without further ceremony, to assume the clerical character? The Church, it must be immediately seen, could not exist under such circumstances. She would be overrun with clergymen totally unfit, both as to knowledge and as to character, for their sacred function. No society, indeed, can exist without the power of judging of the qualifications of its officers. The language of Scripture, on this subject, is, accordingly, very explicit. "No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron."* Now, Aaron was visibly consecrated, or set apart to his office. So, therefore, must every Christian minister be set apart. Further-Even our blessed Saviour "glorified not himself to be made an High Priest.”+ He entered not upon his public ministration until he had received a regular external commission. Who, then, shall undertake to officiate in his Church without a similar commission? Of the internal or spiritual qualification of our blessed Saviour for the work of the ministry there could be no doubt. For what purpose, then, did he submit to an external ordination, but that he might set an example for the instruction and government of all succeeding ages? They, who undertake to act as clergymen upon the mere strength of a supposed internal call, not only violate the express command of Scripture, but make themselves wiser than the divine Head of the Church himself.‡

No person, certainly, should enter upon the sacred office unless he believes himself to be drawn to it by the Holy Ghost. This is the ex

On this subject the Presbyterial standards speak a very decided language." There be only two sacraments ordained by Christ our Lord in the Gospel, that is to say, baptism and the supper of the Lord; neither of which may be dispensed by any but a minister of the Word, lawfully ordained."* "No man ought to take upon him the office of a minister of the Word without a lawful calling." "Ordination is always to be continued in the Church." "Ordination is the solemn setting apart of a person to some public Church office." "Every minister of the Word is to be ordained by imposition of hands and prayer, with fasting, by those preaching Presbyters to whom it doth belong."+

press doctrine of our venerable Church. All who apply for orders are required to declare that they consider themselves called by the Holy Spirit to the work of the ministry. But then it is not left to an individual to judge for himself. There is a tribunal which is to inquire into the fitness of candidates. When a person is considered by this tribunal as possessing the requisite qualifications, he is to be solemnly set apart by a regular ordination; the ordaining Bishop acting as the minister of Christ, and thus conveying the sacerdotal office from our blessed Saviour himself, the divine Head of the Church, and the source of all power in it. The necessity of an outward ordination arises from its being prescribed in Scripture; and the reason of the prescription must immediately present itself to any one who will recollect that, without suitable provision for the appointment of proper officers, no society, civil or ecclesiastical, could possibly subsist.

* Presbyterian Confession of Faith, chap. xxvii. sect. 4. Constitution of the Associate Reformed Church in North-America, p. 154.

The form of Presbyterial Church government agreed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster; examined and approved, anno 1645, by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

In the Constitution and Standards of the Associate Reformed Church in North-America, this language of the Westminster Divines, and of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, is adopted, word for word. Constitution and Standards, p. 497.

Such is the language of the Westminster Divines, and of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. It is the true Presbyterial doctrine relative to outward ordination. We meet with it expressly and repeatedly in your Letters-" None are regularly invested with the ministerial character, or can with propriety be recognized in this character, but those who have been set apart to the office by persons lawfully clothed with the power of ordaining." "We suppose that ruling Elders and Deacons are not authorized to labour in the word and doctrine, or to administer either of the Christian sacraments."*

4. Presbyterians admit no ordination but the Presbyterial to be either scriptural or valid.

Nothing can be more explicit than your language upon this subject. "It is only so far as any succession flows through the line of Presbyters that it is either regular or valid. It is the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery that constitutes a scriptural ordination; and it is because Episcopal Bishops are Presbyters, and assisted in all ordinations by other Presbyters, that we consider their ordaining acts, on the principles of Scripture and primitive usage, as valid."+

Precisely similar is the language held by your friend Dr. M'Leod. "A person who is not ordained to office by a Presbytery, has no right to be received as a minister of Christ: his administration of ordinances is invalid: no divine blessing is

promised upon his labours: it is rebellion against the Head of the Church to support him in his pretensions: Christ has excluded him in his providence from admission through the ordinary door; and if he has no evidence of miraculous power to testify his extraordinary mission, he is an impostor." "It is improper to countenance the usurpations of prelacy, or the irregularities of independency; but since the Bishop, who claims exclusively the right of ordination, does, in fact, relinquish it, by associating other ministers with him in the imposition of hands; and seeing Independents also relinquish their claim of right of ordaining, each congregation its own pastor, by giving up the work into the hands of those who are ordained, the ordinances administered in the Episcopal and Independent Churches are held valid: the ministry is essentially Presbyterian, and upon this principle there is no necessity for re-ordaining or re-baptizing any who have had these ordinances in the communion of the Independent or Episcopal Churches."*

The claims set up in the Catechism of Dr. M'Leod, and in your Letters, it will immediately be seen, are as exclusive as language can make them. It would be unreasonable to find fault with you, however, since you do nothing more than lay down the true Presbyterial doctrine, as set forth by the Westminster Divines, and the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, "Ordination

* M'Leod's Ecclesiastical Catechism, p. 29, 30, 31.

is the act of a Presbytery." "Preaching Presbyters, orderly associated, either in cities or neighbouring villages, are those to whom the imposition of hands do appertain, for those congregations within their bounds respectively."* In proof of these doctrines the First Epistle of Paul to Timothy is quoted, and thus Presbyterial ordination is placed on the ground of Scripture.

The Associate Reformed Church in North-America adopts the foregoing language of the Westrainster Divines. Still further-" Presbyterial Church government is the true and only form of government which the Lord Jesus Christ hath prescribed in his Word." Now, ordination is one of the powers of government. It can be exercised, of course, only in the Presbyterial mode. Any other mode of exercising it is inconsistent with the ordinance of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Language of the same character is to be found in the standards of the religious society to which you belong." It is absolutely necessary that the government of the Church be exercised under some certain and definite form. And we hold it to be expedient, and agreeable to Scripture, and the practice of the primitive Christians, that the

Form of Presbyterial Church government ageed upon by the Assembly of Divines at Westminster; examined and approved, anno 1645, by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

† Constitution of the Associate Reformed Church in North-America, p. 497, 498.

Ibid. p. 475.