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Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc., peuvent dtre filmte i des taux de rMuction diffdrents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Stre reproduit an un seul cliche, il est film* A partir de Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche i droite. et de haut en bas, en prenant le nombre d'images ndcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants illustrent la m^thode. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) LO I.I 1.25 2.8 15,0 0^ m 3.6 |ik. MJ5BS ISiUU. 1.4 [ 2.5 Z2 2.0 1.8 1.6 APPLIED IN/MGE Inc 1653 East Main Street Rochester. New York 14609 USA (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone (716) 288- 5989 -Fax THE ^^'^^^^^^vi-^/i^ DIVINE ORIGIN AMD UNINTERRUPTED SUCCESSION OF EPISCOPACY MAINTAINED. IN A SERIES OF LETTERS ADDRESSED TO THE REV'D. A. W. McLEOD, METHODIST MINISTER AT (iUYSBOROL'OH J IN ANSWER TO HIS LETTERS ENTITLED THE METHODIST MINISTRY DEFENDED. BT THE REV. CHARLES J. SHREVE, RECTOR OF CHRIST CHURCH, GUYSBOHOUGH. " Tluis saitli the Lord, stand ye Ih the ways and see, and ask for ihc Old Paths, where is the good way and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." — Jeremiah, G — l(j. ^' Christians in all Ages are bound to make the Apostolic Order of the Church with respect to the Ministry as well as other points, the model, aii far as possible, of all their ecclesiastical arrangements.''— Z>/-. Milhr. HALIFAX: PRINTED AT THE TIMES OFFICE. BY GOSSIP & COADI 1840. • ^>%^^ t ^ ^ •I If I /? s>^1 I PREFACE. 4 ■ y It is well known that the Church of England does not acknowledge the validity of ordination performed by pres- byters ; for if a minister thus ordained, be desirous of ioininir her communion, he must receive orders from a bishop before he can officiate at her altars ; but a priest from the Syrian, Greek, or Roman Church, neither needs nor can receive a new ordination. It can then scarcely be matter of surprise that a clergyman, firmly attached to her communion, should, when the occasion fully justified it, make known the opinion of the Church, particularly when he feels assured that it is an opinion based on the unerring word of God, and one, the correctness of which can clearly be seen by those whose judgments are not warped by prejudice, or led astray by the popular but insidious spirit of liberality — that spirit which in politics fosters republicanism and radicalism, with all their accompanying evils ; and in religion prepares the way for the wildest enthusiasm, and the boldest fanaticism ; in the praise of which the infidel is loud, for it removes that barrier which separates between him and the object of his fondest hopes ; and the deist promises to himself a rich har- vest where that spirit most abounds. A clergyman, then, may be bold in promulgating the opinion of the Church,— he may reprobate what he honestly and firmly believes to be error, while he harbours not an uncharitable spirit towards those by whom the error is entertained. It does not neces- ^W/^^ i » ^ \ IV s»rily follow, that he is a bigot, because with candour and fir nne s he makes known and maintains h,s op.n.ons.- Bi hop Hor.ley, (whose father had ^<^'-^^^^. er ^ in his charge to his clergy, in the year 1790 thus speaks. "'2 Zr those tho have been nurtured in the bosom ol the fihurch and have gained admission to the ministry, if, Irom a mean complianee with the humourof the age, or ambitious ofX fainro K6cr»Wv of .eniimenU (for under this speciou. Ine a profane indift^rence is made to pass for an accom- name a P""" . . . (, jigavowal of the au- C which heylhl'o^r are silent when the validity rf "LT^--'--» -"''■•'v"-r;v^. r^l^^poveTt .here are few, who hi;^'h'S weakness of f lU, his ..ove^^y nf rplitrious nrinciple, luider tne ainre oi u ^^^ thev ^rfn my estimation, little better than infidels in mas- nuerade" IMhen, they desert her in time of trial and o Seed they hould, at least, in common honesty, resign aU rVvan'tages and emoluments which they receive from hpinff ministers within her pale. A^Mr. M'Leod has taken the liberty to make some V. rtL ni-iinst ine in his advertisement, it will be well to charges agamst me, in nis . ^ ^^ his argu- meet those charges before 1 undertdKe lo reiJiy e mens against Episcopacy ; and, by a statement of fac s Tetto the world how far my interference «"hh, flock hal extended I would first mention, however, that I have re^eaSv spoken of the Church of England as a branch ol he true Church, but at the same time, 1 hesitate not to say, t cannot be made to appear, that every sect and 'lenomina- on into which the religious world is at present divided, has L. 4cri„ urllmarks, whereby it may be designated a branch of the ue ctt'V The cause of the present unnecessary fomroversy I will now state more fully than it has yet been 1 L th^e nuUic In October 1838, I was requested by a ^'/r :„ wh wa a member of the Church to baptize h,, ^Z^A and ts it was not convenient to take the infant to the "^'1:, : Mlchrter. where I officiated, the wish was ex- ;;;;^d that" I wouU baptize it at the house. Xhe service dour and linions. — ng teach- is speaks: »m ot* the r, if, from ambitious 3 specious an accom- »f the au- ralidity of ny, I hope is poverty id cassock, gls in mas- :ria\ and of , resign all ceive from nake some I be well to to his argu- it of facts, th his flock that I have a branch of } not to say, 1 denomina- divided, has ted a branch unnecessary las yet been rjuested by a baptize his infant to the wish was ex- Tiie service being concluded, I returned to the house, and was mot at tho door by the. father, who h.forn.ed mo that his wishes did not meet the approbation of his wife, who was a Methodist. 1 rephed, that if they were divided in their opinion as to the person who nhould baptize their infant, I would not do it. A fortnight u/ter thi., f again preached at the Chapel, and ^•as airam rerjur-.ted by the father, in the presence of his w.fe, to baptize their child. The mother appeared still to be unwdbng, Un which I eould not then account, as she stat- ed that she had no objeclion lo meindividuaUu,nor to the bap- tismal service of the Church. J was prepaPing to leave the house when the father said, ^' It is hard that 1 cannot hav^c my child baptized." I then thought it but proper to speak to the mother very plainly ; and ot that time stated to her wnat 1 mo«t fully and conscientiously believe, and what I thud; can be mmJe clear, that Methodist ministers have no righ to baptize. A few days after, 1 received a very insult- mg letter from thin poor, misguided woman, who common- COS ,t by informing me, that she " was brought to the know- \^d^e of the truth, to know that she was a sinner under the cro.ss of ChHHt." She is then carried away by the vehe- mence of panHion, and plainly shows that she is ignorant of .{ h^?T''* 0/ religion. Her letter contains a sen- tence which almost amounts to blasphemy. « I don't think you are God Almighty, as the Indian t'hinks the pr^^^^t ' This woman according to her own confession, is a Christian She opposes her husband's will from a private and unju t fia: s^ir:r; "''^^ '^ '^ "«^ necessary ire to ^::^. otherwise f^^^^^^^ "^'^^ cannot be deemed otheruise than ^acnleg.ous-and then denies her own Ian- 1 renlv Jr ! • 1 ! conduct, is not this quite natural ?» persons are upheld m their ignorance and presumption true the letter alluded to, the following epistle from Mr. M'L.o.l "^a* |;ut into my bands : — VI « Ueverend Sir, — « I roirrnt that 1 am obliged to address vou on this oc- casion. Were your belief in the dream of what is called -the uninterrupted succession," or " the divine institution of Episcopu V," confined to yourself, and your avoNV..! of it to the persons' who constitute the members o your Church, courtesy might dictate the propriety of «lh«rs»..epmg silence But when you overstep the boundaries which a proper defer- cnce lo the^onscientious views of those who dif er from you should teach you to observe,~and when, in derogation ot the officn you sustain, you strive to make impressions on he nmdsof members of the Methodist Society, unUvourable to the ministerial character of their "overseers," it is time to av aside reserve. I have lately been creditably informed, hat you have stated to a rtiember of the Wesleym Society • • * * that baptism performed by Methodist ministers is not valid ****** I beg leave to say, I am prepared at any time you may think prudent, whether by public viva "oHisputation, or throughV medium of the press, (opu vou to the proof of your assertions. In the mean time, I shall claim the pdvilege of contradicting your statements publicly." My time being much occupied in this extensive parish, 1 could not immediately reply, as it was necessary not only to acknowledge what I had expressly stated but also to Kive a few of the arguments which establish the opinion l conscientiously entertain. I was much from home during that week, and on the Sunday following the receipt of his epistle, was, according to appointment, in a distant part ot the parish. On that day he publicly stated, m the Methodis Chapel ! ! the reports which had reached him, and read and commented upon his letter, not by any means to the satisfac- tion of some of his hearers. Upon my return home I for- .varded my reply with the least possible delay, and addressed to him a note which I concluded thus, «' As you at present seem disposed to investigate the subject of Episcopacy, you had better examine thoroughly, and without prejudice, the ,vorks to which I have referred you.^ It is alt ogether unne - *V>r. Chapman's Sermons, &c., Slater's Draught. VII II thiy oc- t is cttlied iistitutioii 3wal of it ■ Church, ig silence, per defer- from you^ jgation of ma on the avourable is time to informed, an Society linisters is 1 prepared public viva •ess, to put tan time, I statements live parish, ry not only but also to e opinion I ome during ceipt of his itant part of B Methodist nd read and the satisfac- home I for- id addressed lu at present jopacy, you ejudice, the gether unne- nght. ccsHnry for F;,„,eopalia..., to a,lvam.T any ,|,ing fanl.rr „„ th,s ,„tcrc.,„„K..„ ,joc>, ,ill ,v- at ihoy l,„vo writ,™ l,o "Z2 . .prove,l il„,.,. rc„.l y„„r l„„er t„ your conJ^^c' to' r thcr c,l,fcat,on, you „ro in justice l,oun,! to rcn,1 „C Z urn the house of Gel, hut ,l,e uie.nher. of ,|,e CI," rd^ a ,1 ccrely ,o,,e that all parses will judge for tl.cnsol ;, w t .er .p„copal,„ns or No„.Epi,copalian, are in ,1,„ i„ •• Were ts not a word al.out making the contents of ny Ve ;r hn ""' f""^'' " '"" 'viHU 1,0 had al,-oa,ly done, perhaps he hought ,t better not to adopt the course proposed I y , ,e' He dni hoveve,-, upon a certain evening, read Iny Ictte"^ t ome the proprttv of n 1 ,T '"'""'«' '•™''"'^'>' ""■' '"«"'<^"' fro,„ >h/, 7 , '"'""''""g ™y '"'«'•• It was, I believe from that t,n,o determined that it should be made p b| V u ho ,,uest,o,, ,s, how far was he justified in giv m '7 ho «orId a;,n™(. letter, without the sanction of the author f these be the correct i,leas which Mr. M'Leod tnd , . 1" ;~ us!ir 5\:;r:;t'c,o':e':;:;";e:.:rr .0 r.r it" tr ^ -"f - -- -.- and the eh mo? r ""' " ''"' ''""=" ^""^ Ji^cussed, Asanrnof.h ,? "^ ™'"'"^ ''■■""'^ fo"'' Pre-eminent " been ? I fd sc" s Jd'im": T '" '"'"'■' """ "'» •'"''^-' "-' port of his ilea ThTr . ' '' *""" " "*" '*'• '" ^"P- ' . "" P"'"- -Inat he has proved himself to l,„ o „ i P0..ed, and errT^rr::^. ^^t ^IT;!:^^!: T »«...ser would take the fouble to reply to Mt^rMXeod, Z vm %: i if I remain silent, the enentiies of the Church, in this place, would proclaim their cause triumphant. 1 am bound, there- fore, for the sake of the people connnitted to my care, to shew by a correct statement of facts, that the charge of in- terference brought against me, is not by any means applica- ble ; and also to point out the weakness and fallacy of the arguments he has advanced, in his scries of Letters ad- dressed to me. In the " plain simple statement'' which he gives as ihc cause of these letters, not a word is said respect- ing the father of the child. Does Mr. M'Lcod believe that portion of Scripture, that the wife should obey the husband ? It appears in this caae, however, that the husband is com- pelled to obey the wife. Thus much for my recent inter- ference. Come we now to the interference of past years. A quotation from a letter addressed to Mrs. Cunningham, which is to be found in page 5^, of Mr. M'Lcod's pamphlet, might lead some to suppose that the charge was supported by the best authority— my own writings. But what drew forth this letter to Mrs. Cunningham ? Shortly after 1 had taken charge of this parish, 1 put into the hands of an aged member of the Church, " Bp. Onderdonk's Episcopacy test- ed by Scripture." She was much pleased with the work, and thought that it would be calculated to give correct ideas respecting a part of the sacred volume, which, in these latter days, has been so little regarded. She spoke of Mrs. Cun- nigham, and her sister, who were her friends, and who had bul recently left the Church, and joined the Methodist com- munion. Their names being mentioned, I said I would be glad if they ivould read the work which I had lent to her. They did read it, and some time after it was returned to me, not by the aged individual, but by Mrs. Cunninghain, with several illiberal remarks in pencil, by whom written I know not, and a long letter from Mrs. C, in which were found as- sertions against Episcopacy, and a rebuke for sending her such an absurd ! pamphlet : which, however, 1 had not sent, hut merely expressed a wish that she might see and read it. 1 was indeed surprised to be thus unexpectedly, and, as I IX ;l»is place, nd, there- ^ care, to rge of in- s applica- icy of the letters acl- which he id respect- jlieve that husband ? id is com- ment iriter- )ast years, nninghani, pamphlet, supported what drew ifter 1 had of an aged opacy test- the work, )rrect ideas these latter Mrs. Cun- id who had lodist com- I I would be. lent to her. rned to me, [ham, with ten I know re found as- sending her lad not sent, uid read it. f, and, as I tliought unnecessarily assailed by a woman, and |,ad ihe venerable prelate been here, I certainly would have left hi,„ to defend h„ns,..| . U was thought better that 1 should write to Mrs. C and I d,d so ; this produced a reply, i„ which it was stated that no „,ore co.n.nunications wouhl be received on the subject As I a,„ not a lover of controversy, it an- loves-the privilege ot having the last word. Mrs. C after- ward., expressed to her friends her regret for what had' trans- p.red,-s ated that she had been urged by others to write n^. she had done, and was desirous that all should be passed over, as though it had not been. I was al.,o willing, a„,l we were soon again upon friendly terms, and so fur as I am co„! cerned, we shall thus continue. It will be seen that I treat this scnous ! charge of bye gone days with a degree o f'o! berness proportionate to its importance. How far the char-e of uucvferencc may apply to me, must be decided by tho°e who read this simple statement of f„cts,-a statement, be it remembered, which would never have me" ,hc publ c eye had not a over of controversy calle.I it fort,,. To one other' person, whose umpialified assertions, and unbounded preju- dice, required a check, I a,Idressed myself upon severaUc- T,Tl- !" • ' u" f""""""' '■<'^P«"i"S 'he Church. The Me hodists ,n this place have again and again heard me say, that I did not visit amongst them, lest mv doing so should be construed into interference; but notwithstanding all thi! caution, can truly say that "things have beentaid tomy ■drat™r ' '"'"r''" '^""^ ^"'""'''' "-ionarrr?- s ding at Guysboro, when I was sent hither, was, like .ome others whom . could name, loud in his prais of thedoctrh es ft'he 'h ?r^"''^"»"'»"J ■' '"" "■■« he had no retlTe for her, the following will, 1 think, clearly show. Deliver- kL" I'lrt" f ™'™ =" *'-«''ester, he selected for h Te,, ifet; d t'l ?• '" "^ '"■ '"'"'' ""'" """"s "■» o-- - elv s t" ; M ;i"', "'''°"' ■""'• "' •""= '''"^- ""i'^'' 'hem- heives to the Methodist cornmnninn u,,f u„,i „_,.. , . . and ^ere hke the dog returning ,o hu vomit, and lAeZ t fji ill! her wallowing in the mire ! ! What a comment on the text ! What a compliment to the Church which he loved ! I think it more than probable, that if these thirty persons had not returned to the Church ef their early affections and their choice, and other circumstances had not occurred, which it is unnecessary here to mention, I should not have been fa- voured with a series of Letters Much that is stated he re would never have been laid before the public, had I not very improperly, and as 1 conceive unfairly been charged with interference. As this pamphlet is chiefly intended for coun- try parishioners, I shall endeavour to make it as plain and concise as the subject wiil allow ; and my prayer is, that he who is a God of order — the lover of peace and concord, may abundantly bless my humble efforts in the cause of truth, bring us to a right understanding m all things, and hasten that period when his people will no longer be divided by party spirit, and sectarian feelings, but be all of one heart and one mind. I LETTER r. Revd. Sir, yo" .vera pleased .0 bring a,ai',r,fe we" vm '''■■"'''■ "''''^'' your arguments against the r ivt „ '• ^ ',' """' <^-^a"iine succession of EoisTon^L %i "^•,?'""' =""' ""'nterruDted !>■>;■'■ ti.ou»ht, 1 do not now^ he nron^«v n" '"'"•^•''"'^'' indu LMiif in vvTrmth r.,u'i r*^*- , "^ P'^op'^'ety or necessity of who j; tA^ih s^?^ts^ ;;,:;i t t^^'^^^r' ^ ^"^^ a-am. In the very commenZVntt r ^"^''^'^ "°^ ^'^ '"evile of rnc more than /ouTe e ^eAv '^-^'""'*'m^^ ''""'"^ favour of the mode of rh^.r,h '« "' '^'^'^ ^^ produce, in rs a plain, positrv:,1n^d di^etfcrn^^^ "'^^"-^^- to deci'»" "Htted to the tabll of the Wd-J' n!^'^ u''' ^"'^^^'^^ '^^ ad- you are perfectly satisfied fhJv/V. .. •,. "i-^'^^' I presume, ^l^ould be admitid nto cotin^^ ^"^""ts the propriety of Christhn n,?M i ^ ^•""' ^«" ^oubt not Lord^sday, to wor h n i^^^^ together, on the should not bo ^xc uld fV* n r T ''"'''^'"^ '^^'' ^^•'"■•'le^ Whence do you derive vonr . ' ^""^^ «^ '^'^ t.ord.- From the teno^r of S ptuC amf t'o^'"']. ^"'' '^T^ ^^'^^'^ ^ Lhe-^e arguments, von nl^n:..^";' ^'"''1 ''"^ ^^^^"^'then *;hurch, and do notVeniire"^;^^^; Mv""'''^''"^ ?*'''^'" •^*' the you that your views or/"w rS ? '"'"'"""^^' ^o convince on fAie*? point,, are correct and scriptural Now Sir, the same method do we take to convince the modern lai iiudinurian, that Ei)i-serts that eacon has lur views, ill be well evidently ch. or he it, for he niore au- ource thir* ihtM-efon; with the it that no ight, then, man may le his ow n , may, for ih. That^ a si)irit of It is clear raments is anderstand Jch. 19 v., sent liberal i. But all ;il their or- aptize. It Ml by thoi^e whom our Loi-d has empowered to "nrW-.;., ^m... • ,.lace." Witho.. a„„ht ,'ho Apos i, "c r he peA,' I'wh'" were thus empowered anrl iJ Th..; . i"e persons u|j,, ...e^ aUvay. 'through X'i r^^e 'i rr'JSo 'n,,":,,-";,'," world, they who have succeedrd rliP A.. W ■ P ^'' ment of the Church! and were tit'^lf l^'d'" ^^'^^'7^":"- power to ordain to the mnstrv cm I ^ ^*;^"'. ^''t'' Ml to baptize. Jerome, th^":^^ ».'.:;:: ^^^ X,?^': '^ rect ui his statement • nnrl r:^^ - '/^v' *»''■"' P'nectly coi- dern views nf Chn^nU^ "«i|)tJze. To favour the mo- upon the ,„,^,el w'^Sl he n^ ^^1 "'he j;:;:!'f: "''" '^'"'"""' argue, because that the people in the Ip^.; h ' ^ ''* with their f-ices toward, ruler u ' i^Tt"'''"^T' '"' c se form in which rhp U\ i . ^"'- ^^^^'^ ^'^^ pn;- the primit ve C ,H-4^ ^t:?^!'^ Preshyter^ used to .i^ in the model of the ChriTtl-inrh,,-^ '''"''" u'' Synagogue was be proved in this u't 1 ' ' """^ "'''''' "^'^'"^ f='^'lv Therri^-Pni^^i'Ljeu/hS """''• ''' ^'''^"^*^'^ "'^''• , ""-.1.1 oi oi.>nop— these led the nub c devnti»>n< t Mnglecoiigregat on, however ihn\r I "^^"^'""-"- ^o ;l This was nol the c-seT^h'p ri • '^''"l^i^^' '''''' ^''>nfined. been proved '' s' vs Dr R i f>i>nst.an Church. - It hr.. lable 'evid:n;e,';;j:t'^i; tul S^^^^ -^•' ""-";-'- with his bench of elders rxtem ed ol Christian Bishop, tions ; so that in thiri^^pe^. '"^tu • ""'"^''''"^ congrega- Jhere is an important'^^llnl'oi^' 1 ^.^rf^^-f-^' -;;. The .lews were not oA/io-^^/ f« I ' . ^' *^'^'- ^ P- 154. I)ut thev wer^u K ler f i ''^"'^"V^^ers of the synagogue, power could ab Give them ? "?; ^Tl ^^'"'^'^ "^' '^'""•''" - The bishop of tie., ,"'.•' /'"f"^' '^' ^'^"''^''^^ ■'^^'••^''^•'•• elders ; the bishop of he feh^.i'rr' presidency over ih.. ^ent of all parties Tie fir r r 1" ^'V-''-'^' ^'^^' ''> ^''« ^•""- lastA^rf; theotiehad Ll^h " "" ^^'^f ^ ''^"""^mon, the synagogue ; tll^'thJr ^n!:?S;;/^^;i^!-;.-\«^''- """ one w as the messenger or anoel of God ; the other the messenger or angel of the people. And yet notwithstand- ing these essential points of difference, is it to be supposed, as you assert, that the one was the copy of the other, merely hecauso they had the same name, and both of them preached and offered up the prayers. And even the title overseer, might just as well have been taken from the Greek supervi- sors of cities, and the Roman overseers of districts, as from the minister of the synagogue. Again : there was also an essential difference between the elders of the synagogue, and the Christian Church. The latter preach and administer the sacraments ; the former did nothing of the kind. This en- tirely destroys the analogy ; and besides, the title was in ex- i«!tence ages befure synagogues had a being. *** Deacons, also, or those who were employed in inferior ministries, we tiiid in the tem|)le, the synagogue, the temples of the heathen, and in the Christian Church." (Dr. Bowden, vol. 2, p. 146, see also vol. 1, p. 154.) Now, Sir, with these "essential j)oints of difference" before you, can you take the Jewish Synagogue as the model of the Christian Church ? If a synagogue of human invention, having a ministry of human appointment, without sacraments, is the model which you choose, and which indeed seems to please you ; all I can say is, we resign that to you, while we take for our model a Church of divine appointment, having a divinely constituted ministry, and sacraments, without which there is no church. " It is highly improbable that the Almighty would take tor the pattern of his Church, a human institution. It is n)uch njore probable, that the external economy of the Christian Church was conformed in all things material, to the Jewish Church, as will appear from an enumeration of particulars. The congregation of Israel was divided into twelve tribes, under the twelve patriarchs ; so is the Church of Christ founded on the twelve apostles. Besides these, Christ appointed other seventy also ; in correspondence with the seventy elders, who assisted Moses in his ministry. Aaron was appointed a high priest, under whom were the priests, and subservient to both, the order of the Levites. There were then three orders in the Jewish Church ; in the Christian three likewise — the apostles, the presbyters, and the deacons ; to the first of which succeeded the bishops." — {Vide Dr. Bowden, vol. 1, p. 147.) The facts which have been stated should be suffici- ent to convince an impartial mind, that the christian ministry was not conformed to that of the synagogue. of \arr\rr\a Trtii thinb \\\i no mpnn« imnlv r ■ • that the Bishop stands for the High Priest, &c. &c." His ithstand- upposed, , rrierely jreaclied overseer, supervi- as from aho an ;ue, and lister the This en- as ill ex- Deacons, tries, we heathen, i, p. 146, essential 5 Jewish li ? If a »f human hich you I can say model a )nstituted D church. ke for the uch more n Church Church, irs. The es, under tunded on ted other lers, who ed a high jrvient to ree orders wise — the le first of 5n, vol. 2, be suffici- 1 minirjtrir !iiic imnlv J. .^. 35 wordn are-^«' and t^.Ht we may know that the .fpostoUc trt dihonn are taken c .f the 01ject ioyo^n chief priest,^^ and shortly \,ftc e.n rces it hv and states that the three orders under XhT2^\Z\^Z^^: tmn should .to, the same rar.k which hi:^h' pr Ls ' m^:^[ "nd Levue, held under the Jewish. The Minis or i . ten.ple service hr.l a divine nppcu-ntu.enr, .n. u I.' V /' .ays Jerome, let Christian Ministers claim. V , sm v " I r' JKsthe high priest, i.ri<^st and J.evit,., wpre tl e /r/n./, MuMsters of God, under the old disp.nsa I^ so e (K ^t consi,h.re,l b..hops, presbyters, and deacons, .rGol'^i pointed niMusters under the new.'' This ,io doubt is w at t- r^nu^ wouh have us t,, understand, and that the bish p i "Lie " who a one has power to ordain ; his o\vm words are - Iv,: iTj'Ti.-, ,/^'^''^^^''^;i*l""^r'^""^'>^^>vonr:,o„r cause ! .pos lU." •• It o Hu , t "I'ted, that u*,at Aamn the hi.h pVi.st was, theU ne w,' U . !te ';: ;0^:V^="^'^""'* ^"^ l>.-esbvters.''-(/;,.. UoiJrr. r.KTTKR II. Hf.vi). Siir, I w "ih!-'--'^'^-^"'^^ -md dispassionately consider the fu^ >tc.' His 6 fed disposed to pass over the important Epistles addressed to Timothy, and Titus, so quickly, and with as little notice as you have done; and, in its place, shall notice your argu- •neiU against Episcopacy, drawn from the community ol names. The temple service and ministry heing taken as the model of the Gosi)el Church, we have the two Sacraments and the three orders preserved, through succeeding ages, trom the time that God established and appointed a regular minis- try in his Church, to be continued " till time shall be no lon- rrer " It is a fact which cannot be controverteos e< bnder the Jewi.h dispensation the first order was onK to Chm h"''r rT'*" /^"' °"^ "'•'^'«» »'«"e then fom.ed 'he peon e*^ ffrt;; 'n'"^' '''''' r' '"' ""^ ^^'"'''^ ^" -hicli bo peop c, r.ir and near, were by express ( irection of God com "de " ^^r;:;:; Jr^^'^ ^''^^' dispensation, the^«;"; rhmoh '-""hned to one person, because the Gospel seivice of God may be erected without number, as the occn s.on may require. Christ, then, governing his iufint CMi.m b n..d ordaining tn the ministry, 'h^eld the chief oCe oS Ht^llVU"orh^^^'^^"^'^^' ^"^' other sev^U^'at: f:! oH-. .V.!'- A tho Gospel Ministry appears to be fbnned rVm! T" r.i""" «"a(joweU lorth under the Jewish dispensa- tion. And the example of Christ, if he had never spoken i i f paflif^uliirly to his Aposthv-) on thd nuhject, 'Vonld hnvc !)Com a siirticietit warrurit t(» continue the three ordfrn which, im ifewfj, they had ^Iwi ■< tic^u in the Church ot' Go(J. But it does not follow of ri( rn;ikti tiiis clear hy an exaaiple ; jiuppose 1 were giving ilire.tiioiiH l>) one, Whom he should make a judge, i would advise him to ciioose a sober, just man, well skilled in ll>e laws, &o., and t.. i; him, tliai ihet^e vVere (he qualifications required by the law of God in a judgi; : lull could aav man !)e so inconsiderate as to imajrine, that none were lavv?ul juifges, but surli as naii liiese qualifications 5 or tnal aii whii had Ihem were lawful jud.'^es whether they had u conmiisf^J-Mi or not? ! f I 9 he said to Lis Ai.iml,., ..T " "'i" '," "T",'' """ "<""''"'• prcncl. > '/hi, np,« rio he v.lur wL,,^''!;' ' """ '"'« '" tlie Church fb,!evor' or tl.V l'""' " "'■ '/"/ '" '^'^ ^^^ '"""' '^^^' ^°"'""' ^^"* ^'-^^ f« preach the vvZi As then they are " Ministers of the mysteries of ThrJ* » -u_ ,....na.. .« w,uuibeiv€s a good degree. Deacon- riission, but his Church, «n : and yet uroh so far Jomrnanded lis Church, t at first an e this r ir were ever lacon was, 1e Gospel, only been inquisitive service." — antiquity, (natius ex- Christ "— rinks only, 3es to the hem. * * inisters of oins them Ts of the pastors of 5tles gives mediately , that the ministers, tiers, and \y distin- Christian nnd bap- ther qua- he Scrif)- i,) vvith- copclude ere min- he word. Christ," correct, e means e, when resbyter. Deacon- I 11 esses, on the other hand, were expressly forbidden to perform those duties which peculiarly belong to the clergy Thev were set apart by the imposition of hands—" vet this mode ot consecration gave them no sacerdotal power. Women w^ere expressly forbidden the exercise of the sacred functions of the clergy ; and it was made one of the special char-es against the heretics and schismatics, that they allowed wo- men to preach and perform other functions of the ministru " 1 hus Epiphanius says, " there is indeed an order of deacon- esses in the Church, but their business is not to administer the sacraments, nor to perform any part of the sacerdotal oAce, but only to be a decent help to the female sex at the time ot their baptism, sickness, affliction, or the like " And It appears that these duties were confined to certain inferior were ordained. Thus they assisted in preparing them for baptism so that the ceremony might be decently performed. Ihey also hid some charge as private catechists of those women, who were candidates for baptism ; also in visitin- women who were sick, or in distress, or in cases where the deacons could not do so, on account of scandal. In times of danger and persecution they were also employed to minister to the confessors and martyrs in prison, because thev could do It with less suspicion and danger than the men Thev also assigned to the women their places in Church-obperved and regulated their bohaviour-andhad the special char-e and oversight of the rest of the widows of the Church How long this order continued is not precisely known. It was not probably la.d aside all at once. In general it continued lo frer in the Greek, than in the Lntin Church. There uelv Me^crees against f^iriher consecrations of them in the Western Church m the fifth century ; but it is not until the tenth or eleventh century that all traces of them become extinct 1 (henry^s Christian M.) The office seems to be revived or rather assumed, in some Churches of modern date, with'in- liberal A^e. But how far does this custom agree with the ex^ press command of Scripture } - Let vour women keen si- lence m the Churches ; for it is not permitted unto them to .speak, but^/iei/ are commanded to be under obedience -is a so saith the law-for it is a shame for women to speak i he Church."_l Cor. 14, 34. - Let the women le^frn „ , 'Zl^^Jl'jl^t^:.^:^^ ' -«^:'- -t a women to leach I 'r;.^T''^iV"Vr*'-i^ "'"■*'" '""'*' *^"' ^" ^« in siience."— Aim. J, 11,12. Language i-annot be more plain and e.i- 12 «Wortof theiVeu om Vn^^^^^ that passS'Tn "^prophecy, or feel tha thev Hr.^,r"" '7 .•^'^''" ^^ ^he spirU refer to it with every e^Z' T±TJ' '"^P'^«^' ^^ey Zy I'l ""^''tnoes, furhers for thpir ft, n i; P-^°P'^' patriarchs PJe, and ,n all cases betokenpH i .r'- P''^^^^ iforthepeo- from the strain of the A Do^rl^" authority. But authoH^v as the;„..m. /Am^ which rf/^' argument, seems poin ed ouj toTeach^'^^r' '"^'^'^'-^^^^^^^^^ - ^ng the Apostolic comnund this en?. '^ ^ "''"' "otwithstand- encouraged. Can we wonde then r '? P^'-^^^^'-ed in and pleis unheeded, when almnS i'o'' '''" ^P««^«^'^ ^^«^- disregarded ? command so express is evaded or LETTER uu l^EVD. Sir,— w«>nld take his example in all thinY^ r u ^. ^^^^ ^'« apostles ever then we may unders an ft ^ u""' ^''^''' ^"'"''e. What- ;o which I referred vou/m^ ^^'" ^^^ passages in St MnrC ''>^t ages of the ChuTh o tt ''''"' ^ ^^''^^^' from the ear "<»t the invariable cu Lm to n.T-'""^^^"^^' '^' ^^sual thoTX for their several duties? at thrp !'" '^^ ^'""^^ distinct orders however, does not es uno ?h "^''""^'"^ ''"i^«- Our canse :''^""'iance of proof wdiichcinhf T''^''' "^"^ there is an '"•partial examiner. '""^' ^^'^ be advanced to satisfv ever" 1? ' Church to be, ' a shame for 1 Cor. 11, 5v^ 'se of inspi ra- it passage in • to the spirit *ed, they may not till then. evidently to Public prayer )erformed bv e, patriarchs for the peo- 't authority, pointed out woman, ex- woman then !s she be di- nwithstand- 'ered in and stolic exam- i evaded or Jch a slen you insin- ^ i-;.f««r> and much confusion avoided, if we keep in i^ v Tht^'^^^^ powers which were exercised bv the first preachers ofthfr! pel. In order they will stand thus :- ^''^''^"^'^^ ^^^'^^ ^os- 1st. Apostles. 2nd. Presbyter-bishops or Elders, ard. Deacons. THEIR OFFICIAL POWERS AND DUTIES 1st. Apost es to govern the Church-to oversee the pre.- .5nH P -V^l*' ^»^/Jeacons--to ordain and confirm ^ ^nd. Presbyter-b.shops or Eldnrs-to preach, administer St th^^^Si^rS^ n?^^^ cannot admit of a doubt, "in this they aJted im'^e^^^^^^^^ tier the directions of Christ-" Whatsoevprvl Thnii i • '. earth shall be bound in heaven," &".' & -Matt' " ' n ' ^'^ this It IS evidently meant that thev should decl- re w ht 3 Imoful or unlawful, that they should 6tj or S^i ^rant Z r./t,5.-do all things for the* good of the ChCh amUh A Tr should be sanctioned and approved of in heave i- a 1 pv t^^^'r^ -^4--" the infant Church :>fCh"S t.zod the con verts,^he Apostles KirPetLunn from ^^^^^ number, « who when they were come down pr .ved f^^^^ t . -^on can be assigned. The Apostles hen daimed and ovT cised a power superior either to elders or deacons i.dHr exclusive exercise of that superior powe. L m^f w'h.c w m^ satisfy any reasonable mini that ihey «/onV rossesspj th power, and consequently were sunerior to pfllj *'''^^ 2 "I 14 lipon nrtm^* without attendincr to thinrr^ at . . very courteously nor correr fiv •.? • ° J ^^^^^ ^«^'»g not iol only totally unsupported bvh^^^^^ ^^"'- ?"'"' ^'^'^^ i. I'ut is in direct coXSon to th i^ '-'^"'"'^ ^^^^^ '•orUradictio.i is mani iS tve al nrm^''^'"''" '^^^'^' '^'^is was then no ambition no str.TpV"''^"''^^',--^"" «ay "there on the contrary, ment i'ons an n^r.n ^'f^^^y-'' St. John cmnence," th^t' h?s o C ns^r^t^^retn"'^ " '"'" ^'' ^'''' ou.^Iy rejected. And St Pn ,1^ T ^^"' were contumaci- lH.llcd u\y and who fpa^ h f thaf l^'To iU '^ "" "^^^ was weak, and his speech conteSble " and of ^- ^'"f^"? ed nuo parties which strove for n.i^o i ""^ ^f bein^ djvid- the Apostles - as ordinary mJnil?^''^"^^* ^«" ^^^ that periority over thosrwhom /h T"? ''^^^' assumed any su- ciares^^fiutlwll nmo, ^'•^V^" ^'' ^'^^^ S^. Paul de- and will knovv n^V the "L^ if the Lord Ju, power. What will ye sha 11 rom 'V^ '" ^^^^^ ^"^ "» in. love and in the 's^ir t of I'eX.ei"^ "iight easily be adduced, if nSessarv from ?.,'''.' P^^^^S^^ ^^t. Paul. St. John also decla^sf " 'Wh r '^^ -f »i''^'^« ""^ will remember his deeds whritT /Vu^''^^^''^ '^ J^ come I with malicieus words '' Surelv I ^'^^ P''"^'"= ^S''^i"«t us Church that thev exercised rhT« "'''" -^^ nimisters in the pastors, and not becau e the. tere7'r'T "f'' ^^^'^-^ ■lary gifts, for many otLvsL^lf'!!'''^^^^ '""'^^ e.rraordi- ed wiTh the like -its Ym, «f' *^^ H""'^^^^ '""^'^ ^"^^ow- -as in the whoFe 1 ;dv of orl.Vr"" 'it"' the government it to be found n S/«,vhnf ''''?' ^"^^ ^^^'^'•^' ^ '-^^k. rs ? On f hp Zulr^l ^',^^^, presbyters governed presby was is I II you have not only gone co/Ztirvrrq^^ 5 that ry to yourself. 1,^ m?Z rsstl 1^^''^^'^'^'^ '^"^ ^^^« ^«"tra- to ridicule the idea of L'^Sf*''^^'"?'*'^'"''^'^"" endeavour voyance of ^rZ^ZT:^::::^^ ^-^-«'«" i» the con- *ou endeavour to ' having not placed more 'Ptures, that nake appear tlie oj)inion9 you proceed '", which is of evidence, tself. This ^say " there St. John 5ve for pre- coniumaci- k'ho «•' were ly presence •einjf divid- ou say that ed any su- he office of f. Paul de- Lord will, 'ed up, but )rd but in 1 a rod, or passages Jpistles of ' I Come I against us -rs in the f* inferior 3xrraordi- e endow- vernment e. I ask, d presby- iment on at Crete, nenccj is ictly con- tour oion )n ; that ) contra- deavour the con- ivour to 15 characterise it as a mere "dron » i» • • i t . thing in the world to r^ake assertions bn/lT"^ '^' '''''''' to prove them. What, howeve, ' "st hp rL '^"'''' ''J ^"'*'-^ readers to find that the very doctrine of ^.1 '."''^'•'«? .^^JO"*- so often endeavour to sneer at vohprpnT."^'^'''^^ >'^^* rtiit Vnii ua,, « A 1- ' ^?" "^^^ acknow edffe and nd- of he duties o^fthefr'offiJ':"'^ """''''^' "'"' '" >l>e^li.,cl,a go is interrupted is of conr^P h.n -^n ' i '^' succession which resort to lay onlination which f""'' '"'''" ^ ""' '^''^ ^^^ '""^-^ cnte NoSir n th ' '^'^'^^^^ Presume you do not advo- you a Ways, even imtn f « «„ i ^"o "Osdrd Lo I I am with will say fh^t7h?sr«iira°rvtt:dt"nre!rV'"''?P^ Scripture and history are both nc/nin f . I'^^^^^vters, but ties that our Lord nromled fn H^'"'^;!^"' *' ^^"'^ ^^'^^ Apo«- just given a hi/he ^0.^ il^ti:!' ^'"^" 'P ^^hom he had byters snd deaconsTT^ 1 l^ommitto 1 fh /'"'k^'" -'^ ^^^'' ^'''- Further, this same doctrine Tl -^ authority to others. practiceWma roftWts whoveHn'"'" f f ^"''^"^ P"^ *" even among dissenterslr^eniTv no ' "^^'^^ ^^'^ ''• '^^'^« a minister who hTnot heP, ir. '?'? '''''"''' '^^ received as who had the Le verietn nre .: ^>^ ^^^^h^'*' «r others, ministers. Andti^isTucc^s o„ Jfe ve y'ramei^?'^''"^' which you would wr«h if r.r.c.,:M X ^'^"^^ doctrine on ^vith this onW difference ^P^^^^ '^'^'' '^" ^^^' of ridicule ; through the nronVr oSr .f '^^"' succession is not derivec alwa^^,'' ind^Xgt. U re should'b^:^ " ' ^" ^^'^^ ^^"^ the .^oo5«/e«, endowed wihtLi- ^^ "'"'"'^^'^ -successors to stand^ig in their place nnHt-'"^'."^"^ "r«'«''^ ^ffi^^^' «"'' senting";uecession reaches not tV '^ ^^ ^u^^^^' ^^«^ '^i^" voice of history "n everv Lp , ¥ fountain head, while the governors in thVchurch bf i'ho?^'""' '^"^ ^*I" Ordainers and ed, vvhether apostts anael^ '*"'"' '^"^.'""^^ ^« ^'-^'l- to orrfam and Govern' bvittrLn^'P''-'^'*''^^^ commission the source of all authorhv ll'n ^^^'"''"^1?^ ^••°^" C^^i«»' w„iw..„. :.. «" uuuiority. 1 shall resume rhJa r^nn. «r.u. M : i !! !|.| 16 Kpiscopacy Dr. Bow.Ien has written so well on this noint there were .nyriads of Christians at JerSemTand c'o„sf ;' L t""'"''""' congregations. That St Jamefpresided ove these congre-anons, and over tiie presbyters who X I Kted m them, is evident from the Acts of the Ann«fll 'r? part which he acted, cannot be accounted for „nC other su.^ posiuon than that he really was, what the on 5rr ng t Ltl" part cu a Church of Jerusalem. When Peter was miricV. ously delivered from prison, (Acts 12.) he said -^5^,11" i 7a t s:;^/^^' r '' ^^^r^r-'' ^- -'^^ ^^ ^-- than with Jo' wh ';''>', ^^''V.^^ ^^"^^h^^" ^ith James rather nan witn J(^ .. who had not then, nor for at least four vpar^ ~1^i"c /"""'rr "o.^^^" p^"» and'his-^ci'pr; S ad V .^„Zh^tl?v /l^^"^''^^ ^['^ '^^ ^^^^^'•^" ^^«^'^«J then. Imt before certain camc/i-om James, he (Peter) did eirwhh a JerS r^f^T «^^hommany were then residing em an the ef-^ ^^^ ''""' P'""^'^' ^''^"^^ «f Jerusa"- lem, an tHe.>,e tacts, which upon any other sunnosition mu^r ppear very strange, were perfectly natural ; for to what hf Xm 1^1 -f ^"''^^'?."^« ^'-o'" P'-ison, as to the bishop .? ^To whom was ,t so expedient, that St. Paul should give an ac- coun of the thmgs which God had wrought amon". the Gen- ChlX^n^T^'' ""'^ the bishop an^d presbyteJs of the OUiirch of the Hebrews ? And could any thinff be more nit Jv'm rChurJh of"l T^'' ''''''r'' ^'^ care^o'rtioch Clmrph% » T l^ '^'J'^^*' ''■^"'^ ^''^'^ the sovemor of that w th'resr ect ti thTv ^^' "*"? ""' .'^^? things more to observe witn respect to the Ep iscopal authority of St. James. After I * « ^8< this proved by Dr. Cave iu his life of St. John. I i this point, Js.— " The ves partic- >se that all think upon strong sup- learn, that nd, conse- Js presided who offici- les. The other sup- rring testi- hop of the as miracu- '' Go show y to James nes rather four years > company ived them mes ; and go in unto to be with hat when ?, because I eat with those who from the 1 residing )f Jerusa- :ion must what in- I early an op? To 'e an ac- the Gen- rs of the nore nat- Antioch r of that > observe 3. After IQ. ir thccouncilholden at Jerusalem, we find him always jn his came to hirn from Antiocb. bpon which St. AuirustJno ob- serves -they came from Judia ; for James governed the Church at Jerusalem." Several years after this? St. Paul re- turned to Jerusalem, and there he found St. James, and the presbyters with him. (Acts 18.) - James," ac Chrvsoslon. informs us, - was that great and admirable man X was brother to our Lord and Bishop of Jerusalem." * * Anothe? circumstance which proves our jmint is the succession of Sim- eon to James, according to the unanimous report of the an- rt"hp'onH'' ;"^' " e*,pres8ly said by Hegesippus, who wrote n the 2nd century, to have been appointed bishop of Jerusa- lem by the apostles. Ignatius, who was bishop of Antiocra very short time after the death of St. James, atfirms that St Stephen was deacon to St. James. Clement of Alexandria who flourished at the close of the second century, is quoted b J Wbius as saying, that immediately - after the assumption ot Christ, Peter, James, and„John did not contend for the honor of presiding over the Church of Jerusalem, but, with that Church." Jt was also received as an undoubted tac by H.ppolyius-by Cyril ot Jerusalem, and another Cyril of Scv- tenr^^'^'tf *'""!"' ^"'^ Chrysostom-by Augustine and I £ r^K ^'*''^lt"»'"« «"d Phoiius-by Decumenius and IMilus. And It was also mentioned as a matter universally acknow edged by the sixth general council ; and Blondel h n- «elf contessed that it was asserted by all the Fathers. It do^s not appear to me possible, to produce any matter of fact that IS supported by clearer and stronger evidence than thi^ Is there stronger evidence that Romulus was the foundeV of Kome-that Numa was the second king of the Romans, &e 1 here certainly is not. The testimonies to these facts, do no't stand so near the events as the testimonies to the point in que"- t.on ; nor were these facts more universally believed hi tL Romans in all subsequent ages, than that St. James was bishop « Jerus..lem, was believed by Christians in all subseque./t w; vJl 't "''^ ^^^ .'r'u ^^'"'•adi^-tion, not one dissenting Pnultlinn^. I ^T-"^' '''^^'" y°" •^"" a "^»" of profound erudition," bears his testimony to this fact. He affTrms that iirTM'^' "^^''' '^^ P«^'«" «^""^ Lord, James Cs con « f hp i "^^' -erusalem; -bishop in the ecclesiasticaluse 01 the woid ; Ihe overseer ot numerous congrecations, and nn- «r7h!rt*''^'^v' •^*"*i ''"''*' '"* ^''''^OP '"^^ ^a^ thc'supreme power ol the keys, ol cenfirmation and of oidinatioii. h h not. Sir 1 il I IS a iHoKte.xtraordiiiaiy instance of the perversciiess of the hu- o71V.r^'' '';"' 't" "^'^°""^*^« «^P«'-"y should be'o tonaciou oi- Jerome ^vhen he speaks obscurely, and totally re-ardless of h.m jvhen he speaks in plain and unequivocal terms f that hev should ad.n.re h..n for the correctness of his opinion, when hel have the making of that opinion ; but reject him fir his /.Jf- mony because that is inflexible." «' There c^nnnt^r t nwe rational way of ascertaining the'^ml^l ."°of'^' ip u^e' passages which relate to a fact, than to appeal To the teXmn ny of the ancients. To that te'stirnony I Zve appealed Tnd appears beyond contradiction, fhat^he resultTfn perfect r ;a;i;;;7oVt' jrnr^'l?'^" Epi-opaHans give to ZTexS !.^ nJ r !5t. James, if you had the testimony of antiouitv «on)cidmg w.th your sense of those texts, I should immX e- f tTisir'not ?heT"" "T? '" "'^ int^rpretation^l'e'm no twha^s ' V/>^'7f T^ ^"'5 V"^ of proceeding, I know HOC wnat IS. {Ur. Bowden, vol. l,p. 166.) Timothv i^r-l ^d an apostle (1 Thes. 2, 6, compared with 1 Thes 1 1 ) He .s styled by the early Christian wnters, bishop of E^hes- hl """^ ^ ''".? ^i'''"P "^ ^'^'^- ^^^«'-e' however, we eSie he nature of the trust committed to them, it wi 1 be wel" to r Strand ^r^'^'^lF"'''^ ""'' «^ ^^^ ^'^'^ b'hop anS nn/.lLTh u^'"°''^ ^^^^ •'^^'"^'^^ difficulty which so much puzzles those who are not willing to comprehend that which Z^ZklfilVT-'^r' '-''>''' rea^ien.bercd thenV tia' onh f?>r nm.^i -^^""^ '"'.r'^* «^ '^"^ ^'''^ '» Scripture, but Vourown£ r ^'"\-'''- ^"" '""^^ ^^^^''^ ^h''^' according to S? P.nl .ii '''i • °^ 'Tf ^»'"»' (^^^i^^^-^ ^^ of your pamphlet) fet. Paul ca Is himself a deacon. "But surelv " sav von - »o one will contend that the apostle «.«. a de^.on ^n^th^ proper sense of this word, and the circumstance oH^ be „g ^omet.mes app led to certain persons whose office in be Church was to - serve tables- will „ot surely justitV the in- ference that they were " ministers" in the sensi h S^h ch the K^nrd 'tha?:"-" ^r^ '^'^«" ^^^"'^ co„tin"aHy bear ve nlh IV """^f ''^""^ '"''' "°^ ^« ^^ depended 'upon, sire uS Iv hn'n ''°" '''^^''^^^'"J? tl?*^ Episcopal cause, niore con der sf Pa I Th" ""•'' "^^^"u'^" '^- ^^^^ should ^.e not consider t5t. Fau a deacon in the proper sense of the word enou."h Be.«'""' '^""'^^ °"^ " '^^^ «"«^^«^ '« ^''"P'e olc i"^ nn? ^^' ^^T Smprure, it is clear that he exercis- T^Au ""^J assume. For names then we must not con- rend, because that would lead to endless r.nnf.^^on a' ^t "< very ev.Uent, riiat in many instance., rhe n.t^t7'.either can I of the hu- o tenacious fgnnUesR of ; that they , when they )r his testi- t, Sir, be a f Scripture le testimo- ealed, and in perfect the texts f antiquity mmediate- of them. r, I know )thy is exi- les. 1, 1.) 3f Ephes- e examine >e well to shop and 1 so much at, which hen, that )ture, but ording to amphlet. ) say you, >n in the its being 36 in the y the in- I'hich the aily bear ed upot», se, more we not he word, 3 simple exercis- 56 of the not con- as it \ii ther can I 19 nor docs defino the olHcial powers. In the Scriptures the lirst or highest order of the ministry is to be found under e name apostle. " It was after the apostolic age, that the name - bishop" was taken from the second order and appropriated to the hrst ; as we learn from Theo.loret, one of E hers At hrst View, th.s difficulty respecting the names of the s'^ cred orders may appear formidable ; but if we can find the thing sought, that IS, an officer higher than that of presbyters or elders, we need not regard its name. Ir-egulariy in titles and designations ,s of so frequent occurrence yet occasions so litde actual confusion that it ou^ht not to be viewed as a rea n^n A^ '"r^ '"• '• ^^^''^ "'•• ^•^'^^P'^^ to this eflect crowd upon ur. Ihe original meaning of " emperor" was only a general, but .t was afterwards appropriated to the monarch bni r P n"^'"'"' """fiV^S «r' '^'-^^^^f'" ""^^ «"'y « presbyter but the name passed trom that middle grade to thi hi.rhest 1 here are, again, the ' president' of the United States, ° pre^ «idents'ot colleges, and « presidents' of societies ; there are ik V«rf" • ' f ^, commonwealth, ' governors' of hospi- tals, cScc. minis ers' of state, and ' ministers' of religion, * * Ihere are ' elders' (senators,) in a legislature, 'elders' (aldermen ) m a city government, ' elders' (presbyters) in the church, and lay 'elders' in some denominations, &c." Here, one would say, is an almost unlimited confusion of names or designations ; yet this confusion is but apparent • there IS no real or practical difficulty in the use if them •! custom renders .t all easy and clear."!" There was at leas as much difference between the inferior kings, Herod Ar- chelaus, and Agnppa, and the supreme king Ca?sar, as there who r'" m'. PT'^1"''^^"^^ of Scriptur^e and the bishops o .11 th. ''^ ^^T^'' '. '^^ P'^'^ ^'^'^ " King," common to a 1 these, was far from implying that they were all of one pade One irregularity in regard to the application of names, IS particularly worthy of notice. The word " Sabbath" s applied in Scripture to only the Jewish day of rest : by verv commofiuse however it means the Lord's day. Now, " /Ae (Jewish) Sabbath" is abolished by christianilty, and Jhe ob! servance ot it discountenanced ; yet ministers of christian de- een"^r^ Z^ Tn'^^^i'^^' "'"^"^ '^^''' ^'^'''^tian flocks to ■mm th- ^''^.^«.^^- Does any confusion of the mind result irom this confusion of names ? we suppose not. All con- cerned understand, that in Scripture llic word means the Jewish Sabbath, while out of Scripture the same ^vord t com- I'i^uiy appijed to the Christian Sabbath. Let the sam« iuslice oe done to the word - bi.hop.>^ In Scripture it mean, l p.e7- 20 •♦ytcr, properly so .alleil. Out of Scripture, nrcordiii.r >n .h.. » lose J, It moans that sucordotal order, biirherthati nrfld vt!!. Wlic.i a chnstian teacher who enjoins the oh.servnnce of fh. jay which he call. •' the Sabhath," is .XT forhis New 1 e-starnent a.ahoriry, ho has to exclude all t^,e passage- whi.h contain that word, ^Mving them a dirterer.t a piSrorar 5 ^o to other passups which do not contain it : am hf LrinesX «^J^//aL/^^ 'n./*'' '''''Tr''^' ^Pi^-'oPHcy, without K appeuaiton. 1 hus secured by an exaninle whir-h i< in u: ,u «»tee,„ with our opponents generally ?aywc„ ho .o^;**^ ri- ^^'P- J^€st€d Bp. Onderdonk.) " But, Sir afrer n I'm r ti ^^''^"'"';'" ^"'"' "'-^'"^'^ '" tl'« P''««ent case' is a (^ n' pletc fallacy, and a gross misstatement ofthe poin! in dispute 1 he question )s not whether a presbyter is called I . ! K^ . ! that we acknowled,.o ; but whetlJer th^tXe.' v h , ^^Tlj title, was cjual ,n point of dignity and jurisdiction \nZhu ot ofl^ce, character, and powers, with-^TiiLtl v and l^Z and Barnabas and St. PauK and the twelve I fs obvious to baying hat presbyters are called bishops. If you would mo vp the parity „ presbyters with the above nareTrulersJf ?^^ Christian Church, you must prove that they had equal amim nty. equal powers, and consequently, equal mnrThTs"' quires the evidence of fact; and, therefore takasmu-h? you please about presbvters beiri- calleil I i«ho« "m «ay notkin,to Ike i^oint in J^/^^ VV hav'no'^Lp'ute ^hh you upon that particular; but we say it is 1^82; sr^^^^ and totally unworthy of men of sense^and lea mi g^^^^^^ that there was no oflicer in the Church supeHo? to those presbyters or bishops. Suppose presbyters hid continued ?o be called bishops down to the present day, and th^t tK foi ages called bhshops, had continued to be ^ lied a ostles wW would you infer then from this double title ? ThTi res'b^^^^^^^ Xb?e"'BurTf"- ";"-'"^'-. Th- fallacy wVuIdtt 3 a-., .ij„R.vK, ,.{, „,„u yi iuiurmion in iiju nature •fdiiig to the d cation waa 1 pi'esbyters, '• Apostle." nnce of the r his Nevv- !iage8 which tioii, and go argues that ■ Epi.scopa- >p8" we do > the paxwa- a^ 88 which k'ithout that h is in high t hope that of our ar- t, Sir, atler ) is a coni- in dispute. I a bi.shop ; th a double n, in point and Titus, obvious to 5rjnined by ould prove lers of the ual autho- This re- s much as i you will spute with sophistry, :, to infer to those ntinued to ; those for ties, what iresbyters uld be too lough not belonged ivhich be- lie nature 21 I'lLrZ'Zy'crt''- '^^' «"9^-^«ors of the Apostles, undtr the tit e of bishops, are precisely the same that theV would have beer, under the title of apostles ; and yet this tri- v.al c.rcunmtance ha8 ever put it in'the po^er of^oLr on no- conTeiv*:;"' Bn't tf "'""' "^ ^'^'"u '^ ^^'^ ^ ^^ P"-'»^'y I- conceived. But Jet our readers keep their attention fixed Imier I '5 IniT """'«diately.».^(7>. Botvden to Dr. weaknUs itVli '^ P"" ^^" ""' "«^"' ^'^'^ P^'^^^ve the weakness—the fallacy of your arguments ? Do you not seo how absurd h the conclusion at which you arrived You tn eflec say~pre«byters are called bishops in Scripture, there- isTh s rui' d";: ;"'" '" .^'v'^''"^^' ^'^'''- ^^an res»>yterrr! nnf ofX '^^'"'^""'"g • ^«u r"ust acknowledge that it i,, lVwhic^^o^h '""f r'^""^^'^^^^ '^^' ^^" the labour and pains which > ou have taken, and the mathematical skill which you have evinced, have all proved nothin... We acknowlv^e that presbyter« are called bishops in S<.iptu.^, and "heTet?" ■uZ fJom thT :r.V^''' "^^'^^^- ^" '-« certainly do not liter liom thi«, that there was not a higher order in the mi- h'S o"ir "y ?'"';1"V ^^^' '^^ ^.P°^^'- beloilgedTo'that I ^ghei order. You will plainly perceive then that " the mode <.f comparison employed in your argument" does lie open to great objection. But - a similar method" you say «Cob^ served m proving the divine character of the Ho y Ghos^ " and quote ActH 5 Sand 4. This subject oughrn ,t to be n- roduce.1 but with the greatest reverenie. As you have me - t.oned it, It ,s necessary that I should notice it.^ Now aT we heatht 7T:^T ""'' 'ff ^f' i" '^' Scriptures, ;„d the cient to nrovp t ; ""'v '"• '"^ ^^"^'f ' '\% '^^"^ "'»"« >« n«t suffi- cient to prove the divinity of ihe Holv Spirit— it must be proved by his attributes and character. ChHst s called God "s Iv'hewir T\ 'Ir'"^"-^ 'T'^ «'^^ him'tVat Vuie,'n^^^^^^^^ Rn L • ^ ^"' ^^®/ consider not the /mu as onw proof t^.pU!>.7"'^"' '-'T^.^"^ omniscience are ascribed to him^, an Uiese exclusively h^\on^ to Jehovah, he is thus proved o be ^ hli^^^'l^r?! ^„"'^, a« Jehovah alone is thi searcher of ail heaits, and the Holy Spirit searcheth all hearts, he is theretore one with Jehovah.' Again you say, that S? John whom we style a ,i«hop, ealls hiSiself a presb;ter as also St' Peter, and therefore you would wish me to understand that dSa'nd th?t'r^'''''^\'l^' '? '^' «^"- '" which vv^'nowun aerstand that term, and therefore that there was not any order superior to preHbyters. But. mv dear Si. v„.. ."„M ?!.?/. f^ your own reaBonmg. St. Paui; you remark; caiu'^hrmrelf'a (Innccn— " But surely" (you very properly u(kl) " no one will contend thnt the Apostle was u deacon in the proper sense of this word." It would be rather offensive, 1 think, to an Knj(li.sh bishop, to tell him that he was not a presbyter, and lordly as you nmy think them, they do not consider that they demean themselves, by callinjr deacons their brethren in the ministry. I trust that you will give this letter a careful and attentive perusal, and that the community of names in Scrip- ture will no longer perplex you. '^ 1 1 ri M tv m in m th m hu LETTER IV. Hevd. Sir,- My preceding,' letter will have convinced you, I trust, that no argument can be brought against the divine appoint- ment of the three distinct orders, from the circumstance that the terms bishop and presbyter are in the Scriptures applied to the same order, because the term apostle was then given to the superior order. We will now refer to the Epistles ad- dressed to Timothy an Simply because you couM not'S ,1m Ihal power was committed to tliem ? •• When f^erve the difference, and iud^e who^hL ttl ^ i ®"" were ever designed' for 'tb^e"';;,;."/ fo "whi^rfc ^ny had been set over them" " Thnt 'i^^J^^u I'l ? I "^;l"-- ''"J t"'"-" a. Ephe.„s,?„°.'nJ;rese^,S.";?^' - 1"»... iroii, oi. I'ttui's «cond epistle to him , in which' lie7s' 24 supposed in the same office as in the first ; and the like in- junctions, though in more general terms, repeated concerning hia behaviour in it. From whence, I think it evident beyond all contradiction, that St. Paul did not, at this time, once think of leaving the whole government, and the matter of ordination, in the hands of these presbyters. For if that were his design and solemn act in this charge, what occasion, or what foundation could there be for him, afterwards, to take these rights away again ? And how various must his judgment, and how unbecoming his behaviour a|)pear, (and I will add, how inconsistent with the notion of his being in- spired,) to be ])erpetuully thus changing, first giving to pres- byters the right of ordination, then immediately restraining it ; then solemnly restoring to them the right of it when he was taking his final leave ; and afterwards putting the same M restraint upon them again. This is incredible— and yet this must be supposed, if there be any thing implied in the text now before us, to the purpose of the presbyterian cause.— {Brief Defence, p. 121.) St. Paul solemnly addresses Tim- othy, I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession, that thou keep this command- ment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.— {I Tim. 6, 13, 14.) And the things (that thou hast heard of me among many 'nesses, the same 1 commit thou to faithful men, who shall be ole to tearh others I rt/so.— (2 Tim. 2, 2.) This shows that the charge was fiir an unlimited time, and no such charge being given to the elders of Ephesus, it is evident that they had no power to ordain others. The duty of overseeing the fiock, and feed- ing that flock with wholesome food belongs to every presby- ter. But to otiersee many flocks together with their presby- ters—to give wholesome advice to these flocks and their pfes- Ijyters — and to ordain presbyters to oversee their respective flocks belongs to a 1 igher order, of which order was Timothy. That order was first distinguished by the term " apostle,'^ it is now known under the term " bishop,'*— the namt being changed — the ordaining powers remaining the same. You know. Sir, full well, that the term "bishop," which means overseer, is not definite^ that it applies to one who exercises the office of overseeing, whether that whieh he oversees bo a pm-ish or a diocese. You should have stated this, and then it is possible that conviction would have flashed upon your .>>.:». 1 mnA ...-.I, ••miilrl hnvra ft icAnyoforl hiilV riltllp—- hoW filllll- 1111:211, OtMli Vw« TTi_rt.is^i u'tT'-- ^»i-7--v7T-« • --- •• cious— how absurd were your arguments founded on the I •■■■* -St e like in- oncernincr lit beyond me, once matter of or if that occasion, wards, to must his ear, (and being in- T to pres- estraining when he the same d yet this 1 the text I cause. — sses Tim- ]uickeneih lius Pilate command- ng of our he things , the same arh others e was for 'en to the power to and fe^d- ry presby- ;ir presby- their pres- respectlve Timothy, postle,'' it \ame being me. You lich means ) exercises* versees be ij and then upon your ■how fiiH'.i* ed on the 25 co.nmunitv of names in the Scripture.. Before I proceed per nh me tV^JV'f '"'"^' "T.^^'"° '^^"""^''^'^ nomrfnssTon. permit me to ask does your chairman or superintendent nos- .essexcluswely the powers Nvhich were e.urusted to Ti!mt thy t Can your chairman alo7ie ordnin ? Can ho commend reprove, rebuke with authority, rejecting those who wd not' be guided by his counsels ? Methinks if he undertook dtctate to you the extent of his authority w3 .ocm ! e pointed out to him. If then your chairman or superintendem does not possess exclmivehj this power which waigi en at"' to Timothy aiK^s possessed alone by bishops, (in The pre.em acceptation of the term), why do you conipai'eSiiem wi h 'l^. ni?.ie" b't tr/n'r '"'"'^"'^' ^"^ '"^^y ^'^-^ ^hem ^„ nre no/ ^ol^ ^i '''' ""' '''" '"."'" I'"^"^'"^' therefore th.v are not equal As you seem to think that in my private Ipn ter, I passed over Scripture proof with so little notice Irmit Sr Bowdln^'^^ r'' ''' ^'""^ consideration, i„ the wZis of Ur. ilonden, a few questions-you may examine the Scrin- Paul to restrain the Presbyters of Ephesus and Crete from the exercise of their ri^ht of ordaining,^^ supposing , lev p 1^ sessed that right, "without any \pologv for 'so Join without any acknowledgment that this ri^ht did ori-Sh' belons to then, ; without any declaration that it was m H for present expediency ? Why do we find the first pre bite s dealt with by St Paul exactly as he wouhl have dea t w h them, j>ad they been ori^^inal/y prcchided from the Iju f ordaining ?" 2 - If this restraint put upon the presbyter, of I^phosus and Crete was but forashoJt time, (as ion' Presbyterians have supposed,) and was designed to be t S. . fi w hen the ground of the restraint was removed, how come it that in all the accounts of the primitive Church, we rea of their,£b^^l^ ""'^ ""'^^'-^ ^' ^''^^' Immediately upon nnVn i ^ / 'u ^^''' '^""^ restraint, and the same cfist no- T.^Pf'^^'' "^ ^^'^.^ ^" "•"^•'' ^-eal in Ignatius' Epistles ''-1 3. Jf t lis res raint upon the presbyters was designed to bf r mo"ved 'tZ '^'\'^'f' ''''^'' ^^''^'^''^ ""^ ^^'«« a^conling removed, mo and when was it imposed again upon them > ^^ hid. IS the intermedi.-,te time, in which thev exercise ti. nght of ordmation ? Which is the time when Se res tra^^^^^^^ was laid upon them again ? And how comes it that the r o :^'::;^:;i^:i:!^^:!^i^-?p--!^ ->^ -mennuui, an j ui:!; "^ '"•'". >iiuay;s tieiiiea r it wi'I require some hi ^enuity to answer these questions, consistentlyrith T voice )e I I I ^1 26 of Scripture and auliqiiity." With respect to Timothy you sa} , " It is pretty evident that Timothy had a special call of God to the work of an Evangelist." Well what does this prove ? That he was not a bishop ? Certainly not. The term does not define the office. The text 2 Tirn. 4, 5, makew him no more an Evangelist, than the words which follow make him merely a deacon ; for he is directed to fulfil his (loaeonship. 'I'he merely being an Evangelist would not give him those poiccrs with which he was invested at Ephe- ^us. Philip the deacon was an Evangelist, but he pretended not to exercise the like authority. Timothy is not only railed an Evangelist but an Apostle, and the duties which he perforn»ed at Ephesus, were doubtless exercised in virtue of the Apostolic olHce. Vou call so loudly upon me to point out in express words from Scripture that episcopacy is of divine origin, that I surely could not but expect, when you were attempting to substantiate the right of ordination by presbyters, that you, of course, would bring forward thin plain,"^ positive, and direct proof. This, however, you have entirely failed to do. You quote 1 Tim. 4, 14, compared with yTim. 1, G. Now the cjuestion is, who ordained Ti- mothy ? St. Paul says '• Stir up the gift that is in thee by the putting on of my hands." Then St. Paul was the per- son who ordained him. But you say the presbyters were united with hini. Supposing them to be presbyters in your sense of the word, did they join in the act by right, and of necessity. Their ri<:ht is not so much as hinted at in Scrip- ture, and that they were not of necessity joined with th(i Apofctle is plain, because all will admit, that ordinations per- fbnned by St. Paul alone were jierfectly valid. But suppose rl.cir concurrence necessary, will these texts prove that the cHilination was performed by presbyters ? Assuredly not, for tiiey had an Apostle at their head, who speaks of the ordina- tion expressly as being performed by himself " by the laying oij of my hands." The mere circumstance that the ])resby- ters laid on their hands together with the Apostle, '.does not at all prove their Wir/iHo ordain. Presbyters in the Church of England lay their hands on the head of one who is to be ordained jiriest by the Bishop, but they do' not presume to claim the right of ordination from this circumstance, for the ordination is equally valid without their concurrence. But (i(» yoi; notice the manner in which St. Paul speaks of this ordination ? " By the laying on of my hands ivith the ])res- Jivterv."" " This is evident, that the ordination (of Timothy) could not have been valid, without St. Paul's concurrence ; for '4 1 27 laying on of the hands of 2. tVe Iv o>v °"i' "•''''' '^'^?^ ^''*'" effects, dia denotes the nrincnri -ni V'' u' ^"'^^"'^'"- 'lers. Tl^^'i;.^ es thef 'coll r '7'''^'^ ^^''^^^'^'^^'^'•^ «•* ^'!- »'e styled a nilsl y g't sl.oh ti "^ ''V ""' '"'P'-operly Apostles the presbyterv of Iw r 'k^^* /-""^'"« f*'*^"^ tho grade of Church officers Tvl" '''^"'' ''? ?' '"^""^•' <»^ ^'>^' ^-•I'lers or presbvte "s 'f:^ th n tho'.h' ^ /" ^'^'f ^/'^'^^'^^ rnothy was ordained by rcounci of , T '^ '""'"'''' ^''^^^ '^''- jvassent to ordain and tc? 'oven '"' 0^'' '"^\^^''«'" ^^- tenj, whether a council o^Apo^Ies or of l^Tf' '^'^ ^''''^''1- ..0 ca led, only concurred ^M^l^lt^r^t'^ ^T\\' actually conveyed ministerial auYo.lrv Ti? '"''' ^l'^ '.-'incurred in this act."-(D,. WX / .?'i^oV7 •?-^"^^"^^'-'' i^^'inig then that those tc^xts shouh hi . ^ ^^ '" "'^^•^"- =^"P[»ort of this modern c ninion tb! ""^'\' ^"''^^'^'^'•^' ^'^ to ordain, since the verv ' ''I'^i^^^y^^rs have a vi2;ht Apostle wasm-csen' nn M. f ^'^ 'V^''"."'^' '"•''^'^•'' ^''•'^t^in his hands on Timn I ;/ V 1 ^'^'^'^"''^'^ that A. laid paring these two c.^'of ^l ^^.i;:'? ^-|^?-"-J then by con.- you have searched the Script e in v^lln ?"^"'\'''"^^-'^"'' to help you out of vm.r itwr , n' ^"** forther proof, MacknUt allusion is' rm de t". fnh, f'. •' ^'""^"^'"" ^''""^ some crdl an ordination T^n/;* ""*'^f'^' ^^'rcumstance which Paul and Barnabrw^r; .| / L' ^i ^ IhL' Ho." A^^ ""'•';' "separate me Barnabas Jmrl ijMni ^ 1 ^ ^"'-^ ^^'"'^t sai' '''^>' ^^'^ 'om- ^^, 'i.) You are veil ICririrh"*^'"'" ^Y'" '-(^^'^•• a"'' therefore he cannori e con t^^^^^^^ T ''^%'J"^'>"'-^^v, a passaj^e from rnv lerter ]?. tII V ■ ^' V"'"- ^"" ni>ot« out of v'^ur d Lukv n V "' C"""'"g'^«"» to help vou iection; for tC is fVr f. If i""- '''"•'""'' ""'^^i^P>' ^" Vour'se- is very evide thac V n bp '"^'" i^'""'" ^'^^'""'•- '"''«^'i ir an.l i.istead of^ 'l'iJ;,"i, '" L^^„f « ^'>« «"!f ct in di.cu.sion, of the Churches and w i?h . C?"' ^"'''^^ted to the ange of a superior order to mi^? evidently n,ark him out as beili,, iret rid of rdto' ether ''^ ^^^'^^ Chuvches, yon ^ryln, to n.ake /? pn'^ tC^[^t"fn:^|;;;; J-^tion, «upenor to its presbyters in.l hv „ » i i . ^""reh wa-i not •senion, that it vasf nerV tf^^^- of' ' ^T ""•^"{^'"''ted a.s- .vou have a novel n.etLToHns ve in?Sc'^^^ ^'*"'^^> ^^''•' an ingenious turning away n^nthrr.M^"''^^^ »^'"°^"-' '•> archbishops are a /bSv'. order i'TJ' ''''"V ^« >^li«ve that third order." Th'is s • t?' '' ?' '^^''^'' ^'^^^ ^'«''"P'' are a to this broa.l asL t?o /; hen "vn^^^ '"".V give credit those ecclesiaslicr/Zw r'VJhicb^'r' ^« "\^'^^ "^^"''^ "^ beyond those whicl/ bek^n^ bv ' L V""''^'^;''^^ ^^'^''^^'-^'^-^ J.resident of the bench of liShops hel w^fi,:\'^'-"^'"'P- ^^ the that .s all-he ordains-co firml L 'f "'."°"» equals," b shops do the same, the, cfo™':^^^^ h's d.ocese. The this is not the case wit, I i .hi ^, "'"^ '" °''''^^' equal. But byter has no W^A^o o^^^d^^^^^^^ presbyters, 'the pres- ^vhieh has be(Ml^,roved ; n3^ "' ""'l '^?'^''' '^'^ <^'^ '"-^b, t.idiop, in the ecc Li .sJip L ' S".'"^'-^ '"« '^^ '"^^rior to , ally cSnfuse y^urseT^^^^^^ ThJ'^'' r?^' ^«" ^'""^''n- reuders also, bv rcstin/s 'nch Jn ""^ ^^"^'' "^"">^ «^ >'«'"• regard to official ./u& We' tve^ it iTT' ' " •' ^?'"^ "^> p^-esident. You assert W/Li/ ^T "«^'" ^" ^^e terni '««n.r«l. .; . . ."• .^^"'f^«' Proo/; however. f/,nf ,», . 30 I III 11 nell " iiiul wuiil.l (Voin this infer tliat llicy wero upon an iMiuality. But you surf^ly must be aware that one man may ureside over a diocese containing a number of parishes, while another only presides over a parish, and that therefore nothmg can be ascertained from the name. You might, with as great propriety, conclu.le that an arbitrator, a petty magistrate, and a indirc of a Supreme Court, were all upon an equality-pos- sessed equal official powers, because they nW judged between rrmn and man. Really, Sir, 1 trust by this time you are com- pletely ashamed of your strange mode of reasoning. Urotius, who was not an Episcopalian, says, " They waste their own, and other people's time, who, when they undertake to treat this question, laboriously prove that the name ot bishop was oomnion to all pastors, when the meaning ot that word is very plain." "But that is even a little more absurd, that smno, in order to prove that bishops were not different froin iiere presbyters, adduce the fathers saying, all bishops are oj e'ciual merit; as if you should say, ^^\^f''J^'fl'''ZtZl were equal to the consuls, because the dignity of both consuls was the same; but he will make himself or his readers angry, who refutes such - •ngs.»-(Chap. II, sec. 11.) In the same chapter, sec. 3, he says, - Of the Episcopate, therefore that is, the superiority of one pastor above the rest, we first detei- n/ine that it is repu' ^""'^ ^ho supreme power. "Chnst," says Grot.us, - writing to these bishops, thus emi- nent among the clergy, undoubtedly approved of this Episco- pal supenortty.^^ It will be hard, s\vrHoadly: to sheTrhow a pnme presbyter, being only chosen chairman or president of the college of presbyters, for the more orderly manage! ment of their joint counsels, should become char4able with the faults o/o^ter/and dL^o „L r r V ^"^ *' "^ Apostle was no lonxrer used • nnd distinctly and exprts.ly are informed, that the nan,' he 3r' ''i'^''"'' '' ^''^>-^' order-the na.neheing change the order and powers remaining the same. I" . man wero desirous of knowma the form of Chun-h poverninen tn^i i second century, to what wouhJ he refer ? Sure y,f he not sessed common sense he would have recourse to the r^cor, of that century-and if he discovered that one cutain form f government was then universally adopted, and no" a v" spoken against It, nor a line written in opposition to h f he were not wdfully blind, ho would percJivelth conclusion would force itself upon his mind, that such ir ust h?ve bee ho government adopted by the Apostles, and when he foun ha It was expressly declared by Ihe writers of thi centnrv that this form of government was apostolic, then, if he wem not completely under the dominion of pre. u dee all doX would be at once removed-he would a once pe ceive that a more severe censure could not be passed upon the wLdnm «r the m.;,.r.rf Apostles, than to suppose Z^hv, 'unlrtln ctrT '^^^P"-«^'«"' established a presbvteHan form of £?;r V?''"'""'?'' ^"'^ '^^' '^"^y ^vere scarcely laid in their graves before it became manifest that this form of "overn men must be changed for the welfare of tirChu'chX would expel such a thought from his bosom, and conduo H«lii/.h^^'"S°P'' •■"" '"^" '"""''^ ^'« «l>"«to ic and divine Having then, Sir, examined the Scriptu .'es, and, as I think" fully met your objections against our viewof the subject "nd shewn the fallacy and weakness of your argumentf I w now appeal to the primitive writers, and wilMake th^ I bertv of setting you ught with respect to Uiem and t eir estimonv where, 1 think, you have not clearly understood them ThaJ you may be as competent to comnfent upon a ,0^ of the word of God as were any of the primitive father' I vdl m^ ^'TVu ^''"^^- ^"' ^hat you or any other person livn, m the 19th century, could have' as clear ni idea o? the ?ormof Church government which the Apostles established as rher had who conversed with the Apostles, and ived in the a^e immediatelv snf.Y.poHinf, »k ....... .'. «""."* ^^^ m me age IVr, q;- ' "J ■ «? "^-='-, wuum UG aijjiunl to allow No, Sir, sound reason ,s against your conclusion, andu'ere- 34 foro it must be rejected. That the ScriptureR do teach, there were three distinct orders, and thatconsecjuently they were di- vinely constituted, I think, IVotn what has been remarked, every candid and unprejudiced mind will allow. Fully do 1 aj?ree with you that all Scripture is given by inspiralion of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in ris^hteousness, &c. 1 would therefore re- commend to your careful i)erusal the following portions of the word of God— Numbers, 16th ch. ; 1 Samuel, 13th ch., 5th to Mth v., inclusive ; 1 Kings, 12 ch., 26th v. to the end, and following chapter ; -i Sam., 6th ch., 6 & 7 v. ; 2 Chron., 26th ch., I6th v, to the end. Those jmrtions of Scripture plainly shew with what jealousy God guarded the ministry of his appointment, and every thing connected with it, and how greatly he manifested his displeasure against those who as- sumed what did not, of right, belong to them, or dared to make a change unsanctioned by him. What became of Ko- rah and his company f The earth opened and swalloxyed them up because of their presumption. What was the fate of Saul ? His kingdom was rent from him because of his imprudence and dfsobedience. Where are the ten tribes, who, influenced l)y Jeroboam, changed the ministry of God's appointment ? The arm of the Lord has not been stretched out for their preservation and they are lost among the nations of the earth, and the blot of deepest die which stains the character of Jeroboam is, that he led the people into idolatry, and set up a ministry of human invention. What was the end of Uzza ? The anger of the Lord was kindled against him for his disobedience, (Numbers 4, 15,) and he fell life- less before the ark of God. What befel Uzziah the king, for his pride and presumption ? He was smitten with le])rosy, and, separated from all society, a leper he died. He invaded the peculiar rights of the priesthood, and the mark of God's displeasure, for this unsanctioned act, he carried with him to the grave. Are not these to be numbered amongst the " profitable" portions of God's word ? And are they not ap- plicable to this generation .' True it is, that since the canon of sacred Scripture has been completed, God does not in so exemplary a way manifest his displeasure against evil, else every liar might expect the fate of Ananias. But is disobe- dience less hateful to him now ?— is it less offensive to his holiness and purity now, than it was in those days f No— and therefore we must conclude, a ministry of human appoint- »,y.aAf J.-, !..tif oi. ^1 tr.«-vlrtooin(» fr» }iii»-» 111 tno rirucont i]n\r no it wnB tHcnt 13 Jiibl a.-! Mirier", 'i ^tti"^ I'j' liisu '>■ j j •- ••» — in the time of Jeroboam. It cannot be that God would be so 35 nature it is to Im for, I of c ' L i ""^''"^^ "^"•«"' ^^hose vuted l.v novdtv t t iJ ^ ' H'"' ^^'^^ '« «o easily capti- •nation. U?re «t the very cm n!,."'' ^r' "** ^" ^"'- '»''>«- o;^mion, you nuy •• that thnir »n" ''''"'^"! ' '"^^^ ^^i^'' yo«r that you do not re^.m their t. V ''"''''''''^' surprising then pear to do. To wha' lenl,l ^^.•'; '"'"">' ">«'-^' than you np- kind. Sonie arr^To nreiS-l '' ""^P'•^ "'^''ce lead nin'n- they will put ^arkn^r^''^^'ZPir;f/'''. ^r^'^' ^'^ "^ Now, S.r, in it not possib e that ennl '^ •^'- "^^'^-^'^'^ &c. dices, coinl.ined wi h the fori J r^ nnprcs.sions and preju- this -onelu.io.Mha i e esU o^^^^^ ^'"^'^^ '^^' ^«'' to our cause .? Will vo nllnl n^ ^''f ^'^^'^'''''^ '"-'J^es auainst ^peak for the.nj'lU '^.f;^^^""-- these venerable n!en to trust that we shall ,,mkp It ^"^ts jn their own way } I i^ that the fathc : bditve i inT'!)- '^^'^^^ ^^'^^'^^ -"" 'J« '•;'pacy-this is what you denand ^^"7V'f ^f.^'^'°" "^ ^pis- ;i''''?^V'>.^ As you /eem tT th^^ V'V" '^" ''''PPy to hat I omitted to KJve the tP.rinl ^"c''"> "' s"Ticious» he^^in with him, am you sS Tn v^ "^^^ ^'^'"^"^^ve will author whom you ap^^r o e teem' in t'h '' '""'"^ ^'•"'" ^hi« vou allude, so full iHvnuln.r'- " "''^ sermon to which 'n^' against c/W,"; '^ Vn,?. acrimonious rw„l bitter feel- ;="'iarly valuable ; mi ihl^loU^r ^,f^«^^'-'"y to be pe- he writes-^- Seeing, i/.n l. ^^- '''''" ""^ •''^«'-. TIhh (that is to the cSh i/d, !T '^^'^^.^ '^'"« '"'-^"i^-^t to u^^ takecarethatwed 1 h. '^'''"'^'^ '^ '^■'" ''^hove u.« to i>as connnancled u. tc, lo ' "Xili" "•''^•'' ', ^\»'«ts"ever our Lo d <;ur offerings and s'rv r'e.'to Goi .?; ""'''"■'^■' •^'^••^^^^^ P^^'^^"" ;hese he has comm,,,, L^i „ uf/ '"' appointed seasons.for >y, but at certain i 11 d h.. "'' rV""''''^ ^"'^ ' therefore -reason, are happy 2 ^^"ed ^^'"'^^ I' '^'^ appointed n>mmandn)ents of t w in^ ,u ' ^^'^^'^'^ ^^■'^^' obeying the the high priest LTud/' *^^^ ""'^ ^''^^ ^'•«"' «''n- For Jfeir lipfi- place i"a';oa" a^^dt tJ ' P"'-^" ^'^^ ^^^^'^ their proner miniwf«J.' " - i -' *'"" ^° ^"® I^evites annertaJ" 36 i.n writing to Corinlhinn christians, not to Jews. It isplnin then that this arjiurnent coul.l have no force ^'f « ^^'^.f^^f'^'. tinn Church, in its three distinct orders, re«emhlos the Jewislr. Whv did not St. Clement odd hero, which, if your idea t* correct, would have been very P'-;'P«''' "' F'^/''"^' '",;;;; Jewish Church there were three or. er« but in the Chns lan (Jhurch there are but two." Why did he not add this? \)n- doubredly, because he knew to the contrary. He knew then were three distinct orderi. in the Christian Church, and so he tells' us in the passage you have quoted. /' Chnst was sent by God-the Apo^th^s by Christ. They (the Apostles) ap- pointed the first fruits of their conversion to be »;|«h'n« «" , leacons over such as shoul.l afterwards believe." Novv, it on" and two make three, then we have here the three order., Fir»f— Apostles. Scconrf-Bishops or presbyters, itiira-- Deacons. I really cannot see how you could understand the quotation in any other way, unless V" »"'*^%V^rhn nf''m rl.odern views, you would not allow the ^^pofesiohe of a) order in the Church, and would eject them "jt'^f the . It h . been shewn that the term bishop is not dofinite-that it ap- plic" not only to the overseer of a ./locfc, but to an oversee of nanv flocks-of clergy and people-ot a diocese. 1 he pro- hccy hen from Isaiah cannot fix and coniine the orders to \To-\i does not determine the number. You do not yoursel nppoar to think that i^^ves any weight to vour cause-^it certainly ffives none, neither do the words ot St. Clement nuoedbv vou. "The Apostles had a reserved power, we Kavc'seen from Holy Scripture itself, both of government m 'eneral, and in special, Ininisterial or clerical acts besides, which they did no< impart to all the presbyters or bishops they at first ordaine.l for the Churches. If any time could be assigne.1 therefore, or any general grant produced, when or vvhe^el,v it might appear, that they conferred or bequeathed Those reserved poJcrs, so necessary to the Church tor ever, to all the presbyters they ever ordained in it, it is but a modest question to n^V, in M text of Seriplure, or m what record of the Church, is such an important grant to be found . 11 no such evidence is to be had, as I think the ablest advocates for them have produced none, then the grants 1 have meiH tioned and proved above to particular presidents over many Churches, by their own act and deed, even where onierbis.i- OH or presbyters were before, as they were ind.frerently ciued, till then, does infer such an evident translation of '. . ' .i!..i _...!_„ ...uu tiio ..ocor«t.fl !ir»t>; nil alonff neculiar \o it, to those pcrrticuhr presidents and the whole succession 37 of them, ns, I think, no ministers in the Church besi.le^ hnv« any Hhado^of a ch.rtcM- l.ke it to pn.Muco frtt " fve? h or, to my the JJposles had no successors t., any onlin, rv ,mi permnn..,t pr..rou.t,v. of th.irs, is to contradict nminu tLn7J')r ' /^'*''^"^' ' f'-. '^^-^ ^« ^'""^ "''W to thole . timony of j^rn.tnjs tho .l.sciple of St. John. As his K is Uph 80 strongly advocate tho canse of Etiis(M,,,alinn; vmm » ?'• endeavour to (hvstroy thr ..ffect vl^ rh . 1' n' ^ ?"'"* P-duco by hintini that tholr^^^e.!:,/^"^'' i:?'^^:^ douluodly Io„r„,.,| ,„e„, t,i„,l „|| i„ ,l,cir poivcr t, inv, H.ln » to do any ll„„^. „„„.o than to m™ at ihciri Tlu. „^1T,\, 1-pwiles, pulilisliiid hv UsIiiT nnd Vos^in^ "'■'""■""'> '^'■ «u. Icntiroly tVec fro.n^l.o.o co!^n"^nmJ: ^^JZZ' vol. 1, p. »4 If (;shei''s aulhontv is valuabh^ i)-mir...Io,. J «l.ree orllc,-., if n'i,,istefr re so ^, u, ^r uf f,. Kr^nf-,,"'" are «, co,„|,|etely interwoven with thci w ho o ulS-m.^ 'n'i ariso so naturally out of the snl.jeet of llm Episi e, h,?; i, i poas.We to separate tl.e.n pasta^es from the r«t wi hou? uuerly destroy,,,,, tho whole ^trucnro and tenor of h„ Epi" ^;:;;^^i:'';";,'tf\^:,^?;:;.T:.t:ti~^ pre.em ^mo.< &o,Wc,/ ^c.»fr«.< to what is tautih't 11, "he Ne>v others l,«v^^ ^ '"■'"""'' LeClorlc, liochart, I'abriciua, and manv ul'^p.t'D^X.S"""- '° "'^S™--''- and .„tl,e„.ij;"„''f t See further retriarl<8 bv this excpllpnt nnft,«.. .-t. 38 f cstamcnt, or thai it teaches respccMng the constitution of the Christian Church, what, had nothing been preserved to jis, Out the sacred volume, would never have entered into the imagination of any man as preacriixid by that volume." Pray, Sir, did Dr. Cook's Bible contain the Epistle of Timo- thy and Titus, or the Book of Revelations, or did he ever give them a perusal ? Does he find presbyter ordination re- commended or even countenanced in the New Testair nt r Had he carefully examined the arguments derived from Scripture, in favour of Episcopacy, and compared these with the writings of Ignatius, bearing in mind that the term Apos- tle was no longer used, but the name bishop applied to their successors, he could not have concluded that there was a most decided contrast between the Scriptures and the Epistles of that devoted servant of Christ, who died a martyr to the cause of religion ? If nothing had been preserved to us but t!»e sa- cred volume, how could we explain many passageji in it, winch can only be determined by our knowledge of customs and manners and laws, which knowledge we can onlv obtain irom books— how would we determine its genuinene.'is and authenticity, and learn so correctly which were the apochry- j)liical writings. If yoi? will and do receive the testimony of the fathers on these points, the most important of all others, bow IS It that you refuse their testimony respecting Episco- pacy? Is it not, because they are clearly and decidedlv against you ? Infidels and Deists no doubt rejoice to find tbat professing christians call in question the authenticity of the writings of these primitive rnen— it emboldens them to do the same, and confirms them in their infidelity. They know that from the testimony of the fathers we believe the book of the New Testament to be handed down to us from the days of the Apostles— and glad are thev to have any help in crying- down those writers-^which testify against them. To den>^ or to cast a doubt upon the genuineness of these writings, does lead, as you may perceive, to fearful consequences. I have not the works of Dodwell, and therefore cannot refer to them, but m Dr. Bowden's, 1 vol., p. 64, I find a quotation from Dodwell's discourse concerning the one priesthood and the one altar, in which he speaks of the bishops being over the clergy by divine institution. " He repeatedly declares, that the first bishops were ordained by the Apostles ; that every bishop in his diocese, was what the high priest was in tne Jewish Church ; and that as the high priest was a type of Christ, so the bishop, in the Christian Church, is his re- ..t.^,..iiunrv,. xmu iium uj.s principle, ne nrgucB uguiii«i 39 Presbyterian ordinarion." « Mr. Dod.vell also sunno«r,l that as this general establishment of E , sco ^.cv^b^v t|i« Apo«tIe« acfng under the influence of die HoiV (iho.t did not take plaee till all the Epistles wore wriften we are not to look for a particular and explicit expo itb'.n of thKs eccles.ast.cal regin.en in the New Testament but th- as the whole Church of Christ, in everv a.re sulApMue t o Uie Apostobc hoars tes(iu.ony to the dioi;^ nS^n ^ ca'i^rnTS''''' '"7 '' '^'''^'y ''' ^""^^ ascertained sthe canon of Scripture, the institution of the Lord's Dav and tl <• y*n,iwvKi ~i^p. ISO.) It IS pretty evidefit then that vnu have not jleury u,„ler.tood Jl,-. Dodwell ; how ,V v™ /o ^len fruided l,y prudence in assorting, a, from fiin tint iletermi c Von say that tiio Epist es of Ignatius are silent I , nK tlmt'"on!e """" "', El--"i"n-havS ^IZZhl^: 1 tnink hjt some very clear and decided passages can hi- '7bi"ho„f "r^rf"'^" '""?"'' '" ""= J-'ine ;;pp:,in men > bJ.hopi. lo the Magncsjans he savs, "It is therefore AS some call indeed their ffovernor, b shop, but vet do -lii thmirs without Imn. But 1 can nev^r think \L Tula tfsl Jl, r'"^ consnence, secm One quotation from Ignatius I will give you, from the concluding part of which you w'U see that we do not rest merely " upon the testimony of je-. 41 rome, a presbyter of the fourth crnturv." A,r our views res- peciuig the riKhl to baptize. In his Ejlistle to the S.r.vrna^ans he wntes--- Let that Eucharist be looked upon as'u ell t^! abished (or valid) which i. either ofllMcd by the bishop or by him to wlioin t he bishop has cjivon consent. // is not laiv- )ul wtthout the bishop either to baptize or to celebrate the feast nj charity. Jt is u i)rinciple in which all true Churclmien agree, that none have authority to l)aptize but those who have received Episcopal ordinaf.on-that all other baptism^ are, at least, irregular ; and that they who baptize without *.piscopal authority, as also those who are thus baptized (qx- cept on the plea of unavoidable ignorance or involuntarv er- TOT) mcxir great guilL The true Churchman feels assured hP n t! ^"^ •^*'''\"° n^A/-nay that it i.s presumption in t em to exercise those powers which belong exclusively to the "ambassadors of Christ ;" and seeing fro.n the Scriptu.es^ and the records of the primitive Church, that a certain indi- vulmlv^xxf^ahoays^Gi apart to invest others with ministerial powers~the true Churchman, though he will exercise charity tovyards others, yet cannot so far depart from the Scriptures atid antiquity, as to allow that persons can be admitted into he ministry m any other way. He denies, therefore, to all who have not received Episco; I, or in other wonls Scriptu- al ordination, the right to baptize. To depart from thi., is o depart from Church principles conscientiously adopted, as being in accordance with th^ pure word of God ; and this vou /mL t rJ T-iT'^r'^ ' ' ,J^»l ^l'*-' question is, can they /rw/j/ be called illiberal .incharitable who will not allow r.liln'i"" f"^'^'""^ ^vhich the Scripture, do not sanction^ 1 think not. Now the Scriptures do not sanction, or even ^^^Z^'^'^xT'' ?'''^'""^'*'" ^'y P'-esbyters, it is not then being c not S "^""^'^r'^^^^^«, to «ay that such ordinationi IhP^p 1 I f • • "' '^/ ^'I°'^ ""''^ ^'■^ continually advocating the.>e liberal views lake heed lest they be found acting in op- position to the word of God. We may speak and write o^n • his subject, mildly, yet firmly, without the least wish or de- s re to give offence. Truly and sincerely can the writer of these pjiges say, that he has no wish to offend any of hisdis- S r'^r"? ;f " ' !"" '?\ ''-^^ '"'"' ^i"'^' '•'^ '^ constrained to a, that for the sake of being called - liberal" he cannot de- pait rom what ho fully believes to be the will of God • nor ]'an he think that the truly christian dissenter, with all his Jove for his own party, would demand such a sacrifice. He must guided by the caprice of this d obey Uod, rather than bt itngerous ase. 43 LETTER VI. Re7d. Sir, We como now to consider the testimony of Polycarp. He speaks of Ignatius the " blessed,'' as he calls him, as not havinji: run in vain. He writes thus to the Philippians. " The Epistles of I^Miatius which he wrote unto us, together xoilh what others of his have come to our hands, we have sent to you accordinj? to your order, which are subjoined to this Epistle, by which you may l)e really prnjiled, t'ov they treat of faith and patience, and of aU thin'i^s that pertain to edijl a- Hon in the Lord Jesus.'' Now, Sir, I ask, if there had been any thing contrary to his views in these Epistles, would he not have pointed it out-— would he have given such a testi- mony of their value ? No. But as he has written so favour* ably of them, we may be sure that he fully concurred with Ignatius in his sentiments respecting Episcopacy. Suppose, Sir, that you received a number of letters containing a variety of matter on doctrinal points — you forward these letters to a number of your friends, stating that by these epistles they might be greatly profited, for rhey treat of all things that per- tain to edification in the Lord Jes'us. Would you not by thus writing make the sentiments contained in those letters your own ? and would not your friends, if they possessed common sense, consider them entirely agreeable to your views ? Surely they would. And as Polycarp has thus written res- pecting the Epistles of Ignatius, there can be no doubt but that they met vvith his full approbation. But then you say we cannot ])rove that these very words wc quote, contain the genuine sentiments of Ignatius. Read, Sir, Pearson and Hamtnond's vindication of these Epistles, and then perhaps you will acknowledge, that that work has been accomplished which >ou would fain hope was too difficult to be performed. There is no reasonable doubt, but that these Epistles of Ig- natius which we now have are genuine — are his own. There is much in them, no doubt, which is not very pleasing to our dissenting brethren— but the candid reader, will, 1 think, al- low, that there is nothing which is not in harmony with the Scriptures. ^ There are indeed false Epistles added to the true ones, from which you appear to have quoted, 1 know r^l■i^ Ti'rtrn »i;n!>t nflioi* ivififiiro thnii tl-io* «>^i. s.<:,_U.. l.^:..-. ^1 •'•"• - T- } tiictii liint J"-"'" lili^lLi, SJliiJi^ lilU genuine Epistles into contempt ; but, to say the least, 'there oJycarp. n, as not ippians. together !ive sent (i to this ley treat ediji a- ad heen ^ouUl he a testi- favour- •ed with luppose, variety ;ers to a les they hat per- by thus irs your lommon views ? ten res- )ubt but you say tain the on and perhaps iplished formed. s of Ig- There i; to our link, a!- vith the 1 to the I know iilg tiiO t, there 43 is not much of fairness or candour in such a conr,^ V to do i ijurv nnne r in .. , I ■ '"^i"'"?""'*' "re calcuhleci .urea : iior'^I.Tem^ o'T, ^ 1^ XC^tfrh;" "'", ^'r''" "l.e ,h„, receiveth V L " eerv':',h''mrS V^ '^ '''! '''^<''>''^-'. me receiveth him thai sent mT" -n.?, " , , "'^' '''r^'veth "enee in which the m-fmi^L ,''"s no doubt »aa the same themselves, am Ivour vZT ''"'ri'' '"."""'«'' '» expre™ t«res. In hist e "„V r/fi "t"!;?';,"^' '^'" "P°." "•« Irip. deacons with his preslu. e-s i, 1, n? ,n ' ""' """T" '"'» inquire. He sneaks '.r^^^l ° I ",' n'=<^»ssa'-y "t us to "s hein? the ;Cm>fc« i/- /^ /'• '';?,1' I'^^'l"' ""'1 tliat too There i1 no douht"hr.,te';te'd^.c™ tf^^'r^, "'f-" mentions »res6?/^er? -md tnt ^^^^J^^sHop of Smyrna—he now this looK4ve,^rr', r rJ''''' "^ '''''''' ^»^""'<^ ^e ; contend R t ;r h * i ,''^''' '^^ ^^'''^ orders for which wo frequent in thTscrin^ue^^^^'^^^^ ^'^'^ '^'"^^ "^o when the Je vs s^nt V^Ll nd 7 'v" '? '^'' '''''''^ «^ J"hn of. the elder" a r.A /■ t" '*'"& "■"' ^^ '"■■'"y things ^^\^a :^zr:'rr!:r"'° ^"'"""-s ■''<" --on l'"lycarp.s te^Sn'v 'I, , "I'ri";-!"" '•" '^""'"'i' ■' - "• ' '■ ■ ■ -Id no. i,;;.e ;;;cri';ed i;"."^^i!'-^.- "« ■".•.. you are determined not to ad ; lor jt is evident mit any thing which mr.kes 44 ngainst your cause. All the Epistles of Polycarp are lost ex- cept the one nddiessetl to the Philippiaiis. Had they all been preserved, there is little doul)t but that we should have found liiin as clear and decided as any other writer respecting the divine institution of Episcopacy. St. Ignatius bears ample testimony to the existence of the three orders by divine right ; hut in his Epistle to the Romans he does not mention them— 7 the term bishop is only used once, but neither presbyter nor deacon are named. Now if all his Epistles but this one to the Romans had been lost, we should not have the testimony of Ignatius to which we might refer. That Polycarp does not particularly enumerate the three orders in his only re- irmining Epistle, can no more be admitted as an argument against the existence of these orders, than the silence of Ig- natius in his Epistle to the Romans. Ignatius having written no plainly and forcibly on the subject, it was not necessary that Polycarp when sending these Epistles to the Philippians should do more than express his agreement with him. W e only see by this to what subterfuges our opponents are driven in their endeavour to support and uphold their cause. You speak of ruling presbyters,— what did they rule ? Their flocks only, as we learn from Scripture. But I'imolhij -and ^Titus ad the angels of the seven Churches of Asia ruled the clergy and their flocks ; and if we may credit the testimony of the fathers, E[)aphroditus, Clement, Ignatius, and Poly- carp, like the Apostles, did the same. It is not necessary to say who was bishop of the Philippians at the time Polycarp wrote, nor can we assign his reason for addressing the Church of Philippi instead of the bishop. In those days .»f fierce persecution against the Church, the bishops or g over fiors were always exposed to the greatest danger— ihe popular fury was directed against them especially, and they were either driven from their dioceses, or put to (jeath. The Church at Pluhppi may at this time have been, in this way, depriverl of its bishop. The question is, how was the Church at Philippi governed ? Now when we remember that the Church at Jerusalem, the Church at Crete, the Churches at Rome and Antioch, and the seven Asiatic Churches, were governed by Apostles and their successors, as is al)un(lantly testified, and that the Epistles of Ignatius so full on this subject were sent by Polycarp to the Philippians, we may reasonably conclude that the Church at Philippi was governed as all those other Churches were, for if not, they would at once have inquired, why send the Epis- tles of iifnatius to us ? we own not this govenimcnt of v.ulch he writ'j*. Is there u word of this ? Is there a word in all 45 the Tvritinj^s from the time of the Apostles to theReformation to shew that the Church at Philipp was ffoveS dXemi; from the rest of the Churches ? !/ nor. tfcn i l^fo y t^^^^^^^^^ pose tha there was a difference. A Church ca he un er Lp.scopa government, althou-Wi the bishop does no^esido amongst h.s clergy. If they who minister at the altar have Episcopal ord.nat,on--acknowledge a superior, and hav« their acts sanctioned l.y hi.n, then they are truly E i^c(.m 1 he Church in all the British colonies wa undeTthe cot trolof the b.shop of London for many years. Wouhl you say then that there was no Episcopal Church in tlu^^col nie, because there was not a resident 'bishop .? Yo. would no! venture to assert this. Turtullian, however, nZ drHle ho ponn respectmg the government of the Church at Pim^^^^^^^ lo secure the Christians in his day in sound and Scri n i doctrine he recomniended them fo consult te JS?^ Churches, Amongst others which he thought pn,per at that time to me.,tion, he names the Chuich at i^A^m^ /nVa" according to Turtullian. the Apostolic charaetS a Church depended upon ,ts being able 'to tiace the svccessionofZ bishops from the Apostles, we shall have n. difficulty in deter' imn.ng the character of the Church at Philippi Your arlu- men s then may please and perhaps satisfy tiLe of your X of thinking, but they ,vill not bear investigation. You viN please refer to what has been said respecting the comrrVnity cle rly'r fbrri^h'' ""' ^^'Mou'will, I think, s^mor^ c eaily the force of the remarks made f)y Clemens Alexandri- nils. He speaks expressly of the three o.-ders, a^d sneak n'' -^^^^Tt the bi < ^ yZ "li T ^S^""^ ^."" ^^^" ^^'""'-^ '"«^ fhe ai-ument .? No You are pleased to dusent from Turtullian'/testimonv res! pectmg baptism. Does not Ignatius give the same teSon;, and Jerome also, who, you sav. bdng a man of profound erudition, could not fail to be acquainted with the opin on of Why not'rr'"' ""."'^^ •"^'•'' ^'^ Eeclesiastic^ilpo ity S i^n^"L:;:^^r ,J;f ^^:^:^^ ^^^ point ? ^t cL «uer^e or satisfy VKo "intelligenr^Ser F y^^l^^^^^ '^ 46 much if you hope for this. You in fact evade the subject, and endeavour to draw off the attention of your readers from the point in question. Jn evasion and confusion of terms your strength lies. I need not tell you that these are not arn;u- ments. Will the testimony of' the fathers satisfy you that Episcopacy is oi' divine appointment. In my next letler I will endeavour to lay before you their testimony on this subject. You MO doubt have met with the following passages from the word of God, though perhaps at the time you wrote you did not recollect them, " He that despiseth you despiselk me." — (Luke 10, !(),) '' Obey them that have the rule over you.'*' — (Heb. 13, 17.) These portions of Scripture we may fully believe were in the minds of Origen and Cyprian at the time they were writing. Bishops being overseers of the clergy and people by divine right, presbyters are just as much bound by the word of God to obey the bishop, as the people are to obey the presbyters placed over them. Cyprian expressly states that no presbyter ever attempted to act contrary to this rule under any of his predecessors. Cypri-an you may be aware is clear and decided as to Episcopacy being of divine appointment, as I will presently shew. I am really astou'shed at the strange method you take to get over the difficulty pre- sented to you in the case of Jschiras, who was not allowed to exercise any of the duties connected with the ministry, be- cause he had been ordained by a presbyter. Do you attempt to shew that this statement is not correct, or that Ischiras was indignant at this treatment, and that he accused the bishops of presinnption — of usurping an unscriptural power in the Church ? Do you give us any testimony that he insisted upon the right of presbyter ordination .' ' Not a word — not a lino from you, although this is the very point on which this controversy hinges. History too, is silent as death upon this point. Ischiras is degraded, and the whole Church concurs in the justice of his sentence. No voice is heard against it — no pen is wielded in his defence. How can we account for this .'* Ill one way only ; and that is, that presbyters never had the right to ordain. That right always has been confined to a superior order in the ministry — to apostles and their succes- sora the bishops. Now, Sir, did you not perceive the diffi- culty ? Surely every intelligent and reflecting methodise must see that the difficulty has not been met at all by you — has neither been overcome by opposing testimony, nor com- bated by a shadow of reasoning. Testimony, such as you would wish, you cannot produce, and reason is against your eause. A fcvv other attempts of iha like kind were uiaue hj 47 prcflbyters with the like success. " In the 4th centurv CoM.t thus, a presbyter, ordained Ischiras to that office ^[.chll was reduced to lay-eonimunion by the Svnod of AlPvn^A^ • and m t e Syno.lieal B'.pi.tle of thV blh^ t? ^^^^^^^^^ bn.H Lybm,and Pentapoli., atid in the join letter o?7a; r;.r/, of the province of Mareotis, both preserved in the workT^^' Athanaaius, it ,s declared that the ordination Zs null f. cause It teas verformed by a jO»-..6y/.r Maximu. anoth«.' fame'offic" f d ^IIT '"'T'^ ''''^'''' «on'e ^e ":;nrto'fh: tT: nrto "c^l^f;." ^:f^i^^i -7 ^^^^^^^^:z he -asconde,! "si he elcVtt T^rc^^^ 'T'''''^ were bishops verilv and iiidppil ' Th. <■ n ^ ■ """ ...onger caU .han'the p.e^d?n.. The ^ZnZr'VI " tZ ""•': hi.^ pre.by.e£ reod .h^e wo'i: of „ fnaLn'whn: he laid h« hands upon the candidate. Thu or hia Z. »-^t prononnced invalid l,y the fii-st couneil of Seve "These iS'^'nlTZ r^^'i^h-P Tajlor, I ne^d not in "t'oi^ vfi-irs -.fE., „„ 1" ." *'^'*'> ""' 'or almost three hundred •r„»t ff''>"'">^'">»/ "ere made by bishops alone.»-%r L, \ '""' therefore driven to the cone usion that t.rer byters have no authority to ordain. I an wel 'aware th,; tins opinion is offensive to those who hnvl i,!. „,k . Presbyterian ordination. But <™ A is what we J^^^^^'ir, '^t i-S'r^ .7 L';5hrh^:f"^hii "t "i^-- - '^''">^' -^^ SSpi^^?'i;;^r:;;ri;l-tK?SE uL. **n'P'«n 's questioned. Everv ene wl7n :« ^p Tl'H] ^».f wuuiu rejoice to have the truth cleariy'made out^d 48 embraced by all. This question is the more' importanf, be- caiiso if the conclusion we have drawn be just, all other than Epi8co|)al ordination is necessarily invalid. This declaration, althou;,'h it follows as necessiuily from the premises m the conclusion of any proposition ever stated, has been reproba- ted in the strongest terms, because it involves an exclusivo claim to the ministry. It is, however, fur from being the do- sire of those who believe that Episcopal ordination alone is valid, to prevent any qualified person from entering into the ministry. They only wish to convince those who believe themselves calleil to minister in holy things, and who are, from early prejudice, or misinf«)rmation, or not invesUgaiing the subject, content with authority derived from presbyters, that this authorily is not valid, and to induce them to obtain that which is. Tho doctrine ought not to be rejected becau.'-o it involves nn exclusive r Iniin ; for there must necessarily be a right in the truly authorized, to the exclusion of those who are not ; and the (juestion at issue ought to rest on its merits. Ijut how does thi.j mattor concern |irivate christian^, if they are truly religious .'' and why should a man leave the Church to which he has been attached, when the ministers are good, religious men ? These singular questions have been fre- quently urgefl, with great earnestness, upon myself. But few words, however, are sufiicient to show their a!)surdity. We are commanded to be baptized, and to receive the sacra- ment in meniory of our Lord. We cannot obey these injunc- tions in sincerity unless we are satisfied of the validity of the authority of the minister ; and to receive these niysteries at the hands of those we are persuaded are not authorized, is a profanity in us ; though it may not be in them xoho minister, provided they are conscientiously persuaded of their authori- ty* after full inves tig ai 1071 of the subject. But this proviso includes a great c/eal more than may be supposed at first view. A man who makes up his mind from reading an ordi- nation sermon, and does not even take the trouble to see that Uie quotations are correctly made, although he has spent years in learning tho classical languages for the very purpose, avowedly, of fully informing himself on all doctrinal points, cannot pretend to have aclearcrmscience in this matter. And if it be urged that the authors quoted are rare and not easily to be met with, it is answered, that a man's duty is to inform himself, and not to talk of the difficulty of doing it, Stc." •• But what necessity for leaving the Methodist Episcopal Church .•' Professing with ail sincerity very high esteem and EV^utu ^^& C£ i.nj.ixitjxst xji. tn\^ iiztiz.is:'w\:i ::3 xji. max sx/v-&^ U£JL^J-X.-«tVtS^VV im 49 l^lnZrw'"^ r- • '"'"•" "■^''- '"•'''"«'i°" i^ only sary to c«„,.i "« v"h , ° ,i,^ "r'v ''hi"'';'''''''' •" '^"^ "^'"'^■ Episcopal or.linnlion to render it valid. To sav Z l,!„i^ ■ LETTER VI. Uevd. Sir, tloubt flQ to ti.« I • '"^.^ •''^^" ^^^^ thev entertained no «ou t)t as to the dmne institution of Enmrannpv | "."" nccordinr. to hi, Zi L" " ' V.^'"' ^ whom he has settled J^A^•.A 67./ 0/ know TZlftuTr'^' ^'' ?"'^' ^J^''''^- vou not ofhimHPfr L fl T ^"'^* ^^''^'^^ ministry amono- i.r th! 1.?^ '"^''ff'^' "f*'^'^'- 6.V wen, nor om< of^jam alorv hut h} the love of Gorl the Father, and our Lord J^suf CJhris i he^l;;!!"v:/r,t^^te^^" ''^ ''' ^^?v-^^ sent bv flip will .\T-;t i^ u^ l-hnst, our insuperable life, is Ar,'y;,.^^'' ot' Smyr- na fron. Polycarp placed there by John ; the Cmrchr Rome fromClement, ordained hy Peter ; and so do the -eM pro fthe r f.[!Th • 'k' r^''l K ^:^hibitimr those who w. 4 cm st tu- ted their b-sho ks Ay the Jpostles."^( Tertullian .'. vr.^i^t. c. 3i.} lertulian, as you are aware, places ! shops, tlie Buccessors of the Apostles, in the first I'ank, Avithou? whose authority neither presbyter nor deacon has a right to baptize not invalidate his estimony, which is in full agreement with other primitive writers, in accordance with sound reason, ami by far uilerence can be gathered from the word of God rar^tiih r' ^''/''^•"g" f ^ed bishop of Cesarea and contempo. thTph ?^^"'r' " 'T '^"^'"^ »'^«^^'" ^^«"i Scripture that fe thiK wrir'.^w^^ "''°" '^'' ^^^''^''^ '" his 75th Epis- tle thus writes, « When we may observe, that the novver of remmmg sins was granted to 'the Aposlles, a nd ?o those foundP r::']";*' '\'^' T^? ^^"' -^'''^^y <^^»-»>'. formed and founded, and to those bishops .vho s^icheeded them in a due and regular course of viomnous ordination. U.ider wha? other notion can we, therefore, consider these adversa- tTeLlne.rie'nf'^^'*'''^. ^^^i""*^' whereof we are members, 8o?8 of thp A nnc,^ '^^- '?^''^ .^''o-^esan bishops the succes- sors ot the Apostles, retaining, bv vicnrious nJ-.n^ot-" ♦«- very cuiflmission which the Apostles held, having'recei;ed'il m 52 Zointmeni W^ f '^"' '^" '^''' Epi.copacy was of J,V/n^ S< n. )^^ ''r^ ^/'"'^ i.*'^ testin.on y of the learned and J^ ous Ori^ren, who though « fond of ullefforizinff," did sonie- t.mes speak very plainly. In his 20th Houiily^on St Luke he has these words : " If Jesus Christ, the Son of God is subject to Joseph an.I Mary, shall not I l,e subject to the bishop who IS of God ordained to be rny father ? ^ ShaU nol Itiri^^'l '" '^^ presbyter, who, by the divine vouch afe' nent s set oyer me ?» Here, the bishop, as distin-ruished U'om the presbyter, is said to be ordained by God : the nres: hifw^J'^' according to him, holds a divine commission ; and this we most readdy grant, and contend for. Another tes- I!Z.7 rV ' P'^P"'^' '" ^l"''^ «^ Alexander, bishop of Jeru- salem It was the general belief of that time, as we lean* iVv pvf:? 1-"'' ^^'f ^'exander was made bishop of that city bv extraordinary designation. The historian says, it loas Gods special care for his Church that did it; thahhere was something peculiar to God in the matter. Alexander himrelf offi.^'f/^/ ' ?V''-'*' ^'^^'•.«''^'-«» have believed the Episcopal office to be of divine appointment. This appears, also, from his congratulatory Epistle to the Church of Antioch, when Asclep.ades was promoted to the chair of that diocese. He tells them that "his bonds turned light and easy to him bishor "^.'T;' '''''' ri^ ^" excellent person was LZ tS T.u^ 7a f 'P^^'^^ favour of God.'> Alexander was as >^ell qualified ns any man then living, to determine what was the government of the Church in the Apostolic age. It was nthese^r/'l"'' '!"'' »^ V"^«. '"«<»« co'adjutor tS Narcisus • the see of Jerusalem. Narcissus was, at that time, aged lit) years, and, consequently, was born before the death of of nJ!.!!{ -'^'^^^"'^^••» Ihen, must have had it from the mouth verf aleT/hr a"' "!? government of the Church was in the very age of the Apostles. I cannot conceive anvthin-^ more vol ' ^54 t". ^'^^^^^^•--y «^ -ch a man.>qM".n! testimony of Cyprian. In his discourse at the opening of the Council at Carthage, he says " that our Lord Jesus CArLT and he alone, has power of setting bishops over X C h u c h savf thu»'- ■ Jl^h'^ Epistle to Floremius Pupianu , he sa>s, that « it IS God that makes bishops, ^^ and that " it is bv the divme appointment a bishop is set over the Church '' Again, he says, " Yea, it is not a matter left to our oxon free ir. aIT- A ""^ V' ^'^; ^\^^ '"^7 «^' ^f^^^ ^^^^-^^^ f^"- governed bu her bishops.' —(Hooker, vol. 2. n. a5rtun t, i 'n""'' chabon, Veriantius a Tinisa and Chn.V'. f,"""' "^"« '' i*iu- that It 8 fully attestcfl hv .wL. a? • ^ ^^^ ^^ consider from their SynS Enttlpl 'H ''"!' T.'''^^'' "« ^PP^^^s an's, is a SvClicS i& sheep are entrusted T;™;fe^\A»t;/"'"Tl!e" clT '"= to be another SvnouiAl F,»; .fiV. '"'^"^^"•, . * "e 6lst seems his return to the Le of Ro me 'rrirf'"'"^"^ ^""""^ "P"» bishops, givincr their resoiiit nn nffh '^^^" ^'^ ^'^'''^^^ «^'^'en conceJni.fg ^^a^t^. L^ ^^ %Sf i;^ ^,^-"> who had lapsed in the persecution Zl ^{f "'^^^ bishops, of Episcopacy runs throS 4 the ^^hole Epis le ^ Th' If^ 18 another Synodjcal Epistle, .iS bv h -fv I 7-^L'' ops, in which they expressly savfh. »;{ * 7 two b„h- vouchsafement that/Alr^Smrn; I , ^^ V^ ^'y ^''^ ^'«^*«e his Church.'' Tie 7id is a^^o^^^^^^^ God's priesthood ia to Stephen, bishon of Rnm!^ u^l""' '^"^ Eiustle, written that t Je E^^::!^ :^ZTy' is" of'jL':;;^ '""^''^fy ^«^^--* that the of altL, (which s^fi'urerrthel^irn'f"' '* '"^"^ Hion,) ,s rft^/n. ; and that the settlml un of i F T""'"''^' opposmon to it, or independe t of U^^rmlrk thi.f '"'"' !" counteract a (^mne ordinance Norhim n... i ^'^'•■^)--'« ^o «.ve of the belief of that council H 1 ." "^ '"^"^ '^'^f''"^- opinion of, perhaps ull thn hi h^' /*^^«' .t' en, we have the jonty of thein, Saula it r^Jm^^Ih^'^^n^ "^- cerning a matter of fact " thlt Fn?!i ' • "P'IV»" 'con- stitution ; and. 1 th nk noh d J i;P'«^"Pp«y '« « divine in- son, doubt, that they we ff^din?"^^ py show of reu- nion upon\hissube^t,7s the"a,L numZ'?r'^"^^^^ «'^'- ries are in the nresen day Tn fL ?^ • "^ •''"'' "^'versa- African bishops, marbe Sled i^^?nrn'^"^^^^ ^'•«'» ^^o and the peo,Je\ riome /l/ 'tV^-^'"-" '"f' ^'^*'" '^''^y* c.f those koman eonfes<,nr; tt I h«'" "^'^'^ ^^^ testimony NovatianusT but ^l^;r:^^ijT^i}^ i'^.^,-^-- oV turned to the communion of the Ch'n'r^V* r-""' 'v""' °^.^* '« of the sincerity of .horrp™itc„ce;;tvaS;"'' •''"'• '""'"'"' presb^'ters, 54 III before whom the associates of Novatlnnus make the follow- inir confession : " We know that Cornelius is chosen bishop ot this most holv catholic church, by the omnipotent God and by our Lord Christ : we confess our error. We have l)een imposed upon—we have been abused by treachery and ensnaring talk. For we are not ignorant that there is one"^Go ISo\y, bit, I have adduced an abundance of testimony .rom the primitive wr.lers in proof of the divine institution o" episcopacj-testimony xvhich, taken in connection with the Scriptural proo s of the three distinct orders in the min stiv n the time of the apostles, must remove all doubt fro^th« mmds oi those who are not determined to shut thei eyes against the truth. Can you shew by their express Jan 'uage or even by iair inference, that the Others did not believe^fn he divir,e right of episcopacy / You cannot aSus I have shown you that this divine right is stated by them not as Their t?rr " ^"' '^ "''''''\ '^ ^^^^' ^"^^' >^"" cann':,t o' erthrow iheu testimony, reason and propriety dictate the course which you should pursue. The superiority of Bishops over he other orders has clearly been shewn, a few addiMonal nuota! t.ons however, may here be made. Cyprian says ^yha greater and better thing can I wish for, than to see the flock ot Christ Illuminated by the honor of your confession^ For as It ,s the duty of all the brethren to r^E.joice on ths account so particularly the bishop's portion of%he common joy" s fl?'n ^ ' ^^^^'^J^'^^f^y, sec. 153.) *^ Cyprian in his enisl le o Ro.^at.anus, who complained to him of a deacon who iad abused h.in his bishop writes, -" i'Ja.em./^LZr.r of your o£ice upon him, and either suspend him or depose hL I He likewise commends Cornelius; Bishop of Tom^ Ij^r driving ^ehcssimus, the schismatic, from the church "U^A Jull authoriy as becomes a bishop.'^ Jerome call presbv^e s pnests of the inferior degree and deacons the K decree He a so states, that " it was determinei^' ^^^' 266.) Tertull an ja.vs ' ihe highestpriest who is the bishop, has the riX nf baptizing," &c. ( Tertul. deBap. Lib Can 17 "i FnfiJ in his 3d book of t'he Life of the impe or ^onstan\in^" peT ing of the Nicene Council, called 'to settle the Sute re specting the feast of Easter, writes,-" Th« hZ/.^PM ff! S^i^'or^"" ''"'■'P'^ ^^^'" and Asia:;nd'q>;A: mntsien oj Ood, were gathered into one or together." 'ii 8. 56 " There is but one bishop in a church. In the many hundred in- stances which Eusehius rehites of bishops being ordained to ofiice, there js no case in which it is not obvious that he was the onlybishon in tiuit church," {Dr. Cook, sec. 341,) except where the bishop from extreme ajre required an assistant Jfishops received the episcopal office by a new ordination. When a see was canonically vacant, an election was made, fJitterently, indeed, as to the mode, in different churches 1 he bishops of the province, at least a number of them, met, tor the purpose of ordaining the bishop elect. His orders as a presbyter, loere not sufficient ; he received a neto ordination. 1 hus, Cyprian was first a prefel)yter, and afterwards ordain- ed bishop of Carthage, according to his deacon Pontius. JLusebius and Jerome. Thus, Cyprian tells us, that " Corne- Jius had advanced, gradually, through all the inferior sta- tions 3"/ind, consecjuently, had been a presbvter before he was a bishop. Yet we find, when he was promoted to the see of Koine, he was ordained by sixteen bishops. Thus we u- u n ' '" ^^^ pi-omotion of {^abinus to the bishopric from which Basilides had fallen, that he was ordained by the im- position of the hands of the bishops present. Thus Fortu- natus, Achimnius, Optatus, Privatianus, Donatulus, and *elix, six bishops, ordained a bishop at Capsis. Nay. says &age, "this necessity of a new ordination for raising one to the episcopal power, was so notorious then, that the schis- matics themselves believed it indispensable ; and, therefore, JNovatianus, though formerly a presbyter, (as Cornelius ex- pressly says, in his epistle to Tabius,) when he contended with Cornelius for the chair of Rome, that he might have the show, at least, of a canonical ordination, got three inconsi- derate bishops to come to the city, and then forced them to give him the episcopal commission, by an imaginary and vam imposition of hands, as Cornelius expresses it. 'Phus also, when Fortunatus, one of the five presbyters who join- ed with the schismatical Felicissimus against Cyprian, set himself up as an anti-bishop at Carthage, he was ordained by five false bishops.^' {Bowde.n,! v, \uA%.) We see then from the l^criptures. Acts "IQ, 17, Ep. to Tim. and Tit. and from the history of th^ primitive church, that the orders of a pres- byter did not enable hi in to perform those especial duties which exclusively belong to the chief officer in the church. It is most manliest when we compare St. Paul's advice to the presbyters of Ephesus, with that given to Timothy and -..,,.., J ,.,,,t -.-sjij-.. n .^j,..^.yj ^j^ „j^, {fjigg(_ Qj 1 nyaiii'a. at. raul tells the presbyters of Ephesus, that from amongst their 57 body of presbyters some should arise spenkin- perverse things, to draw away disciples after thern.^ Bu^what does he say to these presbyters whom he was address ni? He bids them take heed to themselves and their fiock^^ he pv each *n J«L a"''^^ ""^ ^ '^"' ^"^''^ to command an.i teach-.o rebuke sharply-to rebuke with all authorihi-u, charge some that they teach no new doctrine, 1 T i n ^ 3 and to 5e/mc^ perverse teachers, Tit. 1, U. And the an'ffei o fhyat.ra .s reproved for not havinj. silenced iht false nfo phetess Jezebel, Rev 2, 20. Can any thinjj be p ainer wi answer' no^'X "n'' ^"^ ^"-^le'searcher afler truth will ansvrer, no But allow me to ask, are your chairmen set apart for their especial duties by a neto ordiLtionTml are they ordained by those who are in full exerc se of Jhose espec.a duties having themselves received autbori y by a new ordtnahon ?-~No. Why then compare them with the bishops of the primitive church. » Bishops had the soleVo^l er of confirmation,^' For this we have Cypria 's exnr^s testimony in his epistle to Jubaianus. It wafthe custom "to olter such as were baptized to the bishops thSr^ther h!^H'; ^r J^' ^'^'r^ "" «^th«'^ h«"^«' the; mi^rht receive } onn" ^n.^.'^h''' ""'^ ^° consummated 'by the sign of our H tc rin'r^'PT'^-^'^r'"'' '^'^ P''«^'ice, upon Acts s' 14, ice. Cornelius also, ,n hia epistle to Fabius, makes it an argument against Novatianus, that though he wa^baptiz- ed, yet he was not confirmi^d by the bishop." Fir^lian aho bi.hr^w" V" C^P'-'^"' ««y«^''^''e elders'' (nTJS^^ bishops,) "vvho govern the church, possess he power of baptism conhrmation, and ordination.'' (5ot.d.n, Ivol n 49) Jerome says, " It is the custom of the church f?r bishops to go and invoke the Holy Spirit by LpoSn of .nTin;r/"1 ""% ""''' ^""P'^^'i hpresbyte/s anTdeacont n villages and places remote from the mother church."-: 'Do you ask," says he, " where this is written ? In the S tl \ ^^^ ^''^!?**P' «^ the chief officer of the church tte ^ w' V'^'^ of ordination. This, we learn from Scrip' f-orAor ^«:;^«'^« the testimony of Chrysostom, Cyprian, Cornelius, «nd Jerome, in the primitive church There ia no mstance of presbyter ordinatiin in the ScZtL^^^ h wJ" eedZlT^^^ '^^ P**""'^*^^ church-hut aLayspronZ7- «oin nn» . • * ^^""^ ""^^ f^^^" that the Scriptures plainly point out to everv ijnnr«»ni/i:««,i rv.:^j *u- ^L^-.v . p'^"''j ministry under the names apostle, presbyter, bishop, or el- 58 ill ill ill der, and oeaRon. That the first alone ordained and ffovern- ed both clergy and pGople. 1 have siiovvn from the testimo- ny of the primitive writers, thi' . these three distinct ordera were continued in the church, the term apostle bein«r no lon- ger used, but the term bishop bein? applied and confined to theirs/ order— whi'e to the second order the names presby- ter and elder have been appropriated, and the term deacon to the third order. The -Derloritv of the first order is clearly maintained in the ei>- ;les of St. Paul ; and St. John gives a strong intimation of this. It is also abundantly testi- hed by the primitive writers. I have shown you that in the Bishop alone was vested the power of confirmation and ordi- nation, which power the apostle alone exerciser? in their days- and by this it must be manifeat to all, that bishops were ever considered as the successors of the apostles. I have shovi a you that three or four presbyters in the fourth century, (not an instance, I believe, is recorded before that period,) did ordain several persons, who were all dejjraded, vhile iiidi- vidual bishops, and vvhole councils, condemned the usurna- tion. I have further siiovvn you that there was but one bishop in a church, while there were, as is well known, a ii umber of presbyters and deacsMss. And that bisiops were admitted to the rights of theii iii^h office I a new ordination, Sure- ly, Sir, this ought to satisfy the oiosr sceptical and incredu- lous ; and instead of contending asunifM ihe decided and con- current testimony of ages, they ouyh- to yxekl to that testi- lony in full accordance with tlie wor i of God, and renounce Uieir error. If the Apostle?? ccm:iijited the government of the Uiureh to presbyters alone, how are we to account for tbe : ;fenc'? of all the primitive wriiers upon so important and mrerei-v^ng a subject to the Church. Such a complete change in the sfovernment oi the Church couhl not possibly be effected tn tmtly^be adopred universally ; and all history be silent as the grave respecting this change. Changes in government, whafover their nature or tendency may be, are not so easily accomj^Hshed. Is it possible then, that the go- vernment which Christ and his Apostles established, could so soon be abolished } Is it at all likely that in so short a period bishops could usurp so great authority, and bring the whole Church in subjection to them ? Is it credible that the direc- tions and appointments of Christ relating to his Gospel Church could so soon be forgotten ? That at the expiration of one hundred years afYer theApostles, his Church should be ^^^aIT^^.i^. ^ way entirely different^ from that which he in- itios, not a siugiu voiCosaouid be ruis^u iu its Utifbtico id ^overn- e testimo- let orders niT no lon- onjined to 3s presby- in deacon t order is St. John ntly testi- iiat in the and ordi- lieir days; were ever ve shown ury, (not •jod,) iHd 'hile i;)di- a usurpa- ne bishop I number admitred n. Sure- l incredu- and con- that testi- renounce nment of count for mportant complete possibly ill history lianges in ly be, are it the go- could so a period le whole he direc- i Gospel xpiration (hould be ch he in- i Uufonce 69 —no advocate should be found to support it-to cvho-t the christian world not to forsake the good old ifmAot to ff ve up that liberty wherewith Christ had made them f^o > Is U possible that Episcopacy could then be universallv adooted and that not an individual writer could be found'o LS hb g.reat change, and to declaim against the unscriptura autho! rity of b.shops--the,r bold and cruel usurpation ? Jt wouM be unreasonable and absurd even for a moment to sup^o e this. The piety of the primitive Church, on the one hand and the insuperable difficulties in the wav of such a char e on the o^er hand, render it impossible thatit couUe elioc I L' • . '' a ^"'n— 't Js admitted chat for 14 centuries rhp ^^fansti.ui CL.rch was altogether Episcopal, that this^brm of gorernment v.as universally received, and that none oTher W.S a.know^uiged. If therefore the Apostlesleft to pre u' thpn'f ?/ t^ f ^7'"^f e»t of the Church! and not to bisho^si rhn Jh nP r^'"/^'^"* rT '^^ ^^•'■^'■'^"^ institution of^he Church of Christ was laid aside-then during all this time tuere coul-1 have been no Church according "to Christ W pointmeiir: and consequently there was aVailure of that promise ot the Saviour to his Apostles and their succ^soJs ^ ho, 1 urn with you always, even until the end of the world » Lut can anv be found who dare to assert this of the un- changeable God ? I trust not, Sir, for we are assured that he keepeth h,s promise for ever. We are therefore cert^ that he government which he established, and which he Ue Jed las always, from its first establishment, continued and1v 1 continue to the end of the world. -The Apostles," says JJi. Hobart, "certainly constituted a ministrv in the Church the supremacy of bishops, therefore, must have been ei he^ of apostolic institution, or it must have been an innovation or usurpation. If it had been an innovation or usii^aUmol Apostolic order, it could not have received universal sanction so near the Apostolic age, without opposition, and without the most explicit and marked record of so extraordinary a change or usurpation. But no such recoid anpea^s-no tr^ dittnn even, of any such event is mentioned^n any of the writers of the first three centuries. No such change or usur! pation, there ore could have taken place in the constitution W Ph-T''"^" ^*'"';f • ^''^" «"Premacy of bishops, there- foie, which umversally prevailed (in the primitive Church) could not have been an innovation or usurpation. It must therefore, have been an Apostolic institution." Yes-wjd tn 18 power of settino- nnnrf novaono A,« *\ J . •. • . which power 13 vested in the bishops alone, has been conti^ 60 nued by an uninterrupted succession from nge to nge to the present day, as 1 will more fullv show in mv next letter ; and by huvinir full faith in the Saviour's promise that he will al- ways be with his Church, we mav confidently assert that the 8aine power will continue to the end of time. Suppose that the Church in the present day were under the sole manage- ment of presbyters, is it, I ask, within the bounds of proba- bility, that such an extraordinary revolution in the j^overn- rnent of the Church, could, as it were by maoric, be efiected— that in every part of the christian world, at one and the same tune, some bold usurping presbyters would arise ami assert their exclusive right to govern the Church and clergy. Would all bow to their authority by common consent, and think so little of it that they would not even record the evtnt ? rso. I hesitate not to say, when I consider the nature and constitution of man— this is impossible. Why, dear Sir, an humble country Rector cannot now assert that Episcopal or- dination is necessary to constitute a valid ministry, without having a hundred pages written against him for his boldness in asserting the truth, Jt is evident then, that no change took place in the government of the Church. Now, Sir, when I turn to your defence of the Methodist ministry, 1 perceive that your whole argument is built upon the community of names— that when argument fails, vou content yourself with bold assertions, or entirely evade the subject. You are con- tending for names, we contend for tuing's. Deprive you of the flimsy and weak argumen s which vou derive from the interchangeable use of names in the Scriptures, and confine you to things— to official powers, and then you cannot pretend to make even a specious defence against the overwhelmin'' testimony which flows on all sides to the aid of the advocates for Episcopacy. Had only a few of the Apostles established Episcopacy according to circumstances, while the others re- jected it, then certainly we could not maintain that it was essential to the ministry. But when we find from the clear- est evidence, that it was the universal practice of these holy men inspired of God, so far as we know anv thing of their ministrations, we cannot doubt as to the necessity of retain- ing It, unless wo should set ourselves up to be wiser than the Apostles. We cannot but look upon it as essential to the ministry. We cannot but be convinced that it is of divine tmtitution, and therefore obligatory and binding upon all who profess to be Christians. " The truth is, the divine com- Itiands are all obligatory. All comparison of the relative nnporiance or obligation of these commandsj in order to de- u, Gl fige to the tter ; an.• fl." rJ ^"""^^^ '" ^^^ purest ages, should be re- sJrintnrP i^ • ^ T'''^,"^ removing this doubt. -When :>oriptuio IS quite clear," savs Dr Hnnl- »fi.«„ „n . " are mrrpoii u.,^ tu ■ ' nook, "then al parties question must often oepur wJi..^ • ^""/c i "selt r)— 'he 'P-.. •* • ""-•• "i''*^" occur, wnut is proved therebv ? 'Vh.. I"de,«,„de,u. the AtSptLtf t ,o Ch,uZ„ ''VoTt'- "' these disputed questions ih-it tl,» rh i! ,. "' " '^ '" .he„pi„ii„ of tldsXn er ,r th,?-™^"?™;'^ ""' '" one doctor or atiothordocioi---,,,rli7 ''? """J"""™ »«" 63 'I 11 III upon n litigateJ scripture ; not, ol»ser\ e, as stipersediiig Scrip- ture, but as inrlicatinp, wlion two or more mennin*rs may Im attached to one and the Relfsamo passaije, which is the mean- in;.', as enabling us to .i.scertiiiu, not what the Scripture can bo made to say by iuffenious inen, but what actually is the mind of the Spirit. For example, when texts are adduced to prove the doctrine of the Trinity, the Socinian has recourse to his lexicons, and says these texts may by possibility receive another interpretation. Our answer is, the meaning' that toe attach to those passan:es, is precisely the meaninf? attached to them by the early christians, vvli.» certainlv »n,ld Uie doctrine of the Trinity, and therefore we coneludf tu'i! ffn. ( :uin lite- ral meaning in which ice understand th( •.', is r.xactly the sense in which they ought to be received. J'l.e ' Romanist' then advances with his doctrine of transub tantiation, and rpioting the words of Christ's institution, claims the literal meaning MS being on his side. Wo can silence him at once by show- ing? that this doctrine of transubstantiation was not hrnrd o- till the ninth, nor authoritativoly received till the ISiii centu- ry. Here again then we have antiquity assisting us in our interpretation of Scripture, .i* is the case also with respect to the change of the Sabbath ('ay, the rite of infant baptism, and other doctrines or practices of importance. But does the English Church speak slightingly of the Scriptures, because she adopts this mode of incorpretation when the meaning of a scripture is ambiguous ; bp'"«"«'"■ «'« «"eie,l „ftine ? werem.t v! r,l' I m ' «,""!•"■ '™'''''' 'l'""l>«"- ordinations ion o ■ L^^Ip^tti,.)!'^'' t"' r" •"" ■""■• '""''!' """" "P-- in— "'»»-«overation isa law bind- But hL Sir VVoTr'rr"' ""/' ^■°" ™""'" ''"P"" f--""' "• «Uuc -efsion i. n Z ?"«"•!''«' '« I"-"Vo that tl uninterrupt- ..use can brin« ^,::^ ir' ^^b 1^" i,'' ,11 ' ;;;.;;zr be ffiven d.Tw.^fr V' .'" '''^''"'"" ^'^ °^^^^»' authorities, will S'S9L?="-^M::i;t^^t re/So^^^^^ i"'' ""'' ''''''^'' ^' incompatible t.u7A YrS [hat Z L? '^'''"''^^^''2/, ant refer you for the distinctive peculiarities of their office. Whatever is not contained therein, either expressly ( r by necessary inference, must be considered as not jjcrtaining to the char.u'iteristic du- ties and powers of the Apostles. "Now the Apostles weredist ijruished by certain circum- »tantial peculiarities, and certain miraculous gifts. Wero these so connected with the Apostolic cffice as to constitute in any sense its distin the work. No more n.ust the essentia office of the Apo.tlcs sent to sub.lnc, and establish, and rule, as a.n bassadors of Christ be confounded with those f xtraoVdinarv endown:ents and all that striking array of n.irarulous i o wer? with which they were furnish,"! for -their en.orprlc^Su'li' endowmeriM were needed for the first propa-N tion' of the C.o«pcl. 1 hey have not been needed ' sinVe%-they ha ve there ore ceased But the essential con.ni ssion of the Apostles, to winch they were appended, has not ce" sed nor can cease, whde the world laslJ ; for Christ hVs p o 'used Ihat he will be with that office to the end of the world rhat commission was complete as soon as rlelivered a nd rom that mo.oeut it. recipients were invested with all the fum-- lons the Apostolic office ; but not so uith reimrc to mi Z ous g, ts and qualifications. These were ncit be t^wedl I nany days after the delivery of the commission It was be lore the ascension of Christ that the full «u/Ac,WofTnos llTJV' ^''°"'^;^- ^' ''t' ""^ ^'l' '^^ Pentecost tlrnt hev ro- ce.ved '^oi^er frorn on high" for the support of that autho- rity. Thus arc we brought again to the question, IvCiZ he peculiar and characteristic nature of the JlpoUolir office' Ihey themselves applied to it a name which will aid tile aV Bwer Peter, m addressing his brother A post 4 concern^^^^^^ the filling of the vacancy caused by the death of' 4Tr ? expressly styes the office which the\raitor had v La ed/"^ fs/^nc, or his episcopate, as the original reads. The ame only means an office oC >ZperZXnZtr^" 'tuhuT.' pervsion ,nay he either o? single eongreca LSns , h^ ,h,: eases of " ti.e elders" of Ephesus ■ n? 7,f nT,! "" shall we go to ascertain whether it was a na.tlcuhr nr n «n "oral H.r)ervision-~congregational, or the contrarv ' Th^ coinruiK «« ana leacii a i nations " &p — n erefore, whatever powers their apostleMpo"er,iscomU embraced, were not limited to any particular?o^fir.|aitro' i:v lit I ii i 66 the Church, hut extended to the whole Church ; in other words, the *' bishopric" in the hands of the Apostles, wag evidently general «s distinfruishcd from congregational. — What |)articular functions belonged to that general oversight or episcopate, their commission leaves no room to doubt. First, " Go and teach all nations ;" or, as the more accurato and universally prefern.'d translation is, *' Go and make disciples of all narions," Thus was given antliorjfy to pro- pagate the Gospel, " Baptising tliem in the name of the Fa- ther," &c. Here was authority to admi.'^ister the Sacraments of the Church, and by the SacramcMit of Baptism to open the doors of the ('hiireh and of its privileges to disciples out of all nations. Finally, "'I'eaeliing them to observe aU things whatsoever 1 have commanded you." These words con- veyed to the Apostles the authority to rule the Church after they had made disciples by [)reaching, and members Ity baf>- tism. An essential part of the government of the Church consisted in seeing to the succession of its ministry. That the authority to do this, to ordain successors in tin; ministry, was included among the f)Owers of the Apostles, is not only necessarily implied in their authority to govern, but also in those impressive words of the Saviour, " As the Father hath :!!ent me, even so send I you." For as it was jiart of the of- fice on which Jesus was sent, to institute the ministry of his Church, so it follows from these words, that it was part of the sending of the Apostles to continue that ministry, by the ordaining of others to its functions. The conclusion then with regard to the characteristic nature of the Apostolic office is, that it was oue of a general supervision or episcopate ; and embraced essentially the authority to preach and pro[)a- gate the Gospel ; to adirnnister ihe Sacraments of the Church ; to preside over its government, and, as a chief part of go- vernmentj to ordain helpers and successors in the tninistry. All these powers the Apostles held, not as a collective body or college, but severally and individually. Hitherto we have been, as far as 1 know, upon undisput<;d ground. Let us pro- ceed. This ,fiposiolic cffice was intended by the Saviour to be dontinued ; in other words, the first Apostles loere intended to have successors to the end of the voorla. This is undenial)ly manifest from the promise of the Saviour annexed to their commission — •' Lo, 1 :un with you ttlwnys, even unto the end of the world." Now, if neither trivpersons of thoAposfies were Intended to remain to the end oi the world, nor their miraculous endowments, nor their distin" gwshing office — if all have passed away, we are quite unabl* 67 Tm.!n 'P • • '^^/'^'•*■''«* "^ the first Apostles do not re LhurUi. It foDows, then, that thiiir disltniniishinir omre must " t the en n'r^r'"' ^ '''^S^^^^'^viour pro.ni.se.l his presence to the end ol the world." No other sense can nos^iblv be put on h.s words, if, then, the ofiice of the A o ties as e,Hned from their connnission, nn,l interpreted hy II he act^ of he.r mm.stry, was an episeopate-an dlice of s. pe vfsL? ^ 1) s H^^r^;;! kind-anll if each Apostle di,! emS .WnicMir^^ •"^'■" ^'^'^ '"^^' '" P''«"'^^ administer the under trh;.Tn'''';i'''''''"J'''''^^^ '" tl... Church, and "he Gosnel T/r |-'"'''''\'''^'""^ '^'"■•^'■''" '-^"'^ ''"'^ '""''-^ters of tne Uospel ; it follows that an office of precisely that descrin- But where shall we find this ofiicc In the present Church ? h^s ,m,on of a.Hl.onty to preach and adminiLer SVra nents' cf'»t very ,y wLn ^ramir .; .h ^"''' •'^"•^Pend.ng the sun in the .skies, and morn inf ^'h^ iw'"""^' succession of the evening and the niormno:. 1 he be-irinm^ ot every institution of God mu«l of necessity be extraordinary, its rejrular continuancelordi W'fat is now ;. '.^"•'''p'" ^''r'^^^"^- ^n all its branehe . narv whnr h" '• l'"^ Providence was once an extraordi- SaTuHtur. T r'^- "'""^^''f '' ««"tinue,l by laws of fa- miliar nature. And so it is with the niinistrv of the GosopI what was created by the direct ordination of cULnZa- fr's^edi^in'ir^f' '/ '" r'T''''' ordination "o/"nX orG^D sai c io^^r' ' ^^«^^'T'"i"i*try, and just as much power U if if hH. ''^ '"' '''"^''"'•'/y «"'! sustained by hi. hHP.L'or r ^"^j.'^en received from the Inyinfr on of tho Apostles. It was the promise of Christ, the Lord that it haT le'^un and n ^'^' ^"' '^Z' ^'" ^^'«^'^'- '^ *' not^'ore'^ur': fn fhl 7"/' "^ '"""."' ^''""'^ *""'' ^'^''<^ ^'•'I'-vest will continue hp h 'f i' '''" '"".'•'** 5 and though its succession be now iu the hands of very feeble and fa|{il,le men-of men unsnenk- qt ^ific t^ t^/'^t'" '" r'y- l>--naTTnd":Srciai quaiii]cation-~yea, thoujjh many Iscar ots' be found undpr it. meniical with that of the Aposries, s n nowise affectPd -1 ihirr' u'""^ ''• **^'t* <^o'"f"""'caie(i to others by the hande of those who received it from the Lord is manifest. For Sol d 70 nicution Matthias and Bnrnabas, who were Apostic, wo find Timothy, who was ordained by St. Paul, not only called an Apostle by that writer, as he is called bishop by writers of the next century, but actually charired by St. Paul with the exercise of all the authority we have mentioned as contained in the Apontolic commission. The first Epjstle to Timothy is the plainest evidence that he whs put in trust with the go- vernment of the Church of Ephesucf ; which all that time, as the Acts of the Apostles declare, contained a plurality of presbyters ; that over those presbyters, as well as over the tieacons and laity, he was invested with the iiersonal charge of discipline and jjovernment ; and that, in discbur^'ing such government, ihe authority to ordain was distinctly in his single hands. The same is evident concerning Titus, from the Epistle of St. Paul to him. it was his charge from St. Paul to "set in order" all the Churches of the large island of Crete, and " ordain presbyters in every city." Thus we see the ofiice of the Ajwstlep handed down by a succession of hands to one of the latest dates of which the Scriptures speak. It certainly continued in the world as long as the lifetime of the Apostle St- John, and he lived to the hundredth year of the christian era. Did it continue any longer than that hundredth year .' — We ask who were those " Jlngels^' or messengers of the Seven Churches in Asia, to whom the seven Epistles of the Book of Revelations were addressed ; called also " the seven stars'''' in the right hand of ihe Lord ; held resjjonsible for the whole Church end)raced within the limits of those several extensive cities, with their suburban dependencies ^ Of one of them, Ephesus, we know from Acta XX, 17, that some forty years before the Book of Reve- lations was written, it had several presbyters, and of course several congregations. Who then was the anjrel of that Church of Ephesus i What was his ollice i Evidently it was one of presidency, and that over clergy as well as laity. The most learned and noted non-Episcopal writers contend that it was the ofiice of president for life. The learned Blonde], whose authority on this subject ia not excelled by that of any non-Episcopal writer, contends that the angels of the seven Churches were " exarchs," or chief governors, "who were superior in o^cic.e to the other clergy of those Churches ; held their places for life, and were so superior that *' ihe acts of the Church, whether glorious or infamous, leere imputed to these exarchs.' ' And this, he says, is necessary to be maintained, otherwise the difliculties are insuperable. Jf such were the ofiice of the angel of ono of I, wo find called an vriters of with the !ontnined Timothy h the go- liat time, iralUy of over the al charge ,'ing such ly ill his ;u5, from from St. island of is we see :ession of criptures ng as the undredth ger than ngeW or •horn the Idressed ; le Lord ; within the suburban low from of tieve- )f course I of that itlently it 1 as laity. s contend subject ia contends rchs," or the other mn\ were lorious or , he says, jlties are af one of 71 the seven Churches, it must have been that of the in.rH. „r all the others ; and as we have no reason to sum ho tS'^J^ government of those seven Churches was not s imila to tha^ of all others, such must have been the offir-P nf Vt^l i -V • m tnc umir .11 ot j!,phesus not more than twcli'c- years 'ifr^? &t John had addressed the angel of that Chnreh i, 'he B,,,^ b shop' "".>A;';r'''' "?" "'V- O™*"™' "as he^ t^ Snl-< « I '•^^ '"'y^ iccordins; to the Jlah h mm Mop,' So that not only did the essential presiderm, ^ Zt ChureTof",:^, "'■''''"''• '•^'""r "> '■'>« ehie/offioST,; the Fat^rt fe 'laZLrii'ntels of '^Ch^Ss ^t^ln'^l "" dioeesan bishops. Iren^ul, bishop of Lyon ;vho"w ol^ rl.,? .' cf ^^ ^^' •^^'^"' ^"*^ certainly the an^^el of th,. Church ot Smyrna, calls him bishop of \hat Church and that he usea the title as designating a bishop inthestrirf '..li K:rd:;:i^^^-:--l~- 55 who dwelt m the midst of diocesan Episcopacy were 7r4rH the.>ow:r'"'" 'fj^^^'^'^r'^^'^ ^^y the cllristim n b, S-y o? their own aire, we have the plainest and most unnueJim^h?! evidence. Irenx-us, we havJ said, was a discip"e ,^,rPoIvcnri who was the an-el and bishop of he Church of SmLnf'^' oZr\ J -^ ■ ^""^ ^'*'"® primitive writer has left on rp- Chtc h'of H^'T'^T ^' '^T ^^"^ ^^^^ ^'^^'^ bishops of 4o ^-■nurcli ot Komedown to ths t meofwritinn- vi/ nhm.f'Jl rj",Lr.''i'.^-- f™" «<:.John,. Th,rfirname1iifL°i','r: • ,„ "'"-■'■' •.■' ■ uiis "t/te iiveffih in order fi-nm fht> /?«n.' ««. « Eleuthorius.'. He calls both by dV^:! nameof 72 bishop, without the least indication that the office of the onp whom Paul instituted, was in the least dissimilar IVom that of th'j other, who was hoelfth in the descent. Now it is gene- rally granted that the office of the la:ter was that of adioce- enn bishop in the present cu.^tomary sense. What then are we obliged to infer as to the office of the former ; and conse- quently as to the nature of the office received by the i)rimi- niitive Churches from the hands of the Apostles ,' We might exceedingly nmltiply quotations to the same effijct. But it is Bufficiently shown that in the age next succeeding that »f the Aposfles, there were officers called bishops in the Church, wh(j were considerea then as successors of the Apastles, and an having received from theni the same poiver and authority that Iheyhad. Antl how those officers came to have appro- priated lo them exclusively the name of bishop, which at first was not j)eculiar to the highest grade of the ministry, instead of the older name of Apostles, Thoodoret, a christian wdter, who flourished only about two hundred years after thosa times, informs us,—" Those now called bishoi)s (he says) were anciendy called Apostles ; but in process of time, tha uame of Apostle was left to them who were truly Apostles ; antl the name of Bishop was restrained to those who were anciently called Apostles." Thus we learn that a special re- verence for tlio first Apostles was the cause of the leaving of that name to them, and calling their successors by another. I cannot take lime to proceed any further with a quota- tion of testimony. We have found the promise of the Sa- viour as to the continuance of the Apostolic office, evidently fulfilleil in the age next to that of the last of the Apostles. The facility of proving the same of subsequent periods, rapidly increases as we descend the enlarging tide of Chris- tian men and thij.-s, till we come to the |)eriod of only on(5 hundred and fifty years from the deal!; of St. John, (the ago wf Cyprian, bishop of Carthago,) wheu non-Episcopal wri- ters, ho concede the least, acluiowleuge that the Church, without a known exception, was presided over by diocesan bishops, who exercised the prerogatives, and were then con- sidered, without u question, to have sicceeded to the full office of the Apostles. Whether it be lift for i\\Q nineteenth century to correct the universal belief of the Church, in an ag(* so soon after the last of tb^^ twelve Apostles, on a matter of plain historical tradition, concerning which it is quite unin- telligible that the learned should then have been ignorant, i inufif liave others *^^ decide," The bishop proceeds to in- form us that, in the present day, about eleven twelfths of 73 \hofiC called Chnstians in the world, are under the Bplritual ^nnsd.ction of an order of minister., called bishop./ whose nd.v.dua ofl.co embraces the essential particulars of tha of the A , (..lies, an( whose succession they regard as derived bv nn unbrokc.. cham from Apostolic times-that the mo.t en i! nent non-Lpiscofml nriters acknowledge, that within si-'tu years «1 the death of St. John (you, Si , allow vH«S years !) such was the govcrnn.ent of the Church 1 ." han shown iron, the testimony of the writers who then lived, that b shops were Ihen exercsmj; the jurisdiction of the Church an, in the f the sa- called irt II n levei ? Doc* you will M only Ji i presby- Tice with cnderfui 111! down cliing at hops are r» whom hop wa» I no con- ■jsertion, nothing 'It xoin ) accord- ive that \pressly ' charity Mag.) lolice of bishop, lOp wa« tiich the ^s, " In 5 to fol- Why nd thea ualiu» f 77 tho bishops onii IcvH Lh "^ i.:tendhcre to pni evident. We ncU';ro firn a d Ti » ''^^^^ '' t>V^.r'2^^^L t w^^'Jn^ir/r' . -/of thesc^u.on, has should be subject to llu . . ^7T- ^'!"^ ^''^^ l'*^"P»^* every Epi.co,^:ba,rUn s ^l^i L^^^ ''1^^!::; ^^^^' quently their suomor I I\ J'"' '" '"'!'' "'"' '^'^ '^' '"'^^^e- in this style' Ti^;;;.^^^^^^^ ever speak of your chairman now he seen that v«u dr ^ '" """^ '"', l.'«-osbyters." It will IffnutiiH Imt r .2 : ' '1^0 support from the testimony of wiS ll^s bL Hho n"'" Wh'^'"' is decidedly against /ou Justin Mart7r!Vk„ow nor '1^. ^""^ '''°"''' ''"'''^ '"'••«^"^^« norn,ainsti:ii:;-;^,,itrs;;.:;^;^^^^^^ already .ulHcion I Sn i. no VVr''"*""'''' ''^''''^' ' ^'^^^ fTymanV^«V/cJi Oil re'n^^^^^ Every cler- presidesover (I < Thni»T i r r'^^.^^'"" ' ^"^ the bishop 'ngly pueriirt.;': dv'ut^th"'s[lete oft"^'^ . ^^T "^•^^^^'■ argument ajjain.i Kp Lconarv WiM ".""'"^ ^"^''^'^ ""' ^" forward the" ilenr-e f «/7h^^' • ^'' "'"'''' '■^^'''" ^^^ ^•""'g if vou P eLe .?s Vn\/ ^'^tor.an. up to the reformation! that F4,Lco, acy ira , T^^ '^'J?f ^T' ^^"'^ «««^«'«» suit you, buVwIu'rVvoM rn7nn '";. ^ ''i'^ however, does not are very few sCh C. ' 1 T^,?' ''^'' ? '''^"^' ^"^^ ^^ere umph, LdThi k th«f ? K "^ ^^- '^"""^^ ^'^'^'•«' ^hen you tri- conicv S.irp 1 i" \"" ^;'''^ ^''^^'" ^h« ^ieath blow to Epi«- the silenVeT ne o^wo %''''' '' v"^ «°"«'"«ive than being a usurpation. ' Vry exfresTv t!^'' to i^pi-opaey ^JK^^Ir*:^ ..^iV '^^•^f « 't IS necessary to obev the 'nr^.hJ.L the Aios^les'a^ w/f ' '^'f ^^" ^^^*^ their Wc^.'^onTrmn He ells us '' The fcri^r"''! \"^* ^'^^ ^^^^ these us, 1 he hioHHed Apostles therefore founding and 1^ MICROCOPY RESOLUTION TEST CHART (ANSI and ISO TEST CHART No. 2) 1.0 I.I 1.25 lil 2.8 2.5 |5.0 = mil— Ui £ 2.2 163 S: 11^ !£ I£ 2.0 l:. «i u tuuu 1.8 1.4 III 1.6 = III A APPLIED IIVMGE Inc 1653 East Main Street Roctiester, New York 14609 (716) 482 - 0300 - Phone (716) 288- 5989 - Fax USA 78 Anns mstruotincr the Church, delivered t rem the Church.'' He inenriuns that the hishopnc was do- hvered to one person at a tiuie, ami ^mvos the iiamos of twelvo successive bishops. These ai)pointiiicnts he tulls us wore made in all the Churches, No bishop surely would deny that he was a presbyter. The word "presbyter," as you Hiust knowj means in the original an old man or elderly per- son,— and old experienced men were chiefly chosen as l/ishopa or governors of the Church. These bishops, then, who ii,'o- vcrned the Church, one at a time in a diocese, are the per- sons of whom Irenffius speaks. He could have no hesitation HI sometimes styling them presbyters, when from the New Testament he saw that the Apostles called themselves pres- byters, li-enreus then means that they were such presbyters us the Apostles themselves were— presbvters of a superior order, governing the Church— possessing the sole power of confirmation and ordination, having the Apostolic succession. This singular succession, sa>s Dr. Bowden, so univer:jallv, without one exception, maintained by the primitive Church, has always appeared to me to be a decisive argument in t*a- vour of the superior .y of bishops. For ujmn w1iat principle ol common sense, of propriety, of policy, could an individual Huccession be maintained, if that individual did not possess Tjowers superior to those of the f)rcsbvters over whom ho hold, as Irenieus speaks, a maslership 7 That mastership over the clergy, the Apostles held ; that mastership ihey committed to an individual in every Church for the same purpose. Does not this necessarily imply a singularity of commission and powers ?" " Jn the very nature of the thing, this mas- tership implies a superiority of dignity and jurisdiction. Masters, and yet perfectly on a footing with those whom they govern ! The successors of the Aposlles in the govern- ment of the Church, and yet upon a level with presbyters, who never were so distinguished ! Always discriminated, in consequence of this succession, by the name of the city in which they resided, and vet not having a single distinctive power from the other presbyters ! " These," he says, " aro very strange things." And 1 think yon will admit, when you seriously weigh the whole matter, that they are not only strange but absurd. Would you say that this bishop might have been n standin;; chairman .? This is too absurd to ad- mit. It matters not by what names the different orders of tho ministry are distinguished. The question relates to the dis- »peaU ot the body of presbyters govercing the Church, but .,#ir^ ypric to t^o- •ic was dc- i of twelvo i 113 woro ou'/J deny ," as you derly per'- UH Ijisliopa , who go- re the per- hesitation the New Ives pres- prcsbyterg ). superior 3 power of succession, niver^ially, e Church, nent in ta- t principle iiulividual ot possess whom ho rsh'ip over "committed purpose. :)M)inission this inas- risdiction. jse whom le govern- »rcsbyter», linated, in the city in listinctive lyp, " arc when you not only bop might iird to ad- lers of tho :o the dia- i does iiui lurch, but 79 expressly ctates that by tho Apostles that r^Jvernmont .va, commuted to one person only, at a time, a.xl that He r im another sucToede.i and another in a direct line h ,n le Apostles. He makes the ^rovernn.ent of bisho s a o o and consecp.eniiy dmne. The testimony of IrtMrnn s tl en « 10 you. aid. let us examuie his testimony which vou h-ivo adduced, and then we shall the better bo abh,> to jm Le ow o state tJcat the omission m the quotation from this author ait. 1 nncl tlidt the passa^a^ js quoted n the works which I ondL:^n^^;i^Tlnr^'"/'"v''"^ ^^ "^^^-' times v:^th^e omission \Miich 1 have made. 1 transcribed it just as I found Tnh rl t. V ^ '"^^""^^ ^^^' J^ certriinly is for the honour u etLr t^v be'Lrr '•"■' '"' "^'''^ '^>' her /ules and l":": lion, provided the latter do not oppose the form»'r 'J'hi« passage then - for the honour of the Church" rsotexnicit and clear enough to determine /or or aorainst he r uei on cSi r v!;!;'';^' f ^r ^'"f "" ^^^-' ^^^tho2r"o^: tSio^Hude J;; v" ? P'*^«^'yters inthestrictsen.se, and wien co.iciuti ; that yon have made cood vour cause Now ee the position in which this testimo'^iv, takin. yom view <^- it, places y;u, and the contradictions'in whicj/yZr sv^Te n continually involves you. According to your own dmfssion Episcopacy began A. D. 106. Butlet u, ro -ven f rthpr nnd say with Blondol, about A. D. 140. Then aceor in^tn only cont nued about o^i. A.«n^r.^ years, and in Tertull S nnih. V ' ' history; you have contradicted vour^-ir and have he.;e opposed to you the concessions of thv most cmment non-Ep,scopal writers, who admit that d e Chmel was then governe.l, without a known exception bv d^ eiMn ;t^e c^;:^^ 7"i'^ t^ -ch ehang^s'^giti;^ ^;;jr Z^f •vuJrl u ^ "^ Y*'^''^ '^ ''^^^ '■'-^^'•d of these chan- C I. \h^ C^'-'^'h first ruled by a "council of presbytes"' ^Jl^ ^''"'' '' presiding, and governin,. nil ! Then^mme d.ately after the death of the Apostles, arnl.itious bi^s tX^^ he government of the Church into their own hands the ;; council of r>re..byters" not uttering a «,«H If • r^-'-- ^ri^en 100 years after, the "eouncil of pre byte r^V^^^'".;, preside, and the ambitious bishops, ashamed of Theff usufpT (. ,* 80 lion, resign the government of the Church into their hanfis without H struggle and without a won! of con'.v, /ersy ! But again, three or four years after, you tell us that Cyprian W.IS1 one of the principal agents in gaining the asconilancy of the bishops, and they again became supreme ! ! Who wouhl be- lieve that these changes ccidd take place in the church silent- ly and unnoticed ; or that they could take place at all in that age confessedly acknowledged to be the purest age of the Church. No reasonable being I feel assured would give ere dit to such an opinion. The literal meaning of the words of Tertullian is "certain approved seniors (or old men) pre- side." Tertullian is here, if 1 mistake not, speaking of the whole Christian Church, i have shewn you that he traces individual succession up to the Apostles. '• For in this man- ner," he says, " the Apostolic Churches bring down their registers, as the Church of Smyrna from Polycarp, |)lace;i there by John — the Church of Rome from Clement, «)rdained by Peter." Who then were these approved seniors, or elders that presided in the Churches .'' — not the body of presby.ers ; but bishops such as were Polycarp and Clement ; one bishop presiding over his dioceso. You hare then here again, and indeed throughout your whole work, been led astray by names, and have entirely mistaken the nature of Tcrtidlian's presi- dency. Cyprian, whom you next mention, was in the habit of consulting his presbyters on ail important occasions, as every prudent bishop would do ; and I doubt not, every bishop of the Church does. But Cyprian did this, not by right, or of necessity^ but because he thought proper to do so. When in exile he wrote to his presbyters and deacons, informing them that he had ordained Aurelius a reader in t.he Church : he says in his 88th Epistlo, " In all ecclesiastical ordinations', most dear brethren, 1 used to consult you beforehand, and to examine the manners and merits of every one with common advice." He says, " I have resolved with myself to consult you." — {Bp. Taylor\s tcorks, vol. 7, p. 225.) Notwithstand- ing this resolution, when in his absence his presbyters re- ceived into communion, without sufficient evidence ol their repentance, some who had fallen away in the tin.e of perse- cution, he reversed their decision, and put out of the Church those who had been received by the presbyters, telling them that they should have a fair hearing upon his return. " What reason," says he, " have we to be afraid of the wrath of God, when some presbyters neither mindful of their own station, Dor regardful of the bishop, iheir superior, are bold to assume all to themselves, to the reproach and contempt of their su- loir hands sy ! But )rian waf* icv of tijo would be- *ch silent- 'M in that <,'e of the give ere words of leri) pre- n£f of the he traces this nian- )wn their p, plaee.i ordaineil or elders esby:ers ; ne bishop ram, and bv names. n's jA'esi- the habit isions, as ^ry bishop n'£;-/i<, or . When nforiTiing Church : 1 illations, 1(1, and to common o cons^uli withstand- byters re- 3 of their of perse- e Church ing them " What ^ of God, n station, :o assume their su- 8i mvn free choice, ^v'ethcT bfl'onV^h ?i " i"'""'' ^'^' ^° ''"^ willnfoMr rnnl .,nVi « • '"^'^*'Pf ^h"''' rule or no, but the will . ir liorcJ and baviour js, that evr^rv ni-t ,^f ti^L ni V bo governed by her bi-hoos " 'VUiti^ , ^"^ ^''^rch presbyters. See furtlu.r n , ^ '"''" ^""^'^'^ ''' ^^"^"'^ ^i- ■' : cannot f.nj any argun.e' ; „ -fo^ce in la- N.w '1 V ';" "?'• 10 prove that ovei- thp rh.- .,;„,, 'i, i '^"''' * «staiti«nl, mature, h. L^ thf most n oh , ? ' Judgment became more > •— III i"e most public manner retrnffp/ v«. c la»e written a pa»,pl,let against tlic d v ne riX nf ^^ i ' the other ''' a dreain '' If '. W \i ^"^"'\" invention--- .V"'_ "''^- Sullingfleet, then, having him.Rir «no J!:" i ,::.•. » ».uauH, n^s, (^see p. 50 of your pamphlet,) I 'Ilk !'■ 'f 82 r;iM only say that it rcndcM it unnecessary for mc to take any furtlier notfce of the Irenicuin. Your next cjuotulion is from Hilary, a Roman deacon of the fourth century. I will here adopt' your own language—" In deciding what is really a ooinn'ieiitiitor'^ opinion on a subject of which he speaks fre- quently, we must not, in all fairness, form a judgment from one or two isolated sentences, but from the general tenor of his writings,"— (p. 71.) The historians of the lirst three centuries, the purest ages of the Church, give no support to your cause, let us see what testimony Hilary gives in your favour. " However, says he, after a bishop follows tho order of a deacon, why, uidess because the order of u bishop and of a presbyter is one and the same .•' For each is a priest, but the lushop is lirst, as every bishop may be a pres- byter, not every presbyter a bishop. He then is a bishop wiio is first among presbyters." Dr. Hobart says, " Episco- palians consider merely as verbal the dispute whether bishops and presbyters are di.^tinct orders, or different grades of tho game onior. They conceive indeed, ihnins presbyters are su- perior 11 power to deacons, and bishops to presbyters ; and as tlicy are advanced to these superior powers by ordination, the Chmch of England is justified in declaring that there are three '^^ orders of ministers in Christ's Church." But still many of the schoolmen, and some few divines even of tha Church of England, arc of opinion, that though bishops are superior to presbyters in the power of ordination, they are, nevertheless, the same order, as having the same priesthood. It would be absurd to conclude from hence that these divines believed bishops are on an equality with presbyters. They contend, on th^^ contrary, that bishops are invested by ordi- nation or consecration, with that power of ordainin;^ others which presbyters have not. The only thing, therefore, es- sential is, that bishops possess, by apostolic institution, cer- tain powers, distinct from and superior to the ordinary pow- ers of presbyters. This proved, the question in regard to the diatinction or <'onimunity of order, becomes a mere dis- pute about words. Bishops and presbyters, with regard to the pnes/Aood common to both, by which they were distin- guished from deacons and from the people, might be consi- dered as the same order. Still, in regard to authority and jurisdiction, dignity and power, a bishop was above a pres- byter." Now this appears exactly to have been the opinion of Hilary, for, says he, each is a priest, but the bishop is first. That he considered the bishop superior to the presby- ter the iollowing testimony will shew. Ho declares that :akc any 1 is from will here is reallj eaks iVe- ent from tenor of I'st three ip[)ort to s in your o\V8 tho a bishop ach is u e a ])re!*- a bishop ' Enisco- r bishops es of tho •s are su- ; and as (lination, there are But still ju of lh9 shops are they are, iesthood. B (iiviiiea I. They by ordi- ig others jfore, es- :ion, cer- !\ry pow- •egard to nere dis- regard to re distin- ae consi- ority and e a pres- ? opinion bishop is e presby- ares that ; 8^ *• James was conslituf».(l bishop of Jorusalem by the Apostles, and that the Apostles were liisliops." He ntiinn.s that Ti- ninthy and Titus, and the all^els of the Asiatic Chiirrhes, were bis^hojis"-— bishops in iho aj)propriiite sense oi the word. He says, " in the bishoj) all orders are containi'd, because ho H the prnice or chief of tlio priests." He aOirnis that "the bishop IS the vieei?crcnt of Christ, jind represents his person •" and that " he decreed every Cliureh should be governed by one bishop, even as all things proceed from one God the Fa- ther.'^ And in seveial other places this author affirms, " that in a Cliurch there were several presbvters and deacons, but never more than one bishop even in the Apostles times." xiere he states that tho bishop is chief of the priests in whom all the orders are co7itai7icd—that he is the vicegerent of Christ, and his representative on earth. He expresslv makes J^^piscopacy of divine appointment-— that there was'but one bishop in a Church at a time, tho' there were several presby- ters and deacons— and this in the Apostles time. He plainly also speaks of the Episcopal authority ; " bishops were a't first called presbyters." Do not Ej)iscopalians allow this com- munity of names ? But what do you here gain for your cause ? literally nothing, as 1 have abundantly shewn you. Jf you could shew by clear testimony that there was no order in tho Church superior to that of presbyter, something then would be done by you, and in favour of your cause ; but this has not an(i cannot be done. " But because the following pres- byters began to befoimd unworthy to hold the first place, the method was altered, the councif ordained, or as it is else- where translated, seeing that not order but merit should cre- ate a bishop." From me you wish to have express Scriptu- ral proof for what I advance, and are unwilling to be satisfied with anything short of this. But here a deacon in the fourth century intimates, that when a bishoj) died the next in order succeeded him, and this which does not in the least make against Episcopacy, is triumphantly (piotedand deemed con- clusive ! Alas I ye opponents ofEpiscopacv, your cause must be desperate indeed, and ready to fall, when you would thus endeavour to prop it up. Now, Sir, the Scriptures say no- thing of this method, and there is, 1 believe, no mention niade of it m any ancient author beside Hilary. But why Phall we spend time upon this ? his testimony against you is clear and decided, and you were hastv in concluding that Episcopacy is a matter of human regulation. Hilary savs directly the rfivprsp. ««riu!=t " ^..vc. i.o n a... i »u„/ „ t-hurch should be governed -by one bishop, a bishop holding u 84 tho Apostolic rod, even as all things proceed from one God the Fathor." He says, St. I'aiil hjid ordaiiiod Timothy bishop ; '♦ which hIk.-ws how ami after what nanncr a bishop Rhould bo ordained, for it was not proper nor allowed, that an inferior should ordain a superior." He then '/wva this rea- Eon— " No one has the power of ffivin£f thai vvhieh he hath not received." This testimony can never be evaded. LETTER X. lH Uevd. Sir, ""¥• Jkrome is the next author you quote, with a high com- pliment as to his jrreut talents and profound erudition, and t/owr o;>»mon is that he had "no intention to establish with respect to them (the three orders) any particular theory." Be that as it may, there is no doubt biit that Jerome wished to lower the bishops and elevate the presbyters as much as possible. He was incensed ajjainst bishops and deacons, and though a man of learninfj and distinguished talent, his impe- tuous disposition carried him sometimes beyond due bounds. " Though he was very learned," says the impartial ecclesi- nstical historian Dupin, " yet there is infinitely more liveli- ness and vchemency in his exhortations and polemical works, than exactness and solidity. He knew a great deal ; but he jiever argued ufmn principles, which made him sometimes contradict himself. He often carries his subject too far, being transported with his ordinary boat." As he indulges his or- dinary heat too n)uch, so he falleth into those extremes for which ho hath been often blamed." But lest the testimony of Dupm should l)e impeached, let us hear what Mosheim says of St. Jerome. " His complexion was excessively toarwi and choleric ; his bitterness against those who differed from him extremely keen, and his thirst of glory insatiable. Ho was so prone to censure, that several persons, whose lives were not only irreproachable but even exemplary, became the objects of his unjust accusations." You cannot be sur- prised then, if we receive Jerome's bare o;j2mo?i with caution. The facts which he relates, which are supported by other testimony, we are bound to receive, unsupported oniniona aod well authenticated facts diaier very widely in their aaiure. , 85 You have introduced your qiiotntions from Jeron)e,.is thoujli he would put Episcopacy to the bhish, nay more, n'lvv. it"a deadly wound— you then, who but lately wore so desirous to be «?uided by the exphcrit testimony of the unerring word of God, since that word (h)es not sanction your theory, must at last call in the aid of an ambitious prcsbvter of the fourth century, to crush this hated Episcopacy. Candid indeed you are to tell us that you are only f?iving " his sentiments," that is, his opinions, but then you 'think that he " most })owerfullv supports" them— when, or how, you have not condescended to tell us. Well, let us consider his opinions. " From Mark, the Evangelist, even to Heracles and Dionysius, the Presby- ters gave the nan:e of bishop to one elected from amongst themselves, and placed him in a higher seat, as if an army should create a general." From '' Mark the Evangelist ;" this then, being in the days of the Apostles, it must have had the sanction of Apostolic authority,— and the bishop was ele- vated from trie rank of the presb^/ters— placed in a hiirfiev aea^ havmg distinct powers after his election, as distinct as are the powers of a general from those of the army— a gene- ra" conunands the army, and a bishop then must govern the clergy, otherwise there can be no force in the similitude by which he illustrates the subject under consideration. Jerome was anxious to brini* bishops down to a level with presbyters • this he found a difficult matter, and was led into a I'oolish contradiction, for although he compares a bishop to a general, and the presbyters to the army, yet he does not appear wil- ling to ascribe to them the power of government originally In his day he knew that they possessed it, and had he been disposed to be influenced by the facts which he states, he woiild have yiei,!ed this power to them from the beginnin«r for he says "with us bishops hold the place of the Apostlesr" Ihat the Apostles governed the Church you will not, I think venture to deny Again, he speaks of Timothy as bishop' being set over the Church of Ephesus by the Apostles' rru"?- ^'"^ Po^ei" over the clergy we have already considered 1 he bishop then, had originally the government of the Church tho' Jerome does not admit it. But much as he desired to overthrow the authority of bishops, one difficulty, and this could not be overcome, presented itself against his scheme, and this fact proves undeniably the superiority of bishops in the next sentence of the passage which you have quoted* Jerome uses this strong expression, «' For what does a bishop winch a oresbvter niHv nnf >././j»,/v*./>. ««^-.*^„#.- — ■^■, i Hough you have omitted this passage which makes directly mm 86 against your cause, 1 will not any that it was done "deaign- edly." Here, then, much o;* Jerome is desirous of giving to presbyters, he never vests them with the power of or- dination, nor docs he venture to declare that they ever possessed that power, which this " man of profound erudition who had devoted his great talents to investigate the history of Christianity," would gladly have asserted, could he have been borne out by facts. But he denies to presbyters the right to ordain, even wiien he is e.vanrming their original rights. Are you willing to be guided by the express testimony of this talented man .? who, you say, "could not fail to be acquainted with the opinions of those who preceded him, with regard to ecclesiastical polity." Then you must ac- knowledge that presbyters have not the right to ordain, and con- sequently your ordination must be invalid. This is the author you ([note for yourself! But let us proceed— " The pres- byters gave the name of bishop to one elected from amongst themselves, and placed him in a higher seat." It seems then, that the name of bishop was at a very early period, appropri- ated to the first order in the ministry. If the presbyters did elect a bishop from amonjrst themselves, this circumstance does not operate against Episcopacy. The presbyters did not ordain the bishop, for Jeroine tells us they had not the right—that was vested in the bishop alone. *' The choice of the bishop, the persons by whom he is appointed, and his or- dination, and the persons by whom it is performecl, may be, and commonly are, in all Episcopal Churches, distinct !" Je- rome notes particularly the custom at Alexandria, of the pres- byters choosing their bishop, because^in his time the choice was generally made by the emperor or by the bishops of the province, by whom they were af^mr war d^rdained. Jerome no- where states any difference in respect to their ordination, between the bishops of his day and those of Alexandria. Wo aro at liberty to conclude that these last, though chosen by the Presbyters in like manner "as if an army should choose their general, or deacons an archdeacon," were afterwards ordained."— (jL>r. UobarVs dpohgy, p. 188.) You have in a preceding letter clear testimony that bishops were "elevated" to the "higher seat" by a new ordination, not by presbyters, but by men holding an elevated rank. I may be permitted here to repeat Jerome's own words ; "James, immediately after our Lord's ascension, having been ordained bishop of Jerusalem, undertook the charge of the Church at Jerusalem. Timothy was ordained bishop of the Ephesinns by Paul, Titus •-•J. \^iviw. a uiyuui|j >vas by ijuiiu (jruainda oisfiop oj ismyrna." ^it»; 87 " design - •f giving} er ofor- ley ever !i'U(lition ( history he have •ters the original }stiiiJony ail to he led him, nust ac- and coii- e author le pres- amongst ms then, ppr()j)ri- >'ters did mstance ters did I not the hoice of il his or- mav be, ;t !''' Je- ;he pres- ; choice s of the ome no- lination, ia. Wo losen by I choose erwards ave in a evated" isbyters, 3rmitted ediately ishop of usalem. 1, Titus nyrna." ♦* A presbyter is therefore the fsame as a bi*ihop." This in the inference which Jerome (haws from some previous ol>- gervalions on the Epistle to Titus. He could not have been speaking of the bishops in his own time, for the fact was no- torious that they were superior to presbyters. If he were speaking of them in former days, it must rest upon the testi- mony of some who lived in tho.se fortner days ; but Jerome does not, and could not, produce any such testimony. From a community of names he infers that bishops and presbyters were the same, but he himself calls it an opinion, and indeed goes contrary to that opinion in another place — " Indeed this error of Aerius was condemned by the whole Church, that he said that a presbyter ought to be distinguished from a bishop hy no difference. Jerome himself in reply to him, who had written that there is no difference between a bishop and a pres- byter, answered, this is unskilfully enough, to make shipwreck in port, as it is said.''— (Dr. Cooke, Sec. 510.) And again, •' Speaking of Vigilantius, a presbyter, who propagated false doctrines, he says, I marvel that the holy bishop, under whom Vigilantius is said to be a presbyter, doth yield to his fury, and not break that unprofitable vcrsel with his Apostolic and iron rod."— (Ditto, Sec. 266.) Will you then found your mode of Church government upon the unsupported opinion of a presbyter of the fourth century ? You are heartily wel- come to all the support you can derive from that opinion. But tho question is, while Jerome acknowledges that presby- ters are also called bishops, does he infer or assert that there was no Church officer superior to those presl)yters, who were sometimes called bishops ? Jusl the reverse ; he speaks of presbyters as holding the second place in the Church, and of au order superior to these, holdmg the succession from the Apostles, to whom belongs the right of confirming and or- daining. Afterthisdecidecltestimony it cannot be that Jerome maintains what you would ascribe to him, unless he directly contradicts himself If he does this, then he cannot be re- ceived as a credible witness, and we must both reject him. His testimony as to facts, which alone is to 1 -. regarded, is decidedly and unequivocally in favour of E'.piscopacy. *' Be- fore there were parties in religion, and it was said, 1 am of Paul, &,c., the Churches were governed by the common council of presbyters." When, Sir, was this lansuage used ? Was it not in the days of the Apostles ? Unquestionably.— (1st Cor., 1, 12.) Jerome gives it as his mere opinion, that before these parties in rel'Mrinn, thp C.hnroh waa imvoruail ),v the " common council of presbyters." The power of ordi- 1- 88 nation was Qt this time cxenrised hy the .Ipoallcs, and the Churches were under their i(nmcl. Paul, lire of all '. 12,;>8.) JS()ecting I list havo le wholo f lubuur, y, at all lubour:«. the al)- iti every hould bo )resi(Jinvernment of the Church, what would you think of that Episcopalian who should at- tempt to prove that his mode of Churcli gov«;rnment was Scriptural, from the ojjinion of a presbyter in the fourth cen- tury, an opinion which unilcr all circimistances could not be free from prejudice ? Would he receive credit for support- inj; a good cause ? I feel assured that he would not. But this is exactly your coialition. Judge then imi)artially of the real merits of your case, and you have nothing to boast of but every thing to fear. A little scraj) of doubtful import from Jerome, and a shred or two from a ^gw others of th(? primitive writers, is all you can find which appears to favour your cause; and though you seem to value but little (for a very good reason) the tesUmony of the fathers of the Church generdlly, yet you seize upon these sciaps and shreds with a wonderful degree of delight, and appear to prize them far above all other ancient testimony — such a Khcw of hands is made upon the occasion, that all who behold it must be amused, and thejpointed finger, evidently intimates — there, there, so will we have it. " In relying on Jerome, the opponents of Episco- pacy admit that presbytery proved incompetpnt to preserving the unity of the Church ;'^that so lamentable were its defects and inconveniences, that the primitive christians were obliged to throw it off, and to seek repose for their distracted Church, so long tossed on the tem|)estuous billows of presbytery, in the peaceful haven of Episcopacy. Ves, as Dr. 'Maurice shrewdly and keeidy remarks, if the presbyterian parity had rmy place in the primitive times, as some do imagine, it must needs have been an intolerable kind of government, since .ill on a sudden it was universally abolished. It must have given strange occasion of offence, when all the Christian Churches in the world should conspire to abrogate this polity, and to destroy all the memory and footsteps of it." — (Rnwden^s Let. vol. 1, p. 16.) You refer me to Stillingfleet's Irenicum. I have already informed you that he retracted his reasonings in that work at a period when his judgment was more mature. Speaking of the change to which Jerome refers, he remarks, 90 "It is hard to conceive how such an alteration should hao- pen, without the ^postle^s act ; for if they had left the pres- byters in tull power of government, it is not to be imac,'ined that they wo.dd so universally part with it, without being obliged thereto by those who had authority over them."-^ {Bishop SliUmgJleeVs Sermon at St. Paulas.) A ""'""• 91 loulj hap- the pres- imaginecl out being thetn." — ;ain, " As s sooner, little and he condi- [)ns were, li persons xu uncon- ritus.^'— - nineil the Unhurt — /hich we ul wound itiinenis" s baffled, )rward in ove that ibytery is igustine ; iot Apos- |Uote this acy ? It •eject the ies which s. This as Apos- r custom ind then w of the JofEpis- led in all lem, and )rk, inti- art of it. at he be- indly as- ihat the J man re- Hobart, gulation, possessing not a shadow of n chiim to divine ap» pointment. Perhaps, Sir, a little further ac(iuaiucance with the writitigs oftiie Fathers will reuiove this " contideut boast- ing" of yours, and when you rightly uiulerstand ihein there is a hope that you will eouie to a i)etter mind. I refer you to a preceding letter for proof of the divine origin of Epis- copacy, and then you will see that your (piotation fronj Dr. Cook's view, which is a mere string of assertions, is not in accordance with the views of the ancient writers. You inti- mate that I "seetn not to be fully satisfied with the case 1 have made out" in my private letter to you. You tnust allow me to tell you, Sir, that here I think you manifest a want of discernment. Episcopalians well know that the grand aruu- ment of their opponents, (jtuerile tho' it be, and weak in the extreme,) is drawn from tlie identity of names, and in as few words ns possible 1 wished to set you right on this point. But as 1 find that a few words will not suliice to convince a prejudiced mind, plain and clear though they be to others, I have in these letters been more full on this part f '^ the sub- ject. To the quotation from Dr. Chajjuian, you -,ay, '• If this be not a contradiction and a giving up of the point in de- bate, I must own that my understanding is so obtuse as to render me unable to comprehend the meaning of words." As to the latter \r\ri of thissentence I will not contradict you, but I ask, in the name of common sense, what have mere terms to do with the divine institution of E])iscopacy ? Abundantly has it been pr(/ved that there is an order supe- rior to presbyters— that this is Scriptural and ^ipostolic— and that this order was first called apostle, afterwards bishop. What then has been wrung irom Dr. Chapman i Surely. Sir, the passage quoted wa.-; exceedingly plain, butyetyoudo not seem to have understood it. You cannot seem to under- stand that there was an officer in the Church suj>erior to pres- byters, because the terms bishop and presbyter were indiscri- minately applied to the same person. They were thus ap- plied originally, but when the term Apostle was dropped out of respect for those who were truly Jlpostles, that is tho twelve, then the name bishop was appropriated to the supe- rior oflUcer in the Church who held the offi^ce and ojijicial pow- ers of the Apostles, but not the name. And this is the diffi- culty which so puzzled and confused you, — it is now removed, and I trust that you will be so comj)letely ashamed of the fallacy which is so annarent throuirl m t your pamphlet; grounded on this interchangeable use of the words bishop and presbyter, that you will never venture to use it as an argu- 92 ment in your (lefence again. Intelligent men or all .lenomi- nat.ons must se., when they duly consider it, that it i^Tv- tiemelv weak, and as an argument, worth nothing. Tho quotat on from Wh.tby shews that the names of hisliop ad presbyter were comn.on in the days of the Apostles,- hi norme".: fo"" *^P;«^;>l>"''Ji-'« fe'^^erally allow -but'he does nrpr.; ? T'^','^ ^^'-'^ ^^f'^ ^^"* not an order superior to presbyters, for he knew to the contrary. Why jrive us here an opm,on of Whitby V in opposition'to the te^tifnony ot'an- c ent writers .? Is th,s the .nethod you take to support your claims .? All I have to say is, that we depend not upon o»t. From Thin';"" fh'" ^!?'^^ ^^" ^^^"""^ ^^- '^'-' ^l^« ^l^^otatfon trorn 1 heodorot has a retorence to the subject in hand, is in- deed surprising;. You however, say, " Had you l,cen striv- u g to prove that l,.shops were once called Apostles, the quotation would have been appropriate to the subject"l-the very thmg I wished you to understand by the quotation, for this clearly removes that seeming difficulty frim the minds of all unprejudiced persons, and they can perceive that the term Apostle being no longer used, but being left for those who were truly Apostles, that is the twelve, the term hi on by common consent, was applie.l to the fust order, and they who once, or at first, were called Apostles, afterwards, by common consent, were called bishops ; and this change of terms causes no more confusion in the mind of an Episcopa- lian, than the application of the term "Sabbath" to the first day of the week j and certainly when the dissenter can per- ceive no difiiculty in the latter, the clearness of his intellect should enable hiin to comprehend the former. Your sympa- thy then for the fate of the three distinct orders, had better be reserved for some real occasion, for here it is misplaced. If, says Leslie, the presbyterians will say ('because they have nothing left to say) that all London (for example) was but one i)ar,sh, and that the presbyter of every other parish was as much a bishop as a bishop of London, because the words bishop and presbyter are sometimes use.l in the same sense, they may as well prove that Christ was but a deacon because he is so called Rom. 15, 8, diakonos, which we ricrhtly translate a «M«t«<^r ; and bishop signifies an overseer,'" ami presbyter an ancient man or elder man, whence our term of alderman. And this is as irood a fonnd.'.tirm to p.-"- *k.- . " Apostles were aldermen, in the city acceptation of Vhe word! or that our aldermen are all bishops and !.postles, as to prove that presbyters and bishops ..re all one from the childish jin- gle of the words." Your ttrictures on the quotation from 93 Theodoret, are amoni? the stranire tli ings which you have 11 «lenomi- it it is ex- ng. Tho lishop nnr] es, — this I It he does U})erior to /e us here :>ny of aii- port your upon opi- quotation iiid, is in- cen striv- stlep, the Oct" — the fition, for he minds e that the for those n hishop, and they /ards, hy change of ^piscopa- ) the first can per- intellect r nynipa- better be isplaced. use they pie) was er parish ause the the same I deacorij e rightly eer, and r term of le wonJ, to prove lish jin- ion frona • ritten, and evidently show that you have not a clear view of the subject. What ! Theodoret (whom Presl)yterians have always considered a high Churchman) ^ot believe that bish- ops were superior to presbyters ! Wl • ^ do you find this ? Oh ! Theodoret says, that the term, bishop and j)resbyter were originally applied to the same pe/son, therefore you conclude he did not think that there was a Church olHcer su- perior to presbyters. Excellent logic this— doing (;redit to the understanding of its author ! No, Sir, does not Theodo- ret state, that these names were once conunon to the second order, when the Jirst order was called "Apostle," and that when that term was left in honour of the tioelve to distinguish them, then the name bishop was appropriated to tho first or- der.* Theodoret makes bishops of his day to hold the rank in the Church which the Apostles themselves held— a rank to which presbyters have never attained. You therefore have done him an injustice by boldly asserting that he did not be- lieve in the original superiority of bishops. The Episcopacy of the Church at Philippi was just what we now contend for as scriptural, and which we possess. Bear in mind then, (and I am sure there is no difficulty in so ^^ ^'Sr 'r' ^'r 'Vk'' their"te^"u;^;;^ A,m Ho ^ I -^ ^P '"^^''•^•- '^'■^h'n's the succe.'-actice of tho priini- LETTER XI. REvf). Sin, IS the ffi'cato.st ( ifi fiiliv nP nil f... A ■ '^ iv""i. Aii ! tnis conceive in what manner the existencoof tl oPh 1 • ^V"" can prove the divine i.istitution of Sl'p^^'^^ li;/"^'^' It Droves t Sir TKo,, . ' i^i'iM^Dpac). In this way copacy IS not of luimaii, but of ilivi, eofein F, . ^'^' ex,„cnco was unknovn 'to Christtn ortl^"we*ter„°fvorM and It was entirely unconnected with thtm ThTl^ZI I governmeut of such a Church then Z.Tf ,ir..™if. °' ng every es of the yourself IS not t» ^lfir^^, and 10 prirni- When of Epid- ' cannot can de- tiicthod, lie testi- 0(1 your sliniony Ui ! this ijf is no ourse to t plead ar as if lir " un- lot give uling ia I loss to II India, his way postles. IS their the acta divine Jdiately God's Syrian It E pis- ages its world, lode ot 99 strengthen their claims who ' Id to the same ffovernmeni Here then is the Church ofC; i!:,t founded in England, main^ taming an Episcopal government, and tracing her origin to the Aposlin Paul as 1 will presently shew. And the long unknown Syrian Church, separate, distinct, and independent, when discovered is found to maintain the same government having bishops, priests, and deacons, and to trace her origin from the Apostle Thomas. 1 am not at a loss to conceive that by this discovery the claims of Episcopacy are materi- ally strengthened. This I know, that if this Syrian Church, 80 long see!udc(l from the eyes of Christendom, had been Presbyterian in its economy, we should never have heard the last of those notesof triumph, which would have been chanted throughout the dissenting Churches. The decidedly Episco- pal character it exhibits, is what they cannot endure. It sub- stantiates mdeed all that wo are in the habit of maintainini: • It proves Episcopacy to have been as old as Christianity ;' but then It lays the axe to the very root of schism, and the tall, umbrageous tree, would still lift up its ambitious head, and interpose a dark shade between the nations and the licht of revealed truth."-(l>r. Chapman's Sermons, vol. 1, n 71) You tell me that I have not connected the Syrian Church with fie Apostles, except in my own imagination. It would be l)ettcr If you were more modest in your assertions, when vou have no proof ot their correctness, then your errors would be somewhat more, excusable. From their own records it appears that the Syrian Church was founded by an Apostle that the government was from the beginning Episcopal •" the same government was established in all the Churches, as Ire- naeus, Eusebius, Hilary, Jerome, and indeed all antiquity testify, so that I have no anomaly to reconcile, but have to exercise my patience, and not a little forbearance. Enou^^h fias been said respecting the interchangeable use of terms 'to Hhamc our opponents, and to convince everv candid reader You say, "According to your account the succession of their (the Syrian) bishops, was not derived from one another, but from the Patriarch of Antioch ." JVIy words were, " for thir- teen hundred years they had enjoyed a succession of bishops rtD;?oz«/e^ by the Patriarch of Antioch." Now, by appointinir them It does not necessarily follow that he ordained them I he tsyrian bishops may have ordained the appointed person, and set him apart for his high and sacred ofKce. But admit- ting that the bishops were appointed and ordained bv the .„ ,., ^i.,,.uv;„, „,j„. ijyy. jjjjg Circumstance disturb or break the euccescica ? We have here some hint of your Ik ' - ■'if i»-* 100 ideas of the uninterrupted succession, and they are queer in- deed. We shall henceforth know nhat a dlLnte? mean" "d^'^am » ' 'Vh^ nffi' the .nnntenupted ..ucceasiorrj uream. l he office (of Patriarch)" you sav. "unless one person had ] ved all that time, must have been filled by many md.v.duals, and. therefore, the succession of these VV :^P? ^"•''''.P''"^'^'''^.'''^"'^'"^'' ^^" '^^'^^ ''> »>^ interrupted.'' VVliat a logical conclusion ! Then to preserve the uninter- rupted succession ,t must, according to your idea, be abso- lutely necessary that one Patriarch should live thro' succeed- Khr7s/7.? ^7"."" t Y''!' t'^'^^P^- ^"^' ^-' ^he Church LJnTnf ■ ^^f'^ .n England, St. Paul .hould have lived to the end of ime to ordain ail the British bishops, and because he did not live, therefore the succession - elm not, properly Zf"«^'. .h''r "^ t^ uninterrupted." The Apostles are dead, and therefore there is no such thing as uninterrupted succession. This is absurd indeed, lou think it requfJrte to produce catalogues of bishops in every Church that wa^ instituted," and then tell us that in the nature of the case such a thing could not be done, because, that durin- the persecu- tions against the primitive chrisrians,they were often scattered abroad, and their books and records -vrested from them »— You here make a demand which, from circumstances beyond the control of man, you allow cannot be satisfied. This, to say the least, is unreasonable. You want that i)roof of which you intimate we have been deprived through the malice and rage of the enemies of the Church of God, and you will, not be satisfied with any thing short of this,-vou deserve then, to be left in your error. But what is the testimony of Ire- iieeus f But seeing that it is very hmg in such a volume as this, to enumerate the succession (by bishops) of all the Churches, by pointing out the tradition of the greatest, * » • which (tradition) it has from the Apostles, and the faith an-^ nounced to mankind, coming even to us by the successions of bishops, we confound all those who, in whatever manner, either through their evil inclination, or through vain glory, or through blindness and wicked designs, conclude mor? than 13 m. ±or, with this Church, on account of Us s-reater pre- eminence, it is necessan/ that every Church should atrree ; that IS, those which are in all respects faithful in which is always preserved, by those who are round about, that tradition which is trom the A postles. The blessed Apostles, therefore, found- ing and instructing the Church, delivered to Linus the bishop- ric, to govern the Church.— (3 ch.. l)nnlf «d ^ Woro C« speaks of the succession of all the Churches, and tells us that 101 queer in- er means, sion is a , " unless I filled by of these rrupted." 'i oninter- be abso- succeod- le Church e lived to { becuuso properly sties are torrupted requisite that >VH«i case such persecu- scattered them."— s bevond This, to of which ilice and will not ve then, y of Ire- )lume as ^ ali the St, * * • faith dn~ ssions of manner^ 1 glory, ore than 2ter pre- ee ; that 3 always n which , found- ' bishop- lofa no i us that )t would be loo lonr; to give a catalogue of them all ; he there- fore gives the ciitidogue of but oiu;, and mentions the neces- sity of the faithful agreeing with that one. Ijut would he have spoken of the succession of all the Churches, if he had not known that there was a succession preserved in them all r Has his statement been contradicted by any early writr-r } No,— it is suf)ported by E( ^fbius. Jerome, upon whose testimony you n;ly, says, " it was decreed tliroui:hout the whole world,'' that a bishop should bn set over the presbvters, and he tells us that the Apostles set bishops over the Church- es, agreeing exactly with the testimony of IreiiaMis, who says that the Apostles " wished those to be very perfect and irre- prehensible in all things, whom th(;y left their successors, delivering (to them) their own place of government, or mas- tership. Hilary tells us, Christ. " decreed that everv Church should be governoil by one bishop, even as all things proceed from one God the father.'' Here is direct testimony which should satisfy every unpnjudiced mind. And after this direct testimony, it is for our opponents, before they assert that we are wrong, to bring direct, positive, and overwhelming proof against us, and not beguile ilieir readers by unreasonable de- mamjs, and bold assertions. Reply, Sir, to the challenge which, in thf- words of Hooker, has been given you in a pre- ceding letter. Come we now to the Church of England or in other words, the Church of Christ, founded in England for the words " of England" seem to confuse you as much as the terms bishop and presbyter. You are disposed to ridicule the idea that the Gospel was preached in Englaqd, and the Church of Christ planted there bv St. Paul, but you may not always be sceptical on this point. I will first 'mention the great probability of St. Paul's being in Britain— that there was nothing to hinder his going thither, and then give direct proof. Christ commanded his Apostles, " Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature.'' They, no doubt, would make an efibrt to fulfil this command. Observe then St. Paul's travels, his "journeyings," and "more abun- dant labours." Consider his great zeal in the cause of his Divine Master -his desire to preach the Gospel where it was not heard before, that he might not enter into another man's labours ; and we have strong reasons for supposing that he would not lose any favourable opportunity to declare to Uritons the freeness and fullness of the Gospel. Now he wanted neither leisure nor opportunity to visit Britain. Eu- sebius, Jerome, and other ancient writers agree that he sul- fered martyrdonn at Rome in the fourteenth ve«r o^ Nt- 102 11; 1^ St. Paul was sent a prisoner to Rome when Feslus was Go- vernor of Judtoa, (Acts 27, 1.) autl arrived there about the third your of Nero. St. Luk teU* u-* that he abode there two years. From the fifth ymr hen n which time he was set at liberty, till hin 'turn to t •-■, which wjw about eight years, he spent in van tfi j)., ,,i iching the Oo«)»el } not in the East, for some tim.- l,«^forethi3 i. Uiok h.'uve of the Kast- em j)arts, as,surin>r tht^in that '^ aU amongst whom he h.ul gone preaching iho Oujtpel shouhl see his face no more." In accordance with thitf Seripiure testimony, i.'e ancient writers alfirm, that during th»*e eight years he preach, d theGos=pel in the Western parts only. '• There ia,» says Bishop Nrwton, ** some probability that the GospH was preached in the Bz aish nations by St. Simon, the Apostle ; that there is much greater probability that it was preached here by St. Paulj and that there is an absolute certainty that it was j)laiited here in the times of the Apostles, before the destruction of Jerusalem.— (Disser. vol. 'i.) Bt. Paul himself speaks, Co!. 1, 0, 2i>, of the Gosj)el's being come into alt the world, and preached to every creature under heaven. And in his Epistle to the Ro- mans, chap. 10, 18, very elegantly applies to the lights of the Church, what the Psalmist said of the lights of Heaven, Their sound went into all the earth, and their wxrrds unto the end 0/ the world.— (i}r. Clarke Comment., Matt. '24, 14.) " That St. Paul had encouragement and invitation to visit Britain, will not be denied, if we consider not only the vast numbers ,i per* ile mentioned by C.-esar, and the new settlc- intiits that wert daily made by the Romans, after .heir first success under C'ludius; but. also, the particular inducements he might have at Rome to come hither, from Poruponia Groecina, and Claudia Ruffino, both christians, and probably converted by himself. These are supposed to be of the saints that were in Ctesar's household. However, we learn from Tacitus, that Pomponia was a christian ; and it is more than probable that not only Claudia, but Pudens, her husband, are mentioned by St. Paul.— (2d Tim. 4, 21.) That these two christian ladies v/ould excite the Apostle to come over into this island to preach the Gospel, we have reason to be- lieve, because one of them was wife to Aulus Plautius, the first Roman governor of Britain, and the other a Briton born, celebrated by Martial for her admirable beauty and learning.* * The learned Archbishop Usher states, that Claudia was iho daughter of Caractacus. It follows, says Mr. Hughes, that Claudia was the tirst native Briton who embraced Christiaoity ; that by her 103 This account of tho t'lrM planting of a Cliristinti Church in Britain, evon by St. Paul liitiiself, uppea.s very probable."— {fVood'8 I'ariHh Church, p. tiO.) "In addition to: this, wc have tho tCHtiniony of two curious British Uocoh's from which we may in a j^reat uieaHure ascertain the exact ^ , rtorf" of St. Paul's journey to Britain. tMdas, our most ancient historian, says, that the (iospcl was j. reached there in fhe in- terval of some jmblic disaster just precedinjrit, supposed to be the deff^Mt of Caractacus, and that of Boadieea. One oc- curred A. D. 51, the other in 61 ; within that period St. Paul was sent prisoner to Rome (according to F.uscbius, in 56) ; ..nd Br-in, the father of Caractacus, with his family, were de- tamed there as hostages after the defeat. The British Tri- ads, a very ancient and well authenticated document, says, that the father of Caracticin went to Rome with others of his family, as hosta;?^., f„r hi ^ son. . That he remained there seven years, and on ais return brought the knowledge of Christianity from Rome, l', oni which circumstance he acquired the name of Femligaid, or the blessed.* The family of Ca- ractacus go to liome in lifty one, and remain there seven years. St Paul goes in fifty six, and remains two years ;— tho imprisonment of both terminates at the same period. Now IS It not highly credible that the Apostle would take ad- vantage of the return of the royal cajitives to their native country, as affording a most favourable opportunity for in- troducing the Gospel into Britain ?''— (Coster's Inquiry, p. 29.) 1 he character of St. Paul being known, his zeal for the cause of Christ, and his love for his master, place this matter be- yond conjecture, and make it more than probable that he did at this time visit Britain. But *' we have the decisive testi- mony of Eusebius and Theodoret, that Christianity was in- troduced into Britain in the first century, and that the Britons were converted to Christianity by the JiposUes. Irena-us, a more ancient authority than either, speaks of Churches es- tablished by the JiposUes, and their disciples, among the Cel- tic nations, of which Britain was one. It will not be dilRcult to ascertain that it was St. Paul who visited Britain. Clemens means the rest of her family were converted ; and tha» these io company with certain other disciples of St. Paul, were tho instru- ':!'.ril3 hi plantin,? ibe Tree of Lift in Brit'iin. * Tiiia also .. oiated to be an historical fact by Welsh authors of fcuod credit. It is further stated that Bran did not return to Britain alone ; but some Christian Israelites are said to have accompanied nim. '^ 104 I Romanus, Theodorel, and Jerome, relate, that fifter his Hm ^ resisted A.D.,596,)indepen p„r and ' rf""''" Church was then '«^^^ra/ part of the C h m-c h o f ^>ZT7\''''''^'^ ""^ '>« «" the fifth century, Jeron o^ vp^ h.T' • ^" ^'^'^ b'^irinning of ;ienceof the R^'itish ClKn^^r^n \f '''""^^ '".'^'^ '"'^^^P^'*" he found within her a e'^' '"t,^'^;^'^ '^l'' ''^^Vl'^^^ ^oM fayn, are as open from B.i'tain if T' "^ ^^'-^^en, he ''l^li the barbarous nations of T ?"' '^^i:^^^^'^'^' 5" again. Christ, and follow o^" ule of khh w/ ^''''^'" '"'"'''^'^"^ '«, whether at Home or a E^.^ , "n, Z'^'''-^^'^^: ^ hishop »t Rhegium, at Alexandriror T T-.n ^^""^ ^^"t'nople, or "•eritandthe same pries iLr n^.f .^ ^'"^ ''"'' ^^^« «^^m8 ['or the humility of poverty m lien r u"" l'^^^'^''' «^ ''i^hes. hut they are all succes^oTsV hi ^ '' 't''"^^ ^'~^''' o'' '«^ver t «h Church afterSsb^caU nf''"f '''•'■' '^'*^''^ ^'>« Sri- declares, and Protestan Enhl •'"'' ''' ^''" P"P«' history posed to fly i„ thet:;:^^!^^^^ i::; ■--- -^' ^ think, di^ t»sh subjects, and would I trnJ f''\ ' ^^'' ''''« ""^^ ^ri- resist and oppose the inv\ er 'f n " 'T""'' "^' ""'' P^^'^r. that we vvere compelfed to bP^n our shores. But sLppose .government, and &d to rHmTrmX-'n '"^ " '^V^^l^^^n centuries, but at leniith vv^r^ r . ^-^'''"^ «''^^''"'"ent for joyfully returned to o^ anci^u nv":: ^'■"'" '^^ «'^^^«'^'es and the Ignorance of that im ivi In i ^^^^^ \vould you not pitv that we were alwayJ re u^^^^^^^ 'il ^^'""''' ^^^'r'^^^'y asier't all the pleasure which you c'm In, * /'''''' ^"" '^^"' '^ enJoy tion, and do not eZ^you 'hZI'^^^^^ qiiote from Burnet mi-bt Hmvp „• ^ Passa-e which you he not there speak o^ ho Chu?oh'" ^'" '«"^'- '''eas. Does Rome ? HoJ could it Iwonr.ulv/.nlr''^'^ '"/''^^ «^^^ «^ If were not in existence ^ ?;/»/.-'' ^'i^ '^^ ^'^ Rome, if then he could not p^,Vwi h orZi'./''';-'!'^V^'^ Ron.anis'ts, to the Roman see. Instead of s'^v,^'?•^'n "' ''"'"^ -"i^bjected called the founder of the U uS' ? t'' ?'''T'' ''' " J^«tlv» '[most i^noranthj/amlt^^ieTvon^^^^^ ^" «^^^ ^ion. It is contrH;.. e-d:--- r— " '^^''^ ''^^ correct ver- --_., c... o...... tf.nmony-jt is opposed to bis- pel was in- ithout fear e format ion ose.s an in- ur fearless e made it, le Church. tJoyd testi- {)8 resisted was then not be an rinriing of ! indepen- tion couM Raven, he ;" again, id ore one ' a bishop nople, or the sama )f riches, or lower, the Bri- > historj ink, dis- now iJri- r power, suppose publican ment for ilcs and not pity \y assert to enjoy '3 asser- lich you Docs e see of lome, if rianists, ihjectcd justly" to saj ;cl ver- to his- J07 toKcal fact, and yet you fearlessly assert it. Cranmer the LETTER XII. ^T.vo. Sir, It is not an unusual thinfj for th Renters, to attempt to justify their conduct I ose who are really d 19- •y raising the cry against the Church of England, and callirfg her members drssenters ^m\ separatists from the Church of liZe Thill .8 some h.ng plausible in this, which would tend to mslead hosQ who have not been better infornied ; but wLn the mat di^ineT o ";i^e"rm/l"h ?f '' l^ "'" ^'^'V'-^ ^^ -"' ^h^tTho mvines ot tne J^.nghsh Church, were fully justified in thn course wh.ch they pursued, and the candiVa" d in el i4m wdl al ow that the terms dissenler and separatis ca no fust y and With pr,,,:nety be applied to the Church ot-Shnd Can you not roforrr. withoLt annihilating ? Can you not correct ab.ises without destroying the thing abi^se ^^ If "he Bible were now to be printed wiFh numerous corruptions of the received text, could not those corruptions bi iWafter nf >mi • ^.^'"PT""' ^'- ^-^ ^^ '^ the glory of the Church oi England that she was enabled, by the hel{» of God to herte " tT while'"^ which bouni her, an/l :L,hL t neriect. i>ut whde every effort was made, and we hivn reason to bless God, successfully ma.le, to cas off .^ror and supersliUon, the utmost care vvas used that nothirrnm?./ rrnght be mtroduced, but that all things should e re "tored to TrIZ 'on '7 ^r ^ ^''f''\ Th^memonJue Kmion ot K dlcy, one ot the prninpal reformers, should ever be re- membered,-- /;i those matters I am so fearful that I dZ, not speak fin-ther yea almost none otherii hanlhe t^^^^ text (or hcnpture) doth, as it were, lead me by the hand^^ And agam - To dissent from the fathers icithoit ivarrantof God's word, I cannot think it any Godly X o^^J> %Z Bible the.Mvas the guide, and the anient Fathers th helps of the church m th,s holy work. She threw off the RoSsh JhnrMi ^^^"'""'^ ''\ \^' ^"••^"'^'* ^'^''^ «« «" independen rejected tke errors of the Uomisb church, while she re'^ioed 108 ht{^'^' H^ trated m a simple, yet distinct manner, Uy a ChurchmaD. A Koman priest inquired of him, and I regret to say some cf our dissenting brethren, very ignorantiv, make the same in- quiry of us - Where," says the priest, '^ was your Church before the Reformation"? " Where," replied the Church- man, " was your face before it was washed"? The face was the same face after it was washed as before. So the Church of England was the same church after being cleans- ed trom superstition and error as it originally was. The wheat was separated from the chaff— the gold from the dross —the tormer was retained, the latter rejected. And do you condemn the church for doing this, and call her members dissenters and separatists ? The charge is unfair and unjust. Your prejudice and party zeal have led you to side with the enemies of primitive purity, agai.ist a church whose doctrines you telJ us you revere and esteem— strangely inconsistent r^u' . *°'J,Pass a high and merited encomium upon the Church, and yet reproach her as being a dissenter and sepa- ratist, and that too from a Church whose doctrines and prac- tices you would wish us to believe you view with feelin.rs of deep toned horror ; this does not come well from a follower of Wesley ; this looks like betraying the Church with a kiss, ihe primitive Church was the pattern of our great and pious retormers, and must continue to be our standard. The Church of K-ome departed from her original and primitive purity. The Church of England has left^he errors of Jiorne ami returned to primitive doctrine and practice. The Rom- ish Oluirch then is a dissenter and separatist from the Ados- tolic and primitive Church, and the W^esleyans and others are dissenters from the divine government and discipline oC the primitive Church The Reformers of the Church had not iLru' T^^l' '!''^ }^'^y. ^^'■™ "^^^ 'loctrines, or set up a. new Church ; this is abundantly proved by Dr. Hook, in 4iC L'n d . ' ^"^ V^'VT ^f "^^'^^ erroneous than that v,h "h would regard the English reformers as men who, hav;.' I vised a peculiar system of theology, were determim^d o su^ plant the established system, that they might p.. r th4r oT in its place. Their object was simple,"^ inte!liglV.le and dX tical ; ,t was to correct abuses in the existins- d oiic Churcr which had come down to them from th^;.." ^J^J^ll^^'''!^^ which they were themselves the bishoprand^^p^SlSpiZI'. ► be apos- 3 same a« ^vas illus- iman. A some cf same in- r Church ! Church- rhe face So the g cleans- is. The the dross i do you members d unjust, with the ioctrinea onsistent Jpon the nd sepa- nd prac- elings of follower fi a kiss, nd pious I. The irimitive if Home be Rom- e Apos- 1 others ipUne of had not set up a, !c, in h'.a >llo\v*mg t v/hich :ingde- to supr«. sir owtJ. id prao ^hurch, niiu of pastor*. 109 Those abuses,— deviations from the real principles of the Uhurch,— were gradually discovered, and as from time to time they were brought to light, it was the endeavour of our Uetormers gradually, and as opportunity occurred, to supply a remedy by regular and canonical means. From the com- mencement to the conclusion of their holy work, they indig- nantly repudiated the idea of their wish to overturn one Church and to establish another; a charge continually brouaht agamst them 1^ the advocates of Popery. For example,"in the regn of Hen.-y Vill. it was enacted, that neither the kmg, his successors, nor his subjects, should apply to the bishop of Rome for any dispensation, faculty, or delegacy. 1 his was the first blow at the papal usurpation in this coun- try; but, anticipating the kind of attack that would be made by the partisans of Rome, and to prevent misconstruction and misrepresentation, it is expressly provided that nothing WIHa T. 'V".-^'' interpreted, as if the king and his subjects intended to decline or vary from the congregation of Christ's Church .'"any thing concerning the very articles of the Ca- tholic fa ah in Christendom, or in any other things declared by holy Scripture and the word of God, necessary for their 8a^^.at,on."-(Co//e.,. Ec. Hist. ii. 84.) " Tonst^Ill in h!« le ter to cardinal Pole, explains very clearly the intention which at this period of the Reformation existed. ' To the charge, he says 'of the king's departing from the Catholic communion, his highness is much injured by the imputation ; or It has all along been his practice to adhere to the unity of the Lathohc Church, to maintain the ancient doctrine, and to contorm to the worship and ecclesiastical government of the rest of Christendom. ' It is true,' he continues, ' that he ha^ rescued the English Church from the encroachments of the ^''"nif "^r* ';"^'Cthifb« singularity, he deserves com- mendation, for the king has only reduced matters to their original «tate and helped the English Church to her ancierU freedom."--(/6^rf, p. 136.) In the spring of 1543, the act for the advancement of true religion, and the abolishment of the contrary, declared it to be expedient to 'ordain and establish J certain form of pure and sincere teaching, agreeably to God's vvord and the true doctrine of the Catholic and Jpos- tohc Church.''~{Jenki7Vs Cranmery ]. 36.) « We have heard already, the declaration of one Sovereign at the com- mencement of our Reformation, that it was not intended to set up a new relimon. hnt moi-oitr tn. «/x..- — * «i :_ .i Church, and precisely the same assertion was made at its completion by Queen Elizabeth. In her reply to the Roman 10 irl II 110 Catholic princes she proclaimprl « «hof »i, iaith nropajrated in vZlulT' v ^'^^''^ ^^^^ no new which waTclmandedto^^^^^ ^^'^ "P ^'"^ ^^^^ 1571, whch originally eni^lT."'T' '^' •^"''^ Convocation of VVilkins Concilia, iv 267 ( wl ^h'5 • ••^," ^""'''""^'toribus. .ativcj, proclaimed V'„!,V^ .hi th^cS^ whe"^!: i^l^at Apostles IS necessary toffive validity to t\L X" J — ^"® is right and commendabfe ; but hrChurch of F 'T ""J"'"'-^' earl/opinio„s bisho .^u?^ r ^^s^writes --r' cL^'^r Cranmer in his C„r.nh;I. i' I":: ?.-l "?.?'"». '5' ? "^ tbat Cranmer in his C«techi8„,;coXi'led (nT5'48f — ^ vas no new Lip but that ' «y the pri- he best anti- ivocation of ) thirty nine 3f the ^n»- (1 he taught »e authority onatoribus. lin authori- in it is af- ch of Erig- ^ce, Spain, s they held i'erence re- he Church y departed vere Jallen i from the ."— (Can- 3of on this with what Episcopal 3 Church, from the I ministry, and main- necessa- ^s. You Tipting to ne. You Le Clerk advance of whose 'ranmer's Jclesiasti- l by him ed as the ' conceits ? his opi- i' set out, hi those s us that ly owns 111 the divine institution of bishops and priests." In Dr Bow- fo th'eritTr yT'^'" "'" "' ""'"' '^^'"^^'"^ ^^«"-«r ^ I will not contend with the reformed divines as to the now- WhL"i^?S ^^ constituted church. You tell us ArchbiUoj, Whitgift declares," that no form of church government is bv wu uP^"**? P'^esented or commanded to the Church of God '' Why then do you say that Episcopacy is unscriptural, and Tftl'XT:''' °^ '^' ^'^"'•'^ ^y. presbyters is ScripturaL^ It the Scriptures point out no form, whence do vou de- rive your information ? There is something exceeding un- ffne or two?"""^"' °" l^^ part of our opponents, to quote a .nL V J'"""^ ^" '*."^^°'*' ^"^ ^''«"^ these to draw an infer- Dr HrZ ■' "' T''"'^u^'''t '^' '•^"'^"'"^ real opinion . that f nnniP .hT '7''' °" ^^"'/^ government are so judicious nof onnrPnH h f ' ""* ^°"/ '"^«™«/i«"- " Episcopalians do anvZm "rrh 'V" '"''''''''" and un^u«/e/?/rf sense there is any form of Church government of divine right. Church jro- senT tn'.h' "^'!/" 'P^i'!? ^^ )^'-^'^^'"P^' "^'^^''^' ma confined nifica'tinn F '"^'-^ '^' """'*''^' ''^"'^ '" ^^is c onf me d si g^ nitication Episcopal government is of divine ri^ht. But in a more ex/.n«t,e sense, Church government includes the parti^ cular organization by which ecclesiastical power is exercised and discipline administered; and the riglftrand ceremonLs nfficatn T ••' ^"'f'^'P '' '""^^"^^^^- ^" this extenZeT^^ form of rhl^h"''^'^''^"' maintain, that there is no precise torm of Church government of divine right. The organiza- tion of Ecclesiastical authority, the forms of disclpl ne, the rites and ceremonies of public worship, they maintain are not laid down in Scripture ; and, ' therefm-e, by common con! sent and authority, may be altered, abr dged, e d^rged amended or otherwise disposed of, as mav seem mos convel ^t\^V^^ ^^i/^««j»V. of the people.^* the .m^rpoint for which they contend is, that Episcopactj was instituTd bv Chnst and his Apostles ; that tlTe three grades of ministers bishops priests am\ deacons, with their fppropdatrpowe^^^ are of « divme and JiposMical institution^Lr^^no \ Y^n will now not mistake archbishop Whitgift's deilaration and n^rof r rh" '"h^'^T ^'^^^ "^'^''^ ''' ident^/Cthegovern- observP, fc w"' ^'^ »ts ministry. In a letter to Bera he observes, « We make no doubt but that the Episconal de- greewh^ we bear is an institution Apostolical and divine ; copal Church. tn tUa I>/,»l. _ <• ri- , .,.„ „„oa VI summon I'rayur of the Protestant Epii- ;■?, ■!' 112 ^aron was to his sons -Ti 2L ^t ""C ''"''^- ^nd what were to the priesl and deacons nn,f '"''''' '^'^^*'^ *"^°?' ther« to be l,y divine „«tifnf inn ' / c ^"^ ^^^^.^'^^d of the h\. p. 460.) The views of HnT'""^'^'^^"'* ^*> «/ '^^At^g-e/i cisely /he sarne!" H^olefrcter'.:^! Tv^ft'h " "^" r' cejvedopinon of the anr-in i^ I "^\- ^^"^ the general re- ward bein^ of a Church rnn..'""^'?" .''°'''^' ^'^^^ ^^e out- " Thatsorhoanciet Father, dfrh- 'i' .^?7'"^' ^^'-^ ^^'«hop.» that they held this o ri," Js 'l , "'' <^f Episcopal regirnin ; -Apostles themselvesXd autha^^J^ ''"'T'^ ^''^"^ the 6/e...rf perhaps, more easi ; pIC 7hTn 2'^^^^^^^ ^rant it who see it proved '^» An' .,' ''^-'•' '^'" .'ames was n^nde bishop of j;rus'ilemFlr' T L*"'"^ '^^^ Church of Antioch, the an-el. in i rF '' u "'^ ^''''"P «^the ops ; that bishops eveTvtSo '^ Churches of Asia, bish- factions, contentLs nmj i^^^^^^ appointed to take away and instigatio^of he Ho v rrf'?"^ av?' '^^ 'ike direction to be he?ein hold u^i'd^f^^^^^^ Whe.-efore let us not fear Church's government sLTwV' i '/ -^ ^"^ ^'^'"^ '" the was from A.a« ^ wn 'even Ir ''i:;/^f/^/,'^f"^^o« o/ bishops author of zt-~(Jlorer!lFrP^^^^^^ Bishop Burnet savs ' Chrif ^'^"i ^^"^"^ ^''•' «ect. 5.) tors in differentTank. t? f .?l-'""'7 ^ succession of pas- work of the Gospel 'and tlTTT^ 'a '^'^ F*^"''^'^ ^«^^he Churches, they aSn?p\lfr f ^^^ Apostles settle.I the you appear to evince a nnrM i v r I' ''''''■'■ ^'^ however, commend a careftil peris of h^ifrr'''' '''''^"P' ^ ^^^'^ '^- ration, a work of vvhU^h Ail Aw^. Unreasonableness of Sepa- not think it neceL^rv to no IPP /rr'^"!""^'' '^.PP'-oved. 1 do of the authorTyou Lote Tht'p ''''' '"'^''^^"''' ^P'"'«"« which I cannot pass over Alln?l ! ?.'" ''^"?"''^' however, -It is evident thKdivine^Surlono^^^^^^^^ no portion of their belief.'" CvS?r?h.P'''P''''^r/""*^ g'ven fromCranmer, Whit^if^ H^' t quotations 1 have directly the reverse of yrr^serti^r A nn^i;^ ^T''^- P'*«^'« also, that while you recomniend mrV ^^^^^' ^^'"« '" P'«'» .an. with the ^l-^^ul'TZlLZ:.:^^^^^^ of times ^nd what e bishops ' the I^V Vhttgift, vere pre- neral re- ' the out- bishop." •egirnen ; e blessed we may, all shall ink that p of the ia, bish- ie away lireetion not fear : in the bishops was the ect. 5.) of pas- for the led the priests. And 3ishop3 Vind. tray by . work wever, uld re- ' Sepa- I do unions vever, >u say, nrmeil [ have prove plain »nver- 113 yourself to give them a careful and attentive perusal. I feel assured that I am at liberty to receive or reject the opinions of men, however eminent they may be, just in proportion to the support given to their opinions by the won* of God, and by accredited testimony. Taking then the Scriptures as my guide, while I say not a word about annulling the baptisms performed by our dissenting brethren, I contend that they have not a right to administer that sacrament ; and that nei- ther the word of God nor the primitive Fathers bear them out in assuming that right. In your postscript you give u quotation from a bishop Croft, of whom I confess 1 had never heard till you brought him to notice in defence of your cause u a"?/'!!^®^^^'^^ ^" ^*"- JBowden for all that I can say of him. ^ All that I know about him," g.iys the doctor, " is contained in a prefatory discourse to an examination of Burnet's Ex- position of the thirty nine Articles. The author says, ' there ^^^i '?! I^,l!,'"l^t'^' ^" King Charles the Second's reign, called leaked Truth, that made a great deal of noise for a while, because it was supposed to be writtfn by a bishop, with whose station and character the scope and design of it did very ill agree ; which was to undermine the Church, throw down Its walls, and lay all open. What was principally aimed at, and zealously contended for, was liberty of thouf^ht and opinion ; scarcely allowing it to be fit to tie men up" to any sort of doctrine by creeds or subscri|)tions ; much less to conhne men to any particular constitution, be it that of Epis- copacy, or any other whatever.' " " Whatever prospect the author of that book might have at the time he published it the opposition which the project of a comprehension, scored out in It, met with at that time, quashed all hopes of it durincr that reign." It appears from this account, says the doctor" that Croft was a man of very comprehensive principle* an enemy to all creeds and subscriptions, and disposed to let into the Church men of all principles, both as to doctrine and government. If doctrine was not regarded by such a man certainly government would not be. He was answered, 1 find' by bishop Burnet, and some others.--(p. 244, vol 1 )' You must be badly off when you seek for support from such a quarter. 1 here are a few things in the quotation with which you conclude your letter, to which I shall briefly reply As to 1 imothy's ordination by presbyters, enough has been said to show that this opinion is incorrect. That Paul was not ordained by presbyters, I suopose his nwn tP«t5m«n« ,.,;u satisty you. Paul, an Apostle', not of men, neither 61/ man! by Jesus Christ, and God the Father.— (Gal. 1, j ) but 114 note, p. 296.) ^^T^^^^^^^ exercise in th'is kin^^lo^.^l'^^.^/,^;^'';:'!'-; -.^-h the bi.hor^' only from the eivifma^Mstra c - V, '^T''^ '"^''•^'>' ""^ that between the powers o-Ti.; i, ," ^"^''^^ ^" ^^^>^, Sir of those powers, Crerar^H^fr-^^'^ ""^ ^''« ^^^'''^ ^^ m^ sovereign mav deprive hnnfli '■""".""• '^^^« ''^ii?"- «;WJ retains his Episcopal functoni ^^'^i/^r ''"''""' ^^^''« '>e tommt.on, a cleal-di.tinct on was marlt f ^' '"'^'.'* '^'' ^^- and ,pm/w«/ powers of the birhonr f h ' r'""" '\^ '^^^^'"'"^ from the state, the latter fmmrT-'~~u- ^"'*'"^'' they derive ution of 1688. when Ime "if ?V^'"^'?'^- ^' ^^e Revo! WiJIiam III. became Soverei^.; TlT '^' ^t''""^' «"^^ amongst others, some wortht^ hi h ^"g'and, there were, Church or Encrland ivhn^r^-".^''P' ""'' clergy of the oath of allegi..£ ; Wnii^''^''""^'^ ,^^^"«^^> tf take be James as the lawfu Soverei..^' 'n "'" ^'^"^ '"'^^^ considered ejected from their preZTev^^' n.t'^ TT'J" <^«"sequence. were not allowed Lptm^^^^^^^ '[vink an.I 't IS well known that t^iese hkh.? i ""!; ^""ctions. Uut to he bishops of the Churdi for7hp: '' ""'' '*^ '^'" »«f' ''^"se through thJm the EpKscopa 'i ' '^^ consecrated others, and Scotland. Other eist'ZJhtiraS^^ continued in •-y. To say the.,, » that i^Eni.o.mi r '^ • ^ '^'^''^ necessa- to constitute a va id mini ter it d p °''^'"^^^'«" ^^ iiecessary i>y the Church of En^nd 'm' , ' T \''T ^" ^^ ^"J«''"eJ file power of onlinatio "s der vp n ^^V^" ^^^^ ^*' ^^^ !«"P«''V^«- The Arabhm Ma tyrol- ogy ot the Melchites says, "he adorned the Churches of ^e:^.T\:i:uf!J;^v'z'''''^^' ^-' inferior ;t"s",r haf »q; m \ ^^/^'.'^ Aloxananan patriarchs, records hat St. Mark proceede.l to Pentapolis, remai,,in- there 'wo years, preachmg, and ordaining bishops pres me?s and deT cjons m all its provinc^-s." Uishop I^aWon'^afSTerves ^hat Rhabanus Maurus, Alfrec, Archbishop of Camerbu, v Nnf kerus andOrdericus Vitaiis, give the sa^n.e accoim^^^^^^^^ on Metaphrastes does."-(i;r. Bowden, vol. 1, p 12^ Y^n have no proof worthy of credit to advance? Euhchius frnm teuT/'r '''""^''f^ ^'^'''"" >'«"'• information, Hved in the n^ln K-"P',' ^1''^ '' ^'''^'^y incorrect in many of the state ant iouitv Tf ^''' T^'- ^^^^''^'li^ting the Lst write so? l-l 116 i«h Church. If tic " puni h . r" '" S^ ^^''''^^^ '^^ Hin.: nation, their Episcopal ct' /e t.iT Alrh' '' r^''^ "••^'"'^- ting brethren may si udJr a t'm i - ^ '''""-. ' ""'' '''«-'*^"- nt the thought, yet the r mi^ is L^. jt'*' "'"' ':^''"'' ^^'^^ horror kind it J»e,^;derve( Lrr^A -^^^^^ whatever Church of- EnXnd howevn? i ' ^^r"'' "^' ^""'«- 'I'he to reject Epi.cCcy, which U17' f"''^^ ''^' /'''»^ ^^'■'^'^^e.ss fnerely bec'au«e,'w};en d .Hved oTlrinr^ '^ f'^'^''"^"'' succe..on» was continued to ht .tll^, '^HS^Spl^^ LETTER XIII. Kkvd. Sir, tentio'nT^nri^^io^.tt? bllt^Jlnr^lTe'Ten"^^ ^'^'T "^^ - ;::^i^;?;^^Zt^^^'v^^^^^ »nember^,r the Methodist Set"/ w?""'^ '^' ''^^'/""^ «^' ""3' sire, in n.aking those remark; ^' I ? ."°.' '7 "^'J«^^ "' '^^' and still believS to be facts th^ Lf '"'' 7*^^' ' ^^^''^^«^'» decide the point. J shall pm !^ '" '^f'^ ^^'^ '^"er may •merits of tile ca;e wiH 'a low'yo" "itrth! '^ ''''t «^ '^' (Ion me for passing by your rmrsonni I ^'^^'^'fore Sir, par- pressions, as they (Wtp^ in i ""''''"^. ""^' ^'"''sh ex Southey was a pa^rtial writerand"/h"''r ^T ^^'"^ '^at for a similar reason would lln .„. ^'^^''^^^''^ «'>Ject to him, author you recommend An ^ *"'" measure object to the life of Wesley ay ee tint L ^17''" ''^^ '''^^' ^^^son's ng towards /ohn i^ pre/ereLce to ^h« 'fJ-w'^; ''' ^^' '^«"- because the latter was rnoi^e esiron^nf- ' ^^'^^^'' P'^^'^^^'y and keeping close to tlfe Chur^ B^t evP n"^' "'^^"^^'•'^3', which I would takp fn h« '^""f^i-". liut even in this work Wesley's Zsi^^V^JlJiX^^^ ^? Justify^Mr! which were unauthori3 f/' ° ^""^^^'^ ^^ose of them they unquestionTwv Sv d"!^ev'j;r-^ ''"''^ , «^ ^^^'^^ see something of h'is diffi^nf^- ' '." ^^'^ ^^^''k we can about him. Hementiof onf^. "tf '^' T^'^'^" «^^h««e pended till he came to a better mind ^''''^''^1 ^''^'^ " «"«" der Mr. Wesley's displeasm^'' bnf^ »"- "' "' '"^ P'--'-"*'-*.-.' A stormy con^e^nc'^^aJan.li^ I > not reject the Jlorri- li'l ordina- ur dissen- Jth horror whatever ne. The weakness 'cripturnl, snce, the bishops." 3 my at- 5 hy me •n to be of any t or de- elieved, er may " as the ir, par- rsh ex ik that to him, to the atson's is Jean- obably ilarity, work, y Mr. them which e can those •' sus- n un- d by anti- 117 cinclt'inn '' ^Tf^'? '^''' ''«^"'"'"«d to heal the breach hr concession' — ( IVatson, page 270.) These nnsaairea 1 nnlV quote to «hew that VVe«Iey had, whn: 1 Xuld Spose nj reasonable man wo. 'd doubt, difficH.iesrcol'nTwfth °n reguhitmg and governing his infan ho. icty. iVereTan be wniGli 1 used in my private communication «ut hi« ,\,k culty comiected with inconsistent conduct may u her be' seen. Wesley thought it " a sin" for his pJcachers to adm nister the sacraments in particular i.lares ^' ATrau,!.- wZd and tci// »-( fVatson, p. 293.) Now,' Sir, what cler^^vman deriving h.s authority from those to whom 7t was ar/en of God, and keeping in close co.nmunion with tl e Chirch of ny a minkstermg the sacraments to worthy recipients ha was - acting contrary to the word an.l will o^' God^^ Lathe was commuting " . sin".^ I know of none. There is some- thmg so grossly inconsistent in this, that w; must reaveTto Tdlms n- tolTT i ^''K' '^'^ ^'^«" wTtson has p o " ed himseJt to be, to clear up the difficulty. If thev bad au- then ^ cLhl nn'rV' T'^-^'V/^"' to administer the sSraments. idmin 'ter the °' '^^j/ '^ «'"\"" the part of the preachers to aumimster them. It is an unheard of thin«, e\cer)t in Wow- ley s time, that a person should by lavin>onorhan shave authority to administer the sacrnnfents in%ne p ace and be cause that it would be contrary to the wor.ra^id will'of rn.t peremptorily forbidden to rh/so in another Powers ^on' veyed by ordination cannot be taken away by the caprice of the ordamer; he cannot give them one cL aL tX them away the next, merely at his own discretion- his b exer" cising more authority, if I mistake not. than ever .ny pone pretended to possess. It cannot be - a sin" at one tL'e m 'noZr'"/t^V^"?r"^^^' ""' ^ ""^'^y -^'l "hViTtian a" another. It cannot be contrary to the word and will of God one day, and agreeable to his word and will ?he nm • thi, iuUesir:i'"Tk-"'', !'"'^-y-^atyou please, there are'diffi! wflUf GM-J'T'^-'''^''""^ ""^ '^-^^-^ to ;he word and whL cSl^of tll'f^r ^l'-' '" administer the sacraments wnon Clergymen of the Church were at han V ''"•'J'L^"''^ «^«» ""- lieved that b shops and nr.T . '^"'"".' '^ ^^^- ^^^^'^y be- did he attem;t?ordlirDrc P^^sible. v.r, ii u be possible, it is at least equally 119 •ongly ex- iC h were be sinful, of an un- esley he- eler, why 'oth pres- (accortl- hey were exercise ition ne- e had been so disposed miX hnv« V ^^l'^^' perhaps, if continue then to thrnk! tk"t Aom fh. "^ '"'^'- ' «''" '«e was placed, he had a vjih n h. '"'""'"f '"^"^^es in which «essed the authority wh ch ii.hl^ i P^'*-^"'\''ed that he pos- H presbyter, had no^ tl a \ tr fv'^hiTh ^^'' ^osUyT^s «n^' !'''^'^T^ore had no S fo ord-^^^^ ? "'^P^^'^ ^«him. suftic.ently shewn. His ordination^ hp ' ?'' ^''^"' ^ ^^i"^^. I'd, if we value the Serine, .1 ^' "^^'^^ore, are not va- pose Sir, that af a^'^'.^ ; :;'; '^cu!'" t"\"'^ ^«P- i took upon myself to or.l.,;n . • Church of EnHand would the ordirtiL^rv ,r^;^^;'',X"'7 «^J"d-ie unjustifiable and presump uous arJ { ""^ «^^ ^«"'d o be condemned, becauseThave „ever Tp"'^^-?"'''^ ^^^^•"^e the right to ordain Ri,t i u'Wl ^'^ "^^^^ invested with vvhiclf Wesley did,' and oM^oLr e the"' '^^^'" '^^Chu^ch belonged to him as a pre Im", of tl^pT. ^'T^^^es which «la«m. As therefore the n f nV .r- ^^"''^h, I can justly ;^ould be presumptuous in' me nd h^ P^'"-^ '''^' ^^'^^4 persons would be invalid- Pm;..i"i ^''^'^''^tions of such the part of Weslev nn 7^ i "^ .P'-esumptuous was it on the Church in his ov^^, paHsh can cl in .if'"''^ Presbyter of then we should be in dano-er nP h • ^^ ^'""^^ '"'^ht, and the Chu,;ch as there a;eS,vfer''l\-n '"""'^ ««his^s in extracts from a Wesleyin vS wliph l"^ ^^^'^'^ ^ ^«vv that ,t,s not Churchmen alone ^vi^ -'^'"^ ^'" «hew the ambition of the preacherwh?ch if ?f'"'^"' ''^'^^'^ ^«s administer the sacraments HpVpI '"^ *''^.? ^« ^^sire to "that wise men arrhnt.3 'f i'f "^«P««kin«-of Wesler! "-""' «"« ^ne uuiu is the truth:" • * , who nc- cation of benefice le trouble of Jearn- le error, reading he wrote ) ** was I think, hat nei- lar form he had wed the proved haps, if I stiil 1 which he pos- sley, as to him- l think, not va- Sup- iprland, iduals, would 'eserve 1 with /hurch which justly inistry ^ such it on valid, ter of , and ns in L few shew t was re to isler, ith." 121 " It were matter of wonder if a man of considerable powers, natural and acquis ed, having such incitements to support his own work, could not find out something -in the whole scrip- ture that might seem to make divine authority incline to his Vi :u A- -^ he first and leading principle in the economy of Methodism, says Dr. Whitehead, was not to form the people •nto a separate party ; but to leave every individual member ot the society at full liberty to continue in his former religi- ous connection : nay, leaving every one under a kind of ne- cessitj/ of doing so, for the ordinance of Baptism and the Lord's Supper. (Attend to this !) But two or three of the preachers, who had acquired some influence amoncr the peo- ple, had for some time (in 1756) been dissatisfied." As soon as these preachers had, by various acts, influenced a few persons in any society to desire to receive the Lord's Sunner trom them, they pleaded this circumstance as a reason why the mnovation should take place; pretending they only Wished to satisfy the desires of the people, and not their owii restless ambitton^' "The clamour for a separation had been raised so high by a few of the preachers, that the subject was fully discussed for two or three days together, at this conference (in 1756) ; and Mr. Wesley observ-es, " My bro- ther and I closed the conference, by a solemn declaration of our purpose, never to separate from the Church." Ac^ain, some of our preachers who are 7iot ordained, think it quite right to administer the Lord's Supper. I think it quite wroi.g ; I verily believe it is a sin, which consequently i dare not tolerate." " 1 am sorry to confess that there are men among the preachers of a most violent, ungovernable spirit. 1 hese, if they find it necessary for any particular purpose, to oppose an individual, or any number of individu- als, of character and influence in the society, use every me- thod in their power, both in the pulpit and out, to make him appear to the people as bad as the devil. This line of con- duct seems to have been taken from the pi-actice of the Ro- mish priests, who i-epresent those whom they choose to call heretics, as |?uilty of every species of crime imagination can invent ; and the Jesuits generally accused their most power- ful opponents of heresy. The Romish Clergy call their heretics, enemies of the Church ; these preachers call those who stand in the way of their own schemes of ambition and power, eiiemies of the work of God, "incarnate devils," uiem m a way which only tends to inflame the minds of the peo- pie against them, by making them appear more guilty t.-^ ■•■;! I ■< » ^ I 122 the power or ri^ht of ortl-iinin-r ,! \\ '■> '^'"^^ys ^'l-iimed was notprobablet at e simh /v '"""^^.^'T 5 but said it not easy lo «.«>.i a Ja'o; 7^ i ^er oxeroise it; and it U 'l!'-'ond year of his aL ToZrl cr' , f'°"^^^-' ''' ^^'' ^i^^^^U hitherto strictly ohstlvlT^' T ? ''^ "^ ^"""^'"^t he'had Wesley consecrate ,f I * .^^P^e.nher 1st, 1784, Mr MethoflistCeop I C uth'in\'^^^ '"''"'/^'^"-^ «^* ^''^ "'- ^'re three n ore nrenc p.« t ' ^^'"^ ''^a. It was not lonrr |,e- Since the death oK-'weXv^mi^^^^^^^^ '^^ Scotland,\^e. "lade, not only in the nrS p^-ff ' ? ''^■*^' P^^g'-ess has been cise of their new Imc^t ons in v .Hn ''"'"^■' >' '" ^'^« ^^^r- f om. But, hitherto L":woX of T''''l '" ^'^'^^ ^'"o" the most lamentable ertUtsl^vncn ^''?^' *''"'' Product'd kmdled the flames of par y' zea ' ' ?']^^«' j;""tf"tion, and vol. ii., p.p.415 418\ VV«1 ~^^r- ^^hitehead^s Life, of Lonl K^4 [hat bishL l?,"''''!'^'' "f'^" ^'^^ ^^'thority der. Upon Tl i; princ^ , "IV'^f ^''!'^''? "'"'^ ^^^^ '^^'"^ ^^' ordain Air. WeJoV Si. Vff'^^'^^'' ^^^* '"^^ "'"^h right to byter. Here a b/p'n^h.f '',''':>^ *''*^* '" ordain the pres- 0/ the Church vhl^h' wa" S 'JiVu ^^"^ '^ '^'-'K opened for the ndrnK^./oTAf chi 'f 1 r ' •^- '" ^"'^^ '^^^' practice one of Mr. Welv . 'r^ » '^"''divisions; on this they had been asleep whl7thevll''H '"T"^'^ " ^ ^^'i«h nation ; it is n-ither Fm .n. 7 ^"''" ^'^'^ business of ordi- Charles Wf,.3lev, exchimpH » t. ^"'^ his brother, Mr. breach, not he';" and iT^' 1 /' '^^' '"^"^ ^^'^' "'^de the " Lord Mansfidd told'me last vT^^h^t o 'r" "' "^''^^« ^^us! ration. This tnv hmt „ j ^ "^'^' ordination was seoa- he has renouiTced fhe m-nc n IP°'' T ""^' ^^'" "«^ «^« 5 or tEat '•' In direct o^^t^^irio.^^^^^^ ^''"fT' "^ '^'^ ^^'^«'« ''^e.'' says Dr. VVI i\ehead ?tbpTi ^'^ °^ ^^"^ primitive Church," were perforrnt^l in\ec et an^^^^ T"""'^ '^' Methodis s Wesley's Episcopa amho it; wn. *f "''"^''"''^ »'"^^«^- ^r. tion of power to him e Sa t to Z'u ^'T'''' J^^«"'"P- ancent or modern, where the onwl^r "^'^ «^^^:«''y Church, mitted. There is no mpppJ . . • u "^ bishops has been ad- or in Church hi to " ' hu c 'rl 'i''^ if^ I '''' ^-^ '.^^^tament affair. And as Mr. Wes ev hml-'.nf ^^ ," ^''''?T^^'^S in this Episcopal authority, eUher fm„ nn '?•."'' "'^^^^ '" ^^^^^i«« people,' he cercai,% coukl not p' ^ ^'"''^f^''- P'-^^hyters, or his ordinations t^llJl^^^t ^^"^^y any ri:;ht to others • "■' ^^--^^'^ ^fe .;>u/-,(,Ms ««(/ of no validity ^^ :, by pre- le people. s claimed >iJt said it fiJid it is he ei^htij ct he had ^84, Mr. the new long he- firid, &e. has been he exer- lis king- rod uced on, and I's Life, I'thority arne or- right to lie pres- scjpline le door on thin I wish if ordi- a mere r, Mr. Je the i thus, 5 sepa- or that ;life." urch," lodists Mr. sump- lurch, m ad- iment ti this jfcise rs, or lers * 123 unoVIhl'fM.''- ^''''^' '^"^^ separated from the Moravians upon the folloxymg grounds. Ist.-Becau.e their wIIp scheme is my.stical, not Scriptural, refined in ever v no in' 4th. Because they upon principle coiifonn to iho ivm- ,1 hi ;fe:htr^t:hi'xc;;!?;^s2Je7V:t:f.^^^ was in Christ" &n /o- '. ^^"om is the mind that encouraging and nromotimr „nr]o,./' i »"*^".^^ "1^ (church m the clerTry and neon Ip f ^ [ ^od genuine piety amona.t saiu, uofl \vi forsake n«: " a 'IM,^. »i . ^''^t<^ii, no the Church, are enemies to ,np In ^'''' "•'^.^^^emies to societies than se^ari^eL^^Lebh .-I v''^'"' ^'''' '''''^'y watchful against evil sneMk n.? . * ^,"" "^''"""^ '^^ ^oo Church of Eng and » ?fe wa^' n rr' "f"'""' ^^' '^"^ Poor conscience told h m that :^ Jn \ S*'"'"'^'"""' '''^^^"^^ his cause he d^nd n "^ '^' oj^., j^ 'luty to remain one,^be- ers ?" is a question pronr^^/ln !Tin •'-''' "'^' '^''^^^^"^- '= r.0 , we are not dii^entersin i^^^wZ.^^'^l^T:^^;:^ i A ,1 124 ct" ch '"'W%'' r r^i'e'J "'^ 7'^""- ^^- -'Vice of the another part of his wrhLfh' '^'^ 'T''''' ^'•«'» 't-" n that had been ur^Ted I ysomf rh'.t^''"^'^;''^ ^"'^^ '^' "Ejection rated, they coiild „of Spe^^t ^^^ ^ ^^'^'^'"'^ " It is true we cannot tinXn hi c«nM>act united body. you mean by that evnre.sinn . . 1 "" f''"^""^ "'^^"^^^ ^^^y, il' of years, out of necessity '„nt A. • u^'^ ^^""^ '" ^ course varied from it in somefoin r' ^'owly and warily such an extent as to S^Z dL ^''^'\'"'''' ^"^ «^'" "^^ to iplc of his attacbrntto^Ve'EhuSh^'^'l^r '"^ ^ ^^'"^ the assistant preachers he ^^v< aw u ^"^" addressing our society the Church a^iins^P.ll^'^''" '*'""' ''^"■'''"^t ««"ing our house's m../mW.o;^ o ,," i' "^ our preachers ministerl hovenn'T over him T VVp.L./ ' . " "^^''^^ ^^s a ready ' to the reasons in his CDr PnllL" \ * ,^ ^^""hj not be the simp of England, ye^ as he sh^uulf; ^,?"-^« ^^ ^as a ras dent casionally visit Amerip > J? Pi^^hably, while he liv>^d or wasMr/AsbuJytTe S ha? t' "h°^ '.'. '^' consider^, he' character than fhis ge uleman he should appear in a Wer sentiments expressed " ' J w. -f '"^'"^ ^" subtance the stances which' passed in con;erlZM'"''l''fi^«'"« ^'^^"n^- here was a degree of jealousy ^^o J'^^^''- ^oke, that between hm, and Mr. Asburv '' r? u '';;?""^^»*«tanding. England, entertained a desii^'of ii ^^m^5'^^' ^^en fn the latter, however, it wonir? ^"'^' ^''- -^^hn Wesley • him. The bishon h-, J nn • '^•^"'' '^''^ unwilling to nVePt ley, and conver "eS w h hir^'T^' T'' ^'- Charles We . of the Methodist SocietieTfrom th?"^'''''' ''^ '^' separation copal Church. " He exuLl Tu-^ communion of the £nis- nevv course adopt" TnT^ u't if "'^'^'^ ^'^'^^''^^^ jshed by his brother and himself n ihi r P^^'Ph'et pub- lives, against a recession ^om\Lrh^'*''r ^^^ «^ th^^^ %vhich, he said, was at that Mm ^^"""^^ «f England- remarked, that' thelt e of ^e '^Zm" '^ T''' ^"^ h^ ed as a censure on what ha/ Z^^^^^^]^)^:;^:; "KiGHT Rev. Sir, subject rgreaTim'^or^ance' Vou'Vk^-^"'^ ^-^ "P- a that J was broughHrin the rh^K''7'^^''^*^o"««ious have been ordained a%resby J of'^.hf .?u"^^^^^^^ -any years 1 was prejudS'CenI thinl ^"^.^..^^^ ived from a plan of il Society vvas an- meet Wes- ration £pis- st the pub- their land ; nd he iider- ica. j> an a ;ious and For 1 in }97 indee,l .ole„,„j invest 2 ZZZZl h " '"'^"l'; "« ''''' wish ro^r'aptrc j^;?i:KUT.h! M""i^';:s,:v''th' '""^'' the peopi, is verv s r«r'^""'»''^ ^ Preachers, and most of not small . an, both 1^,,^^™'" "-^r- '"^ '""='-«st aUo is most, be Js"d „ accomnh h th'l'r^T''''''^ '^''''^ ""'' "> "'^"<- if a readiness were h"v„ bt he b sho".H „VT p'".''''''"' "fe'"^"' copal Church to reunite ""rT' , ?'"°'^''''''^''»'«3tanl Epis- in the vvav. Can they be remov«l^ n'"'" T^^ hindrances will not, ou"ht not to 1 L!n • 0'""«''''a">ed ministers sneraments.: , "o' ot .liin^Th ^;K /er^mv'of '^^^ "■<' hapsnone of them, would refuse to ld!m^.^^ ^"'' ''"' .f other hindrances were 7o, ov d ott" of '^e ZZ"','.''T?' of it, and 1 have latelv Wn^"''''^ '' " <>!' """'"^d «ne!ny mony against h S'ltlf 1,ir " "''? """^ ^"ccessful testi- view^wi h ;o'u'[n Ph'dat l.hYa [""°;:''wVrt?, ''"eT '"'^'- bilities ot' success I,, thp n ^'^""■'' '° y" o" ""o proha^ respect, to subscribe myseff, '" """= P^™" '"«■ ""'h great " Right Reverend Sir, Your very humble Servant in Christ, (S,g..ed) " THOMAS COKE." Before wp taha ioo,r„ -.^ ^ur wen to subjoin a f;w;f°\hrSk1Zrhn';.Ly1// ijf 128 of that ti,^' o On fV ut' ?;'^^ rT^' ^^"^ '■' ^''« '^ ;•- into it at on.o ? J,,. , ^ i ^:: ;;'..'' ''^' ^',V' ^''•' '^"^ ^-"'"^ ject of tho Church dllul'r f\ '''"'"*^'^' .i-fa.l,n- on tho sub- ^i«-. h,u over; n a ' n nM^eli .^5"" /"'" ^''V'" '"^-''^- arc made for onler h Urn CI 1^^^ "Pplioalions ^vhich tell us not that thoy , o' fc I ?"'''' •" '^"^ "I'Plieants l*^U Im that Mev^'/2j„ i'f thoGos- He says ni,.ain, -{here n ntr ' ''•"^' '^^ '^ ^'"^'"'^ ^n/Aon/y. Church as^he'pres . e no on v%" 'T '" *'^^^'^""^'^' ^" tfi'e Penty, but also fro ' ,^^ i' ^ ' , T/rV'^^ agitatu,.. other clenoni -uio 'ti '''"'"'"''^'^ which' are ters of those (lenc,;^,^';- /,>'';« "f ^'oves of nnnis- towards the Church "!! By U^r^^ '^•'"'*" '''^'"■^^'Ives llio most indubitable i.roofs n ' tl • ^ "Pplicat.on they give a ministry and rel- tir . ?.? • . \'"'" /^'"^•enty. 'I'hey leave They sev^^^r tt nX^^S' n Ir^ ^^''' ^"'^'^"''^'' '<- 3'^'^ to endure reproaches ..,.,1 ? .f >""<''ti<>ns. They have ply that the/ L,/ /'L'i « J/ '"^; ^'y'^-^^"'^ ^'^r wliat ?' Sim- V Within tife c'rf.jta iv^f :hj(.t'V; •"''^^"' '" 'i"'>' ^'"''^^-" derdonk, now abou 8 ven 7^ ,, ^'l"'^«<>l>ate of bishop 0„. the ndnistry of t e Chu'cb "11 Z"!' ''"'" i"'"''"^'*' ^"to tbnn rorty^hreenSc ;'frim^ '"> ^osn This decided preference l^ ven t") ?/;'"' /'^^""'".'"•'^fions." attributed, under God to -Mm ^'•"'"'''^ ''^ '"^''''v copacy and the claims' of' the Clnnch'^'f ''"' '' ^f^^^'" be assurec , Sir thir VrV.L v .'~^^*^^ '»'iy then the sulyect'tf!^:;^u^;l ^ ^1^ '"^^ '^^ ""^ ^'^ t^ have •Dr. A. Clarke I sh-.H You quote largely from 'lo not consi h!;. it .;.. f';'^*^'^*^"'' to bo vory brief, as the Doctor's op nbn' V nTrrT/"'","^'^''' '•'' investigate was a man of learn n'. n n d i L -f '^'''"'■* ' ""% ^'^^^s, -• as he posed to receive ilVZ-.?' research," f should be dis- nions with a «re'at de' 'ef of , i;!?;;!^ «{v7'^^ '''/'-''"' ^^^ oyn'- plain English; and n ■ ds U o tv,« ! ^^ '« that urulerstancls the Doctor's writim'. vv„n i ^^"'^''-^-^ "''^'"'^ ^ ^^^ted from of a two-fold me i . ; p ye 'our ^^'^ ''"^^ l'"'^' «-'''' -l'"i^ -i to give to his Vhn;.^^^^n,e^'^^:^^ ''^^^ '-" -vercis- you would ahnosi persuaryou "elf thi v^ 'r''''"'"- '-^"^ ed the task. The Doctor's n^in T'' ''''*'' ''"'^'^'^P'-sh- m 12C ihe^^^^^^i'r ^^/Il^'S;;^ -;:;^''/ou choose to ,ive bio manner." Well S^^r J el :!v^ '" '*'^ '""'*' ''''^'j'^" tablisherl that point n v^^V l i^r « ?/'''^' ''?"^ '^^" ««■ the fuctH which the Dr h», rl; ?"/ '^' !i' ^"'^'^ '^ ^*«^^ «^ t^/t/cAareoi-dfvine a.po^^ "j:'^""-; , " '^ho o^ce, and deacon, should e'?l^oL^r.Ii'"'^"' ^"'''''^' rr«i>>ter, Church." Now ak wh.f ^'""''^ preserved in the these unqualified exr n s^^io^.« T""l"" ^^" ^'" «""«h l*> the lan^M.a.e of the' LeTlhv^ ^^ co.n.non consent, in episcopacv ' Notiin. w V^ ' "***' '''^ ^'' understand by by bisho ,s ' An? " J-"u' '^"^ Sovevnmem of the Church to a morrchtn thett^^^^^ w^'^' '" ^*^^ ^^^""''' i^ coM.parell author credit ?or 'con m;,n 'sens" 't^'h' ^'' ""'^^ ^^^ :;;^^^:tz^ona;£^;i?^ very ridiculous ? An, 1 u ^'^^ '"onarch of a state, be verleLhTs realoni.on tLi?'",''' ''.'"'""^«' "'•" ™" "«" Church of EnH.nd o"|U i, t.^r "■ speak.ns of the cLrches." (No e on re,j fi A f'''''r'.°' "" '""'™''' Timothy, he savs "„;!'' *-^ " ','"' "'■^t «Pi*"l« to what the niiniste?. of .h?r Tu^ 'i'f"'''-'*' "'"" elsewhere character of the ™/ [^LSf^R?'!,""''' '* '■ "'"' "•"" '« ""e are particularly Scrit.l"- Now ''s'ir' ''^',?^'%»»'' ''«»'=»"« reading .hese^,.o,atio„ac„„l7e, Urn "h DoZr TZ bishops, fn he c1„ ch asT.oi/"'' .' ''" i""™ '"""' ^''l' be compared to a nonkrchTn the ^^'"'''P''""^ of language perintendanis or chairmen j i state-not temporary su- will ndmit „.-!,„ J ■ ' cannot see that the worda calls the Church o'f tl'Sfr''"- ^' """' "''« O°"o' apostolic moln:[he dtrL?Li5T'i".'!i"^A-' •» "■? cnurches, and .peaks of bishopsrpre"^^;;'-;;^^ ^'cra 130 be il^^J' m 'Hff in the trim rliiiirh f «fiu r« i con.si.Io.-cMl tho Church of K!,^^r'':7r''"''«'' ^'-^t the Dr. however to the exrlusio . . -^ i"*" ''"-' ^''"'^ Church, not opinion, nor vvouh X c, l!! ' "'''V"''' '^'^''"^ ^^"« '"> i'^ ^'"^n 1.0 .orruMnh.M-rthe S^^^^^^^^^ iHt were, Scotia,.,), nn.lin tho 1 it,.| S "' r H'^ Church in ""t ;«> .neution others, the ijor '.Z^'' ^>'-;"" C'"irch, nnd WuhlcKsoH, «o far a.s hey st I [ '' ; "T^^ ^''^' Church of tho «'on I do not think it neccs u-v to nv? ' •'" "''"'^'^"'^ «"^'^*^«- h« Doctor, for it only, -"oes t /hew ,h T'."' ^.""'' ''^^«"^-« «'' '""'7'l<; and therefore hisTostnonr in ?r'' ''"'^' contra.lict "^'j'' "othin.. I will nie'd^no ice r '" •^"''""^'^'••^.V '^"n '""J then take ,ny leave of L) ^.,f /^ "' ''^ ^/^^^^O'^^ Doctor's "own statements i;=." -"""u"' ^''''^ <>«'" the ''oaconsa.sori,M,ndlvsu^a /in theoT'''%''' '"*' '"^^ •'^^'"'''J /n a note on Matt. iJOth % "^^ 'nini.ternt all." " the very W,,, ecSa:^tjoi^'r^^^'^^'.^^''' of , he has tlpS ^""'"' 'i" ^i note on i'«ve heen, even !' h ftirn ''"7in ^h:'.''^^* .'' '^^''^^^ ''1"." ;'" acknowlcdire.l .sunpHori^L/ " ^^^ ^«.V« "^ the apostles,) -yond others! ThfaSL^^ (prol.a hly the same as hose V- Ilr I .f/'T^ •■""'^' '''^ '^^^'^o^, ch-vsen) the second ; an Trhan^ ff '"^'''"'n' T '"'•'"^' "^xt «'m,,Iy preachers of'the trntl H a • '^ '^""'^'' ^vanjelists, speaks of rank or order aViordh ' f/, '''^'■. '^'i'" i>octor' and the authority exercised Thin 'T ''"^'"-^ Performed, the ...o;.r/ or(ler!--of thi ve'-v L ! /''" /'"^" ^^•'' ^'^^»'^ons of a; all-and although they dhr^,oro.i"''n''--''*"'^ «^'"o order of "ii.;ister, yet he states hath/v^? '^ '."''''" ^'^'^ «^«« from the apostles to pre.'ch indl '^^'T^ ". ^^'^""nis.ion that he who is calied'to pJLh is e- c 1 . 7 ^^'■''' ^""^ "«' ordinances of the Chun h of Chri r /q" ''''''''''■'^'^'' •■^" ^''o pamphlet.)" He considpr^ n« ,'• (?^e P'-^^^e 81 of your in the 13 chap, of .?et ' , ' 3 % Tl'.""''? Ij'"'^ '''^ '-^corrc that he was made an apo^fe l.v I'^'^^^^V^t. Paul tells us that the apostle gave to Sothv tim"? ^^'^-''^ tells u. he was to commit them to Hith/,I ^ -""u^^ ''^""^* ^^ords, they were committe!i^i'y Ey to the Koman ma-istr UPS £'s.;; I ^v^^'""' '" h*« «P"'o- yet every place is filled vhh us \,' ^^' "'^ "^^'^^^^^^^^^ your fortH, yeurcorporat o \nd'onnn'.'''''-^^' y^""- '^'^^^^ trjbes and con.panie', vp . The X ''' ^^"" '^^ ^''^^i^s justice; the temples onlvhavfwpte ''"'^^''' «"J <^ourts o ' oft and separate from ou vm, w . '" •^""- ^'^""'d ^^ ffo own desolation, he aft i^Jd ".""''' '.'""' «"^«^^'J '^t your nation of your 'affinrs and he sTMn' """^^'V l'''''^ »'-^ V seize your city.'^ Wi h f Hp ?,''"P"' "^ '^eath which would testin.ony of e^.rlv w^tt yo, ^'j j^ '^r'' ^''^"' ^'"'^ ^^^ rensonal.leness of Dr. \loshPim^ ^ '"'''' d'^covered the un- saved the trouble of quSXrV'^'T'""'' '"I"'' '^••^^^ ^>««n I>een refuted. He sais th t" - C .•? "^ '""^ ^'"'''' ^"^ have pal authors in the chan-o of th.V r' '" '''*''" °"^ «^'tf'e princi- and that we .nay not Icn^h^s ' «^^'^'''"!"«"t of the Ch!.rch.'' gers pointin,:, ut Cypri , a i&h'''"''.'.'^''' .^"^' ''^^^« ^^^ fin- Now, Ignatius flourished at e-fs/""' ^T ^^ '^'^^ '-^''"'^i^^O". years before Cyprian, and vo» toll n' .''""^'''^'1 «"J twenty pamphlet, after ^Muleavourinrr, '" '" P'''^^ ^3 of your that the utmost it do<^s L to "iTevv tlt'T''"'" *^*^^ testimony, !>etween bishop and presbner hiA w/ ^'^'^''Vu?'' '' distinction I'icJeed, that there should be . Vf. ?-^* . ^'''' ''^ ^o»y ^J''. Dodwell." Tn^/ century, to be%/n^:f" ^'^^^^ ;»';';;:,';' ^^'^^ ''.^-^ "> the ^errf So sreat, Sir, is your des re^n 1^ '''^'^"^f '" 'he change ! of Episcopncy, fhat in Pnfl '•''''*> ''''^ the divine ri^h you s'eem not^Jo^tre'Vow T;:.o;;:i'"^,!r '''''' ^^"^ ^-''P-' conduct should shame on7 oZZlnT T '"PP^''*"- Such suspicion as to the real rnerks of 5 '""'^ '"'^^ '« ^^^^^n tell you, Sir, that you J d noff.J .• ' ''^"'^- ^"^^^ ^e to Mr. Dodwell says .U>on i" subiect m'\""^'^''^^^"^^ '"^hat by you, tells us that » by de'reeWh L, ^^V^h^'"^' «« quoted presbyters of their ancie.u nr vih.ii?^'°f ^J^'.^«^'^'^' ^^^n the thority." In what anc e Korf 1" ^.'^!''' primitive au- ^'•<1 he not quote largely fVom';^aX\^.^r:,^,h'^L^'^- . "^^^y inch peo- probably 1 *iis day ^ter pari is apolo- 'stesday, islands, armies, ourts of d we go at your fie stag- 1 would Jind tho the un- e been Jt have princi- urch." he fin- hition. :wenty ' your rnony, nction derf'uj p and ndred al au- page pacy, And third nge I light pose, Such aken le to vhat oted I the au- Vhy ices 133 ttfarer^o^rrS'-^^ The Apostles, in accinfe wi Hh^^ liHhed the govornnSof he rh i^^^ ^h'""'' ^^'"' ««tab- of reverence an.l esnect nfrVho I """'^ ^'^^ presbyters out men, submitted to it afbeing cl vine T^^^^ "'•^''•^•?^ '"l^''-^'^ was disordered, and a schism wl«ni • ^""i /^''""'^'^'e Church em and WesterrChurcheT hi ^'^^-''S'^ned between the Kast- pecting the hy o? which' rh!f"? °f the controversy res- kept. ° Is it c7edi le hpn 'i\^''''y^^ «t- Easter should be tivelv trifling u \ •' ^^^^ ^ circumstance so comnara andyetsoimpoitant^ri".'^^^ ""^' particularly recorded; the government of "L: cSrsSd r^V'T^'^^^*^'^""^^ '» ters one and all instantly v^ree to ia J. f'.' "!" ^r?^^>'- be considered worthy of re 0^1 a • ""^ '^ ^''""''^ "^^ lablish your theo rv vnn I ' . ^."^'0"s as you are to es- oould be^Xcted^^^^Jhom o '"""^ '''''"^" '^'^' '^"'^l^ '^ change believe thtu woul b^nl?!'^ ^'''"' ^^Y"""'^' y«" ^^^"""^ no record of tXn in th'; phH ""''' '" "'"""^- ^s we have never have taken pCe and Ir''''''"'^' T^'' ^''""^^ ^«"»'l always been go vended hi hkL ''"^".""u-^ ^'^' ^^"''^'^ '>«« divine appoin^tnien 'must notn'"'' '^'' government is of Churchman's iews th" in vJL?"''' A"u ^^"'T^''^'''"'^^ '''^'^^ « ates, he there prerdeslV U ^re'^'^n hi':''l ' ^'^'^? ^^^'^'- byter who has char-e of thp flo!'i 1 "''^^"'^^ ^^^^ P'^es- then repeated the prayer after thlr r"''^"'' ^^^ P^op'e ever presided in KervEe Or '1.''^ *"' P^eshyter, who- thut it referred to e sin «.!;.. ^'' r^" ""^ '^^ supposition use of the names as I h«vp . ? "' ^^'^ r*"^ interchangeable nothing. ' "*' ' ^"^"^^ ^^^""'^ abundantly shewn, proved LETTER XV. H£VD. Sir, n„ L^.^Z^h^Ay^ ^y^ quotation from Dr. Hahnrt. .h«.„.. __ ..... ..„.. ^., crument of the Church is not to be idenVified vnn 1/ — ; V lit m 134 ^vjth its minister. " ff ;„ posed one to the oth%7 j't- !? "'""J' "'•<' -livWed „n7o"' '« excommunicated nL ^ ''''" '^ i» "'herTvoM" let'I"''- Church tI;:' '!r^^ pf-=»"r'ecti„rrh''''? "'■'■''"'• P'^- "uicn. iijQ offender fhor. /'""'"? to be a branch nf /a United'S,/-':: ■ a^?,°t"' '""«"''i^'l''corS''''tTe' same apostolic nn^! •• ^"^ same, becausp Inl ! ' '"® ization of d ceremo- I'l this '" form of femonies > consist- 'fered by To pre- fJ primi- both as 'epartin K must Church, t* of the How are de-- to each ed for '—and nd op- visible t from ffainst • hear ipub- >t him >r vil- I- pla- \ the ship, neof "erse 3ser- eak- id,» is r irch the the me of ^he ing 1 I 155 mtion agrees with the pri nh vp 1. f "^^^^'"^0 This defi-' the Church in the niLri'' ^ *^ '' '^ ''^""^^^ "'■'^« ^^'^^ ment and unity am'ol^^J.^CnX?".'n iTh'^^"^ ^^^" '-»^--- to keep aloof from those who havp',,'^"'' '^7/'*^ compelled tive stan.iard. Here then .^ i ! ^^P"«ed from the primi- of God, one fold/onetit^ one bttHn"' /""^'^ «"'' ^^«"- same way, and by those havn.,.^^-' administered in the members generally agree in rfb?n "''''^' ""^' ^'"^'^ ^^''^^ and to the ministry,^ rhiie the ?lf^ "'^'"^^ ^« ««lvation break the existin- unitv M . '^'^^.^'^^^K opinions do not bishop Porteous,wi;rre^pec!t\':n:-tu'^;^ ' ''"''' -^"'' to me something cruel and revnhJ . '^ u'^ '?^'''>'' I'^'ere is a man to unite himself to -in?? " '? '^^ "'^''^ oi' compelling to others as you wouM they?./ou[d do'r^''^'""^ ^^«^-^- ^« should be the guide of eve^ • hlttn T' '' ' '•"'*^ ^^'^'^^ sions jn the religious worl ,"' * regret to see divi- would implore all to lay aside thptl"^^-' 'r'''''"^ oi'umiy. I prayer for direction from abovP i^'^-'^^'f^^' ^'^'' ^^"^est examine for themselves and rn'T^ '^"""''^ ^""^'^'^ them to to. the apostolic and prhnitive ehu'r'ch ?." "n "f^'"'^ ^^ P«^-l>'e might hope for a greLerWree^^^^^^^^^ ''''"^'' ' *^«" ^^ thanexi.tat pres^ent in the" urol iT''T'- ""'^^^^"^ P^^ce, such a n,ethod will not mevi\ T^^ christian woi-ld. Jf prejudices mo.-e tha." uni y then i ''''?"" ^^'''' '«^^ ^^eir ba.ids of God. The Judge '„ 'a \C^'' ^T\\^^^' '" '^^' ?^;:«'\^yo"ld be an advocate ^,r com -1 ''" ''"^'^^ Ishould fi-om my heai-treioicp fn ' '^"""^ measuies, though eyes towai'ds the prin itTe ehu^ch' '"V'";'-''*" ^"'""'"g the^i^ ^tanda.-d and their^-ide Bm S ' Jf thp ^l'^'"-^ '^^.\ « ' their be.ngthe national chui-ch,a vo ' L ^^^^ of England, noble system of relicjou; llhertTf ''*• u"'°""''^ '^^ " mos iairnessdoour opponents cfa'L'ier'wf./V"'^' '""^'^ ^"'^ and dominant. To be consi^fpnf V . ^^^"'"^ mtolei-ant ;J^^t the, i, ,„^^^ of' ,'re?ud ce anTj '.' ^^'»^^'. '""^t allow truth m the chai-ge. All th« f h sectarian feelhig, than of the q"otation^fi:om bi hop ptt^olr ""^ ^? ^^^ '^•"«'- P^^" wasthepia^e., the desire V^>/m °' '"' ^'"'^ 'believe it b.s visible du;ch should 'be l.'d '""TT^ "*' ^^'"'^''^ ^^«t e;u-ly ch.;i.tia,is followed thfs unbv'fh"'* ''^^ 'f^"«^'^« ^'^'l *^" people to avoid division ZZle'l T'''' "PP«^^'« to ivorus 01 irenaeus, " The snlHrno'i .^.L? ?,"'' consideration Hi; the Bpimual man,'. saVJher;.";;';,, r 136 judge, or discern those who make schisms whf^ o-o • u slight causes, rend and divfde .he gre';t";SS'gfo iouTiodv of Chnst, and as much as in them lies, destro/irr^ho steak faith h? the ^h^,U''Tr.^!:'" " ''"P-""™ fro™ the true :«;"i:t^ XI? ?H7„^'".f ;;;^:ri-" in- substantial and important reason must K'si^ned for vour separation or the Methodist body must stand 1 v nf « breach of the unity of the Church/vvhich howevefl Ihtl. it S„ure°bS;'l1ir:^^'' P"""S''''^'. -"»"'" -'^ desirous that the breacVruTd brL^'a id'^^'Wli;?,: ' S IL J''"v'"''"'?, "^ ""'"' venerable and foon',™ d^re- Ztt L y^"^™'"^ -""J good I believe them to Im ve bee,, hough the two latter were unquestionably imprudeiit B I why was not the.r advice followed ? Can you fuMv sit^fv rVo°,"nf"ro,f' '1"^ ^'^e.'^- '» f"" -co.;:iL'" t^ me woHl ot fjrod, and met his approbation ? Thpn thpJ good men must have had but little'^La orOod's wHI con cue measure .•' Ihen you condemn these sood men for nri oTeVcZtur'^r^H''-^"" P"''"'='V"''"°«'' '•«•' ""-'-^^^^ lo De scriptural, claim our articles as your own, studv and admire the works of our divines, and are fuUy' per uaded that our ministry is valid, the least I can say is that hp separation of the Methodists from the Church is unre'son able ,n the extreme, and when the Church disowns Weriev"s ord.natK,ns and declares them to be invalid! we must Dro able" '''n"L n':"' s."' n ''''' ^'^ -ParationTs^nwarrC: tt'n%odi^i?,^:if'chS?trrM::^^ uot wash otf the guilt ofit. "The" mischief Ihe^CL^'rch "re. " i 137 i ^4 " Ml' reives by it, is greater than it receives from open enemies ; for the one makes it more jjlorious, the other exposes it to shame among its enemies, when it is set upon by its own children. This, I speak to those, who make no great matter of schism, andindijferently go to the meelings of those who divide the Church. U their doctrine be contrary to ours, for that reason they ought to abstain ; if not, they ought to s -ictly was it guarded, that if per- sons were justly censured in their own Church, such were the laws of the Church universal, that they were denied communion in any part of her. " So that a contentious member of any particular Church, says Slater, might find himpelf wholb' cast out from the Catholic Church* thoufh it were for mere non-conformity to indifferent rites and cus- toms in his own." Each bishop watched over his own par- 138 was recorded by iCatius thn^ n '"'' ^P ^^ ^^e Church i of what belonJtofhfchurl^l ""?') '^J^"''' " ^« ««y^^m^ which is one, is not ren^^nor div^l / h.\' ?'-'''"''^, ^'^"'•*^^'' togetherby the cement ofhprh V ' ^^ ^"'^ ''^"'^ coupled (Cypr. Ep.69.) He^^exe' n^^ °P!,"^ 1" the words of St Pauj o«. f ^ ^' ^^^ "'"^-^ «*' ^''e Church of your calling, one Lod^^^e^rlrleTT^^^^ «"^ '^^p' '-I'idmg as parallel to theresM.r n ' % '"^P^'sm, one God, vvith a lie,' let no man cor%^ ^ truTof'r'7 ^\' '"^^'^^«" treacherous prevarication ill 1 • "^""^* ^'"^^ with any treacherous con-upS of \he rS''^ '/.'^^' "^'-^king it^ (Slater, p. 286 ) Of f hi If "^^ ^^ ^^"^ ^'''^^ ^o deny tgat » thus w^ifes J-Lt^'L ' ovt'vv^^r/r^'TP'^^^' «'«'•"« great advantage, redounded^o he r7 7 ;^^'^'" ^'^'^' ^^^t pate. The h1s:ory of all\.?e. n.n. ""'^ ^j;?'" the episco- again use that witnesL ,Mo^„? j ]''"'/'''^' 5 but I will f^ishops, that is Jerome -he 3a{s' ^^''^"'^^ l^ast favoured the whole world, that one cho^inV,. '2^ ^'''*^'^^' ^^^-o^gh be «.^o..r the rest, ^o^XtT/.'S 'LTJ^ 1 he same e sewhere siv^ « //.^ !>t^nisms and dissensions. '— upon the dignity of^rhe'l^fptt^^^lf^^^^^^ ^^^-c^.depends whom If a certain indenen dprlJ ^^ ' x ^' ""^ *^^ ^^'^hop, to «//, there will be .na e^a manv s.'hL ^' "°' .^'^^"' ««^ ^^ priests. Neither is that dS"' e^„t thiTh C '^' ^^""''^ «« times inculcates : ^ Whence hivJt^P''''^", '« "^^"^ arisen, and whence do they a'ise Jill ',"""' ^"^ ^^^''^^^e^ op, who is one and presS over thp Ph "^T •'^"" ^'^^ ^''^h- indeed have heresies aritnrn.. '\'?^^ ^'^^^ where : 'Neither other quarter than this hn'r Z v'"'''^ -'P''""^' *''om any priest of God, ne h' r S th^' h^:'''"^^ '' !'«^ P'-^id to the inthe place oV Ch'st, ^t ^ mer';ire"c'h?nr^M^ J"^S« mJeed, are single churches onrfnrUli ^^"'"^h.' Neither, the presidency of one bu? a. f hp. ^' r^^'''^'^' ^'^'^'^ms by whole Church is connected' to. the'Tv' ^hT^ ^T' ' '^' adhering to one another ' Fnr Vhl ^ ^ ^''^'" °^ P'^'ests world wlis kept up bv thp ... . ^«"cord of the whole built up throl^gh"?he'li^st; X?t" muw/f^ ^^'"^^^^^ Paul pronounced thospTh^^T^e'c''— '^'''' '^^' ^'' yet carnal, though they hVd ^^T So;e^'^^^^^^ I3D Church, the evil of separation from a true and orthodox Church must evidently be greater. Here a new priesthoodTs formed m oppos.tmn to the old, altar is set up a-ninst aUar arul the peace, harr.ony, and unity of the Chur'ih is lis turb^^^^^ know not how you can justify this, or reconcile it to you; conscience. You may, Sir, take shelter under the win^- of Jie /««, but your separation is not supported by the autho'rity of the Gospel. You say, however, that " God places the Z r°od h" '-^PI'T^^'^i'r;" "" '^' 'Ministrations of disse. ters! But God has made chddren instruments in his hands to brin- conviction to deists and infidels. Men and women who wm- not holy in their lives have sometimes by some strong ext pressions, convinced others of the necessity of conversion Mimics are even said to have done the same, and woidd this justify hem in the belief that they had a ric^ht tTassime the ministerial character ? Certainl/ not. The n-uth" that God's word, by whomsoever spoken, shall not return unto h m void, butshall accomplish that which he pleases, (fsai 55 H > Now the question is not have dissenters been the m^ans if doing ^^y good but would not more good have been done if Lrrf C^ZZ { '' M '^"^ -P^'''-" ^^*^'^'^ ^ ^'^''^ just quoted trn V^r ' ''""^ u'''' ""^"^ ^"^ ««'^ declension from the true faith amongst the opponents of Episcopacy, and the evils wh^h arose in Cromwell's time when'Episcopacy was abo " i.hed will, I think, be forced to conclude that wore good would have resulted from union under Episcopal government Where was Episcopacy first abandoned ? Was it not in Switzerland and Gennany .? And what is the faith of these monfin'' • , ^Y • ^V^ V^' "^'^ '^^^^"^^ 'Ji^ •' how is the most fine gold changed. Truly may it be said, in the lan- ?Z"t ?f ^^ J^i'l'^in missionary, « Wo to the declining Church that hath no Gospel Liturgy." In Switzerland the ministers are almost to a man Arians and Socinians. In Germany the opponents of Episcopacy have left their first love, and have embraced the Unitarian doctrine ; their brethren in 'he West of England have in like manner been led astray,~and the Puritans of the United States are following in their foo?s en. * Are not these great and kmentable evils, exercising a deadly influence oyer tens of thousands of our fellow beings. Evils against which ourEpiscopal regimen and almost ins'pired Lit- urgy have, under God, been instrumental in guardin*. the ^ aine r-land. What is the heathen cry and Ch'ureh uf uur * See Dr. Chapman's 18th Sermon, Vol. 1~ tit n, the infidel snee .sions,--be united heed to your pnrs 140 «•/ fJo, yo Christian.s, and I .^ -••• •uticiii.-?, aim nea nnun.r.st yourselves, and th jcalyour owji d sect hii^hops, who ed here in the space of fmn vi' 7^ more heresies start- laid aside, than^there have hopn^'l ' ''' ^•'^'^"''^ ^'''»'' »^een Church, from the ^ .' d tion of Tt /o^^^^^^^^ the Universal acknowledged by Mr P:( hv n 1 ''"^- ^^"^^ this is (in his Gangr.^,^a d;.S^^^^^^^^ teacher, who the prelates, and justified the bishops rwlLlr '*''^^' "^ fio many nor so great errors were heir u7? 'T "^^^^^ blasphemies and'confusions ; Tve have to 'n Jr ' ^''' '"'^ us than ever were in all the bishnr ' '^i "" ^'''""'"^ ^'"ong trines and unheard of racLes tiL -'k"°'^ "^''^'^Pt ^'oc- The bishops and their ehanlT^ / i'" '«^^>' ^'^^""^ f>^'fore.- servers ) oVposed'tt e^-ro\f o ' tiiili l^c ""buttr""^^'. ^''"^■ suffered all kind of errors and scLm ^ ' '''^ ^ ^^^ Presbyters were in place : certaiidv the I i h t« come m when they And Salmasius ingenioSslv confe^.P L^. , ' ^'^neration. no friend to bishops vet en li?-' ^^f ^-^'tfiough he was Episcopacy (in England 'ADra^f '''"' 'r\', ''^^^°'*tion of horrible con^u":—-^'-! ^^'^^^ ^^^^ followed bi^ n^ - -t.e con.u....„ auu aisturbunce of religion ; sects withou" *^ 1^ 141 number, which before were confined to hell, and covered ivJ.h fhl'Z,?,: r'^" ">e 'lisguise of a Mahometan, has mken ocia- c 68 Dla nlT"'i,"'' '''•!:'*"i''""J' in i« most fundamenta" arti- cles, plainly shows that there is no subvertinir Christ nniVv •ft^fri ,fe ""^ P^^^yo""'" hel' ''''T" '•y ^"y '"le or custom ecclesias- eftn.r, . 1 "''" '^'" f'">" piety or knowledge, above others •ancv th'ou.tfi? '"''; '"T''" »[ PO'-'i"™"' in his pr vlt| lancy tliought fit, so elected, one by one. The most nnrt nf W T^ Ti^' •""' Pi-^^hed an^d cried down, w h'^^af lies a„,f t'h',""" ""'■''=" "."'' f'"'-''li'i<^« <"■ biships andT™ one s'pfr" ud n-ftor T "ir'' '""' * •■"" «'"Pl'>y™ent'^ror " le spiritual pastor, how able soever, f not a charirp rniho,- anrnar^rT/h ''''T^' ^'' '^''' consc^ntrousTn ere and K '^^. jy«'*^^^«s Jone for which they came together ^Uv^orfhf , '^''' ''^ ''^^"* Pa^^'«''-'ike profession, and especl ally of their boasted reformation, to seize into heir hands the"best "llvn'.? ^ 'V-''''' ^^^^'^^^^ ^"^' ^wo, or more of rhfh recture^T^^^^ col eg.ate masterships in the universities blow tainfnt^^^ "'^' '""'[1^ '"'^ '^ «" ^*"d^^ that migh cures, were not ashamed to be seen so quickly ^lurJlists and i w 1^ 142 Life of l)f n fe'tc/Hiiir of rpft.,..,^ V- ^' ^J'' ^^ "''I ^ HI dJr. Hammond n k-uI" V; '^^^"nnatioii." (vu^^i ^^« people who surrom/d i WnV'f'"^ ^^^^''^ he rSi(£ or to 10 inter that the ourse of r^^i ^ "'ssenters, do vou mp..n united with the Ch, rch amM ''°"''^ ^^^^^ "PO" them ?f hov —that over thp i • "" '>eca.rie one temnip ^ . ?^ Slier " \ /?".'" ""•""!"»• Surel! »,"'l''''-''*'"« ? Surely "useruer nouW hnn,' hi« nr„,„ ''"7O' "le pious nnd zinlm,- ■nite with others in 1,,r^,£ ,^1,"'' '^"' "'""S »i.h li ', '^^ the kingdom of- Je.,usu|,o,eSrth ?! ;'"i'' ""'' ^'""Wisl.inK upon the ro^r^f '0%^^ ?h.'^11 ^^X ^^^ '^ 'he°dis.e';rt ,/';;:;,,"'o,i, »f^ '« .befits:;;: r,s i^-ir^- 143 free ,t for the Ursi mtrr,tio ,' Zn .7 T \l -'''' '''"' <'»U '«.f>OHt rnnthod whirl. .' he J';V;''"''''^ ^vo|( consider 'losiral.lo ;, p.npose, and tl is L ni ' /"' -■"-'•o.Mplishin.r so n union of itren^ti;/ ^n ;?L ^''"' ^^"' '>« '" Prayors, would ,noet ^^hh Z V^^^^^^^^^^^ ^'< P^a.e and roncord/ His -h'h 'Tt'^'"" ^ would dPscond upon his unUed 'h.. ''' ''?^'^"'y Nes.sing »'Pon tho hill of Hern on - t^^^ ^''"'^ '''^'^ ^'^c - dew may holieve, loo/th L'- ^ '-"''' '^ *'^ ^^"'''•'■'^''- Wo abundantly be po„ v.l ^ ^^i;;';'/ /'-^ ^''« '-"''i would the^ ;"nke their lahoins to pro^U' and'^it T'it^ ''""'''^^ «"" '•elievers, a.s in days of old U V ''^"."'*' ""''^'" ^e said of one another." » Vf ^,,^1^' fj"'' ^^.'^^v' ^he.e Christians love munion ean justify a p ' f, f^^ •; V"^^^ ^^^'ms of com! separations, and lathol c co ' W n ' '^" ^" "" '^"'^ "f impraeticablo notion ; that i ' r " i'" .'."^^"''^sible and ;;^onehody, „or ever can ; '''",., ^. ^'-^^''^^^^"'''^^ "^'^^'er not to he determined by mcn',f\.J'- f"'' ««r>aration are ates of conscience, \m ^^ ^^'^''^^''J\ '^^.V ''-all the d.l »'festn,ff the repuirnanev of 1 1 e h n ^"'"^""^ «''«""'^«' "^a- and institutions of ^Christ an I M. f ''^^l^^red to the laws <^nce, that he allows ne,', "a her? '^^^^ ''^'^ «^' 'A«' mpor/! mun.on, than join in tl^ ,a,^te o? ^'*''. •^''*^'" ^"'^'' ^ '^"m- «ch,sni, says John Ball, a old no-w-n^r ' '''•"-"• '^'^^ «''» of heinous, the ill consenucnepJ ' ' ?' • °'.!^"!:"'''^' '^'""just, is «=o ^nl, that all ChristiZ shmtiri '''''?^''''^"^ ^« '"''»"y «nd f^^^^^^ ^tumhlin. blocks tf:rl'Z^^^^^ lay cas.on then- turnini^ aside or to spIi "'"'• "''^'"^ ^'§^^^ oc- but rather to wait and tarrv t 1 hi ^ "«''-^«'ons of departure, goeth before rhem. T o L" If I' '"' "^"'"''^^ '^^' »he Lord nesses and infirnnties in each othi ""? 7"' ^"'^^'-^^^'J vveak- «o long as the foundation ^Tthl ""'^ i'^f ^'^ '" ^^e Church, »^«m. It was nev.r, as ( lean Shl'l "l"^ ^^''^ "^^^^'^ *>» 'Ae days thought lavvful to .semu-ue A^L^^^ T'''J^'' till of late tho"gh, as the state of the ChurJ .f'"'"^"' ^^ fi"f>ject to some defects L Vj M r" '^"f '^'"'"''^ '«, it werj separated from the Ch.,Vch of fef^'V^*^ ^'•"^^'"'«^'^^- ^v^o worship and governmenv^i.^fr''' P''!^^"^^^ that her and the old non-confom is s fot ?""l '"^ «"ti-ehristian : rrient.oned Mr. Ball,) vvho thou^hfl ''^''"'. ^''^^ ^^'^ above ministers, yet very reltioulh^^^^^^ they could not conform as prayers and sacraf^enfe co.lS'Sfs'' ". '"^ '^^''- ''^^^ ^» that eommunfnn «;»», »U r-.^""'^" this schism, nnr? n,.^,.^^ ^"' ■*"' ^"^^'^^^ "t" England Was'/awfbi; nd of lUl do in he Pt UM dl to 1*. lil to di ■y le n )S 3t n ^« jr If y n 1 144 ever it wasth";i;,h Tavf^lt sopf:TtriV'^''''^ ^''«^ Vou say, " that the Est^hli hp,l Ph^ Tu^ i«l l>enefit fn.n. tL one atml r" w ^^' '"'^"'^^'^ '""ier- thero i« good reason to'l^eT."' No Jl 77 Methodisn, rfy to admit, that Wp^p,, I^„: - ' ^"^' * ^"^ ^l^'te rea- whnt was Wesley ?— The snn nf- "^^,'^'"""'- Jut whottnd 1SI8 then as tliev now s>-in,l i n v o • "• ^'"= Method- a»rf *(md f J„T C urch" ^T L7",''„'e\'''^V^'"'^'"« of reformation in the Chu vh ^i if • S' ""'' "'^ ""^ "ork then, No-,hey tvo J;:,'^,,'J l'^, l^^'^O^LTt "■""' dissenters fVoni WpsIpv «« i u i '^"ur'^u— they are h»vc no parrori;nnfi;e nittr^BuTwe'l' "■"^''"^ ' <=?" first who felt and Ininenre 1 th.? • P"'/\'=-*'fy "as not 1 1. geuerallyprevalen.tX'cI.rstror^rrbt'tl,:!'"' '"■; there were humble ninii« Hn,i ,i ; ,""* -^^"ont thatperjod ing their clutieJitVer expect it^'f,!;^ '^r'^\ P^^^«""- love and whose surcess wiM nnr r^n f ^f' "^''"'^ '^^*'^'''« ^^ when the secrets ^rf"J,%::;';r4a'L'r;te^i:3 '"t^^;,'^^ tt Vst; ?^^!if^':^A:"•\^^ a,tarsT;t'6huTet al^' from the Ca;;;f J&:;,P'^^^^ I take ng excellent and just remarks » Thi rl i ' t^^ follow- is a self veformins Chxlvch if '„. ^'?'i.''.^*' "^ England -- wilh the Methn,li.t. if! ' Ml'Mriins to rnv intercourse wou7d t«l; ^°" ''f'^" ^o^r^'^^^ of all charity, and before you re^^'n'beftrt;^ tful^^ ^^ ''''' '^"°^ «"'-'>" most favourable construe inn T ^""^ ^S""" ^^"^^ *'' ^'^^ ^^^^ real meaning, and tCl V ""' ''^'' ?' '"' ''' "-^"^"" '"^ disrrprJir nf „. V • ^ ^" "^^^ secured yourse f from the the valiHifv « f . ! r • "® Church does not acknowledjre an.er aUH?st ig weTaTafe'^^tr^'-'n" ,'"? ,""" '"'"« rhp hnafiio r I- ^ ^ . ".^^'^♦i that by publicly dec ar u'' this refrained fi-o.n mlb:„» i ' •''^ ',*' "''^« <'/?'™« oftentimei should be Ken, ^ecau e if "w2 T "r " ^"'^ r^-' '''""'• if :« noWk^ "n^cu, uecause, it we believe men to be n errnr uth "'^^f,':,^«"'y nor upright to conceal from them the "Ot endeavoured (in t«i, page ofyou-r pamplilei wi;^ch:;wiie" 1 V 146 There are some, however F n n h^ '^'"'^^ *« ^^eir Prrors «eem disposed to he h'flu 'nJcd v a'T ^« TV^^^^-^« "o^ know and feel in their hearts n. .'-'"f '^'^'^^ they must «xtren.e You are phase t to Z^}^^^^^ 'nan, and if the term l,e pro neHv^.^^^^^^^^ ^'^^' ^'^"•'^h- esteeni ,t an honour to l,e pEfl i "th?"'^ ,'"^ ''^»'I^"«^^' ' Churchman, to merit that tit eShn i '"^ • "V-K" The high sation, bo cntirelv .n.;;.:,,,!^' '^"^I^K^!" ^'s life and convert t "^ — u-u uiosi earefu y unhold ••i,.i J.. *^'"<^' "me ^'overnment, which even Metl o ill h ^'^'^'l ''f '^ ^Po^^olic excellen " mode. AM this I ^inco ^k- t'l "^^"f^ " ^^^ '^^^^^ J^ut. heinnr a hi^h Churchman dni!^ ^;sh and desire to do. liavmg charity fCr my diietV'p^^^ ^17,^"^ '"« from ed chanty will prompt uT o 1 'f n ^'J' ^ '^^ ^""«^ ^^^'-^'t- f;n,r., while he hai an ofU ^uni^v 'r"' "''^^^«^''- hi« ." But, as Mr. Daubeny remarks iP.^ - correcting them. i« to refrain from teachim rhA r T'"'''^^^ Church government, f^of considr^r'^'"'^' principles of offence, by ai)r)eari U " '\^^^^""«'''eration of thereby giving whosepar'ate'ffom it| fbr h""unrro""^"^r «^-inst^hTsf from insisting decidedlv on -^nv ,i . •''"'"/ ''^' '""-^^ refrain 's no ' ""''«P- ce.ve the natu,-e of christian'ch' ?tv oM "'''' ^"^ ' ««"- pnncpJes to wite the,n up to ou^r Ph^'l "'' "P^" ^'-^^^^l'^^ manner of some has been, to' write ou^Chui:! "f ""^ "^ '^^ And I have reason to think, tha if Fni ' "^P"'"" ^" ^he.n. ed ,n other ,.eformed churches I ^''^^^P^'^^^y ''«'» been set- turn had made a much liro-P nL '^ I" ''"'■'' ^'^'^ reforma- Hawer. whom you men ion D.?' R^ , ^^- ' ^^ ^^'^^^'''an J^*-. M,lle.-, thus writes -Did': ^^^^^'^n ,n hi letters to count of the weight he d;rivesfro,rW,"i^T"'''^^ ^''' ^'» ac- knowledge of antiquity or LwJ/'''' '"^^'l"'"^ you think that a n ar ivvho '.T'''^''''y of character ? Do iearned himself ?a^id who i ''''"' '?''^''"'"^' ««» ^e very Church, can know much abonrT " ' ^tf ^' ''«''« o^ the 'nan's testimo,iy is of much weiU^'" I ?" >'«" ^^ink tha^ wuh heretics .^nd schi matics t'd Z^"" "^"T ^^^«« P'-^'-t ponatists, JVIilitians in i .? V • * ^^^mmends Novations resso.-s and martyr are Seated' whT'' ^^'^''^ Catholic con! ^-'-d'lot think as he does unonth;, ?'" ''""''•' ^^^«"«e they and grace ? Can you thi.r^h^t m/n" •'''•''•^^>''^^^^'^"««'^^^^ que,jce, who saysf that he - th n^s Fn^^^'"'"" "^ ""^y ^«"«e. pondent to the -Apostolic practice anr^^^^^^^ ««•''•««- Chu,-ch m the /»•,/ ^^^^ ^enPrZ/n, "" ^jneralusa^e of the yet can unite xvith thot'th 1^ esteemed purer aZs'^ and P^'^ctice, andare thervowedetmip''^^'^' ^Vo,„%^,X Forfurtherren,arkssee vTl n '283 ^.^^^i^^*'^^ «^«^^ ?" to be an tnaccwr«/e Awiorea/z A J . f,: ^ ^^ ^'*- P'*«ves him «Peak, the best way to shevv fh ? '''^ '?'™«" «^ ^vhich yo error by your credib'^e w Un.Ls LC ''^ !'^^" '^^ '» " ^hen you will know how to Xecil rh"'"''' '^ P"*^''^' «"«' *'hall see ,t as it was deliveref^^lnThf ^"' ^^^^'^nony. You add,t,ononlyof twonoteT r wn,^f,T'^''*'""''«"' ^^'^h the gyman preaches against any palicuhr ^ '"'^"''•^' '^ « '^'r~ most hk^ely to be moved ? lltr ' . /. '^l^'' '''' «'"''«'•' ^ho is h'/" -Thou art the wL " 1 ' ''^^'^«^^^ «»"«C''ence tel « Wicked persons Rettinrth,,„,i," P'"'"'^ "^ '-'""''ant and L'?l'!i.^-«^-ation wasrott:r!r.!.*^--^-«.' ^heMe- .^«^^^».. .o cnose who, i„ this pro^nce';^d e^^e^Xiay;; 148 principles, and even immoral n their livp«j -—nnri t«K. ^ to silence them ? This I nr.r^^lL\ - "^es j—and who was will generally arise whpnT-' ^«"V^ ^^^ ^^''« ^^^ich Hghtl^steeld ''^Y'oi7,^rowi':rTj Hot't'Y'"^*^'""^^' '' cJerstand mp • nn,! w ;1 ""wever, did not take time to un- we are indph'fpH r .1 '' P'^^'^^.'^'X' to this circumstance that piety and leal, ani It^l ^»"^s(^x Uh^r^^t ""."^'''"'S niftv Vn ' P'^?^P'"-"y. and to all the lovers of genu ne X.1 le ruM 2:;rh'' "".'' i-"' -»' persisted i„hL,m! of the cZf ^''^.T'^r™' "''''^'> -^^^ co^tJary to'^^^e X; e^n^^hiS^^t .^tTftSsl-^-'xr-e'ri^r Xl-'^hen ™?rP r"r "■"• "'-'"'" of hi ' o/;rcie,y° ^Th., „ " ■ " J """ ^""«' i' ">e following rule, ri4th)- m£». "? P""":" «r person should be allowld to act in L, bmhren t„"d1hrt' li-'L"''' '"'""" '» ■>>« detertnin-a'tfoTyh s bei & "a1.1°;i^he7,^S„Z:;.°„\K^:,^1;^^^^^^^^^^ an,o„sst the preachers there were Sof "" ^^st vt en ana unRovernable temper," who would very n«t"aflV«p1?« angry feeling, against themselves : and «L L""!!."' !?„"?',.'! 149 «urpnse that the affectiur/cnfe - LT"')^/'^ V"^'"^"'" <'^' be somewhat niodorated • a I i n. ? '■ P'"''^''^" should or charitable spirit, to Wir ' f. rV r'',""''''^"^'^ «^' « "oble justification of i colJuue^^^Z^l^' ^-•'.'unKstanco in separation and the nnchri.rinn ^"^' .''^"'^^' ^f-'paration. The "P thereby, munt be ^1-^^ ^^ awai'«hops «ay«, '; By these letL- L cit tim rl ''^^ ^'''''''- ^^'^'^ was acknowledged to be of ^u^L ^'l^ ^p,scopal function tie/., vol. 2., p°io8.) He af ' "^PT^'^'''^-''-(BurneVs 9ompiIed a Vatechi n,rn wlief/']?^'/?' "' ^^'^^ ^^''-^"'"er insMutton of bishops' ar. priests /vfl T'' '^' '^^'"'^ Mosheim savs of the ChurlT r^~^]^^- '•' P- H3.)— •nsisted on {he divine origin ''of ir^"^'''"'^' '' ^'^^nstanUy plme.»-(Eccles. fiist., vo o ' ^ ?";^'-"'^«"t and disci- f yon please, examine vour^^'hi^'to;;!. / ^?" '"^^ "«^^' hut first read the follow^n" from « '' ^vulence" a.^ain, Cient Church they knew . ? of thn . "f^'^" '" '^^ ^n- found out in the latter ages it t , t?^'''''!"' '^'^''^^ '^^'•^■ that a bishop „-as to be'dedicatJ n -"r '*'^'."°^'^ ^^"«"fe'h "Mposition of hands -md fh .f /° 5''^ function by a new But they did not refine i., he e ''f ''^''"^' ^^onfinnalionfscc whether bishops and priei^ diff^'"f '"' '° T'^' ^' '^ '"^ "'''" only n decree R..f .a 7'"ered m order and ofTirp ,u- 'he canonists began tocomm'™; ""'"='^"'?'We niooties.ami Church, ,hey sfudied oTa I iZ"" ''''= T'^^ "'■">'' ""^ient near one another, so that hr.fiff ' ^ ""'' I"'**'" ■•seein very ;'.'l it with different ,les"ns n^'^l "V '"'' f'""- The^ '.-i.»oGod;^r;o,LT:n-?let\h^r.tr 150 'njnd to deorp^ tho ^' .^''^"ooJ> so the canoniito h-wi " ' for nt-or ^ ^"^ episcopal ordpr ,,,;*"'*"*« nud as ^^reat Pv ^ Ar^T""^"^' «"fi the wav tn i "^ '^^y generally wrote cy. JVoMrn^ could do thZKn Jr' ."''^ ^« ^^'I't thi nana JA; /.ot..,. 0/ bishops' He alf^'%^"'^ «* '« bringSn of popery;^' and con(.lude.J;>L , ^^^*^ «''^ ''^^ veru dreJl J irust, sir, that you vviJl dpriv^i ^ J ^ '^fi^ef. vol.1, p. S&Q \ It would be well for you to'akp^'"'?'/''^'" '^'^ quotaVion i to oppose the authority of hi ^n ^^^'^ ^""'^ '» ^o"'' hasty z;.! cause directly oppose /to nrnfLf^ -"^^^ ^'^ ^0""^I to forward a meaning dissente?s are nrinnf '""V'^' " ^«"y poor we |! ^f P-eopaoy is a roll^^^^'':^ ^^ ' ^alseL^io^^^i' i^-. This indeed is so far fvamuj ^ ^^^ pleased to term episcopal government as /in? ^'"^ ^^"^' that J look uno^, '^nyolAer %ror. For' episconl''' '""^ '^ ^^^^ out poTerl^Tr "-'S^^'^^^tterly destroys the r^27^ "" established in itZw pounded as a ground of m, ^ r ^'^'^^^^"ces, and one thin ' nm theon^,^«,,,^„hJ"^'J «{^^^^^^^ vvas, the ret"?yVn " nvaded, whilst he challenT/j thi /''.^ ^''^^^ ^^^f' injurious"? J^je catholic church, and Sln„ the r'h^^°^'^^ ofgiverni2 ^ he pope used many meUbod^ fl r ''^^^^ «"'>' his curates «Ps, such as exemptino X ' ^'^ 'J"»^'r.,sh the power of S: t'on and making them vvholin"''''V^' ^'"'^ ^heir jurisT- '"onks might be toolsVsS himself,^ the whjch service the order of ?I • ^ authority over bishons • in for this Purpos/toi, L LtoZ/"' '^'^^>' i"strunfe„taT " b'shops, as near as possfble wfr ""T '^' ^° ^^^rk, to level and 'V^e distinctions'^ In^ditTcenV^^i''""^ ^^ '^''^^ «"b''o Ji'ent, the italians made Irea/pffnl f' i^^^ '" ^he council of bishops as distinct from nrl! . . "^ ^° ^^^« '^ t^ecreed hat and Lainez the jesuT.K frn^r ""^ ^^ '"^^Wn/'^'j^r ;ours, to that purpose These rnp?. ^^'^"S^^ of above^'two asserting the true original oovvp/"rf- u ''''® sensible, that the unreasonableness ofC ' on:'/ 5''''^T' would evince the rights, and show how usi'^v^mI ^"'^''T^'"^^"' «n their ius^ fetrench his exorbScel^ A^^ Te ^^ endeavoured to -and. now confuted b^ thVL^n^^ -^oL^^^f .^ » * 151 the puritan clivi t'^nf^i;^;! -'^ened the bVa^h^tLlen" It IS indeed to be regretted thn^th"'"' of church uniformTtv » ed by the plain de.lSratiol of' tV^,^''''"^^^^«"'^ ^^ «ffe"d- by the Church of En-land » Wh . '^'''^^"ntly insisted on becom, „0H^ I have^ sivvn L'' Th"^ ^^^^^^ r^^tans are much offended with a niain LI? • ■^"'^>' ^^""'^ now be as sus, as they formerVwere vvirh'''''l''"i^^'''^ ^^'^'"'^y «? Je- onjrmofepiscopac/ Bm h ^ {^^^'^'-'''tion ofthe dvine iiold this all important rrmh ''"'? "«^ ^^ P''oper to with ed at the risk 0^,?;;" /oft^cJto tt"^'^ '' ^^°"'^ ^«^«" ^1 larT^ll'^'^P^^^^^'^^-^^^^^ fA^enerate puritan., cieai that Christ institufpH n^! ' \ tn'»ik it is plain and ffovernment-(I appW th'et""^,^;;;'' °"'-" ""'^ ^«''"» of ihtirc the orders of \he mfnLtrv Wrlf '" ? co„fi„ed sense to States, call then.selves the^/ ,;:Lr'''H'^^^ ^"^^^ United ^hey give us to understand iha h 'I' ^/'•"^o;>«/ church," and copal/orm of government as/' m7 ^'7" ^^"P^^^ ^^e em", the «io,; ea;ce//en/, we m,',^ !. ^^ f'^'^ ^^<^ellenV^ " But if "'Vine; for certaildrOWaTdhi"^'" ^^''^.^ '^ '* npostolicanj fbrin of ordination and church 1'^'' '^°'''^« established 5oiS^ a strong tincture of irreverence^r''"'"'"'' ^"^' '^«o, it has cboose that which is mosteZu^t '"{'^"'^ ^^"^ ^hey did not they e,eablished^..o ^^;?,rfS '.R ''^'^^"-l^^ Presume But then" says bishop Tavlor "«. ^?,^""f »* ofthe Cross. ) which are done by n ere nrpJi' ^"'^ "" ordinations invalid What think we of the rl? P'^^''?3'ters, without a hishon ? know not what t^ think "S ''''''^'' ^ *^«^ '"rpart7 S^:'';^ ""y ^"de?v;>u."ng": h^rfvTh '"^^ \' "^'^^^^^^ tninking what would follnw ,.!?•' •^l"*'"* ordinations • not come to that issue, that o3 n^"*" ""r^^Ives ? But now it ?a "ecessary, because we did no?!" fP'^^^P^'^y ?« thoS i^o? presbytery. Why Tno trhp L "'?^^'* ^^^ ordina tk)n If he?r ^^^e.nnin,S;ri^iSrS"^^^^^ '«aue By ijiere presbyters ? If 152 they fli.l well, what utas a virtue. t.:.them, is nn sm mus.'' (vol. 7. j). 133.) I sec nothing nu.re in your pamphlet which nee(i.s a reply, find as i h ive many juid increasini,' duties in this extensive parisli to enyago iny luienlion. I take my leave of you by rcfiuestin<;r you to pro"p satisiactorily the four fol- lovvinir pointK, and then you v .w have the honor of doing more for your eau^^e than the g .atcst champion of preshyte- rian supremacy could ever acconjpli. h. I must however in- form you that the soj)liisiry of name.-, —fearless -issertions bold denials— ridicule and angry feelings will no,' be admitted as arguments ; and the proof nmst be as clear, positive and decided from the word God, and from the primitive Fathers, as that which Churchmen hare advanced in favor of episco- pacy, otherwise it will not deserve attention. 1st, Prove tliat there ic«s ?io/ an order superior lo presby- ters from rhc days of the Apostles. 2nd, That the power 'Exercised by Bishops h actually a usurpation— name the time in which^hi.^ extraordinary usur- pation took i)lace, and acraunt hiUisfactcrily [yv the silence of all the early xcriters re s p; n i ng it. 3rd, That there was even a sin^u;! J •, iiurch governed isithout a bishop, front the days of the Apositi? an' a thou-j.ind years affer. ■h, That Presbyters alone did ordjii.* . inid ?!iat their or- d?na?,ions were wiiversally allowed lo he valid Ji> the earliest ages of the Church. If, Si« , you cannot answer these qucslions satisfactorily, in accordance loi'h the scriptures and anliquHy, you know the course which tiie pure relifjion nf Jesus points out for you to follow. That V may all know experimentally more of that religion, and be bi ought more completely under its heavenly influence, is the prayer of lirjv'd. Sir, Your Servant in Christ, CHARLES J. bHREVE. m