St. Paul even "walked orderly, and kept t the ritual law, at the very time when he was sisting its imposition on the Gentiles. (Acts à 22; xx. 16; xxi. 26.)

A member of the Church of Jerusalem, i Christian, would be under the rule of Ja Christian elders; being a Jew, would be un siastical discipline of the high priest and th hedrim.

Now, as both these systems affected the vate, social, and public life, it is clear the would require continual adjustment in t who considered both as binding on the respecting this adjustment we are told no

Such a state of things, of course, could · but it was in force during the whole p New Testament history.

This may be the true reason why so 1 specting the ecclesiastical organization Jerusalem, the mother of all Churches. told us, it might have misled us; for, or element pervading it, much in that C been temporary, and so no rule for the Ch The few notices of "' one principle, viz

nization or go
rule mergin

at in the life, entiles, we h ssarily developed st ecclesiastical

sier the exercise of this authority pose. They who have but once read s can have but one opinion on this at St. Paul exercised this authority arse, I am aware of the charge of incur by applying such a word to stle, but this I cannot help. We ct, and that fact is, that the Apostle under his superintendênce with abso

is true, this authority with all the love of a parent. He never exercised it for or personal ends. He called himself, and last of all and the servant of all. He . He worked with his own hands rather geable. He entreated his converts, he im

he was with them in meekness and fear, trembling (1 Cor. ii. 3); he even made their ondition of his salvation (Phil. i. 19): but, is, he never let the reins of power out of his ; he never permitted his authority to be called , and he allowed no opposition. The following will show that I have not overstated this. I in order.

ll come unto you shortly, and will know, not the of them which are puffed up, but the power." will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in d in the spirit of meekness?" (1 Cor. iv. 19, 21). rily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have already as though I were present, concerning him th so done this deed. In the Name of our Lord

"Paul, an Apostle (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father)" (Gal. i. 1).

It is to be particularly remarked, that though in several Epistles he associates other persons with himself, as sending the opening salutation, yet he takes care never to join these persons with himself as bearing the Apostolic commission. It is, "Paul, an Apostle, and Sosthenes our brother" (1 Cor. i. 1); "Paul, an Apostle, and Timothy our brother” (2 Cor. i. 1); “Paul, an Apostle, and Timotheus our brother" (Colos. i. 1).1

In every Church, harassed by false teachers, he reasserts very decidedly his Apostolic authority. In the Epistle to the Galatians, he intimates his equality with James, Peter, and John, and how they had arranged together that he should take the Gentiles, they the circumcision. (Gal. ii. 9.)

In the two Epistles to the Corinthian Church, also divided by false teachers, we find several direct assertions of his Apostolic authority; such are (1 Cor. iv. 9), "I think God hath set forth us the Apostles last ;" (ix. 9) "Am not I an Apostle? am I not free! have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? are not ye my work in the Lord?" ver. 5), “ Have we not power to lead about a sister, a wife, as well as other Apostles, and as the brethren of the Lord, and Cephas;" (xv. 9), “For I am the least of the Apostles, that am not meet to be called an Apostle, because I persecuted the Church of God; but by the grace of God I am what I am."

Compare this with "I suppose I am not a whit behind

1 In the Epistle to the Philippians he drops the assumption of apostleship, and this enables him to associate Timothy with himself as a fellow-servant of Christ. In the two Epistles to the Thessalonians he does not style himself anything, and so we read "Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus unto the Church of the Thessalonians," &c.

the very chiefest Apostles" (2 Cor. xi. 5), and with "In nothing am I behind the very chiefest Apostles, though I be nothing" (xii. 11).

We have now to consider the exercise of this authority on the part of the Apostle. They who have but once read through his Epistles can have but one opinion on this matter, which is, that St. Paul exercised this authority autocratically. Of course, I am aware of the charge of irreverence which I incur by applying such a word to the rule of the Apostle, but this I cannot help. We have to do with a fact, and that fact is, that the Apostle ruled the Churches under his superintendênce with absolute authority.

He exercised, it is true, this authority with all the love and tenderness of a parent. He never exercised it for selfish purposes or personal ends. He called himself, and he acted as, the last of all and the servant of all. He abased himself. He worked with his own hands rather than be chargeable. He entreated his converts, he implored them; he was with them in meekness and fear, and in much trembling (1 Cor. ii. 3); he even made their prayers a condition of his salvation (Phil. i. 19): but, with all this, he never let the reins of power out of his own hands; he never permitted his authority to be called in question, and he allowed no opposition. The following instances will show that I have not overstated this. I take them in order.

"I will come unto you shortly, and will know, not the speech of them which are puffed up, but the power." "What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?" (1 Cor. iv. 19, 21).

"I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed. In the Name of our Lord

Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan," &c. (1 Cor. v. 3—5).

"I wrote unto you in an Epistle, not to keep company with fornicators; but now I have written unto you not to keep company " &c. (1 Cor. v. 9, 11).

...

"I command, yet not I, but the Lord... So ordain I in all Churches" (1 Cor. vii. 10, 17).

66

I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them unto you." "The rest" (of the regulations respecting the Eucharist) "will I set in order when I come " (1 Cor. xi. 2, 34).

"Concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the Churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week, let every one of you," &c. "If Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear" (1 Cor. xvi. 1, 10).

"If I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ" (2 Cor. ii. 10). "Titus ... remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him. I rejoice, therefore, that I have confidence in you in all things (vii. 15, 16).

In the next chapter, the eighth, we have an instance of his contrasting his Apostolic authority with the natural influence which such a father in Christ ought to possess:"I speak not by commandment. . . . Herein I give my advice" (verses 8, 10); but in the latter chapter he returns again to the authoritative :—

Being absent, now I write to them which heretofore have sinned, and to all other, that if I come again I will not spare" (xiii. 2).

"It is a good thing to be zealously affected always in a