Part 17 (2/2)

_Ans_. 1. It is easier said than proved, that the Jews were so generally skilled in the Hebrew tongue, when, while they were scattered in Media and Parthia, and other places, they had no universities or schools of learning. Besides, it is not to be forgotten, that the proper language or dialect in those days in use among the Jews was Syriac; as appears by divers instances of Syriac words in the New Testament, as of the Jews'

own terms: Acts i. 19, which ”in their proper tongue, is called Aceldama;” John xix. 13. 17, _Gabbatha, Golgotha_, &c.; Mark xv. 34, _Eloi, Eloi, lama-sabachthani_; with divers other pure Syriac terms.

Grant they did; yet,

2. There were in Jerusalem proselytes also, Romans, Cappadocians, Cretians, and Arabians, Acts ii. 10, 11; how could they be edified in the faith, if only one congregation, where nothing but Hebrew was spoken, met in Jerusalem; if so be there were not other congregations for men of other languages, that understood not the Hebrew tongue?

IV. From the manner of Christians' public meetings in those primitive times, both in the church of Jerusalem and in other churches. It is plain that the mult.i.tudes of Christians in Jerusalem, and other churches, could not possibly meet all together in one single congregation, inasmuch as they had no public temples, or capacious places for wors.h.i.+p and partaking of all ordinances, (as we now have,) but private places, _houses, chambers_, or _upper rooms_, (as the unsettled state of the Church and troublesomeness of those times would permit,) which in all probability were of no great extent, nor any way able to contain in them so many thousand believers at once, as there were: ”They met from house to house, to break bread,” Acts ii. 46. ”In an upper room the apostles with the women and brethren continued in prayer and supplication,” Acts i. 12-14. We read of their meetings in the _house of Mary_, Acts xii. 12. In the school _of one Tyrannus_, Acts xix. 9. In an _upper chamber at Troas_, Acts xx. 8. In _Paul's own hired house_ at Rome, Acts xxviii. 30, 31. In the _house of Aquila and Priscilla_, where the church met, therefore called the _church in his house_, Rom. xvi. 5; 1 Cor. xvi. 19. In the _house of Nimphas_, Col. iv.

15, and in the _house of Archippus_, Philem. 2. This was their manner of public meetings in the apostles' times: which also continued in the next ages, as saith Eusebius,[111] till, by indulgence of succeeding emperors, they had large churches, houses of public meeting erected for them.

To sum up all: 1. There were in the church at Jerusalem greater numbers of believers than could possibly meet at once to partake of all Christ's ordinances. 2. There were more church officers than one single congregation could need, or than could be fully employed therein, unless we will say, that they preached but seldom. 3. There was such diversity of languages among them, that they must needs rank themselves into several congregations, according to their languages, else he that spoke in one language to hearers of many several languages, would be a barbarian to them, and they to him. 4. Finally, their places of ordinary meeting were private, of small extent, incapable of containing so many thousands at once as there were believers; and by all these, how evident is it, that there must needs be granted that there were more congregations than one in this one church of Jerusalem!

II. The church of Antioch, in Syria, consisted also of more congregations than one. This appears,

1. From the mult.i.tude of believers at Antioch. For, 1. After the dispersion upon Saul's persecution, _the Lord Jesus was preached at Antioch, and a great number believed_, &c., Acts xi. 21. 2. Upon _Barnabas's_ preaching there, _much people was added to the Lord_, Acts xi. 24. 3. _Barnabas_ and _Saul_ for a year together taught much people there, and disciples there so mightily multiplied, that there Christ's disciples first received the eminent and famous denomination of CHRISTIANS, and so were and still are called throughout the whole world, Acts xi. 25, 26.

2. From the mult.i.tudes of prophets and preachers that ministered at Antioch. For, 1. Upon the dispersion of the Jews at Jerusalem, _divers of them (being men of Cyprus and Cyrene) preached the Lord Jesus at Antioch_, Acts xi. 20; here must be three or four preachers at least, otherwise they would not be _men of Cyprus and Cyrene_. 2. After this _Barnabas_ was sent to preach at Antioch; there is a fifth, Acts xi.

22-24. 3. _Barnabas_ finds so much work at _Antioch_, that he goes to Tarsus to bring _Saul_ thither to help him; there is a sixth, ver. 25, 26. 4. Besides these, _there came prophets from Jerusalem to Antioch in those days_; there are at least two more, viz. eight in all, Acts xi.

27, 28. 4. Further, besides _Barnabas_ and _Saul_, three more teachers are named, viz. _Simon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen_, Acts xii. 1-3. 6. Yea, ”Paul and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also,” Acts xv. 35. Now sum up all, what a mult.i.tude of believers, and what a college of preachers were here at Antioch! How is it possible that all these preachers should bustle themselves about one congregation (and doubtless they abhorred idleness) in dispensing the ordinances of Christ to them only? or how could so many members meet in one single congregation at once, ordinarily to partake of all ordinances?

III. The church of Ephesus (_in Asia Minor_, Acts xix. 22) had in it more congregations than one: For,

1. The number of prophets and preachers at Ephesus were many. _Paul_ continued there _two years and three months_, Acts xix. 8, 10; and _Paul_ settled there about twelve _disciples who prophesied_, Acts xix.

1, 6, 7. And how should these thirteen ministers be employed, if there were not many congregations? Compare also Acts xx. 17, 28, 36, 37, where it is said of the bishops of Ephesus, that ”Paul kneeled down and prayed with them all, and they all wept sore.” Here is a good number implied.

2. The gift of tongues also was given unto all these twelve prophets, Acts xix. 6, 7. To what end, if they had not several congregations of several languages, to speak in these several tongues unto them?

3. The mult.i.tude of believers must needs be great at Ephesus: For, 1.

Why should _Paul_, who had universal commission to plant churches in all the world, stay _above two years together_ at Ephesus if no more had been converted there than to make up one single congregation? Acts xix.

8, 10. 2. During this s.p.a.ce, ”all that dwelt in Asia,” usually meeting at Ephesus for wors.h.i.+p, ”heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks,” Acts xix. 10. 3. At the knowledge of _Paul's_ miracles, ”fear fell upon all the Jews and Greeks dwelling at Ephesus, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified,” Acts xix. 17. 4. _Many_ of the believers _came and confessed, and showed their deeds_, ver. 18, whereby is intimated that more did believe than did thus. 5. ”Many also of them that used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men, and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver,” (this they would never have done publicly if the major part, or at least a very great and considerable part of the city, had not embraced the faith, that city being so furiously zealous in their superst.i.tion and idolatry,) ”so mightily grew the word of G.o.d, and prevailed,” Acts xix. 19, 20. 6. _Paul_ testifies that at Ephesus _a great door and effectual was open unto him_, viz. a most advantageous opportunity of bringing in a mighty harvest of souls to Christ, 1 Cor.

xvi. 8, 9. Put all together, 1. The number of prophets and preachers; 2.

The gifts of tongues conferred upon those prophets; and, 3. The mult.i.tude of believers which so abounded at Ephesus: how is it possible to imagine, upon any solid ground, that there was no more but one single congregation in the church of Ephesus?

IV. The church of Corinth in Graecia comprised in it also more congregations than one, as may be justly concluded from, 1. The mult.i.tude of believers. 2. The plenty of ministers. 3. The diversity of tongues and languages. 4. And the plurality of churches at Corinth. Let all these be well compared together.

1. From the mult.i.tude of believers. There appears to be a greater number of believers at Corinth than could all at once meet together to partake of all the ordinances of Christ: For, 1. At Paul's first coming to Corinth, and at his first sermon preached in the house of Justus, it is said, ”And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord, and all his house, and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed and were baptized,” Acts xviii. 1, 7, 8. Here is Crispus and all his house, (which probably was very great, he being the chief ruler of the synagogue,) and _many of the Corinthians, believing_; an excellent first-fruits; for who can justly say but Paul at his first sermon converted so many as might be sufficient to make up one single congregation? 2. Immediately after this (Paul having shook his raiment against the Jews, who, contrary to his doctrine, opposed themselves and blasphemed; and having said unto them, ”Your blood be upon your own heads, I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles,” Acts xviii. 6) the Lord comforts Paul against the obstinacy of the Jews by the success his ministry should have among the Gentiles in the city of Corinth: ”Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vision, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace: for I am with thee, and no man shall set on thee to hurt thee: for I have much people in this city,” Acts xviii. 9, 10. _Much people_ belonging to G.o.d, according to his secret predestination, over and besides those that already were actually his by effectual vocation. And _much people_, in respect of the Jews that opposed and blasphemed, (who were exceeding many,) otherwise it would have been but small comfort to Paul if by _much people_ should be meant no more than could meet at once in one small single congregation. 3. Paul himself continued at Corinth ”a year and six months teaching the word of G.o.d among them,” Acts xviii. 11. To what end should Paul the apostle of the Gentiles stay so long in one place, if he had not seen the Lord's blessing upon his ministry, to bring into the faith many more souls than would make up one congregation, having so much work to do far and near? 4. ”They that believed at Corinth were baptized,” Acts xviii. 8. (Baptism admitted them into that one body of the Church, 1 Cor. xii. 13.) Some were baptized by Paul, (though but few in comparison of the number of believers among them: compare Acts xviii.

8, with 1 Cor. 14-17,) the generality consequently were baptized by other ministers there, and that in other congregations wherein Paul preached not, as well as in such wherein Paul preached; it being unreasonable to deny the being of divers congregations for the word and sacraments to be dispensed in, himself dispensing the sacrament of baptism to so few.

2. From the plenty of ministers and preachers in the church of Corinth, it is evident it was a presbyterial church, and not only a single congregation; for to what end should there be many laborers in a little harvest, many teachers over one single congregation? &c. That there were many preachers at Corinth is plain: For, 1. Paul himself was the master-builder there that laid the foundation of that church, 1 Cor.

iii. 10, their spiritual father; ”In Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel,” 1 Cor. iv. 15. And he stayed with them _one year and a half_, Acts xviii. II. 2. While the apostle sharply taxeth them as guilty of schism and division for their carnal crying up of their several teachers: some doting upon one, some upon another, some upon a third, &c. ”Every one of you saith, I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas, and I of Christ,” 1 Cor. i. 12. Doth not this intimate that they had plenty of preachers, and these preachers had their several followers, so prizing some of them as to undervalue the rest? and was this likely to be without several congregations into which they were divided? 3. When the apostle saith, ”Though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers,” 1 Cor. v. 15; though his words be hyperbolical, yet they imply that they had great store of teachers and preachers. 4. We have mention of many prophets in the church of Corinth: ”Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge--And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets,” 1 Cor. xiv. 20, 31. Here are _prophets_ speaking _two or three_; and prophets judging of their doctrine, which sure were more than they that were judged; it being unreasonable for the minor part to pa.s.s judgement upon the major part. And though these prophets had extraordinary gifts, (as the church of Corinth excelled all other churches in gifts, 1 Cor. i. 7,) and were able to preach in an extraordinary singular way; yet were they the ordinary pastors and ministers of that church of Corinth, as the whole current of this fourteenth chapter evidenceth, wherein so many rules and directions, aptly agreeing to ordinary pastors, are imposed upon them for the well ordering of their ministerial exercises. Now, where there were so many pastors, were there not several congregations for them to feed? Or were they idle, neglecting the exercise and improvement of their talents?

3. From the diversity of tongues and languages, wherein the church did eminently excel. ”In every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge--So that you come behind in no gift,”

&c., i.e., ye excel in every gift, more being intended than is expressed, 1 Cor. i. 5, 7. Among other gifts some of them excelled in tongues which they spake, the right use of which gift of tongues the apostle doth at large lay down, 1 Cor. xiv. 2, 4-6, 13, 14, 18, 19, 23, 26, 27. ”If any speak in _an unknown_ tongue let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course, and let one interpret.” So that there were many endued with gifts of tongues in that church. To what end? Not only for a _sign to unbelievers_, ver. 22, but also for edification of divers congregations, of divers tongues and languages within that church of Corinth.

4. From the plurality of churches mentioned in reference to this church of Corinth. For the apostle regulating their public a.s.semblies and their wors.h.i.+p there, saith to the church of Corinth, ”Let your women keep silence in the churches.” It is not said, in the _church_, in the singular number; but in the _churches_, in the plural; and this of the _churches in Corinth_, for it is said, _Let your women_, &c., not indefinitely, _Let women_, &c. So that according to the plain letter of the words, here are churches in the church of Corinth, viz. a plurality of single congregations in this one presbyterial church. And this plurality of churches in the church of Corinth is the more confirmed if we take the church of Cenchrea (which is a harbor or seaport to Corinth) to be comprised within the church of Corinth, as some learned authors do conceive it may.[112]

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