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heavenly Father, who, in much love, had not confined him to his bed, which he always dreaded.

About a fortnight before his death he was feized with a deadness in his right arm, and his legs were so much swollen, that it was with difficulty he could walk a few steps, Yet fuch was his ardour in his great Master's cause, that he was fupported to the houfe of God, and preached a sweet fermon on these words, "Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father, and the Lord Jefus Chrift." Numbers heard him, and many ftrangers were there, who were much affected to fee how God affifted his dying fervant to declare his precious word to the laft. He afterwards administered the bleffed facrament to many Christians, who beheld him with aftonishment, and ftreaming eyes. It was with pleafing and mournful wonder that they faw a dear Minifter of the bleffed Jefus, almoft on the verge of heaven, exerting himself to perform his Mafter's work; and though one hand was totally dead, yet with the other did he, with trembling fteps, carry round the bread and wine to his dear flock for the laft time. Throughout the week he feemed to grow weaker and weaker: But faith and patience ftrengthened. On the Saturday following a fymptom took place which betokened that his end was faft approaching. One of his daughters first mentioned it to him with weeping eyes. For a few moments after he heard it, he continued in prayer with lifted eyes to heaven; after that he broke forth into an exclamation of praise, telling her she had brought him joyful tidings; and he then added, "My prayer to my God has been heard, that he would enable me to bear with meek patience whatever he faw fit to lay upon me. I blefs and adore his name for this affliction; he faw that it was neceffary for me to wean me from earth. Well knowing that it was the hand of God, I have been contented to fuffer as much and for as long a time as he pleased. I fhall now foon be released; and how fhall I be thankful enough that he, in much love, is going to fhorten my fufferings?" Thus did this bleffed man receive the intimation that death was near. In the evening of that day his fon-in-law came to fee him, who is a fincere believer. The moment he approached him, he cried out, My dear fon, I have heard joyful news to-day: Your father will foon be in glory."

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Though it may feem incredible to those who read this account, yet did Mr. Furly go to his church the next day,

and

and preached from these words in the Pfalms, "They that know thy name, will put their truft in thee; for thou, Lord, haft not forfaken them that feek thee." This was a bleffed difcourfe indeed! He spoke from real experience, that he had found the God he trufted a strong hold, a covenant God, who never forfook those who put their reliance on him: And how did he warn finners to repent, and turn from their evil ways, telling them that he had preached to them for near twenty-feven years from that pulpit, and had, during all that time, repeatedly warned them to flee from the wrath to come; that he now delivered his meffage perhaps for the laft time, therefore whether they would hear, or whether they would forbear, he had delivered his own foul; and their guilt would be upon their own heads." This was indeed the laft time he ever preached that Gofpel in which his foul delighted. The next day, upon enquir ing whether his congregation could hear him, and being told that his voice was very weak, he faid, "Then I am now useless; I have finished my Master's work; I have done with all things here below." He alfo fpoke with much delight of his approaching diffolution, He was now in the laft ftage of weaknefs, but his faculties were still unimpaired. On the Wednesday following it was with much difficulty that he was held up by his family; for in bed he could not continue, and they were afraid that he would die in their arms. In the evening, however, with great difficulty he was put into bed, and for fome hours after he seemed rather eafier, though he could fay but little. About three o'clock on Thurfday morning he was taken with the agonies of death. His wife and fix of his children were around his bed; and it was evident that his fenfes continued, and that in the midft of pain his prayers were directed to his Saviour, who forfook him not in the fhadow of death. A fhort time before he breathed his laft his wife took his hand, and faid, "My dear husband, you are going to Jefus." He understood her, and feebly replied, I know it well." He then sweetly fell asleep in that Jefus, to whofe arms he was indeed going.

He died Auguft 6, 1795, at about nine o'clock in the morning. He left behind him eight children, two fons and fix daughters, who were all grown up.

VOL. V.

Pp

ΤΟ

MR. EDITOR,

IT

TO THE EDITOR.

T is a fingular fact, that, notwithstanding the long and bitter difputes carried on with fo much learning and fo little charity-notwithstanding the divifions and sub-divifions into which Chriftendom has been split, on account of church government, and each party acknowledging the decifive authority of the Scripture; yet nothing can be more evident than that there is no one church upon earth exactly formed on the apoftolic model, and in all points conformed to the primitive practice.'

After the most attentive confideration of the fubject, and endeavour to diveft my mind of educational prejudices, I venture to state some particulars of the churches during the two first centuries, which feem to be fupported by the univerfal fuffrage of the Scriptures, and antiquity.

It deferves especial notice, that univerfally throughout the whole church, the offices of every kind were elective; and Bishops, Priefts, and Deacons the choice of the people. Nor can I find in a fingle inftance the appointment to thefe offices without the fuffrage of the faithful. It was the moft indifputed axiom, that they who knew the value of their own fouls, fhould elect thofe as their teachers, in whom they could repose the greatest confidence.

How the faithful were collected is alfo evident. The Gospel was univerfally the inftrumental means. Itinerant Ministers went out from Jerufalem, preaching every where the kingdom of God, and his righteoufnefs. (And to itinerant preachers we owe the converfion of the nations to Christianity.) Wherever, by their labours, a few were called to the knowledge of Chrift's grace and faith in him, they united. The moft zealous man, and moft conveniently fituated, opened his houfe for divine worship, and the church affembled in one of his rooms, probably the most retired, and fartheft from obfervation. When the itinerant evangelift removed, or was expelled by perfecution: The mafter of the house, if he was qualified, or fome other elderly perfon or prefbyter of beft repute for grace and abilities, was placed as επίσκοπος, oι πρεσβύτερος over them, for at first these terms seem to have been applied to the fame perfon, the one marking the office, the other the age of the perfon, Titus, i. 5. compare ver. 7. Acts, xx. 17. compare

ver. 28. Him, the itinerant preacher, by whofe labour the congregation was raised, appointed according to the approbation and choice of the faithful, to ferve, whilft he as an evangelift proceeded in diffusing the favour of truth to other places.

When the number of the converted increased beyond the convenience of affembling in one house, a fecond congregation was formed, and another elderly perfon chofen, worshipping in feparate places, but in union with each other, and as the number encreased the presbyters encreased; probably under the fuperintendence of the first prefbyter, as the general overfeer; that one fuch person prefided in the affemblies, which treated of the matters concerning the church, under the name Tσs, is, I think, clear, and on his decease or removal, the people and prefbyters appointed his fucceffor by fuffrage, that town or diftrict being confidered as one body.

It was in these small diftinét churches, compofed of houfholds and neighbours, that, during two hundred years or more, the general church was to be found. Thofe in the vicinity united in all Chriftian fellowship, and confultation, and the deacons, who were merely eleemofynary officers and chofen by the people, had the immediate care of the poor.

Thus we find in St. Paul's epiftles, ch. i. ver. 2. That he directs his letter to the Churches of Galatia. In that province, from his labours and those of others, a great collection of people having been formed into different congregations. And the fame may be inferred from his Address to the Bishops and Deacons at Philippi. In that inconfiderable town, compared with many others, there were more Bishops than one, and confequently churches. As long as we have revelation we are on holy ground.

I fuppofe the perfons by whose labours the first churches were planted, had particular weight and influence with those who looked up to them, as their fathers in Chrift, and would in a particular manner be difpofed to confult with them, and be swayed by them in matters of doubt or difficulty. And during the lives of the apoftles, in difputed cafes they would be confulted. See Acts, xv.

When we leave the Scriptures, we come to fallible men : And as corruption began early to creep into the church, it becomes us to read with caution, and to keep ever the facred oracles in view.

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Yet the Letters of Clemens and Ignatius fhew that mat ters continued with little alteration in the fecond century. How fmall and confined the epifcopal charge was, the following declarations of Ignatius demonftrate: No baptifm muft be adminiftered-no love feaft or ayaan kept-without the Bithop. "No marriage" was to be contracted without his confent-and he was required to fpeak feparately to every one of his flock about their fouls,' Thefe and other particulars annexed to the office of a Bishop, befides his conftant miniftrations in the congregation, inconteftibly demonftrate how fmall the diftrict or diocefe was, at firft, over which the primitive Bishop prefided.

It seems then, that a primitive church was of very small extent, no more than a room could receive, and that probably of a poor houfe too. Let no man fmile or think it contemptible or degrading, but I fee no more striking image of a primitive church, than a little Methodist meeting in a mud floor room, in a little town or village; where a few perfons affembled to hear the word of God. And if by favour a fchool-room could be procured for the purpose, Paul himself was not degraded by preaching in it. Where feveral fuch were formed in the fame neighbourhood, the ableft and most efteemed would naturally be chofen as the Bishop, fuperintendant, or prefident. The qualifications for Prefbyters and Bishops were the fame, fee Titus, ch. i. ver. 5, 6, 7. When elders were to be ordained in every city they were to be men of blameless character, ver. 6. for fays the Apoftle, "A Bishop muft be blameless," &c. The ideas of epifcopal dignity, and high rank, are as unfuitable to the fpirit of the Chriftian church, as their proud affumption of power is contradicted by all pure primitive antiquity. It is even by Cyprian, who began to rise in epifcopal ftilts, marked as a matter highly cenfurable, that fome acts of church difcipline in his abfence had been performed without the confent of the prefbyters, and the church of the faithful.

The Bishop had no power, but minifterial, The people chofe the prefbyters and deacons, The laying on of hands was not his office alone, but in conjunction with the prefbytery-no cenfure could be inflicted but by the fuffrage of the church-the utmost amounted to exclufion, partial, or final, from the communion of the faithful. Pains and penalties, the monfters of all churches who have affumed anti-chriftian power, whether Proteftant or Papist, were unknown in the Scriptures, or in the practice of the pri

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