instituted, cannot be itself the standard, and the antecedent all-sufficiency of the Church must be abandoned, as an indefensible claim. Instead, however, of taking any further advantage of the fatal concession implied in an appeal to the Scriptures on this subject, I shall attempt to prove,

FIFTHLY. That the authority claimed by the Church of Rome, is totally unsupported by the New Testament.

1. The explanation of the word church, as set forth by Roman Catholic writers, and assumed in all their reasonings on the subject as an accurate interpretation of the term, is altogether gratuitous and anti-scriptural. The Greek word (EKKAnoia) has only two senses attached to it in the New Testament. It is applied either to a particular congregation of professing Christians, assembling in one place for the purpose of Christain fellowship; or to the whole collective body of Christians, who have existed or ever shall exist in the world. In no other sense does the word occur in any part in the New Testament. It is never applied to a clerical synod or an episcopal convocation; nor to pastors separate from their congregations. "In any intermediate sense," says an able and most impartial critic on the language of the New Testament, "between a single congregation, "and the whole community of Christians, not one "instance can be brought, of the application of "the word in sacred writ. We speak now, in"deed, (and this has been the manner for ages) of "ths Gallican Church, the Greek Church, the "Church of England, the Church of Scotland, as of "societies independent and complete in themselves. "Such a phraseology was never adopted in the days of the Apostles. They did not say, the Church of Asia, or the Church of Macedonia, "or the Church of Achaia; but the Churches of

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"God in Asia, the Churches in Macedonia, the "Churches in Achaia. The plural number is in"variably used, when more congregations than

one are spoken of, unless the subject be of the "whole commonwealth of Christ. Nor is this "the manner of the penmen of sacred writ only. "It is the constant usage of the term, in the writings of Ecclesiastical authors for the two first "centuries.*

Every organized society assumes some principle as its basis; and in an inquiry respecting the constitution of a religious society, special importance must attach to right views on this subject. A church of Christ, according to Scriptural testimony, is not a mere assembly or aggregation of people combined by political arrangements, and dependent on the will and authority of a civil government. It is not the accidental association of a number of individuals and families, who may happen to live within the artificial boundaries of a parish. It is not a promiscuous crowd of various and opposite characters, who meet together once or twice a week, because of the local convenience of the place, or the conceived attractions of a preacher. In all these reasons or grounds of union, we can recognize no scriptural principle. We can perceive only, the authority of power, the influence of custom, or the effect of accident; and though under the control of divine agency, their ultimate operation may be beneficial, yet in their immediate action we trace nothing at all

I.

* Dr. Campbell's 'Lectures on Ecclesiastical History.' Vol. p. 204, 205. He adds, in immediate connection with the above cited passage-"The only instance to the contrary, that "I remember to have observed, is in the epistles of Ignatius, on "which I have already remarked.”—In a preceding part of the lecture he shews that there are sufficient reasons for calling in question the genuineness, or " at least the integrity" of these epistles.

amounting to religious conviction; so that when their force is suspended or counteracted, the union is dissolved! The principle of scriptural union appears to be the knowledge and influence of divine truth, leading to a voluntary association of believers for the purposes of mutual edification, in the observance of all divine institutions. Thus the first churches were constituted in the apostolic age. The truth of the glorious gospel, attested by "infallible proofs," was proclaimed to men for "the obedience of faith." Wherever it was cordially received, it became, through the power of the Holy Spirit, the principle of obedience; it constrained those who had "given themselves to the Lord, to give themselves to one another according to the will of God." It led those, whom the providence of God had stationed near each other, to "meet in one place," and to submit to all the laws and ordinances which Christ had enjoined, either by his own authority, or the delegated authority of his Apostles. Here we witness the re sult of personal conviction, the effect of enlightened principle; and in all succeeding ages, those have most nearly resembled the primitive churches, who have formed their union on the basis of evangelical truth, and have regarded that truth as the ground of their hope, the support of their holiness, and the firm bond of their mutual attachment, and zealous 'co-operation. In the constitution of a scriptural Church, we recognize the authority of Christ as its warrant, the truth of Christ as its foundation, and agreement respecting that truth as the principle of fellowship.*

*The visible church of Christ is a congregation of faithful men, in which the pure word of God is preached and the Sacraments are duly administered, according to Christ's ordinance, in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same." Article xix, of the Church of England.

2. The scriptural passages adduced to prove the authority and infallibility of the church are inapplicable, and insufficient. They rest the theory of their claim on several prophetic descriptions of the gospel Church, promises made to it, and declarations of Christ to his disciples. The following are amongst those, on which most stress is laid: “ My spirit which is upon thee, "and My words which I have put in thy mouth, "shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of "the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth "of thy seed's seed, from henceforth and for 66 ever.' I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts :-they shall "all know me, from the least of them, to the 66 greatest of them." "The Spirit of truth"will teach you all things-and will guide you "into all truth." 66 Lo, I am with you always, "even unto the end of the world."*

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"Those persons must be deplorably ignorant of the language and connection of the Scriptures, or they must already have put their understandings, in fetters of other men's imposing, who can discover this conclusion, in these premises. Some of the passages predict the calling of the Gentiles, some the conversion of the Jews, others the dif fusion and influence of evangelical truth: some assure us of the inspiration which was necessary to enable the Apostles to fulfil their mission, and others declare the perpetual presence and power of Christ, in the preservation of his Church, in giving the means of knowledge and grace, in the conversion and sanctification of individuals, and in the ultimate prevalence of pure and practical

* Is. lix. 21. Jer. xxi. 13. John xiv. 15, 16, 26. Matt. xxviii. 20.-Also, Is. ii. 2—6. xxxv. 8. liv. 13. lx. lxii. Matt. xvi. 18, Luke x. 16. Eph. iv. 11-13, &c. &c.

religion but there is not a single passage of them all, on which an unbiassed man, of plain, good sense, and moderate biblical knowledge, could ever hang the monstrous dogma, that INFALLIBILITY in religious doctrines, should be the certain, exclusive, and hereditary possession of the Church of Rome."*

A distinction generally obtains amongst the Romanists, between articles of faith, and articles of discipline. To this, they have recourse, when it is indisputably proved, that their infallible church has sanctioned by its authority at different periods, opposite and contradictory opinions. It is then acknowledged that the church may err in the one, but is absolutely incapable of erring with respect to the other. But it is a distinction assumed chiefly for the sake of hypothetical consistency and convenient defence and more frequently employed, when reasoning against their opponents, than acted upon in their own internal arrangements. Such is the flexible and varying policy of the Church of Rome, that the principle of submission in cases of discipline, is itself easily shaped and moulded into an article of faith; and the authority of the one, is transferred to the regulations of the other, when symptoms of rebellious inquiry commence their operations.

If the distinction, of which so much use is made, by the modern advocates of Popery, were practically regarded, toleration would be dis

* See pp. 13-15. of "The reasons of the Protestant Religion."-a Sermon lately published by the REV. JOHN PYE SMITH, D. D. I most cordially avail myself of this opportunity of recommending Dr. Smith's Discourse, as a luminous, accurate, and comprehensive abstract of the principal arguments in support of the Protestant cause.

See further remarks on these inappropriate citations in the Appendix. NOTE D