way, though for much higher reasons, we must honour the Bishop, because he is the Bishop-for his office-sake;-because he is CHRIST'S Minister, stands in the place of the Apostles, is the Shepherd of our souls on earth, while CHRIST is away. This is FAITH, to look at things not as seen, but as unseen; to be as sure that the Bishop is CHRIST's appointed Representative, as if we actually saw him work miracles as St. Peter and St. Paul did, as you may read in the book of the Acts of the Apostles.

But you will say, how do we know this, since we do not see it? I repeat, the Bishops are Apostles to us, from their witnessing CHRIST, and suffering for Him.

of

1. They witness our LORD in their very name, for He is the true Bishop of our souls, as St. Peter says, and they are Bishops. They witness CHRIST in their station;-there is but One LORD to save us, and there is but one Bishop in each place. The meetingers have no head, they are all of them mixed together in a confused way; but we of CHRIST'S Holy Church (blessed be God!) have one Bishop over us, and our Bishop is the Bishop of -. Many of you have seen him lately, when he confirmed in our Church. That very confirmation is another ordinance, in which the Bishop witnesses CHRIST. Our LORD and SAVIOUR Confirms us with the SPIRIT in all goodness; the Bishop is His figure and likeness, when he lays his hands on the heads of children. Then CHRIST, (as we trust,) comes to them, to confirm in them the grace Baptism. Moreover, the Bishop rules the whole Church here below, as CHRIST, the true and eternal Sovereign, rules it above; and here again the Bishop is a figure or witness of our LORD. And further, it is the Bishop who is commissioned to make us Clergymen God's Ministers. He is CHRIST's instrument; and he visibly chooses those whom CHRIST Vouchsafes to choose invisibly, to serve in the Word and Sacraments of the Church. And thus, in one sense, it is from the Bishop that the news of redemption and the means of grace have come to all men; this again is a witnessing CHRIST. I, who speak to you concerning CHRIST, was ordained to do so by the Bishop; he speaks in me,as CHRIST wrought in him, and as GOD sent CHRIST. Thus the whole plan of salvation hangs together.-CHRIST the True Media

tor above; His servant, the Bishop, His earthly likeness; mankind the subjects of His teaching; GoD the Author of Salvation.

2. But I must now mention the more painful part of the subject, i. e. the sufferings of the Bishops, which is the second mark of their being our living Apostles. I may say, Bishops have undergone this trial in every age. As the first Apostles were hated and opposed by the world, so have they ever been. I do not say they have been always opposed in the same way. In these latter times, they have experienced the lesser sufferings of bearing slander, reproach, threats, vexations, and thwartings in their efforts to do good. Time was, when they were even persecuted, cruelly slain by fire and sword. That time, (though GOD avert it!) may come again. But, whether or not Satan is permitted so openly to rage, certainly some kinds of persecution are to be expected in our day; nay, such have begun. It is not so very long since the great men of the earth told them to prepare for persecution; it is not so very long since the mad people answered the summons, and furiously attacked them, and seemed bent on destroying them, in all parts of the country.

Yes! the day may come, even in this generation, when the Representatives of CHRIST are spoiled of their sacred possessions, and degraded from their civil dignities. The day may come, when each of us inferior Ministers-when I myself, whom you knowmay have to give up our Churches, and be among you, in no better temporal circumstances than yourselves; with no larger dwelling, no finer clothing, no other fare, with nothing different beyond those gifts, which I trust we received from the Allgracious GoD when we were made Ministers; and those again, which have been vouchsafed to us before and after that time, for the due fulfilment of our Ministry. Then you will look at us, not as gentlemen, as now; not as your superiors in worldly station; but still, nay, more strikingly so than now, still as messengers from Him, who seeth and worketh in secret, and who judgeth not by outward appearance. Then you will honour us, with a purer honour than many men do now, namely, as those (if I may say so) who are intrusted with the keys of heaven and hell, as the heralds of mercy, as the denouncers of woe to wicked men, as

intrusted with the awful and mysterious privilege of dispensing CHRIST'S Body and Blood, as far greater than the most powerful and the wealthiest of men in our unseen strength and our heavenly riches. This may all come in our day; we must do our duty; go straight forward, looking neither to the right hand nor the left, "in patience possessing our souls," watching and praying, and so preparing for the evil day. And after all, if God's loving kindness spares both us and you the trial, still it will have been useful to have steadily thought about it beforehand, and to have prepared our hearts to meet it.

[NEW EDITION.]

These Tracts are continued in Numbers, and sold at the price of 2d. for each sheet, or 7s. for 50 copies.

LONDON: PRINTED FOR J. G. & F. RIVINGTON,

ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD AND WATERLOO PLACE.

1839.

GILBERT & RIVINGTON, Printers, St. John's Square, London.

The following Works, all in single volumes, or pamphlets, and recently published, will be found more or less to uphold or elucidate the general doctrines inculcated in these Tracts :

Bp. Taylor on Repentance, by Hale.-Rivingtons.
Bp. Taylor's Golden Grove.-Parker, Oxford.

Vincentii Lirinensis Commonitorium, with translation.— Parker, Oxford.

Pusey on Cathedrals and Clerical Education.-Roake & Varty.
Hook's University Sermons.-Talboys, Oxford.

Pusey on Baptism (published separately).—Rivingtons.
Newman's Sermons, 4 vols.-Rivingtons.

Newman on Romanism, &c.-Rivingtons.

The Christian Year.-Parker, Oxford.
Lyra Apostolica.-Rivingtons.

Perceval on the Roman Schism.-Leslie.
Bishop Jebb's Pastoral Instructions.-Duncan.
Dodsworth's Lectures on the Church.-Burns.
Newman on Suffragan Bishops.-Rivingtons.
Keble's Sermon on Tradition.-Rivingtons.
Memoir of Ambrose Bonwick.-Parker, Oxford.
Hymns for Children on the Lord's Prayer.-Rivingtons.
Law's first and second Letters to Hoadly.-Rivingtons.
Bp. Andrews' Devotions. Latin and Greek.-Pickering.
Hook's Family Prayers.-Rivingtons.

Herbert's Poems and Country Pastor.

Evans's Scripture Biography.-Rivingtons.

Le Bas' Life of Archbishop Laud.-Rivingtons.

Jones (of Nayland) on the Church.

Bp. Bethell on Baptismal Regeneration.-Rivingtons.

Bp. Beveridge's Sermons on the Ministry and Ordinances.Parker, Oxford.

Bp. Jolly on the Eucharist.

Fulford's Sermons on the Ministry, &c.-Rivingtons.
Rose's Sermons on the Ministry.-Rivingtons.

A Catechism on the Church.-Parker, Oxford.
Russell's Judgment of the Anglican Church.-Baily.
Poole's Sermons on the Creed.-Grant, Edinburgh.
Sutton on the Eucharist.-Parker, Oxford.
Leslie on the Regale and Pontificate.-Leslie.
Pusey's Sermon on November 5.-Rivingtons.
Bishop Wilson's Sacra Privata.-Parker, Oxford.
The Cathedral, a Poem.-Parker, Oxford.

Larger Works which may be profitably studied.

Bishop Bull's Sermons.-Parker, Oxford.

Bishop Bull's Works.-University Press.
Waterland's Works.-Do.

Wall on Infant Baptism.-Do.

Pearson on the Creed.-Do.
Leslie's Works.-Do.

Bingham's Works.-Straker, London.
Palmer on the Liturgy.-University Press.
Palmer on the Church.-Rivingtons.
Hooker, ed. Keble.-Do.