people, assembled in a lawless, and employed in a finful manner. Such was the mob raised by Demetrius the silver-smith, against Paul; -whereof it is faid, that "the assembly," or, as it is in the first language, "the church was confused," Acts xix. 32.

Sometimes, it signifies a meeting for the discusfion of civil affairs, according to the particular usages of different countries. Such a meeting the town-clerk at Ephesus had in view, when, to the mob now mentioned, he said, "It shall be " determined in a lawful assembly," or "church," Acts xix. 39.

There is one instance, where it points at churchofficers alone, Matth. xxviii. 17. in their ruling capacity;-and of the church, in that view, it is faid, "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be " bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loofe

on earth, shall be loosed in heaven," Matth xxviii. 18.

Now, it signifies a company of persons professing the faith, and walking together in love of the gofpel. Such were certain focieties in Lystra, Derbe, Iconium, and other places; -for referring to them the historian tells us, that Paul and Barnabas "ordained elders in every church," Acts xiv.

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And, then, it signifies such a company of believers, with proper officers set over them in the Lord, for all the purposes of Doctrine and Worship, Disfcipline and Government, appointed by Jesus Chrift. -Thus the historian understood this term, saying, "There was a great perfecution against the church "which was at Jerufalem," Acts viii. 1.

It is in the last, doubtless, of these views we are to understand it, as applied to the Christians at Antioch; -for, as we are affured, that there was a church in that city, made up of disciples only in their private capacity, with whom Barnabas and Saut "affembled " a whole year;" Acts xi. 26. fo, that those difci ples were afterwards favoured with prophets

and teachers" of their own, to bear office among "them," Acts xiii. 1.

When, we fard, in the last of these views, we only mean, in as far as it respected the relation which fubfifted between the disciples at Antioch and their immediate office-bearers. For, their connection with the church at Jerufalem might be argued, not only from the instruments of their converfion to the Chriftian faith,-such, namely, as "were scatter"ed abroad upon the perfecution that arose about "Stephen;" Acts xi. 19. but, from the oversight which the office-bearers at Jerufalem took of them at that early period. They fent forth Barnabas "that he should go as far as Antioch; who, when " he came and had feen the grace of God, was glad, " and exhorted them all, that, with purpose of "heart they would cleave unto the Lord," verf. 22, 23.

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And the fubordination both of the disciples and office bearers at Antioch, in their church-capacity, to the collective church at Jerufalem, will appear from the following obfervations: and therefore our reafoning,

reasoning, upon that head, shall not now be antici pated.

It may be useful here to notice, that we find great changes in the radical church at Jersualem, as to the number of her members; and may infer, that the behoved, in the fame proportion, to undergo changes also, with respect to the number, and particular provinces, of her office-bearers.

That church consisted once, only of about a hundred and twenty; Acts i. 15. It immediately fwelled to about three thousand one hundred and twenty; Acts ii. 41. Soon after, it increased to about five thousand; Acts iv. 4. Then it arose to a multitude; Acts iv. 32.- and, as if all had been infufficient to instruct the propriety of this obfervation, we are told, that multitudes both of men and women, were added to the Lord, Acts v. 14.Notwithstanding, they were all along but one church;-no other churches having been planted, until after Stephen's martyrdom.

The church, therefore, at Jerufalem was as agreeable to the order prescribed in the New Testament, when it consisted of fuch growing multitudes, as when it was confined to fix score :-it was as properly a gospel church, when necessarily divided into many feparate places, for accommodation, -as when they could all beaccommodated in one upperroom, Acts i. 13.

Churches, indeed, so constituted, -though they should confist only of one worshipping assembly, have the full power of discipline within themselves;-but then, unless it can be ascertained by what precise number a gospel church must be circumscribed, the same power must remain in the whole body, though it be extended to an hundered, or even a thousand worshipping assemblies.

The congregations, for example, within the bounds

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