Star.
London, England, 1808-08-11 00:00:00

wader

htily.
Our translators, by the help of a large supplement, have con-
verted these women 15510 the deems' whoa! kis true, indeed, .
that the ward here employed may (according to the exigency of
the place where it occurs) be either rendered swarm or wives, but
not their wives s and if they had•looked farther in this epistle they
would hare seen that not tallti but widows are the subject of the
passage. The Apostle is there giving directions respecting the cha-
racter of those who were to be appointed to offices, and tells Ti-
mor (IT (v. 2) "A bishop must be blameless" Ste. and, having
finished what he had to say of the bishops, be proceeds (v. 8)
u Deacons likewise [or in like evansier—essawrog-1. e. in like man='
tier as the bishops—mast be] grave" &c. and must be tried or pro•
red as to the required qualifications ;—and dim be adds (v. 11)
el Women. iiirteirr, grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all
things"—that is p—in ilk manner the women mat le proved to k
grave, &e. for the adverb OfdIVT&C [in like manner] occurs both
Ott tine Bth and in the 11th verse, and in the original exactly the
Aura consuructlon is followed in both ; so that it comes to the
vasse &Lasts if he bad said in the latter verse " the women ap-
pointed to this office, or the female deacon‘, must in like Manner
love their character. proved." •
•

he it:combined nteli 'airs, bat 'Nei that the
election of these deacons belonged to the body of the
congregation ; for " the saying pleased THE WHOLE
MITLTITODE, and THEY chose" the seven that were see apart
to this 4fice, by prayer and the laying on of the hands of the
:#lpoitles.
As the Deacons 'were bound to attend to this parti-
cular business, the Widows or Deaconesses had other
services of mercy to perform, in which it would have
been neither proper nor delicate to employ the men; or
even the younger widows. Of this an instance.is
corded in the 9th chapter 4 the Acts of the Apostles.
A. 'certain female disciple had died at Joppa, als4
Peru being then at Lydda, a plate hi the neighbour-
hood of * forme!, the disciples sent -two men to beg
he would make haste; to come to them. " When he
was come, they brought bier into the upper chamber (where
the body lay) : end ALL TUX WIDOWS ifood by him weep-
ing, and :hewing At coats and gerMentt which DORtAE
wrack while she was with them." That the 111;101U1 at-
tended this woman in her sickness, and washed and
laid her in the upper chamber after her death ; and,
that the particular mention here made of them is not
easnal, is plain from the narrative ; for It was not the
widow: but the sueciplet generally. at Joppa that sent
for rETER ; aid Parzapas them asskiveh I not may tile
disciples but the widows, and burled down and prayed,
and the woman was restored to life. It is true, only the
suidow;
,are particularly named in part of the narra-
tive ; but this is the very circumstance that proves the
natureof their office.—ln one part it is stated that the
widows stood by Peter welting, without notice of the
presence of any other, but it is expressly stated that it
was not the widows, but others. that brought him into
the upper chamber, and therefore the " ail" that were
put out of the room includes others besides these wo-
men. Indeed every doubt on this point is removed by
the subsequent part of the narrative, where those that
were pet forth are called in again, namely, " the saint:
and widows," to whom he presented her alive. It
follows then that the widows are here distinguished
from the other taints, on account of their office,
tough, as believers; they might be considered as in-
.clnded in the other appellation " saiate"—exactly in
the same manner as the Overseers and Deacons are
mentioned along with the saints at Philippi, though
making part of their number.
§ VI. Of the Independence of the Cltru; ts!aa Cosgrega-
lion:, established by the Apouks.
In the observations which I have offered respecting
the office-bearers appointed by the Apostles for the
government of Christian Congregations, I have en-
deavoured to be as brief as the nature of the subject
would admit. The sum of the whole amounts to this :
No Presbyter or Bishop was all Swed to superintend
more than one congregation—on the contrary, every
congregation had a plurality of them; nor is it pos-
sible in the nature of things that one shepherd can'
tend two flocks in different places. The office of
Presbyter or Elder, and Overseer or Bishop, is one
and the same office—of course any idea of inequality
between the two terms is an absurdity. Deacons were
also appointed, male and female. No other office is
mentioned in the Scriptures as belonging to the Apos-
tolic Churches, nor can the Churches of CHRIST (what-
ever others may do) admit of any, except these two.
Every congregation elected its awn Bishops and
Deacons from among its own members ; and in
this election every member not only had a voice, but '
the suffrages were unanimous !—a most convincing
proof that the churches of CHRIST are under his owti
guidance ; for in worldly churches or societies of any'
kind, the thing would be 'impossible.—And as every
congregation elected its own office-bearers, and ma-
naged its own affairs, without any foreign interference
whatever, it was consequently complete in itself, and
perfectly independent.
But, though the congregations, not only in diffe-
rent countries, but in the same district, like the foun-
tains and streams which watered the lands they inhabit-
ed, were independent of each other, and not permit-
ted to call any man MASTER, as having a right to
legislate for them, they were not allowed to legislate
for themselves. Yet were they not without law,
but ureter law to CHRIST, their Law-giver ; and
having one common master, they had fellowship with
each other, as members of the same household of
faith, and children of the same FATHIRst--411,appella-
tion which, as implying a rightnacosayanh they were
commanded to give to no man upon earth, but only
to their commonXATtiwt h liegven,(l4at. z3izi.Br 9),
Every congregation had: all power within itself; it
elected its own eldersand deacons, and the whole mem-

bers gave their judgment, in all cases of public disci•
pline, (2 Cor. ii. 6,7)—a judgment from which there
was no appeal, and which was sere to be righteous,
while they adhered to the law of their MASTER, the only
one allowed to be consulted amoag them. Acting
under this authority, they had, the assurance,: of the
supreme law-giver, that whatsoever they rhoteld lived on
earth would be bound in Heaven, and wlsettsoroer tkeyshould
loose on earth would be loosed in Helium (Mat 10).
This'complete and perfeetindependertmof all and
each of the Christian congregagont in the manage-
ment of their own concerns, so far from:being calcu-
lated to produce turbulencein the different assemblie:s,
and to beget a spirit of democracy dangerous to the
power and prerogatives of the civil magistrate, as
some impious men 'have more than insinuated, was
in fact the means appointed by infinite wisdom to• pre-
vent both ; and had magistrates wisely obliged drenk
to remaitt intlepcitOnt of sack othara no duirthrnan

would eiiiiiiii).l4lTrZinhe..-1111;aiciiit his foot
on tho,neck of KingPs, iettulg up his own authority
atibie thai*the Sovereign orthe earth. This truth
NOT be Atu'sted inibe course of these disser-
tations; pitOtrato,iy to iirhtei. it may not be improper
to offer' a. fear observations respecting the manner in
which die 4tiettinp of Christian congr,egations were
condutted, ifl thir affiiri in general managed-
for only by a right understandirig. of this, can a cor-
rect opinion be forintd of 4le evast,hat. resulted to
the Christian prOfession; aiiti io &Oise, Setnies ii4tat-
Ortes' which cathe:witilin iii*fltieSice, by 4,eriiii9a4
from the peiniltivepraidie: and by the introduction
of worldly policy and other laws than the 'so'le head
of the church had xp bbfCekl for its government.--:
TO•this dirtitethbiest Section.

.ASSIZES.

staiLdea

MAIDS'rO/4/4 lettlf,AtiGt/ST st
The LORD Com ANTICS and the CHIP.P BAaoof
the. EXCHMUHR- opened the Commission for
the Assizes of this county last night.. This morning,
iffier Church, they proceeded to business. The Lord
Chief Justice sat on the Civil Side, and the Chief Da-
ton, on the Crown Side.
2' CIVIL SIDE.e.—BANPHILD e. M.itearv.
This was as action to recover a censation id
damages for the seduction of the Mai. daughter.
The Plaintiff was a ship master at Peversham, in this
county, and the Defendant a Captain in the. West
York Militia.
Mr. Serjeant Snr.rinten addressed the,Serpon be.
half of the Plaintiff, and having made many. obsers
!rations on the nature and consequences oldie Defen-
dant's offence, observed that it was much aggravated
111 the circumstance of his being a married man at
the time it took place. The plaintiff he represented
as a respectable man, but of circumstances net equal
to the defendant, who was a gentleman Of fortune,
and a Captain in the Militia. He was reriii-eti into
the house of the plaintiff as a lodger, and then avail- •
ing himself-of the access which his situation enabled
him to have to the unfortunate girl, he had succeed--
ed in persuading her to abandon' the best ornament
of woman, and to yield to -his soliettAtiolb In the
event she proved with child, and the father now
sought compensation, not merely-for the expence he
had keen put to, bat also for the distress of mind and
anxiety he had suffered on pcoasion Qf the misconduct
of a child who bad 'been seduced froin the paths of
virtue by the artifices of the Defendant.
Elizabeth- Baafield stated, that she lived at-home
with her father at Feversham, who was a ship mis-
ter. The Defendant was an Officer in the West York
Militia. He came to lodge at 'their hOuse. Her fa-
ther was a great deal from hbate, and her mother bud
the management of the house. Shortly after the,De-
fendant came to the house, he began to .be particular
in his attentions to her, and ultimately succeeded in
seducing her, about six weeks after lie was in the
house—the consequence was, that she became preg-
nant, and was delivered, of a child; which was still
living, and had been maintained at the expence of ,
her father. On cross examination, she admitted, that
she had occasionally taken her meals with the Captain
in his room, and that her mother knew of it. She
once complained to her mother of his behaving rude
to her, but she was afterwards permitted to go to his
room.
Mr. Serjeant ()MOW addressed the Jury for the
defendant, and insi ted that the-plaintiff was not en-
titled to any exemplary damages, inasmuch as ,the:
mother, who .ought to have guarded the purity of her.
daughter, conducted herself in so negligent a manner
that she afforded every facility to the defineant to
gratify any irregular passions- he might cherish.
William Shan, a private-in the West York Militia,
stated, that he was bat man to Captain Massey at the
time heTrred in the plaintiff's housethat he sit*:
familiarities between the Captain and the daughter.
the very first day he went to the plaintiff's latrine,
and that. after he had been there a few days, therra.p.
tan went to Doncaster on leave of absence, and whets
it was announced that he wasabouttoriter6 the
tiff's daughter seemed qaitevverjoyed.' • Aftethii•re-
turn, Eliza often dined. and supped in
.the Captain's'
room, and the mother frequently diesied the: dine=
which the Captain had provided. He; the witness,
was often sent to let her know IBit:dinner was ready,
and from all that passed, he had;. ,n 4
the mother knew of the intercourse-beerier% titenEZ-:
the also stated, that he once saw the-pinintitPs danft-'
ler nursing a neighbour's child—the tyitness jocu-
larly observed to her, that she had better have one, of,,
her own. She replied, that perhaps she might have
had one. He said he would not believe it. -7She staid
it was true, for she had had one. The .witnest siid,
he laughed at her, and went away. He mentioned
the story to her mother, and she said it was very true,
for Eliza had had a d ad by an Officer in the -West
Middlesex, and that a sea officer, who was about to
marry her, hearing of the story, had refused-her in
consequence of it.
The defendant's servant also gave evidence-lof a
free intercourse between the plaintiff's daughteeand
the defendant, and said-he thought the' mother mist,
have 'known it.
. ,g.•
• Mr. Serjeant Suzettitatamaile a very azinnated re.
,ply, in which he deprecated.the. conduct of the De.'
:fondant, as a aggravation of the former ittjuiT
'which he had ronsesto the plaintiff-f Orly the defence
had set uple,attempted.to rola theiirl, Whom he
thad deluded, of every particle of remaining Character.
'By seducing her he had degraded and disgraced 'her
in the rank of respectahle. females, but now he at-
tempted to blacken her reputation to the utmost. and
Vepreseat her as abeihg wfio neverhad had one partiele'l
bf respectable feeling or conduct. Stich indeed was
too frequently the course pursued by abandoned fiber.
,tines—they had too little regard for the situation of
:females in the lower ranks. Indeed he must say that
females of that class were but too-often treated with
a want of decorum and regard, which a truly ho-
nourable m;nd must ever lament. Because, froin
theirsithiltion in life, they were frequently obliged to
present the elves alone in the presence of a man, the
libertine called them "fair game," and thought him-
self warranted in attacking them with indecent liber-
tieii.e.- But the man of honour felt far differently—he
felt they were thrown into his way as objects rather

...,eitt .•
q •
protecbon tnan oppression, an Mil at etrestat
knee *Tone would be Tilde' ipiatded than en bi-&
ifitfotcaitetls. He reprobated the evidence &et
by doe two last witnesms,•and insisted it was such
itts.Jumwoold give a moment's credente to.
Lord F.l4.nriaonouon observed, that most certainly
1!& gist-witnesses made a larg.e dernani upon human
credulity ; at the same time it was clear froth I.lii
thtiitionrif the girl herself, that her mother was 'ap:
prised of the Defendant's conduct, and therefore it
Lecasueler to act • with - more guarded caution, pal-
Ocularliwallesf afdatighter was so exposed to the coin,
isany of young military men. The Jury, in consider-
ing.the pleasure of damages, must take severaLthings
into-their consideration, for cases of this sort differed
most materially ; in some, money would hardly be a
meanitreepropeace, and in others scarce any was
*trite. I,thej x(erepzi consider the feelings of a pa,
aud:ipitstimating those feelings, they must look
-conduct of
.a parent, In the present case, it
app =red ihe mother, who was kit in the guar-
dianship of her daughter, ha 4. not acted with all the
leasli*n •wAielx)beearite her. •' Taking all. .thecircum-
116utces into. consideration they would measure the
jos t and Preclont degree oidamages the Plehitiff had
in4tained.t—Verdict for .thcf.PLiktiffs—Dalloages-1•001.

:• . _
Sotori m
ty last Mr." At Mr. Walter, and .M.r.
Miller, Cl,tlcs in, the .cosiota-house at'Bristnl ; Mr.
Granger :.nd Robert Ceara late apprentice to the
renter of Guinea-street Ferty, were in a iailing-boat.
about four miles off Walton bay; when it sudden gust
of wind-upset the boat, which soak, and left them to
the mercy of a sea agitated by a very stiff gale. Mr.
Walter, by swimming, regained and extricated ,t punt
that was attached-to the boat, and saved Miller and
Granger ; but his efforts in favour of 'Penny and the
'boatman were unhappily of no avail.

Sunday morning the clothes of a labouring nun
were found on the -ba4k.c4 the river Lea; near Cooke's
Ferry, which, led to th Supposnion that he had gone
into. the river for the purpose of bathing, and was
drowned. The body was dragged for and found in
the water_opposite to die spot "where his clothes wete
depositedr and it was supposed that, it had been in the
`river fi s‘e hours. The place he Ist!-selected to bathe
in was co-Nred with seeedi, and was. of inunense des4;
It was supposed the man,eould 'swim, but hadtot et.;
tangled *with the weeds, from which- he:could Tot ex-
tricate himself. The body was. taken. to Cbingforit
to be owned. -.•- •
-- • -