Pope, a Patriarch, a bench of Bishops, or a General Affembly of clergymen, is but a poor subftitute for this. Even voluntary affociations to regulate the order of churches in a certain diftri&t are unfcriptural. One church may advise another as well as an individual may advise an individual, but any attempt to influence by authority the order of any church, is a departure from Scripture, and never can be attended with good effects.

It may be alleged, that if a church has not fome body of men to controul it, they will be apt to act improperly and partially. All men are liable to err, and every church needs the conftant care of the great Shepherd. But this care he ever exercises. He has promised to be in the midst of them when met in his name. If we view a church merely like other focieties, they may be confidered to be equally prone to err, and we may imagine it might be an advantage to have unprejudiced perfons to appeal to; but as God promised to Ifrael of old a special superintendance, fo has Jefus to his churches. It was never intended that they should go on without it, and this is calculated to keep up a spirit of dependence on himself, without which no church can profper.We have thus traced from Scripture the conftitution of the apoftolic churches. This is fo plainly delineated in the word of God, that many of the best informed men in churches of an oppo

freely admitting the view which has been here given.

We may learn, from what has been faid, the nature of a true church of Christ, respecting which there have been many disputes. It is a fociety formed for the fame purpose as the churches planted by the apostles, and whose constitution is the fame with theirs. Deviation from these renders a fociety unworthy of the name. The gospel may be preached, and fome other ordinances administered, as baptism and the Lord's fupper, and ftill a religious affembly where this takes place, and in which there may be many Christians, may not be a church of Chrift.

Fellowship-meetings, which have long existed in this country, more nearly resemble churches of Christ than many great bodies which have affumed the name. These are voluntary affociations for mutual edification. They are compofed only of fuch as appear to one another to be faints. A certain discipline is maintained in them, and they only need to observe other ordinances to render them complete. It is worthy of observation, that the members of many fuch meetings would on no account admit to this private fellowship the great body of those whom they avouch to be brethren, by joining with them in fhewing forth the Lord's death.

We may here observe how much the Lord has countenanced what came nearest his own ordinance. Perhaps the edification of Christians has

been more promoted by these meetings, than by any other means which thofe connected with them have enjoyed; and the comfort which believers have there enjoyed, in fellowship together, has prepared the minds of many for coming out of unfcriptural churches. It is not to be wondered at, that from the beginning they have been regarded by these churches with a jealous eye. This was the cafe even in an early and a comparatively pure period of the church of Scotland.

During their want of faithful minifters, many ferious people,' fays Mr Brown, in Scotland and Ireland, had met together on Sabbaths and other occafions for prayer and fpiritual conference. Some, before they were driven from Ireland, had been a little infected with Brownifm from England, and had inclined to join the Independents in New-England. These brought along with them some of their fingularities, which were overlooked on account of their remarkable piety, till an appearance thereof happened in the charge of Henry Guthry of Stirling, afterward worthless bishop of Dunkeld. The laird of Lecky, a man remarkable for knowledge and ferious godliness, and who had been a distinguished sufferer under the late bishops, much encouraged fellowshipmeetings for prayer and Christian conference. Several of his neighbours, who could not read themselves, or who thought his manner more edifying than their own, attended his family

alleged, that in prayer he used fome expreffions not duly honourable to Guthry his minifter. Guthry immediately profecuted Lecky before his prefbytery, and got fellowship-meetings condemned as prejudicial to the standing office of the miniftry, and got the magiftrates to extirpate them from the place. Not fatisfied with this, he laboured to have them utterly abolished from the nation; and by collecting and exaggerating reports of their imprudencies, he drew Mr Henderfon and Mr Calderwood, who had seen the Brownistical disorders in Holland, and fome other lead

ing clergymen, to his fide. In the Affembly 1638, he had attempted to foift in a complaint against these meetings. But Meffrs J. Livingston, S. Rutherfoord, and D. Dickson, and others, unwilling that many serious faints fhould be publicly difcredited for the imprudence of a few, got the affair kept from any public hearing; and it was agreed that Guthry should preach up the duty of family-worship, upon which he said these meetings encroached, and that the eminently pious Meffrs Blair, Livingston, and M'Lellan, who befriended such societies, should preach against nightmeetings, and the abuses complained of. Their foft and Chriftian methods of correcting or preventing fuch abufes not pleafing Guthry, who hated to fee or hear of any others more ferious than himself, he continued to exclaim against thefe meetings in general. To quench this flame

upon the one fide, and Dickfon and Blair upon the other, held a folemn conference on the point. Henderson drew up a paper of regulations or caveats for fuch meetings, bearing, That the members fhould be few, and fuch as were proper to meet together; that the meetings fhould not interfere with public or family-worship, or relative duties, nor be held in the night; that they fhould be occafional, and no wife tending to feparate the members from the rest of the congregation; that no impertinent questions, nor uncharitable judging of others fhould be allowed in them; that if any members in them had any objection against the common form of public worfhip, (as bowing in the pulpit, and finging the Gloria Patri), they fhould difcreetly lay them before the perfons concerned; and finally, that all things relative to them fhould be conducted with holiness, prudence, humility, and charity. This gave general fatisfaction. But Guthry and his affiftants, pretending that caveats brought in bishops, pushed the matter into this northern affembly, in which they expected their friends to be ftrongeft. Guthry poured forth torrents of accufation against the abfent Lecky, and the fociety meetings. Simfon of Bathgate feconded him; and in the most outrageous manner upbraided Rutherfoord, Livingston, and M'Lellan, as encouragers of them. Supported by the Earl of Seaforth, and many of the northern clergy,