Footnote 265:
_The Papists, indeed, pretend that there is no other church in the
world, but that which they style catholic and visible, of which the
bishop of Rome is the head; but we may say, in answer to this vain
boast, as it is said concerning the church in Sardis, in Rev._ iii.
_1._ Thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. _Protestants,
though they speak oftentimes of the visible church as one, yet they
don’t deny but that there are many particular churches contained in
it. See the assembly’s Confession of faith, chap. 25. § 4._
Footnote 266:
_Vid. Cypr. de Laps. cap. 1. § 13._
Footnote 267:
_See his Works, Vol. I. page 924, 925._
Footnote 268:
_These were called_ בטלנים _Otiosi. See Lightfoot’s Works, Vol. I.
page 610-613. & Vitring. de Synag. Vet. page 530, & seq. And Lightfoot
says, from one of the Talmuds, that there were no less than 460
synagogues in Jerusalem, Vol. I page 363, 370. and that the land was
full of them; in which they met every Sabbath, and some other days of
the week._
Footnote 269:
_See more of this in those pages of Lightfoot before referred to._
Footnote 270:
Προσευχαι, _Proseuchæ_. Ευκτηρια, προσευκτηρια, _Oratoria_.
Footnote 271:
_See Mede’s Works, Vol. I. Book I. Disc. 8._
Footnote 272:
_See Vol. I. page 608._
Footnote 273:
Εν τη προσυεχη του Θεου, _in proseucha Dei_.
Footnote 274:
_See Lightfoot on Acts_ ii. _5. Vol. I. page 751, 752._
Footnote 275:
_See Quest. CLXX. CLXXIV._
Footnote 276:
_Imperium in imperio._
Footnote 277:
Αυτοκατακριτος.
Footnote 278:
_The former of these Jewish writers call_ נדוי Niddui; _the latter
they call_ חרם Cherem, _or_ שמתא Scammatha, _and was performed with
several execrations, by which they, as it were, bound them over to
suffer both temporal and eternal punishments. See Lightfoot’s Horæ
Hebr. & Talmud. in 1 Cor._ v. _5._
Footnote 279:
_See more on this subject in Vitringa de Synagog. Vet. Pag. 745. and
also the form used, and the instrument drawn up, when a person was
excommunicated and anathematized, in Selden de jure Nat. & Gent. Lib.
IV. cap. 7. and Buxt. Lex. Talm. in voce CHEREM._
Footnote 280:
_See an account of the manner of their excommunication, and the curse
denounced against them at that time, and the first cause of it, taken
from Josephus, and other Jewish writers, in Lightfoot’s Works, Vol.
II. Pag. 538-540. and Vol. I. Pag. 599._
Footnote 281:
_Vid. Tert. Apol. cap. 39._ Summum futuri judicii præjudicium.
Footnote 282:
_Vid. Cypr. de Orat. Dom._ Timendum est, & orandum, ne dum quis
abstentus separatur a Christi corpore, procul remaneat a salute.
Footnote 283:
_Vid. Cave’s Prim. Christ. Part. III. cap. 5._
Footnote 284:
_Justin Martyr tells the Jews, (Vid. ejusd. Colloq. cum Tryph.) that
the church, in his time, had the gift of prophecy; which Eusebius (in
Hist. Eccles. Lib. IV. cap. 17.) takes notice of, and, doubtless
believed it to be true in fact, though it be very much questioned
whether there were any such thing in the fourth century, in which he
lived. Gregory Nyssen, and Basil, who lived a little after Eusebius,
assert, that there were many miracles wrought in the third century, by
Gregory of Neo-cesarea, for which reason he is called Thaumaturgus;
though it is not improbable that they might be imposed on in some
things, which they relate concerning him, especially when they compare
him with the apostles, and ancient prophets, not excepting Moses
himself in this respect; and, it is certain, many things are related,
of his miracles, which seem too fabulous to obtain credit; yet there
is ground enough, from all that they say, to suppose that he wrought
some, and that therefore, in his time, they were not wholly ceased.
(Vid. Greg. Nyss. in cit. Greg. Thaum. and Basil de Sp. Sanct. cap.
29.) And Origen affirms, that, in his time, the Christians had a power
to perform many miraculous cures, and to foretell things to come,
(Vid. Lib. I. contr. Cels.)_ Και ετι ιχνη του αγιου εκεινου Πνευματος
παρα χριστιανοις σωζεται εξεπαδουσι δαιμονας και πολλας ιασεισ
επιτελουσι και ορωσι τινα κατα το βουλημα του λογου περι μελλοτνων..
_If this had not been true, Celsus, who wanted neither malice, nor a
will to oppose, would certainly have detected the fallacy. And
Tertullian, (Vid. Apologet. cap. 23.) appeals to it for the proof of
the Christian religion, offering to lay his life and reputation at
stake, if the Christians, when publicly calling upon God, did not cure
those who were possessed with devils._
Footnote 285:
“The Αποστολος is an extraordinary ambassador of Christ. He was
commissioned for extraordinary purposes. Like the generals of a
victorious army, the apostles exercised, in the name of their King,
authority throughout all parts of the vanquished empire, until the
regular magistracy was organized and fully settled. They have no
successors in this respect. The presbyter is fully competent to all
ordinary administrations. In relation to such cases, the apostles
themselves are no more than presbyters. 1 Pet. v. 1.
Church government is subordinate to evangelic doctrine. The power
given to the apostles, was intended solely for subserviency to their
preaching. 2 Cor. xiii. 8. _Teaching_ is the _highest dignity_ in the
church, because it is the most useful and laborious service. Preaching
was the principal work of the apostles. The ambition of prelates has
inverted this divine order. Preaching is the meanest service in the
popish and episcopal churches. It is merely subservient to the
government of bishops and of popes. The bishops exalt the mean above
the end. Government is, with them, the principal part of religion. To
be in power is more dignified than to edify.
Apostolic authority was founded upon apostolic gifts. God was the
author of both, and both were subservient to teaching. None can
pretend to a succession of apostolic power, without a succession of
the gifts which qualified for it.
The evangelists were extraordinary ministers. As ordained presbyters,
they exercised the ordinary power of the pastor. 1 Tim. iv. 14. Their
principal work was teaching, and organizing churches, by apostolic
direction. The ordinary ministers stood in need of this assistance.
They had not, as yet, the New Testament revelation in writing. The
evangelists, in part, supplied this defect. Timothy would have been,
to the churches which he visited, what the epistles sent to him by
Paul, are to us—a directory upon which we may depend.
Επισκοπος is a name of office. It is borrowed from the synagogue חזן,
(Chazan, _overseer_.) Maimonides de Sanhed. Cap. 4. describes him, as
‘the presbyter who labours in word and doctrine.’ Bishop and
presbyter, or, as our translation sometimes reads, overseers and
elders, are different names of the same officer. Acts xx. 17-28.
Presbyter is expressive of the authority, and episcopos, of the duty,
of the pastor.
The angel of the church is analogous to the SELIH-JEBUR of the
synagogue. The שליח צבור was the minister whose office it was publicly
to read and explain the law and the prophets. The duties of the
christian minister may be known, by the names given to him in the
scriptures. The names which are divinely given to men, are always
expressive of some important article of their conduct and character.
_Presbyter_ is a term of power, and points out the _ruler_; _pastor_
points out a public _purveyor_ of spiritual provisions for the church;
_bishop_, the spiritual _inspector_ of the state of the congregation;
_teacher_, the public _instructor_ of the congregation; and _angel_,
the _messenger_ of God to men. All these characters unite in the
minister of the gospel. By each of these names is he known in the
scriptures.
Διακοηος, and its parent Greek verb, are derived from the Hebrew כהן,
to minister. Diaconos, is _one who renders a service_. It is applied,
in the New Testament, to the Redeemer himself. Rom. xv. 8.—To any
religious worshipper. John xii. 26.—To women useful in religious
concerns. Rom. xvi. 1.—To civil rulers. Rom. xiii. 4.—To all ministers
of religion, whether extraordinary as apostles, or ordinary pastors. 1
Cor. iii. 5. Acts i. 14. Col. i. 7.
Every person, public or private, male or female, who renders any
service to another, is a _deacon_. But, besides this general use of
the word, it is a _term of office_, in the church.”