divine," and whose ratification is the everlasting oath of Jehovah ! If Divinity rejected not a crown of thorns, when engaged in the lofty work of Heaven's cause, should they who at least profess to bear his commission, ignobly shrink from lifting up their testimony-warn

sunt.

let those of them who have any zeal for the truth, bless God that they have not prevailed: and quickly leave them; and let all others be aware of them. And let us consider and honour the Priesthood, Sacraments, and other public institutions of Christ, not only as means of grace and helps to devotion, but as the great evidences of the Christian Religion." (Leslie on Deism, sec. xviii., xix.). We cannot here forbear adducing the corresponding sentiments of the very pious and eloquent Bishop Beveridge. This distinguished servant of Christ, in his Sermon on "Christ's Presence with his Ministers" from Matt. xxviii. 20, after having stated our Blessed Lord's dominion over the world as God and Man-and His Commission given to the Apostles, with the description of the Apostolical Office-and that there is One Episcopacy in the Church of Christ-and that Christ is present with his Apostles to the end of the World, by his Spirit assisting them in the Execution of their Office; that all Bishops were anciently called Apostles, because as St. Jerome expresses it "They supply the place of the Apostles” (“ Apostolorum locum tenent."), and that "They are all Successors to the Apostles" (Omnes Apostolorum successores Hieron. Epist. 85; with which compare Cypriani Ep. ad Flor. 66)—the Bishop, then, proceeds to show that the Apostolical Office, has been handed down from one to another, since the days of the Apostles to our time, and so will be to the end of the World, Christ himself being continually present at the Imposition of hands, thereby transferring the same Spirit, which He had first breathed into His Apostles, upon others successively after them, as really as he was present with the Apostles themselves, when he first breathed it into them. Insomuch, that they who are thus ordained, are said to be made Bishops, by the Holy Ghost himself, as well as the Apostles were-Acts, xx. 28. By which means the Holy Catholic Church always hath been, and still is truly Apostolical, as it is called in the Nicene Creed. And the several parts of the Apostolical Office, are now as effectually performed by their successors, and others ordained under them, as they were while the Apostles themselves lived. For it was not the Persons of the Apostles, but their Office, influenced and assisted by the Spirit of God, that made the Sacraments they administered to be valid, and their preaching of the Gospel so prevalent upon those that heard it. Though Paul himself planted, and Apollos watered, it was God only that gave the increase And so it is to this day. All the efficacy that there is, or can be, in the Administration of any Ecclesiastical Office, depends altogether upon the Spirit of God, going along with the Office, and assisting at the execution of Without which, says Bp. Beveridge, "the Sacraments we admi

it.

ing

His enemies―encouraging His devoted believers-and demanding the succour of their voices and their hands, when His Church is inevitably about being not merely insulted, but dispossessed of its influence and its power, and materially disabled in publishing and

nister, would be but empty Signs, and our preaching no more than beating of the air. Whereas on the other side, Christ, according to his Promise, being always present by his Holy Spirit, at the Administration of the several Offices which he has ordained in his Church, they can never fail of their designed effect, if the persons to whom they are administered, be but rightly disposed and qualified for it. And seeing our Lord thus continually accompanies the Apostles and their Successors, so as to vouchsafe His Spirit to those on whom they lay their hands, and to co-operate by the same Spirit with those who are so ordained by them, in their Administration of the Word and Sacraments: hence, He may well be said, to be always with them, according to his own Promises." This great Prelate, then, briefly sets forth the Government of the Church by Bishops, as the express institution and appointment of the Holy Apostles. For, says he, "This Power of governing the Church, our Lord left with His Apostles and the Successors, to the end of the World; but so that He, according to His Promise, is always present with them at the execution of it." This Bishop justly remarks, that this Power, is very far from being of a self-created or of an intrinsic nature. If this were the case, such human creations and unscriptural inventions, would indeed be a merciless yoke of unjustifiable bondage. It would, unquestionably, be honorable work, to spurn and rend in sunder such inglorious shackles. What right, we might then well ask, has the majesty of the people (!) to put a chain around our necks? They pretend-they lustily cry out for natural equality—equal rights—and glorious freedom! Where, then, is the foundation of any power coming from those, who give the lie to their own false principles, by claiming the chair of dictatorship, and lordly dominion? Power of religious, as well as civil authority, must be somewhere. We suppose that these fantastic wights will liberally allow, that it is, upon a calculation of expediencies, much better to have authority somewhere or other, rather than to speed our flight to the woods, and enjoy the frolics of savages, the equality of the mountains, and the equal rights of devouring one another! Well, say they, we grant, that Power must be, and ought to be somewhere. We thank them for this concession, wrung from these children of freedom, by no higher light than the first-the very first-innate principles of our nature. Ah! but replies one of these savant philosophers, who would very naturally rather be the admired fountain and authorized origin of dominion to his weaker brethren-let us have the administration of all power in our own equalizing hands—we dare not, 'tis true, obtrude ourselves into the temporal, legislative assemblies of our land, but surely, we will have full revenge for this, by playing our tricks

making known the glad tidings of His love, and mercy, and truth? We would briefly say to them and all, welcome the horrors of persecution-ignominy-and another repetition of Smithfield's murderers, before that the glory of our martyred Saints-the beauty

within the sacred threshold of God's Holy Household! Yes, our legislators illiberally,—aye, uncharitably have hitherto taken care, not to break down their own order, not to confuse their own operations, by letting our noble, our natural passions get in among them, and help them! Yes, we do not deny, that some of our long-tried and laborious advocates, have dastardly indeed left our ranks, and when we thought that every thing would be pulled down to us- -that no longer would there remain one single barrier to oppose our scramble-that no longer by their patriotic exploits no title, no right, no office, no sinecure, would be excluded from our affectionate embrace :—what do we behold? Why, the scrambling is only among themselves! The wealth of our superiors is as far from us as ever! The enviable distinction of Titles, still remains, to warn and reproach us of a want of birth, virtue, merit, talent, and public service, that we never possessed! We lauded our former champions with the loud hurras of gaping mouths, and yet these ungrateful, disdainful wretches, forgetful of our claims, scorn to satiate the appetite and longings of our capacious throats, which they unremittingly laboured to whet and provoke ! Alas! is not all this splendid and glittering profession of our former patriotic advocates, but the Shibboleth of a gang of political gamesters, and hungry, talking adventurers, the better to make us the steppingstones and vain pretences for themselves to destroy and plunder, that they only may have all the spoil, may cover their low-born obscurity by the heraldic trappings of patrician honors; and who had better hide their shameless faces in the infamous covering of their Woolsacks, than taunt us with the tinsel, we had rather see demolished, and for ever out of view! Well, since we have not, and perhaps cannot get a public auction made of all the regalia of rank, and cannot for a season get our will of all the public and private coffers in the kingdom, the law does now indeed compensate us, by giving us the privilege of making new Faiths, new Religions, new Creeds, new ecclesiastical Governments, new Churches, and of establishing quite another, newfashioned Origin of Power, than the antiquated doctrines and practice of the Holy Prophets and Evangelists inculcated, who merely wrote to accommodate the illiberal prejudices of an unenlightened, bigoted age! Now such are the ignorant and absurd rhapsodies, which are continually in the mouth of every dissenter, whatever may be his peculiarities of faith, in the empire. Self, and self only is the idol. Any curb whatever, is more gratifying to them, than that which proceeds from due, and legitimate authority. Men would naturally rather be riveted with the ten thousand bonds of their own unrestrained lusts, than quietly submit in the attitude of humility, to the restraint of lawful dominion.

of our Sanctuaries-the holiness of our causethe sure and approving smiles of Heaven-and the mighty promises that have issued from the Throne of Omnipotence to the eager contest and earnest fight of Faith, be basely, dastardly, and treacherously dragged to lick the dust

Men would rather be for ever involved in the chaotic gloom of a blissful ignorance of a truth that condemns them, than come to the searching beams of light, and see the blackness of their corrupted hearts the darkness of their unenlightened minds-and the grossness of their fearful depravity exposed, and left without excuse. In short a due submission to authority, is as unnatural and revolting to the mere animal man, as the purity and beauty of the sublime precepts of our Holy Religion. What else is impatience of rule and authority, but another form of pride, envy, self-conceit, and malice? This, the Divine Founder of our Faith knew full well, for He left not His Church, without a limited and precise form of Government, emanating from Himself alone. His own precepts, and His Apostles' most strikingly, and powerfully, enforced obedience, whether to God or to Cæsar— whether to the ordinances of heaven, or of men. Such was even the boast of the first converts to Christianity. Though oppressed, persecuted, abhorred, despised, and outcast, they gloried in a rigorous observance of these, their Blessed Lord's precepts. They would have no other rule of action but His. They desired not to govern, but to be governed. Their very adversaries, unrelenting and cruelly implacable, though they were, yet on this point, refused not to bestow unqualified praise. We may in sincerity declare, that these primitive saints and martyrs of the Church, did in good truth, obey the Apostolic precept-" Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow his steps. (1 Peter, ii. 21.). Their and our Divine Master, though in one instant of time, He might have commanded to his succour the combined services of all the irresistible armies of Heaven, yet when tabernacled in the ignominious debasement of human flesh, He gave himself to be a spectacle of woe in the view of men and angels, whilst amid the murderous cries and insulting scoffings of His merciless murderers, in the accents of resignation and submission, yielded to His Heavenly Father's will. This was indeed an example that might well claim the veneration-the admiration, of all who call themselves by His name. With what unanimity of sentiment and purpose His followers copied this glorious and inimitable exemplar, let the annals of those early ages of our Faith tell, and instruct. Long did the fancies, the imagination, and the passions of the early disciples, disappear in the common cause of truth, and Christian duty, and Christian obedience. Their Lord's will was first, and above all. They knew, and in their hearts believed, that He that had borne such undeserved, and such unparalleled woes, was not only "exalted to be a Saviour," but also the "Prince" and "King" of his people. (Acts, v. 31.). They knew that He was not only a Priest, who "gave himself

before the shrine of Expediency. We declare this from calm deliberation, and a sincere attachment to the most valuable interests of the

human race. For what is this doctrine of Expediency? It is attainable as well by the worthless as the virtuous-by the ignoble as

for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour" (Eph. v. 2), and a Prophet to instruct and give laws to His Church, whom we are to "hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto us (Acts, iii. 22.), but they acknowledged Him likewise as their King, ruling by the outpourings of His Spirit, internally, in the hearts of all believers, and being externally the wellspring of all government, power, and dominion, whose outstretched arm would crush all the Church's adversaries, but who also would "feed His flock like a shepherd; and gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." (Is. xl. 11.). The companions and followers of our Adorable Redeemer, were cheered amid their wanderings and sufferings, and ever paid a willing obedience to their Lord's commands; for, they knew, that when by His torturing agonies on the cross, He had offered up to God the incense of an all-sufficient and accepted sacrifice—" All power was given unto Him, in heaven and in earth." (Matt. xxviii. 18.). His Promise was, as such, to be "with them always, even unto the end of the world." (Matt. xxviii. 20.). All the Successors of the Lord, allowed Him to have His own institution of the government of His own Church. A lengthened period elapsed, before any infraction was committed on His divine precepts. With deference and obedience, they discharged the power which to them was delegated, and confirmed by the sanctions of heaven, and accompanied with the never-failing promises of Deity. Men had not yet ventured to wage war against, and set up an opposition to, the guidance of Providence. The Divine institution and "heavenly estate" of Episcopacy, with its investiture of the sole and exclusive privileges of spiritual supremacy, superintendence, government," mandatory-judicialand coercive power," and power of Ordination, were regarded as the undoubted offspring of Omniscience, by all the Churches universally of the Eastern and Western World, with the exception of but one solitary individual, for fifteen hundred years after Christ. In every successive age of the Universal Church, and in every region of the Christian Church, for the first fifteen centuries, with the above individual exception of the Arch-Heretic-Arius, the plague of all Christendom-was the twofold Spiritual Authority of episcopal Ordination and Jurisdiction established, and esteemed as sacred and divine. The concurrent sentiment of all Antiquity, respecting this twofold power of the Episcopate was, to use the language of St. Ignatius, who after St. Peter is recorded as being the second Bishop of Antioch, and the Scholar of St. John the Evangelist (Hieron. Comment. in chap. ii. ad Galat. ; Chrysost. Encom. S. Ignat.) was—“ Honour God, as the cause and Lord of the Universe :-but a Bishop, as a Chief Priest, bearing the