v. 22.

That in his decisions he should be strictly impartial. v. 21. That he should be very cautious on whom he laid his hands. That Timothy was in a station which even the rich and great might respect. vi. 17.

1

That Timothy had been ordained by St. Paul himself, once if not twice. 2 Tim. i. 6.

That at his ordination or consecration there was something remarkable in the Sermon. 1 Tim. iv. 14; i. 18.

That he was to commit what he had heard from St. Paul to faithful men, who should be able to pass it on to others. 2 Tim. ii. 2.

That Titus had authority to set in order what was wanting in the Cretan Church; Tit. i. 5; and to ordain Bishops in every city; i. 5. 7.

That he was to be cautious whom he selected for this office. i. 6-9.

That he should rebuke false teachers sharply. i. 13.

That if Titus himself was a pattern of good works and a teacher of truth, the whole Church would gain credit. ii. 7, 8.

That he should rebuke with all authority. ii. 15.

That he should suffer no man to despise him. ii. 15.

That after one or two admonitions he should reject heretical persons. iii. 10.

"Now, Sir, it seems to me evident, from these and other similar passages, that there were certainly in the Church, as far as the Testament History reaches, three different ranks or orders of Ministers one above the other."

"It is plainly so," I said.

"But," said he, “there was one point which rather perplexed me, and I was some time before I could make out such an explanation of it as was satisfactory to myself."

"What was that," I asked.

"Why," said he, "it was this. I considered that any person to whom the Apostles granted Apostolical authority, (Timothy, for instance,) was from that time higher than a Presbyter or Bishop, and yet could not properly be called an Apostle. What then could he be called? I at last remembered a place in Bishop Wilson's little book, which led me to reflect, that surely as there were Angels, (whether it might mean guardians, or heavenly messengers, or missionary Bishops, as we might say,) of the seven Churches in Asia,-so Timothy might have been called the Angel of the Ephesian Church; and Titus, of the Church of Crete; and the same in other cases. And it came into my thoughts,

that, perhaps, after St. John's decease, whether out of humility, or because (the Churches being settled,) the Ministers need no longer be missionaries, the title of Apostles or Angels was laid aside, and that of Bishops limited to the highest of the three orders.

"Thus I seemed to myself every where to have, traced the threefold order, down from the beginning of the Gospel; the authority and distinction peculiar to each being preserved, a difference in name only taking place.

"Thus at first they were . . . . . . . . Apostles, Elders, Deacons.

"After the decease of some of the

Apostles, or at least,
St. John was yet living

"At some period after St.

while

... Angels, Bishops, Deacons.

...

John's

"I do not see how what you have said can be contradicted,"

I replied.

"But," he proceeded, "there is one thing I must, Sir, confess to you, and it is this;-that I have often said to myself, what a comfort it would be, if it had pleased God to preserve to us some few writings of the good men who lived close after the Apostles, that so we might have known their opinion on matters of this kind: and we might have known, too, by what names they distinguished the different orders of ministers, one from another. For, surely, what they would think most proper in such cases, must be safest of all rules for us to follow; unless, (which is a thing not to be supposed,) their rules should be contrary to those of the Apostles, as set down in Scripture. So, Sir, I have often thought, if any such writings could be found, what a precious treasure they would be."

"What!" said I, "Richard, did you never hear of those who are called the Apostolic Fathers: Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius?" "I believe I have heard of them," he answered; "but I observed that you, Sir, and other Clergymen, scarcely ever notice them in your sermons: and the man I mentioned just now told me that Mr. Cartwright, who is the minister of the Independent chapel at the town, and who is reckoned to be a very learned

man, and an admired preacher, that he should say in a sermon, that the works of the Fathers were very imperfect, and their opinion not much to be trusted to."

"But," said I, "Richard, if a person, whose word you could take, were to show you an old book written by persons who had seen our SAVIOUR; who had heard St. John and St. Paul preach, and had been well acquainted with them; should you not value such a book, and wish to know whether there was any thing in it which could throw light on the history of those early times of the Church, and especially with reference to the subjects you and I have been now conversing on?"

"Indeed, Sir, I should," he said. "But if what Mr. Cartwright said is true, it is too much to expect that any such treasure should be found by us.'

"No, Richard," I said, "it is not too much. The kind Providence of God has permitted some of the writings of those good men to be preserved to this day. And there is no more doubt that they are their genuine writings, than that Bishop Ken wrote the Evening Hymn, or Bishop Wilson that little book you like so much."

"If this is indeed as you say," he replied, "we have great reason to be thankful for such a proof of God's care for His Church. But I beg you, Sir, to tell me, whether there is any thing in these writings you speak of, which confirms what I have been venturing to state to you as my opinion gathered from Scripture, concerning the threefold distinction of Christian ministers."

"Next Sunday," said I, "You shall see and judge for yourself."

As we came home from church in the afternoon of the following Sunday, he reminded me of my promise, and I gave him a written paper, containing a few extracts, which I had translated from the works of the Apostolical Fathers, telling him that I might possibly have made a mistake here and there in the rendering, but that he might depend on such being the general force and meaning of the passages.

--

The extracts I gave him were the following:

"Clement, with other my fellow labourers."-Phil. iv. 3.

"Ignatius and the holy Polycarp, the Bishop of the Smyrnæans, had formerly been disciples of the holy apostle John."-Martyrdom of St. Ignatius.

"The Apostles, preaching throughout countries and cities, used to appoint their first fruits, after they had proved them by the Spirit, to be Bishops and Deacons of those who should hereafter believe."-St. Clement to the Cor.

"The Apostles knew that there will be dispute about the name of Bishoprick or Episcopacy, wherefore they appointed the aforementioned, and gave them authority beforehand, in order that if themselves should fall asleep, other approved men might succeed to their ministerial office.”—The same.

"All of you follow the Bishop as JESUS CHRIST followed the FATHER; and the Presbytery as the Apostles; and reverence the Deacons as God's ordinance. Let no man do any of those things which pertain to the Church without the Bishop. He that honoureth the Bishop, is honoured of God; he that doeth any thing without the privity of the Bishop, doeth service to the Devil."— S. Ignat. to the Smyrn.

"Have regard to the Bishop, that GOD also may regard you. My soul for theirs who are subject to the Bishops, Elders, and Deacons and may it be my lot to have a portion with them in GOD."-S. Ignat. to Polycarp.

"The Bishops who were appointed in the farthest regions are according to the will of JESUS CHRIST; whence it becometh you to go along with the will of the Bishop."-S. Ignat. to the Ephes.

"That ye may obey the Bishop and the Presbytery, having your mind without distraction, breaking one bread.”—The same.

"Some indeed talk of the Bishop, yet do every thing without him; but such persons do not appear to me conscientious; on account of their congregations not being assembled strictly according to the commandment."-S. Ignat. to the Magnes.

"I exhort you to be zealous to do all things in divine concord: the Bishop presiding in the place of GOD, and the Presbyters in the place of the council of Apostles, and the Deacons, (in whom I most delight,) intrusted with the service of JESUS CHRIST."-The same.

"For as many as are GOD's and JESUS CHRIST'S, these are with the Bishop." -S. Ignat. to the Philadelph.

"Be ye earnest to keep one Eucharist, for the flesh of our LORD JESUS CHRIST is one, and there is one cup in the unity of His blood, one altar, as one Bishop, together with the Presbytery, and Deacons, my fellow-servants."-The same.

"Hold to the Bishop, and to the Presbytery, and Deacons. Without the Bishop do nothing."-The same.

"When you are subject to the Bishop as to JESUS CHRIST, ye appear to me as living not according to man's rule, but according to JESUS CHRIST."—S. Ignat. to the Trall.

"He that without the Bishop, and Presbytery, and Deacon, doeth ought, that person is not pure in his conscience."—The same.

'Polycarp, and the Presbyters who are with him, to the Church of God, sojourning at Philippi."-S. Polyc. to the Philipp.

"Being subject to the Presbyters. Deacons, as to GOD and CHRIST."The same.

Two or three weeks afterwards, as we were walking homewards after Evening Service, he gave me back the paper, with expressions of great satisfaction and thankfulness; and added, that he blessed GOD for having led him to make the inquiry, and that he was sure, if many religiously disposed persons, who now think little of such matters, would turn their minds to them without partiality, they would fear to separate from a Church like ours, which, whatever may be its imperfections, is substantially pure in its doctrine, and in the apostolical succession of its ministry.

Sir," said he, "I am a poor, hard-working man, as you know; but the interests of my soul, and of those dear to me, are of as great importance in the sight of Almighty God, and ought to be to me also, as if my lot had been cast in a higher station. It is to me, therefore, no matter of indifference, (as many have told me it should be,) what is the truth on these great subjects; but I am more and more sure that it is a Christian duty first to inquire into them, and, when we have found the truth, to act up to it humbly but resolutely.

"The times are bad, I confess : but yet, young though I am, I do not expect, as the world now goes, to see them much better. "What our LORD said about iniquity abounding, and love growing cold, seems to be but too suitable to our present state. I have often thought it and said it, though I have seldom met with any one who would agree with me in the opinion. The Church of England, I can plainly see, more plainly perhaps than