6. Episcopal ordination is valid; being, in fact, Presbyterial. Therefore, the Episcopal society, being in substance a Presbyterial society, is a true Church. But her Deacons have no authority, and such as wait upon their ministrations are guilty of rebellion against God. The whole society of Greek Christians, being destitute of Presbyterial ordination, are in a state of excommunication.† The Roman Catholic societies, too, according to the general language of Presbyterial authors, so far from being Church See note at the end of the volume. It is an unquestionable fact, that the very men who complain of the Episcopal Church for unchurching other denominations, unchurch an hundred Christian professors where she unchurches one such professor. Episcopalians unchurch all who have laid aside Episcopacy.‡ Presbyterians unchurch the Greek Church, containing more members than the whole Protestant world. Besides, the dissenters from Episcopacy sprung up less than three centuries ago; whilst the Greek Church has existed from the early ages of Christianity. Now multiply the immense number of Greek Christians by the number of generations that have passed since the period mentioned, and you will have It has been already stated that Episcopalians differ somewhat on this point. 7. No precise form of Church government is set forth in Scripture. The ministry, as instituted by Christ and his Apostles, being preserved inviolate, man is at liberty to exercise a sound discretion as to the proper method of organizing ecclesiastical power, and regulating ecclesiastical affairs. es of Christ, are, in fact, synagogues of Satan.* 7. PresbyterialChurch government, consisting of Congregational, Classical, and Synodical assemblies, is of divine and unalterable obligation. the number of Christian professors who are unchurched by the Presbyterian doctrine. Compare this number with the number of dissenters fram Episcopacy, multiplied by the number of generations that have passed since Episcopacy was laid aside, and you will be able to form some opinion of the matter in question. It will be seen that, in the business of unchurching, you exceed your Episcopal opponents at the rate of at least an hundred to one. But the Presbyterial doctrine, I repeat it, unchurches the whole Christian world. What is this doctrine?-Simply, that the power of ordination is vested in a Presbytery-Now, ordination has always been performed in the Greek Church by the Bishop alone; and was so performed in the Latin Church until the time of the fourth Council of Carthage. If the ordinations performed before the fourth Council of Carthage were invalid, those performed since must, of course, be in valid also.-Presbyterians, then, must either give up their fundamental principle, that "the power of ordination is in a Presbytery," or stand charged with unchurching the whole Christian world. "The Puritans affirmed the Church of Rome to be no true Church, and all her ministrations to be superstitious and idolatrous; they renounced her communion, and durst not hang the validity of their ordinations upon an uninterrupted line of succession from the Apostles, through their hands." Neal's History of the Puritans, vol. i. p. 145. 8. Presbyterianism, some societies of Presbyterians say, is essential to all lawful society in the State, not less than in the Church. 9. An immutable system of rites and ceremonies is prescribed in Scripture; and to this system all are bound to conform. Such was the doctrine of the Puritans; and such is now the doctrine of the most strict among their descendants. Indeed the Puritans extended the principle even to civil concerns; holding "Scripture to be in such sort the rule of human action, that simply whatsoever we do, and are not by it directed thereunto, the same is sin." It will be proper, before leaving this part of the subject, to offer a few remarks by way of preventing misconception. The great design of religion is to make man a spiritual being. "Fear God, and keep his commandments, for this is the whole of man."-" Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind— This is the first and great commandment-and the second is like unto it, thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." If, then, we possess these spiritual qualifications, we cannot fail to be acceptable in the Divine sight; and it must be of little consequence whether we conform to any particular system of external institutions. Such is a very common mode of thinking, and of arguing. But, let it be recollected, we are to keep the commandments of God. This is, indeed, the very definition which is given in Scripture of true religion. If God has thought proper to prescribe a particular system of ordinances, can it be matter of indifference whether we conform to them? What! is it of no consequence whether we keep or violate the Divine law?" Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean?" Such was the reasoning of Naaman. His error consisted in making himself wiser than the inspired messenger of Heaven; and the same error lies at the foundation of the language, relative to forms and ordinances, which is so common at the present day. If we love God and man, of what consequence can it be whether we belong to this or that society of Christians? But admit that God has established a visible Church in the world, and appointed in this Church a priesthood to act in his name; is it not our duty to enter this Church, and to wait upon the ministrations of his authorized agents? To answer this question in the negative, is to say, that it is immaterial whether we seek the kingdom of Heaven in a way of our own devising, or take the course pointed out by infinite wisdom; it is to refuse to be directed by God in the momentous business of our salvation. Of what consequence can it be, exclaims the Quaker, whether we conform to the carnal ordinances of baptism and the Lord's supper, provided the heart be right?-But there is a previous question-Are the ordinances of baptism and the supper of divine institution? If they are, it is impious to ask what purpose they can answer. There is no end to the absurdities in which the mode of reasoning in question must involve us. Our first parents thought it of little consequence whether they eat or abstained from eating a particular fruit. So, indeed, it was; considering the thing in itself, and without reference to the Divine command. The deist, too, may say-If I love God, it is immaterial whether I embrace Christianity or notGod requires me to give him my heart. But we are first to inquire whether there is sufficient evidence of the divine origin of Christianity. Admit it to be of divine origin, and the conclusion immediately follows, that we are to make it our rule of faith and life. God proposes to us a certain end, and points out the means by which it may be attained. Man |