by, let the first hold his peace. (31) For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all may be comforted." The meaning of this passage is evident: Paul supposes it to be possible that in the meetings of the churches all the believers might be so injudicious as to use one gift which would be intelligible only to themselves, but wholly unintelligible to "the unlearned or unbelievers (ver. 23). This possible mistake he corrects by recommending that only two or three should speak in an unknown tongue (27), but at the same time he mentions, with manifest approbation, the possible fact of all prophesying (ver. 24), nay, he plainly says, that "all might prophesy one by one, that all might learn, and all be comforted" (ver. 31); and whilst he says this, he never alludes to the existence of any official pastor, ordained minister, or clergyman in the Corinthian church; his thoughts never go that way at all; he does not, as is the custom now, address his remarks as a matter of course to "the minister," meaning thereby either the parish priest or the popularly-elected preacher, but he obviously directs his precepts to the whole Corinthian church, as the ministering body. He expects that gifts should be visible in the body, the gifts of knowledge, wisdom, faith, teaching, help, government, evangelizing, and the rest; and he expects that the appointment to those gifts must be by the Holy Spirit, that same Spirit by which, as he tells us in introducing the subject, every believer has been enabled to say that Jesus is the Lord (1 Cor. xii. 3). And indeed it is well worthy of observation that Paul, in writing to the Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, Galatians, Thessalonians, Philippians, and Colossians, never directs his letters to "the minister," he never even names such an individual; and this fact alone, if duly weighed, would go far to settle the question of an “ordained ministry," wherever there is a disposition implicitly to believe and obey the word of God.

In concluding the precepts concerning church order to the Corinthians, Paul says, "Let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto THEM to speak" (xiv. 34). Now, it would have been impossible for Paul to have written this sentence if he had been acquainted with the phenomenon of a regular ordained ministry; for taking his words either as they stand by themselves, or in connection with the preceding matter, it is quite apparent that he supposes all the men in the Corinthian church might speak if they had received the gift, not that it was incumbent on them all so to do, but that any one was permitted if he had the gift. Women were the precluded class: there the line was drawn. Silence is enjoined to them, and to them only, and this most abundantly proves that the whole church, with the exception of the women, was deemed in those days to be in a capacity “to teach all and to comfort all."

Are we then to follow the Scriptures in these matters? Are we to test “churches." as they are called, by the precepts and arrangements which we find in the Scriptures? If so, let us test “the

churches" by these sayings, and let us see how with any intelligible meaning, the following words could be addressed to the meetings in the parish church, or in a chapel of Dissenters:- Brethren, when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine: to one is given wisdom, to another knowledge, to another faith; some of you are evangelists, some teachers, some pastors, some rulers, some helps; but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every one of you severally as he will; for the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every one to profit withal; but let your women keep silence in the churches, for it is not permitted unto them to speak. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God: if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God: if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth.'

Here is a language of hieroglyphs to the sects; it relates to facts of which they have no cognizance, and to an order of things of which they have lost all remembrance; and yet this is the language and these the records of the New Testament.

There are, however, two other chapters in the New Testament in which the subject is fully stated. To the Romans Paul writes, "Through the grace given unto me, I say to every man that is among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith; for, as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness" (xii.). Here Paul enumerates some of the gifts, prophecy, ministry, teaching, exhorting, giving, ruling, shewing mercy; now whatever may be our opinion about the accurate meaning of all these gifts enumerated, this is certain, that ministry, exhortation, teaching, and ruling-four offices, which in these days are always assigned to one person, and which are always deemed to be the peculiar prerogatives or duties of "the minister"- -are declared by Paul to be gifts "differing according to the grace received," and distributable amongst many or all the members of the church, but by no means to one "minister" or clergyman. Moreover, Paul's precepts and admonitions cannot the least be understood without perceiving this, for his remarks are to this effect:- Do not any of you in the church which is sojourning in Rome be elated with your gifts; for if you have any gift, ministry, teaching, exhortation, prophecy, or power of government, understand that it is a donation of grace, a manifestation of the Spirit dividing to every man severally as he will.

You are but members of one body; the members have each their proper office assigned to them, and when each member performs its functions, the whole body is in harmonious and healthy vitality.'

This being the same subject as that which Paul handles in his epistle to the Corinthians, it is interesting to notice that on both occasions he enforces his thoughts by a similar illustration-that the subject, as it were of necessity, leads him to refer to the body and the members for an intelligible and convincing similitude. Again, in his epistle to the Ephesians, we find the same statements: "There is one body, and one Spirit.... but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. Wherefore, he saith, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.... And he gave some, apostles; and some prophets;... and some, pastors and teachers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, that we may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love" (iv. 4-16).

.....

In this portion then of the Scripture we have again the same subject and the same illustration-the Spirit divides to all as he chooses-or the church is in a capacity to receive any gifts-any believer may help in service in the church, or perhaps all may help. This is the body, and this the case of the members. Moreover, it deserves particular attention that "the growing up into the perfect man," and "the increase of the body," is presumed by Paul to be both possible and probable when God's order prevails. He brings forward these things to shew the end and object of such an arrangement; if, therefore, we find professing Christians deliberately rejecting God's order, and setting up a ministry of the flesh instead, can we be surprised if there is not visible amongst them any "growing up into a perfect man," and that "the increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love," is a mystery with which they are practically unacquainted?

And now, then, compare all this doctrine of Scripture with the practices everywhere prevalent. In these days we hear clergymen asserting that they hold an office which makes them a class distinct from the body of believers; that they by their ordination have the exclusive prerogative of evangelist, pastor, teacher, and ruler amongst the saints, and that "the laity" cannot, without great irregularity, nay, not without sin, interfere in functions set apart for the clerical order. In church and chapel we hear this either openly asserted or tacitly implied, according to the degree of clerical feeling which prevails with those who hold ecclesiastical office; and it would be easy to shew that these sentiments are as broadly stated