they supply is not sufficient, we must either have a new revelation to make up its deficiencies, or be tossed about on the boiling surges of every utopean scheme which the fertile fancy or folly of would-beprophets may propound for our acceptance. But as I believe the Bible fully and distinctly settles this and all his other questions, I invite him since he has chosen it -to begin by a careful examination of that authoritative document on this subject, I am certain he will not be any thing the worse for adopting that course, but, may be very much the better for it. I

should be sorry to suspect him without cause, but, I confess the style and tone of his first letter leaves me little to expect from him besides expressions of confident commiseration, that any one should be found reading God's Word with eyes so different from his own. In this, however, I shall be happy to be found wrong in my opinion.

I am, dear Sir,

Yours truly,

MACROBIUS.

MR. EDITOR, DEAR SIR,

In your Number of the Christian Advocate for December last, I fear your Correspondent "Philalethes," is too severe, to say the least of it, against your other valuable Correspondent" Simplex," regarding the Lord's law, as recorded in Matthew xviii. 15-20.

A Church of Jesus Christ on this earth, cannot go about any case of discipline, &c., without "two or three Bishops or Overseers," and as in private offences, after the first step is over with the "one or two more," or witnesses, either of the offence, or as witnesses that the steps laid down in such cases to recover offenders and vice versa have been regularly gone about or attended to--and in any case of discipline the Bishops or Overseers may be the "one or two more;" as it is written," then take with thee ' one or two more' that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word

may be established: "i.e. any one or two of the brotherhood, in case the offence may have to be carried further into the "Court of Conscience," or to be weighed in that "just balance" the Church, which is God's delight. Prov. xi. 1.

l.

Your Correspondent complains against the word "eminent" members of the Church, being used by Mr. Glas. Now I think the word eminent is very well chosen. The Elders are not " eminent" on their own account as members of society, or as men of riches, or, of great knowledge and discernment in things pertaining to this world; but eminent having been set apart by the rest of the brotherhood to this high station-to minister or to become servants of the word in his house, rather than to be ministered unto, and they are, owing to their character being agreeable to Paul's injunctions to Timothy and Titus, thus to become ensamples to the flock, and in case of need "to

be accounted worthy of double honour," and thereby fall to be esteemed very highly for their work's sake. See I Thess v. 12-13. By the brethren, they are to be remembered in their prayers to the hearer of prayer, that He will give them a mouth and wisdom, which all their adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. That they, in short, in their capacity as Elders or rather "Angels" are representatives of the "little child" which Philalethes speaks of, farther on in his letter-They are emblems of "innocence" in giving their judgment in the matters of their Lord and Master's house-and if I may say, temporary representatives, of Him who sits upon the throne saying, as he did say to friends and foes,

"To all men I have judgment done -performing justice right."

Ps. cxix. 121.

The remaining part of this paragraph about "Elders" I pass over as a mere quibble-a tirade-wide from the truth and not allied to sound doctrine.

Philalethes then introduces his "Northren Correspondent" and refers to a letter written by Mr.

Glas on the "Second Excommuni

cation "(not absolution) which appeared in your No. for August, last year, which this Correspondent for Philalethes.) says, brought to his mind what has frequently occurred to him in reading several parts of Mr. Glas's writings, not "Works;" viz. that Mr. Glas reverses the meaning of the words "binding" and "loosing," as one would naturally understand them on reading the Bible." (the word of God.) The words "naturally understand" lead to a common error many fall into. These eminent

and pious men-these leaders of Christianity-these self-elected Ambassadors of Christ,-the Clergy, will gravely tell you that blood mentioned in the book of the Acts of the Apostles means "murder! " And even men who bear the name of Glassite, fall into a similar error when they read these words "husband of one wife "-they naturally conclude they mean "one wife at a time." If, and here there is need of this conditional conjunction, they are correct, it is much to be regretted Paul did not say so, to confirm them in their views, as they naturally understand these words and so leave no doubt of their "natural conclusions!" Paul however when he penned these words of the Royal Charter of God's house, had a purity in view or in his eye which we cannot speak of at present, but Christians are bound to be reconciled to these words as they are, being the words of the Holy Ghost and are given to be obeyed, not to be reasoned on nor rejected. Nor dare we in his house make bye-laws and regulations to suit

other matter, which we wished to insert.

to Peter; accordingly at the time

Our Lord appears to make a reference to this verse in laying down the directions to his apostles about binding and loosing in the New Testament churches, Matt. xviii. 18-21. and for this purpose he makes it necessary that every church have two or three among them as a Presbytery which are mentioned distinct from the church; and without these two or three, he does not promise his presence, or allow his churches to proceed in the discipline of his house. In this passage in Matthew, Christ is treating of the discipline which should take place, when they, the disciples, came to be settled by the ministry of the apostles. Compare Luke xxiv. 19, Matt. xxviii. 19, 20, John vii. 39, and Acts ii. His kingdom was not set up on earth, until he sat down on his throne in

heaven, according to the prefiguration thereof in the kingdom of Judah, see the 2nd, 24th, 89th, and 110th Psalms. The keys of the kingdom of heaven were promised

Jews, Acts ii, and then to the gentiles, ch. x., until which time there was not a gospel church,--and the discipline Christ taught his disciples could not be exercised. The apos tles having received the Holy Ghost according to the promise, were led into all truth, and qualified for New Testament Scripture, having planting churches, and writing the all the instructions Christ left with them brought to their remembrance, John xiv. 26: xv. 26; xvi. 15; Such a church as the Lord proposed, Matt. xviii.. was to have the power of binding or censuring offenders, and of loosing or taking off such censure, and restoring to former favour. The binding and loosing of this church was to be ratified in heaven in the mother church, where Jesus was to be on his throne, Gal. iv. 26; Heb. xii. 2-23. The church on earth was to have two or three gathered toge ther presiding therein, without which Presbytery, we cannot know from the Scripture that they have such power. Such a church as this was at Corinth, where Paul directs them to bind one who was called a brother, 1 Cor. v. 5., and deliver him so bound unto Satan, reminding them of the power of the Lord Jesus Christ, and so referring to Matt, xviii., and in his 2nd Ep. he directs them to loose him, as he was professing repentance.

Moreover it is to be observed, that in this church there were to be two or three to appear as witnesses to confirm the offence, even as in this passage in Deuteronomy, when it was not publicly known, as well as two or three to preside in the judgment, and these two or three are not independent of the church, or lords over it-they are only

agreeing together along with the brotherhood, concerning the thing that is to be done of their Father who is in heaven; but they must all agree together in the discipline. The apostles having received their instructions from Christ, and having received the Holy Ghost to bring all things to their remembrance, and lead them into all truth, did accordingly ordain the two or three in all the churches, elders in every church. The explication which Matt. xviii. 20, generally receives about the presence of Christ being with two or three met together to worship him, tends to divert our attention from the generous design and scope of the passage-for though the Lord hears the prayers of his people in (or from) their closets, in secret, yet he loves the gates (or judgment seats as some add,) of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Ps. lxxxvii. 1-3.

J. S.

Then another M.S. of his has the following observations on the words Elders, Bishops, &c.

ELDERS, BISHOPS, PRESBYTERS,

AND OVERSEERS.

These are only one set of office

bearers in the Christian Church, and with Deacons are the only two officers remaining in it, after the death of the Apostles, who were also Elders. A presbytery of these Elders, two at least, is necessary in every Church before they go about "the Supper," or finish any discipline. The Deaconess belong to the office of the Deacon, having the peculiar care of the female part of the Church. Acts xx. 17–28.; xv. 4-6.; Tit. i. 5—7.; 1 Pet. v, 1. 2.; 2 John i. They (the Elders) were an office under the Old Testament, and had their name from being advanced in age and experience. Exod. iii. 16.; iv. 29.; xxiv. 1-9-10.; Judges xxi.; Ruth iv. 2.; Ezra x. 14

The Twenty-four Elders who were seated on thrones round about the throne, so advanced to high dignity, represent the whole Old and New Testament saints, or the whole Church of the living God-followers of the twelve Patriarchs and twelve Apostles, like unto the four-and-twenty orders of the Priests and Levites, these with the Cherubim make a complete or perfect representation of Christ's redeemed body with himself at their head. Rev. iv. 5.; vii. 11.; 3 xiv. 3.

The same divine authority runs through both dispensations, and He saith to all men in every age, and in every country, "Add not thou unto his Words, lest He reprove thee and thou be found a liar."

The promise of the true God in his faithful word to his people is "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people," and I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, that they may walk in my statutes, and keep mine ordinances, and do them." And the chief shepherd of Israel saith "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them and they follow me," so that the language of the renewed soul is, "Lord what wouldst thou have me to do," for "The love of Christ constraineth us, because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead. And that he died for all, that they who live, should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him who died for them and rose again."

When the mind of man is happily brought into union with God, made willing, and fall under him then every commandment becometh "a delight, the holy of the Lord and honorable:"no rejecting-no gainsaying-and no neglecting of the plain precepts of God's word.

For this is the love of God, that we keep his.commandments, and his commandments are not grievous." The commandments of God are not left to human dictation, or human discretion; no, they are as positive as the word and the authority of God can make them. They were not given by the master of assemblies to be cavilled about; they were made known by the King of Heaven and of Earth, solely to be obeyed. And "if any man

teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness. He is proud knowing nothing; and, from such withdraw thyself."

Obe

It is too manifest that Anti-christ has changed the times and the laws which have been given into his hands until a time and times and the dividing of time," and though it requires no little spiritual discernment to discover the true from the false, among the many observances of religious professors; yet with minds enlightened from above, the true will be discovered. In the words of the Lord Jesus, the standard is fixed around which all disciples must rally. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be damned," is the everlasting will of the unchangeable God. Belief is before obedience. dience follows faith, and salvation is joined to both. No person could be acknowledged a Christian who refused to be baptized in the first ages, and no man now is without the pale of these words, "Hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him and keepeth not his commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him," Forbearance with men who set aside revealed precepts is rebellion against the majesty of heaven. A Church with men of many minds upon the "One Baptism which figured out the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Son of God, is an anomaly, and was reserved for the present sophisticated age fully to develope.

The divine power was never so manifestly presented before men as on that occasion, when "The