minate with the Apostles. CHRIST promised them his presence and gracious assistance to the consummation of time. But this was not intended to be confined to the Apostles personally, because they were not designed to continue in the ministry till that period. The promise must, therefore, have equal respect to others, by whom the ministry was designed to be continued. If not, the promise could not be fulfilled, because there would remain no proper objects of the promise. If then we deny the continuance of the ministry, we must maintain that CHRIST has not fulfilled his promise.

We do not undertake to say, that an uninterrupted line of succession is indispensable. It may not be possible to show that this is a necessary inference from the promise. To substantiate this conclusion, it must be proved, that the ministry can, in no possible case, be continued in any other way.

But however this question may be decided, it will not follow, that any regularity of succession, nor any formality of investiture can supersede the requisite qualification implied. The continuance of the ministry is inferred from the promise. The succes sion, by which it is continued, must be in conformity to the terms which constitute it. The succession, therefore, does not in fact include any to whom the promise does not apply. Thoɛe, and those only, to whom the presence of CHRIST is afforded, can be shown to compose any part of the succession contemplated in the promise. No others, then, can be shown to be a part of that ministry, which CHRIST has authorised to act under this Commission. But there is no proof that CHRIST will assist any by his

gracious presence, whatever may be their nominal pretensions, who do not possess those qualifications, which he requires and approves. No others, therefore, are entitled to the consideration of ministers authorized by CHRIST to act under his Commission. We are now prepared to inquire,

5. Who are the successors to whom the Commission is applicable?

The Commission is applicable to all those, who possess the requisite qualifications, and are duly authorized, to perform the duties which are enjoined. All such, and such only, can be acknowledged, consistently with the Commission, as legitimate successors of the Apostles. They possess essentially the same office conferred upon the Apostles by this Commission. This must be admitted, unless it be denied that the same official duties designate the same office. But no one will undertake to maintain, that two men, who are duly qualified, authorized, and required to perform the same official duties, hold essentially different offices.

It is no objection to this statement that the Apostles possessed miraculous powers. For none of the duties enjoined in the Commission necessarily depend upon those powers. By the aid of those supernatural qualifications, the Apostles indeed were enabled to perform the duties of the Commission far more successfully. But this does not prove that these qualifications are indispensable, because the official duties enjoined in the Commission may in fact be performed without them. It is equally man

ifest that CHRIST did not consider miraculous powers necessary to the performance of these official duties. He has perpetuated the Commission to the end of the world, but long since discontinued miraculous gifts. But it would be absurd to suppose, that he has extended the Commission to those, from whom he has withholden the qualifications indispensable to fulfil it. These official duties must, therefore, be regarded as the invariable and indispensable duties of the ordinary or permanent ministry.

The duties distinctly specified in the Commission, may be comprehended in preaching the gospel and administering baptism. All other ministerial duties are implied, because they are necessary to fulfil the design of the Commission. They must for this reason follow the destination of those which are expressed. Both classes of duties are means necessary to the end proposed. And as those, who receive the Commission, are authorized and required to fulfil this design, they are authorized and required to use all the means necessary for that purpose. They cannot be prohibited from the use of all these means, unless they may be prohibited from fulfilling their Commission. The duties fairly implied cannot, therefore, be separated from the duties expressed. They must follow the same destination. They must go with the Commission. Hence it follows, that all those, who are duly qualified and authorized to preach the gospel and adminisier baptism, are, by the Com mission, constituted true and proper successors of the Apostles,

SERMON II.

MATT. XXViii. 18, 19, 20.

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye. therefore, and teach all nations, baptising-them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen."

IN an examination of this great Commission, on a former occasion, we established, as we conceive, several facts and principles. We shall now proceed to apply them to some questions of importance in relation to the gospel ministry.

It is inquired,

1. Whether the ministers of the gospel are all of one order?

Now, If I mistake not, it follows conclusively from the Commission, that the ministry constituted by it, or the permanent ministry, is of one order. They are, by the Commission, vested with equal powers. This is so obvious from a comparison of the terms, that it is scarcely possible to illustrate it more clearly. When their Commission makes no difference between them, they must of necessity be equal. Whatever powers one man, who acts under the Commission, derives from it, every other man,

*It will be recollected that we mean ministers of the word and sacraments.

who acts under the same Commission, must derive The claim of the one is precisely as good as the claim of the other.

from it for the same reason.

It cannot be pretended that the same Commission confers upon one superior, and upon another subordinate powers. This is a supposition contrary to common sense. The same Commission does not constitute one man a chief magistrate, and another man an inferior magistrate. They must have different Commissions. You may as well say that the same Commission makes one man the general of an army, and another man a subaltern officer; that the same Commission makes one man the judge, and another the crier, of a court. But if the crier could produce the same Commission as the judge, he would, no doubt, think himself entitled to sit upon the bench and exercise the same powers. Or, if the lieutenant had the same Commission as the commander in chief, he would not probably hesitate in claiming for himself the same prerogatives. To suppose that the same Commission, without any dis. tinction of powers or duties whatever, creates different orders, is manifestly absurd. It must necessarily invest all who have it with the same powers.

To this conclusion it cannot be objected, with any appearance of reason, that the Apostles actually exercised certain prerogatives superior to those of the ordinary or permanent ministry. For they did not derive those prerogatives from this Commission. This appears obvious from a single consideration. If the Apostles had derived those superior prerogatives from this source, it would follow, that, by this Commission, the permanent ministry

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