20 A CHRISTIAN CHURCH. many of these officers, and of these solemn rites and actions, were designed by Christ to be continued in the following ordinary occasions of these churches when extraordinary gifts should cease; andhow many of these forms are to be practised in all succeeding ages. Most of the learned and inquisitive men who have written since, have greatly differed in their opinions of this matter, and left many things therein difficult, or dubious, after all their laborious comments. Let us enquire then what there is of all these things, that is certain and necessary in our age, and is not subject to this occasion of doubting which I have mentioned. 1. This seems certain by the light of nature and reason, that christian assemblies, as well as any others, in ordinary as well as extraordinary times, should have a teacher, to instruct the igno- rant in knowledge, and make known to the church the mind and will of God in his word : they should have an exhorter, to stir ttp the people to the practice of their duty ; a man of prayer, to address God in their public devotions ; an overseer, or bishop, to take charge of the flock, to inspect themanners of the people, and watchfor the good of their souls; a president, to be chairman in their assemblies, to keep up order there;. and a grave and skilful person fit to administer the rites and seals of the christian reli- gion. Now all thesecharacters, capacities, and talents, are often contained in one single person, who may be sufficient for a small church ; or, perhaps, in two or three persons for the supply of larger churches. 2. 1 think we may takeit alsofora certainty, that where God doth not interpose to point out the teachers, or overseers, in any christian church, by inspiration, there is no person or persons, either in the church or state, who have any rightful power, de- rived eitherfrom reasonor scripture, to imposea teacher, or over- seer, on any assembly of christians whatsoever, without their own consent; foi' it is they themselte`s must give an account for their own souls to God ; and therefore, they musthave a right to chute who shall teach and lead them in matters of religion. Con- science is too sacred a thing to be imposed upon by fallible men, and the soul is too valuable to have its concerns entrusted with anypersons, without our ownagreement. And though thechoice orconsent of the churches may not be so particularly mentioned inscripture, when elders or bishops were ordained among them, by persons who were inspired, yet reason itself supposes it ; and their extraordinary gifts from the Holy Spirit, proved and re- quired the duty of submission and consent in the people, even if they had not a hand in the first chusing of them. The great God could do them no wrong by appointing elders, or bishops, for them, in an immediate way, or by inspiration. But when extraordinary gifts ceased, we find many testimo- nies in the early writers, to the consent of the peoplein thechoice
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