it, they discharge an obligation incumbent upon them. The
Lord Jesus is King of saints.[190] Ruled by his laws, these, not merely
in their ecclesiastical, but also in their civil relations, do homage to
him. Under two aspects in their social capacity they appear. _First_, in
subjection to Him as King of Zion. United to Christ their spiritual
Head, and to one another in him, they are members of one glorious body.
And being members of his Church--which he has distinguished by the
ministry of reconciliation, by his oracles, and by special ordinances,
they are under Him, as its sole Head, and Lawgiver, and Governor, and
King. As one community, in their faith, their worship, their discipline,
their government, and communion, they are under his authority. Judges,
and magistrates, and kings, having power in civil society, are
recognised with divine approbation. But there is no human head of the
Church. There are who rule therein; but over his house, He alone is Head
and King. In civil life, there are who sway the sceptre among men. He,
the King of kings, and Lord of lords, rules over these. But in his house
there is none other than Himself, who is Lord or King. He is the head of
the body, the Church: who is the beginning, the first-born from the
dead; that in all things (or rather, _among all_) he might have the
pre-eminence.[191] The apostles of our Lord were among those who, in the
council held at Jerusalem several years after his ascension, acted as
rulers in his Church by enacting a law which applied to the Christians
at Antioch and elsewhere. And applicable to their conduct on such an
occasion, and to that of all others exercising authority in the Church
of God, were his words addressed to them before his death,--"Be ye not
called Rabbi: for one is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are
brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your
Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called masters: for one is
your Master, even Christ."[192] The jurisdiction of the rulers in the
Church is distinct from that of civil rulers. The powers of the former
are spiritual, and with these powers the latter have no right to
interfere. Each class of rulers have a sphere of their own; and only at
their peril do those of the one class invade the authority of the other.
By men the laws of a nation may be altered without being made
contradictory to one another, or to oppose the law of God. But the laws
of the Church were enac