has committed his church upon earth, are called upon by the Apostle, not only " to speak and exhort, but alfo to rebuke with all authority, and to let no man defpife them."

Where authority is committed, it is certainly with the intent that, fo far as the exercise of this authority properly extends, it ought to be obeyed. In the cafe before us, then, we do not hesitate to say, that in proportion as the authority of the church is difregarded, the pillar of truth is fhaken, and the cause of Christianity suffers,

In confequence, indeed, of the abuse that has been made of the spiritual authority, many have thought it not poffible to be too much upon their guard against it. To fteer clear, therefore, of the impofitions of the Romish priesthood, they have haftily determined to pay no attention to that facred office at all. But this, furely, is to correct one error by running into its oppofite; by exchanging a blind credulity for a contemptuous difregard for a Divine inftitution.

Without encroaching, then, upon the right of private judgment, which, to a certain degree is acknowledged, we may venture to fay in fupport of ecclefiaftical authority, that if CHRIST hath appointed certain perfons in his church, distinguished by their

ftation and office to be teachers and guides, it is the duty of the members of that church to be taught and guided by them, fo far as their teaching and guidance conform to the revelation which they have in commiffion to publish. When the teaching or direction of these appointed guides appears, not in the mere private opinion of the party, but upon evident and substantial reasons, to be contrary to the revealed will of God, they can no longer be a proper rule of duty; in such case the member of the church exercifes the right of private judgment. But it must be remembered, at the fame time, that though the private Christian be justified in the fight of God for withholding active obedience from any rule or practice, which in his confcience are inconfiftent with the laws of CHRIST, for he is to obey GoD rather than man; yet if in this cafe, instead of pati ently fubmitting to the penalties denounced against his disobedience, he openly refift the authority of his appointed governors, by a conduct in direct oppofition to their injunctions; he thereby renders himself ac countable to God for rebellion against the established government of his church.

Upon this fubject, then, we make the revealed will of God the fole standard of judgment, and call

for no fubmiffion to the clergy that may be proved to be incompatible with it; but in doubtful cafes, upon which a difference of opinion prevails, we claim that degree of deference to the determination of the appointed guides and teachers of the church, which a refpect for their station demands, and the end for which their office was inftituted, abfolutely requires.

With lefs authority than this, it is not to be conceived, how it is poffible for ministers of the church to execute the duties of their station. For if, in doubt. ful cafes, where no pofitive law of GOD is to be found for the direction of the confcience, or where the law produced is differently interpreted, the opinion of the ruler and guide, of him who is appointed by GoD to teach in the church, is not to overrule that of the party to be taught; we have a government inftituted without any authority annexed to it. For in this cafe every private Chriftian is left in a state of independence, to judge and determine for himself; upon which plan, the church, as a visible society, (the very being of which implies an authority to command, and an obligation to obey) could no where exist.

Subject to the above limitations, the ecclefiaftical authority is no abridgment of Christian liberty. Under these limitations, therefore, we feel ourselves

juftified in fupporting its cause against the right of private judgment; taken in that unlimited sense, in which its zealous advocates are difpofed to confider it.

Whilft, therefore, we protest against the Popish extreme, of leading men blindfold in their Chriftian profeffion, as inconfiftent with the character of reafonable beings; we at the fame time do not fcruple to affirm, that every man is not qualified to form a judgment for himself in religious matters, much less to fet up for a teacher and guide to his brethren. Were this the cafe, the paftoral office had been an useless one; and GOD, who does nothing in vain, would never have delivered a commiffion to particular perfons, which might, with equal advantage, have been exercised indifcriminately by all: much lefs would he have thought it neceffary to have furnished those persons with extraordinary powers for the discharge of it.

It was a complaint made by one of the primitive writers of the church," that the sense of the fcriptures was the only piece of knowledge, which every one thought himself a competent judge of, without pains or study, without the help of a guide or inftructor:" a prefumption, which the levity and thoughtleffnefs of the age have tended to increafe. But whilst

there are things hard to be understood in the fcriptures, which unlearned and unftable men did in the Apostles' days wreft to their own deftruction; the notion that any man, without the aid of study or learning, is qualified to be an expounder of the word of God; "rightly to divide the word of truth," as the Apostle expreffes it; feems calculated not fa much to ferve the cause of religion, as that of folly, enthusiasm, and imposture.

If men, therefore, are determined to exercise this boasted right of private judgment, at all events, upon the idea that Chriftian liberty authorifes every man to worship GoD in his own way; they fhould at the fame time remember, that if through pride, or felf, conceit, they despise instruction; and by turning their backs upon those pastors whom God has appointed to direct them, they fall into error, or prove the means of leading others into it; they must thank themselves for the confequences.

Suppofing it poffible that men might err with the church, they would have this plea in their favour; that they had followed thofe, whom, according to the conftitution of the country in which God had placed them, they had been taught to look up to as their guides. Whereas if they have left the church,