§ 8. PERPETUITY OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY. Q. From what does it appear that the government and ministry of the Church have been continued in an uninterrupted succession from the time of Christ and his Apostles! A. In the first place, we find in the New Testament an evident succession from Christ to the Apostles, from the Apostles to Timothy, Titus, &c. and from them to other “ faithful men.” Secondly, It is very improbable that an institution begun by Christ, and continued by his Apostles, should have been neglected by their immediate successors. Thirdly, It cannot be doubted that Christ's promise, of perpetuity to his Church would be verified in the perpetuity of an institution which he appointed for the support of his Church. And lastly, it appears from the most substantial evidences of history, that the Christian Church and Ministry have been 99 continued. Q. What may we collect from this perpetuity of the Christian Church and Ministry? A. In the continuance of the Christian Church and Ministry from Christ's first appointment to the present time we have a kind of living contemporary evidence, and a most satisfactory proof, of the truth of Christianity. § 9. A TRUE AND A LEGAL CHURCH. Q. From what authority is derived the right of publickly exercising the Christian Ministry? A. From the laws of the land in which it is professed. Q. What is a true Church? A. That is a true Church in which the Word of God is preached, and the Sacraments are duly administered by persons rightly ordained. Q. What is a legal Church? A. That is a legal Church, which is established by law. Q. Is every true Church a legal Church? A. No. A Church may be a true Church, and yet it is not a legal Church, if it be not established by law, Q. Is every legal Church a true Church? A. No. A Church may be established by law, and so be a legal Church; but if the Word of God is not preached in it, and the Sacraments are not duly administered by persons rightly or dained, it is not a true Church. § 10. THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND. Q. What do you mean by the Church of England? A. By the Church of England I mean the Church of Christ as it is established by the laws of England. Q. Is the Church of England a true Church? A. Yes: A. Yes: because the Word of God is preached in it, and the Sacraments are duly administered by persons rightly ordained. Q. Is it also a legal Church? A. Yes: because it is established by law. § 11. DUTY OF CONFORMING TO THE ESTABLISHED CHURCH AS GOOD SUBJECTS. Q. Is it not our duty to conform to the laws of our Country? A. Yes. St. Paul says, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers;" (Rom. xiii. 1.) and St. Peter bids us "submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake." (1 Pet. ii. 13.) Q. Is it not then our duty to conform to the established Church? A. Yes. Q. Why? A. Because it is a true Church established by law; and be cause "the powers that be," by whom it is established, “are ordained of God." (Rom. xiii. 1.) § 12. Q. Does not St. Peter injoin us to submit to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake? . A. Yes. Q. For whose sake? A. For the Lord's sake. Q. Why did St. Peter say "for the Lord's sake? A. Because the Lord has taught us by his example to submit to the ordinances of those who rule over us; and not to give offence by disobedience. (Matth. xvii. 27.) Q. Who is the spiritual head of the Church? A. Christ," who is the head of all principality and power, (Col. ii. 10.) the Prince of the Kings of the earth, (Rev. i. 5.) and the head of all things over the Church." (Eph. i. 22.) Q. Who are God's Ministers upon earth for the preservation of order, and the execution of law and justice? A. Kings, and rulers, and Magistrates. (Rom. xiii. 1—6.) A. The King. Q. How is the King the temporal head of the Church?. A. He is so appointed by the laws. Q. Who is sworn to uphold and defend the Church, as it is established by law? A. The King. Q. How do you mean,--" to uphold and defend the Church ?" A. "To maintain the Church in the unity of true religion, and in the Bond of peace*'" See the King's Declaration prefixed to the Thirty-nine Articles of the Church. § 14. Q. Do not the laws require an uniformity of public worship, that is, that there should be only one form of public worship? A. Yes. Q. Which is that form of public worship? A. The form of public worship, which is set forth in the Book of Common Prayer. Q. For what reasons were laws enacted injoining an Uniformity of public worship? A. "For prevention of factions and schisms, for settling the peace of the Church and the nation, for the honour of religion, and the propagation thereof." (Stat. xiii. and xiv. Car. 11.) Q. Do not things, which may, in themselves, appear to be indifferent, become obligations and duties by force of the law, which in joins them? A. Yes, "Things of themselves indifferent do in some sort alter their natures, when they are either commanded or forbidden by a lawful magistrate; and may not be omitted at every man's pleasure contrary to the law, when they be commanded; or used, when they are prohibited." (xxxth Canon.) Q. Is nothing, then, indifferent, which has the force of a law? A. No. Whatever has the force of a law, ceases to be indifferent, and becomes an obligation and a duty, which we ought to observe," not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake." (Rom. xiii. 5.) Section 15. Duty of conforming to the established Church as good Christians. 16. Reasons for Christian Unity, on the authority of Christ. 17. Reasons for the same, on the authority of St. Paul. 18. Reasons for the same, from the anti-christian effects of Disunion and Schism. 19. Reasons for the same, from the essential Form and Privileges of the Church of Christ. 20. Grounds of Christian Unity, in the Principles of Order and Obedience. 21. Example of the first Christian Converts. 22. Reasons for Union with the Church of England. 23. In what Conformity to the Church of England consists. The Bishop next gives, in the catechetical form, "an Explanation of the more difficult terms and doctrines in the Church Catechism and Office of Confirmation." By way of Specimen, we indulge ourselves in giving a short extract, from the Section on the "Sacraments.' Q. What are the benefits, of which we are partakers by Baptism? A. By Baptism we become members of Christ, and of his Church,---children of God,---and inheritors of the Kingdom of Heaven. Q. What is the benefit of Baptism, which Christ promised? A. Christ said, "He that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved." (Mark xvi. 16.) Q. What did Ananias say to St. Paul on his Conversion? A. He said, "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord." (Acts xxii. 16.) 4. Q. Does not Christ say, that, in order to be saved, we must be born again?---that we must be born of water and of the spirit? A. Yes. Q. What is, to be born again? A. To be born again, is to be brought into a new state different from a former ;---it is to become something, that we were not before ;---and so to become, as it were, new creatures, new men. Q. What is to be born of water, and of the spirit? A. 1. The words born of water denote the outward act of Baptism; born of the spirit, denote the inward grace. (2.) To be born of water, is to be baptized with water; to be born of the spirit, is to be baptized with the spirit. Mark i. 8. Acts. i. 5: (3.) To be born of water, is to become a new creature outwardly, in name and profession; to be born of the spirit, is to become a new creature inwardly, in heart and spirit. 5. Q. How do you by Baptism become a new Creature in name and profession? A. By Baptism we obtain the name of Christians, and become members of the Church of Christ. Q. How do you by Baptism become a new creature in heart and spirit? A. Instead of being children of wrath, and of the Devil, we become children of grace and of God. Then follow" the three Church Creeds exemplified, and proved from the Scriptures." The articles of those formularies are first enumerated, and then printed, with the scriptural proofs on the opposite page. In this division of his work, which proves him to be " mighty in the Scriptures;" the Bishop gives a note or two, which we beg leave to adopt into our text. To the article of the Nicene Creed," begotten of his Father before all worlds" is subjoined the following note: "The words of this Article of the Creed are evidently founded on the words of St. Paul, (Col. i: 15.) which are wrongly translated in the common English version, which makes Christ a creature, the first of creatures, the first-born of creation. Πρωτοτοκος πάσης κτίσεως for born before any thing was created, or before before all worlds, is the same elliptical expression as rewros pov in St John's Gospel for before me. (John i. 15.) Hermas says of the Son of God, omni créatura antiquior est, ita ut in consilio patri suo adfuerit ad condendam creaturam. Lib. III. Similitudo 9. cap. 12.) which though it does not expressly quote the authority of St. Paul, shews clearly enough how that ancient writer under stood the Apostle in this passage.". And in p. 83, where 1 John i. is quoted, the following note is annexed: "This passage of St. John's Gospel contains a direct declararation of Christ's Divinity; and was so understood by Julian, the Apostate, a much better judge of its meaning than our modern Socinians, who have taken so much unlearned and ungrammatical pains to misinterpret it. Julian did not believe the doctrine any more than the Socinians; but he acknowledged that St. John believed it, and taught it in this and other passages. Who will hesitate between the authority of St. John, and that of Julian, or the Socinians?" His Lordship, very properly, in p. 87, gives 2 Tit. xiii. and 2 Tim. iv. 1. according to Mr. Sharp's Emendation of our common Version. The Bishop, beyond the promise of his title-page, then gives some" practical and devotional Exercises of a Christian's Faith, consisting of the Te Deum and some of the Collects of the Church, in the first person;-adding an Appendix, containing of Extracts from the Canons, Acts of Parliament, Royal Declarations, &c. relative to the Government, Discipline and Public Worship of the Church of England." Here our Church speaks with authority, and not as the Sectaries. In the body of the Tract, its Doctrines are shewn to be founded on the Warranty of Scripture; and in the appendix we see how its discipline is enforced by the sanction of the Legislature; it comes commended to us therefore with all that can command the assent, or claim the obedience of good Christians or good Subjects. AS ORTHODOX CHURCHMEN, we do most earnestly recommend this little work to general use; to every School, and every Family. L. C. |