parties so acting. "And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for The apostle Paul no doubt

that city." (Mat. x. 14, 15.) speaks of the authority which the Lord hath given unto ministers of the word, but he distinctly states it is given for edification, and not for destruction. It is unquestionable that the idea of superior and inferior is wholly at variance with the spirit of the christian religion. The warrant for what is called ecclesiastical authority or spiritual power, is not to be found in any part of Scripture. It matters not what garb it wears, whether that of popish intolerance, protestant prelacy, presbyterian simplicity, or congregational independency; in each and every form it is at variance with Scripture. The word of God gives to no man or body of men the shadow of a warrant for exercising authority in the church over other men. There is but one Master, and we all are servants. There is but one Lord, and we all are brethren. There is but one Judge, and we must all appear at His tribunal. Although the authority, the power, the rule, the government, (for of all these does Paul write,) could not be explained satisfactorily by any other interpretation of their meaning, Christ Himself has spoken so explicitly upon the point, as to leave no room for question. There was a strife among the first disciples which of them should be accounted the greatest. Jesus said unto them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. But ye shall not be so; but he that is greatest among you,

let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve." He further illustrates the nature of the duty which ministers of the gospel were to perform, and by the illustration he shows the incongruity of the attempt to unite authority or power with such an office. The gospel is likened unto a feast. The hearers of it sit at meat. The preachers serve the table. "For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth." (Luke xxii. 24-27.) The apostle Peter received a special commission from our Lord after His resurrection. It was very brief, but very significant. "Feed my lambs." "Feed my sheep." "Feed my sheep." Not one word about authority or power. The apostle writes unto the elders, declaring himself to be also an elder, and exhorts them "to feed the flock of God which is among you, 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 ensamples to the flock." (1 Peter i. 1-3.) When he counsels the younger to submit themselves unto the elder, there is an appearance of enjoining obedience to authority; but he immediately adds, "Yea all of you be subject one to another;" for ye are all kings; "and be ye clothed with humility;" thus guarding against the tendency to seek to govern, which is inseparably associated with a carnal mind. The very sin of a carnal mind is, that it is enmity against God, is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be; and it is this state of mind that is described by the apostle Jude, when he says, they "despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities." Also by the apostle Peter, when he says, "But chiefly them that walk after the

flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and depise government." (2 Pet. ii. 10.) The dominion and government in both cases being the subjection of a man's will, not to the will or law of another man, but to the will and law of God. The apostle Peter explains this himself, for in further describing them he says, "Presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities." These dignities being not earthly or human, but spiritual and angelic. In his allusions to his power or authority, the apostle Paul not only says the Lord gave it to him for edification and not for destruction, but it is obvious from the passages in which the allusions are found that it is not the power to command, neither the authority of a spiritual superior. The apostle is making mention of his writings, and his personal orations or exhortations; and there is a material difference between the authority and power of Paul's writings and teachings, as a divinely inspired apostle, and Paul's power and authority to demand from other men the submission of their will to his will; which if there be such a thing as spiritual power or ecclesiastical authority in the church, must be the case. How different from this is the teaching of the apostle himself, he claims for his gospel the authority of God and the obedience of men; but in what way does he teach men to render this obedience? not by prohibiting them from judging for themselves, not by setting up himself as a lord over God's heritage, and commanding submission. Hear the apostle for himself, "I speak as to wise men; judge ye what I say." (1 Cor. x. 15.) "Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand." (2 Cor. i. 24.) In respect of one or more men becoming the judges of other men, the

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Scriptures give no uncertain sound. Our Lord says, Judge not, that ye be not judged:" and He solemnly warns those who, either ignorantly or presumptuously, place themselves in God's throne, that "with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again." (Matt. vii. 1, 2.) The apostle Paul inquires, "Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth; yea, he shall be holden up for God is able to make him to stand." (Rom. xiv. 4.) Speaking of himself, the same apostle further says, "But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord." (1 Cor. iv. 3, 4.) And of the spiritually minded he says, "He that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." (1 Cor. ii. 15.) The apostle James very plainly points out the position in which a man is placed who assumes a spiritual superiority over his brethren. "Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge." The idea of a judicial tribunal, a court of judgment in Christ's house, is nowhere taught in the word of God, but is most expressly forbidden and condemned; and when to this is added the functions of a legislative body, the error committed is exceedingly great, for "there is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?" (James iv. 11, 12.) Christ Himself explains the nature of the power and authority given to His apostles, and to

all preachers of the truth, and ministers of the gospel. "And if any man hear my words, and believe not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." (John xii. 47, 48.) The power, the authority of the apostle Paul, and all other servants of Christ, is neither in their office nor in their person: it is like their Master in their word; when they speak the truth in love they speak with power, even with the mighty power of God, for the word of God is sharp and powerful; and in no other sense has any man the semblance of authority given him by Scripture warrant in the christian church. In admitting to its visible communion, the minister must say, with the evangelist Philip, to the applicant, not, tell me thy state of mind, thy feelings, thy desires, thy affections, and I will then know your fitness to become a member of the visible church; but rather explaining the Scripture, and preaching Jesus; then if, like the eunuch, the applicant says, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? he must reply, if not in the words, at least in the spirit of Philip, "If thou believest thou mayest." (Acts viii. 37.) Thus all the responsibility is thrown upon the man himself, and he cannot regard his admission to the church as conferring any benefit, if he have not the witness within himself. In like manner in regard to the Lord's supper: "let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup." There is no occasion for guarding this ordinance with those rules of stringency which men with zeal overmuch have framed, wherewith to fence the Lord's table. By such measures, is it not manifest that