orrupted by antichrist: that
patronage flowed from the Pope's canon law, and is inconsistent with the
order prescribed in God's word. From various documents the assembly of
1736 declared it obvious, that from the Reformation it had been the
fixed principle of this church that no minister ought to be intruded
into any church contrary to the will of the congregation. They seriously
recommended a due regard hereunto in planting the vacancies, as
judicatories would study the glory of God, the honor of God, and the
edification of men. It is the law of heaven, however, the book of the
Lord, that here and everywhere we intend to build our faith upon.

That of Matthias is the first instance of an election of an officer in
the Christian Church. No doubt, then, it is marked in the sacred history
as a pattern for the ages to come. Being an officer extraordinary, his
call was in part immediately divine, by the determination of the lot.
Being a church officer, he was chosen by the Church as far as consistent
with his extraordinary office. The disciples about Jerusalem (120) were
gathered together. Peter represented the necessity of filling up Judas's
place in the apostolate with one who could be a meet witness of Jesus'
doctrines, miracles, death, and resurrection. The one hundred and twenty
disciples chose, appointed, or presented to whom they judged proper for
that work. The office being extraordinary, and perhaps the votes equal,
the decision which of these two was referred to the divine determination
of the lot. After prayer for a perfect _one_, it fell upon Matthias, and
he was, by suffrages, or votes, added to the number of the apostles.

Had the next election of a church officer entirely excluded the
Christian people, one had been tempted to suspect that Matthias's
extraordinary case was never designed for a pattern. Instead hereof, the
choice being of an ordinary officer, is entirely deposited in their
hands. Never were men better qualified for such an election than the
inspired, the spirit-discerning apostles; yet when restrained by
laborious attendance to their principal work, the ministry of the word
and of prayer, from sufficient leisure to distribute their multiplied
alms to their now numerous poor, and directed by the Holy Ghost, they
ordered the Christian people _to look out_, choose seven of their
number, _men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and of wisdom_,
who might be ordained to the office of deacons. Jud