ginate with, and receive its fanction from him. For man, merely as man, can claim no rule over his fellowcreatures. Government, therefore, whether in church or ftate, must look to that fupreme Difpofer, from whom all power is derived; by whofe authority alone the validity of its exertions can be established. The reafon of the thing, in this cafe, we shall find upon enquiry to be confirmed by the history of facts.

When our SAVIOUR, after his refurrection, proceeded to the regular establishment of his church upon earth, he appointed the eleven principal disciples, or Apoftles as they are called by way of diftinction, to meet him in a mountain in Galilee, for the purpose of delivering his commiffion and directions to them on that fubject. Then the eleven difciples (we read) went away into Galilee, into a mountain, where JESUS had appointed them. And JESUS came, and fpake unto them, faying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach (or make difciples in) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft; teaching them to obferve all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." Matth. xxviii. 18.

It is to be observed, that our SAVIOUR's difciples at this time exceeded the number of five hundred. After his refurrection, St. PAUL tells us, that "he was feen of above five hundred brethren at once." But our SAVIOUR did not deliver the commiffion for adminiftering the facraments of his church to his difciples at large, but only to his Apoftles; and to them not by accident, but, it should feem, by express defign: in the first inftance, at his laft fupper; and in the fecond, when, in confequence of a particular appointment to meet him in Galilee after his afcenfion, he delivered to them his final commiffion to "baptize all nations."

Now the granting a commiffion manifeftly implies, that none but thofe to whom it has been delivered, have authority to act in that business for which the commiffion has been granted. Were it otherwife, the commiffion would be an useless form. CHrist,

therefore, by making choice only of eleven out of the whole number of his difciples, intended, it is prefumed, that the bufinefs which he authorized them to do, fhould not be performed by every one that might think proper to take upon him to execute it.*

* Should there remain a doubt on this head, the particular felection of the eleven Apoftles from the other difciples, for the

It is to be remarked further, that the tenour of the commiffion delivered to the Apostles feems pur pofely calculated to provide against, and thereby to render unneceffary, all felf-constituted authority in the church. "As my Father has fent me," faid CHRIST, "fo fend I you;" &c. According to the common import of which words, as well as the received sense of them in the Catholic church, our SAVIOUR is to be understood as if he had faid, "With the fame power and authority that my Father fent me into the world to conftitute and govern my church, I fend you and your fucceffors for the further advancement of the fame divine purpofe; and lo! my fpirit fhall accompany the regular adminif tration of the office to the end of the world. As therefore, in confequence of the mission which I have received from my Father, I fend you; fo, by virtue of the miffion received from me, you have authority to fend others, for the purpose of carrying on and perpetuating the plan which I have fet on foot in

purpose of delivering to them their commiffion, is calculated to re move it. See Luke vi, 12, 13; Mark iii. 13,, 14; Matt. x. 1; Xxviii. 16, 19, 20; John xx. 21, 22. This important point the reader will find particularly made out, and infifted upon, in "POTTER'S Discourse of Church Government," chap. ii. p. 45, et leq. and chap. iii. p. 61, et feq.

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the world, by a regular adminiftration of the affairs of my kingdom to the end of time." The govern ment committed to the Apostles was, therefore, of the fame nature with that of CHRIST; for thus he declares to them: "I appoint to you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed to me." Luke xxii. 29. The keys of the kingdom of heaven CHRIST rea ceived from GOD; by virtue of which grant, he had power to remit fins on earth. Matt. ix. 16. fame keys, with the power which belonged to them, were delivered by CHRIST to his Apostles in these words: "Whofefoever fins ye remit, they are re mitted; and whofefoever fins ye retain, they are retained." John xx. 23. "The Father (we read, John v. 22, 27) committed all judgment to his Son.?? And our LORD promifed, that when the Son of Man fhall fit on the throne of his glory, the twelve Apoftles fhould fit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Ifrael." Matt. xix. 28. Hence it is, that the Apostles are reprefented as conftituting part of the foundation on which the Christian church was built. "The wall of the holy Jerufalem, defcending out of heaven from GOD," the Spirit describes as having twelve foundations, and in them "the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb."

Rev. xxi. 14. And St. PAUL told the Ephefians, that they were "the household of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, JESUS CHRIST himself being the chief corner-ftone." Eph. ii. 19, 20.

But it may be faid, although this commiffion, delivered to the Apostles, ftamps a distinction upon their characters, and evidently invests them with a particular office and authority; yet it does not furnifh fufficient light by which to determine the precife conftitution of the Chriftian church. It certainly does not; and were there no other light vouchfafed to us on this fubject, we should not fpeak fo decidedly upon it as we now feel ourfelves authorifed to do.

But, perhaps, more information may be expected in this cafe than the Bible was defigned to furnish. Divine revelation, it is to be observed, was not meant to gratify the curiofity, but to furnish information fufficient to establish the faith, and govern the practice, of the Christian profeffor. It is not to be fuppofed, that in the fhort hiftory given by the Apostles, one thoufandth part of the doctrine, or inftruction, delivered by our SAVIOUR to his difciples, could be recorded. St. JOHN makes ufe of a strong expreffion, where he fays, that " if all things which

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