Page images
PDF
EPUB

that first quoted; and, from analogy, teaches us, that it ought, there also, to have been rendered in the same manner: into, being the original and proper meaning of the preposition; and in, being a meaning so uncommon, as heretofore to have been resolved into a Hebraism. Several of these passages, also, directly declare, that those, who are baptized, are baptized into Christ; that is, into the Church, or Body of Christ. At the same time, there is no other account given of this subject. Nor is there any thing in the ordinance of Baptism, which in any manner indicates, that adults, when baptized, are members of the Church; and that baptized Infants are not members.

To these observations it is to be added, that there is but one passage, in which in the Name of Christ is joined with the verb baptize; viz. Acts ii. 38, where the preposition is STI. It is also to be observed, that the preposition sis is never used in any other case, where any thing is done, or said to be done, in the name of Christ; denoting that it is done by his authority. I conclude, therefore, that all those persons, who have been baptized, are members of the Christian Church..

Still, no persons, in my view, become members of the Christian Church by the ordinance of Baptism, in the sense, most commonly intended by those, who use this phraseology.

To make my own apprehensions concerning this subject, clear to those, who hear me, it will be useful to consider some of the meanings, annexed to the word Church. This word denotes, in the first place, The Invisible kingdom of Christ in this world; consisting of all those who are sanctified.

Secondly; The visible kingdom of Christ in this world; consisting of all those, who have publicly professed the Christian religion, and, in my own view, of their baptized offspring, who have not arrived at adult age.

Thirdly; It denotes, also, any body of Christians, who hold the same doctrines, and are united in the same worship and discipline. Thus we speak of the Church of England, of Scotland, or of Holland, of the Lutheran, Greek, and Romish Churches.

Fourthly; It denotes, also, any body of Christians, who worship together in the same place, under the care of the same Minister. From this account of the different meanings of the word

Church, it is evident, that, when persons, baptized in Infancy, are said to be members of the Church, the word cannot be used in all these senses. Such a person is not, of course, a member of the Romish Church, the Church of England, a Presbyterian Church, the Lutheran Church, or the Church of Holland.

Again; A person, baptized in the Church of England, and communing with that Church, is not of course a member of the Church of Scotland, or of the Presbyterian Church in America.

Once more; A person, baptized in one of the Churches of this State, and acknowledged as a member in regular standing, is not, of course, a member of another of these Churches. He could claim no right to vote, or to perform any other act of membership, on the ground of his admission into some other Church.

Finally; A person, baptized in the house, in which one of our Churches customarily worships, and by its own Minister, is not of course a member of that Church.

A Presbyterian from Scotland may in adult age, be conscientiously baptized by a Minister of one of our Churches; and yet, having no intention of becoming a communicant in that Church, may never become a member of it; or, in other words, never acquire a right to perform any act of membership.

From these remarks, it is perfectly plain, that something beside Baptism, nay, that something, beside making a profession of Religion, is necessary to constitute any person a member of a particular Church; or of a body of Christians, worshipping together in one place, under the care of one Minister, and acting together in ecclesiastical business.

The same doctrine may be also illustrated in another man

ner.

Persons are not unfrequently dismissed from particular churches, in good standing, and with full recommendations of their Christian character. These persons are certainly not members of any particular Church, or Churches, until they are severally united to other churches in form. It is plain, that they can act no where as members of the Church of Christ, except in what is called occasional communion.

Further, a Minister by his ordination is constituted not a Mi

nister of a particular Church, but of the Church of Christ at large; and is acknowledged as such by all, who consider his ordination as valid. Accordingly, he performs all the common duties of the Ministry wherever he is called to perform them; particularly in vacant Churches; with the same propriety, and authority, as in the Church, immediately under his care. He becomes the minister of a particular Church, solely by the fact, that it is committed to him in charge by the proper Ecclesiastical authori ty. In accordance with this view of the subject, he is removed from the superintendence of one Church, and placed over another, by the same authority, as often as it is judged proper. But his ordination is never performed a second time, although the charge, which conveys to him the superintendence of a particular church, may be repeated several times during the course of his ministry. According to this scheme, also, Individual ministers are not unfrequently ordained as Evangelists; and have no particular churches committed to their care.

From all these facts, it is evident, that a person may be a member of the Church of Christ at large; and not a member of a particular church. A Minister is a member of the Church of Christ at large; but is never in the proper sense, a member of a particular Church. Peculiarly is this evident, when he is dismissed in good standing for then his only relation to the Church, heretofore under his superintendence, has ceased. An Evangelist, also, that is, a minister ordained at large, and having no particular Church committed to his care, is a minister in the Church General; and is acknowledged as such by all those, who acknowledge the validity of his ordination. He is not, in any sense, the minister of a particular Church; nor in any sense, a member of such a Church.

When an adult offers himself for Baptism; he professes his faith, and enters into convenant with God; or makes a profession of piety. He then receives baptism, as a seal, on the part of God, of his own covenant with the man, and of his acceptance of him into his family. As this seal is voluntarily received by the man; it becomes, also, his own seal of his own covenant with God; a solemn and final acknowledgment of his enrolment in the same family. He is now, therefore, a member of the church; and may lawfully VOL. V.

38

commune at Christ's table, wherever his fellow-christians will receive him.

The Eunuch, who was baptized by Philip, was, in all respects in this situation. He made a profession of religion; and was baptized by an authorized Minister. He was, therefore, a member of the Christian Church; but he was a member of the Church general only, and not of any particular church. He could not have acted, as a member of such a church, in any ecclesiastical measure; nor voted in the regulations of worship, communion, or discipline. This I conceive to be exactly the situation of persons, baptized in Infancy. They are members of the Church of Christ; that is, of the Church General. They are members in the same sense, in which the Eunuch was a member; in which those, dismissed in good standing, and not yet united to other Churches, are members; in which men, lawfully ordained, are Ministers of the Church; in which Adults, after their profession and baptism, are members, antecedently to their union with particular churches. What, then, it will be asked, constitutes persons members of particular churches? The answer is at hand, It is a Covenant, mutually made by Christians, to worship God, together, in the same manner, and in accordance with the same principles; and to unite together in the same fellowship, and the same discipline. None, beside those, who have entered into this covenant, can act in any Church, as an Ecclesiastical Body; nor take any part in its Ecclesiastical proceedings. This covenant, and this alone, binds them together as a Church. None of the persons, mentioned above, are, at the time supposed, parties to such a covenant; and, therefore, none of them are members of a particular Church. The ministers cease to be members of particular churches by their Ordination, which makes them Officers in the Church at large. The dismissed members, whom I have specified, have ceased to be members of particular churches by the dissolution of the covenant, which made them such, mutually agreed to by themselves and their Brethren, with whom they were thus in covenant.

It will here, perhaps, be asked again, Is not every particular church a branch of the Church General? I answer, It is; because all its members, lawfully introduced in the manner speci

fied above, are members of the Church General. In this respect, and in this only, is it such a branch. But this fact in no way affects its character, or situation, as a particular church: an Ecclesiastical Body, possessing within itself the power of regulating its own worship, communion, and discipline. In this power, in any given church, no person can lawfully share, except those, who have become parties to the mutual covenant, which has constituted it a church.

Baptism renders any person capable of membership in a particular church, if he is disposed, and otherwise prepared, to unite himself to it. But neither this, nor his profession of Religion, will constitute him such a member. This can be done in no other way, but by means of that mutual covenant between him and the church, which has been mentioned above.

[ocr errors]

It will probably be further observed, that, in many cases, a great multitude of churches have been united together, so as to constitute, in their view, one Church, and to be thus styled in their customary language. Such, for example, are the Churches of England and Scotland, and the Presbyterian Church in America. What is the situation of baptized persons, particularly of baptized Infants in these Churches? The same, I answer, in my opinion, as in our own. Any number of Churches may unite together in their worship, communion, and discipline; and constitute themselves a single church. Of this church, however numerous, or however small, every individual, who belongs to it, becomes a member, either by an explicit, or an implicit, engagement to unite with its several members in their peculiar worship, communion, and discipline.

To those, whom I am immediately opposing, the following observations from Dr. Gill, which have lately come to my knowledge, will undoubtedly have great weight. "Baptism," he observes," is not a Church-ordinance; I mean, it is not an ordinance administered in the Church, but out of it, and in order to admission into it, and communion with it; it is preparatory to it, and a qualification for it; it does not make a person a member of a church, or admit him into a visible church. Persons must first be baptized, and then added to the church, as the three thousand converts were. A church has nothing to do with

« PreviousContinue »