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'■■ •...',•3 t.,! ..!» «l,.*-v-',? '. -^ .. r,^i jlr/ /Jbu ft master of Israel, and icnmoest not these thing»f—'St. John, 3;'Ia« f/ the blind ieadih» bUndf b&Oi ^udLftdl intqtke ditclu-^St. fiDkt. 15, IQ. Thus saitk the Lord, stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the eld paths, where is the good way, atkl i»>tUkth«rem,avd 'yeyiiUjmt^rttt Jor your souZs.— Jeremiah 6, 16. . ^ SAINT JOHN: ^mNf^ftt William purant, prince wnxuM-s'^SEf* 1818. TO lilS EXCElLEXOt AfAJOR-GENERAL SMYTH, LlEUTENANT-GovEUNon o/ His MAjE8Tv'a Province />/N£vr-BuuN3WrK* ^c. ^x. ^c. ' SIR, EVERY Clergyman, at his ordination, solemnly engaget to » U rea- dy with all diligenu to banish and drive aimy all erroneous ani slrange doctrines contrary to G<id's word." Your Excellency, tJicre- forei I trust, will not he surprised at the following attempt to repel an attack on our National Church, which, although iceak in itself, is yet by the boldness of its viawier calculated to make on the minds of the unlearned and unstuhh impressions unfavdrdble to her. / can say, with truth, before Ilim wlio knows all things, that I liave no wish to feed the flame of Religious controversy so inconsiderately kindled. My sole object is to icarn tlie. Members of the Church of tJie arts of seduction which are practised against us. Wliat I have writUn with thU intention, and for this purpose, I beg leave to inscribe to your Excellency, as the Constitutional Guardian of tlie Es}ablisli£d Church in this Province; accounting mijseJf Iiappy m having this opportunity of expressing the sentiments of high esteem 4w<ft which I liave tht lumor to.be, Sir, - , Your Excellena/s obliged, and ■ faithful servant, * • JAMES A^LNE. '^mmmmmm F e^ Jim Ta^o 7, Pajr.- 8, Vw^o 1 1 Page. I G T'age 24 Pa;re 34 Pa<rp 3.) believ spirits, will for the f'ai and avoid l trary to th come any u Ilim God s; partaker of The obli View, &c. cnte of rel considpring BnuNswiOK^ ■*«i^^«BH to « he rea- oneous and enaj, tlicrc' pt to repel ': in itself, I the minds 'o her. I hat I Iiave nsidtratcltj Church of iot I have »■ leave to »n of the Jutppy in gh esteem [LNE, REMARKS, &c. F r^ tk- -ake of truth itself, and on account of the — --"•V-T V . y o,. • . , * ERRATA. t^a?:'^ 8, I oih line, for « part' read ♦ parts.' PhS i' 2 Jl Mnl %' 'r^T^'V^' '•^^^ ' comprehem'...' 1 H^ft. lu. ^.j(.| line, lor < rt,j^> read < oh^.' I a^re 24, l5th lino, »br ' were' read < are ' Pa£ ?t ^i'i'h p''' '':•" ' ^'i'^.l^yt^f' r^ad « Presbyter!.-^ Mit^'ehim.''"' ''' 'aheiatobebelievedf'read 'if.vea«to spirits, whether they be of God ; to contend earnesriyr for the faith once delivered unto the saints; to mark and avoid them which cause divisions and ofTcnccs con-* trary to the doctrine learned by christians ; and, if there come any unto us, and bring no't this doctrine, not to bid him God speed ; he that biddeth him God speed, being partaker of his evil deeds. % The oblig-ation of this great duty. Dr. Burns, in his View, &c. appears to admit by his' admitting the exist- ent e of religious error, and the importance and utility of considprino its rise, tracing its progrcs.s, and contemplate ing ^ "to lilS EXCElLEXOir AlAJOR-GENERAL SMYTH, LlEOTENANT-GovEiiNon of His MAJE8Ty'a Province rt/NEW-BnuN3WlCK< ^c. ^c. ^c. SIR, Every clergyman, at his ordination, solemnly engages to « U reo' ay with all diligence to banish and drive auMy all errdntous ani strange doctrines contranj to God's uord." Your Exr'^lvicu. 'lure- ■*«!■ 'mmm xnex^iiut, 10 your iLXceuency, as the Constitutional Guardian of tho EstahlisltAd Church in this Province; accounting myself Imppy irt having this opportunity of expressing the sentiments of high esteem toiWt which 2 have tht Iwnor to, be, Sir, • ^ Your Exullenafs obliged, and ■ faithful servant, *' JAMES a^LNE. F OR the influence c think right important 5 comprehen of Piety a I of Grace t( stitiitcd anc Church, fh( tures, at th vhen men part from tl having itch and draw a admonished spirits^ whc for the fai and avoid t trary to the come any u him God sj partaker of The obli^ View, &c. cnte of reli considering Ik* I | | J..IJ._I ' X ,IL JaUNSWXOK/ ntous ani nov. 'ficrc REMARKS, &c. n of tha happy in F. LNE. OR the sake of truth itself, and on account of the influence of opinion on pinctice, it is of consequence to think lightly on all subjects, but especially on the most important subject of religion. That the religion of Jesus comprehends doctrines of Faith to be believed, precepts of Piety and Virtue to be excmpliiied, and Ordinances of Grace to be frequented, in union with a divinely in- stituted and regularly organized socic ty denominated the Church, the Scriptures unequivocally declare. The Scrip- tures, at the same time, foretel, that a time would come, when men would not endure sound doctrine; \\ould de-^ part from the faith ; would heap up to themselves teachers^ having itching ears ; would speak evil of the way of truth, and draw away disciples after them. Wc arc, thereforc> admonished not to believe every spirit, but to try the spirits, whether they be of God ; to contend earnestly, for the faith once delivered unto the saints ; to mark and avoid them which cause divisions and offences coil's Irary to the doctrine learned bv christians ; and, if there come any unto us, and bring n . nis doctrine, not to bid him God speed ; he that biddeth him God speed, being partaker of his evil deeds. The obligation of this great duty. Dr. Burns, in his View, &c. appears to admit by his admitting the exist- ence of religious error, and the importance and utility of considering its rise, ti-acing its progress, and contemplate ing ( 4 } ing Its conKequcnccs. He Is. thororore, to cxprct la find people as earnest to inculcate, :ind as zealous to defend what they regard, as he is to inculcate and defenfi what he regards, as the (ruth in Jesus. I do sincerely wish that Dr. Burns had confined himself to what he states in |us advertisement to be the object of his View, &c.— an explanation of " the Constitutioi> of the Church of Scotland, with a particular reference to the design and duties of the Eldership." In doing \h\n, hf would have remained in his own proper place, and have given no offence. IJut he has been pleased to take a wider range, and to introduce Into the discussion of his prgjipsetj subject, matter not only foreign to it, but also derogatory to the Church of I-ngland. He does, indeed, deprecate controversy, and disavow intention to " detract from any Christian denomination." But in deprecating contro- versy, and disavowing intention to " detract from any Christian denomination," he clearly betrays conaciousnessj of his having written something which may be considered as detracting from s^omc Chi istian denomination, and wo-, voking controversy. Indeed, his language in his udver-r tiseracnt, and his assertions throughout his View, may not unfitly be compared to the conduct of a man who, without any act of aggression on the part of a quiet and inoIFch-, sive neighbour, gives him a violent blow on the head, and tells him, that he is an usurper of rights originally belong- Hig to him, but that he does not wish to detract from him» or to quarrel with him. I beg leave, therefore, to sub^* rnit to the members of the Church of England within this Trovinpe, the following Kemarks on Dr. I^urns' View, &c. The impressions of education, the associations of vouth, the charities of affection, and the feelings awakened "by the recollection of scenes connected with such impressions, associations and charities, supply topics of persuasion which may be turned against the truth, as well as employed for it. Th principles ; application regard then- are to embi reject as c( power of r< suspicion, t vinco th'-.ir purpose by But this is t towards the disclaim, saj within this f^n'ngs; hok To all pei granted. B ragement, as does \iv. Bu gregation t< connectetl w division of t rejoice that '' that profei they lived ai and by admo every feeling worshippers importance, Congregatio suffer shame affection tow indeed, they lead, and pn respect, will others, and \ T expect IQ ruloiis to d himself object ol" nstituiioi) eroncc to oing I Mil, nnd have c a wt4er ■ rogatory iVom any : contror Vom any )nsidered and jjrof lis adver-f may not . without iuoffeh-. ifad, and ' bclpng- rom him,; , to suIh ithin this icw, &c. ^ryoufh, ?d by (he >rcssions, Msuaslon mployed for ( * ) for if. They, fhcrefore, who would not be misled by principles amiable in themselves, but fallacious in the application, ought, in all iheir religious enquiries, to dis- regard them, mid to make evidence alone drcide what they arc to embrace as agreeable to the mind of Christ, or lo reject as contrary to it. All who yield to the leading power of reason, and do this, will v'iew with a degree oT !»uspicion, the man who, when he should labour to con- vince thtir judgment, endeavors lo subdue them > > hig purpoac by an appeal to the tenderness of their heart. But this is the very thing which Dr. J3urns has attempted towards the conclusion of his View, ike. but which I utterly disclaim, saying to the members of the Church of Kngland within this Province in the words of St. Paul, Prove all things; Iw/djayt that -^chich is good . To all persons in this Colony is liberty of conscience granted. V,\\x the Presbyterians of St. John have encou- ragement, as well as liberty of conscience. W hat, then, does Dr. Burns mean bv wishing the members of his Con- gregation to " feel" their " importance and safety as conncctetl with the ecclesiastical constitution of one great division of the United Kingdom;" by exhorting them to rejoice that they are counted worthy to siifler shame for 'Mhat profession which " their" fathers maintaiiutl while they hved and in which they triumphed when they died ;" and by admonishing them to " banish from" their " mnds every feeling of disaifection towards other forms and other worshippers I" Has any attempt been made to lessen the importance, and to shake the security of Dr. Burns and his t^orgre^gation ? By whom have they been exposed to Slitter shame ? What has occurred to make them feel dis- allecfion towards other forms and other worshippers ? if, indeed, they have aspired to an influence, tried to take 9 Jeati, and practised an interference, inconsistent, in any respect, with the established and recognised ri/rht of others, and have, on this account, been resisted and with- stood, ( <^ ) stood, they have been treated juR ns they deserve ; and, instead of complaining, they should determine to redeem il'. errors of the past by a more modest and unassuming deportment in future. ]'( is pcrfertly evident that, where there is one particular Churrh established by Law, all who do not conform to this Church, are to be considered Dissentcm. On this principle, iho Primate of all, England, upon crossing the Tweed and going inff) Scotland, and the Moderator of the Kirk of Scotland, upon crossing that river and going into Kngland, wonid, undoubtedly, be dissenters. On the same Jirincipie, as the Church of England, and not the Kiik of Scotland, is the (Church by law established in this Province, .'I mcnUicr ol the Kirk, by crossing the Atlantic, ddes be- come, and actually h, a dissenter, until he have the happi- ness to see, that ihcJrticks of the Church of Englaiid nre beftcr than the Tenets of the JFestnunster Confession of Fqilh ; that the Liturgy of the Church of England is more conducive to devotion than the cflusions of extem- porary prayer; and that the Episcopacy of the Church of England, and not the Presbytery of the Kirk of Scotlantl, is the regular and legitimate form of church govcrnnWjit.' I^v the laws of this Province, nccordingly, all who do n6t conform to \\\e Church of England, are called dissenters, and their places of worship meeting-houses. If, there- fore, we are to eKpre.<;R onrgelves as these laws require, we inust say, that Dr. Hums is Minister of the Presbyterian meeting-house at Saint John, and as such a dissenting teacher. On what other ground of reasoning he can call the Episcopalians in ^Scotland dissenters, I do not see But, in the mean time, it warrants the conclusion fhat, ^v'herv^'ver the Chnich of England is by law established, the Kiik of Scotland is not co-ordninte with her, but siihor thnale \o hex ; and, also, justifies me in making, in the title of Dr. P>urns' View. Lc. an alteration which removes an iniiidi(.U6 ambiguity. Dr. i)r. Burn Scotland '' '' pure in pi and con^rrai made for th as that of E indeed, dcsc Prcsbyteria! tion which I justified } , accounts the less, and, the abettors of s vour to keei Do they lab inay, as he ; suiieritigs, b( him ? '^C-'vp I^Josed topn octrinal poi not avail to Dei legem n veriiatem n^ opinion also observes, t\v, not invent sc •ation iVom ti fingir hajresi And his gre; light to hav( ^'oid it as m hcrishing of annot be em antum dcbe iemper quoad lomenti vob icclesia schisr jH«m sine hori serve ; and, ' to redeem iinassumin<r ( ) e particular :oi)fovm to s. On this rossing the ratorof the going into )n the same the Kirk of sProvmce, c, ddes be- the happi- )l' England Confession England is ; o( extem- Churrh of r Scotland, )vcriinrrt|iV.= vho do n6t dissenters, If, thef^- equire, we resbyterian dissenting he can call o not see. iision that/ ?stablished but suhor- njr, in the .;h r,e moves Dr. bv. r>iirns calls the Church of Enj^iand and the Kirk of Scotland '^ sister churches,' allows the former to be .u '' pure in principle and cOicicnt in operation"' as the latter and congratulates these Colonies on having -- provisioil made lor the support of such an ecclesiastical constitu«ioii as that ol England." But, if the Church of England does indeed, deserve to be so highly thought of bv the dissentin*^ I resbyterian Teacher of St. John, what ;vay is the separat tjon which has there taken place from that Church, to be justified } Separation from such a Church as Dr. Burns accounts the Church of England, is, without doubt, cause- less, and, therefore, schismatical. ' And are the authors and abettors ot schismatical separation christians who endea- vour to keep the unity of the spirit in tne bond of peace ^ Do they labour that all who bclievr ^^ tjl,c Son ol'God may. as he prayed before he entereu on the scene of his sulfeniigs, be one as He is in the Father, and the l<ather in turn . Cyprian, to whose opinion Dr. Burns appears dis- posed to pny regard, aflirms, that even an agreement in <toctrinal points, where there is schismatical practice will not avail to salvation. Hanc unitatem qui non t'enet Dci legem non tenet ; non tenet Patris et Filii (idem et veritatem non tenet ad salulem. Jerome, to wl^se opinion also Dr. Burns appears disposed to pay re<'ard observes, that there never yet was any schism, thaT did not invent some false doctrine, in order to luslify its sena- ration rom the Church. Nullum schisma nun sibi aliquam bngir hasresim. ut recte ab Ecclcsia recessissc videatur inl.r f •'^'-'^ P'-"2J^"''o;^ Calvin, says, .that Christians: ■>U8ht to have such an abhorrence of schism, as always to pvoid ,t as much as possible, and that the creating and 'annnt K^ of schismsand sccf.s. is not a li^ht matteV, and.' annot be endured by any christian mind without horror ^antum debere inter Christianos esse odium schismatis ut' 'emper quoad libet, refugiant. Neque porro iUud levis^ Imn^^sl'nehr"''' '"'"'T' *^""^^ »"'iun^ pectus Christia.^ I'lini sine norrore ptinm l.r>Mvi../> .-.^i^..* ^. n ( i ) The circumstance, that Presbyterianism is established iri iScotiancI, is of itself no proof, that the Church ofEnglanci and the Kirk of Scotland form one Church. For, is not the Church of Rome, as well an the Church ifltf England, established in the Cahadas ? But are the Churches of England and of Rome to be, for this reason, regarded as foi-lning/one Church ? If Dr. Burns, ivhen he represents the Church of England and theKirk of Scotland as forming one Church, on account of their being associated under One head, does not mean by this one head the King, h6 Says nothing to the purpose. But the Lord Jesus Christ is acknowledged to be the 6'o/e head of the Kirk. Canon 55 of the Church of England, which comriiahds her clergy to pray for the Churches of England, Scntlatitl; and Ireland, as part of Christ's holy Catholic Church which is dispersed throughout the world, is no such recognition of the Kirk as Dr, Burns fancies, i'resbyterian parity was introduced into Scotland, and established in that kingdom, as the scriptural and primitive form of church government, in opposition to episcopacy, which was declared to be anti- christian and unlawful. But would the Church of England, m Canon 55, recognise persons /zo/f//>?^ such opimorisand acting on them, as a part of Christ's holy Catholic Church which is dispersed throughout the world, when, in Canon t, she orders them to be excommunicated ipso facto, and So continue '' until" they " repent, and publicly revoke such" their " wicked errors ?" The reason of a child must perceive, that the answer ought to be in the negative. 'Jthe truth is, that, when the Canon in question was framed, King James was seated on the throne of Elizabeth; and, as before his accession to that ihrone, he had revived the name and office of Bishop in Scotland, he wa§ now pur suing the measures deemed prudent for the introduction and establishment of a true and regular episcopacy, "not," says Bishop Guthry, " without the consent ana furtherance of many of the wisest among the ministry," In this '- ' - Canon. fcanori, the tvith the in doctrine, ; cognising I peculiar tCi Our nej Church of sion of Fai sense, and subscribe 1 the Confesi Wards disst to these en nnisl know subject of Trinity, i of Faith s: nifestation tinated to evevlastino tinated am ably desig definite, th On the do says, that ' Persons, o Father, Gt Father is o Son is eter eternally p 1 defy Dr. I guage, to J anti-Calvin then; that in that seni andsimplii rablisheti iri ofEngland For, is not if England, Churches of regarded as : represents as forming ated under le King, ht sus Christ is comrriands d, Scntlattd; lurch which recognition 1 parity was It kingdom, overnment, Jlobeanti- ofEngland, pinidhsand alic Church J, in Canori facto, and licly revoke| t child musti e riegative.l was framed, j tbeth; and J revived thcl g now pur-j itroductionl acy, "not,"j furtherance! " In this Canoi & ) , Canbri, theVefore, the Cluirch ofEngland is notcha rgeable tvith the inconsistency and folly of contradicting her own doctrine, and undermining her own constitution, by re- cognising the Presbyterian parity of Scotland, or any thing peculiai* to it, and characteristic of it. Onr hext enquiries are, whether the Articles of the Church of Scotland contained in the IVestwinster Confes' sion of Faith have, as Dr. Burns affirms, an anti-Calvinistic sense, and whether a man can, with a good conscience, subscribe them in this acceptation, or attach his name to the Confession of Faith, and justify his conduct in after- Wards disseminating the doctrines of Socinus. To obtain ttt these enquiries an answer which shall be satisfactory, we must know what the Confession of Faith delivers on the subject of Predestination, and on the doctrine of the Trinity. On the subject of Predestination, the Confession of Faith says, that " by the decree of God, for the ma- nifestation of his glofy, some men and angels are predes- tinated to everlasting life, and others fore-ordained to evevlasting death ; that these men and angels, thus predes- tinated and fore-ordained, are particularly and unchange- ably designed, and that their number is .so certain and definite, that it cannot be (either increased or diminished." On the doctrine of the Trinity, The Confession oj Faith says, that " in the unity of the Godhead there be Three Persons, of one substance, power, and eternity j God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost. The Father is of none, neither begotten nor proceeding ; the Son is eternally begotten of the Father, the Holy Ghost eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son." Now, 1 defy Dr. Burns, by all the iniquitous arts of torturing lan- guage, to give to these articles even the semblance of an anti-Calvinistic and an anti-Trinitarian sense. Is he, then; that subscribes them, or attaches his name to them in that sense, to be considered a man of godly sincerity and simplicity ? Can he be said to hold faith and a good - ■'- i B conscience? ( 10 ) tdnscieWce ? On what principles which ins|)ire the loVg f>f truth, and give man confidence in man, is he able ta jiistily his conduct ? Dr. Burns rippcars to lay some stress on the remark of Professor Dugald Stewart of the University of Edinburgh, his " hue much esteemed instructor, and an Elder of ?he • Church, that the General Assembly resembles the popular deliberative assembly of the ancients more than any Court which now exists in the world." Had the resemblance be^ii drawn from the Sanhedrim of the ancient people of God, or from any Assembly or Council of Christians, and ^ot from an Assembly of Heathens, I should have thought it tauch more to the credit of the General Assembly. But fhis point, in whatever way settled, is far inferior in mo- ftient to'lhe information, that a " great body predominates in that most august tribunal against the advocates for the ahcient doctrine.-? and the faith once delivered to the saints." Yet, this defection, deplorable as it is, cannot be liitJtter of wonder, if, according to Dr. Burns' represent ration, ti.c young Scottish Divines, full of the spirit of Worldly ambition and worldly gain, " are too much bent oti other pursuits to the neglect of theology," and by their* application to the study of medicine in particular render it " not unusual to see M. D. affixed to the name which/ J^^rreml precedes." But how the acknowledged irife- hohry of the Divines of t're Kirk of Scotland to the,Divines fof the Church of England in theological attainments, can " jjrove that jircsbyterian principles tend rather toJlkraUse ih^n to contract the mind/' does not appear, unless by liberalising the mind Dr. Burns means setting it free from the restraints of faith, and suffering it to spoil itself through philosophy and vain deceit. In this way, how- ever, the mind of a Presbyterian of Scotland cannot be iiberalised but by departing from his principles ; their direct tendency, as thej- are rigid/ij Cahinistic, being to coiitract the mind into the narrow circle which compre- hend hend the 5 cruel pa^i destinatio In thed fess and a men of su] time to ti midst of tl unrivalled That, ther ment of lit and in ou: but it cci exclusive expres.ses 1 is content stitution o; hostile to 1 elegant pu any conne( byterian p enemy in what exert! to what do Some ki be useful t ture in g-en which is tc relative to said, Ye sh prophets w wardly the^ literature v has by St. 1 its proved re the loVe s he able ta 2 remark of Edinburgh, Iiler of the he popular any Court ^semblance people of stians, and ve thought ibly. But ior in mo- doininates ttesfor the ed to the, is, cannot * represen- e spirit of nur.h bent id by their lar render trae which' Iged infe- ie,Divines lents, can unless by free from poil itself 'ay, how- annot be Js ; their being to compre- hend ( 11 ) , hend the suppose 1 elect, and to produce all the wcik and cruel partialities on wkich the pretended decree of Pre- destination is founded. In thediffi'rcnt communions into which they who pro* fess and call themselves Christians, arc unhappily divided, men of superior parts and shining acquirements have from time to time appeared. N.iy, Greece and Home, in the midst of the thickest spiritual darkness, can boast names of unrivalled excellence in some departments of literaturci That, therefore, <' men eminent in almost every depart- ment of literature" have appeared in " the Scottish Church and in our own age," is a matter of high congratulation ; but it confers no peculiar distinction, and entitles to no exclusive praise. Aware, perhaps of this, Dr, Burns expresses himself on the subject in negative language, and is content to say, that " there is nothing cither in the con- stitution or principles^ of the" presbyteriau " establishment hostile to the cause of literature, or \ih\cU frmcns on the elegant pui-suits of sciences and arts," But, can there be any connection between the cause of literature and pres^ byterian polity and principles, because the former has no enemy in the latter? Can existence be ascribed to what exerts no active energy ? Can prosperity be ascribed to what does nothing ta raise ? Some kinds of learning are necessary, and all kinds may be useful to a Christian Minister ; but eminence in litcra-f ture in general, is not proposed in scripture as the test by which is to be tried the practical tendency of any, thing relative to the doctrine and church of Christ. When He said, Ye shall know them hy their fruits, he spoke of false prophets which come to us in sheep's clothing, but in-f wardly they are ravening wolves. Indeed, of much of that literature which Dr. Burns particularizes, thes])iiit of God has by St. Paul pronounced, that it is folly, on account of its proved insufiicicncy to enlighten the mind with the knowledge I^ ) knowledge of divine ihinjjs. .Afnv we, therefore, enter into the feelings, and comprehend the words of Jesus at that time, when He answered and said. 1 tlwrik thee, Q Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because thou haat hid these things from the ivise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed sood in thy sight. ^ . In Scotland, the Reformation began to dawn in 1527 and received a legal establishment in 15 60 ; but a truea^cl regular episcopacy was not introduced till 16 10.; .IJuf, the first who stood up for presbyterian parity in opposition to episcopal superiority, and begun the struggle, whether the Church should be framed according to the Episcopal or Presbyterian model, was Andrew Melvil, about fifteen jears after the legal establishment of the Reformation. The reasons for considering him and his partisans as strictly speaking, the Fathers of the Kirk, are ^atisfactojilv detailed by the Right Rev. author of The Fundmnentk Uiarter-oJ Fr.esbytehj F x am ined and Disproved. While, therefore, I refer to that performance, 1 presume none will reluse to admit, that praise is due to pvesbyterianisin for nothing, except what, in its genuine operation, it led Presbyterians to do. But the admission of this, in conse^ quence of the evidence adduced by Bishop Sage in the ^vork just mentioned, separates the first Reformers of Scotland and allihey did before Andrew Melvil camebn the stage, from tlje cause of presbvterian parity, the spirit displayed m its defence, the means" used to render it trium- phant, and the pcculiaritiefj in worship attached to it. ■ It is observable, that Dr. Burns has not attempted to impose on the easy belief of his Conga-egation, bv repre- senting the Ftr.stBoofc 0/ I)iscip/ine, dr^v^n up W John Knox and others, as the platform of their ecclesiastical eonstitution. This honour he justly assigns to the cond poo/c oj Discipline, compiled by Andrew Melvil and otl^rs, and and con'-i ments wei Discip/im name imp cordingly has shewn vii>diction That at of, appeal which est; the verv the Bislio] Gordon, \ ted, that "■ Mearns, a estly pieai episcopacy Superinte a Bishop i in the Jew ^id warnii It is true, »iade Gha benefice i latter Dr. '. oflfice toi exercise ii ecclesiastii to his fath son for hi! to you, thi at it, that to refuse, those that offered b) oflisnces } f 'for«, entev of Jesus at nik't/iee, O m /last hid ast nvea/ed 'nedgood in n III. 1527, a triMjnnd 610.. ,13ur, opj)ositi<)n e, whether ' Kpisccpal DirJ fif'teeii rormation. jrtisans as, tisfactoriJy mdvmental i. While, ;none will ianisiKi for on, it led in conse- ;agein the ormers of 1 came ion . the spirit r it trium^ to if. mpted to by vepre- 3 by John lesiastical he Qoml ndotMlys^ and { 13 ) anc! Gonvidere the Chmch fi///i/ ofganized. when its enact-, ments were carried into elliect. Indeed, the First Book oj Discipline appoinied siiperintcndants, who, as the very nanne implies, were overseers of the other clergy. Ac- cordingly, Bishop Saoe, in The Fundamental Charter, Sec. has shewn, that they had, in thirty instances, episcopal ju- visdiction over them. That at this time presbyterian parity was not dreamed of, appears, also, from the conduct of the Convention, which established the Keformed religion, in decreeing in the very act which abolished the Pope's authoritj% That the Bishopric of Galloway should be adjudged to Bishop Gordon, without the Pope's Bulls. Nor is it to be omit- ted, that f' Erskine of Dun, Superintendant of Angus and Mearns, and one of Knox's most intimate friends, earn- estly pleads, in a letter to the Regent Mar, the cause of episcopacy a^ being of apasto/ival institution ; considers the Superintendants as Bishops ; and compares the ofBce of a Bishop in the Christian Church.to that of the High Priest in the Jewish— expressly calling the High Priest a Btshop, ^Vd warning the Regent not to incur the guilt of Uzziah." It is true, that John Knox, being in Priests' orders, was made Chaplain to KJBg Edward VI. and was offered first a benefice in Loinlbij? and afterwards a bishopric. The latter Dr. Burns says f he rejected, declaring the episcopal office to, be destitute of di^iine authority in itself, and its exercise in the EngHaJti church to be inconsistent with the ecclesiastical canons." Knox himself, however, in a letter to his father-in-law, Mr. Bowes, gives a very different rea- son for his conduct. " How oft," says he," " have I said to you, that Hooked daily for trouble, and tUVl wondered at It, that so long I should escape it ! What moved me to refuse, and that with displeasure of all men, even of those that best loved me, those high promotions that were offered by him whom God hath taken froM us for our offences .? Asisuredly the foresight of trouble to come. How ( 14 ) How oft have I snid to you, that the time would not bd lon^ that England would give me bread ! Advise with the last letter that I wrote unto your brother-in-law, and consider what is therein contained." But, although Knox Irom well-grounded dread of what actually took place' ^hen popish Mary ascended the throne of EdwaM Vl' refused to accept a fixed charge i„ the Church of England, he accepred the office of an itinerant preacher, with a salary ol L.40 per annum. And could he, with honesty and consistency, have done this, if he had regarded the i^hurch of England as constituted according to principles at variance with the divine authority and the ecclesiastical canons ? The same reasoning is applicable to his conduct in preaching at the installation of Mr. John Douglas into flie Archbishopric of St. Andrews. In fine, he so far ap. proved of the Assembly's proceedings at Leith, by which the titles of Archbishop and Bishop were restored, as, in his farewell letter to the Church, dated St. Andrews, the 5th ot August 1572, to give directions respecting the> disposal Qfi?«/io;,ric5 and other benefices. \ ^ Here, the question is not concerning the merits of th«: K^tormersin general, but concerning the particular merits or Andrew Melvil and his brethren of the presbyteriaif reforming party. If Dr. Burns can make it appear, that they were men of a refined taste, who addicted themselves to the elegant pursuits of sciencies and arts," I shall be very well, pleased. But, mean while, I venture, on the Jaith ol histoi7, to say, that whatever they were in som© respects, they were in others, turbulent, disloyal, bigotted fanatic^, whose glory it was to rail at their superiors in Church and State, and who, while they taught the people' to boxv down The head as a bulrush, did themselves, .with JO littic grimace, affect to walk mournfully before the Lord If good has, in anyway, arisen from the tenets which they laboured to dimise,' and the works in which they delighted to be occupied, it is to be ascribed to Him whq Vvho make remainder Theguil of Covena time, how( he can. J they " can yet," says exhibits ai which has ( nected witl exhibiting in reality, and siich k the sinful pretension of a claim of Satan, ( principle i believed. But, the of the cour ance of pr inspii-e ind^ subordinatii pies inconsi christian pi thrown int( ^ith unchi subordinati( Faith teach< glory, unch pass in tim give up the nantei-s, I la tQ do wicket iild nof bd dvise with )-Iaw^ and Jgh Knox, )ok place, dward VI. r England, ?r, with a h honesty arded the principles lesiasticat s conduct Liglas into 5o far ap-' by which ed, as, in rews, the :ting th© its of the ar merits ibyterian ear, that emselves shall be on the in somifi^ bigotted triors in J people /es,.with 'ore the 3 tenets n which to Hin* whq ( 15 ) Vi-ho makes tlie Wrath of man praise him, and restrains thfe' remainder of wrath. The guilty excesses of the Presbyter inns, under the name of Covenantei-s, Dr. Burns acknowledges. At the same time, however, he offers as good an apology for them aa he can. But, what is that apology ? Notwithstanding they " cannot be justified in every part of their conduct ; yet," says Dr J3urns, " the firmness which they displayed exhibits an energy of character and a force of principle which has (have) never been surpassed." Firmness con- nected with a conduct in some parts unjustifiable, and exhibiting energy of character and force of principle, is, in reality, obstinacy in evil. Such energy of character and siich force of principle, therefore, must be referred to the sinful cause from which they proceed. But every pretension ,o superiority in the case, whatever may be said of aclaim to equality, is inadmissible, while the firmness of Satan, exhibiting energy of character and force of principle in his way, is^ on the testimony of scripture,, believed. But, the situation of the Covenanters, " while deprived of the countenance of law, and left entirely to thp g.uid^ ance of private conscience, was necessarily such, as to inspiire independent principles inconsistent with legiriar subordination and discipline." Are independent princi-* pies inconsistent with regular subordination anddisciplinev christian principles ?— No. Can men, then ever be thrown into a situation which /tecesaari/y inspires them- ^ith unchristian principles inconsistent with regulafr subordination and discipline ? If, as the Confession of Faith teaches, '' God has, from all eternity, for his own- glory, unchangeably fore-Ordained whatsoever comes, to pass in time, especially concerning angels and men," I, give up the point, and, instead of condenming the Cove-r nanters, I lament the fatal necessity which compiled them: tp do wicJcedly. But ( IG ) . rejoin'; D^ili.f,^ "T^^^I^^ " ""' '" be " ft„.«o..„,. ins. that thevdcserved to s ,m.,^- .V " "l""!? '"" ■"'- and crimes 'and Vh,, """T' '"i" i^ei.- uir,-hnjii;,blenoss 'l.en, ? T have „„Iv •„ n l'*'"'*'",' "'''■>' 'I"' '"«e.- f-r .he Cove nntor, „?f, rthl ^r'' ' u"' *•■ ""■ '•""''"« ■"• Church of Scothnd ih n . l"'" '^^ P'"™' ^'^"SY and defend -haf^Sn^^le » Jc'^'rr '" ^'P'*"^'^"'' flTOCopalian naHv Jf, l,^? • ' 'neasures ol the -ot an"; Trther -air", t the .!' ™'"'f^,l? "• J*''''>- ''o Church that, thev Choi! , ''P'^™P"' ^'efgy .tnrf their ..njustifiaWe „ eas'^^t '1,„ ", Z'''''^"™ '"t deread.thce ■■i' a, tha are advocat'f '■ fl""^' ^""^""'' »'*4Arae- .r .here -N, t°r„r/hTh;T :^;7h:"''tf "I'T' co°:ti!!,';™^?;f:j<:!r=f *' = p^""-"-"' r-. or ,he r«le and do nLi u '• " ^PP<"n"nent of Eldmwho un£rS;^^^r„k'Th:t,xsr^?j=:- 1^ he means E Mers who labour in word and docfrLTfW co-operat.on ni the government of the Church ?.^^^^^^^^^ ior ,n the Reformed Episcopal Churches the co-opS„* of persof appellati of the CI t'radistinc byterians because ( appointee not dy lii Dr. Bq; Quotes in preachinjg passage, t totes prest especially fairly 'in fei Vvho presic But are the to preside i "«Veil as pre horioi*, or adopted fr Ruling Eld of all Chris Calvin, diep the beginh however, as tlie Kirk, t ( what I exp their duties: this part of ■Elders consi ihPredchiK ^Preaching E Thattheri undeniable.' yiil for their his hiif sav- lantahlencss I suffer for tiondiict oi* Clergy and pji^rovc and iH»s of the ji^sHfy, do ^^ their /end. those ' R'^ihrmc'd > arf^'Ame- >** of the Iclers who Whether sajis, that i»s6 they imfetit of rtiguage, M've that, ne, their is not a jf'theni^ perafion C ^7 ) tof personsr, de.jving from a valid 0.-aination a right to the dP^thirr'^K ^'f'^'T.' '^ ^^^""-^^ in the government of he Church. But. if he means Elddrs who rule in con- ^a distinction to Elders who preach, I reply, that the Pres- byterians are not so denominated for this reason, but aoS. '^^'J^''" ''^'^ governmcht of the Church nor;lL';f ^^"^"^--^ ^- ^e^V Presbyters and Br. Burns is more clear, ana easily linde^stood. wheh hd ,:..?• '" fM?P°'' of the clistinclion between ruling and b sf e"f h ^'\' ^'^' 1' ^ '• ^^^' ''^' St. Paul in that passage, the presbyters who preside well, oi kalos proes^ totes presbuteroi be accounted worthy of double honor, especially they Who labour in wofd jnd doctrine. It is fai.Iy inferrible from these words, that some presbyters ^vho presided well did also labouHn word and doctrine. tm P ™S "^'"u^^ ^"'•"S ^'''^•'^ '" ^^«K'»-k. ordained topres.de? M^y they labour in word and doctrine, as hoinf P''^'^^.^, ^r ^^^y accounted worthy of double IZltx^'u ' '^'c' "^^'"t^"^"<^e ? That the Apostles nXlvu"^ *^ Synagogue nO arrangement respecting ar^\\%^^T' '''?' confident ft-omthfc profound silenc? cllv n^" " antiquity on the subject. But, that John ijalvm, departing from the commandment which was from the beginning, did so, I will not dispute. Important, the Kill'' r '^' "^r'^ °^ ^"^'"^ E'^^*^ i« ^«"^'de'-ed iri iTrfoiT ' fcannot find any where in Dr. Burns' View, &c. t^^j! i f'^P^'^^ti ^'^"^ ^*' advertisement, a statement of iSlLT% .^^' u-"" ^^ concluded from his silence oti fh. P T'* '.", ?°'"^ "°''^'"g' ^^^^Pf spying Yes, wheH A.^^'^pg^'^''^ ^''^^Y^^' and saying nI, when the ^rffflcA/;3g- Llders say No ? ^ " ' uJ^t!''^^^^^'^'^'^^'''^ presbytery is, indeed, undeniable. But, is there scriptural warrant for presby* - C lery 'I ( 18 > 'V considertMl as embodied an(\ del. ng not ohiy withotif ct*.«scopal authority, but in tldiance of it ? Dr Hums Agsumin^ the tone of conHrlcnce, and, at the same time! pretending much liberality and candour, boldly answers in the neg.l.ve. To make what I have to say in return bear on every tjvng ^vanccd by him deserving notice, I ahail begin with statin^, that, on the subject of church government, the Church of England has expressed hefself uithe most explicit and positive terms. In the Preface to the Ordination and Consecration Services, she says. It 13 evident unto all men diligently reading Holy Srrin- Uire, and ancient authors, that from the Apostles' time there have been these ordei-s of Ministers in Christ's Vhurch--Bishops, Priests, and Deaco4is. And, tlierefore, ^o the intent that these orders may be continued, and reverently used and esteemed in the Church of England ^o man shall be accounted or taken to be, a lawful Bishop! I nest, or Deacon in the Church of England, or suffered to execute any of the said functions, except he be calletL tried, examined, and admitted thereunto, according to the iorm hereafter following, or hath had fo;merlv episcopal consecration or ordination." In perfect agreement with the trutljs here declared, ^nd-invariably adhered to in prac-. tice, are composed the prayers whjch the Church of Eng- Jand putsimo our mouths, when prostrated at the throne 9^ grace before Him unto whom all hearts qre open, we say,, that God of his - diving providence has appointed divers orders jnV his " Church," and beseech Him to , Illuminate alj Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, with true knowledge and understanding of his woijd," . . . ' . . ,. _' ' ' ' T'/rif ^ow. with Dr. Burns the opinionof Divles dfthe Kirk who attach their names to \he .Confessm i^' Kufh^'m afterwards teach the doctrines of Armii -J ,cUn^ may have weight ; but withrae.thq opinion of Divines Of the Church of England, when hazarded in opposition to her doctrine, has no weight at all. Tten thou£nd such, if if they CO the bread her. No to enrol i satisfied tl the matt( would be But, w catcj fcr ] for pure n" .ncn us with all VI vows to G in this fiel< appealed pf Englan( origittnl 1) lished in n Lordship ; ^vhcn he a not statr i History t i refute him is not acqi •aflure him one, and to point of e ient ho fo fancy the r *' the mod< that of the Roman era ' hurch, pri fuggefting ; terian pariti Archdeacon ( 10 >Iy vvifhoiit Dr. Biirn$, same (ime, lly an.a.wers ' in return Ef notice, I of church sed hefseir he Preface , she says, lo\y Scrip- sties' time in Christ's llierefore, nued, and f England, ul Bishop, )r suffered be called, ing to the episcopal mcnt with to in prac* h of Eng- he throne open, we ippointed 1 Hin\ to with true [the Kirk icinms, f Qivines pposition and such, if f they could be produced, I .should consider men who ate the bread of the .'hurch, and lil,cd up the heel against her. Nor should I ever call i/, ouestion Or Burns'^rilh to enrol thcr names in the list of his great men; befn^ at.sfied that, unless infallibility could be daimed for the^^ the matter in dispute, notwithstanding fheir opinion^' would be where it was. l^u'iuu, •; ' •■_ .hi ■^/.,,,.\ But when Dr. Burns cited Episcopal Divines as advol catcs fc r IVchyterian panfy, why did he not condescerti t« i pvvn candour's sake, to make some mention of the n-morr us ones, who enriched with all learning, adorned ^.th all virtue, and faithful in the performance of theH- in this field of controversy ? Why, in particular, when ht appealed to the book of Sir Peter King, Lord CbancelloJ Pf England, did he say nothing of a Work entitled, Ji ong.nalDraught of the Prhmtive ChurcK ^vhich was pub- iished ,n answer to it. and which is said to have made his Lord5h,p a convert to the truth. Whv, in i)arlicular ^vhen he adverted to the opinion of Dr. Mosheim, did he not statr that, ,n the last edition of his Ecclesiastical ^i'story, IS published an appendix which professes to refute h,m? If Dr. Burns hL^.ot seen thisldi iorand is not acquainted with this appendix, I crave leave to •affure htm of botlyand, likewile, to advife him to get the one, and to perufe the other, that he may obtain, on fome f.nT K°V' ''";'"^''^'' erudition, the light which at pre- fincv tL 7.'^' r"^' f ^° Sive lo thp creaturei of thToTitri wF^'^'T^ government" as copied from that of the Chnlhau church, when " eflabliflied in the Rpman empire," and « the fituafion of the Primitive _^tiurch, prior to its e/lablifhrnent bv civil authority " a's "SgeOing the idea and furniihiug the model of pre(l)v- tenan parity. Why, alfo, in partfcular. wheu he q foted Archdeacon Paley .nd BiHiop Tomlin;, did he not f^ • ' iha( ( JO } I ,ii »#-.*-, that Archdeacon Daubeny has not fuffercd theiivopiiuon^ to pafs without anirn^dvcvfion ? But, as Dr. Burns, throughout his View, &c. holds up the fcheme pf prefby- terian parity aa the apoflolical and primitive, form of church goveniment, where is. the pertinency of his quota- tions from thefe two Divines, if it be not his driiyn td fhovf that, ahhou;;h they had apoflatized from the'doc-. trine oX their own Chineh, they did not embrace the doflriueof bis onthat fubjcct. ! ', ^rr''* ; Indeed, I dare be bojd to affirm, that the other WritVr| pr the Church of England, whom Pr. Burns has Turn mojietj ,lo bear witnefs in his c^ufe, cannot be proved to have held .on the fiibjea of church government fuch opinion as |hat great man Apdrew Mehil and his worthy fellow^ .helpers co^tel.lded fpr. Nay, if they are clofely interro^ il;itcd, fome of t-hem will be found to h^ve held opiuioht diametricaljy opppfile to theijj. The fonndeft churchmen a<!mit, that there isno difline- lion of order among Elders, although they inHfl, thaf there is a d.i/l/fi8iofi of order between Bijliops and Elders. Iience, Dr. Burns' quotation from Bi(hop Croft's Naked Truth, is as much to his purpofe as would be a random quotation from Pon Quixotte. But, if it will pleafe him, I have no objeaipi^ that/;ea»d 7//5f/(/er5 beconfidered of the same order, ' Dr. Burn* fiipuld have explained in fyll detail, whatkinc^ of Prefbytevian government Archbifhop Ufher " had pro- jeaed a fcheme for introducing;" and it would have ap- peared, that it did not feek the abolition of the Epifcopal order, and require the e|labli/hment of Prefbyterian parity. Bifliop Bilfo.n, in his book on the Perj)€tual Government of Christ's Church, fays, " I much mufe with what face pren, who have any tafle of learning, can deny that the vocation vocation fucceffior be likewi and Evan bly be pr ferve to I Whafc ofthc7?f) of his pap that Epifc of God,,ai the vScripi Jhemfelve cular perf for ordain cerning C Prefbyters tirbes beei Chrifl." I will g( fuppofed f the Clergy God in the order. Y« above a D< Prcfbvter a all equal as to their de official poM grees, we h? not the fche That the nien, is nni not. Indee \' lA.,. . ieiropiaion^ > Dr. Burns, le pf prefby- ive form of 3 r h.is quota- is driiijn fo )ni the doc-. embrace the '}}•,;/ ,1; .' '■ "*T -H^ •-,,. , ihcr Wfit^r^ 5 riirumojicd to have held oulnions as thy fellow- ely intevro- Id opiuiohi ino diflinct infift, tha{ and Elders. oft's Naked f a random pleafe him, niidered of ', wjiat kin4 " had pro- d have ap- ; Epifcopal rian parity. Government what face ly that the vocation ( 21 ) vocjltion of Bifhops came ftom the Apoftles. For if their fuccefnon be ApoRolic, their fun^ion cannot choofe but be likewife ApoUoJic; and that they fucceed the Apoftles and Evangel.fisin their churches and chairs, may inevita- bly be proved ,f any Chritiian perfons, or churches, de^ ferve to be credited." Uhat convia.on Archbifliop Ufher operated ih the mind of the Royal Martyr, the following words, taken from one of h.s papers at the Treaty of Mwpnrt, fhow : « I conceive that itpifcopal Government is moll confonant to the word 01 God^^and of an Apoftolical Inftitution, as it appears by he Scriptures ^to have been praaifed by the Apoftles Jhemfelves, and by them committed and derived to parti- cular perlons as their fubllitutcs or fucceflbrs therein (as for ordaining Prefbyters and Deacons, giving rules con- cernmg Chnll.an DiTciplme, and exerciling cenfures over Prefbyt^rs and Deacons) and hath ever (ince to thefe laft C\m '^^^^ ^""^'^^^^^ ^7 ^^'^ops in all the Churches of r ^ ""j)'/".^^ [^•* f E)r. Burns can dellre with fome of his fuppofed friends of the Church of England, and grant, that the Clergy confidered as a body devoted to theferviceof T^Jl n • ^^" ^^'? °"*' °'^^^ ^ Prelbyter is of a des:ree Prefbyter and a Deacon, it does not foflow, that they arc all equal as to pfficial powei-s, but differ in thefe accordino- to their degrees But, if they are not all equal as tS official powers but differ in them according to their de- latXTr K "^ ^T 'H P'"" of epifcopal government, and not the fcheme of prelbyterian parity. That the Englilh Reformers were upright and fincere Zt' rnH^T'"'""''*^- ^"^«"'»^'^' h'ow'ever they wer^ not. Indeed, it ,s not to be diflembled, that they brought with ,'3 ( ) ivlth >hp^ from the Church of Rome, fevcral error?, But it Is^ aj the lame tim«, to be remembered, that they abantlored t^ofe errqrs, If, for inftance, any of thciii were ofopipipn, that Bifliops and Priens are of th^ f^me pr^er, tbey, in (he year 1549, condemned this opinion by the authoritative declaration, ah-eady quoted from the Reformed Ordinal. Jn this view, the quotations and afler- tionsof Dk.Uiu^s in page ]5, prove only, that Qranmer and others, were once involved in the darknefs of error, ^nd that tbe wore afterwards brought to the light of iruth. Biit, as Pr. Burns is here the echo of Dr. M'Qrie^ and I have not at prefent the means of examining one by one his quotations and aflertions, I refer to what has been offered on the moft plaufible of ihem in the 4 2d vol, of 2fie British Critic, and leave common fenfe to pronounce concerning, the I'mpartiality and candour of thefe twc ^entlcm^iH. That the firft Reformers of Scotland were not for prcs^. byterian parity^ is fhewn by Bifhop Sage in the wqrfc already mentioned. That the Churches reformed by JLuthpr aie in general epifcopal, is well known. And that Calviji pronounced thofe who would not fubmit to fiiph an'epifcopa<;yasthatofthe Church of Engjand^ worthy o/ .cv9^y aBathema, nullo np^janachemate dignps, isalfo well Jcnown. It is his followers^, however, /yvbp for tbe mpft part have thrown off the order of Bi(hops. Yet, the con- tinental prefljyteriamfm of Europe is not to be confounded with the prefljyterianifm of Scotland. Continental prps- byterianifm, for e,\ample, its advocates tell us, orig,inated in the net^fllty of unhappy qircumftsnces ; butScpttiQi prelbyterianifm t<jok its rife from hoftility to epifcopal iijperiority. Continental! proibyterianifjp never declared war againft epifcopacy ;' but Scottifh prefbyterianifm bound ilfelfin a SjohnnLeagnc^VHlCove/isnitpendea- your its extirpation. Continental prefbyferijinifm/did not reje^l liiurgjcai devotion; a«d the celebraticm of festi- vals Vats fn cot for our fo former as gifts in'pr rant in th at no time upon the confider tl heard with of worfliip Some of ledges in tl 27th when into the chi no. doubt, 1 the Kirk, - Scot's chur In this pi to mention Liceffant ca fter, the fpi cular fpecie Npr can I d JSfew-York Of id Lite rar I happy refu! from the efl s^ppointmeli %s. '' The »>iotiPn of tl tions of the members ini let the purii of life and ii ties in the i ivcral errors, ed, that they any of them ; of th^ [^^[\Q is opiniQn bv cd from th€ )ns and afler- hat CraiiHier lefs of error, the light of Dr. M'Crie, ining one by hgt has beeo J 4 2d vol, of pronounce if thefe two lot for prcs- in the wqrk eformed by And (hat >mit to fiipb dj worthy of i, is alfo well or tbe naoft etf tjje con- confoun^ed riehtal pres- \, originpfed butScQttjni epifco(|{^l ver declared fbyterianifni 7/ tpendea- irifinifm/did ion of festi- vals i ( 23 ) Vals in commemoration of the things done by the Saviour or our fouls ; but Scottifh prefbyterianifm p«t away the former as an hmdranCe to the attainment and exerci'fe of gMts irr prayer, and abolifhed the latter as hav in «^ no war-' rant m the word of God. Continental prefby^'terianifm at no time fhowed any difinclltiation to praife the Lord upon the organ; but Scottifh prefbyterianifm did not contider the found of that infirument as worthy to be of woiS ^^^ ''''"'^^ ""^ ^^^ ^""^^^^ ''^""^ ^""'^^^^ '" '^^""^ ^^* Some of thefe points of difTerence, Dr. Bums acknow- ledges in the 20th page of his View, &c. and, al'fo, in the 57th where he fays, " In flru mental mufic is not admitted, into the churches of Scotland, but,"dreadful lorehte/and* nodoubt, ^vith inexprefnblefcandaltoall the true fons.of Zl^ u " ? ¥^ ^." °'*San has been introduced into the scot s church of Calcutta." - In this place it will be neither impertinent nor ufelefs o menl|on a flrange coincidence of conduft which, amidft Lncef^nt can t about liberality, marks, in the ftrong^ft mZ fter, the fpirit of the Preachers bdonging to the -pafe cular fpeaes of religion" called Scottifh Wfbyterianinn'' Npr can I do this better than in the words .pf a writer jni WYork Publication, entitled The ChLJTuZ^ and Literary Register. Speaking, in vol. 1, No. 1 of the fi-om the eflabhfhment of the Church in the Eaft by iC ff l?lr/ ^f ^A^'d^^-^^" to the See of Ca)c«Z W Imo i^n r i^'^^'l^'^Py ^^"^ *« beexpeaed is the pro! member, •/r'''''*^ Chriaianity, is the divifion dfits' men^bers ,nto fo various and contradiaory formsof faith. Le the punty of the Gol>el once fhine forth in innoc^ce ties m the way of converfion will be removed. It is, **"^:"'^ ^-t Vi Va ( 24 ) therefore, with unfeigned regret that we have read a moi! ihieiTjperate and infulting harangue of Doflor Brice, the reprefentative of the Scotch Church, againfl Epifcopacy. *this perfon was fent out at the fame time with the Biftiop, for the fake of the many Scotch who were fettled in India. All the.fe, before the arrival of Dr. Brice, were in harmo- ny with the Church of England, arid willingly united in all its forms of public vvorfhip. The firft effefl therefore, of this iheafure was, to create a fchifni were it found none, and in the perfon of Dr. Bride not only to create, but to foment divifion. It was not fufficient to tear open the wound and to feparate the parts which had clofed in chris- tian union, but to aflail, with little fliev/ of reafon, and lefs of temperance, the unoffending Church and its venerable Ilead. Such were the triumphs of liberality." I Let It be granted, that ihe Scripture does give the titles of Bifhop and Prefbyter indifferently to the fame perfon. is this intercommunity of titles a proof of famenefs of i-ankand office ? In l Peter, 5, ij St. Peter calls bimfelf a Prefbyter, and in Ephes* 3, 7, St. Paul calls himfelf a Deacon. But are we to conclude from this, that St. Peter wlk no. .more than a modern Prefbyter, and that St. Paul was no more than a modern Deacon ? If we drop difputation about names, and have regard tgi fa6ls, it is apparent, that the commifTion which our Saviour ^ave to his apoflles, implies the perpetuity of their office, and that the powers conferred on Timothy, and Titus, and the angels of the Afiatic churches, indicate their elevation to that office for the tranfmiffion of it, in uninterr^gpted lucceffion, to the end of the world. And in this conctm the teflimony of air ecclefiaflical antiquity, as is Well known to thofe who really have perufed the writings of the Fathers, and particularly the writings of Eufebius, JBishop of Cagfarea. That Prelate, who, Mofheim fays» is *' iuflly famous for his profound knowledge Qfeccle- ' • fiaaical laftical hifl alifl of the the Roman nine, that i; Jerome, wl favourable succeirots i funt. ThatBlfi poifefs the Century b\ upon his b tian. Bu Bifhbp of S that his 0| modern tin different cs the Prefby enemy to i he let up was fvei' h fo clear, th to point oi antecedent! and not by In Scotia form of chi light in thai Bifhops wei to know th gefs, &c. ; Ireland, ar that Palladi Scotia majc amoa gion .1 read a moil r Brice, the Epifcopacy. the Bifliop, led in India, c in harnio- Linited in all :herefore, of found none, eate, but to ar open the led in chriii- fon, and lei's ts venerable iv? the titles ime perfon. fa men el's of calls himfelf Us himfelf a bat St. Peter that St. Paul ve regard tgi our Saviour their ofl&cc, d Titus, and ;ir elevation iinterr,upted this concUK as is Veil J writings of >f Eufebius, jflieim fays* ge of e<?cie- ftallical ( ^M aftical hiilory/' has given its, in his EcclefiafticaUIinory, ^« lift of the Bilhops who prefided in the principal cities of the Roman Empire, from the Apoftles down to his own (ime, that is, to the early part of the fourth century. Evei> Jerome, who has fo often been difingenuoufly quoted as favourable to prelbyterian parity, fays, that all Bifhops arq succelfoj-s of the ApolUes, omncs Apoltolorum fuccefforep funt. » ■ That BifiiopS ani Prefbyters are of the fame order, and .poflefs the Car e power, was firft afferted in the Fourth Century by one Aerius. a Prelby ter of Sebaftian in Pontus, upon his being difappbin ted of Wie Bilhoprick of Sebas- tian. But we learn from Epiphanius, who was made Bifhbp of Salamis in thp jaand of Cyprus in the year 303, that his opinion was branded as /o//^^ and maUness. In modern times, it has been adopted and defended, from different caufes, and for different ends, by the Jefuits and the Prefbyterians. John Calvin, although no profefled enemy to epifcopacy, a6^ed on it, when, in the year 1541, he fet up at. Geneva, the firrt Prelbyterian Church that was pvei- beard -of in the world. Of this, the evidence is fo clear, that, with Hooker, we challenge our adverfaries to point out, in any part of the world, one church which, antecedently to that date, was Ordered by their difcipline, and not by oui-s. in Scotland, fays Dr. Burns, " Prelbytevianifm was the form of church government from the firfi; dawn ofchriftiati light inthat country till the Fifth Century, when Diocefan Bifhops were introduced by Palladjus." Dr. Burns ought to know that authors of no lefs name than Ufher, Bur- gefs, &c. make a diftin6lion between Scotia major, or Ireland, and Scotia minor, or Scotland, and contend, that Palladius was fen t by Celeftine, biftiop of Rome, inio Scotia major, or Ire-and, to propagate the Chrifiiarn reli- gion among the inhabitonte of that ifland. When Dr. ...I D BujDs % ( fin ) Burns is pleafed to (how, that he was fent into Scotid minor, or Scotland, that he found the people there all I'rcfb) terians, and that by his labours among them he maiie them all Epilcopalians, he will have the mefit of a disco, very entitled to attention. But, while this discovery remains unpublifhed to the world, let it be believed, that the Church of Scotland, from the firft dawn of Chriftiaa Light in that country till the days of Palladius, was not conflitutcd according to the fcheme of prefbyterian paritv. It has been obferved, that the Greek word, prefbuteriou in 1 Tim. 4, 14, fignifies the office and Itation, as well as a college or number^ of Prelbyters. In thisfenfe it is underftood by foiiie of the Fathers, and by Calvin, whofe words are, " Paulus ipfe alibi fe, non complures alios, TimotheomanUs impofuifTe cotniiiemorat. Admoneavte,' inquif, ut gratiam fufciies, qusc in te eft, per impofitionem manuum mearum. Nam quod in altera epiflola de iit^ sitiotie niammm Frejhyterii dicitur, non ita accipio. quafi • Paulus De SanaorUni Collegio loquatur-, fed hoc nomine ordinationem ipfam intelligo, quafi diceret : Fac ut gra- tiam, quam per manuum impofitionem, cum te Prefbyte rem crearem, recepifti, non fit irrita. ' But, if it is underflood in the fenfe of a college or number of Prcfbyters, it will not be hard for a man to we/l sicqua'wted \s\t\\ the writings of the Fathers as Dr. Burns, to recollect, that Ignatius denominates the Apoilles the Pre%tery of the Church, and that ChryfoHom faya, the ApofHe fpeaks not here of Prelbyters, but of Bi'fhops; becaufe Prelbyters do not ordain. Nor muft it be omit- ted, that, in the place where Jerome endeavours to raife Prefbyters to as near an equality with Bifhops as he can, he admits that they have not the power to ordain. Quid] enim, excepta ordinatione, facit Epifcopus, qpod non facit Prefbytcr ? What, exc.-pt ordination, does a Bifhop which a Prelbyter does not do ? Indee Indeed, ficiently d< doubt, kn( Mcletius, ; ters, while huh us, a Pi 9s a lay ma But, her gaged in c( nate Mona Bifhops, an ters of Ale: from the d alfo, flates of Bifhops fact, that it reflored in conform, \\ fecrated a; Irom this principle" by ters, in have been Accordir Evangclif^ the Prefbyt chofen out gree." Na Heraclam unum **x Epifcopum of a cufloir what was \\ the Church It WAS, tha It into Scdtid ople there all them he made jHt ofadisco- hia discovery believed, that i of Chriftiaa dins, ^vas not 'terian paritv . prefbuterioii on, as well as lis fen fe it is I^alvin, whofe ipliires alios, Admoneate, impofitionem tlola de i/f^ji»' accipio, qiiafi i hoc noinine Fac lit gra » te Preibyte-i a college or a man sozccll as Dr. Burns, Apoilles the om fays, the of Bifliops; it it be omit- ?ours to raife >ps as he can, rdain. Quid 5, qviiod non loes a Bifhop, Indeed ( 27 ) Indeed, the judgment of the Primitive Church was fuf- ficiently declared on this head, \vh<'n, as Dr. Iknas^ no doubt, knows perfectly well, the Prcfli} tt rs ordained by Mcletius, a fchifniatical Bifliop, were rc(;ci^ cd as Prclby- ters, while Ifchyrus, who had been ordained by one Col- hithus, a Prelbyter, prctcndiDg to be a Bifliop, was treated its a layman. But, here. Dr. Burns introduces Archbi/hop Uflicr en- gaged in convcrfation with Chariei I. telling that unfortu- nate Monarch, that Prefbyters alone futccfnvely ordained Bilhops, and producing, as an inflance of this, (he Prefby- ters of Alexandria choofjng and making their own Bifliops, from the days of Mark, till Heracles and Dionyfiiis. He, alfo, dates as " a fufficient acknowledgment of the identity of Bifliops and Prefbyters, in point of order, the fimple fact, that in the reign of Charles II. when I'pifcopacy was reflorcd in Scotland, the Prefliyterian Clergy who would conform, were liberally received, and many of them con- fecrated as Bifliops without Episcopal ardi nation," and irom this " Ample fact" infers, that '* on any other principle" than that of the identity of Bifliops and Pres- byters, in point of order, " a fpurious fuccelTion muft have been introduced." According to Jerome, " At Alexandria, from the Evangelilt Mark to the Bifliops Heracles and Dionyfiits, the PreflDyters called by the name ef Bifliop, are alwavs chofen out of their own body, and placed in a higher de-^ gree." Nam et Alexandria; a Marco Evangelifto usque ad Heraclam et Dionyflum Epifcopos, Picfbyteri fenijier UHum ''x fe eleflum, in excelfiori gradu collocatum, Kpifcopum nominabant. It is true, Jerome fpeaks here of a cuflom peculiar to the Church of Alexandria. But, what was this peculiarity ? Was it, that the Preibyters of the Church of Alexandria consecrated their Bifliop ? No : It w^s, that their Bifliop was one always chofen out of their ( 28 ) Ihcirown body fivxn the EVangelin; Marie to thfi Bifhdps Heracles and Dionyfuis, that h, to the middle ol" the Third Centi.iy. The peculiarity in qiicflion, therefore, intlead of proving the point for which it is brought forward, is an Evidence ofthc Epifcopacy of the Primitive Church ; for I pielirme Dr, Burns v/ould not fay of the Moderator of the General Adcmbly ol the Kirk, that he was collocalus in exceh'iori gradu, unlefs by gradiis he chofe to mean tho chair in which he fat, or the lleos by which he. afcdnded to that fhort-lived pre-eminence. The Scottifl) preachers, Mr. John Spotswood, Mr. An^ drew Lamb, and Mr. Gavin Hamilton, were conlecrated Bifhops, on the 3 1st O^oher, \(i\ o> in the chgpel of Lon- don-Hoiifc, by the Biffiops of London. Ely, and Bath, ivirhotit being pr^vioufly onkined cither Deacons or JPrefliytcrs. This wa3 done on the principle, that the fnperior order of the Epifcopafe rveceffarily comprehend.s, toocther with its own aj)propriate powers, the powers of the two inferior orden of the Deaconate and the Prefby- teratc. But, from fuch a principle it never can be fhown, that Bifhops and Prefbytersare the fame in point of order, as i)r. Burns appears to. imderftand the word order. The reverfe, indeed, is the inference which muft be drawn from it^ In the prefeiit cafe, ho^^ever, there is no neceflity ot having rcfourfe to it. For, on the reftoration ofEpifcopacy in Scotland in the )ei<in of Charles II. Dr. Sharp, Mr. Andrew Fairfowl, Mr. Kobert I.eighton, and Mr. James Hamilton, whom His Majefty had felected for the Scottifli Epifcopate, being convinced of the invalidity of their former ordination, were firft ordained Deacons and Priefts, and then, according .to Mr. Adam in his Religious World Displayed, were con- fecrated in St. Peters Church, Weliminfter, on the isrh -.of December, leci, bv four of the Englifli Bifliops. That thei'e Prelates afterwards acknowledged the validity of Presbyterian Preflbyte without! por true Ofthc the fake dcred, an with " Burns co that whic TheEpif( were of i flot be c£ form to recufante incumber hours. J do, indcc doftrine, think the appear to reafons f from, the • onewill € and bigot: the prefut pf mifrepi r > '• Iti fayir Scotland, is perfect] no revenu ambition/ correft. , that the ' North of S there are ) the Bifhdps 5 ©rthe Third ?rorc, inHeatl ibrward, is an Church ; for Moderator of as collocalus ; to mean the ;. alcdnded to ad, Mr. An- conlJecratrd qpel of Lon- f, and Bath, Deacons ov )le, that the omprehends, le powers of I the Pfelby- in be fhown, tint of order, order. The drawn from > iieceflity ot ttland in the airfowl, Mr. whom His »pate, being ordination^ n, according I, were con- on the I5rh iop,s. That validity of 'resbyterian ( «9 ) Preftyteria'n ol-dfnati6n/and COnfecrated mwff Biffwp^ without Epifcopal Ordination, is a thing not liUly in itl'elf por true in fact. * Of the Church, in ^hich thefe Bilhops preAded, and for the fake of which one of them was most barbaromfij mur^ dered, and which, no doubt, has a very clofe connexion with " the defign and duties of the Elderfliip," Dr. Burns communicates! information not much better than that which he dilcovers with regard to fomtf other matters. TheEpifcopalians in Scotland, confidered as a body, never were of the prefent Prelbyterian Eftablifliment, and can^ Jot be called DiOenters byt as they are recufants to con- form^ to that Eftablininient. But in their charaaer of recufanta to conform to it, thev violate no duty which if incumbent oirthem as faithful fubjeas, and good neigh- bours. The reafons by which they juftify their conduft, ^%.^^' impb'* <hat the Prefbyterians are neither in dotlnne, nor in wor/hip, nor in government what ther think they ought to be. Dr. Burns, however, does not appear to be the man who is qualified to invalidate their reafons for keeping themfelves in a state of feparatioij *ram,the Presbyterian Eftablifhment. This, certainly no one will ever do by indifcriminate charges of illiberality and bigotry, preferred in thefpirit of animofity, and with the prefumption of uncharitablenefs, and the difin<^enuity pf mifrepresentation. ^ Iti faying that the Bifliops of the Epifcopal Church in fccotland, have no " temporal jurifdiaion." Dr. B' ns IS perfectly correct. And if he had faid, that they .lavc no revenues which - might operate as lures to youthful ambition," he would, in this alfo, have been perfeaiv correa. But the whole truth is not told, when he fays that the - Epifcopalian Diffenters are numerous in the I^orth of Scotland." In moft of the towns in the South there are refpeaable congregations of them. I think' that Kf! ( 30 ) !hat in E(linbiir«Ii and Lcith will be found fix. if not (even. And although in thele congregations cannot be cnume-^ rated all the wise men after the flesh, all the mighty, and all the noble, yet to them belong fomc of the first families of the Nobility and Gentry in vScotland. But it is not true, that one of their Bifliops is ftiled Primate. Indeed, the tiflo, regarded as fynonymous with Archbifhop, and cxprcffive of civil rank and pre-eminence, was, foon after the Revolution, dropped, and that of Prnrim adopted in its place. This change, which was made when the Epis-. copal Church became a focicty no longer connected with the State by a legal cflablifhment, was defigncd to remove a ground for fufpicion, that her Bilhops kept up a claimi to civil diftin6Uon and temporal jurisdi61ion. \n Dr. Burns' View, &c. \ difcover nothing which can \y\',i\e mo be of opinion, that his Kirk, in fimilar circumtlances, would have been fo unpretending, and, at the fame time, fo refpe61able. In fine. If Dr. Burns, by exhibiting the Episcopalians in Scotland asDiflenters, whofe Bifhops are ^' not recognised in law," and •' have neither revenues no» temporal jurisdi6lion," intended to make them be meanly thought of, and by this to rait'; a prejudice againft ihem, he would be guilty of calling reproach on the Primitive Church, of disgracing his own with thofe who know and confider her original, and of making the glory of a Church confift, not in fouml doctrine, pure worfhip, and fcriptural order, but in diItin61ions of lecular powei and wealth derived from the state. But, much mitlaken as Dr. Burns is in many things, I perfuado myfclf, that,' in giving " A View, &c. of the Church of Scotland, as by Law Eftablifhed," he has not fo far lofl view of the nature of Chrill's Church, as a kingdom not of this world, as to intend and do a thing fo unbecoming the chara6ler of a Doctor of Divinity, and lb injurious to our common Chriltianily. It remains that I confider the tellimony of the Fathers to k) which ] quelHon w advanced t teniions. evidence o ground foi intereiU of lowing qu( *'U was fion of the lipiscopo, having of j it to be acl Accordir Chri/Uan C the orders " It well b order, what particularly God, at th< inmister un, ferviccs, anc and to the J the Layman manded to Ignatius f Christ ; and as the Sanh< Adhere to tl" I>cacons. Gi *o you. As also with the He that hon But he that sters unto xh of fcven. eniime-. ;hty, and t families It is not Indeed, >op, and jon after [jpted in he Epis-i ted with > remova > a claim !n Dr. nake mo nilances, ne time, iting the hops are nues nof hem be e again ft on the lofe who he glory woifhip, r poweif millaken , that,' in d, as by le nature Id, as to Ber of a :ommon ; Fathers to C 31 ) to which Dr Diirns appeals in fupportof his HJc of the quea.on vvuh as ninch eafy .llurance as ever Ilildebrand advanced the mod unfounded and extravagant of his ore- ten .ons. Whether that affurance is to be rela"-dedM an evidence of his learning, a proof of his canloir and a .'ntrfJ:? "'f ''"' '" ''^ "'■•'^'"^"^' where the dear \rl "•^P'-e^bytenan panty are concerned, let the fol- lov^ang quotationiJ decide :— 'Ml was,- fayr. Ho0ker, " the general received perfua^ fion of the anuent ChriUian wodd, that Kcclesia^e i„ tp.scopo the outward being of a church confilledinthe it to be a church, which was not lubject unto a Uifliop " |hiin,an Church ,n the language of analogical allufion to KZn] f P^'^^^h°-^ i" the Jewifh Church, IW It wc! behoves us to take care that we do all ih n-^s^in Older, whatfoever our Lord has commanded us to do'and parncu arly that we perform our offerings and fervrces"o jmrusier unto him. For the chief Priell has his proDer nH r\'"? '^-'^^ ^''^^^' '^''' P^"P^r places is appSd t^dXr i^v^n"^^^ ^'^^'"^^^ ^-"^^ °^-h^t '^ com- Ignatius fays, " Let all reverence the Deacons as Jef... as the Sanhednm of God and College of the AooE ^tllTtTr ^'^ ""^'^^ of>resbyt;rs^'°d' r. lo vm. A ^^'^ ^° y^"' ^'^°P' t'^^t God mav hearkea also w^'th t^^^V ''^ °^ ^^^' ^"d of Jesus Christ/are a^so^wih their B.fhop. Do nothing without the Biflioo But t th??""^^ '^' ^'^«P «^^» be honoured of GoS' sts t to rhe:^-fr^ ^'^"^ ^^^^^"^ .^^^ ^"-^^^oT -'"i- Irenseiis * y.i ( >i ) ' trenacus fays, " We can enumerate thofe whom lh<i Apoftles conftifurcd Bifhops in the Churches, and their hicceflTcyrs to our own time." But, becaufe he considew ft too Jong, quonram valde lonsum est, to compute the fucceffion of Biftiops in all (he Churches, he inllances in the Church of Rome, tells m, that Linus was ordained th« first Bifhop by ^t. Peter and St. Paul, and names in order thofe who filled that fee after him to Eleutherius. Of th<^ innovaton of his time, he observes, that the\;were " later than the Bifliops, to whom the ApofJes delivered the Churches." ■ Tertuilian fars, " The chief Priefl, who is the Bffhop, has the power of baptizinij, and then the Presbvters aiKl Deacons, but not without the authority of the Bifliop, on accoiini of the honor of the Church, which being pre- fer\'ed, taeafce is preferved." At the lame time, he urges figainsr Heretics theimJverfal confent of Bifhops fticc^ed- jng in a direct line fi-om the Apoftles, and in this fuccelFion metitions Polycarp as made Bifhop of Smyrna by St. John, hnd element as made Bifhop of Ronle by St. Peter. He, alfo, teaches, that by means of an Episcopal ministry \t\ tminteri^pted fucceffion afcendlng up to the ApoUles, the fevcral Churches confidered themfelves as havitig received \\\s doi5lnnes, ordinances and privileges of (he Gofpef, the feetf pKtnted by the Apoftles, to be by this Miriiflry of their own inftituti'on propagated in all after ages to the end of the world. Cyprian fays, " The EptscopatI is ont and indivifible, of which each Bifliop holds his imdivided portion. Epis*- copatus unus est, cujas a singulis in solidum pars tenetur. Our Lord, whofe precepts we ought to reverence atid obey, when he was fettling the dignity of the Bifhop, and the conftituticm of his Church, fays to Peter, in the Gofpel ' I fav uiTto thee. Thou art Peter, &c.' From thence the order of Bifhops, and the coni^itution of the Chutch, • - — • • ha\'e have defect tho Chinch thi.- Church cQntrol. 1 without a ] the Church thpre are a in the Chui Church in i the lawful J nion of thei separate coi divcisa con!) Theodore ciently callc of Apostle V the name of ctcntly calU Apostle of Timothy of ilenominatio apostle to bii second centi ever, " not i centuries, b^ mediate fuco fur Clement, called Apostc is by Chrysos and bifhop." Jerome's n roman opini with certain : Jeen again z )acy,— but f r whom \h4 and th^ii" ! consul era iipiite the iflanccs in Gained th« s in order i. Ofthi ere " later ivcred Ihe he Birtiop, bvters ami Bifliop, oil )eing pre- , he urgd* IS ftrccefed- fucceifioh y St. John, eter. He, ninistry in jolUes, the g received he Gofpef, ^irijflrv of [€s to the indivifible, an. Epis'- [fs tenetur. ? and obey, ), and the he Gofpet onni tltencc le Chiitch, ( " ) have defccndcd to u , through a regular fucccflion; fo that th»- Church is loumled upon the Bifliops, and every act of thv Church is um'.r i heir direction and subject to their cqnrrol. The sn ic lather assures us, that no Church was without a liifhup, and inculcates, that " the Biihon is in the Church, and the Church in the Bifhop; and that, if thpre are any who are not with the BifTiop, they are not in the Church." Of schismatics who set up a particular Church in a particular Church, and act in opposition to the lawful Bilhop, to draw away people from the commu- nion of their lawful Minister, he alTirms, that they set up separate conventicles for themselves, convcnticula sibi diversa constitucrunt." Theodorrt .says, " Those now called Bifliops were an- ciently called Apostles; but in process of time the iiame of Apostle was left to them who were truly Apostles; and the name of Bifliop was restrailied to thosfe who were an- ciently called Apostles. Thus Epaphroditus was the Apostle of the Phillippians, Titus of ihe Cretans, and Timothy of the Asiatics." That " this change of the denomination of the highest order ol ecclesiastics, frt)m apost/e to bishopy was made about the beginning of the second century," is highly probable. It appears, how- ever, " not to have been strictly attended to, for several centuries, by those who had occasion to write of the im- mediate fucceflbrs of the Apostles in particular Churches ; fur Clement, Bifliop of Rome, is by Clement of Altxaiidria called Apostolos Klemens, and Ignatius, Bifliop of Antioch, IS by Chrysostom styled Apostolos kai Eniskopos, apostle and bifliop." ' ^ i i > if Jerome's mind on the subject is not to be collected roman opinion, delivered in the warmth of expollulation ^ith certain reprehensible pei-sons, and after all, as has Jeen again and again fliown, not unfriendly to episco- wcy,— but from what he has writteu in general. Now E JcromoT ill :h ( 54 ) Jerome says, " That we mav know that the apostolic irk* ditions or institutions are taken from the Old Testament ; what Aaron, and his Sons, and the Levites were in the Temple, that the Bifhops, and the Presbyters, and the Deacons claim to be in the Church." Et ut sciamus tra* ditiones apostolicas sumptasde Vrteri Testamento ; quod Aaron et filii ejus atque Levitas in templo fucrunt, hoc sibi Episcopi et Presbyter atque Diaconi vindicent in ecdesia." The safety of the Church depends on the dignity of the Chief-Priest, that is, the Bifliop, to whom, if a peculiar and fuperior power be not given, there will be as many schisms as there are priests in the churches." Ecclesias salus in summi sacerdotis dignitate pendet, cui si non exors quffidain, et ab o^n^Ibus eminens detur potestas, tot in ecclesiis '^icientur schismata quot sacerdotes." James, immcdia y after the Lord's ascension, being by the Apostles ordained Bishop of Jerusalem, took upon him the charge of that Church. Timothy was ordained by St. Paul, Bifhop of the Ephesians, as was Titus of Crete. And Polycarp was ordained by St. John Bifliop of Smyrna." Jacobus, ab Apostolis statim post ascensionem Domini Hierosolymorum Episcopus ordinatus suscepit ecclesiam Hieroiolyma^. Timotheus a Paulo EphesioTum Episcopus ordinatus, Titus Cretae, Polycarpus a Johanne Smyrnas Episcopus ordinatus. Chrysostom says, "Bishops and Presbyters have certain offices in common, namely, preaching and presiding in the church ; hiit to Bifhops is committed the power of laying on of hands, and in this they are superior to Pres- byters " The laying on of hands, or ordination, he makes the Bifhop's prerogatives, and speaks of it as " the prin- cipal of all ecclesiastical powers, and that Which chiefly holds together the Christian Church." From these Fathers, all of whom were Bishops, except Tertullian and Jerome, who were Presbyters, a great deal more more mu the extra in their < necessary satisfy an^ Dr. Burns mandmcn tliemselve with the JEpiscopac For the duces noti to be beli< proceeded to dazzle scheme, d sideration be advoca Fathers, h from them he might i of holding divinely it hoivmortil have been for examp Bifliop blel all the Pres his head be ordinatur, caput ejus man us suas Now, these Burns' purj: a Presbyter hold their li posto.lic irix- Testament ; rN'cre in the :rs, and the scinmus tra* ento ; quod unt, hoc sibi in ecclesia." ];nity of the fa peculiar be as many " Ecclesia; cui si non ur potestas, sacerdotes." n, being by )k upon him ained by St. Crete. And of Smyrna." em Domini it ecclesiam n Episcopus me Smyrna; have certain presiding in ic power of nor to Pres- )n, he makc.^ " the prin- fhich chiefly ^ops, except a great deal more ( ) more might have been quoted to the same purport. But the extracts which have been made from them, and given in their own very words, whenever it was deemed at all necessary, are, it is presumed, abundantly sufficient to satisfy any man, whose mind is open to conviflion, that Dr. Burns, by a new mode of breaking the Eighth Com- mandment, has made the Fathers bear false witnefs against themselves, whether they be considered as men clothed with the Episcopal character, or witnefTes attesting the Episcopacy of ihc Church in their time. For the fcheme of Presbyterian paritv, Dr. Burns pro- duces nothing from Councils, although they also, if he is to be believed, are all for it. If this reser\c, on his part, proceeded from delicacy of feeling, which made him loath to dazzle us with cxcefs of evidence in sup])ort of that scheme, due credit must be given him for such kind con- sideration of our unhappy ca^e. But, since his cause mny be advocated against us from Councils as well as jroiii Fathers, he might have favored us with a few quotations from them, that by the accumulation of proof upon proof, he might fliame us out of the very glaring and absurd error of holding Episcopacy, and not Presbytery, to be the divinely instituted form of Church Government. And hoiv mortifying so ever this might have been to us. it would have been perfe6Hy easy for him. A Council of Carthage, for example fays, " When a Presbyter is ordained, the ■ Bilhop bleffing him, and holding his hand above his head, oil the Presbyters who are present, hold their hands above his head beside the hand of the Bifliop." Presbyter cum ordinatur, Episcopo eum benedicc^'e, et maniim super caput ejus tenente, omnesPresbvten, qui prassentessunt, manus suas juxta manum Episcopi super caput ejus tenent! Now, these w'ords of the Council would have "served Dr. Burns' purpose very well, by being thus quoted ; " Wheii a Presbyter is ordaincdt all the Presbyters who are present hold their hands above his head." Presbyter cum ordina- tur. ( 36 ) tiir, omnesPrcsbyfcri,qni pVesentes sunt, manusstiassupci« caput ejus tenenf. And after so clear and undoubted a testimony from the Fourth Council of Carthage, to deny, that there is any warrant for t^rdinntion by Presbyters in the records of Councils, is the same as to deny, " after reading the works of Thucydides and Livy, that in them mention is made of any facts relative to the histories of Greece and Rome." The fact is,jhaf, in the Primitive Church, wns held no Council, the Canons of which do not imply or afTort the universal prevalence of Episcopacy as the form of Govern- ment srivcn by Christ throu«ih the Apostles to the Church. The Jpostn/ica/ Canonn, " wh.ch,"says Mosheim, "contain a view of the church oovernment and discipline received among the Greek and Oriental Christians in the second and third centuries," exprefs, in the fullest manner, the superiority of Bifhops, as alone having the power to ordain; and -"nact, that a Bishop fliall be ordained by two or three Btihops ; and Preshjjters and Deacons by one Bishop, No where, indeed, in X^^t first ages of Christianity, were there Chijrches without Bifliops,. The opinion then enter- tained, in all places, of the necefTity of Episcopacy, was so strong, that, " if some turbulent and ambitious spirit r^n into a schism, it was never to the destruction of the Epis, copal authority ; the very schismatics glorying in it, that they had a Bishop upon whom they depended." It is evident, then, from every document which has come down to us of ecclesiastical affairs, that Episcopacy was the form of government in all the Churches in the second century, iiut, when we consider the situation of Christians during that century, as a people who were persecuted by the Rulers of the world ; when we contemplate their fide- lity as believers, who were conscientiously obedient to the precepts of Christ ; when we regard their integrity as men, who V»'ho siuc probable would yi concur v left by tl nounced of any op tan find it ? " \\ tantistn, \ the Mctan fiiall see and fleep, lo believe in the Chu after, agai Christ, be (ransforme " Wher not fear tc thing in \h of Bifhops Ghost was To those niftry as a \ ?ofitive inf Jthe indulgei jof mere mc [Episcopacy [perfonsoftl [attentive anc Bishop H le fhows, th )ofedofthe is a pofitive ] Wh lO Sii ( 37 ) cerely respected the rights of everv omp • ;= ;* Tih,^ '"„''',!:'■:!"!."'!'" '» ^/fl-op^. -o thus would conc^ur with them in the overthrow of the ie.tby the Apostles in the Church nomced probable, wh government. If this can be pro- Zm : ^ ■ ^'^'"'".'?^'0'-^h, - I fhall see Lll the fablesTn til se;""'; :'?,"^^^^ •''"^ P^'°-^ ^-- stories /t:;i and flcen 1 ^f "\"^"^'^« «"d Ariftocracies lie down ana iieep, and awake into Monarchies • thpn w.li t u ■ [Cihost was the author of it." / ^°v To those who have never con«5ifIpr#.r1 ♦!,« r-u /i- ,,. pofed of he ,h4e„^'""'•''?^''""'■^ '=""«<'"ed as com, ^po.iveit:7az;^-i:a^- the !1 ! I it 1^^ ( 38 ) fhe pofTibiiity of continuing it in any way but tliat ap- pointed for the purpofc ; that Episcopacy is the way appointed for continuing it ; and that, therefore, lv])isco- pi>cy is unalterable, and cannot be laid aside without ^elimying the Chrillian Miniftry. Error, and the confcqucncca of error, viewed as extend- ing to the foul in a future flate, are two things of feparate confidcfation. We, indeed, cannot, in the fpirit of modern latitude and indifference, make charity which rejoiceth in ihe truth, take up arms and fight against faith in which 'We arc commanded to fland fast. Nor can wc, of courfe/ beftow on all profeffing Chridians, withoi.t diUinction, equal commendation, as if there was no criterion of reli- gious truth, and Chriftianity might be made whatever men J)leafed, either to fuit their preconceived opinions, or to ipromofe \\\e\r particular views. For this reafon, however, we are not bigottcd, nor illiberal, nor uncharitable. For, jnftead of dealing damnation round the land, we leave judgment to Jlim who alone knows the hearts of all the children of men ; and in our " common fupplications," which are as Superior to the extemporary effnftons of presbyterian declaimers as the glorious light of the sun in his meridian brightnefs, is to the unfteady glimmering of a taper, pray, that " all who profefs and call themfelves Ghriftians may be led into the way of truth," that " all {fUch as have erred and are deceived may be brought into -the way of truth ;" that " they who fall may be raifed up ;" that " all ignorance, hardnefs of heart, and contempt of God's word may be taken from all Je\frs, Turks, Infidels, and Hereticks ;" and " thai it may pleale" our " good Lord to have mercy upon all men." fallacy of Ic The Archdc.icon of Sarom, in the .Second Letter of his reprefentati appendix To tlic Guide to the Church, observes, that ignorance " Presbyterians may be convinced and convi6led, but on efsandund the subject of church matters they are not to be fiknced. ti convi6lio Thejfatisfaaion, •fheyjiav They hai Vestigia have beei ward aga v/ill find tl that a (to dit with f( fore, not impruden communif suite red tc in the fot case, I mi because I accomplifl of misrepi Nation ; bi which has lihhop Sr, Bt /son's Pi iishop Poti Holmrt's A ieny's Guit Parochial ( of the Con Analysis oj While r < the Mem be vince, that but that ap- ' is the way tore, I'^jisco- iside without ed as extend- ys of fcparate irit of modern 1 rejoice th in aith in uhich vc, of courfCj, t dillinction, eri&n of reli^ vhatever men unions, or to on, however, •i table. For, ncl, we leave rts of all the ipplications," r effufions of of the sun in limmeiing of ill ihemfelves >," that " all brought into era! fed up ;" contempt of urks. Infidels, our " good Letter of his bservcs, that i6led. but on o be fiJcnced They ( 39 ) they have a cause to defend which itiuft not be given d« They have ccmm.tted themfe.lves and muft "p oceed In'X'.:""'- ''"r"""- ^^8^'"^-^ts, therefore^ which !!•! r f u ^''P''«^'e them as often as you please von ha ?i'^'"'.'' °^^'" ''^'^'"^ ^ ^" thislaiowS pr ncipL i t w t "?:L r'T '"■'"•"'^' '" ''^''' gainssLeTrlr: m With lome people every time it is told.'' It is there- fore, not unlikely, that Dr. Burns, vvhofe forwird and imprudent zeal has led him to diftirb the peace of ^^ n the fohn of '^"' f^ ''?^^^°'^ '^'"^^''^^ fomethin^ Sc4se rrn-fn*^"^ ™'^'"t any rejoinder, not merely oecause I fhould have to deal with a man who divertinali accomphlhes his " anxious wifh to remove eve t " ol J tai^n f:r'''r°":' byfurfeitinguswith misLp eTn! tat on, but becaule he can write on the fubject nothin<^ ^h h has not been fairly fiated and ably refme "S ^' hop Safe's Pnnnj^Ies of the Cyprianic J^e Bshl AIaL) T"T '^^ P""^^^ Government; BkL fojHrU Apologij for Apostolic Order ; Archdeacon Dnu iemjs Guide to the Church • Rev Mr \ih^'llY Wthe ComtUiaion of the Cnristmn cLcT nAM^ Analysis oj Sacred Chronology, Part IX, vince h^' h^v ^^"''^ of England within this Pro- faL; of fonhSirTl'^ "l"'"^' be prepared to deteft that repreLmJrnM ^^ r^^^^^ ^^'^ deceit of artful mif- Kance r \"^''''' ^°">^ °^ ««'"™'"S ^"^ coniidenV S und^V^''^ ""l "'•" ""^^'^'^ ^'•^•^ fo "'any quar. Church n iK-r^-y*-~ C 40 ) i J"!;; ■il Church of the State in the Britifli Empire, appears among the Churches ot God with pre-eminent s'^'T- ^" ^^^^' Communion, we have the faith once delivered to the faints, purged from all the corruptions of latter ages, in her Communion, we have a form of worfliij), coinpoi'cd after the models in ufe in the days of pure and primitive Chris- tianity, and teaching us in the prayers we otl'er up to the throne of grace, the grounds of our hope, the terms of our acceptance, and the duties of our profefllon. In her Communion, we have the furc cIFion of the chrillian mini- llry, and, confequently, perlonsduly authorized to mini- fter before the Ltjfd to his people in holy things. But the Church of England is no lefs dillinguiflicd for the work of faith, the labour of love, and the patience ofhojie, than for sound doctrine, edifying worfiiip, and apodolical order. "What Church has afferted, in the mod It riptiiral and ra- tional way, the principles of liberty civil and cccleliadical ? The Church of England. To what Church are we indebted i(or our admirable tranflktion of the Holy Scriptures ? To the Church of England. From what Church have come the best and most powerful defences of Divine Revela- tion ? From, the Church of England. By what Church have the feveral truths of the Gofpel been most ably main- tained against corrupters of the Faith ? By the Church of England. In what Church has Reformed Chrillianity l^eeii fealed with the blood of men who expired at the ilake with the invincible fortitude, the unruffled mecknefc, and the divine charity of the Priaiitive Martyrs ? In the Church of England. ^ ■ O pray for the peace of Jerufalem : they ihall profper that love thee. Peace be within thy walls, and plenteous- ^ iiefs within thy palaces. For my brethren and compa- nions' fakes, I will wi(h thee profperity. Yea, becaufe of the houfe of the Lord our God, 1 will feek to do thee good. Now, To the holy, bleiTed, and glorious Trinity, three! Pcilbns, and one God, be afcribed, in all the Churches, alt] honor and giyry, world without cud. Amsu.