SUBJECT OF THE TREATISE. xix him the throneof his father David" implies that he shall retain these powers in his own hand, and that " he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever." (Luke i. 32, 33.) Earthly monarchs may divide their powers with others, or be in various ways circumscribed in their exercise; but such a partition or limitation cannot for a mo- ment be asserted of the Redeemer's authority. The Scripture image of a kingdom is taken fromOriental despotisms, in which there was but one master, and all beneath himwere subjects or servants. Earthly monarchs, even the most arbitrary, find it necessary to have their vicegerents to supply their lack of service, for they are frail, imperfect mortals,they can neither be in all places at the same time, nor can they overtake in their own persons the labour of con- stant supervision; but our blessed Lord stands in no need of assis- tants or assessors. " Lo," he says, " Iam with you alway, even unto the end of the world." There is nothing involved in these remarks from which it can be justly inferred that the church. of Christ is autocratic, or that it is destitute of all rule or form of government on earth.. It is granted that the apostles were rulers in the church, and that they speak of her pastors as those who were " over her in the Lord." What is meant is, that their authority is purely administrative; and in this distinction lies the whole essence of our controversy with the papal pretensions. The apostles were rulers in the church, they were not governors of the church; they did not legislate for the church, but merely administered the laws given by the " One Lawgiver;" they did not form so many foundations of the church, but were simply builders on the " one foundation," which was Jesus Christ. But if the idea of a delegated jurisdiction, imparted by our Lord to his apostles, and by them transmitted to their successors, is so pregnant with incongruities, it becomes positively ridiculous when imagined in the hands of the pope. The subdivision of the power among many, supposed in the one case, hides the absurdity of the claim; but it develops itself in all the hideousness of caricature when the claim is put forth in behalf of one man.. Perfect unity is the distinguishing prerogative of God, and in him it is the perfection of strength. With the creature it is the very reverse ; union, is strength, unity is weakness. To invest a human unit with the attributes and prerogatives of the Infinite One is the very perfection of human absurdity and impiety. And the pretence is all the more absurd and impious when we consider that it is, in the nature of things, impossible that the man can pcasess a single kingly attribute, or ex- ercise a single kingly prerogative, properly belonging to the Head. of
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