Those who hold that every congregation, however small, is a complete church in itself, are quite unable to explain why the system of ecclesiastical organization should be thus circumscribed.  The New Testament inculcates the unity of all the faithful, as well as the unity of particular societies; and the same principle of Christian brotherhood which prompts a number of individuals to meet together for religious fellowship, should also lead a number of congregations in the same locality to fraternize.  The twelve may be regarded as the representatives of the doctrine of ecclesiastical confederation; for though they were commanded to go into all the world and to preach the gospel to every creature, yet, as long as circumstances permitted, they continued to co-operate.  “When the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John;” [251:1] and, at a subsequent period, they concurred in sending “forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.” [251:2] These facts distinctly prove that they had a common interest in everything pertaining to the well-being of the whole Christian commonwealth; and that, like Paul, they were entrusted with “the care of all the churches.”  Nor did the early Christian congregations act independently.  They believed that union is strength, and they were “knit together” in ecclesiastical relationship.  Hence, we read of the brother who was “chosen of the churches” [251:3] to travel with the Apostle Paul.  It is now impossible to determine in what way this choice was made—­whether at a general meeting of deputies from different congregations, or by a separate vote in each particular society—­but, in whatever way the election was accomplished, the appointment of one representative for several churches was itself a recognition of their ecclesiastical unity.

We have seen that the worship of the Church was much the same as the worship of the synagogue, [251:4] and it would seem that its polity also was borrowed from the institutions of the chosen people. [251:5] Every Jewish congregation was governed by a bench of elders; and in every city there was a smaller sanhedrim, or presbytery, consisting of twenty-three members, [251:6] to which the neighbouring synagogues were subject.  Jerusalem is said to have had two of these smaller sanhedrims, as it was found that the multitudes of cases arising among so vast a population were more than sufficient to occupy the time of any one judicatory.  Appeals lay from all these tribunals to the Great Sanhedrim, or “Council,” so frequently mentioned in the New Testament. [252:1] This court consisted of seventy or seventy-two members, made up, perhaps, in equal portions, of chief priests, scribes, and elders of the people, [252:2] The chief priests were probably twenty-four in number—­each of the twenty-four courses, into which the sacerdotal order was divided, [252:3] thus furnishing one representative.