Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1868 edition. Excerpt: ...officers to do it. Now, this power can only be exercised by a church " gathered together in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ with the power of the Lord Jesus Christ," as conferred in Matt, xviii. 18, 20. Paul directed the church at Rome, the church at Corinth, and the church of the Thessalonians, to exercise this power, and inasmuch as he did not exercise it in behalf of the Galatian churches, but only said, "I would they were even cut off who trouble you,"f it is a fair inference that he exercised it only where there was no church, when it was necessary for the good of the cause. 2 Thess. iii. 6, 14.-f Gal. T. 12. Not only is the power to receive members who may be qualified, and to excommunicate the disorderly, to be exercised by the membership, but also the power to forgive and restore to fellowship the erring and fallen brethren who give evidence of repentance. It is evident, also, from Matt, xviii. 17-20, and from 1 Cor. vi. chap., that a church is to be, and is, the final judge and highest authority recognized on earth in all personal difficulties between its members. In these, and other instances, the instructions and commands given, necessarily imply, that the several churches to which they were addressed, were Independent; for to no other could they have been applied; in no other could they have been executed. Nor can they now be executed in any other. It will not be a sufficient answer to this, to say that the apostolic discipline may be executed in spirit and substance, though not by those apostolically appointed. The thing must not only be done, but done as commanded. The command must not only be obeyed in its primary object, but in the appointed manner, by the divinely appointed agents. Here we have not...
