Churches of
God_," [620:1] but there is reason to believe that the latter are added
merely as a matter of prudence, and in testimony of their cordial
approval of the ecclesiastical verdict. The heresiarch had left no art
unemployed to acquire popularity, and it was necessary to shew that he
had lost the influence upon which he had been calculating. It is obvious
that the pastors and elders alone were permitted to _adjudicate_, for
why were they assembled from various quarters to uphold the doctrine and
discipline of the Church, if the people who were themselves tainted with
heresy or guilty of irregularity, had the liberty of voting? Under such
circumstances, the decision would have been substantially, not the
decree of the Church rulers, but of the multitude of the particular city
in which they happened to congregate.

The theory of some modern ecclesiastical historians, who hold that all
the early Christian congregations were originally independent, cannot
bear the ordeal of careful investigation. Whilst it directly conflicts
with the testimony of Jerome, who declares that the churches were at
first "governed by the _common council of the presbyters_," it is
otherwise destitute of evidence. As soon as the light of ecclesiastical
memorials begins to guide our path, we find everywhere presbyteries and
synods in existence. Congregationalism has no solid foundation either in
Scripture or antiquity. The eldership, the most ancient court of the
Church, commenced with the first preaching of the gospel; and in the
account of the meeting of the Twelve to induct the deacons into office,
we have the record of the first ordination performed by the laying on of
the hands of the presbytery of Jerusalem. A few years afterwards the
representatives of several Christian communities assembled in the holy
city and "ordained decrees" for the guidance of the Jewish and Gentile
Churches. The continuous development of the same form of ecclesiastical
regimen has now been illustrated. This polity was obviously based upon
the principle that "in the multitude of counsellors there is safety."
[621:1] At the meetings of the elders, information was multiplied, the
intellect was sharpened, the brethren were made better acquainted with
each other, and the Christian cause enjoyed the benefit of the decisions
of their collective wisdom. The members had been previously elected to
office by the voice of the people, so that the Church had pre-eminently
a