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that order into execution:-they prayed over Barnabas and Saul, laid their hands on them, and by a decree of court, they, at once, loosed their prefent connection with that particular church, and fent them away to move for a season, in a more public, a more extensive, and more useful sphere.

If Barnabas and Saul had not been subject to their brethren, it is natural to think, that God would have moved them, by immediate inspiration, to decamp, without the interposition of their coprefbyters at all; but, as he "is not the author of "confusion, but of peace, in all the churches of "the faints," 1 Cor. xiv. 33. he influenced the proper officers to carry that part of his will into execution.

According, therefore, to this precedent, it isevident, that these prefbyters at Antioch might ex officio, have proceeded to a sentence, in the caufe now before them; in as far, at least, as it respected their own flocks, without the interposition of any superior authority whatever.

This prerogative of church officers, as diftin guished from the brethren's, may be illustrated by. a variety of observations, evidently founded in the New Testament.

Though it appears, that, when our Lord afcended, the number of the difciples was about an hun*dred and twenty, Acts. i. 15. the commission to

go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature," Mark. xvi. 15. was given to none but the eleven surviving apostles or officebearers, verf. 14.

Accordingly, church officers are directly enjoined, in the difcharge of their paftoral trust, to use the, *means of building up faints, in faith, holiness and comfort; and impowered, as overseers of their

respective flocks, to exhibit fuch warnings, admoni

;

tions, and reproofs, as particular circumstances may render needful. Take heed (faid one

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apostle) to yourselves, and to all the flock over "which the holy Ghost hath made you overseers, " to feed the church of God, which he hath pur"chased with his own blood," Acts xx. 28. " And feed the flock of God, which is among

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you, (faid another apostle) taking the oversight "thereof; not by constraint, but willingly; not " for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as " being lords over God's heritage, but being en" samples to the flock," I Pet. v. 2,-5.

Both these exhortations are addressed expressly to elders. And, to show how much the address is made to them exclusively, the brethren are all along denominated the church and flock of God.

Church-officers, again, have a right to receive, hear, and judge in, every accufation, preferred against a brother or an elder, whether by a private person, or a fociety of Christians; fer, to Timothy and other office-bearers, the apostle faid, "Against

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an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses," 1 Tim. v. 19. Plainly intimating, that fuch accufation could only be tabled before them, and cognofced by them.

Having received the accufation, church-officers are likewife authorised to inflict such consures as may be most for edification, according to the prescriptions of Jesus Christ; they being answerable to him. "Them (says the apoitle) that fin, rebuke "before all; that others also may fear," verf. 20. And again, "a man that is an heretic, after the " first and second admonition, reject," Tit. iii. 10.

In both these passages, the power of difcipline is committed to the elders; and the degrees of censure condescended on. As there is no room left for the brethren to claim any share in the power of difcipline; difcipline; so, there is no room for ministers or elders arbitrarily to chuse such kinds or degrees of cenfure as cannot be fupported by the word of truth.

Moreover, church-officers are warranted to ordain and fet apart proper persons to the work of the ministry. "Lay hands fuddenly on no man, 1 Tim. v. 22. was Paul's caution to Timothy. And ordain elders in every city," Tit. i. 5. was his appointment to Titus. Than all which hints taken together, I can scarce think, that words are capable of expressing more fully, the power,-the exclufive power, of church-officers in these matters.

OBSERVATION IV.

That though the Presbyters at Antioch were a court of Cbrift properly constituted, they seem to have confidered their decisions, especially if contraverted, as all fubject to a court of review; and, for that reason, unanimously agreed to refer the whole cause, as it stood, to the venerable Synod of Judea.

This judicious and healing measure is narrated, by the historian, in the following terms.

They," i. e. the men which came down from Judea, on the one hand, and Paul and Barnabas, with their adherents, on the other, "determined "that Paul and Barnabas," to represent one fide of the question, "and certain others of them," i. e. the prefbyters at Antioch, to represent the other, " should go up to Jerufalem," in the quality of delegates or commissioners, "unto the apostles and elders," as conftituting a court to which they stood in fubordination, "about this question," Acts

Acts xv. 2.-i. e. To have a judgment concerning it, from whence there might ly no appeal.

In this deliverance, you will readily fee, that there was a reference, a reference by an inferior to a fuperior court of judicature; and a reference, in order to obtain fuch decifion, as might be effectually binding on all concerned.

We say, there was a reference. Had the disciples at Antioch appeared, as parties, against any member of that prefbytery for his doctrine concerning circumcifion, the cause might have been transferred upon the footing of an appeal. Or, had the prefbyters themselves given a judgment, the minority might have carried the cause to Jerufalem, upon the footing of a complaint.

But, rightly judging that impreffions, hurtful to the interests of true godliness, might remain among the private Christians within their bounds, making one say "I am of Paul and Barnabas," and another, "I am of the men which came down from Judea;" the whole members of that court laid restraints upon their respective zeal, fufpended any motion for a fentence, and, with one heart and mind, came to an intire reference of the caufe.

There was a reference, by an inferior to a fuperior court of judicature. It hath already appeared, that the church-officers referring, conftituted one court of judicature; and we propose to make it now appear, That the referees constituted another, to which the prefbytery of Antioch was fubordinate. To mention nothing else,

The very reference itself amounts to a proof that the prophets and teachers, in that church, confidered the fynod at Jerufalem, as their fuperiors in the Lord.

Had not this been the cafe, their resolution, with

refpect to the prefent caufe, would have been ma nifeftly

nifestly improper and absurd.-Improper, as practically bringing themselves under a yoke, to which they were no ways bound by the laws of Christ.And abfurd, as the fynod of Judea could never have fustained themselves judges in the matter, unless they had been poffefsed of an authority, for that purpose, from their Lord and mafter.

Upon these principles, either the prefbyters at Antioch were intirely ignorant of church affairs; or elfe, they stood in fubordination to their brethren at Jerufalem: but the former cannot, with the leaft decency, be supposed; and, therefore, the latter may, without impropriety, be admitted.

It is ob/ervable, as an evidence that none but office-bearers were confidered as competent judges, that the court, to which this reference was made, consisted only of the apostles and elders, Acts xv.

2.

Nor, in this apprehenfion, were the prefbyters at Antioch fingular; for, in church affairs elfewhere, the apofstles sustained themselves, exclufive of all the brethren or disciples, as judges only competent.

One instance, as a specimen, is tranfmitted by the hiftorian;-and tranfmitted, as for other reafons, so, particularly for our learning.

When overseers for the poor, at Jerufalem, were needed, the brethern, indeed, or disciples, were warranted to inake the choice: but, in any other capacity, they had no allowance to act.

The Apostles convened the church; authorized that election; and restricted the multitude to the choice of men particularly qualified; reserving to themselves the power of vefting them, when chosen, with proper authority. They, farther, gave the multitude an opportunity of making a report; and then expreffed their approbation of it, and concur