YALE
UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

A
SURVEY OF THE PLATFORM
OF THE
CHRISTIAN CHURCH,
EXHIBITED IN THE SCRIPTURES
APPLIED TO ITS
ACTUAL CIRCUMSTANCES AND CONDITION,
With suggestions for its
CONSOLIDATION AND ENLARGEMENT;
COMPRISING
THE SUBSTANCE OF AN ESSAY
ON THE DIVINE ORIGIN AND SUCCESSION OF THE CHRISTIAN
PRIESTHOOD ;
ON ITS NECESSITY AS A DIVINE APPOINTMENT;
AND
ON THE RELATION WHICH IT BEARS TO THE JEWISH PRIESTHOOD;
To which was adjudged
A PREMIUM OF FIFTY FOUNDS,
BY
The Society for promoting Christian Knowledge and Church Union
in the Diocese of St. David's,

BY
HECTOR DAVIES MORGAN, M. A.
MINISTER OF CASTLE HED1NGHAM, ESSEX,

OXFORD,
PRINTED FOR J. PARKER;
AND F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON, AND J. HATCHARD, LONDON.
BY W. BAXTER, OXFORD.
1816.

ADVERTISEMENT.

JL HE period, which was limited for the pro
duction of the Essay, of which the substance
is comprised in the following Survey, allowed
no leisure for elaborate composition or exten
sive research. The subject was familiar to
the Author, and he seized the opportunity of
collecting from the Scriptures only a view of
the constitution of the Christian Church, a
design, which he had often meditated, but for
which he had made no preparation, and which
he proposed to execute in a very different
form. Since the premium was adjudged, he has
availed himself of the advice of friends, on
whose judgment he places the strongest re
liance, and for whose assistance he returns his
sincerest thanks. The original composition
has been revised and considerably enlarged ;
exceptions have been anticipated and repelled,
and the argument has been strengthened by
a reference to the best writers on Ecclesias
tical polity. The order of the first and second

IV

parts of the proposed thesis has been inverted,
to render the scriptural view of the subject
more simple and uninterrupted ; a new title
descriptive of the method of the discussion has
been adopted ; and the work has been divided
into Sections, to each of which is prefixed the
substance of the argument which it contains.
A more detailed Analysis supplies the place of
the Table of Contents. References to the texts
of Scripture, on which the argument is founded,
are subjoined at the foot of the page ; and
the authorities of eminent divines are alleged
in the notes, which comprehend such illustra
tions and remarks, as, though not irrelevant,
would interrupt the series of the discourse.
For all these alterations and additions the
Author alone is responsible, and he is desirous
of discharging the Committee, by whom the
premium was adjudged, of all participation in
any erroneous or offensive sentiment, which
the work in its present state may be found to
contain. It would be ungrateful to dismiss the fol
lowing sheets, without apprising the reader,
that the premium, which called forth the ori
ginal Essay, was the donation of the Right
Honourable Lord Kenyon ; a nobleman
whose constancy in doing good, whose inti
mate acquaintance with matters of ecclesias-

tical polity, and whose cordial zeal in every
thing which concerns the welfare of the Church
of England, are such as become the pupil of
William Jones of Nayland.

ANALYSIS OF THE ARGUMENT.

SECTION I.
PREFATORY CONSIDERATIONS.
CONCESSIONS of Ecclesiastical writers, and their ef
fects — how far warranted. The question referred to the
Scriptures — difficulties of treating it. Presumptive proofs
of the divine constitution of the Christian Church and
Ministry. Method of the following Survey. Page 1 .
SECTION II.
ORIGIN AND SUCCESSION OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY.
Divine origin asserted and illustrated by the eternal de
signation and visible appointment of Christ ; by the call of
the Twelve, and of the Seventy ; by the divine preference
of Matthias; and by the call of St. Paul., Succession ex
hibited in the ordination of the seven Deacons, of Timothy
and Titus, and of the ministers whom they were respec
tively appointed to ordain, and by the enumeration of ec
clesiastical persons mentioned in the Scriptures. General
remarks on the evidence produced. Page 19.
SECTION III.
DEGREES AND DISTINCTIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY.
During the personal administration of the Lord were
three distinct orders. Conjectures on his conference with
the apostles in the interval between the resurrection and
ascension. After his ascension not more than three orders,
to which the more numerous designations of ecclesiastical
officers are reduced; nor less than three orders. Apostles
distinct from Presbyters : the title. of Apostles seldom used

via
before, always after, the ascension. There were three
orders. Apostles possessing peculiar powers of ruling,
judging, ordaining, visiting, and confirming through an
extensive district. Presbyters, a continuation of the order
of the Seventy, and called Bishops in the Scriptures.
Their office — Deacons — Deaconesses. Page 51.
SECTION IV.
UNITY, DIVISION, UNIFORMITY, AND COMMUNION OF THE APO
STOLIC CHURCH, AND PERPETUITY OF THE ORDER ESTA
BLISHED BY THE APOSTLES.
Unity described. Nature of schism collected from the
apostolic writings. Uniform observance of the ordinances
of the Apostles. Apostolic council at Jerusalem. Order
of the Apostles universal and perpetual. Page 95.
SECTION V.
CONFIRMATION OF THE ARGUMENT.
Comparison of the Christian ministry with the Jewish
priesthood. Universal practice of Episcopacy. Difficulties
of the contrary hypothesis. Page 1 07.
SECTION VI.
APPLICATION OF THE ARGUMENT.
To the Romanist • to the sectarist : to the laity of the
Church of England, including the Legislature : to the
Clergy. Promise of an universal Church. Correspondence
of the Church of England with foreign countries. Missions
to the Heathen unsuccessful : compared with the apostolic
method of planting Churches. Duty of England to en
large the Church. Conclusion. Pace 12(5.

A
SURVEY OF THE PLATFORM
OF THE
CHRISTIAN CHURCH.

SECTION I.
PREFATORY CONSIDERATIONS.

IT has been maintained by certain writers on Eccle
siastical History, that the form and model of an
Episcopal Church are a work of human invention ;
that our Lord left no instruction to his Apostles on
the subject ; that they neither adopted nor prescribed
any settled order ; that their private ordinances and
traditions cannot be understood without a reference
to the practice of succeeding ages, which is the only
intelligible comment on a secret and mystical text ;
and that the faint traces of the Christian ministry,
which may be discovered in the Scriptures, were
adapted to local circumstances and the temporary
exigencies of the Church, and not designed for per
petual or universal use. Such opinions have been as
sumed with avidity by the adversaries of the establish
ment and constitution of the Church of England.
The Romanist has not scrupled to insinuate, that our
ecclesiastical polity is the result of recent innovations

2
which he justly condemns, or that it rests on the
foundation of mere tradition, to which he alone at
taches any value; and the Separatist has objected,
that we are not possessed of that scriptural authority,
which in his judgment is the only and exclusive obli
gation to religious obedience and conformity. The
practical influence of these opinions has been but too
extensive ; and they have affected the conduct of men,
who, satisfied with a general profession of the re
ceived faith, have no curiosity to search the Scrip
tures for themselves, and hold the plausible systems of
the theorist, and the partial decisions of the polemic,
in equal aversion. Masters in Israel, with a holy
jealousy for the truth as it is in Jesus, have disdained
to disparage their sacred office by the recommenda
tion of any thing, which has not a clear and unques
tionable title to a divine origin and authority ; and
the people uninstructed in the nature and principles
of the Christian Ministry, with doubts strengthened
by the silence of their teachers, whether the whole be
not entirely of human institution, and consequently
variable in accommodation to local circumstances and
popular opinions, have formed their own notions of
religious communion, and have assumed to them
selves a privilege of joining or abandoning any society
of Christians, at their own pleasure and discretion, in
compliance with early prejudice and prepossession,
from their private views of the efficacy and expedience
of a peculiar discipline, from a preference of favourite
preachers, or from an attachment to cherished doc
trine, without the most distant suspicion, that there
is any form or order of the Church of Christ, which
exclusively challenges their respect and obedience.

In surveying the platform of the Christian Church,
it is necessary to separate every thing which is con
fessedly human, from that which claims a higher de
scent ; that which has been varied and may be varied
at the discretion of man, from that which cannot be
changed but by the interposition of him who appointed
it. A human origin is readily allowed to every thing
not necessarily connected with the nature of the Chris
tian ministry, and the regular exercise of its appointed
functions. The rites and ceremonies of the Church,
the dress of the Ministers, and the form of Churches,
are human, and may be varied, without any other li
mitation than that all things be conducted decently and
in order, and with a view to general edification a.
Whatever affects the temporal interests of the Church,
its revenues, its privileges and immunities, may be
contracted or enlarged, superseded or confirmed, with
out any other provision, than that a hireb be as
signed to the labourer of which he is worthy. These
advantages may be removed, and the true Church will
survive the removal; or they may be added to cor
rupt institutions without being able to conceal the de
formity, though where they are multiplied in a high
degree, they will dazzle the eye of the weak, and ob
struct his view of the fair proportions of the temple ;
they will inflame the jealousy of the envious, and lead
him to question the character of the Architect, and to
impute to the original plan the fault, which belongs
only to the occupier. If we would observe the exact
order and simplicity of the Christian Church, we must
* 1 Cor. xiv. 26, 40.
b Matt. x. 10. Luke x. 7. 1 Cor. ix. 14. 2 Thess. iii. 9. 1 Tim.
v. 18.
B 2

4
remove the dust and rubbish, which the revolution of
ages hath accumulated in the courts of the building ;
we must tear away the false ornaments, with which a
vain taste hath disfigured its primitive simplicity ; we
must repair and strengthen the pillars which have
been injured by the assaults of the enemy, or suffered
by the weakness of its defenders to perish and decay.
We must examine it when it had no other foundation
than the Apostles and Prophets, and no other corner
stone than Jesus Christ0.
That the Holy Scriptures are in themselves perfect
and complete, and sufficient to accomplish the end of
their divine inspiration, that the man of God may be
perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works, and
made wise unto salvation d, is the received doctrine of
every denomination of Christians, with the exception
of the Romanist and the Quaker ; and when the sense
of the Scriptures has been ascertained, by a critical
examination of the text, by the collation of other pas
sages of an opposite or parallel meaning, and by the
deductions of legitimate reasoning, there is an end of
every controversy, which affects Christian truth or
Christian virtue. It is not easy to assign any satisfac
tory reason, why the principles of a Christian's com
munion with his fellow members of the Christian
Church, as a religious corporation, should not be com
prehended in the same Scriptures, or why the origin
and orders of its Ministry, and the authority to preach
the Gospel and administer the Sacraments, should form
no part of the wisdom unto salvation, of the perfection
and thorough furniture of the Man of God. It is the;
c Eph. iii. 20. d2Tim. iii. 15, 17,

5
professed object of the following Survey, to examine
the foundation of these things, whether they proceed
from men or from God : and the investigation will be
exclusively confined to scriptural evidence, to the ex
amination of the conduct and opinions of inspired
men, and to the dispassionate statement of the natu
ral and obvious conclusions. A discourse of this
nature is iri a certain degree original ; and persons
whose minds are not familiar with such inquiries, and
are prepossessed in favour of human authority and
customary practices, may be apprehensive of the con
sequences to which it leads. The articles of Chris
tian belief and the rules of Christian duty have been
so frequently and perspicuously digested and detailed,
and have been made so continually the subject of pub
lic instruction from the Pulpit, that there is hardly a
stranger in Israel who is not acquainted with them,
or who, when he reads his Bible, is incapable of per
ceiving the authenticity of the faith, or the force of the
obligations to personal obedience in which he has
been instructed. The constitution of the Church is
a matter of more partial consideration; a question,
which few have discussed, and in which but few feel
any lively interest or concern. Custom and expe
dience, conformity with the example of their forefa
thers, and compliance with the national establishment,
are the general motives of religious communion. Apo
stolical authority is seldom required, often discounte
nanced, and occasionally disputed and denied ; par
tially and superficially illustrated, and recommended
with hesitation and reserve, it hath fallen into ge
neral disrepute. In reviving its claims, and in elu
cidating and establishing them, many popular preju-,
b3

6
dices must be violated, many private opinions must
be overthrown. No incense will be offered to fa
vourite prepossessions, nor will the commanding
claims of a divine institution be compromised in fa
vour of the delusive pretences of Christian liberty.
The perverseness of the human will and the weak
ness of the human judgment are always entitled to
favourable consideration ; and truth, if it be not
spoken in love, is more frequently opposed and injured,
than defended and maintained. In recommending
any form of religious service, it is hardly possible to
avoid an indirect censure of those, whose practice has
been formed by a different rule ; but it becomes a
writer, who is conscious of his own imperfections, and
who desires no other liberality than that which he
exercises, to beware of irritating those whom it is
most desirable to conciliate, and to endeavour, while
he confirms and establishes the principles of the sound
members of the Church of England, not to insult the
weakness of the unsettled and wavering religionist,
who needs instruction not less than he deserves re
proof, and not to provoke the opposition of the nu
merous multitude, whom the influence of education,
the habits of their early years, or the various consider
ations, which operate in maturer life, have unhappily
placed in a state of unqualified separation. The at
tention of the reader is invited to a discussion, which
offers nothing to amuse his fancy or affect his pas
sions, to a bare collection of Scriptural testimonies,
to a concise comparison of things spiritual with spi
ritual. The uniform direction of the argument, and
the consistency of the several conclusions, may be
imputed by the uncandid and illiberal to the love of a

preconcerted system, rather than to a constant com
pliance with the evidence of the truth ; and whatever
of originality there is, or to the inexperienced may ap
pear to be, in the course of the discussion, is liable to
be rejected among the presumptions of a private and
unauthorized interpretation of the Scriptures. Even if
the model of ecclesiastical perfection contained in the
Scriptures can be exhibited, if it be possible to pre
sent the Church " in her apostolical form and come
liness, such as she appeared in the days of old, and in
the years that are past, before schism had mangled,
and heresy disfigured the beauty of holiness," there
remains the danger of exciting general offence, at the
corruption and degeneracy of succeeding times. It
is allowed that the outline is faint, that the groups,
which are scattered in different parts of the canvas,
have no visible connection with each other, and that the
unity of the original design cannot be collected with
out the nicest attention ; and these circumstances are
alleged, not only in excuse of the imperfections of the
present publication, but in extenuation of prevailing
errors in the constitution of modern Churches, unless
those errors are of vital importance, and plainly con
tradict the truth of the Scriptures, that heavenly depo
sitory of divine wisdom, which hath been committed
to earthly vessels, ever liable to corruption and decay,
and to contaminate the purity and excellence of the
treasure which they contain.
By the law and by the testimony of these inspired
writings must every question of Theology be decided ;
and if they can be shewn to warrant the belief, that the
revelation of any doctrine, the injunction of any duty.
b4

8
or the institution of any ordinance, is not from man
but from God, the pious Christian, who aspires not to
wisdom beyond that which is written, and whose cu
riosity is regulated by the obedience of faith, will wave
every subordinate consideration of its necessity or ex
pedience, of its wisdom, its justice, or its truth. It
cannot be supposed that the appointments of God are
in vain, or that he condescends to interfere in those
arrangements, which human reason is competent to
conclude ; or that while his holy Scriptures contain all
things necessary to salvation, they also propose truths
which men can discover by their own ability, or re
commend duties, which men are of themselves dis
posed to observe without the authority of a divine
commandment. The revelations and appointments
of God are so far necessary, that peace and order
could not prevail without the one, and that our reli
gious knowledge would be defective and incomplete
without the other. Where this deference to the wis
dom of God revealed in the Scriptures is admitted,
the evidence of the fact will be sufficient, without a
specific argument, to substantiate the necessity of a
divine origin of the Christian ministry. It will ne
vertheless be a suitable introduction of the severer ex
amination of the Scriptures, from which that evidence
must be derived, to collect the presumptive proofs,
which are afforded by common observation and expe
rience, and by such a cursory and desultory knowledge
of scriptural language, as is familiar to every man,
from which may be inferred the reasonableness of
believing and acknowledging the divine interference
in the constitution of the Christian Church,

9
It is one of the most delightful exercises of the
human mind to contemplate the care which God en
tertains for the children of men, and to observe the
various provisions, direct and indirect, which he hath
made for their peace and happiness, in the various
states of civil and religious society. The authority
and obedience which constitute the peace and comfort
of every private family, originate in the divine insti
tution, by which power has been given to the parent
over the offspring, and to the master over his depen
dents ; and the necessity of complying with this order
appears every day from the unhappy consequences,
which follow the interruption of domestic harmony by
the contumacy of the servant, or the disobedience of
the child.
The domestic order is exhibited on a larger scale
in the civil government of nations, where the power
of the Ruler, and the obedience of the people, are
sanctioned by a divine institution, and by the assur
ance, that he who resisteth shall receive damnation c.
Hath then the Almighty thought these cases worthy
of his interference, and that it was necessary to regu
late the subordination of private families, and to pre
scribe obedience to the civil administration, and have
the affairs of the Church neither needed nor deserved
any interposition or control ? The advantages of the
Christian religion are indeed great and preeminent ;
and the duties of peace, of love, and of humility, are
recommended under the most affecting motives and
the most commanding obligations ; but the natural
' Rom. xiii. 1, 2. Titus iii. 1. 1 Peter ii. 13.

10
disposition of man remains the same; he is still agi
tated by the same passion for authority and indepen
dence, by the same reluctance to obedience and sub
mission. If when an order of acknowledged expedi
ence, which has the most powerful claims to a divine
origin, is proposed, every man is prepared with his
exception, and provided with a private scheme of ec
clesiastical discipline, what would not have been the
confusion and disorder, if no divine model had been
exhibited ? It is painful to reflect on the gradual en
croachments of the Papacy for more than eight centu
ries which preceded the Reformation, and to observe, in
more recent times, the progress of the democratical
principle, in the affairs of the Church. Even in the
time of the Apostles, the Corinthians were disobedient
and refractory f, under an authority, which was given
and exercised, with the most scrupulous attention to
their benefit, and sanctioned by marks of divine and
miraculous power s : even when the humility of the
most submissive servant was exhibited by the- Lord
himself, it could not restrain the ambition of his dis
ciples, or prevent them from aspiring to the honours
and distinctions of his approaching kingdom11. Though
the authority of a divine institution has not precluded
occasional and extensive contention and disorder it
has been the means of controlling and correcting the
forbidden and unbecoming spirit of division, a spirit
than which none is more contrary to the unity of
Christian love ', or more offensive to him, who is the
God not of confusion, but of peace k.
'1 Cor. iv. 19. 2 Cor. x. 2. s 2 Cor.xiv.12. hMatt.xx.20.
Mark x. 35. Luke xxii. 24. '> John xvii. 11. k i Cor. xiv. 33^

11
If no man can preach, except he be sent ', nor as
sume to himself the honour of a divine commission,
without being called of God m, and if no such com
mission had been delivered or registered in the Scrip
tures, men must have been destitute of the offices and
ministers of religion, and in the forlorn and pitiable
condition of sheep having no shepherd. They would
have been incapable of faith and of devotion, from the
want of authorized instructors ; nor would there have
been any means of giving effect to the foolishness of
preaching, which God in opposition to the wisdom of
Gentile philosophy, and to the visible signs of the
Jewish ritual, hath ordained for the salvation of them
that believe n. Men would have been distracted and
perplexed with the difficulty of reconciling their own
wants with the divine appointment ; and whatever as
sistance they might receive from men, in the work of
salvation, must have been received under the impres
sion, that their ministers were usurping an authority
over their fellows, and opposing the institution of God,
whose blessings are not annexed to disobedience and
presumption. But it has been objected, that this honour which no
man taketh to himself is appropriated to Christ ; that
it refers exclusively to the Aaronical Priesthood ; that
it certainly cannot prove the necessity of any but such
an immediate call as Aaron received ; and that it is
confined to the offering of gifts and sacrifices for sins.
The assertion of the Apostle is however universal and
unlimited, and the conclusion only which he draws is
particular : and his argument is, that on the same
'Rom. x. 15. m Heb. v. 4. ° 1 Cor. i. 21.

12
principle on which the Hebrews admitted the Priest
hood of Aaron, they were bound to acknowledge the
Priesthood of Christ, whose ministerial call not less
than Aaron's was divine. This universal proposition
must of necessity comprehend more than the particu
lar institution of the Jewish priesthood ; for the Apo
stle's object throughout the whole Epistle is to prove
that the Priesthood of Christ was superior to that of
Aaron, and designed to supersede it, and that it was
of the order not of Aaron, but of Melchisedek ; and
consequently if the text be confined to the Levitical
Priesthood, it is irrelevant in its application to Christ,
whose priesthood was of a different kind. Nor was
the call of Abraham immediate or personal, but con
veyed to him by Moses, and including his sons and suc
cessors, whose priesthood throughout all generations
was confirmed by virtue of their descent from him :
and although it was the distinguishing office of the
Jewish high priest, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins,
those gifts and sacrifices were of a very different de
scription from that which was offered in the person of
Christ: nor is it essential to the definition of a priest,
that he shall offer any gifts or sacrifices, or that those
gifts and sacrifices shall be of a specific nature ; but
only that he be one that is taken from among men,
and that is ordained for and in behalf of men, to
minister in the things which belong to God.
The necessity of a divine call seems indeed to have
been universally admitted from the beginning. The
various priesthoods of the heathen were established
under a persuasion of their divine appointment ; and
he who recommended a new object to the adoration

13
of the people, prescribed the form of the worship,
and the order of the officiating ministries. The high
groves, in which his idolatrous service was performed,
might be supposed the peculiar residence of Baal, in
which he gave instruction to his priests ; and the im
pious policy of Jeroboam, in setting up an idolatrous
altar at Bethel0, was indebted for its success princi
pally, if not entirely, to his reference to the divine au
thority in the deliverance from Egyptian bondage, and
to the insinuation, that the one God who was every
where present might be worshipped with the same fa
cility at Bethel as at Jerusalem.
Even in the patriarchal ages, concise as is the ac
count which the inspired historian presents of their
principles and practice, evident marks may be traced
of the divine institution of sacrifice ; and it is natural
to conclude, that some persons were set apart or or
dained for men, in things thus pertaining to God, to
offer these gifts and sacrifices for sins. Melchisedek
was priest of the most high God, and his sacerdotal
character was immediately recognized by Abraham
when he received his solemn benediction, and offered
him the tenth of his spoils p. In the right of primo
geniture, the office of the priesthood was included ;
and profaneness9 could not have attached to Esau from
the sale of his birthright, if that act had not implied
an alienation of the priesthood also in favour of Jacob,
who now became the type of the great High Priest,
the first-born among many brethren '.
In a succeeding age, and according to a more dis-
° 1 Kings xii. 22. p Gen. xiv. 18, 19, 20. Heb. vii. 1, 4.
i Heb. xii. 16. r Rom. viii. 29.

14
tinct account, the order of the Levitical priesthood and
the minutest article of the Jewish ritual were ordi
nances of God, who would not suffer any beside the
priests to serve at his altar, nor even the priests to
disturb the order which he had appointed ; and it
cannot be supposed, that the religion of Christ, which
was the perfection and accomplishment of that of
Moses, and of which the establishment was designed
from the beginning, and gradually introduced by a
long succession of types and prophecies, should be
deprived of advantages, which the Jew possessed, espe
cially as the eternal priesthood of Christ was repre
sented and typified in the priesthood of Aaron, and
as the divine ordination of Aaron was not a singular
fact adapted to a particular institution, but founded
on the universal principle, that no man can take this
honour unto himself.
Under these direct and positive regulations of the
Jewish and patriarchal priesthoods, it may be asked,
whether there is any thing in the nature or constitu
tion of the Christian Church to justify the supposi
tion, that the forms and orders of its ministry are left
to the arbitrary discretion of men. The supposition
does not require an elaborate refutation. The Chris
tian Church is not formed on a republican scale : it is
not a tumultuary association, in which every man may
choose his own station, and act his own part. It is a
society, depending upon one universal Lord, possessed
of certain privileges, administered by certain officers
regularly commissioned and acting under responsibi
lity, and so combined and consolidated, that its very
smallest divisions hold dependence on the common

15
head, and maintain mutual connection with each other,
without any dissolution of the social bond, without
any disturbance of the original constitution, and of
the order respectively assigned to every man. In this
manner it is represented as a kingdom, in which the
Sovereign rules with unlimited sway, and by his mi
nisters provides for the execution of his laws, and dis
penses his favours to subjects, who receive the one
with gratitude, and obey the other with simplicity s. It
is a family, of which the Lord by his Stewards distri
butes to every man his proper gift, and assigns to all
their proper office *. It is the flock of the chief
Shepherd, folded under various pastors u. It is a
building, of which the several stones are not thrown
together at random, nor left to arrange themselves,
but are disposed by the great Architect, resting on a
foundation, and held together by the chief corner
stone v It is a body, of which every separate mem
ber is formed in perfect symmetry, and ordained to a
proper use w. In these figurative descriptions of the
Church, all idea of its human constitution is excluded,
and the ordaining and ruling power is reserved exclu
sively to God. The scriptural designations of the
Christian Ministry imply the same doctrine. They
are Ambassadors, sent by the Prince of peace, not
elected by the subjects, whom he hath reconciled x.
They are Stewards, not chosen by the servants whom
sMatt. xvi. 19. xxviii. 18, 19. Col. i. 13. 1 Thess. ii. 12.
'Matt. x. 25. Ltike xii. 42. 1 Cor. iv. 1. Ephes. ii. 19. iii. 15.
1 Tim. iii. 15. Heb. iii. 6. "Luke xii. 42. John x. 1—16.
xxi. 15, 16, 17. Acts xx. 28. Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Pet. ii. 25. v. 2, 4.
v 1 Cor. iii. 9. Eph. ii. 20, 21, 22. 1 Peter ii. 5. w Rom. xii.
4, 5. 1 Cor. xii. 12—27. Eph.iv. 4, 12, 16, 25. v. 30. Col. i. 18.
x 2 Cor. v. 20. Eph, vi. 20.

16
they are to rule, but having authority from the Lord
and Master y. They are Shepherds, not appointed by
the sheep, but instructed by the great Shepherd of
our souls. They are Ministers of the New Testa
ment, executing the will of the Testator, and admi
nistering the legacy of peace, which he hath left to
his people". They are Soldiers, acting under the
Captain of our Salvation, and not commissioned by the
disorderly, whom it is their office to restrain \ They
are Workmen in the husbandry of God, appointed by
the Lord of the harvest, rightly to divide the word of
God, to cut straight the furrow, and sow it with the
seed of Truth h.
If in the language of Scripture there be any ana
logy, these designations of the Ministers of the Gospel
denote that their power is neither assumed by them
selves, who are represented as passively receiving it,
nor conferred by the multitude, who are not described
as being in a situation to convey it. Frequent and dis
tinct mention is made of certain officers, deputed to
execute certain offices, into which they are not allowed
to intrude at their own discretion, and which they
cannot discharge with validity and effect, without a re
gular and authoritative commission. The authority,
which has prescribed the order of civil and domestic
society, which probably regulated the heathen and pa
triarchal, and which certainly instituted the Levitical
Priesthood, is divine. The same authority is required
y 1 Cor. iv. 1. Titus i. 7. z 1 Cor. iii. 5. iv. i. 2 Cor. iii. 6. vi. 4.
xi. 23. John xiv. 27. a 2 Tim. ii. 3. Heb. ii. 10. 1 Thess. v. 14.
2 Thess. iii. 6, 12. b Matt. x. 10. Luke x. 2, 7. 1 Cor. iii. 9.
ix. 11. 2 Tim. ii. 15.

17
in the circumstances in which the Christian Church
is placed in the world, and is implied in the terms
under which the sacred writers speak of Ecclesias
tical persons ; terms, which are either unmeaning or
ambiguous, and perpetually liable to be misunder
stood, unless they lead to the conclusion, that the
constitution of the Christian Church, and the origi
nation of the Christian Ministry, are the work and
ordinance not of man, but of God.
To these presumptive proofs may be finally added
the master principle of Christian politics, that power
is of God, that the powers that be are ordained of
Godc, that they originate in the wisdom of his insti
tution, and are supported by the power of his provi
dence ; and it is reasonable to assume, that He who
is the Author of civil, is also the Author of ecclesias
tical power; and that he hath not taken more interest
in those things which affect the persons and proper
ties of men, than in those which concern their spi
ritual welfare, and the edification of their souls.
There cannot be more than three methods of deriv
ing power to man ; either immediately from God, as
in the nomination of Saul to the throne d, and Aaron
to the priesthood e; mediately from God by virtue of
succession from a divine original, as Solomon inhe
rited the sceptre of David f, and the Levites the office
of Aaron s ; or entirely from the suggestion of man,
as in the usurpation of Jeroboam h, and the inconsi
derate zeal of Uzzah1. Power of the first description
€ Rom. xiii. 2. d 1 Sam. x. 1. e Exod. xxviii. 1.
Heb. v. 4. f 1 Kings i. 35. e Numb. xx. 35— 28.
h 1 Kings xii. 20. ' 1 Chron. xiii. 9.
c

18
is allowed by all Christians to Christ, the High Priest
of the Christian temple : to the Christian .ministry of
succeeding ages is assigned, that of the second by
those who admit, and that of the third by those who
deny, an Apostolic platform of the. Christian Church.
If however the existence of a scriptural model beiad-
mitted, and the constitution of the; Church be inter
preted in connection with the profession of ourfaitfa,
a divine origin and foundation must be maintained,
whether they be derived from the will of the Father,
from the express appointment of the Son, who is our
.great God and Saviour k, God overfall blessed for
ever1; or from the extraordinary inspiration of i the
Holy Spirit, who with the Father and with the Sonjs
equally glorified, and whom the Apostle, expressly de
nominates Lord and God m. The form of ecclesiastical
government delivered in the Scriptures will be exhi
bited in the following pages ; in which it-will be shewn,
that in the original order of the Church, bothsbefofe
and after our Lord's ascension, in appointments im
mediately divine, and not recommended by any Iforms
of human ordination, and in'those, which derive: their
authority from men invested with;power to conveyit,
there is a warrant for (asserting, that the origin of the
Christian Ministry, and its distribution into <thme
distinct orders, are divine, and that its regular .suc
cession is appointed and allowed by God, and was
primarily superintended by men acting under extra
ordinary and immediate inspiration.
k Titus ii. 13. 2 Peter i. 1. ' Rom. ix. §.
m 1 Cor. xii. 5, 6.

19

SECTION II.
ORIGIN AND SUCCESSION OF THE CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY.
JF the truth had never been perplexed by contro
versy ; if the order of the Church had never been
^corrupted by innovation ; if the minds of men were
still under the exclusive influence of the plain sense
of the Scriptures, and the recorded practice of the
Apostles ; it would be sufficient for the confirmation
of the faithful, and the information of the inquisitive,
to assert, in words of inspired authority, that the
Apostles were ministers of Goo " ; that God appointed
Apostles, Prophets, and other orders of the Christian
Ministry" ; and that their authority was given by the
Lord fox the edification and not for the destruction
of the people p. Under existing circumstances it is
necessary to enlarge the inquiry, and to enter into a
specific detail of the principles and the practices of
inspired men ; of those who best knew the Spirit of
the Lord, and with whose example it is not less our
wisdom, than our duty, to comply. The persons,
whose ioiimediate appointments are recorded in the
Scriptures, are, besides the Christ of God, the twelve
Apostles ; the seventy Disciples ; Matthias ; and the
Apostle of the Gentiles. The immediate successors,
whom they ordained, were the seven Deacons; Ti
mothy, and Titus ; the elders whom they were au
thorized to ordain, and other persons, to whom the
Apostles refer, as invested with ministerial authority.
n2Cor. vi. 4. ° 1 Cor. xii. 28. r 2 Cor. x. 8,.xiii. 10.
c 2

20
The eternal designation of Christ to the priesthood
is registered in the Scriptures, and adduced as an ex
ample of the principle, that no man is privileged to
assume the office to himself without a divine appoint
ment. " No man taketh this honour to himself, but he
that is called of God, as was Aaron : so Christ also
glorified not himself to be made an high-priest, but
He that said unto him, Thou art my Son, this day
have I begotten thee : as also in another place, Thou
art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchisedek q."
This eternal designation of Christ was in due time
expressed and ratified, when, as he was coming out of
the water, after his baptism, the heavens were opened,
and the Spirit visibly descended upon him, and, lo ! a
voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased r ! Immediately after this
consecration, which supplied the place of the material
unction, which prevailed in the early periods of the
Jewish polity, and of the prophetic annunciation, which
usually recommended a new appointment, or an irre
gular succession to an office of authority, Jesus as
sumed the ministerial character by calling unto him
disciples, and preaching the glad tidings of the king
dom of heaven8. If then he, who from the eternal
ages was designated to the priesthood ; he, in whom
dwelt all the fulness of the Divinity in a bodily form *;
he, who knew the will of the Father, to whom the
Spirit was given without measure u, and whose inter
nal qualifications were unexceptionable, yet deferred
i Heb. v. 4, 5, 6. Psalm ii. 7. ex. 4. ' Matt. iii. 16, 17.
Mark i. 10, 11. Luke iii. 21, 22. ¦ Matt. iv. 17, 18, 21.
Mark i. 14, 16, 19. Luke iv. 15, 1C. ' Col. ii, 9. " John iii! 24.

21
the execution of his office till he was invested with it
in an outward and visible manner, in a manner, which
unquestionably declared the assent of the Father, and
was evident to the senses of his disciples, let not man
presume to seize the honour to himself to invade the
office of the priesthood, to serve at the altar, to which
God hath not invited him, or to offer incense, which
God hath not sanctified. The call, which is from
God, will be attested in a visible manner, as was that
of Christ ; or it will be conveyed mediately through
the hands of men, as was that of Aaron, who is said
to have been called by God, though the divine appoint
ment was originally delivered to Moses, and by him
announced to Aaron. By virtue of this call, imme
diately delivered to Moses, and mediately conveyed to
Aaron, he and all his posterity in succession after him
were invested with the Levitical priesthood, which is
confessedly a divine institution ; and their anointing
by Moses rendered them an everlasting priesthoodj
nor was there any necessity of renewing the rite of
their original consecration y. A certain interval elapsed
between the separation of Aaron and his sons to the
priesthood, and their sanctification with the holy oil,
and their investment with the holy garments *. In this
anterval various ceremonial rites are prescribed ; but
no mention occurs of Aaron's ministrations, before
his solemn investiture by Moses, when he immediately
offered a burnt-offering with the assistance of his
sonsa, and solemnly pronounced his official blessing
on the people b. The order of events is important,
y Exodus xxviii. z Levit. viii. J, 10.
» Levit. viii. 14—22. ix. 1 — 21. b Levit. ix. 22.
c3

22
and shews the caution and reserve of Aaron, in en
tering on his ministry ; a caution and reserve, which
Christ himself did not disdain, who, though he was
designated from eternity, waited for an external and
visible ordination, which was conferred by the descent
of the Holy Spirit.
The call of his disciples was among the first acts of
the public ministry of Christ ; and the assumed rights
of popular election could not have been in any man
ner more effectually discountenanced, than by invest
ing certain persons with an official character, before
any Church was collected to make or to confirm the
choice, and by delivering to the eleven their final com
mission when they were alone with Jesus, and sepa
rated from the other disciples. The circumstances
under which Andrew and Peter c, James and Johnd,
Matthew e, Philip and Nathanaelf, (which seems but
another name for Bartholomew,) were called, are par
ticularly detailed. More than twelve disciples must,
however, have attached themselves to the service of
Christ, when he appointed them to their office; for
he called unto him his disciples, and out of them he
chose twelve, whom also he named Apostles s. He
calleth unto him whom he would, and they came unto
him, and he ordained twelve, that they should be with
him, and that he might send them forth to preach
and to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils h. These
twelve disciples, before their ministerial commission,
appear to have been treated by our Lord with the
c Matt. iv. IS. Mark i. 16. Luke v. 10. d Matt. iv. 21.
Mark i. 20. « Matt. ix. 9. Mark ii. 14. Luke v. 27. f John
i. 43. e Luke vi. 13. h Mark iii. 13, 14, 15.

23
greatest; familiarity and affection. They were his
companions on all occasions ; and though he knew
what was in man, and needed not tliat any man should
testify unto him, or that any circumstances should
indicate their private character and disposition, he
had by these- means experience and opportunity of
ascertaining their temper, their ability, and their fit
ness for the ministry. The circumstances, under
which they were called, were marked with singular
preparation and solemnity, becoming the considera
tion of the important office which he was about to
confer upon them. He went out into a mountain to
pray, and continued all night in prayer to God1 ; and
while his mind was impressed with this holy converse
with his heavenly Father, and divested of every hu
man consideration, he appointed them to undertake
their work ; and; having delivered to them their com
mission privately in the mountain, he came down
with them into the plain, and there presented his
chosen ministers, where the company of his disciples
and a great multitude of people were assembled11.
This private conference of our Saviour with his Apo
stles bears a strong resemblance to the manner of
God*s delivering the plan l for the service of the ta
bernacle to Moses in the* mount : and although it is.
not a necessary inference, that the Apostles received
from Christ the same explicit instruction concerning
the Evangelical Church and ministry as Moses re
ceived concerning the service of' the tabernacle, the
analogy^ merits consideration, and renders such a
conclusion highly probable, '"' and ought in our judg
ment to more than balance against any supposed
¦ Luke vi. 12. k Luke vi. 17. ' Exod. xxv. 40. Heb. viii. 5.
C 4

24
want of information on this subject in the Apostolic
writings." By virtue of their first commission the twelve
were to preach the Gospel; they were to visit every city,
with exception only of Gentiles and Samaritans ; they
were to inquire in the towns for such persons as were
worthy to receive them, and with them they were to
remain and to confer their blessing upon their houses
and families : they were to make no provision of their
own, but to eat freely of such things as were set before
them. A curse was pronounced upon those who
despised them, and a blessing upon those who received
them : it was foretold that they should be brought
before kings and princes, a prediction, which implies
the extent and duration of their commission ; and they
were assured, that, without premeditation, they should
be spiritually instructed to defend themselves, and in
time of persecution they were authorised to flee from
city to city, for they were not to finish their circuit
through the cities of Israel till the Son of man should
come1". With reference to this continuance of their
labours, their commission on a future occasion was
enlarged, and it was promised to them, that in the
regeneration, on the establishment of the kingdom of
the Messiah, they should sit on twelve thrones judg
ing the twelve tribes of Israel", That this promise was
of a temporal nature appears from the corresponding
passage of St. Luke, who speaks distinctly of this life",
and from the sense, in which the disciples themselves
evidently understood it, and which inflamed the am
bition of the sons of Zebedee p, to solicit the principal
m Matt. x. 5—42. Mark vi. 8—12. Luke ix. 1—5. » Matt.
xix. 23. • Luke xviii. 29. p Matt. xx. 20. Mark x. 35.
Luke Xiii. 23.

25
seats and distinctions of the approaching kingdom ;
nor is this interpretation inconsistent with our Lord's
subsequent recommendation of mutual subjection to
his disciples, or with his forbidding them to aspire to
the lordship and authority of the Gentile princes, by
which he meant to prevent any contention among
themselves for superiority one above another, to re
strain their secular ambition, and to correct their false
notions of the nature of his kingdom, and not to de
prive them of that authority, which he at the time pos
sessed over them by the appointment of the Father,
which he afterwards formally conveyed to them, the
nature of which he illustrated by a reference to his
own ministerial service, and by contrasting it with the
luxury and magnificence of the temporal dominion of
the Romans. The twelve were elevated to yet higher
power, when the keys of the kingdom of heaven, which
had before been committed personally to Peter q, were
entrusted generally to the twelve, and they were in
vested with the privilege of retaining and absolving
sinsr, the peculiar prerogative of God, which he alone
can communicate, and their commission was extended
to the comprehension of all nations s, of all the world,
and of every creature *, whom they were to baptize,
and to convert to the faith. Finally, before his ascen
sion, he sent them as the Father had sent him, breath
ing on them, and saying unto them, Receive ye the
Holy Ghost u ; a symbol, which was fulfilled, when, on
the day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit fell on them, in
the form of cloven tongues as of fire, and sat upon
i Matt. xvi. 19. T Matt, xviii. 18. John xx. 23. ! Matt.
xxviii. 19- l Mark xvi. 15. u John xx. 22.

26*
each of theim and they began to speak with other
tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance x. In all
these several gradations of election, as private friendsj,
as public ministers,.as judges having power of for
giving and retaining sins, the twelve assumed no
thing to themselves ; they intruded not into the sa
cred office without invitation ; they waited till they;
were calledl; they executed the office which they re
ceived. As the Father sent the Son,. so the Son sent:
the twelve ; and as the authority of the Son was re
commended, that of the twelve was confirmed by the
visible descent of the Holy Spirit. " He sent out his
Apostles, even as the Father sent out him y ; with, a
full commission to act in his stead, as he did in that:
of God; And accordingly we mayobserve, that as the'
Father gave judgment to the Son z, so in effect the Son:
gives judgment to the Apostles a; that as the Fatheri
gave the Son power to forgive sins upon earth ^, so the;
Son gives power to the Apostles to forgive sins like
wise c ; that as the Father gave the Son the honour to
sit down with him on his throne, so the Son gave the
Apostles the privilege to sit with him on thrones'1 ;
and that as the Father gave the Son to be the foundar.
tion or corner stone of the Church e, so the Son gave
the Apostles to be foundations upon a foundation % for,
so the Church is said to be built upon the foundation
of the Apostles, Jesus Christ being the chief corner
stone'." The call of the Seventy is reported but by one
* Acts ii. 3, 4. y John xx. 21. - John v. 22. » Matt.
xix. 28. Luke xxii. 30. b Matt. ix. 6. c John xx. 23.
* Matt. xix. 28. Luke xxii. 30. e Matt. xxi. 42. ' Eph. ii. 20.

27
Evangelist, and the history of their receiving their
commission, and of their manner of executing it, is
briefly related in the Sacred Volume. It appears to
have been made by our Lord himself, without any
communication with the twelve, in consideration of
the exigencies of the time, when he saw that the pro
mise of the harvest was great, and that the labourers
were few5. After having stated the difficulties of the
service to one who was desirous of undertaking it,
and remonstrated with two others, who hesitated to
accept his invitation1', the Lord appointed other
Seventy also, and sent them two and two before his
face into every city and place, whither he himself was
about to come1. Their commission and power
nearly corresponded with those previously delivered
to the twelve. Their labour was worthy of hire,
and they were to live at the expence of those, who
received them, with whom they were to remain, and
on whom they were to confer their peace. They
were empowered to heal the sick ; and having con
ciliated the favour of their hearers by this mark of
divine authority, they were to preach the Gospel of
the kingdom. They were to shake the dust from
off their feet as a testimony against those who de
spised them ; and their authority was recommended
under the solemn assurance, " He that heareth you,
heareth ine ; and he that despiseth you, despiseth
me ; and he that despiseth me, despiseth him that
sent mek." In the execution of their commission the
devils were obedient unto them1; and when they
made their report to. the Lord, he congratulated thein
b Luke x. 1, 2. h Luke ix. 57, 59, 61. ' Luke x. 1.
k Luke x. 2—16. ' Ver. 17.

28
on the effect of their ministry, under the highly figu
rative expression, that he had seen Satan, as light
ning, fall from heaven"1, and admonished them to re
joice, not that the devils were obedient unto them,
but that their names were written in heaven e. There
is no distinct record of the name of any of the Seventy,
nor are they referred to under that designation in any
succeeding part of the sacred history. It may indeed
be conjectured, from the earnest interest which they
took in the late events, from their communication on
the subject as they walked and were sad, and from
our Lord's severe reproof of their want of intelligence
in the prophecies, that Cleopas and his companion on
the road to Emmaus fwere of this number. Conjecture
might perhaps supply other names ; it is more than
conjecture, which includes Barsabas and Matthias.
Whether their ministrations were of a temporary, a
local, and an occasional nature only, or whether they
were renewed and perpetuated under any other title, and
what rank they occupied in the orders of the Chris
tian Church, are questions which must be reserved
for separate discussion : the fact, that the Seventy
received their commission immediately from the
Lord, without any human intervention, is sufficient
for the present purpose of shewing, that the origin
of the Christian ministry is not of man, but of God.
The principal fact recorded in the interval between
the ascension of the Lord and the effusion of the-
Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, is the elevation
of Matthias to the Apostleships in the room of the
d Luke x. 18. ' Ver. 20. f Luke xxiv. 13—35. s Acts i. 26.

29
traitor Judas ; an event, from which some have in
ferred the right of popular interference in the election
of ministers. He must be a superficial reader who
draws this conclusion, which an accurate considera
tion of the history directly invalidates. The election
was made under peculiar circumstances, which can
never recur ; before the platform of the Church was
decisively established ; before the Apostles had re
ceived power from on high ; and when their number
was confessedly incomplete. If the number of names,
which were together about an hundred and twenty,
had been designed to comprehend the whole Church
of that period, and the women, who followed Christ
from Galilee, (and for whose exclusion on this occa
sion there is no satisfactory reason,) are included in
the number, the eleven Apostles and the seventy Dis
ciples, who would not separate before Pentecost, will
form a very considerable part of the congregation.
But in the interval between the resurrection and
ascension of our Lord the Church was so numerous,
that above five hundred brethren" could be collected
at one time and place to see him; and the circum
stances of his appearance to his disciples were not
such as to afford an opportunity of assembling them
for a particular purpose, nor would they at this crisis
be forward in declaring themselves, nor is it probable
that any of them would return to his home, before
the feast, which he came to celebrate at Jerusalem.
St. Peter, however, standing up in the midst of the
hundred and twenty disciples, that is, of less than a
fourth part of the brethren, addressed himself only to
" 1 Cor. xv. 6.

30
the men and brethren, an exclusive salutation of the
Apostolic College, as some haye supposed, but which
appears to be an indiscriminate manner of addressing
an audience whether of ministerial persons specifically,
of disciples generally, or even of Jews and Heathens.
Its precise application must be determined from other
relative expressions in the Apostle's discourse. Now
the repeated use of the pronoun US \, in speaking of
Judas, who was numbered with us ; of the men, who
have companied with us ; of the Lord Jesus going in
and out among us, and of his being taken from us ;
.and of the new candidate's being a witness with us
of his resurrection ; seems to imply in the speaker a
f*eou>liar connection and identity of office with the per- '
isons, whom he was addressing ; and indeed the allu
sion to the ascension exclusively confines his meaning
!to /the Apostles. It is also worthy of remark, that in
.the address of tlie Apostles to the multitude of the
(disciples on the day of Pentecost, this particularity
of persons is actually observed ; Look YE out seven
men, whom WE may appoint over this business k.
Again, the Apostle speaks of Judas, as having abs
tained part of this .ministry, of this ministry, with
which you and I are entrusted, and which in the sub
joined prayer is described as the ministry and apostle-
ship, or ministry of the apostleship1. He speaks like
wise in a demonstrative manner of certain persons,
.who were present m, and out of whom the election
was to be made, as distinguished from those whom
fhe was addressing, and who were to make the election,
and whom he supposes to be acquainted with (the
1 Acts i. 17, 21, 22. " Acts vi. 3. ' Acts i. 17, 21. *• Ver. 21.

31
circumstances «which rendered it necessary to supply
the place of Judas from among those who had been
ttheir constant companions from the beginning". To
be a witness of the resurrection is an expression fre-
-quently appropriated in the Scriptures to the Apostles,
and to them alone; and to be made a witness of the
-resurrection with us is to be raised to the Apostolate
.with us. It may also be supposed, that the electors
.were possessed of equal authority with St. Peter, and
^placed the same reliance on their own judgment as
©n his recommendation ; he maintained the necessity
(of substituting one for Judas, they nominated two
'candidates, and left the ultimate choice to the Searcher
of Hearts ; while in the election of the Deacons seven
<men were required by the Apostles, and seven men
were accordingly elected. Hence it may be concluded,
that the persons whom St. Peter addressed, and
iwho were to elect the candidates, were 'the Apostles
themselves. The choice of the electors was however
'limited ; they were not -to elect any new and inex
perienced convert, but one of those who had eom-
^panied with 'them all the time >that the Lord Jesus
4iad 'gone inand out among them, a description highly
appropriate to the Seventy ; and if the application to
*them be admitted, and if it be maintained, in oppo-
*sition to the preceding argument, that St. Peter's dis
course was addressed to them in connection with the
Apostles, the natural conclusion will be, that the
'Seventy nominated, and the Apostles approved, and
©arsabas and Matthias must both be included in the
number of the 'Seventy ; an argument, to which on a
* Acts i. 22.

32
future occasion it will be necessary to revert. But
whatever was the capacity of the electors, whether
Apostles or the Seyenty, or both acting in concert,
they appointed two ; they did not presume to supply
the vacancy by the nomination of an individual suc
cessor ; they did not before the effusion of the Spirit
esteem themselves competent to judge of the respec
tive merits of the candidates, whom they proposed ;
they commended their case in earnest prayer to God,
and left the matter to his arbitration and decision ;
and with this diffidence in their own judgment, and
this reference of the whole affair to the divine pleasure,
it is most inconsistent to suppose, that they would
appeal to the opinion of an indiscriminate multitude.
The election was concluded by lots, and the lot fell
upon Matthias, and in devout acquiescence in the
divine preference, without any imposition of hands,
which on other occasions was the form of ministerial
ordination, he was numbered with the eleven Apostles.
The inferences from this history must be drawn with
care and deliberation ;.. the circumstances of the
Church were peculiar : St. Peter's discourse was not
addressed indiscriminately to the people ; the powers
of the electors were limited, and they were exercised
in dependence on the divine will ; the persons elected
were persons of experience in the service of the Lord ;
the choice was decided by God, who may have ruled
the votes of the electors not less than the fall of the
lots. Matthias therefore became an Apostle by the
will not of man, but of God ; he was translated from
an inferior condition, which was therefore distinct
from the superior one to which he was admitted ; he
was numbered with the eleven by virtue of the divine

33
preference ; and every trace of popular election and
of ministerial ordination is excluded.
Among other objections of the adversaries of St.
Paul, it was maintained, that his commission was of
inferior authority to that of the other Apostles, as he
was called subsequently to the decease of the Lord,
and had therefore no opportunity of personal com
munication with him. Such insinuations he repelled
with the strongest indignation, and was jealous of the
authenticity of his doctrine, which he received by im
mediate revelation, and of the validity of his commis
sion, for he was an Apostle of Jesus Christ, not of
men, neither by men °, but by the will or by the com
mandment p of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus
Christ our hope ; and he was made a minister of the
Gospel, according to the gift of the grace of God
given unto him q. Strenuously maintaining the ho
nour of his divine Apostleship, he introduces him
self under the authority of it in most of his Epistles r,
and is ready on all occasions to compare himself with
the other Apostles ', even with those, who were most
highly distinguished by the favour of the Lord. There
is no man so unacquainted with sacred history, as to
be ignorant of the circumstances of his conversion*,
which was simultaneous with his divine appointment,
when in the midst of a light from heaven above the
brightness of the sun, and with an audible voice from
heaven, Jesus, whom he was persecuting, manifested
°Gal.i. 1. p land2Cor.i. 1. Ephes.i. 1. Col. i. 1. Iand2
Tim.i.l. iEph.iii.7. ' Rom.i. 1. 1 and 2Cor.i. 1. Gal.i.l.
Eph. i. 1. Col.i. 1. land2Tim.i. 1. Titus i. 1. -lCor.ix. 1.
xv. 10. 2 Cor. xi. 5, 23. xii. 11. ' Acts ix. 3. xxii. 6. xxvi. 13.
D

34
himself to him, saying unto him, I have appeared
unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister
and a witness both of those things which thou hast
seen, and of those in which I will appear unto thee ;
delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles,
unto whom I now send thee ; to open their eyes, and
to turn them from darkness to light, and from the
power of Satan unto God ; that they may receive for
giveness of sins, and inheritance among them that
are sanctified, by faith that is in me u. Convinced and
converted by the evidence of this miraculous vision,
which was followed by a loss of sight for three days,
he was led to Damascus, where a man of the name
of Ananias was prepared by revelation to receive him,
and was directed to lay his hands upon him, that he
might recover his sight, and be filled with the Holy
Ghostx. And immediately on the recovery of his
sight he was baptized y ; after the example of his di
vine Master, not venturing into the sacred office, with
out fulfilling all righteousness z, and partaking of that
baptismal regeneration ", which the Lord had ap
pointed for the admission of disciples into his Church.
It is not asserted, but it is highly probable, from the
circumstance of his being appointed to receive and
acknowledge the chosen Apostle, and to instruct him
concerning his conduct, and the nature and end of
his conversion, that Ananias was invested with minis
terial power, and that he was the person by whom
St. Paul was baptized : it is also probable, that some
settled minister resided at Damascus, and presided
" Acts xxvi. 16, 17, 18. » Acts ix. 17- xxii. 10. 5" Acts
ix. 18. xxii. 16>. z Matt. iii. 15. x John iii. 5:

35

over a numerous congregation, as the commission
which Saul received from the chief priests '', to bind
ALL that called upon the Lord, would hardly have
been directed against an inconsiderable or disorderly
association. St. Paul certainly remained some days
with the disciples, and preached Christ in the syna
gogues, that he is the Son of God, and confounded
the Jews that dwelt at Damascus, proving that he
was very Christ c. In this whole transaction, there is
no trace of any human election or ordination of St.
Paul ; he was not chosen by the people of Damascus,
who were amazed at his conversion, and in doubt of
its sincerity*1 ; he was not ordained by the ministers
of Damascus, of whom no mention is made; nor by
Ananias, to whom he was commended as a messenger
to the Gentiles c, and who acknowledged his com
mission from God, before he recommended him to be
baptized f ; he was not ordained by the Apostles at
Jerusalem, who hesitated to acknowledge him, and
avoided his society, till Barnabas introduced him, de
claring the circumstances of his conversion, and the
zeal and efficacy of his ministry g. He derived his
doctrine and his authority immediately from God; and
in vindication of his Apostleship, he addresses his
Galatian adversaries ; When it pleased God to reveal
his Son in me, that I might preach him among the
heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and
blood, neither went I up to Jerusalem to them that
were Apostles before me, but I went into Arabia, and
returned again to Damascus. Then after three years
. b Acts ix. 2, 14. xxii. 5. xxvi. 12. ' Acts ix.20, 22. xxvi. 20.
d Acts ix. 21. e Acts ix. 15. f Acts xxii. 14, 15, 16.
8 Acts ix 26, 27.
D 2

36
I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with
him fifteen days ; but other of the Apostles saw I none,
save James the brother of the Lord h.
These then were the fathers, chosen by God, from
whom the whole ministerial family derives a tradi
tional and hereditary authority; the Son of God, eter
nally designated and visibly approved and recom
mended; the twelve apostles, tried, ordained, and gra
dually exalted ; the seventy disciples, sent by Jesus to
the places which he was about to visit ; Matthias num
bered with the eleven apostles, by virtue of the divine
preference ; and Paul, exalted to be an Apostle, by
an audible voice from heaven, and by a visible exhi
bition of the divine Majesty. The immediate de
scendants of these fathers of the ministerial family,
whose right of succession is registered in the Scrip
tures, are the seven Deacons ; Timothy and Titus ;
the elders whom they were commissioned to ordain ;
and other persons, whose office and title are men
tioned with less explicitness and precision.
The office of the seven Deacons was instituted by
the Apostles, when their number was completed by
the accession of Matthias, and when they had received
power to administer the affairs of the Church, by the
visible descent of the Holy Spirit '. The occasion of
their appointment was the complaint of the Greciansj
or Gentile converts, that their widows were neglected
in the daily ministration of the bounty of the
Church ; and the design of it was, that they might
superintend the distribution of alms, and relieve the
h -Galat. i. 15—19. '* Acts i. 26. ii. 4.

37
Apostles from an office, of which the iiksomeness in
creased with the daily increase of the Church, and
that the Apostles might have leisure to devote them
selves exclusively and without interruption to the
ministry of the word and to prayer. " In those days,
when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there
was a murmuring of the Grecians against the He
brews, because their widows were neglected in the
daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multi
tude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not
reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve
tables : wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you
seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and
of wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business :
but we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and
to the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased
the whole multitude : and they chose Stephen, a man
full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and
Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas,
and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch ; whom they set
before the Apostles ; and when they had prayed, they
laid their hands upon themk." The multitude of the dis
ciples is an ambiguous expression, designating either
the people generally, or those especially who had been
previously authorized to preach the Gospel. To the
former interpretation may be objected, the difficulty
of collecting the multitude, enlarged by an accession
of three thousand persons on the day of Pentecost ',
of whom many, after celebrating the festival, would
disperse, and return to their own homes in different
parts of the world, to whom the Lord daily added the
redeemed™, when the word was preached to the peo-
k Acts vi. 1 — 6. ' Acts ii. 41. m Acts ii. 47.
D 3

pie with such effect, that many who heard it believed,
and the number of men at one time was about
five thousand " ; and upon the death of Ananias and
Sapphira, believers were the more added unto the
Lord, multitudes both of men and women °; the im
possibility of assembling so many persons in one
place, when the disciples usually met in a private
house, immediately after the Jewish governor had for
bidden the Apostles to speak in the name of Jesus p,
and on an affair of such notoriety, and of such im
portance, as would naturally excite the jealousy of the
chief priest, and dispose him to use his utmost vigi
lance to prevent it; the improbability of the immediate
agreement of so many men on the merits of seven in
dividuals, and the little necessity of collecting so many
votes on so simple an occasion. To the latter inter
pretation, it may be objected, that while our Lord
confined his personal ministry, and, by necessary con
sequence, that of the seventy disciples, to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel, and forbade his Apostles
to go into the way of the Gentiles q, he should adopt
into his immediate service a proselyte of Antioch, or
any such persons as should be naturally qualified, to
take an affectionate interest in the case of the Grecian
widows ; that the Apostles should require new testi
mony in favour of those, whom the Lord himself had
previously chosen to be his ministers ; and that men,
who were already invested with ministerial power,
should choose out of themselves certain persons, to
exercise a new and inferior office. It will not however
violate the sense of the original, if the words be trans
lated, Look ye out men bearing a good character
n Acts iv. 4. ° Acts v, 14. p Acts v. 40. i Matt. x. 5.

39
among you ; men whose virtue is tried and known
among you r : nor is it necessary to confine their
choice to the persons then actually present, and ad
dressed by the Apostle, without extending it to others,
whom they could recommend, from an intimate know
ledge of their ability and integrity ; or to suppose,
that the persons addressed were to make the election
from among themselves exclusively, and that they
were to recommend not only approved men, but men
among themselves most highly approved. The elec
tion is indeed conceded to the people by ecclesiastical
writers, notwithstanding the unequivocal testimony of
Epiphanius, that the election was made out of the
seventy. The Deacons of a later period were to be tried,
and not admitted to the office except they were found
blameless * ; and if the trial of this blamelessness was
reserved to the discretion of the person admitting
them to the office, who, as in the case of ordination,
would probably concur with those immediately under
him, the form of the succession may illustrate the
form of the original institution of the Diaconate, and
the seventy may be received as the electors of those
\vhom the Apostles approved. But whatever was the
quality of the electors on this occasion, their privi
lege did not extend beyond giving a testimony to
character, and nominating and recommending per
sons, of whose qualifications for the Deaconship they
had adequate information : and their choice was li
mited to men of a certain description, to men full of
the Holy Ghost and of wisdom ' ; and it does not ap
pear that the extraordinary gifts, such as Stephen u
r Acts vi. 3. s 1 Tim. ii. 10. f Acts vi. 3,
u Acts vi. 8, 10.
d4

4U
and Philip x possessed, had yet been conferred on any,
besides those who were present with one accord on
the day of Pentecost y, and who were the same with
the hundred and twenty, who were assembled at the
election of Matthias z. The conclusion therefore,
which is liable to the least exception, is, that the Apo
stles proposed the election, and stated the qualifications
of the candidates ; that the seventy, or some of the
seventy disciples, were the persons addressed, who
made the election ; and that the election was made
out of the hundred and twenty, who were full of the
Holy Ghost, and had partaken of the effusion on the
day of Pentecost : and they set them before the Apo
stles, and when they had prayed, they laid their hands
upon them \ The power of ordination by the laying
on of hands, a rite borrowed from the Jewish ritual, and
denoting the entire dedication of the creature to the
service of God, was on this occasion first exercised by
the Apostles, whose commission had been ratified by
the descent of the Spirit, and who having received
power from on high, now acted with supreme autho
rity in the Church, and not as disciples, or elders in a
subordinate capacity, under the inspection and con
trol of the Lord. From this view of the institution
of the Deaconship, it may be concluded that it is an
ordinance of the Apostles, made after the ascension
of the Lord and the effusion of the Holy Spirit, when
the number of the Apostles was complete, and they
were authorized in their own persons to administer
the affairs of the Church ; secondly, that the election
of the multitude of the disciples was no more than a
testimony to character, and whether it was given by
* Acts viii. 6, 13. y Acts ii. 1. * Acts i. 15. a Acts vi. 6.

41
ministers or by people, the practice is still retained ;
and lastly, that the ordination of the Deacons was
preceded by prayer, and conferred by the laying on of
hands, practices which are also retained.
Timothy was ordained by St. Paul with the same
ceremonies, though the circumstances of his ordination
are not matter of historical record, but must be col
lected from detached passages in the Acts, and in the
Epistles of St. Paul. It is worthy of distinct observa
tion, that St. Paul in his Epistles to Timothy refers
to the prophecies, which went before on himb, that
he by them should war a good warfare ; to the gift
which was given him by prophecy c, to the good pro
fession, which he had professed before many witnesses'1,
and to the things which he had heard of hime. Now
eminent as were the virtues of Timothy, and the ser
vices which he rendered personally to St. Paul, and
generally to the Church of Christ, they hardly appear
worthy of prophecy, in its general and ordinary ac
ceptation ; nor are there any instances of such private
and personal predictions, except the imprisonment of
Paul f and the martyrdom of Peter"; nor can pro
phecy, which is itself a gift, be properly considered
as the means of conveying any other gift. It remains
therefore to inquire, whether there is any other pecu
liar sense of the word. Prophecy or prophesying (the
same word is used in the original) frequently denotes
in the Apostolic writings h the preaching of the pro-
b 1 Tim. i. 18. c 1 Tim. iv. 14. d 1 Tim. vi. 12.
e 2 Tim. ii. 2. f Acts xxi. 10. s John xxi. 18, 19. h 1 Cor.
xiv. 6, 22. 1 Thess. v. 20. Compare 1 Cor. xiv. 1, 3, 4, 5, 24,
31, 39. xiii. 2, 8.

4ii
phets or ministers of the New Testament, such as
Silas and Barnabas'; and it does not appear unrea
sonable, to assign this sense to it in the prophecies
concerning Timothy, that they were public discourses
on the office, or private testimonials to his character,
delivered either by the Apostle, or by the prophets,
or presbyters, who acted in concert with St. Paul at
his ordination, and which he himself, when he was
first attached to the service of St. Paul, received from
the brethren at Lystra and Iconium'1, among whom
the Presbyters or Prophets, whom Paul and Barnabas
had previously ordained1, held a principal place, and
which he himself was at a future period enjoined to
require, that he might do nothing by prejudice or
partiality, and not be a partaker of other men's sinsm.
If this interpretation be admitted, it will throw con
siderable light on the election of the Deacons, and
define the capacity of those, who nominated them to
the Apostles : and the order of Timothy's ordination
will be, the public profession of his faith before many
witnesses, the recommendation of the prophets, and
the imposition of the Apostle's hands with those of
the presbytery. To what degree of the ministry he
was originally ordained, is not mentioned ; and, with
out any distinct account of his investiture to a specific
office, we find him indiscriminately acting under St.
Paul in the capacity, and denominated by the title of,
a Deacon n ; united with St. Paul and Silvanus or
Silas, the prophet, in a regular gradation of order,
in the two Epistles to the Tliessalonians" ; and with
i Acts xv. 32. 1 Cor. xii. 2S. Ephes. iv. 11. k Acts xvi 2
1 Acts xiv. 23. «< l Tim. v. 21, 22. » Acts xix. 22!
• 1 and 2 Thess. i. 1.

43
St. Paul alone in the second Epistle to the Corinthians,
and in those to the Colossians, to the Rhilippians,
and to Philemon p, as possessed pf higher authority, or
more immediately connected with the persons ad
dressed ; deputed by him with power to examine the
state of various Churches'1 ; and finally settled with a
permanent rank at Ephesus'. The nature of Timo
thy's appointment at Ephesus will be more properly
reserved for the section in which the distinction of
orders is examined ; and it is only necessary to sub
join the remark, that as he was himself ordained by a
person divinely commissioned, he also was admo
nished in the first Epistle addressed to him, to lay
hands suddenly upon no man5 ; and in the second, he
was directed to commit the things, which he had
heard of the Apostle among many witnesses, to faith
ful men, who should be able to teach others also*.
There is therefore one example of the conveyance of
the ministerial power through four different channels,
from the Father to the Son, from the Son to St. Paul,
from St. Paul to Timothy, from Timothy to the
elders whom he ordained : and in the Angel of the
Church of Ephesus u may be found another instance
of ecclesiastical authority consolidated in an individual
over a Church, which at a much earlier period com
prehended a plurality of elders*.
As the fact is not disputed, it is not necessary to
prove, that Titus was ordained by St. Paul, and regu-
p 2 Cor. i. 1. Col. i. 1. Philip, i. 1. Philem. 1. i Acts xix. 22.
] Cor. iv. 17. xvi. 20. Philip, ii. 19. 1 Thess. iii. 2. r 1 Tim.
i. 3. s 1 Tim. v. 22. ' 2 Tim. ii. 2. " Rev. ii, 1.
x Acts xx. 17-

44
larly received the ministerial commission, though
the Scriptures contain no account of tlie time, the
place, or the manner of the ordination, nor of the
degree of power which was in the first instance con
ferred upon him. The expression in the Salutation in
the Epistle to him, " mine own Son after the common
faith y," seems to indicate his conversion, if not his
ordination by St. Paul ; and though his name does
not occur in the title of any of the Epistles in con
nection with St. Paul's, as does that of Timothy, he
appears to have been employed on the same services,
and to have been deputed to the Churches with the
same visitatorial authority as Timothy. As became
the original office of a Deacon, he was entrusted with
the conveyance of the collections raised among the
Macedonian Churches for the relief of the Saints at
Jerusalem z; and when St. Paul was in Troas, he
wanted the assistance of Titus his brother, and had
no rest in his spirit, because he found him not ; and
under this disappointment took his leave of them, and
departed into Macedonia a. From his commission to
visit the Churches of Corinthb ; from the satisfaction
which his report conveyed to St. Paulc; from the con
fidence with which St. Paul had conferred with him
concerning them'1 ; and from the obedience of them
all, from the fear and trembling with which they re
ceived himc ; it is reasonable to conclude that at this
time he held an exalted situation in the ministry, or
the refractory and disorderly teachers of Corinth would
have objected his want of authority ; an objection
y Titus i. 4. * 2 Cor. viii. 6. » 2 Cor. ii. 12, 13 b a Cor
viii. 16, 17. « 2 Cor. vii. 6, 7, 13. - 2 Cor. vii. 14. « 2 Cor'
vii. 15.

45
which from his own experience St. Paul would have
anticipated, and been desirous to obviate. In Crete
he was certainly left with absolute and independent
authority, to set in order the things that were wanting,
and to ordain elders in every cityf, as St. Paul had
enjoined him ; he was also authorized to rebuke with
all authority p, and even to reject or excommunicate
the irreclaimable heretic h. The ordination of elders
prescribed by St. Paul was no doubt administered in
the same form, as had been observed in the ordi
nation of Titus, who was to send others as he had
himself been sent ; and here is accordingly another
instance of ministerial authority, conveyed through
four generations, in the persons of the Christ, of St.
Paul, of Titus, and of the elders whom he was left to
ordain in Crete.
The succession of the Christian ministry may be
yet farther illustrated, by collecting the ordinations
recorded in the Scriptures, without mentioning the
persons, the ecclesiastical persons mentioned without
distinction of their office, and the offices without re
ference to the persons executing them. It is recorded
of Paul and Barnabas, that in their visitations of
Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, they ordained them
elders in every church1 ; and though the practice is
not detailed, it must have been common in other
places. There were the elders of Ephesus, whom the
Holy Ghost had made Bishops over the flock k ; there
were at Antioch certain prophets and teachers, as
f Titus i. 5. s Titus ii. 15. K Titue iii. 10. ! Acts
xiv. 23. k Acts xx. 28>

46
Barnabas, Simeon that was called Niger, Lucius of
Cyrene, Manaen, and Saul1. There were also Judas or
Barsabas, and Silas, who themselves also were pro
phets m. There was Erastus, who was sent with Timo
thy into Macedonia, when both acted in the capacity
of Deacons to St. Paul". There were the elders,
whom St. Peter exhorts to feed the flock which was
among them, and to take the oversight of it ; they,
who were to speak as the oracles of God; and the
Deacons, who were to minister as of the ability which
God giveth". There were the elders, for whom St.
James directs the sick to sendp. Among the Romans
were different degrees of ministry enumerated by St.
PauK There was the brother Sosthenes, who is
united with St. Paul in addressing the Corinthians'";
among whom were also Apollos8, whose preaching
the disorderly were disposed to prefer ; those who
prayed or prophesied, as prophets or spiritual persons
in the congregation*; those who discharged the
eight offices of ministry, specified by St. Paul" ; the
household of Stephanas, who had addicted themselves
to the ministry of the saints" ; and Fortunatus and
Achaicus y, Who had refreshed the spirit of St. Paul,
and supplied the deficiencies of the Corinthians, and
whom they were required to acknowledge. There
was also the brother whose praise is in the Gospel,
and who was deputed with the constitutions from
Corinth z. There were those who taught in the
1 Acts xiii. 5. m Acts xv. 32. n Acts xix. 22. " 1 Pet.
iv. 11. v. 1. p James v. 14. i Rom. xii. 6, 7, 8. r 1 Cor. i. I.
8 1 Cor. iii. iv. xvi. 12. ' 1 Cor. xi. 4. xii. 28. xiv. 29, 37.
u 1 Cor. xii. 28. * 1 Cor. xvi. 15, >" Ver. 17, IS. = 2 qot
viii. 18.

47
Churches of Galatia, to whom they that were taught
were to communicate in all good things*. The
Ephesians were acquainted with a five-fold ministry h,
and to them was sent Tychicus, a beloved brother
and faithful minister or deacon in the Lordc. Among
the Philippians were Bishops and Deacons'1 ; Epaphro-
ditus was their Apostle or messenger1' ; and they were
intimately acquainted with Clemens and other felloiv
labourers, whose names are written in the book of life '.
Among the Colossianss were Epaphras their faithful
deacon, and Onesimus a faithful and beloved brother ;
to them was sent together with Tychicus, Marcus the
nephew of Barnabas, whom they had been enjoined
to receive ; mention is made of Aristarchus, and of
Jesus called Justus ; Epaphras is described as having
a great zeal for them, for those in Laodicea, and
those in Hierapolis ; and they are instructed to re
mind Archippus to take heed, and fulfil the ministry,
or deaconship, which he had received in the Lord.
In the Epistles to the Thessalonians", the name of
Silvanus occurs with that of Paul and Timothy, and
they are enjoined to know them, who labour among
them and are over them in the Lord, and to esteem
them very highly in love for their work's sake1. The
Hebrews are exhorted to remember those who have
the rule over them, who spoke unto them the word of
the Lord, and to obey them who watch for their
souls as those that must give an account1' ; exhorta
tions which imply a succession of ministers, of those
a Galat. vi. 6. b Ephes. iv. 11. c Ephes. vi. 21. d Philip.
i. 1. • Philip, ii. 25, 30. iv. 18. f Philip, iv. 3. s Coloss.
jv. 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17. " 1 and 2 Thess.- i. 1. '' 1 Thess.
ii 12> ]& * Heb. xiii. 7, 13.

48
who now watched, in the room of those who had
reached the end of their conversation. Finally, in the
Revelation1, mention is made of an angel of each of
the Seven Churches of Asia, Ephesus, Smyrna, Per-
gamus, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea,
under terms which denote, that they are individuals,
distinguished from the Churches mentioned in con
junction with them.
This list of ministerial persons might be enlarged
and rendered yet more impressive, by adding the
names of those who were probably possessed of au
thority in the Church ; but confined exclusively to
those who are unquestionably designated as such, it
is sufficient to shew, how extensive a platform was
laid during the time of the Apostles, and while the
affairs of the Church were administered under the
immediate and extraordinary inspiration of the Holy
Spirit. From the opening of the Evangelical History
by the visible ordination of Jesus, to the conclusion
of the Sacred Canon with the Revelation of John,
through the wide circuit of Jerusalem, Syria, Asia
Minor, Macedonia, Achaia, Rome, and Crete, are
plain traces of an Apostolical ministry, exercising their
sacred office, under the inspection and control of the
Apostles. Originating in the eternal designation and
visible appointment of Christ, and flowing through
the veins of his immediate delegates, the Twelve, the
Seventy, Matthias, and the Apostle of the Gentiles,
the ministerial commission was conveyed by them
to their successors, the ministers of the primitive
Churches. The Scriptural view which has been taken
1 Rev. ii. 1, 8, 12, 22. iii. 1, 7, 14.

49
of its origin and succession, is more comprehensive
and perspicuous, than might have been imagined by
a superficial reader, especially when it is compared
with the evidence of various facts, which all believe,
as of the appearance of the Lord after his resurrection
to more than five hundred brethren at once ; of prac
tices, which all allow, as of the sanctification of the
Christian Sabbath ; and of opinions, on which all are
agreed, as concerning the Canon of Scripture ; and
when it is considered, that the historical part of the
New Testament is a narrative of the establishment,
not a discourse on the polity of the Church, and that
the allusions in the Epistolary writings are addressed
to persons, who were familiar with the most trivial
circumstances, who needed not particular information
concerning ecclesiastical acts, which were performed
publicly and in their presence, who had from their
infancy been accustomed to similar orders of ministry,
whose minds were prepossessed with the Apostles'
doctrine and fellowship, and who were too sensible
of the advantages which they possessed, to think of
questioning their origin and authority, which, while
they were practically explained, needed not the minute
ness of a verbal description, and which, before they
were impugned, it was unnecessary to defend. The
traditions m, to which St. Paul frequently refers, might
have privately instructed them in the nature of the
ministrations, and the obligation of the ordinances,
which he had delivered. Many difficulties, with which
they were unacquainted, are thrown in the way of
modern inquirers into the constitution and order of
m 1 Cor, xi. 2. 2 Thess. ii. 15. iii. 6.
E

50
the Church of Christ ; and our investigation must be
conducted under the influence of prejudice or prepos
session to existing establishments, in ignorance of the
meaning of many private allusions, and without ca
pacity of tracing the faint and broken line, which
marks the foundation and separates the offices of the
Christian edifice. The foundation has been already
traced, with as much accuracy as our present instru
ments will admit ; and the several stories have been
exhibited, gradually ascending from the foundation of
the Apostles, and held together by the chief corner
stone. It yet remains to measure the building, to ex
amine its domestic ceconomy and interior arrange
ments ; to see whether the apartments are of the
same extent, adapted to the same use, and furnished
with the same uniform seemliness ; or whether they
contain distinct accommodations, suited to the dif
ferent rank of the occupiers, discharging separate
offices in the service of the common Master, of some
ruling in his absence, administering his concerns,
maintaining his establishment, and providing a con
stant succession of servants, who are acting in sub
ordinate capacities, which they are not permitted to
assume, without previous trial and recommendation.

51

SECTION III.
DEGREES AND DISTINCTIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN
MINISTRY.
JT is matter of distinct and unquestionable record,
that, during the personal administration of our Lord,
there were three separate orders of the Christian mi
nistry, appointed at different times, under different
circumstances, and of different number and extent.
It will not be disputed, that our Lord, the great Shep
herd a of the Sheep, the chief Bishop of our Souls,
who sent his disciples, as he had been sent by the
Fatherb, possessed an infinite superiority over all
whom he sent : he who sent, was beyond all question
greater than those whom he sent. Next in order to
himself were the Twelve, those faithful servants, whom
he graciously called friends c, and to whom he declared
his will without reserve. They were first in the order
of their appointment ; their names were thought
worthy of particular record by three of the four Evan
gelists'1, and the fourth e details certain circumstances
in the call of some of them, which are not reported
by his predecessors. At the time of their appoint
ment they received the distinctive title of Apostles,
a title exclusively appropriated to them, though ap
plied on very few occasions before the ascension of
our Lord. Their original commission differed but in
few articles from that subsequently delivered to the
a John x. 11. Heb. xiii. 20. 1 Peter ii. 25. v. 4. b John xx. 21.
c John xv. 15. d Matt. x. 2, 3, 4. Mark iii. 16—19. Lukevi.
14, 15, 16. e John i,40— 45. e2

52
Seventy ; but on a future occasion, they were exalted
to thrones, and made judges over the tribes of Israel f ;
they received power of absolving and retaining sinsg;
and their final commission was extended to the whole -
world, accompanied with a promise of perpetual as
sistance, not only during their natural lives, and per
sonal ministry, but to their successors also, until the
consummation of all things. " Go ye therefore and
make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the
name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Ghost ; teaching them to observe all things which I
have commanded you ; and, lo ! I am with you always,
even unto the end of the world11." The circumstances
under which Jesus chose other Seventy ' also, are such
as indicate an inferior authority. The night before
their appointment was not spent in prayer ; they were
not privately instructed in a separate place ; they were
not presented before the assembled multitudes ; they
were sent to such places and cities only as Jesus
himself proposed to visit, while the Twelve were to
visit all cities, except those of Gentiles and Samari
tans ; nor was their circuit through the cities of Israel
to be completed, before the coming of the Son of
man1'. It is not necessary to enter into an exact com
parison of the commissions of the Seventy and of the
Twelve, which, with the exceptions which have been
noticed, are the same ; but it is remarkable, that the
Twelve are designated as Prophets ; " He that re-
ceiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall re
ceive a prophet's reward1 :" and it will hereafter ap-
f Matt. xix. 28. Luke xxii. 30. s Matt, xviii. 18. John xx. 23.
h Matt, xxviii. 19, 20. > Luke x. 1. k Matt. x. 23. ' Matt.
x. 41.

53
pear, that a prophet is the name of the presbyters, or
second order of the Christian ministry, which was
then held by the Apostles. Our Saviour also, in re
commending humilityand mutual subjection to his dis
ciples, uses this expression : Let him that will be great
among you be your minister, or Deacon ™ ; as if he
had anticipated the institution of that Apostolic office,
and applied it to the circumstances of the Seventy,
instructing his Apostles rather to degrade themselves
to an inferior situation in the Church, than to affect
dominion over each other. It is probable also, that
St. Paul refers to the personal administration of the
Lord, when he describes the Church, as built on the
foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ
being the chief corner stone" ; a title, which our
Lord certainly assumed during his manifestation upon
earth, and which may be reconciled with the prolepti-
cal appropriation of the Apostolic and Prophetic titles
to the Twelve and the Seventy, which did not properly
belong to them before the ascension of their Divine
Master. When each order had executed their first
commission, the Apostles submitted their report to
Jesus, without expressing any elation or elevation at
the event; and he received it, without any other notice,
than recommending them to withdraw into the wilder
ness, and to rest from their labours". The connection
of the history seems to imply, that the service of the
Seventy was more rapidly concluded ; and they re
ported with joy and exultation, that the devils were
subject unto them through his name. Our Lord, with
his characteristic mildness and condescension, con-
'" Matt. xx. 26. n Ephes. ii. 20. ° Mark vi. 30, 31.
E 3

04
gratulated them on their success p, and renewed their
power of working miracles, under expressions how
ever, which leave it -uncertain whether they exclu
sively denote the ministerial office, or whether they
may not be applied generally to them that believe :
" Behold ! I give unto you power to tread on serpents
and scorpions'1, and over all the power of the enemy,
and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Notwith
standing, in this rejoice not, that the spirits are sub
ject unto you ; but rather rejoice, that your names are
written in heavenr." This was an occasion of joy,
which exalted the persons to whom it was given a
very trifling degree above those who acted in a pri
vate capacity. After this commission, though refer
ence is continually made to the Twelve, both collec
tively and individually, no further mention is made
of the Seventy ; and though there is no reason to
conclude that the order was dissolved, its continua
tion and perpetuity must be collected and inferred,
without the express assertion or contradiction of the
Scriptures. During the personal ministry of the
Lord, these different orders of servants were inde
pendent, and not subordinate to each other. Among
themselves, the most exact equality prevailed ; nor was
there any lesson inculcated with more force, than that
of personal humility and mutual submission, as be
came the relation of servants to one common
Master8. Though in the unlimite4 extent of their
commission, in the declared perpetuity of their
office, and in the power of absolution, the Twelve
p Lukex. 17, 20. i Compare Mark xvi. 17, IS. » Lukex,
19, 20. 6 Matt, xyiii. 4. xx. 27. xxiii. 11.

55

were exalted above the Seventy, they did not on any
occasion exult over their inferior brethren. The num
ber of the Twelve and of the Seventy may seem dispro
portionate to the number of the existing Church ; but
it must be remembered, that the labours of our Lord
and of his disciples were not confined to Jerusalem,
but extended over a considerable tract of country ;
and that the whole multitude of the disciples, who
were assembled when the Twelve received their com
mission*, and of those who rejoiced when he descended
from the Mount of Olives u, and of the five hundred
brethren", who beheld our Lord at one time after his
resurrection, at a time, when the disciples had every
motive to conceal themselves, and to deny their con
nection with the Lord and with each other, imply any
thing but an inconsiderable family, which was to re
ceive meat in due season and in different places from
the servants, whom the Lord had appointed over his
household. The interval between the resurrection and ascen
sion of the Lord was spent in familiar conferences
with his disciples, in giving commandment unto the
Apostles, whom he had chosen, and in speaking of
the things concerning the kingdom of God y. The
precise nature of these conferences is not specified,
and can only be collected by probable inferences from
recorded events. It is possible, that the alteration of
the Sabbath, from the last to the first day of the week,
was now enjoined; as the last celebration of the
' Luke vi. 17, u Matt. xxi. 9. x 1 Cor. xv. 6. y Acts
i. 2, 3.
E 4

56
Jewish Sabbath among the disciples, was on the eve of
the resurrection, when the women rested the seventh
day, according to the commandment z ; as the first
day was that on which the Apostles were assem
bled, when Jesus appeared unto them a ; on which the
disciples at Troas assembled to break bread b ; on
which St. Paul required the Corinthians to lay by
them in store, as God had prospered them c ; and on
which St. John, being in the Spirit, was entrusted
with the mysteries of the Apocalypse d. Instruction
may also have been given concerning the order of the
Seventy, of which the continuance or dissolution is
not settled by the previous history ; and to which may
be appropriated the signs which are to follow them
that believe e, as they correspond with the power given
to the Seventy, on the execution of their commission*,
and include that which is distinctly assigned by St.
James to the presbyters g, on whom it may for the pre
sent be assumed that the power of the Seventy de
volved. The Apostles may also have been instructed
concerning the election of a successor to the traitor
Judas, and the institution of the order of the Deacons.
All, which is recorded, and which must be the stand
ard of conjecture as to the private matters of the
discourse, is the enlargement of the Apostolic com
mission, which, originally exclusive of the Gentiles h,
was now extended to comprehend all nations '; which
was improved by the power of remitting and re
taining sins k, and which was sanctioned by the sign
1 Luke xxiii. 56. » Mark xvi. 14. Luke xxiv. 33. John
xx. 19, 25. b Acts xx. 9. c 1 Cor. xvi. 2. d Rev. i. 10.
' Mark xvi. 17, 18. f Luke x. 19. e James v. 15. Mark
xvi. 18. i> Matt. x. 5. » Matt, xxviii. 19. * John xx. 23.

57
of breathing on them ', in token of the future descent
of the Holy Spirit. The discourse concerning the
kingdom of God, may seem to be confined to the re
velation of doctrine, to the enforcement of practice,
and to prophetic intimations of the future progress
and success of the Gospel. These may certainly be
included, without any necessity of excluding those
considerations which affect the order of the Church,
some of which are recorded in the Evangelical history,
and to ivhich it may be proper to reduce the allusion
of the Apostle,' when, in speaking of the ascension of
Christ, he says, " He gave some Apostles, and some
Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors
and Teachers m ;" but of these orders, none except that
of Apostles is referred to in this interval, except they
are included in the general discourse concerning the
kingdom of God.
There js certainly considerable difficulty in tracing
the order and ceconomy of the Church, under the ad
ministration of the Apostles, after the ascension of
our Saviour. They who acknowledge that any plat
form is exhibited in the Scriptures, are divided and in
doubt, whether there were in the Apostolic constitu
tion more than two orders ; the Deacons, whose sepa
rate office is undisputed; and the Apostles and Elders,
occupying one and the same authority, which is the
opinion of Presby terian s : or whether, according to that
of Episcopalians, there were not three distinct and
separate orders, the Deacons in the lowest degree, the
Presbyters in the next gradation, and over all the
Apostles, possessing unlimited and superior power.
1 John xx. 22. m Eph. iv. 11.

58
There are also certain passages in the Epistles of St.
Paul, in which more offices are enumerated, and in
which the order of the Church is represented as more
diversified : " He gave some Apostles, and some
Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pastors
and Teachers, for the knitting together of the saints,
for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the
body of Christ"." " God hath set some in the Church,
first Apostles, secondarily Prophets, thirdly Teachers;
after that miracles ; then gifts of healing ; helps ;
governments ; diversities of tongues. Are all Apo
stles ? Are all Prophets ? Are all Teachers ? Are all
workers of miracles ? Have all the gifts of healing ?
Do all speak with tongues ? Do all interpret ° ?"
" Having then gifts, differing according to the grace
that is given us, according to the proportion of faith,
whether prophecy, let us prophesy ; or ministry, let
us wait on our ministering ; or he that teacheth, on
teaching ; or he that eochorteth, on. exhortation ; he
that giveth, let him do it with simplicity ; he that
ruleth, with diligence ; he that sheweth mercy, with
cheerfulness'1." This last passage is interpreted of
ecclesiastical matters, from the mention of rule, which
must imply ecclesiastical rule, as the Apostles do not
instruct the civil powers ; as the difference of gifts
according to the grace that is given to us, seems to
imply a distinction of ministerial power, and of the
grace required and afforded in the execution of it,
and as the proportion of faith may be applied to the
proportion of trust reposed in the different Ministers.
If in these passages a distinction of name necessarily
n Ephes. iv. 11, 12. ° 1 Cor. xii. 28, 29, 30. p Rom.
xii. 6, 7, 8.

59
implies a distinction of order, here are no less than
sixteen degrees in the Apostolical ministry; Apostles ;
Prophets ; Evangelists ; Pastors ; Teachers ; Workers
of miracles ; Persons possessed of gifts of healing ;
Helps ; Governments ; Diversities of tongues ; In
terpreters; Ministers or Deacons; Exhorters; Givers;
Rulers; Shewers of mercy. Giving and the shewing
of mercy may perhaps be considered private duties of
all Christian people, indiscriminately, and not the ex
clusive offices of the Deacon; and of the remaining
fourteen offices, some appear synonimous with each
other, and are capable of mutual resolution and re
duction. Although an attempt to reduce all these
designations, to the familiar orders of Apostles,
Presbyters, and Deacons, may be thought to proceed
from a love of hypothesis, yet there does not appear
any violation of the truth or simplicity of the Scrip
tures, in the following collocation of the common
and scriptural titles of the ministry, their appropriate
offices, and their corresponding gifts.

OFFICE. TITLES. GIFTS.
Eph. iv. 11, 12. Rom. xii. 6, 7, 8. 1 Cor. xii. 28, 29, 50. 1 Cor. xii. 8, 9, 10.

[ sties.

j together I ("Apostles. Word of Wisdom.
\ of the > Apostles. He that ruletli. J Miracles. Miracles.
I Saints I 1 Governments. Discerning of Spirits.

;>- XSSSg ^^'}fffiL}{KU,
1 ) Christ. j I Pastors. f I horteth. J ) sPeakers with
*• J J v v. tongues.
"ons JW£« °f\ S*yST- 1 /Draconshtp""611^ fTeacher, F,tll
.ons< _Jh.e >< _list!- L< H„ tw „;™th. VHelos. Frooh,

(. tongues. Kinds of tongues.
rWoAof, rEvange. fH^f6^ (Y
mercv. J V- tongues.

60
In the enumeration of these several offices to the
Corinthians, the Apostle expressly assigns the first
rank to the Apostles, the second to the Prophets, and
the third to the Teachers ; and in mentioning the
remaining offices, he seems desirous of marking the
analogy or mutual relation which subsists between
them ; he says, God hath set some in the Church,
First Apostles ; Secondly Prophets ; Thirdly Teachers ;
After that Miracles; Then Gifts of healing ; Helps;
Governments; Diversities of tongues;
I 1
Speaking with tongues ; Interpretation of tongues.
V
The eighth office requires to be divided, that the
offices may be equal in number to the gifts, or qualifi
cations for the discharge of them. In this scale, it
will not be denied, that Governments are identically
the same with Apostles, and Helps with Teachers. To
the Ephesians he mentions the same offices of Apo
stles, Prophets, and Teachers ; and to these he adds
in the third place, Evangelists, which is equivalent to
Deacons or Teachers, and is indeed the title borne by
Philip, the Deacon, at Caesarea q : and Pastors, an of
fice which both Peter r and Paul s ascribe to the Pres
byters or Bishops. In the Epistle to the Romans,
He that ruleth, is synonimous with Governments or
Apostles among the Corinthians ; Prophecy is common
to the three lists, and includes the work of exhorta
tion, which is appropriated to the Bishops * : He that
teacheth, differs in nothing from a Teacher ; Ministry
or Deaconship fixes its own place, and comprehends
giving and shewing mercy, if they be ministerial acts,
To the five titles of Ephesian ministry, there are but
three offices assigned, a presumptive proof that there
i Acts xxi. 8. r lPeterv.2. sActsxx.2S. 'Titusi.9.

61
are but three officers to execute them : the work of
the Ministry or Deaconship may be applied without
hesitation to the lowest order ; the edifying of the
body of Christ, seems the proper work of the lowest
order ; and the knitting together of the Saints, or set
tling the disjointed members in their proper place,
to the highest or Apostolic order.
It is not pretended, that this collocation of the
Scriptural by the more familiar denominations of the
several orders of the Christian ministry, is definitive or
decisive, or that an improved arrangement might not
be digested or introduced ; but it is sufficient for the
purpose for which it is suggested, of shewing that the
largest enumeration of ecclesiastical offices may be
resolved into three simple orders, and that there is
no necessity for imagining that the original orders
and constitution were more numerous and diversified.
It is also necessary to shew, that there is no reason
for reducing this triple order to a yet more simple
form ; or for supposing that the Apostles and Elders
are one and the same order, designated Presbyters in
respect of age, and Apostles in respect of office.
It is admitted, that the Apostles were Presbyters in
such sense as the superior always includes the inferior
dignity ; and the Twelve, who occupied the second
rank, and acted in the capacity of Elders, during the
personal ministry of the Lord, were on his ascension
raised from that lower to the higher state of Apostles.
St. Peter indeed, exhorting the Elders to feed the flock
of Christ, calls himself their fellow-elder ",<rv[i.ngeo-§uTego;,
* 1 Peter v. 1, 2, 3.

62
and so he was uniting both offices in the higher one;
and using the inferior with singular address and compli
ment to the Elders, whom he was addressing, and not
affecting power over them, while he forbade them to
usurp it over others ; but in the salutation with which
he introduces the Epistle, and in which he is desirous
of commanding attention, he assumes his proper title
and authority, and calls himself an Apostle of Jesus
Christ", and possessing this preeminence himself, he
speaks of but two orders of ministry, of the Presby
ters, and of the younger or Deacons, who were to
submit to themy, or, as he otherwise expresses him
self, " If any man speak, let him speak as the ora
cles of God ; if any man minister, or execute the of
fice of a Deacon, let him do it of the ability which
God giveth 2." St. John also designates himself the
Elder3, in his Epistles to Gaius and the elect Lady, to
whom, if a person is intended, he might be willing
to condescend ; but when his modesty led him to
suppress his name, it is not difficult to account for
his concealing his distinguishing appellation. It might
be thought, that the Apostles spoke in reference to
their age ; but St. Paul uses a different term, when
he describes himself as Paul the aged b, ¦nrgetrSvrric.
There is certainly no passage, on which it can be de
finitively established, that the plural term Elders, of
itself denotes the Apostolic College, in its collective
capacity. When the disciples of Antioch determined
to send relief to their brethren in Judea, in the time
of dearth, and sent their contributions to the Elders
by the hands of Paul and Barnabas c, it must be re-
x 1 Peter i.l. ^1 Peter v. 5. z 1 Peter iv. 11.
" 3 and 3 John 1. b Philem. 9. « Acts xi. 30,

63
membered, that the distribution of alms was a work
which the Apostles had publicly renounced, and for
which they had distinctly instituted the office of
Deacons; that these alms were collected for the espe
cial use of the Churches of Judea; that the appropria
tion of them did not belong to the Apostolic College,
but to the Presbyters, who presided over the several
congregations ; nor does it appear that any Apostle
was present when they were delivered. When Paul
was introduced to the brethren at Jerusalem, and
James and all the Elders cl were present, it may cer
tainly be questioned, whether the council consisted of
no more than the Twelve, whether indeed any of the
Apostles was present except James, who constantly
resided, and held supreme authority in the Church of
Jerusalem. Mention is also made of the Apostles
and Elders ; and there is a sense of the copulative
conjunction, by which it connects two words in such
manner, that they denote but one person or thing ;
and thus, the Apostles and Elders may mean no more
than the Apostles, the Elders. This expression how
ever occurs only on one important occasion, on an
extraordinary convocation of the Church, when a dif
ficult question was to be debated, and an interesting
report was to be received, and would not have been
repeated so frequently in one chapter ", if a single ex
pression could have adequately expressed the meaning
of the writer. When two or more of the Apostolic
body are mentioned, the single word, Apostles f, is
used, and is sufficiently explicit; as when St. Paul speaks
of the Apostles, who were in Christ before him. The
d Acts xxi. 18. c Acts xv, 1, 4, 6, 22, 23. f Acts viii. 18.
Rom. xvi. 6.

64
title of Apostle is never applied abstractedly and with
out addition, to denote a person not possessed of the
Apostolic character. Paul and Barnabas are indeed
called Apostles s, but without referring to the com
mon form of speech, by which the title of one person
is indiscriminately applied to another acting in com
pany with him, as Saul is included among the pro
phets and teachers of Antioch h, it is a very probable
opinion, that Barnabas had been raised to the Aposto
lic office, and supplied the vacancy, occasioned by the
martyrdom of James '. St. Paul recommends Epa-
phroditusk to the Philippians, as his brother and com
panion in labour and fellow-soldier, and in a peculiar
manner their Apostle or messenger ; as one im
pressed with the deepest interest in their welfare, as
one whom they should receive with gladness and hold
in reputation ; and ecclesiastical writers accordingly
consider him the first Bishop of Philippi. When St.
Paul, anticipating the inquiries of the Corinthians, in
forms them, that Titus is his partner and fellow-helper
concerning them, and that the brethren are the mes
sengers, or Apostles of the Churches, and the glory of
Christ1, it is probable that he uses the term* to recom
mend the Apostolical authority, with which Luke was
afterwards invested ; or he may apply it in its ordi
nary sense, and represent Luke as the messenger or
person deputed to convey the bounty of the Churches :
and if the title of being the glory of Christ shall seem
too elevated for so inferior an office, the words may
be translated, according to some copies, messengers
of the Churches and of the glory, or, which are the
s Acts xiv. 4. h Acts xiii. 1. ' Acts xii. 2. k Philip.
ii. 25, 26, 29. iv. 18. ' 2 Cor. viii. 23.

65
glory of Christ. The translators of the Bible indeed,
by the difference of their version in both of these
texts, seem to have understood the word not in its
specific but in its general sense of an envoy or mes
senger. In this sense the word was familiar to the
Jews, who applied it to "such persons as were sent
by the high priests and heads of the people, to collect
the tithes and other dues belonging to the Temple or
Synagogue, or to convey their orders and mandates to
the cities and provinces, when any affairs relating to
religion were transacted : to this custom St. Paul
alludes, when he indignantly declares, that he was an
Apostle not of menm;" and our Saviour, who pre
ferred to the invention of new terms, the adaptation of
those in common use, and the application of them
in a higher and peculiar sense, may have denominated
the Twelve emphatically Apostles.
It is curious to observe the distinction in the de
signation of the Twelve, before and after our Lord's
ascension. In the Gospels, their usual denomination
is the Twelve, or the Disciples ; John never calls them
by any other title ; Matthew and Mark use the term
Apostles once only n ; Luke uses it but on very few
occasions, when he records its appropriation to them
at the time of their election u ;, when he relates, that
the Apostles made their report to Jesus p ; that the
Apostles asked the Lord to increase their faith i ; that
the twelve Apostles were present with him at the cele
bration of the Passover ' ; and that after the resur
rection, the women communicated their discovery to
m Galat.i. 1. n Matt. x. 2. Mark vi. 30. ° Luke vi. 13.
p Luke ix, 10. q Luke xvii. 5. r Luke xxii. 14.
F

brj
tlie Apostles ° : and on one occasion our Saviour
refers to the prophecy of sending Prophets and Apo
stles *, where both words must be understood in their
general, and not in their specific sense. It cannot be
supposed an idiom of the writer of the Acts and of the
third Gospel, as he continually refers to them under
the name of the twelve u, the disciples x, his disciples y,
the twelve disciples z , and even of the eleven *, in
the interval between the resurrection and the ascen
sion. In the succeeding events of their history, they
are constantly designated by the name not of Disciples^
but of Apostles. They are advanced to a higher
office, and distinguished by an appropriate name. The
Disciples implied their subordinate, the Apostles their
independent authority : and it is a powerful confirma
tion of the argument, that the Evangelists, Luke and
Mark, that Timothy and Titus, Epaphroditus and
Clemens, and even Ignatius, though not of the Apo
stolic body, are by Ecclesiastical writers denominated
Apostles, when they were invested with Apostolical
authority over the Churches, and with power of
raising others to the ministry.
Since therefore the title of Elders is not used to
designate the Apostles individually, except by accom
modation ; nor collectively, except in one instance,
when James was probably included among the Pres
byters of Jerusalem ; since Apostles and Elders are
not convertible terms, or indiscriminately applicable to
s Luke xxiv. 10. l Luke xi. 49. " Luke viii. 1. ix. 12.
xxii. 3, 47. x Luke ix. 16. xvii. 1, 22. xviii. 15. y Luke
viii. 9, 22. ix. 18, 43, 54. xix. 29. xxii. 39, 45. * Luke ix. 1.
» Luke xxiv. 9, 33.

67
the same persons in the same sense ; and since there
is a marked alteration in the designation of the Apo
stles, when they acted under and without the Lord ;
we draw the conclusion, that Apostles and Presbyters
are not one and the same order, but possessed of dis
tinct and separate authorities ; and consequently, that
there are not less than three orders of the Christian
ministry, denominated in the Scriptures, Apostles,
Presbyters, and Deacons. But, though even in the
science of demonstration, when a vessel is proved to
contain neither more nor less than a given quantity,
the negative argument is held conclusive, nor is it
necessary to produce positive proof of its actual ca
pacity, our Ecclesiastical reasoning is not exhausted;
and as it has been shewn, that there are neither more
nor less than three orders of the Christian ministry,
it remains to be proved that there are three orders by
a distinct consideration of the offices and privileges,
severally assigned to the separate orders of Apostles,
Presbyters, and Deacons.
The powers possessed by the Apostles, and from
them devolving on their successors, the Bishops of
later times, related to the government of the Church ;
the trial and excommunication of offenders ; the or
dination of ministers ; the visitation of Churches ; and
the confirmation of persons previously baptized ; and
these powers they exercised not locally, or over sepa
rate congregations, but generally over all the Churches
within a peculiar district.
A RULING power was vested in the Apostles ; and
it has been shewn, that St. Paul uses the expressions,

68
he that rulethh, and governments* , as descriptive of
the Apostolic character. The mission of Peter and
John to the Samaritan converts d ; the decision of
the controversy concerning circumcision at Antioch ;
and the accompanying prescription of essential duties',
which though specifically addressed to the brethren of
Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, virtually included the
Gentiles of other places f, may be considered as in
stances of the exercise of this power by the Apostles,
acting in concert with each other and with the Pres
byters ; and it is hardly possible to read the Epistles
of St. Paul, without observing the authority with
which he addresses the Churches to which he writes,
and with which he issues " commands, censures, and
peremptory precepts." This authority is more espe
cially observable in the two Epistles to the Corin
thians, which may be considered under the character
of an Episcopal charge. Was he without authority
when he condemned their divisions £, and their pro
fanation of the Supper of the Lord '' ? Was he without
authority, when he proposed to set other things in
order, when he came ', and declared what were his
ordinances in all the Churches k ? When he animad
verted upon the dress of men and women in the con
gregation l ? When he prescribed the order of their
praying and prophesying, or when he reprobated the
use of an unknown tongue m ? Or had he no authority
over those, who thought themselves prophets or spi
ritual persons, and whom he required to acknowledge,
b Romans xii. 8. c 1 Cor.xii. 28. d Acts viii. 14. 'Acts
xv. 23, 24. f Acts xvi. 4. « 1 Cor. i. 10, 11. h 1 Cor.
xi. 18. M Cor. xi. 34. k 1 Cor. vii. 17. ' 1 Cor. xi.
4, 5. m 1 Cor. xiv. 2, 4, 29, 31.

6.9
that the things which he wrote were the command
ment of the Lord " ? In his second Epistle, he une
quivocally asserts this authority which the Lord had
given him for edification, and not for destruction ° ;
and he intimates, that this authority was confined
within a certain boundary, within the measure of the
rule, which God had distributed to him, and especially
included the Corinthians ; for he boasted not of things
without his measure, that is of other men's labours, or
in another man's line of things made ready to his
hand p. This authority St. Paul maintained over the
Corinthians, when he was absent from them, and at a
time when spiritual persons and prophets were resi
dent among them, who were not however exempt from
his jurisdiction, or competent to rule the Church
without his instructions. In delivering some of these
instructions, it is plain that he acts in the character
of a Governor of the Church ; he takes upon himself
a right of determining in matters left indifferent by
Christ q ; and he is scrupulous in renouncing all claim
to extraordinary and immediate inspiration '. In the
same manner, when the brethren at Antioch referred
the question concerning circumcision to the Apostles
at Jerusalem, they appealed to them as to Governors,
having proper authority to decide it, and not as to
Apostolic persons, extraordinarily illuminated, of
whom every individual was as capable of resolving it,
as the whole College, and at Antioch, as well as at Jeru
salem ; and this consideration is necessary to explain
the form in which their determination was recorded ;
n 1 Cor. xiv. 37. ° 2 Cor. x. S. xiii. 10. p 2 Cor. x,
13-^16. i 1 Cor. vii. 8, 25. viii. 1. x. 27. r 1 Cor. vii. 6,
12, 25. 2 Cor. viii. 8. xi. 17-
F 3

70
It seemed good unto us ; or, It seemed good unto the
Holy Ghost and to us5. With the same authority of
Governors of the Church, St. John forbids the elect
Lady and her children to receive or salute those who
brought not the doctrine of Christ *; and in his third
Epistle, he refers to a letter, which he had written, and
to the presumption of Diotrephes, in not receiving
himu: and James, with severe allusion to the par
tiality of the prevailing practice, indirectly recom
mends a perfect equality and indifference to external
circumstances, in sitting in the public congregation x,
and he also prescribes the form which should be ob
served in the visitation of the sick y. St. Paul not only
exercised this authority in his own person, but dele
gated it to others, whom he deputed to inspect the state
of various Churches, which are commanded to receive
them2. Timothy was left at Ephesus, to charge some,
that they should teach no other doctrine", no doctrine
different from that which had been delivered at once to
the Saints ; to take care that prayers, supplications,
intercessions, and giving of thanks, should be made
for all men b ; an Apostolical injunction, which if it
does not prescribe a precise form of words, prescribes
at least the nature and subject, the order and method
of the public devotions. Among the Elders, he was
to reckon them that ruled well worthy of double ho
nour or maintenance c : he was appointed guardian of
the public bounty of the Church, and instructed to
watch over it, that it might not be abused by the relief
» Acts xv. 25,28. ' 2 John 10. " 3 John 9. x James
ii. 2, 3. y James v. 14. * 1 Cor. xvi. 10. 2 Cor. viii. 17,
18, 22. Ephes. vi. 21. Philip, ii. 19. Col. iv. 8, 9. 1 Thess. iii. 2.
ft I Tim. i. 3. "1 Tim. ii. 1. <= 1 Tim. v. 17.

71
of widows who were undeserving, or not destitute A ;
and he was solemnly charged to execute his office,
without preferring one before another, doing nothing
by partiality u. The principal purpose for which Titus
was left in Crete, was to set in order the things that
were wanting f, to correct what was wrong and to
supply what was defective, to order the things which
St. Paul had left unsettled, when he founded the
Church of Crete, the regulation of which among the
Corinthians he had reserved to himself, and which
he did not esteem the subordinate ministers of Crete
or Corinth competent to arrange. There is no in
stance of the conveyance of this power to the Pres
byters, unless it be demanded for the Elders who rule
well, whose ruling however was most probably limited
to their respective congregations, and consisted in
observing the Apostolical ordinances ; or referred to
the arbitration of private disputes, which our Lord
reserves to the Church, and which St. Paul condemns
the Corinthians for litigating before unbelievers.
The two latter instances will be more properly and
more consistently reduced under that judicial au
thority, which was given to the Apostles by their di
vine commission of remitting and retaining sins, and
in virtue of which they exercised the power of excom
munication. While the affair could be settled by
private agreement between the parties, or by the me
diation of mutual friends, it was not to be brought
before the Church, whose interference was to be au
thoritative; and in the event of contumacy, the refrac-
* 1 Tim. v. 4, 11, 16. e 1 Tim. v. 21. f Titus i. 5.
f4

72
tory person was to be as a heathen and a publican ; an
expression of which the meaning was familiar and
obvious to the Jews, and was equivalent to his exclu
sion from the synagogue : and that the Church is
used in this passage metonymically, for the Ministers
of the Church, appears from the subjoined authority ;
" Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound
in heaven ; and whatsoever ye shall loose upon earth,
shall be loosed in heaven8." Such an anticipation of
the future power of his Ministers was not unusual
with our Lord. The case of litigation in the courts
of the Heathen h must be understood in connection
with the preceding chapter, of which it is the con
tinuation and conclusion. The Apostle strongly re
probates the spirit of litigation, in the stead of which
he recommends forbearance and acquiescence even
under injury. If Christians in the glorified state shall
be exalted to judge the world, he concludes, that they
are certainly capable of deciding those smaller trifles,
which relate to this present life ; and with the most
pointed severity, he recommends them to refer their
disputes to the arbitration of such as are least
esteemed in the Church, for even their judgment is
preferable to that of those that are without ; and
speaking to their shame, and with a view of discounte
nancing their folly, he asks, Is there not a wise man
among you? not one, that can judge between his
brother ? But must brother go to law with brother ?
a case in itself sufficiently flagrant, and must it be
aggravated by the consideration of its being done be
fore unbelievers, and giving them an occasion of re-
s Matt, xviii. 15—18. >' 1 Cor. vi. 1—11.

73
proach ? The thing itself was utterly faulty ; unworthy
of their Christian forbearance, of their professed ex
pectation of a judgment to come, when the unjust,
whom they were prosecuting, should receive a cor
responding sentence, and inconsistent with the re
membrance of their own original condition, before
they were sanctified by their baptism in the name of
our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our God.
A case of notorious incest ' had been reported to the
Apostle, who acted on the report with the most de
cisive authority, reproaching them with their indiffer
ence that they were not grieved at the offence, and
had not shunned the company of the offender. In
words the most solemn and impressive which can be
conceived, he pronounced the sentence of excommu
nication, which was to be published in his name either
by Timothy, who was sent to them upon this occa
sion1', or by one of the prophets who was settled among
them. " I verily, as absent in body, but present in
spirit, have judged already, as though I were present,
concerning him that hath so done this deed ; in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered
together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord
Jesus Christ, to deliver such an one unto Satan for
the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be
saved in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ1." The
same awful sentence was inflicted on Hymeneus and
Alexander, whom the Apostle delivered unto Satan,
that they might learn not to blaspheme1". In the re
laxed spirit of modern times, when the guilt of heresy

1 1 Cor. v. 1. k 1 Cor. iv. 1?. xvi. 10. ' 1 Cor. v. 3, 4, 5.
1 Tim. i. 20.

74
is palliated, and the power of excommunication as an
ecclesiastical punishment is proscribed, the authority
of the Apostle may be questioned, and his language
misapplied and misunderstood. When the Apostolic
discipline was exercised vigorously and without re
lenting towards notorious offenders, it made such an
impression on the criminal and his connections, that
the one could not but intercede for the other, that he
might not be consumed with overmuch sorrow"; and
its severity, of which the object was the reformation
of the sinner, rather than the punishment of the sin,
was relaxed, and on the application of the Corin
thians, the offender was absolved in the most pathetic
manner by the Apostle, with reference to the pain
which the former necessity had occasioned, and with
the most affectionate recommendation of them to for
give and comfort the excommunicated person, and to
confirm their love towards him". There is but this
one instance of the restoration of an excommunicated
person, which St. Paul conceded to the Corinthians,
with strong approbation of their forgiving and relent
ing spirit ; nor of actual excommunication is there
any other instance, except the case of Simon Magus,
whom Peter excommunicated, and deprived of all lot
and share in the privileges of the word or Gospel of
Christp. The danger of abusing this Apostolic power
of excommunication was acknowledged by St. Paul,
who, when he exercised it even in the person of Christ,
was apprehensive lest Satan should get the advantage
over him, for he was not ignorant of his devices q.
n 2 Cor. ii. 7. ° Ver. 4—8. p Acts viii. 21. i 2 Cor.
ii. 11.

75
He does not however lay aside the use of this pri
vilege, but threatens to use it under the name of a
rod1', of boldness and of a spiritual weapon5, of sharp
ness and of a power, which the Lord had given him
for edification, and not for destruction*, upon them
who exalted themselves, and disputed his authority:
and because it was necessary for the government of
the Church, he committed it to Titus, whom he in
structed to reject an heretic", after the first and se
cond admonition had been delivered without effect,
an instruction, in which our Lord's direction to his
Church * will be immediately recognized. The Angels
of the Asiatic Churches possessed the same authority.
The Angel of the Church of Ephesus is commended,
because he could not bear those that were evil, and
had tried them, who said they were Apostles and were
not, and had found them liars y, or judicially convicted
them of imposture. The Angel of the Church of
Pergamos is reproved, because he had them that
held the doctrine of Balaam, and that of the Nico-
laitanes2, but he could not be partaker of other men's
sins, unless he had power to control them : and
against the Angel of the Church of Thyatira, the
same offence is alleged, in relation to the woman
Jezebel", for whose practices and doctrines he could
not be responsible, unless he was invested with coer
cive power, which he neglected to exercise. The
same authority was possessed by St. John, who threat
ened to exert it against Diotrephes1', whose offence
r 1 Cor. iv. 21. s 2 Cor. x. 2, 4. '2 Cor. x. 8. xiii. 10.
" Titus iii. 10. x Matt, xviii. 16, 17. y Rev. ii. 2. * Rev.
ii. 14, 15. a Rev. ii. 20. b 3 John 10.

76
was that he affected this power over the brethren,
whom he presumed to excommunicate, and that he
rejected the control of St. John, who alone was en
titled to the preeminence. Against such an elder
Timothy was authorized to receive an accusation0,
though it was to be investigated with equal solemnity
and delicacy, before one or two witnesses, that the
judge might not be suspected of partiality, nor the
accused person be degraded by a public exposure of
the crime imputed to him. Private persons who
sinned were to be rebuked with authority d, before all,
that others also might fearc : and St. Paul took occa
sion of the excommunication of the incestuous Corin
thian, to prohibit all association with a flagitious bro-
therf, a measure of prudence and precaution, which
he frequently recommended, requiring the Romans
to mark and avoid those who caused divisions and
offences s among them, and enjoining the Thessalo
nians to withdraw themselves from every brother that
walked disorderly, and not after the tradition which
he had received, and to mark and to hold no company
with such as did not obey his word h ; and which St.
John also adopted in relation to those who brought
not the doctrine of Christ'. The extraordinary and
miraculous punishments inflicted on Ananias and
Sapphira1', and on Elymas the Sorcerer1, may be com
prehended under this judicial power which was pos
sessed by the Apostles.
Of the ordaining power, belonging exclusively to
c 1 Tim. v. 19. d Titus ii. 15. e 1 Tim. v. 20. f 1 Cor.
v. 11. s Rom. xvi. 17. h 2 Thess. iii. 6, 14. '' 2 John 10.
k Acts v. 5, 10. ' Acts xiii. 11.

77
the Apostles, and to the persons oh whom they con
ferred it, are many recorded instances ; as, the ordi
nation of the seven Deacons, by the assembled College
of Apostles™ ; that of the Presbyters, whom Paul and
Barnabas ordained in every Church" ; that of Timothy
by St. Paul in concert with the Presbytery ; and that
of the Presbyters, whom Timothy and Titus were ap
pointed to ordain in their respective provinces. It is
a sufficient proof of the distinctness and peculiarity
of the ordaining power which was thus conveyed to
Timothy and Titus, that presbyters had already been
settled, certainly at Ephesus, and probably in Crete,
who were nevertheless not qualified to execute this
office, or the especial delegation of Timothy and
Titus would have been unnecessary. The instructions
concerning the manner of executing their office are
also addressed personally to them, and not generally
to the Church, or to the officers of the Church. For
this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest
ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee0.
Commit thou to faithful men the things which thou
hast heardp. In judging of the qualifications of mi
nisters, they were to exercise their own discretion :
Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be thou par
taker of other men's sins ; keep thyself pureq. But
although they were not required to refer to or com
municate with the subordinate ministers, in the dis
charge of their own superior function, and were
charged in their own single persons not to prefer one
man before another, and to do nothing by partiality,
m Acts vi. 6. n Acts xiv. 23. ° Titus i. 6. p 2 Tim.
ii. 2. ii Tim. v. 22. r 1 Tim. v. 21.

78
it is probable that they would consult them, and use
their judgment, in matters in which they possessed
better and more immediate opportunities of informa
tion than themselves ; as in the trial of Bishops and
Deacons, who were required to be blameless1 ', a cha
racter, which seems to imply the deliberate testimony
of competent judges, and to exclude the disorderly
votes of a promiscuous multitude. The Presbyters
certainly acted in conjunction with the Apostle, in
laying their hands on the person ordained, as is still
the practice of Episcopal Churches, and as was exem
plified in the ordination of Timothy*, in which the
operative part of the ceremony was performed by St.
Paul, from "whose act therefore the ceremony derived
its validity, with the concurrence of the Presbytery,
in the mere form of imposition of hands, for the
greater solemnity of the act. There is however no
scriptural precedent of ordination, conferred by those
who were raised to no other rank than that of Pres
byters ; no record of the conveyance of this privilege;
no directions concerning the use of it ; no reproof of
its neglect or misuse, nor any intimation concerning
it, except the prophecy, that the time would come,
when men would not endure sound doctrine, but
having itching ears would heap to themselves teachers,
according to their own lusts, and would turn away
their ears from the truth, and would be turned unto
fables": a prophecy, corresponding with that which
St. Paul had himself delivered to the Ephesian Pres
byters1, and the accomplishment of which Timothy
• 1 Tim. iii. 2, 10, 11. Titus i. 6. '1 Tim. iv. 14. 2 Tim. i. G-.
» 2 Tim. iii. 4. * Acts xx. 29, 30.

79
was left at Ephesus to prevent?. It is recorded indeed,
that the prophets at Antioch laid their hands on Bar
nabas and Saul2, but it was not to ordain them, for
they had previously received and exercised ministerial
authority, and were included in the list of the pro
phets at Antioch", and was no more than a form of
recommending them to the favour of God, in the par
ticular ministry, for which the Holy Spirit had sepa
rated themb: and in the ordination of Presbyters in
every Church by Paul and Barnabas c, the latter acted
only as the assisting Presbyter, unless indeed, as is
more probable, he was now invested with the Apo
stolic character. The original word, which is used
on this occasion, has led some persons to suppose,
that a popular election is implied, an opinion in im
mediate opposition to the clear evidence of the text.
In the use of the classic writers, it is not denied, that
the word generally denotes a shew of hands, or the
suffrages of the people, in favour of any person pro
posed to their choice, or any measure submitted to
their decision ; in the sacred writings it certainly
means a personal act, as it is applied with reference
to Godd, and it may mean a popular election". The
grammatical construction of the text requires, that
the act implied in this word should be appropriated
exclusively to the persons, who prayed with fasting,
who commended either the people or the presbyters
to the Lord, and who passed through Pisidia and came
to Pamphylia ; and these were unquestionably Paul
and Barnabas. When it was pretended, that the Apo-
y 1 Tim. i. 3. * Acts xiii. 3. a Ver. 1. b Acts xiv. 26.
"> Acts xiv. 23. d Acts x. 41. c 2 Cor. viii. 19.

80
sties took " the votes and suffrages of the members
of the Churches, shewn by the stretching out of the
hand, as the word signifies, and which they directed
them to, and upon it declared the Elders duly elected
and ordained," some authority should have been pro
duced for this signification of the word ; and it should
have been shewn, that the officer, who proposed the
election, was said to stretch out the hand, and be the
organ of the sentiments of the people. If the stretch
ing forth of the hand, however, be confined to the
Apostles, as the order of the history and the con
struction of the text require, no variation of the ver
sion will countenance the supposed right of popular
election ; and to specify the nature, of the action was
the less necessary, as it is illustrated by the detailed
form of laying hands upon the seven Deacons, upon
the Presbyters whom Timothy was to ordain, and yet
more clearly in the detached records of his ordination.
The Apostles, deeply interested for the welfare of
the Churches, which they had severally planted, on va
rious occasions personally visited them, and inspected
their order and sincerity in the faith, or commis
sioned others to visit them with delegated authority.
Personal visitations were held by St. Paul over the
Churches at Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch f, of Phrygia
and Galatias, and for a similar purpose the elders of
Ephesus were summoned to Miletus1'. Visitations
by persons acting with deputed, or, if a more modern
expression may be allowed, with suffragan authority,
may be exemplified in the mission of Peter and John
f Acts xiv. 21. z Acts xviii. 25. '¦ Acts xx. 17.

81
to the converts at Samaria', and into the deputation
of Timothy and Erastus, into Macedonia1', of Timo
thy x and of Titus m to Corinth, of Tychicus to Ephe
sus by himself", and to Colosse in connection with
Onesimus", and of Timothy to Thessalonica1'. These
persons carried letters of recommendation from the
Apostles, who required the Churches to which they
were sent to receive them ; maintaining at the same
time a scrupulous jealousy of their proper jurisdiction,
and warning them to beware of unauthorized in
truders. At the time of these visitations, confirmation, with
imposition of hands, was administered to such as had
been previously baptized. Thus did St. Paul lay his
hands on those disciples of John at Ephesus, who had
been baptized into the name of Christ q ; and thus,
according to a more exact and particular relation,
did Peter and John lay their hands on those disciples
at Samaria ', who had been converted and baptized
by Philip, the Deacon, " who, though full of the Holy
Ghost, left their confirmation, as an act which ex
ceeded the limits of his office, to be performed by
those superior ministers, to whom it belonged." Con
firmation is confessedly an ordinance of Apostolical
institution, and was exclusively administered by the
Apostles. They also took a chief part in the con
gregations, in which they were present, in the cele
bration of the death of Christ ; and it is certain that
the words of institution % primarily relate to their
' Acts viii. 14. k Acts xix. 22. • 1 Cor. iv. 17. xvi. 10.
m 2 Cor. viii. 17. n Eph. vi. 22. ° Col. iv. 8, 9. p 1 Thess.
iii. 2. i Acts xix. 6. r Acts viii. 17. ' Luke xxii. 19.
G

82
administration, but not in such a manner, as to ex
clude that of the inferior orders, since St. Paul repeats
them in his Epistle to the Corinthians*, at a time
when no one superior to a prophet was resident
among them. On the same occasion he speaks of
the cup which we bless, and of the bread which we
break" ; and when the disciples were assembled at
Troas to break bread, Paul preached to them ; and
when the principal design of their meeting was delayed
by the long discourse of St. Paul, by the accident of
Eutychus and the Apostles miraculous recovery of
him, they seem to have waited the leisure of Paul,
till he came up again, and had broken bread and
eaten". That they were in the habit of administering
baptism, does not appear. St. Paul expressly declares,
that he had not baptized any of the Corinthians, but
Crispus and Gaius and the household of Stephanas,
and that Christ indeed had not sent him to baptize,
but to preach the Gospel-'. Persons converted by
the preaching of the Apostles were immediately bap
tized ; but it is not reported that the Apostles offi
ciated on the occasion. Cornelius on his conversion
by St. Peter was with his family immediately baptized;
but the names of those who baptized them are not
specified, though Peter is certainly excluded2 : the
converted gaoler and his family may have been bap
tized by Silas" ; and the Ephesian disciples by Timo
thy or Erastus '' : and it is an important coincidence,
that when Jesus made and baptized more disciples
than John, yet Jesus himself baptized not, but his
' 1 Cor. xi. 2-1, 25. " Ver. 16. x Acts xx. 11. y 1 Cor.
i. 14, 16, 17- * Acts x.48. " Acts xvi. 33. b Acts xix. 5. ,

83
disciples' ; Jesus, who possessed the highest authority
in the Church, himself baptized not; but his disciples,
the Apostles acting under him, baptized. After his
ascension, his Apostles did not baptize. Is it unrea
sonable to assume, that, raised from an inferior office,
to that higher rank, which Christ had himself pos
sessed, they observed in the administration of it the
precedent and example which he had left ?
If the distinctness of the Apostolic character, in
ferred from the exclusive powers of governing, judg
ing, ordaining, visiting, confirming, and not on bap
tizing, require further illustration, it may be shewn,
that their power was provincial, and comprehended a
large extent of country, while that of other ministers
was local, and confined to a particular spot. The
commission of the Apostles d extended to all nations,
to all the world, and to every creature, with no other
restriction, than that they should begin at Jerusalem6;
and St. Paul was sent without any limitation to the
Gentiles. By virtue of this universal authority, the
Apostolic College received the report of the conver
sion, and provided for the exigencies of the Church of
Samaria* ; and in connection with the elders decided
the controversy concerning circumcision, and issued
a decree in which they included the brethren of
Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, and the Gentiles, of other
parts5. On St. Paul, besides other offices, was im
posed the care of all the Churches'1, of all the
Churches which he had planted, in the concerns of
c John iv. 1, 2. A Matt, xxviii. 19. Mark xvi. 15. e Luke
xxiv. 47. f Acts viii. 14. « Acts xv. 23. xvi. 4. h 2 Cor.
xi. 28.

£4
which he took the most affectionate interest, and over
which I:s preside:! with the most authoritative juris
diction. The history of the Acts and occasional
references in his Epistles, are sufficient testimonies
of his activity and diligence, in inquiring into their
condition and circumstances, in reproving their errors,
in exhorting them to new alacrity, in supplying their
deficiencies, in correcting their irregularities, and in
ordaining and sanding to them proper ministers.
His preaching had extended from Jerusalem round
about to Illyrioum', certainly to Rome, and probably
to Britain ; and without any precise definition of the
geographical limits of his jurisdiction, the Churches
to which he addressed his Epistles are a line for mea
suring its extent; and it must be remembered, that
he did not interfere in the provinces of others. But
in process of time, in order to facilitate the execution
of their commissions, and for the. more effectual ad
ministration of their respective Dioceses, the Twelve
distributed among themselves distinct portions of
their universal province, and Paul admitted others to
a participation of his Apostolical authority. Thus he
constituted Epaphroditus, Apostle of the Philippiansk;
he left Titus in Crete, to set in order the things that
were wanting, and to ordain elders in every city1, an
expression which implies an extensive jurisdiction ;
and when he could no more personally visit themm,
he deputed Timothy " to take charge of the Church
of Ephesus, which certainly comprehended a plurality
of elders, and was an ecclesiastical society so nume-
1 Rem. rv. 19. * Phil. ii. 25. ' Titr.3 i. 5. ¦» Acts
xx. 25. n 1 Tim. i. 3.

85
rous, as to be troubled with teachers of strange doc
trine, who had arisen from among themselves. While
Paul claimed the Uncircumcision, Peter claimed the
Circumcision, whom he calls the strangers scattered
abroad, throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia,
and Bithynia", and among whom he fixed his seat
originally at Antioch p. James was President of the
Churches of Judea, which accounts for his stationary
residence in the city ; for his receiving the Apostles,
when their occasions led them to Jerusalem'1 ; for his
preeminence in the Council which was held there1,
and in the ordinary synod of the Presbyters s ; for the
priority assigned to him, when he is mentioned in
conjunction with other Apostles'; for Peter's wish,
that James should be informed of his deliverance from
prison" ; and for the description of the prophets from
Jerusalem, that they came from James x. In the
prayer before the election of Matthias, the words,
" that he might go to his own place y," applied to
Judas, convey a truth indeed, but one which was very
obvious, and of which the distinct mention was un
necessary ; and they are more naturally connected
with the election of Matthias, that he might take this
ministry and apostleship, that he might go to his own
place, and occupy his proper rank in the Church, and
discharge it in the station, which should be appointed
to him. In the time of St. John, an Angel ruled
each of the seven Asiatic Churches; and records are
extant, which determine the limits of the jurisdiction
° 1 Peter i. 1. p Galat. ii. 11. i Acts xxi. 18. r Acts
xv. 13. s Acts xxi. 13. ' Galat. ii. 9. « Acts xii. 17-
x Galat. ii. 12. y Acts i. 25.
g3

86
of the Apostles and Apostolic men. Inferior ministers
were charged with the care of a particular flock2, and
seem to have had a settled place of residence and a
local ministry; as Philip the Deacon at Csesarea1*,
Archippus at Laodiceah, and other persons in other
situations. It requires considerable attention to investigate the
order of Presbyters, as distinguished from that of
Apostles ; and the difficulty is increased by the variety
of titles which they bear, and the want of a spe
cific and characteristic office. The origin of the
order is not recorded, unless it be a continuation of
that of the Seventy, whose dissolution is not regis
tered ; of whom there is not the most distant intima
tion that their office was limited in time as well as
circumscribed in extent ; whose powers, on the execu
tion of their first commission1', were renewed rather
than terminated ; and after the resurrection were not
revoked or superseded, as those of the Apostles were
confirmed and enlarged ; and whose authority may
probably have been comprehended in our Lord's fa
miliar discourse concerning the kingdom of God'1, in
the interval between the resurrection and ascension,
especially as the signs which should follow them that
believe c are equally appropriate to the Seventy and to
the Presbyters. We have the authority of the Apostle
for asserting, that God set in the Church f a second
order of Prophets, between the Apostles who held the

z Acts xx. 28. 1 Peter v. 2. a Acts xxi. 8. b Col. iv. 17.
* Luke x. 19. d Acts i. 3. e Mark xvi. 17, IS. Luke x. 19,
James v. 14, 15. f 1 Cor. xii. 28.

87
first, and the Deacons who occupied the third degree.
The order was therefore of divine origin and institu
tion : the time of its appointment, which was certainly
previous to the ascension g, is the only remaining
difficulty ; to the removal of which it may be observed,
that St. Peter speaks of the necessity of nominating
to the vacant Apostleship one of those, who had com-
panied with the Apostles all the time that the Lord
Jesus went in and out among themh; and 'this de
scription is strictly applicable to the Seventy, whose
appointment immediately succeeded that of the Apo
stles, and some of whom before that period might be
personally acquainted with the Lord. The persons
nominated in conformity with these instructions were
Matthias and Barsabas1. Barsabas, on a subsequent
occasion of the mission to Antioch, is in conjunction
with Silas described as chief men among the brethren k,
chosen men of their own company1, and lastly as
being prophets themselves™. If therefore Barsabas
was a Prophet, and also one of the Seventy, it follows
that the Prophets or Presbyters and the Seventy are
one and the same order ; in which may also be num
bered Silas, Barnabas, Simeon Niger, Lucius of Cy-
Tene, and Manaen, who are reckoned among the pro
phets and teachers at Antioch", and some of whom
may be the same as came from Jerusalem0. Mention
is made of the Presbyters of Jerusalem ; and on the oc
casion of their first introduction into the history, when
the contributions from Antioch were sent to the
Elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul1', they are
6 Ephes. iv. 11. h Acts i. 21. ' Acts i. 23. k Acts xv. 22.
1 Ver. 25. ln Ver. 32. n Acts xiii. 1. ° Acts xi. 27. « Ver. 30.
G4

represented as an order known and established, and
recognized by a separate Church, though there is no
account of their ordination, or of the institution of
their office, unless their identity with the Seventy be
admitted. That more names of the Seventy or Pres
byters are not extant, and that the origin of their
ministry is not more distinctly marked, will not ap
pear a reasonable exception to the argument, when it
is recollected, how little mention is made of many
even of the Apostles ; that the nomination and divine
preference of Matthias comprise the sum and sub
stance of his history ; and that of the seven Deacons,
Stephen and Philip are the only two of whom we
have any memorial. In vindication of this want of
scriptural information concerning the Apostolical mi
nistries, it must be remembered, that the Apostles
were themselves acquainted with their origin ; that
the Churches gladly acknowledged the authority of
those whom the Apostles sent, and were perhaps in
structed concerning them in private conferences, or
in the traditional ordinances, to which frequent allu
sion is made.
With the title of Prophets or Presbyters, appro
priated to the second order, that of Bishops, in its
scriptural signification, is synonimous. This opinion,
which is recommended by the most respectable au
thority, and on the most mature conviction of its
truth, will facilitate the inquiry into the constitution,
and illustrate the consistency and harmony of the
triple order, of the Apostolic Church. The term
Bishop, and the corresponding term in the original
in its several inflexions, occurs but seldom in the

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Scriptures ; and in its primary sense, denoting a su-
perintendant, an inspector, a superior or overseer, is
appropriated by the Apostles to such as have the over
sight of the flock of Christ. It is first used in relation
to the Ephesian ciders f|, who were the overseers, the
Bishops of the Church, «rio-xo?rouc. Their number is
indefinite, but certainly plural, acting as Presbyters
over the several Churches in the neighbourhood ;
they were probably ordained, as they had been ear
nestly instructed for three years by St. Paul, whose
authority they acknowledged, and on whose summons
they now attended his visitation, and received his final
charge. To them he addressed an Epistle ; he sta
tioned Timothy among them with apostolical autho
rity ; and the last mention of them is when John
addressed the letter to the angel of the Church of
Ephesus r. In the same manner, possessing in his
own person the apostolical or supreme authority, he
salutes the Church at Philippi, with the Bishops and
Deacons s, with the two subordinate orders of the mi
nistry acting in inferior capacities under him. St. Peter,
though he accommodates himself to the Presbyters,
as their fellow-presbyter, yet in the fulness of the
apostolical authority exhorts these Presbyters to feed
the flock which was among them, overseeing it \
tirio-xoTtowTsc, possessing over it episcopal power, which
they were not to abuse. St. Peter also applies to
Judas the words of the Psalmist, His bishopric let
another take"; but Judas never attained the highest
degree of the Christian ministry, which during his
life belonged exclusively to Christ, and not to the
¦) Acts xx. 28. r Rev.ii. 1. s Phil.i. 1. '1 Peter
v. 2. u Acts i. 20.

90
Apostles, who together with Judas were entitled to
the Bishopric, or inspecting office, only in their
subordinate capacity. St. Paul, in his Epistle to Ti
mothy, whom he had invested with apostolical power
at Ephesus, and to Titus, to whom he had committed
the same charge in Crete, advising them how to con
duct themselves in the Church of God, states the qua
lifications required in a Bishop^; and the meaning
is "determined by the purpose for which Titus was left
in Crete, to ordain Elders in every cityy: nor were
they to be novices, persons newly converted to the
faith, lest being lifted up with pride, they might fall
into the snare of the devil2 ; but persons who had been
instructed in the truth with care and attention, and
severely tried and approved; persons on whom the
hand was not laid suddenly ; a caution which the Apo
stle recommended by his own practice, in not ordain
ing ministers at the first conversion of a country, ex
cept, as at Ephesus,1 he remained there a sufficient time
to attain a competent knowledge and experience of
their character. In all these passages, Bishops and
Elders are synonimous terms : and it appears, that
Paul and Peter, Timothy and Titus, possessing supe
rior or apostolical power in the Church, did rule, and
were authorized to ordain, Bishops or Presbyters, who
held but secondary and local power in the Churches
to which they were severally appointed. The use of
the term Bishop in succeeding times, to denote the
superior order, may have been an act of reverence and
compliment to the Apostles, whose peculiar title men
not properly Apostolic may have thought themselves un
worthy to assume: and it is the less necessary to refute
* 1 Tim. iii. 2. Titus i. 7. * Titus i. 3. '1 Tim. iii. 6.

91
the opinion, that the word Bishops, in its scriptural
and ecclesiastical use, denote one and the same degree
of ministry, because it is not even alleged, and it can
never be proved, that the scriptural Bishop ever pos
sessed the powers, or performed the acts of govern
ment, judgment, or ordination, which properly dis
tinguish the Apostle and the modern Bishop from the
Presbyter. The mere question of names and titles is,
however, not material or important ; and it may be
conceded, that they are used by the sacred writers
indiscriminately and without precision. Our Lord
himself is called Apostle and High Priest a ; Bishop
and Pastor b ; and Minister or Deacon c. The deci
sion of the controversy rests not on the meaning of
ambiguous or equivocal words, but on the evidence of
facts, and the unequal distribution of ecclesiastical
power. The office of Prophets, Presbyters, or Bishops, was
subordinate to that of the Apostles, in whose delibe
rations they concurred d, though it may be without
power of originating any measure themselves, or pos
sessing a definitive voice ; and in conjunction with
whom they laid hands on persons ordained6. Their
principal office however appears to have been, to offi
ciate in their respective congregations f ; to pray and
to preach, and perhaps to interpret the words of others,
who spoke in an unknown tongue ; to exhort and to
convince the gainsayers by the soundness of their
doctrine g; and to pray for such sick persons as should
a Heb. iii. 1. b 1 Peter ii. 25. cMatt.xx. 28. d Acts
xv. 6. « 1 Tim. iv. 14. f 1 Cor. xiv. 16, 24, 26—29.
t Titus i. 9.

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send for them, to anoint them with oil in the name of
the Lord, and to pronounce forgiveness of the sins
which they had committed h.
There is no danger of confounding the order of
Deacons, Evangelists, Teachers, or Helps, which are
synonimous designations of the same office, of which
the institution is expressly recorded ', and to which
the third rank in the Christian ministry is assigned by
the Apostle k, with that of Presbyters, whose origin is
less distinct, or that of the Apostles, by whom they
were ordained. It has been conjectured, that the
young men, who carried Ananias and Sapphira to their
burial1, were of this order, and were the Deacons of
the Church of Jerusalem, whose partiality in the dis
tribution of alms provoked the murmurs of the
Grecians m ; and if this conjecture be admitted, the
younger man", whom Timothy was to rebuke as a
brother, and whom Peter required to submit to the
elders, will appear to be designated by their office
rather than by their age. The expression is used by
our Lord in recommending humility to his disciples,
of whom he enjoins him that would be great or chief,
to be as the younger, or as a minister or deacon0 ; in
which capacity, while they held the third degree in the
Christian ministry, the Seventy acted under Christ the
Governor. The specific end of their institution was to super
intend the distribution of alms?; and it is expressly
h James v. 14, 15. '• Acts -,i. 1 — 6. k 1 Cor. xii. 28.
Eph. iv. 1 1. ' Acts v. 6. m Acts vi. 1. n 1 Tim. v. 1.
1 Pet. v. 5. ° Matt. xxi. 26. Luke xxii. 26. p Acts vi. 1, 3.

93
recorded, that they baptized those whom they had
previously converted by their preaching'1. St. Paul
in his t"avels was usually accompanied by one of this
order, which was considerably enlarged after its insti
tution by the ordination of other persons ; and the per
petuation of the office, and the importance attached to
it in the Church of Christ, appear from the instructions
given to Timothy, concerning the qualifications of
those who undertook the Deaconship, and from the
trial which they were to undergo : " Likewise must
the Deacons be grave, not double tongued, not given
to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre, holding the
mystery of faith in a pure conscience ; and let these
also first be proved ; then let them use the office of a
Deacon, being found blameless. Even so must their
wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all
things. Let the Deacons be the husbands of one wife,
ruling their children and their own houses well ; for
they that have used the office of a Deacon well, pur
chase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness
in the faith which is in Christ Jesus '." Their office
was of a probationary nature ; and if they were found
faithful and worthy in the execution of it, they were to
be advanced to a higher degree of ministerial power.
Of this order, besides the seven who were first or
dained, were Luke s and Mark*, Paul's companions in
his travels; Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus u
at Corinth ; Tychicus", a messenger on various occa
sions at Ephesus ; the Deacons at Philippi y ; Epa-

i Acts viii. 12, 13, 38. r 1 Tim. iii. 8—13, e 2 Tim.
iv. 11. ' Acts xii. 25. Xiii. 5. u 1 Cor. xvi. 17. * Eph.
?i. 21. Col. iv. 7. y Philip, i. 1.

Vi

phras, and perhaps Onesimus at Colosse*, and
Archippus at Laodicea3.
The office of Deaconesses or Widows" was also
included in the constitution of the Apostolic Church;
but it was liable to abuse, and was of short duration.
Certain qualifications were required of them, and
they were allowed to partake of the bounty of the
Church. 1 Col. i. 7. iv. 8. " Col. iv. 17. b Romans xvi. 1.
1 Tim. v. 2—16.

95

SECTION IV.
UNITY, DIVISION, UNIFORMITY, AND COMMUNION OF
THE APOSTOLIC CHURCHES, AND PERPETUITY OF
THE ORDER ESTABLISHED BY THE APOSTLES.
Jh>Y these different orders of Apostles, Presbyters,
and Deacons, were the affairs of the Apostolic Church
administered, and the fellowship and doctrine of the
Apostles were maintained. The unity of each sepa
rate congregation was preserved by the respectful and
affectionate attention which the private members paid
to those who were over them in the Lord ; and they
were united, as members with the body, with the
whole society of their fellow Christians, by the mutual
dependence of the several orders upon each other, of
the people on their proper ministers, of the ministers
on the Apostles, and of the Apostles on Christ, who
was the Head over all. The unity of Christians was
unity of faith and profession, with one mind and one
mouth glorifying God% and being perfectly joined
together in the same mind and in the same judgment b:
unity of practice, walking by the same rulec; unity of
sacraments, for there was but one baptism A, and all
were baptized by the one spirit into the one body c ; and
being many, they were but one bread and one body, for
they were all partakers of the one bread f ; and unity
of order, keeping the ordinances which were delivered
to them g, and not setting minister in opposition to
a Rom. xv. 6. blCor.i. 10. c Phil. iii. 16. d Eph.
iv. 8. e 1 Cor. xii. 13. f 1 Cor. x. 17- 8 1 Cor. xi. 2
2 Thess. iii. 6. ii. 15.

96*
minister h. This unity is illustrated by the unity of
members in a body ', of branches in a tree k, and of a
. building constructed of various materials, and divided
into different apartments, resting on one common
foundation ' : by the unity of Christ with God "', and
by the unity of the Spirit"; and the Apostle enforces
his recommendation to keep the unity of the Spirit in
the bond of peace, on the argument, that there is but
one body and one Spirit, even as we are called in one
hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through
all, and in all " : an argument which is followed by an
exposition of the order of the Church, from its first
institution to its final establishment in universal unity
and perfection p.
Schism, which in its original sense " evidently de
scribes a wilful separation, effected by violence, rending
that which was before entire," in its scriptural use
may be defined, " an open violation of Church unity,
when individuals assume to themselves a power either
of forming new communions, or of instituting new
rites, or of creating a new ministry, in opposition to
such as have been established by regular authority, as
being the ministry and ordinances originally of Apo
stolic institution." The nature of it may be collected
from the first four chapters of the first Epistle to the
Corinthians, whose schismatical disposition and prac-

k 1 Cor. i. 12. iii. 4. * Rom. xii. 5. 1 Cor. xii. 27. Eph.
v. 30. k John xv. 5. ' 1 Cor. iii. 9. Eph. ii. 21. 1 Pet.
ii. 5. m John xvii. 21. n Eph. iv. 4. ° Eph. iv. 3—6.
«" Eph. iv. 11—16,

97
tices had been reported to the Apostle, who took im
mediate occasion of exposing the sinful and pernicious
quality of schism, and of adjuring them in the most
earnest and affectionate manner that it might not pre
vail among them, and that they would be perfectly
joined together in the same mind and in the same
judgment q. He reproves them for being carnal, and
walking as men r, and not after the ordinance of God ;
for withdrawing themselves from their proper minis
ters, and following favourite teachers", after their own
choice and discretion ; for attributing to them extra
ordinary powers, instead of ascribing the effect to God's
blessing on their common endeavours * ; instead of
esteeming them as labourers together with God u, and
holding them all in equal estimation, as ministers of
Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God x. In a
subsequent part of the Epistle, he resumed the subject
as it affected their public assemblies in the Church,
and their manner of celebrating the Supper of the
Lord y, and as it interrupted and destroyed the mu
tual connection and dependence which had been esta
blished and were necessary in the spiritual body of the
Church2; and he teaches them, that the extraordinary
and miraculous gifts of their teachers, for which they
so highly valued them, would profit them nothing, if
they were without charity a, and tended to dissolve the
unity of the Church. In the Epistle to the Galatians,
under the name of contentions or variance b, he places
it among those works of the flesh, which he that
« 1 Cor. i. 10. r 1 Cor. iii. 3. ' 1 Cor. i. 12. iii. 4. l 1 Cor.
iii. 5 — 10. " 1 Cor. iii. 9. * 1 Cor. iv. 1. M Cor. xi.
17,18. * 1 Cor.xii.25. a 1 Cor. xiii. 1, 2, 3. b Galat.
v. 20. Compare 1 Cor. i. 11. iii. 3. H

98
commits cannot inherit the kingdom of God : and
under the same name of bitter envying and strife c,
St. James deprecates the spirit of glorying and lying
against the truth, and describes the source of con
fusion and of every evil work. Si;. Paul's notion
of schism, as an infringement of ecclesiastical order,
corresponds with the terms in which St. Jude refers
to the gainsaying of Core'1, who disputed and opposed
the authority of Aaron, and assumed to himself and
to the congregation an equal degree of holiness e.
Awful was the punishment of Corah and his company,
and its counterpart in the Christian Church was
most severely reprobated by the Apostle expressly as
a species of schism. "These be they who separate
themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit f." They
are the same with the unrighteous persons, of whom
St. Peter writes, that they walk in the lust of un-
cleanness, and despise government ; presumptuous are
they, self-willed ; they are not afraid to speak evil of
dignities5." By the communication of the state of particular
Churches to the Apostles, and by their immediate in
terference in the correction of errors and abuses, an
uniform order was preserved in the several Churches
under their jurisdiction. The Apostolic letters were
not addressed to single and detached, but to nume
rous congregations, under the charge of different mi
nisters, and connected with each other by their com
mon acknowledgment of the same Apostle or Eccle
siastical Governor. The second Epistle to the Co-
c James iii. 14, 16. d Jude 11. l Numb. xvi. 3. f Jude 19.
* 2 Peter ii. 10,

99
rinthians was addressed not only to the Church of
God which was at Corinth, but to all the saints which
were in all Achaia1': that unto the Churches of Ga
latia1, and probably that to the saints who were at
Ephesus, and to all the faithful in Christ Jesus1*, were
provincial, which may be the reason that no private
salutations are annexed to them : that to the Colos-
sians, and that to Laodicea ', were circular, and to be
read in the congregations at both places. The writer
also uses a very different style in addressing the
Churches, which he had himself converted, and those
which had been converted by the ministry of others :
in the latter the Apostolical authority is suppressed,
or only insinuated ; the censures and exhortations are
distant and general ; in the former the authority is
openly asserted and maintained ; ecclesiastical rules
are enforced, and the neglect or observance of them
is made the occasion of direct and unreserved censure
or approbation. St. Paul commended the Corinthians,
because they kept the ordinances which he had deli
vered unto them m ; he exhorted the Thessalonians
to be stedfast in keeping them " ; and he rejoiced in
beholding the order" of the Colossians, and the regu
larity with which they celebrated the ordinances of the
Church. These ordinances were delivered either by
word, and by the personal ministry of the Apostle,
when he was present with them ; or by letter sent
to them during his absence ; or by the authority of
persons whom he had deputed to visit them, and to
set in order the things which were wanting. Of these
ordinances it would be unreasonable to expect a full
h 2 Cor. i. 1. ! Galat. i. 2. k Ephes. i. 1. ' Coloss.
iv. 16. m 1 Cor. xi. 2. " 2 Thess. ii. 13. iii. 6. ° Col. ii. 5.
H 2

100
and specific account in the relative circumstances of
the Apostle, and of the Churches under his direction.
It may however be collected, that they prescribed the
celebration of the first day of the week, in the public con
gregation, with a collection for the relief of the saints p ;
the manner of celebrating the Supper of the Lord";
the order of the public ministrations ' ; the silence
of women5, and the dress of men and women in the
congregation1; the measure of relief which was due to
widows"; the respect which was owing to ministers, and
the relation which subsisted between them and the pri
vate members of the congregation. The instructions to
Timothy concerning prayers, supplications, interces
sions, and giving of thanks x, compared with the Amen
which followed the prophets' giving of thanks y, with
certain prayers of the Apostles, which they seem to have
concurred in offering2, and with the form in which our
Saviour delivered his prayer to the Disciples ", in the
entire absence of any contradictory evidence, render
it not improbable that a premeditated Liturgy was in
use in the Apostolic age. The few prayers which are
preserved in the New Testament b, are of a simple con
struction, resembling Collects, consisting of adoration
and supplication, to which is added in one instance
intercession, and occasionally a doxology. A form
of baptism was certainly prescribed by the Lord0,
though there is no record of the Apostolical use of
it : and the form of administering the Eucharist was
p 1 Cor. xvi. 1. i 1 Cor. xi. 23. ' 1 Cor. xiv. 27—31.
s 1 Cor. xiv. 31. ' 1 Cor. xi. 4, 5. » 1 Tim. v. 4— LO. * 1 Tim.
ii. 1. y 1 Cor. xiv. 16. * Acts i. 24, 25. iv. 24, 30. a Luke
xi. 2. b Matt. vi. 9 — 13. Luke xi. 2—4. Matt. xxvi. 39 — 42.
Mark xiv. 36. Luke xxii. 42. John xi. 41, 42. xii. 27, 28= Acts
i. 24, 25. iv. 24—30. c Matt, xxviii. 30.

101
proposed by him, and maintained by St. Pauld. The
one faith c, the form of sound words, which Timothy
had received, and was required to hold fast f, and the
stipulation of a good conscience s, have been supposed
to relate to a creed or summary of the Christian faith :
and from the original word, in which St. Luke speaks
of the instruction of Theophilush, and of Apollos', it
would seem that catechising was an Apostolic insti
tution. Such conclusions may appear to some more
fanciful than solid ; and it is conceded, that positive
evidence is very deficient It is however a plain re
cord of ecclesiastical practice, that the disciples con
tinued in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and
in breaking of bread, and of prayers k ; and it is an un
doubted inference from the Apostolical Letters, that it
belonged to the congregation not to make, but to ob
serve, the ordinances of the Church, the regulation of
which was the prerogative of the Apostles, which St.
Paul jealously maintained even over spiritual persons,
reserving to himself.at some future period the dispo
sition of ecclesiastical affairs, which required his su-
perintendance, but of which either his absence or his
other engagements would not allow an immediate de
termination. With the received order of the several
Churches the Apostles themselves conformed ; Peter
during his abode at Antioch adopted the customs of
the Gentiles, and ate with them ' ; and Paul, in his last
visit at Jerusalem, followed the instruction of James
and the Elders, and submitted to the Mosaic ritual,
which they retained"1.
d Matt. xxvi. 27- Mark xiv. 22. Luke xxii. 19, 20. 1 Cor. xi.
24. • Eph. iv. 5. f?Tim. i. 13. s 1 Peteriii. 21. h Luke
i. 4. ' Acts xviii. 25. k Acts ii. 42. l Galat. ii. 12. n Acts
xxi. 18, 27.
H 3

102
This uniformity, which prevailed in the several
Apostolic districts, was extended throughout the whole
kingdom of Christ, by the conferences of the Apostles,
when they met together in an oecumenical council at
Jerusalem. It has been denied, that these primitive
assemblies had the nature of a council, as the persons
assembled were rather ministers of a particular Church,
than representatives of distinct and detached congre
gations. It is not necessary to invalidate this excep
tion, so far as relates to the assembly of the Church
on the election of Matthias", and the day of Pentecost0,
when the Church was exclusively Jewish, without any
admission of Gentile converts. The complaint of the
Grecians against the Hebrews ?, which led to the elec
tion of the Seven Deacons, is the first regular inti
mation of a plurality of congregations under the Apo
stles, though before this period the disciples were too
numerous to assemble in a single place. After the
enlargement of the Ecclesiastical borders by the con
version of the Samaritans f| ; by Peter's commission to
Cornelius'", when he unlocked the gates of the king
dom of heaven to the Gentiles, and which was imme
diately followed by the establishment of a numerous
Church at Antiochs; and by the yet more comprehen
sive labours of St. Paul ; the Apostles did not again
assemble, but as a general Council ; not indeed as de
puties, for there was none who presumed to depute
them, but as voluntary representatives of the Univer
sal Church. The first general Council was held at
Jerusalem, either on the report of the conversion of
Samaria, or more probably on the reference from An-
» Acts I 1 1. ° Acts ii. I. P Acts vi. 1. i Acts viii. 12.
' Actsx. s Actsxi. 19,20,21.

103
tioch, of the dispute concerning circumcision *, when
Paul and Barnabas appeared as the advocates of the
Gentiles, and Peter as the minister of circumcision,
and James acted as president; an honour to which he
was entitled, from his affinity to the Lord, and from
his local preeminence as Bishop of Jerusalem. To
this Council the Presbyters were admitted ; and the
decision, which was formed on the most mature deli
beration, and with the concurrence of all that were
present, and was delivered with the most impressive
solemnity and authority, was inscribed in the name
of the Apostles, and Presbyters, and Brethren.
On a former occasion, when St. Paul arrived in Jeru
salem to make his report, he saw none but Peter and
James u ; and when after an interval of fourteen years
he again visited Jerusalem, James, Cephas, and John,
who seemed to be pillars,' gave to him and Barnabas
the right hand of fellowship31. At his last return to
Jerusalem, James only with the Elders were present y.
The other Apostles were probably executing their
office in the different provinces, which the ecclesias
tical annals assign to them.
The form of ecclesiastical government of which the
Apostolical constitution has been traced through all the
writings of the New Testament, and to which they all
bear testimony clear and convincing, various and con
current, was designed for perpetual and universal
use. As the kingdom of Christ was not of this world z,
the method of its government was not variable in con
formity with the fluctuating notions of human expe-
1 Acts xv. 2. u Galat. i. 18, 19. * Galat. ii. 9. y Acta
xxi. 18. z John xviii. 36.
h4

104
dience ; and as the divine Master was to subdue all
things to himself, the pride and prejudices, the hu
mours and passions, the imaginations and conceits of
men, were to be reduced under one scheme of eccle
siastical polity, one rule of moral duty, and one code
of religious faith. The order of the Church was to be
co-extensive with the belief of the Gospel, which it
was appointed to propagate and preserve, even as a
golden candlestick % to exhibit and sustain the light of
evangelical knowledge, or as the column and base of
a building, which supports the truth b. In the wide
circuit through which the Apostles preached the
Gospel, among Jews and Gentiles, at Rome and
Athens, in Samaria and Jerusalem, they must have
met with men of opposite habits and dispositions, ac
tuated by different prejudices and prepossessions, and
disposed to various forms of religious worship and
civil polity ; and had they accommodated themselves
to the peculiar views of their hearers, they might have
established a sovereign priest in the household of
Caesar, an aristocratic council in the court of the
Areopagus, and a popular assembly at Ephesus, where
Demetrius and his craftsmen might have acted the
demagogue. That they did not vary their ministerial
order, and that in all places they followed one com
mon plan, appears not only from the history of their
Acts, but from detached occasional allusions in the
Epistles, which they severally wrote, without previous
communication with each other, to Churches widely
remote in point of situation, and essentially distin
guished by manners and customs, in all of which they
¦ Rev. i. 20. >> 1 Tim. iii. 15.

105
either recognize or recommend the institution of one
common form of ministerial order, to which they
must have ascribed an authority, which it became
them not to oppose, and which in their judgment
must have been adequate to the purpose for which it
was ordained. When the Apostles received their
final commission, they received a promise of the pre
sence of Christ with them always even to the end
of the world c ; a promise which could not be ful
filled in their persons, and which denoted the per
petuity of the order and office to which the promise
was made. In reference to this commission, St.
Paul declares, that when Christ ascended up on high,
he gave gifts unto men ; he gave some Apostles, and
some Prophets, and some Evangelists, and some Pas
tors and Teachers ; and these were given for the work
of the ministry, for the knitting together of the Saints,
for the edifying of the body of Christ'1 : gifts of which
the use and ..necessity were not peculiar to a single
age, but commensurate with the duration of the
Christian Church. But that there might remain no
question concerning their continuance and perpetuity,
the Apostle expressly declares that these gifts were
given and these offices were designed, until we all
come, in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge
of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the mea
sure of the stature of the fulness of Christ6; where
the fulness of Christ denotes the complement of the
Christian Church. Perpetual therefore must that
order be concluded to be, which was to be blessed with
the unfailing presence of Christ, which the Apostles
e Matt, xxviii. 20. d Ephes. iv. 11, 12. • Ver. 13.

106
in the variety of their experience continually recom
mended, and which was part of the discipline of the
kingdom which is not of this world, designed by the
universal Father for the relief of common wants by
common means, " that we may be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind
of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning crafti
ness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive ; but, speaking
the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things,
who is the head, even Christ ; in whom the whole
body fitly framed together, and compacted by that
which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual
working in the measure of every part, maketh increase
of the body to the edifying of itself in lovef."
f Eph. iv. 14, 15, 16.

107
SECTION V.
CONFIRMATION OF THE ARGUMENT.
1 HE unity of the divine ceconomy appears conspi
cuously in the relation which the Christian ministry
bears to the Jewish priesthood, of which it is the con
tinuance and adaptation, rather than a new and ori
ginal constitution. The early Fathers frequently use the
titles of the Levitical to denote the Apostolical hie
rarchy, and consider Judaism as typical Christianity,
and Christianity as the perfection of Judaism. The
ministries of the two dispensations of Moses and of
Christ agree in a triple form, and the Apostles,
Presbyters, and Deacons of the one are coordinate
with the High-priest, the Priests, and Levites of the
other. The twelve Apostles instructing the people
under Christ, answer to the twelve heads of tribes
who were subject to Moses; and the Seventy disciples
of our Lord, to the same number of the heads of fa
milies who were appointed according to the number
of Jacob's family that went down with him into Egypt,
and also according to the number of the Seventy men
of the elders of Israel who were solemnly set apart for
assisting Moses in bearing the burden of the people".
They correspond in their dependence on an invisible
and heavenly Lord, the Levitical priesthood on Jeho
vah, the Christian ministry on Christ, who is the Head
over all things to the Church. The inferiority of the
Levites and the Deacons to the higher orders is the
same in. both institutions ; and the division of the
" Numb. xi. 16, 17-

108
Sons of Aaron into the separate orders of Priests and
Levites is parallel with the Apostolical institution of
the Deacons, as neither office was included in the
commission which was originally and immediately
from God. A coincidence has also been remarked
in the time which elapsed between the call of Israel
in Abraham and the establishment of the Jewish
Church in the land of Canaan, and between the birth
of Christ and the admission of the Gospel to be the
religion of the empire under Constantine.
It is conceded, that the ministers of the Gospel are
never individually or collectively, personally or offi
cially, called Priests in the New Testament ; and the
appropriation of that title to the second order of the
Christian ministry, in the Liturgy and offices of ordi
nation of the Church of England, must be vindicated,
and the nature of the Christian priesthood be illus
trated, by other arguments, than a reference to the
plain language of the Apostles. In some instances
indeed the term Priest is equivalent to the more po
pular title of Minister ; in others, without reference
to a proper priesthood, it is used only to exclude the
ministration of a Deacon ; and the Author of the
Ecclesiastical Polity does not only " rather term the
one sort Presbyters than Priests, because in a matter
of so small moment he would not willingly offend
their ears, to whom the name of Priesthood is odious,
though without cause ;" but he subjoins his opinion,
that " in truth the word Presbyter doth seem more
fit, and in propriety of speech more agreeable, than
Priest, with the drift of the whole Gospel of Jesus
Christ." Priest in its proper sense seems to imply a

109
sacrifice, but it can bear that sense only in a religion
in which sacrifices are enjoined ; which is not the
character of the Christian religion, and was not the
character of many of the heathen superstitions, which
nevertheless had their proper priests. Now though
the writers of the New Testament do not call them
selves absolutely Priests, they use a word, Aen-ou§yo?, of
corresponding signification ; their ministry and the
several acts of it^are represented by the ancient pro-
phets^under the name of priesthood b and sacrifice ;
and St. Peter calls the Church to which he addresses
his first Epistle, a royal and holy priesthood, ordained
to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God
through Jesus Christ0. St. John also in the Revela
tion calls the Church of the redeemed Kings and
Priests unto God'1. The title which is assigned to
the whole society, will not be denied to those who
are more peculiarly its ministers ; and it will appear
from other passages, that there is a spiritual Altar,
at which they serve ; a spiritual Sacrifice, which
they are ordained to offer; and otheT spiritual acts, of
which Priests are the proper ministers.
Anticipating the future sacrifice which should be
offered in commemoration of himself, rather than
adopting the popular language of the time, addressing
himself to the multitude of his disciples, and not to a
promiscuous assemblage of Jews, our Lord admo
nishes them ; " If thou bring thy gift to the Altar, and
there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against
thee, leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy
b Isaiah Ixi. 6. lxvi. 21. c 1 Peter ii. 5, 9. d Rev. i. 6.
v. 10. xx. 6*.

110
way ; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come
and offer thy gift6." This is the Altar f peculiar to
the Christian temple, of which the Jews have no right
to participate ; that Altar, furnished with the memo
rials of the death of Christ, where we should all en
deavour to partake of the same holy Eucharist.
The only meritorious sacrifice for sin was offered
once for ever upon the Cross ; and from the eternally
meditated slaughter of that Lamb, which alone could
take away the sins of the world, have power and effi
cacy been given to every other sacrifice, whether typi
cal or commemorative, whether offered in compliance
with the tradition of the fathers, or in obedience to
the positive institution of God. The errors of the
Romanist, in relation to the sacrifice of the mass, have
brought into discredit the primitive doctrine of the
sacrificial character of the Lord's Supper ; but the
abuse is no exception to the use of that which is
good, nor does the corruption of a doctrine invalidate
the evidence of its original authenticity. St. Paul, in
referring to the idolatries of the heathen, says, " The
things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to
devils and not to God ; and 1 would not that ye should
have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink of the
cup of the Lord and of the cup of devils : ye cannot
be partakers of the Lord's table and of the table of
devils P." Here the cup of devils is plainly the same
with the things sacrificed to devils, and the cup of
the Lord must therefore be the same with that which
is sacrificed to the Lord ; in both cases is a feast, in
c Matt. v. 23, 24. f Heb. xiii. 10. s 1 Cor. x. 20, 21.

Ill
which the worshippers eat of the sacrifice : and as in
the sacrifice to devils, the Gentiles partook of the
cup, or of the things set on the table of devils; so in
the sacrifice to the Lord, the Christians partook of
the cup, or of the things set on the table of the Lord.
On another occasion he says, " We have an Altar,
whereof they have no right to eat who partake of the
tabernacle11 ;" where the analogy of language requires,
that the Altar should be understood by a metonymy
for the Sacrifice placed on the Altar. It is also pro
bable, that the Apostle refers to the Eucharistical sa
crifice, when he says, " Grace has been given to me,
that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the
Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God, that the
offering up of the Gentiles, that is, that their oblation
or sacrifice, may be acceptable, being sanctified by
the Holy Ghost ; I have therefore whereof I may
glory, or matter of glorying, through Jesus Christ, in
things pertaining to God'."
If under the words Ksnwgyo; and Ugovgyovira, of which
the former is indiscriminately used with Ugeu; by the
Septuagint translators to denote a priest, and of which
the latter is plainly equivalent to 6 to. Uga. egyatyiievoc,
by which the Apostle describes a priest, a Jewish
priest, one who ministers about holy things, and has
a right to live and be maintained out of the revenues
of the temple \ the Apostle does not specifically as
sume to himself the title of a priest ; in the conclusion
he at least adopts his own definition, that every high-
priest taken from among men is ordained for men in
h Heb. xiii. 10. > Rom. xv. 15, 16, 17. k 1 Cor. ix. 13.

112
things pertaining to God, ra rgo; rov ®eov, that he may
offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins1. Under this
definition a priest is one who is a mediator for men
in things which refer to God; a character unquestion
ably appropriate to the Christian ministry, whose
office is to stand in the capacity of ambassadors for
Christ, as though God did beseech men by them, and
to pray them in Christ's stead to be reconciled to
God™ ; to declare to them the whole counsel of God";
to admit them into his holy society the Church"; to
exclude the refractory and disobedient5 ; to restore
and absolve the penitent q ; to pray for the sick, to
remit their sins, and it may be to receive their confes
sions1 ; to labour fervently for them in prayers, that
they may stand perfect and complete in all the will of
Gods ; and finally to give an account * of their labour
and success : and great indeed will be the reward of
those, who can present u every man to whom they
have ministered perfect in Christ Jesus. Thus to
present men holy, and unblameable, and irreproach
able in his sight, is part pf the mediatorial character
of Christ, whose sacerdotal not less than his regal
office has devolved on his ministers, not indeed with
the same fulness of authority, but in the subordi
nate gradation which all occupy towards the com
mon head; and as the priesthood of Aaron descended
upon his sons, that of Christ hath fallen upon his
successors in the ministry of the Gospel. The Levi
tical priesthood was indeed typical of Christ, but the
1 Heb. v. 1. m 2 Cor. v. 20. » Acts xx. 27. ° Matt.
xxviii. 19. p Matt, xviii. 18. John xx. 23. 1 Cor. v. 3, 4, 5.
Titus iii. 18. i Matt, xviii. 18. John xx. 23. 2 Cor. ii. 7, 8, 10.
' James v. 14, 15, 16. s Col. iv. 12. ' Heb. xiii. 17.
" Col. i. 28.

113
functions assigned to them have been conferred with
improved and enlarged powers on the ministers of the
New Testament ; and if the ministration of death was
glorious, how shall not the ministration of the Spirit
be rather glorious. If the ministration of condem
nation be glory, much more doth the ministration
of righteousness exceed in glory \ The children of
Israel could not stedfastly behold the face of Moses
for the glory of his countenance : the Apostles of
Jesus were also eye-witnesses of his majesty, and they
fell on their faces and were sore afraid, when they
heard and saw what was done in the Mount ; how he
was transfigured before them, and his face did shine
as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light ;
and when he received from God the Father honour
and glory, when there came such a voice from the
excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased5'. The Aaronical priesthood was
empowered to pray for the cure, and to judge of the
removal, of leprosy : the Apostles of Christ received
power over all diseases, and to cast out devils. The
office of the Jewish priest related to the body only ;
that of the Christian, comprehends the soul. The
acts of the Sons of Levi consisted in forms and ordi
nances ; those of the successors of Christ are in spirit
and in truth. The Jewish Church was a small and
contracted family of temporary duration ; the Christian
is not circumscribed by any limits of time or place.
The Levitical ordinances were of a sanguinary cha
racter ; the Christian ministrations are full of purity,
* 2 Cor. iii. 8, 9. » Matt. xvii. 2, 5. Mark ix. 2, 3, 7. Luke
ix. 29, 34, 35. 2 Pet. i. 16, 17. I

114
mildness, and humanity. The pangs of the bleeding
infant have been superseded by the use of water ; the
many victims, whose blood stained the floor of the
temple, are removed for the offering of a pure incense z,
for the spiritual sacrifice of prayer and praise ; and
doing good and mutual liberality are the sacrifices
with which God is well pleased* : and the typical re
presentation of the death of Christ in the solemn
feast of the Passover hath been succeeded by a com
memorative celebration, in which we plead the merits
of his death, the only foundation of our hope of par
don, of acceptance, and of salvation.
It is a powerful confirmation of the preceding ar
gument, concerning the Apostolic constitution of the
Christian Church, that there are not only traces of
this order registered in the Scriptures, but that in all
ages, from the time of the Apostles to the present day,
and in all places, from Moscow to Abyssinia, from
Killala to Tanjore, wherever the religion of Christ
exists, in whatever state of light or darkness, of purity
or corruption, of vigour or decay, Episcopacy has been
uniformly found to prevail ; and that before the Re
formation, there is no instance of a Church acknow
ledging any other than the Episcopal form of govern
ment. The Latin, the Greek, the Syrian, and the
African Churches, extending over the largest portion
of Christendom, have been governed by Bishops from
the time of the Apostles ; the Lutheran Churches in
Denmark and Sweden are governed by Bishops ; in
Scotland the Episcopal form has survived the opposi-
* Mai. i. 11. Rev. v. 8. » Heb. xiii. 10.

115
tion of its enemies, and preserves its Apostolic order
even under the entire extinction of its secular reve
nues ; the Church of England and Ireland, the highest
star in the Christian hemisphere, shines with the su
perior light of an establishment, and sheds its light
through its distant colonies from Canada to Bengal ;
nor has the spark which it kindled, but neglected to
cherish, been extinguished in the United States of
America. That the Episcopal form was in some in
stances superseded at the time of the Reformation,
will not be esteemed a valid objection, when a due
consideration is entertained of the difficulties under
which those Protestants laboured, who were not only
not countenanced, but opposed by the civil powers ;
of the indiscriminate zeal which was felt in other
places against every thing which had been adopted
at Rome ; and of the temptation, which the wealth of
the Romish Church offered to the secular authorities,
and which was too strong to be resisted : so that in
Denmark especially, the only motive of the King
Christian III. in reducing the temporal power of the
Clergy, was to punish their opposition to his election ;
and that he carried the measures of his resentment
so far, as to provoke the remonstrance of Luther
himself, " who wrote the king a letter from Germany,
exhorting him to use the Clergy with more lenity; and
though he disapproved of the doctrine, yet to pay due
respect to the ministers of the ancient religion of the
kingdom." Calvin and those who concurred with him
in the formation of the Genevan discipline, and many
other foreign divines, adverse as they were to the
Romish hierarchy, were not unfriendly to a qualified
Episcopacy; and in the Lutheran Churches of the
i 2

116
continent, although the Apostolical succession is in
terrupted, and the Apostolical authority is called in
question, it is nevertheless maintained, " that a cer
tain subordination, a diversity in point of rank and
privileges among the Clergy, are not only highly use
ful, but also necessary to the perfection of Church
communion, by connecting, in consequence of a mu
tual dependence, more closely together the members
of the same body." On the various anomalies of the
English Dissenters, it would be irrelevant to enlarge;
but it was a strong testimony in favour of Episcopacy,
which was given by the irregular appointment of a
Bishop in America by John Wesley, who considered
such an appointment indispensable to the preservation
of order and the prevention of confusion among his
followers ; a transaction in which the ecclesiastical
order was singularly inverted, so that the greater was
blessed by the less, and of which the ostensible end
and design were counteracted and destroyed, by the
unprecedented temerity of one, who was no more
than a presbyter, affecting to convey to a brother presr
byter an anomalous power, which he called Episcopal.
The universality and perpetuity of the Episcopal form
can be attributed to no other cause, than its divine
institution and apostolical establishment. A tradition
has been delivered from the beginning, which has been
copied with various degrees of accuracy, and God
-Jiath maintained his own institution, and rendered it
effectual to the end for which it was ordained.
The difficulties of the contrary hypothesis are of
such a nature, as to afford another confirmation of
the Scriptural view which has been taken of the

117
divine or apostolical institution of Episcopacy. If an
exact parity of Presbyters had been the ordinance of the
Apostles, and the prelacy of Bishops an innovation
on the original discipline, it is reasonable to suppose,
that authentic records would have detailed the cir
cumstances of the usurpation, the occasion, the time,
the place, the name of the author and of his princi
pal adversaries and adherents. The volumes of ancient
controversy of themselves, and without reference to
Ecclesiastical history, determine the rise and progress
of the several heresies which disfigured the primitive
truth. The aspiring pride of the Bishop of Rome,
in claiming preeminence, over his fellow-bishops, is
not left in obscurity ; nor is it doubtful, when the
ministerial orders subordinate to the Deaeonshjp
were introduced. The imputed innovation of Bishops
could not have been gradual and imperceptible, Parity
and imparity admit of no degrees ; the introduction of
the one immediately and of necessity destroys the
other. The numerical difference of the ecclesiastical
orders must have been obvious to all men ; nor could
any individual in any place have assumed an authority
over his fellows without making them sensible of his
ambition, and provoking them to oppose his pre
sumption, at least from a jealousy of their own inde
pendence, if not from a more generous desire of
maintaining the instituted government of the Church.
The meekness and humility, the constancy and dis
interestedness of the primitive pastors, exempt them
from all suspicion of meditating such an apostasy ;
nor in the circumstances in which they were placed
could they have any motive of undertaking the cares
which the Episcopal office laid upon them, or of sus-
i 3

118
taining the trials to which it exposed them, except
the consciousness of acting in obedience to Christ,
in conformity with his institutions, and in a faithful
discharge of the trust committed to their care. If
the imposition could have been conducted quietly and
without offence in one small and remote society, it
could not have been admitted in larger bodies with
the same facility, nor adopted by a general conspiracy
in all the numerous dioceses, in all the different regions,
in which the Apostolic Church was established ; and
while questions of the smallest importance, some of
which related to matters of form, were vehemently
agitated in the Church, there was no controversy on
the origin or authority of Bishops among the orthodox,
no reproaches from heretics, no cavils from unbe
lievers, before the fourth century, when the Presbyter
Aciius, who had been disappointed in his attempts to,
obtain the Episcopal office for himself, proposed his
schemes for reforming the doctrine and discipline of
the Church.
The origin of Episcopacy, considered as an innova
tion, is confessedly obscure; and while with an uncer-r
tainty most unfavourable to the argument some have
condemned it as the child and others as the parent of
the Papacy, the best and most respectable writers
have concurred in attributing it to the third century;
A priority of rank and dignity of one Presbyter above
another is allowed to have obtained from the begin
ning; and that the Bishops of the Cyprianic age pos
sessed a superiority of power and office also, has been
proved by a writer, who has illustrated and defended
the principles of this period with the most consum
mate judgment, and has exhausted the question by his

119
indefatigable industry in the collection of authorities.
The question, as he states it, is not concerning the
sole power, but concerning the chief power ; it is be
tween a power superior to all other powers, and a
power exclusive of all other powers ; between a power
against or without which no other powers can act,
though they may in conjunction with it or subordi
nation to it, and a power destroying all other powers,
or disabling them from acting. That the chief power
belonged to the Cyprianic Bishops, appears from the
titles which they bore, all of which implied a majority
of power, not only over the laity or the inferior de
grees of the Clergy, but over the presbyters who were
required to own it, and were commended for respects
ing, or condemned for not respecting it ; and from
the manner in which Cyprian speaks of his colleagues,
and of the College, as of a distinct and separate order
of Bishops ; of his own administration of the Episco
pal government or discipline ; of the vigour of his
Episcopacy ; of the authority of his chair ; and of his
negative or tribunitial, his censorian, and his imperial
and independent power. Such titles, importing a ma
jority of actual power, and not of nominal dignity
only, are confirmed by the Episcopal prerogative.
The Bishops had power of making laws and ordi
nances, a power, which in certain instances they ex^
ercised of themselves exclusively, though on suitable
occasions they were willing to defer to the judgment
and admit the presence of the people. When they
consulted even their presbyters, however, they pos
sessed a negative voice, by which they overruled and
rendered of no effect the decision of the majority of
presbyters who voted against them : and in provincial
i 4

120
councils they alone had the definitive voice. They
had the power also of executing the laws which they
had made ; of receiving reports from their presbyters,
and of issuing such peremptory rules, as could not be
disannulled. To them alone it belonged to baptize,
to confirm, and to ordain ; to absolve such as had
lapsed from the communion of the Church, and to
reserve their cases to their own separate cognizance.
It was the received principle of the Cyprianic age,
and the faith of Cyprian himself, that Bishops were
successors of the Apostles in the supremacy of Eccle
siastical power, and that he was no true Bishop, who
could not derive his succession from them. There
could be but one Bishop in a city, who was the peer
less Pastor and sole Judge of the district ; and the
schismatical bishops were usurpers, and acted in op
position to divine precept, to divine institution, and
to divine tradition. It was believed, that the provi
dence of God was peculiarly manifested, in designating
Bishops to their chairs, in protecting them in the
execution of their office, and in conveying to them
signal manifestations, with singular operations of the
Spirit, and extraordinary revelations of the divine
will. These articles of Cyprian's faith naturally imply-
that he believed that Episcopacy was of divine right
and institution ; that it was allowed and approved by
God ; and was not an innovation on his ordinance.
This divine right he positively asserted, deriving it
from the power of the keys, which was given to St.
Peter ; and in this assertion he was supported by his
contemporaries ; by Dionysius ; by Origen, who was
only a Presbyter, and therefore not interested in main-

121
taining the prelacy of Bishops ; by more than a hun
dred African Bishops, who were assembled in the
Council pf Carthage, and who concurred with Cyprian
in writing various synodical Epistles, which are still
extant ; by the Bishop and Clergy of Rome, and by
the Bishops of Asia. This divine right of Episcopacy
" was indeed the belief of all persons, of all orders,
degrees, ranks, and qualities; Bishops, Presbyters,
Deacons, inferior ministers, martyrs, confessors,
persevering Christians, perfidious lapsers, orthodox
believers, heretics, Catholics, schismatics, clergy,
laity, learned, unlearned. Not so much as one
testimony in the monuments of that age to the con
trary ; no article of the Christian faith more unani
mously, more incontestedly, more universally re
ceived :" and the adversary is challenged to produce
" one witness, of whatsoever quality, I will not say
formally deposing, but probably insinuating, that
Prelacy was an human invention, an office introduced
into the Church after the days, or by a lesser autho^
rity, than that of the Apostles;
" No age of > the Church can be assigned, wherein
Christians were closer adherents to divine authority,
or stricter observers of divine institutions, or nicer
requirers for divine warrant for every thing proposed
to be received by them. Never an age, wherein innova
tions were more carefully guarded against, or human
inventions more zealously rejected, or recessions from
divine appointment more religiously remonstrated or
repudiated." It was an age, in which the civil power
afforded no protection to the Church ; which offered
no temptation to the secular ambition of Ecclesiastics,

122
who were exposed to persecution in proportion to the
eminence of their station and degree. It was an age
of much Ecclesiastical business, when many questions
of polity and discipline were discussed in convocations
of Ecclesiastics, and by means of synodical and epis
copal letters, and therefore well adapted for disco
vering the frame and constitution of Ecclesiastical
government. It was an age of many learned men,
whose writings would naturally contain the truth,
and whose remaining works would preserve it to
the present day. It was an age so near to that of
the Apostles, that whatever claimed the authority
of their institution, or professed to be in conformity
with their practice, might be easily tried and ex
amined. Between the death of St. John, and Cy
prian's elevation to the see of Carthage, was an in
terval of not more than one hundred and fifty years ;
an interval, during which the registers of Episcopal
succession easily might be and actually were preserved ;
an interval, which did not allow time for gradually in
troducing any material changes in the government of
the Church, and in which the memory of any sudden
and immediate revolution could hardly be forgotten.
The successor of a person, who had lived in the days
of St. John, and had been an eye-witness of the dis
cipline which obtained in the Apostolic age and the
forty years immediately succeeding it, might be con
temporary with persons who lived in theCyprianic age.
Polycarp and Pothinus were contemporary with St.
John. Irenseus, the immediate successor of the latter,
died about the year of Christ 1 90 ; and it is certainly
not improbable, that his successor might see Cyprian,
Bishop of Carthage. In the same manner Alexander,

123
Bishop of Jerusalem, in the age of Cyprian, had been
made the helper of Narcissus, who was born before
the death of St. John.
It is impossible to avoid the conclusion from this
imperfect summary of an elaborate argument, that tlie
prelacy of Bishops was not the invention of the
Cyprianic age, but derived from a preceding period.
That period was not the time of Tertullian, whom
Cyprian was wont to call his master, and who required
of the heretics to set forth the originals of their
Churches, to reckon upon the order of their Bishops,
so running down from the beginning, as that their
first Bishop had one of the Apostles or Apostolic men
for his author and predecessor : he calls these Bishops
" traduces apostolici seminis," scions from the stock
of the Apostles ; and of their superior dignity he ob
serves, that the Priest, who is the Bishop, hath the
sovereign power of Baptism ; afterwards the Presbyters
and Deacons, not however without the authority of
the Bishop. The same testimony concerning the
succession and derivation of Bishops from the Apo
stles is borne by Junaeus, the disciple of Polycarp, and
contemporary of Tertullian. Ignatius, who was con
stituted Bishop of Smyrna by St. John, frequently
insists on the office and authority of Bishops, and ex
hibits the order of the Apostolic government, in re
quiring all to reverence the Deacons, as the ministers
of Jesus Christ, and in like manner the Bishop as
Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, and the Pres
byters as the senate of God, and College of the Apo
stles : without these it is not called a Church. Lastly,
Clemens, the fellow-labourer of St. Paul, who was

124
probably constituted Bishop of Rome by St. Peter,.
writing to the Church of Corinth, and applying the
denominations of the Jewish priesthood to the Chris
tian ministry, says, The chief priest has his proper
offices, and to the Priests their proper place is ap
pointed, 'and to the Levites belong their proper mi
nistrations or deaconships, and the layman is confined
within the bounds of what is commanded to laymen?
and again ; The Apostles having preached the Gospel
through countries and cities, constituted the first fruits'
of their conversions, whom they approved by the
Spirit, Bishops and Deacons of those who should
believe. There is therefore no interval between the Aposto
lic and Cyprianic ages, in which Episcopacy was not
admitted and received : and shall it be said, that it
originated even in the time of the Apostles ? Let the
adversary beware, lest by the same arguments which
he uses against the hierarchy of the Church, he weaken
the truth of the Gospel, which rests not on testimony
more copious, more convincing, more continuous, or
more uninterrupted. Episcopacy was either of Apo
stolical institution, or its early and universal establish
ment is miraculous. It was the conclusion of the
learned Hammond, who argued against the imagina
tion, that Episcopacy was the man of sin, which was
working in the days of the Apostles : " If the parity of
Presbyters had been established by Christ or by his
Apostles, and had been extended in the Apostolic age,
throughout the Universal Church, in such manner,
that the pride of Episcopacy had not dared to shew
itself in any part of the first century, it would have

125
been impossible that the form of ecclesiastical admi
nistration, which was instituted by Christ or his Apo
stles for the observance of all ages, should be changed
by the whole Church in the age immediately succeed
ing, into another different, and directly opposite arid
contrary form ; and that at a time, when there was
neither synod, council, or convocation of the Church,
by whose influence so many Churches, remotely sepa
rate from each other throughout the universe, might
be brought to agree in this act of sacrilege ; and when
there were no canonical Epistles, by which the design
might be generally communicated, and by which such
an alteration might be sanctioned, there should be a
revolution in the constitution of the Church from a
Christian to an Antichristian, from a genuine to a
spurious, from a divine to a diabolical form."

126
SECTION VI.
APPLICATION OF THE ARGUMENT.
A DISPASSIONATE examination of the Scriptures,
and an attentive collation of the several texts which
relate to ecclesiastical polity, lead to these conclu
sions ; that the constitution of the Christian Church
is of God ; that the first ministers of the Gospel were
chosen immediately by God ; that they conveyed the
ministerial power which they "received, by ordaining,
and by appointing others to ordain, Presbyters in every
Church ; and that the administration of the Church
was distributed among three orders, distinguished not
only by name and title, but by specific and appropriate
offices. The nature of these several orders, and of the
communion of the primitive disciples with each other,
in subordination to the Apostles, has been illustrated ;
and it has been shewn, that the order established by the
Apostles was designed for universal and perpetual
use. These conclusions have been proved to be nei
ther unreasonable, nor inconsistent with the general
tenour of the Scriptures ; and they have been con
firmed by a reference to the Mosaic ceconomy, and to
the universal establishment of Episcopacy, and by the
production of proof, that there has been no time in
which the prelacy of Bishops was not received as a
divine and apostolical institution, or in which it was
possible to introduce it, if it had been the mere inven
tion or innovation of man. It only remains to apply
the survey which has been drawn, to the circumstances
and condition of the Church as it now exists in the
world.

127
It will afford satisfaction to the Romanist, and
should diminish the obloquy under which he labours,
to observe, that the essential orders of his ministry,
his bishops, priests, and deacons ; their regular suc
cession from the Apostles ; and their zeal in planting
Churches among the heathen, on a Scriptural model,
are founded on apostolical precedent, and are entitled
to the respect of the Christian world. These prac
tices the Church of England cordially approves, and
offers to her elder sister of Rome the right hand of
fellowship, and admits the validity of her ordinations.
Thus far, and unhappily no farther, can the union be
admitted : the simple truth of the Gospel and the ori
ginal order of the Church must not be compromised,
even for the love of peace and conciliation. The vain
ambition of her prelates, and the superstitious credu
lity of her inferior ministries, are in direct opposition
to the spirit of the Gospel, in which they are thought
worthy of distinct prediction and condemnation. The
infallibility of general councils is notonly refuted by the
history of their own conflicting decrees, but by scrip
tural testimonies, and by daily experience of the pec
cability of individual and associated man. The pre
sumption of an universal Father is contrary to the
equality and mutual submission, the modesty even of
childhood, which should distinguish the brethren of
the ministry, and to that devout homage, which is due
from all to Christ, the only Master, and to God, the
only Father of the Christian family". The boasted
inheritance of the keys of St. Peter is a gratuitous
assumption from the history of that Apostle, who does
«
* Matt, xxiii. 9, 10.

128
not appear to have possessed any permanent preemi
nence in the Apostolic College ; who on various occa
sions incurred the censure of our Lord b, and whose
opinions were unequivocally controverted by St. Paul0;
whose very residence at Rome is not only not regis
tered in the Scriptures, but is a matter of questionable
authenticity ; whose peculiar privilege was given with
a distinct view and exercised on a distinct occasion of
opening the door of faith to the Gentiles by the con
version of Cornelius*1; and who finally received the
Apostolic commission in common with the other
Apostles c. The mission of Legates with extraordi
nary powers, is very different from the occasional de
putation of ministers by St. Paul to inquire into the
state of particular Churches within his own jurisdic
tion, and rather resembles that intrusion into other
men's provinces, which he was anxious to avoid. The
division of the Clerical order into regular and secular,
opposes the design of ministerial usefulness and acti
vity, in preaching the Gospel and administering the
sacraments of Christ. The enjoined celibacy of the
Clergy derogates from the nature of marriage, which
is honourable among all menf; from the exemplary
virtue of the Apostles, who were married men, and
whose privilege of marrying is maintained by St. Paul s;
from the primitive qualifications of ministers, who
were to be the husbands of one wife b ; and it is fore
told as one of the signs of the great apostasy of the
latter times '. The distinction of meats is another sign
of the same apostasy ; and in relation to fasting, the prac-
b Matt. xvi. 23. xxvi. 34. Mark viii. 33. John xiii. 38. xxi. 22.
c Gal. ii. 11. d Acts x. e jMatt. xxviii. 16, 19, 20. f Heb.
xiii. 4. U Cor. ix. 5. '' 1 Tim. iii. 2, 12. Titus i. 6.
! 1 Tim. iv. 3.

129
(ice is regulated, but the duty is not enforced. The
multiplication of the Sacraments has no authority
from the Scriptures, which speak of marriage as a
familiar representation of the great mystery of the
union between Christ and his Church k, and which
recommend the anointing of sick persons with oil1,
and the ministerial remission of their sins, as a means
of their recovery, and a token of their forgiveness, in
a sense totally distinct from the extreme unction of
the Romanists. The refusal of the cup to the laity,
an abuse, which one, who possessed an affectionate
attachment to the ancient faith, and was sincere and
undisguised in the belief and profession of it, and who
did not affect to conceal, because he was not ashamed
of its influence, could not but regret, and wish to be
reformed, is of all other corruptions the most palpable,
and in most immediate opposition to the Scriptures,
which expressly repeat the words of institution,
Drink ye all of itm ; and record the subsequent obe
dience, that all drank of it"; an universality, which
though it is not disputed, is not reported in respect of
the bread. Nor is there any subterfuge in the idea,
that it Was a ministerial celebration, since that relates
to both elements ; and the cup which we bless, and
the bread which we break", are made an argument
by St. Paul, without any allusion to ministerial cele
bration ; and the drinking of the cup not less than the
eating of the bread p, is the appointed method of
shewing forth the Lord's death till he come. It might
be easy to enlarge the catalogue of papal offences, and
to detail the doctrinal errors, the moral vices, the
k Eph. v. 32. ' James v. 14, 15. m Matt. xxvi. 27.
" Mark xiv. 23. ° 1 Cor. x. 16. * 1 Cor. xi. 26.
K

130
ecclesiastical abuses, and the political usurpations of
the Church and Court of Rome. But it is an un
thankful office, more worthy of the censors of human
frailty, than of the advocates of heavenly truth, of those
who would widen and perpetuate the separation, than
of those whose object is peace and conciliation. Even
the preceding animadversions should have been sup
pressed, if they had not been naturally connected with
the discussion of the ecclesiastical discipline exhibited
in the Scriptures. Oh ! that these enormities had
never been registered, that they had never been com
mitted ! Oh ! that they had ceased for ever, that they
might be blotted from the page of history, and be bu
ried in perpetual oblivion ! May God in his mercy
remove from all men the spirit of strong delusion, and
the preposterous inclination to believe a lie, and
grant that all they who have deceived, and they who
have been deceived, may be sensible of their error,
the one of his credulity, the other of his imposture,
and may rejoice to receive and to publish the truth as
it is in Jesus.
The principal merit of the Romanist is the unity of
his Church, the antiquity of his ordinances, and the
apostolical origin of his ministry ; and the circum
stance in the religion of Protestants, which has given
most offence, and which originally weakened and in
terrupted the progress of the Reformation, is the infi
nity of their divisions among themselves on questions
of ecclesiastical polity, while they generally agree in
the common profession of essential truths. It would
be easy to shew, that the divisions of Christians are
impolitic ; that they are uncharitable ; and that they

131
are in opposition to a true profession of the faith;
and that the most perfect and unqualified union and
unanimity are recommended as the interest, the duty,
and the distinguishing character of the family of
Christ. At the same time it was to be expected as a
natural consequence of human infirmity, that in the
sudden convulsion of human opinions, in the strong
agitation of human passions at the time of the Reform
ation, men should disagree ; that the rapidity and
extent of the revolutions, which marked that critical
period, should leave no opportunity for the temperate
and dispassionate trial of all things, for the mainte
nance of what was right, and the rejection of what
was wrong ; and that the minds of men unaccustomed
to the study of the Scriptures, should not instanta
neously apprehend every thing which affected the
simple truth of the Gospel, or the original order of
the Church. There is more reason to admire the
wisdom and address of the Reformers, than to con
demn their errors, or pity their infirmities. But in
the lapse of more than two centuries and a half, with
the advantages of experience and more enlarged
knowledge, there has been ample time for the judg
ment to settle, and the passions to subside. Many of
the little antipathies of our forefathers to venial and
popular superstitions have been overcome, and a more
liberal spirit has begun to prevail. The continued
practices, which were once considered an odious relic
of popery, and a formidable instrument of its revival,
have proved unworthy of that imputation, and the
surplice has been worn in the public service of the
congregation; the infant has been signed with the
sign of the Cross ; the marriage has been confirmed
k 2

132
with a ring ; and the knee has been bent in the holy
Communion, and at the name of Jesus, without any
approximation to the ancient idolatry, without any
adulteration of evangelical truth. Let the Bible, the
unalterable standard of Protestant religion, be con
sulted, and let us inquire what countenance it gives
to the practices of modern Separatists. When the
divine promise has been fulfilled, and kings have
become the nursing fathers, and queens the nursing
mothers of the Church q, is it gratitude to the Giver of
all good, to question the king's supremacy in matters
of religion, and supremacy readily allowed in the Lu
theran Churches, and not denied in the Kirk of Scot
land ? Does the Bible authorize the degradation df
Episcopacy, and exalt the exclusive and independent
power of the Presbytery ? Does it recommend the
communion of an universal Church, in dependence on
its several Bishops, or the independence of detached
and separate congregations, under Presbyters of their
own election ? Prescribing the eighth day r for the
circumcision of the Jewish infant, and his admission
into covenant with God; inviting young children to
Christ, with assurance that to them belonged the
kingdom of God s ; authorizing the baptism of all na
tions without limitation of age or sex1; and recording
the baptism of whole families, without exception of the
children"; and declaring the sanctification of children,
that would otherwise have been unclean" ; and this
at a time and in a country, in Which the practice was
i Isaiah xlix. 23. r Gen. xvii.22. Lev. xii. 3. Luke ii. 21.
» Matt. xix. 14. Mark x. 14. Luke xviii. 16. ' Matt, xxviii.
20. Mark xvi. 15, 16. John iii. 5. " Acts x. 48. xvi. 33.
1 Cor. i. 16. * 1 Cor. vii. 14.

133
familiar, and needed not to be specified ; can it be said
to prohibit the baptism of infants so decisively as to
make the administration a sin, and a just cause of se
paration ? Does it countenance the female y ministra
tions of the Quaker, and his rejection of both the Sa
craments ? Does it excuse the disorderly extravagance
of the Methodists, those Christians in zeal and energy,
without order or authority ? Or does it encourage a
man under the strongest impressions of religion, with
the most grateful sense of benefits, with the most de
voted zeal for the salvation of his fellows, to intrude
into the sacred office without permission or invitation,
and not rather recommend him to exhibit the useful
light of a private example in a scrupulous discharge
of his personal obligations1 ? Brethren, consider these
things with yourselves, with your Bibles open before
you, with your hearts alienated from the world, and
raised in supplication to him, who is the Author not
of confusion, but of peace. Suffer the word of ex
hortation. You labour not less than other men under
the prejudices of education : you know the difficulty
of overcoming them : you tremble to violate the here
ditary scruples of your conscience, to renounce the
traditionary attachments and predilections of your
forefathers. Remember therefore, that if to conform
be sin in you, to separate may be sin in others ; and
while you maintain the acceptableness of your forms
of service, allow the same efficacy to those of others.
We would not exclude you from salvation ; we pray
for your acceptance : entertain for us the same mo
deration ; offer for us the same intercessions. Both
v 1 Cor. xiv. 34. * Mark v. 18. Luke viii. 38.
K 3

134
are in a state of infirmity; neither has obtained per
fection. To our own Master we both stand or fall.
But if on conscientious principles, regulated, as we
persuade ourselves, by the authority of the Scriptures,
we consistently avoid those who cause divisions, and
are zealous of unity among ourselves, and of preserv
ing that peace of God, to which we have been called
in one body"; if on a mature examination of the
Scriptures, and an exact comparison of things spiritual
with spiritual, we are satisfied that our Church is built
on the everlasting foundations of the Apostles and
Prophets, and that all our ordinances and forms of
religious service, if not absolutely enjoined, are in no
instance contradicted by the Scriptures, and that we
are possessed of full and sufficient means of salvation,
do not undervalue the wisdom of the wise, do not
delude the simplicity of the simple. The Church of
England, as a faithful daughter of Christ, and as an
affectionate mother anxious for the welfare of all her
children, receives every necessary truth, and renounces
every pernicious error ; she holds all which is essen
tial, nothing which is prejudicial to salvation ; she
has provided every thing which is requisite for nou
rishment and support, for instruction, for consolation,
and for confirmation unto eternal life, and invites
all to partake of the abundant provision which she has
made ; and is it no injury to such a parent, that her
children wantonly forsake her, that they are tempted
to quit her service, or carried into captivity by the
enemy ? When the world has been rent by wars and
rumours of wars, and some have apprehended the
* Col. iii. 15.

135
approach of the latter times ; when every description
of infidelity is cherished and revived ; when the claims
of an unmanly superstition are renewed ; when the
simplicity of Christian manners is destroyed ; when
more than half the globe is destitute of Christian
knowledge; let not the unconverted Heathen, the in
sulting Turk, or the infatuated Jew, triumph in our
divisions. If we cannot unite, we may at least for
bear: if we cannot strengthen, we may cease to weaken
the walls of Sion. O pray for the peace of Jerusalem ;
they shall prosper that love her ! O pray for the dawn
of better times, when Protestants of every denomina
tion shall be perfectly joined together in the same
mind and in the same judgment, and shall join with
one heart to overturn the altars of superstition, and
destroy the strong holds of infidelity, and hasten the
triumphant march of the Gospel in every land, and
establish the universal Church of Jews and Gentiles,
under the common Lord Jesus Christ.
But where is the hope of these auspicious times, when
they, who are possessed of a scriptural form of sound
words, and whose Church is built upon an apostolical
model, are unsettled between truth and error, between
order and confusion, and, offended by the simplicity
of the religious fabric of their fathers, are forming
new and fantastic edifices of their own. The fault of
the age is not infidelity ; it is not superstition ; it is
not fanaticism ; though these evils are of vigorous
growth, and spread wide their pernicious shade : it is
indifference to established truth ; it is love of innova
tion ; it is unsettledness of opinion. There is no
earnestness of zeal or purity of devotion, which may
k4

13b'
not be consistently and regularly exercised in the ap
proved forms of the Church of England. Her consti
tution is apostolical ; her creed is scriptural ; her
public worship is the beauty of holiness ; her Litur
gical offices comprise a collection of prayers and
thanksgivings worthy of the spirit of primitive piety :
nor let it be objected that they are premeditated,
when our Lord himself hath prescribed a form for
our constant use, " a form which from its construc
tion appears to have been originally designed for the
use of a congregation ;" when such forms are author
ized by Apostolical practice, if not by Apostolical
precept ; when the repetition of them is not unworthy
of the most exalted nature, that of the heavenly host,
who cease not day and night b, saying the same hymn ;
nor unsuitable to the most earnest supplication, that
of our Lord in his agony in the garden, when he
prayed a second and a third time, saying the same
words0. The Scriptures are read in the Church in a
manner, of which the excess rather than the deficiency
is to be blamed ; the Sacraments are administered
entire and undivided, with becoming reverence and
solemnity, after addressing the most earnest exhorta
tions to the congregation to prepare themselves for a
worthy celebration. Our Churches are prepared for
the general accommodation ; and the religion of the
Christian Sabbath is not too long to exhaust, nor too
short to contract, the spirit of devotion, or to prevent
the necessary attainment of Christian knowledge.
These are the means of public devotion and instruc
tion. The private edification of the people is con-
b Rev. iv. 8. c Matt. xxvi. 44. '

137
suited by the stationary residence of the parochial
Clergy, who are ready to receive the invitations and
compose the minds of the sick, and to administer in
struction and consolation to them that desire it.
While with a delicacy and reserve, which become
their profession, they are cautious of casting their
pearls before swine, of associating with the profane
and dissolute, and of mixing in the vain amusements
of the world, they feel to the objects of their pastoral
care the love of a father to his family, and refuse no
intercourse with them, by which they may confirm
the serenity of the pious, convey information to the
ignorant, recommend religion to the consciences and
affections of men, and with the mild and familiar af
fability of Jesus, captivate those, whom the unaccom
modating severity of the Baptist would offend and
revolt. With such advantages, is there not one family
of love and piety ? Do not all affect the same thing
and walk by the same rule ? Do they not as brethren
take sweet counsel together, and appear in the house
of God as friends ? And is there not a revival of the
affecting picture of the primitive times, when men
continued stedfastly in the Apostles' doctrine and fel
lowship, and in breaking of bread and in prayers ;
when they were together, and had all things common ;
when continuing daily with one accord in the temple,
and breaking bread in the house, they ate their meat
with gladness and singleness of heart, praising God,
and having favour with all the people d. The contrast
needs not to be drawn : every day in every place it
obtrudes itself on our observation. The union of the
* Acts ii. 42, 44, 46, 47.

138
Christian family is dissolved ; the proper shepherd is
deserted for the favourite preacher ; the people choose
teachers to themselves, and every man's religion is
measured by his own pleasure and discretion. The
adversary exults ; the advocate of truth and order,
who watches for souls as one that must give an ac
count, mourns in secret ; his heart is filled with fear
and apprehension of impending danger ; and while
he observes the progress of disunion and disorder, of
indifference and presumption, he can anticipate no
thing but the desolation of the Christian temple, and
the execution of the divine judgments on a people,
that knoweth not their advantages ; their abandon
ment to the spirit of error and delusion, of infidelity
and ignorance, and the removal of Christian knowledge
to some happier country, where truth shall be pre
served without the contamination of error, and order
be exempted from the violence of confusion.
The prevention of such calamities is a work dear
to all that desire the peace and prosperity of Sion; a
work in which the weakest may cooperate with effect,
and in which it is not unworthy of men of the bright
est talents and most exalted virtues to take an active
interest and concern, A renewed attention to per
sonal holiness ; a revival of domestic religion, for
which approved forms are not wanting ; the sanctifi-
cation of the evening of the Lord's day to the pur
poses of religious instruction at home ; a constant
and punctual attendance on the public worship, and
a scrupulous enforcement of the attendance of every
dependent ; an exact conformity with the instructions
of the Rubric, in every thing which concerns the

139
posture of the congregation, their participation in the
public service, their audible Amen, and their singing
of Psalms, and a more frequent and general celebra
tion of the Supper of the Lord, are means which
every man possesses of confirming and perpetuating the
stability of the National Church. The influence of
numbers and of example has the most powerful effect
in the concerns of Religion, and there is a fashion or
popularity in Christian' worship, which the Sectarist
has not failed to improve. Education is another most
important instrument; and we should make the first
impressions of youth favourable to order and commu
nion, and supply the defects of the Church Catechism,
by using in addition to it a summary of ecclesiasti
cal polity, digested for the more easy comprehension
of children, in the interrogatory or catechetical form.
They of higher rank, to whose property the right of
patronage is annexed, cannot too seriously consider
the reponsibility of their station ; they cannot be too
scrupulous in the choice of a shepherd to feed and
guide the flock of Christ ; they cannot be too decided
in resisting any impulse of affection, any motives of
interest, or any zeal of importunity, which would
tempt them to present a pastor, whose indolence
might neglect, or whose indiscretion might mislead,
the Christian flock. They, who are invested with
legislative authority, will study the primitive constitu
tion of the Church of Christ, and be cautious of sup
porting any measure, which is contrary to Apostolical
truth and order ; which may divide the Clergy among
themselves, or expose them to the insults of the bold,
or the ridicule of the weak. In the secular concerns
of the Church, there can be no question of the right

140
of parliamentary interference ; and if among the va
rious measures which have been recently adopted for
the benefit and security of the Church, of which the
most obnoxious have unhappily excited the most in
terest, while schemes of real good have passed silently
and without observation, some have failed of giving
general satisfaction, the motive and the endeavour at
least challenge our approbation, and lead us to look for
better times, when, with fuller information in Eccle
siastical affairs, what is imperfect and premature may
be revised, what is defective may be completed, what
is wrong may be corrected. One thing is certain.
Whatever is meditated for enlarging or confirming
the influence of the Church, must originate with
itself,' and must be conducted by arrangements within
itself, and by a judicious application of its own re
sources. The adversary will not suffer the vantage
ground, which he has gained through his own exer
tions, and the want of suitable vigilance in counter
acting them, to be invaded. But in the language of
the judicious Hooker, " The ways, to meet with dis
orders growing by abuse of laws, are not so intricate
and secret, especially in our case, that men should
need either much advertisement, or long time for the
search thereof. And if counsel for that purpose may
seem needful, this Church, God be thanked ! is not
destitute of men endued with ripe judgment, whenso
ever any such thing shall be thought necessary. For
which end at this present to propose any special in
ventions of my own, might argue in a man of my
place and calling more presumption than wit."
In humble imitation of the example of this meek

141
and unassuming man, " I will therefore leave it entire
unto graver consideration," whether the interest of
the Church of England might not be consolidated
and improved, by reforming, or rather by digesting
anew, the scheme of ecclesiastical law, so as to abolish
the weak, inefficient, dependent, and offensive inter
ference of the ecclesiastical courts in causes properly
civil, and to reserve to the cognizance of the Bishops
and their assessors, in the several dioceses, all matters
of an ecclesiastical nature, over which the Episcopal
jurisdiction should be renewed, extended^ and ren
dered definitive ; by restoring to the convocation a
certain degree of vigour, efficiency, and independence;
by removing all anomalies in the Apostolical consti
tution of the Church, and by restoring to the Diocesan
the Episcopal power over all places within his diocese,
which are either exempt, or under the negative juris
diction of ecclesiastical or collegiate corporations, or
of private individuals ; by superseding all peculiar
jurisdiction, in order to facilitate the removal of these
remnants of papal usurpation and misrule, and to re
vive the Cyprianic principle of one Bishop in one city;
by revising and consolidating in one parliamentary
enactment the several laws relating to residence, on
such principles as shall secure to every parish the
presence of an officiating minister, and shall deliver
the Clergy from a recurrence of vexatious prosecu
tions ; by the appropriation of all Lectureships to the
use of the incumbent, and by making his previous
recommendation, rather than his ultimate assent, ne
cessary to the election of any candidate ; by prohibit
ing all popular elections, or limiting them within such
a period, as shall prevent many of the excesses of a

142
protracted canvass ; by the suppression of all plurali
ties with cure of souls, whenever the smaller benefices
shall be augmented to a certain amount ; by the di
vision of the larger and more populous, and by the
consolidation of the smaller parishes ; by the erection
of new Churches in central situations, with conve
nient accommodations for the poor, and wherever it
may by any means be practicable under the patronage
and cognizance of the Diocesan ; and lastly, which
must be reserved for more settled and more auspi
cious times, by the revision of the Liturgy, and of the
authorized version of the Scriptures. There is also
a reluctance in communicating the state of ecclesias
tical propei-ty, which only leads to false estimates of
its extent, and which might be laid aside on a general
Understanding, that no alteration should take place
in the revenue of livings, which could injure the
right of the private patron or of the officiating Clergy;
and it might be considered, whether by a permanent
appropriation of certain dignified sinecures within
their own diocese, an adequate independent income
could not be secured to the Bishops, and a fund be
established for maintaining episcopal order in the co
lonies, for supporting academical institutions, and for
providing an honourable retreat for men, whose vigour
has been exhausted in the service of the Gospel.
There are certain dignities, which are known on the
payment of certain expences to confer mere nominal
honour, without any pecuniary emolument : the more
lucrative sinecures, should be rendered efficient means
of good. Parliament has liberally undertaken to re
lieve the extreme poverty of the Church in her smaller
benefices ; her riches should be applied not to the

143
partial secular advantage of the few, but to the general
spiritual good of all, to the accomplishment of those
purposes, for which they were designed at their origi
nal institution, for which they were continued at the
time of the Reformation, and which they are still ca
pable of carrying into effect.
But whatever be the practices of the laity, what
ever be the measures of the Legislature, they will
principally depend on the doctrine maintained, and
the example exhibited by the Clergy ; and however
desperate may be the hope of reviving an universal
identity of communion, they must lead the way: with
out any division among themselves, they must be per
fectly joined together in the same mind and in the
same judgment, and must stand fast in one spirit,
striving together for the faith of the Gospel. They
must lay aside those little jealousies and antipathies,
which arm man against his brother ; those mutual im
putations of ministerial unfaithfulness and hypocritical
zeal, which are equally derogatory from their liberality
as gentlemen and scholars, from their charity as
Christians, and from their holiness as ministers of
Christ. With all lowliness and meekness, with long-
suffering, forbearing one another in love, they must
labour to renew and to perpetuate the unity of the
Spirit in .the bond of peace. These are not times for
Paul and Cephas and Apollos to be divided against
each other ; the false doctrines and the corrupt man
ners which prevail in the world, are an object which
challenge the united and vigorous opposition of all
the wise and all the good. There is a busy spirit of
religious inquiry, which must be met by correspond-

144
ing exertions on the part of the Clergy ; and they
Who would rightly divide the word of truth, must
search the Scriptures for themselves, and not trust to
the guidance of any father upon earth, however wor
thy or however possessed of high renown. Their pe
culiar office is to speak the truth in love, without
compromising it for any secular notions of policy or
expedience, and at the same time without offence to
weaker brethren, without uncharitable aspersions of
their companions in the ministry who on inferior
questions may differ from them in the exposition of
the truth. They should set the example of preferring
each man his brother in honour before himself ; and,
in compliance with the Apostle's instructions to Titus e,
they should in all things shew themselves patterns of
good works, in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity,
sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned,
that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed,
having no evil thing to say of them. Is there among
the people a partiality for infidelity or damnable here
sies, detracting from the essential dignity or from the
universal merits of Christ r Let it be maintained, that
Christ is over all, God blessed for everf, and that he
is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world6.
Is there open immorality or overweening love of this
world ? Let it be shewn, that the grace of God, which
bringeth salvation to all men, hath taught- us, that
denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live
soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world,
looking for the blessed hope of the glorious appearing
of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ1'. Is the
* Titus ii. 7, 8. f Rom. ix. 5. * 1 John ii. 2. h Titus ii.
11, 12, 13.

145
unchristian spirit of division cherished and adopted
by the many ? Let them be reminded, that there is
one body and one spirit, even as they are called in
one hope of their calling, one Lord, one faith, one
baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all,
and through all, and in all' ? Shall he be justly ac
cused of not preaching the Gospel of Christ, or of
adulterating the Scriptures of truth, who insists on
these points, as occasion may require, and declares
without reserve the whole counsel of God, as it affects
the private faith or practice of individuals, or the
general order of the Church of Christ ? Questions,
which minister strife rather than godly edifying, can
not be reserved with too much circumspection, or
explained with too much caution and discretion ; nor
can too much zeal and energy be exerted in main
taining and illustrating the principles of the doctrine
of Christ, the basis of present holiness and the means
of future happiness. The duty of Presbyters is in an
especial manner to feed the flock which is among
them, not overstepping the bounds of their own cure,
nor invading the province of other men, but concen
trating all their care in behalf of those, over whom
they are appointed, of whom they are to render an ac
count, and whom it will be their highest glory to pre
sent blameless at the throne of Christ. In their pub
lic preaching, and in their private admonitions, they
have no object besides the salvation of themselves and
those that hear them, and the edification of the body of
Christ, from which no considerations of interest or
emolument, no flatteries of popularity or vulgar ap-
1 Eph. iv. 4, 5.
L

146
plause should ever divert the ministers of Christ and
Stewards of the mysteries of God. The dignity of his
commission, and the awful responsibility under which
he acts, are alone a sufficient pledge of the fidelity of
every man, who is not a simple one indeed, or a de
liberate hypocrite in the profession of the faith. If
he can imagine that he derives his authority from
men, let him accommodate his doctrines to their hu
mours and appetites, to their fluctuating notions of
interest and expedience ; if from God, let him be
zealous and consistent in the execution of his charge,
let him look to God's blessing for the success of his
labours, and expect his recompence when every man's
work shall be manifested. Ministers of an apostolical
Church, deriving their authority through the medium
of an Episcopal ordination, they should honour and
love those, who are in a certain sense their Fathers
and Brethren in the ministry of the Gospel; and it is
natural to suppose, that the most affectionate inter
course and a corresponding similarity of manners
should be maintained among them. They are sepa
rated from the world, distinguished by the clerical
habit, exempted from many secular obligations, and
supported by a property of a peculiar nature ; their
circumstances are with few exceptions moderate, such
as admit of simple hospitality, and forbid the extra
vagance of expensive entertainments ; their minds are
directed to common studies, their time is occupied in
the same offices, and in all things, which concern
themselves and their families, they are to exhibit an
example to the flock, and are bound to cooperate in
prayer and in every good work for the interest of the
Church of which they are members. There is no

147
occasion for uncharitableness or illiberality to them
that are without, to them who have been educated in
the practice of communions, more or less remote from
the simplicity of an apostolical Church ; but they are
not destitute of wisdom or of virtue, who profess a
jealous preference of their own authorized doctrines,
forms, and institutions, or who feel a devout and ex
clusive attachment to that Church, which has on many
trying occasions been the ground and pillar of Pro
testant and Christian truth, whose offices were once
thought to proceed from a spirit of inspiration, and
whose constitution not only claimed the respect of
foreign Churches, but inflamed them with a desire of
imitation, of conformity, and coalition. In the esta
blishment of the National Society for the education of
the infant poor in the principles of the Established
Church, which promises to give such an effect to the
Rubrics after the Church Catechism, as has not
hitherto been experienced ; in the enlargement of the
Society for promoting Christian knowledge, and in
the auxiliary Committees acting in connection with
these Societies, and in the institution of certain cleri
cal associations, in different parts of the kingdom, a
new channel is opened for the communication of the
Clergy with each other, for their coalition in every
good design, and for an unreserved freedom of pro
fessional discussion, in which prejudices may be gra
dually overcome, inexperience instructed, zed regu
lated, and the cause of Christ promoted and advanced.
Though the contrary opinion may be maintained in
the spirit of a party, there has perhaps never been a
time, in which the ministry of the Church of England
stood on higher ground in point of general usefulness
l 2

148
and respectability of character. Not destitute of men,
worthy to be compared with those giants, who flou
rished in the golden age of theological literature, at
the time of the Revolution, and equal to every ques
tion which may call their talents into action, there is
an improved excellence in her parochial ministry ex
hibited in their more constant residence, in their at
tention to their proper offices, in the style of their
public preaching, and in the manner of their minis
trations in the Church, and in the affectionate in
terest, which they take in the general welfare of Sion,
which promise under proper encouragement to pro
duce the best effect. In these observations on the
character and duty of the parochial Clergy, there has
been a freedom, an absence of all reserve, which no
thing but the importance of the subject, which admits
of no compromise, can excuse. To the higher order
of the Prelacy, it is submitted with the utmost de
ference, whether the cause of the Church would not
be served, by the more frequent preaching of the
Bishops, in the principal towns of their respective
dioceses, and by annual in preference to triennial
confirmations. In the decline of life these duties
could not be required ; where the oil has been con
sumed, the last spark should mot expire in the public
service of the Sanctuary : but the vigour of manhood
could not be employed in a manner more gratifying,
more honourable, or more beneficial. The public
ministration of a Bishop always creates curiosity and
interest ; his words are received with marked earnest
ness and attention ; and the people are anxious for
the blessing of one, whom they consider invested with
extraordinary power to pronounce it. May it be al-

149
lowed yet farther to recommend, that in the examina
tion of candidates for Orders, a competent acquaint
ance with ecclesiastical history and polity, in addition
to the usual portion of theological knowledge, should
be held indispensable, that the younger Clergy, being
informed and settled in Church principles, may be
more disposed and prepared to instruct and confirm
others. One more suggestion shall complete the
measure of presumptuous and intrusive admonition.
The time of ordination is defined by the Canon, and
" except on urgent occasion," may not be dispensed
with. Two prayers are provided, one of which is to be
said every day in the Ember Weeks, for those that are
to be admitted into holy Orders, which must either
be disused, or used without propriety, if the season of
ordination is unsettled, uncertain, and unknown. It
is an evil sign, when customs- intrinsically good, re
commended by ancient practice, and recognized by
the existing ritual, are brought into neglect. The
ordination also is to be celebrated in the face of the
Church, and in the presence of the people, to whom
an appeal is addressed, and who might receive deep
and lasting instruction from the Sermon which is to
introduce the office. It is not insisted, what effect
would follow the revival or strict observance of the
primitive custom in respect of time and place, or
what impression would be made on the minds and
affections of the candidates, and of the congregation,
who were witnesses of the solemnity : but for the
contrary practice, wherever it obtains, it is not easy
to conceive an adequate excuse.
Though heresies revive, and schisms are multiplied
l 3

150
beyond all former precedent, there is reason to hope,
that the influence of the National Church increases
with the increase of population, and in at least equal
proportion with that of other Christian communions.
Still to him, who contemplates the Church of Christ,
as it exists in England, as it has appeared in the
world, overrun with superstition, error, and division,
surmounted by the imposture of Mohammed, rejected
by the Jew, and unsuccessfully recommended to the
Heathen, it is a melancholy picture which presents
itself, and one which benumbs and deadens all the fa
culties of the soul. It is however no occasion of
doubt or unbelief, of despondence or dismay. The
infirmities of the Christian Church have been foretold,
and the unhappy accomplishment of the spirit of pro
phecy is made a singular argument of the truth and
divine origin of the Gospel ; and on the same autho
rity we are encouraged to anticipate a happier period,
when the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the
glory of the Lord as the waters cover the seak ; when
the kingdoms of the world shall become the kingdoms
of the Lord and of his Christ1 ; and when all in the
unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of
God, shall come to a perfect man, to the measure of
the stature of the fulness of Christ1". If by patient
perseverance and temperate zeal ; by an active co
operation in measures of certain good ; by a cautious
forbearance in projects of an ambiguous character ;
by the union and mutual subordination of the Clergy
and the people, domestic differences can in any de
gree be reconciled, and a proper ascendancy be reco-<
k Habak. ii. 14. l Rev. xi. 15. "' Eph. iv. 13.

151
vered for the National Church, in the present variety
of religious communions, our English Sion, placed as
a city on a hill, may again command the respect of
all nations, and be the powerful instrument of reform
ing the superstitious, of regulating the disorderly, of
informing them that are in error, and instructing
them that are in ignorance ; and speaking the truth
in love, may grow up into him in all things, who is
the Head, even Christ, in whom the whole body fitly
framed together and compacted by that which every
joint supplieth, maketh increase of the body to the
edifying of itself in love".
The first concern of religious societies as well
as of private individuals is to reform their own cor
ruptions, and, by the unexceptionable purity of their
principles and conduct, to prevent the censures of the
malevolent, and to exhibit an example with which
wise and good men of every age and nation will de
light to coalesce and to conform. When the reli
gious professions of England shall be more settled,
and her zeal more orderly and under better regula
tions, her interference in the spiritual concerns of
other countries will be justified, and she will be au
thorized in using her utmost influence to enlarge and
purify the Church of Christ. Her own children, whom
various exigencies may place in foreign countries,
claim her first regard ; and no place which may be
the seat of a British settlement, or may require the
presence of a British ambassador, should be left des
titute of an adequate ecclesiastical establishment, in
" Eph. iv. 15, 16.
L4

152
which the offices of the English Church may be punc
tually administered, and of which the ministers, by a
liberal and unreserved communication with the natives
on religious subjects, and by reporting to proper au
thorities at home the result of their inquiries, may
become powerful instruments of assisting, instructing,
combining, and confirming the Church of Christ, in
the several forms of its dispersion throughout the
world. To the Lutheran, with whom we already hold
intimate connection, whose ministers are already em
ployed in our Oriental missions, and of whom some
have been advanced to the honours and emoluments
of our Church, we may exhibit the superiority of an
Apostolical Episcopacy to the modern invention of
superintendants, and we may warn him of that infi
delity, which is rankling in the schools of the conti-r
nent ; and if the season of revising the Prussian Li
turgy by authority is not irrevocably past, we may re
new the attempt which was made by Grabe in the be
ginning of the last century, to produce an uniformity
in the Ecclesiastical offices, and to consolidate the
Churches of England and Prussia. We may offer
our skill and assistance in pruning and cultivating the
Greek Church, which exists " like the tree thathad suf
fered excision in the dream of the Chaldean monarch :
its root indeed remains in the ground, with a band of iron
and brass, and it is wet with the dew of heaven, until
certain times shall have passed over it ; at the expira-.
tion of which," and our care in removing the excres
cences of superstition, and in confirming and purify
ing its faith, may hasten their expiration, " it may
come into remembrance before God, and again bud,
and put forth its branches for the shadow and support

153
of nations yet unknown." To the Papist we may open
the Scriptures, which foretel and condemn his errors
and apostasies, his corruptions and idolatries, and
counteract the activity of his proselyting zeal by our
own cordial and regulated earnestness, in extending the
Church of Christ. The Syrian we may endeavour to
raise from his low condition of ignorance and heresy,
of infirmity and desolation, inform his mind with
Scriptural truth, and call him to new exertions in pro
pagating the Gospel. Of the Turk we may demand
respect for the Christian name ; and without the most
distant intention of copying his method of propagat
ing religion with the sword, we may insist, that to be
a Christian shall not expose a man to insult and igno
miny, or reduce him to slavery and captivity. The
Heathen we may protect from injury and oppression,
and repair the wrong which our colonial usurpations
have inflicted ; we may direct the progress of civiliza
tion, and prepare his mind for the belief of the truth :
and for the Jew we may pray, that when the fulness
of the Gentiles shall have come in, he maybe converted
and restored to the lost favour of his God.
In the military policy of this world, it is reckoned
vain to waste the resources of a country in detached
and distant expeditions, which make no impression on
the enemy, and exhaust the means of successful war
fare ; to invade a territory without any previous know
ledge of its geography, of the manners and disposi
tions of the people, and of their means of resistance
and defence ; or to lead a tumultuary force, which acr
knowledges no authority, which refuses to act in conr
cert, and when no provision has .been made for supT

154
port in action, or for security in retreat. A wise and
manly policy will strengthen itself with new alliances,
will secure the neutrality of those who cannot attach
themselves to the same cause, will maintain a constant
communication with the confederates, and a regular
order and discipline among the troops, will provide
every thing which is requisite for the most arduous
contest, and not overlook the means of refuge Under
even the most unexpected reverses, and then will ad
vance with united force against the heart and vitals
of the enemy. The same policy promises the same
result in the crusades of the Gospel, in which we can
anticipate no success, because our councils are dis
tracted ; because the resources of zeal and benevo
lence are frittered away in unconnected and indepen
dent missions ; and because every member of the
league seeks to propagate his own private sentiments,
in places of his own preference, by instruments of his
own invention, without asking permission or allowing
control. The conversion of the nations, which
eighteen centuries have been unable to effect, seems
now to be accounted a work, for which the widow's
inite is a sufficient contribution, and which the most
ignorant and illiterate can carry into effect : and an
enthusiastic zeal, for which the world is but a narrow
sphere, is entertained for preaching the Gospel in
places already provided with ample means of Chris
tian instruction, and for uniting in the weak and
broken band of a diversified and unsettled faith, the
followers of Confucius, of Brahma, and of Mohammed,
the inhabitants of Iceland and Otaheite. Not thus
were the Apostolical Churches planted, nor thus will
the kingdom of Christ be enlarged. It must be by

155
the revived influence and cautious interference of all
in the Church, that is dignified with power, exalted by
wisdom, and adorned with piety and benevolence ; it
is by the union of zeal and discretion, of energy and
forbearance, of generosity and disinterestedness, of
wisdom and pious intercession ; it is by the union of
all hands and hearts in one common cause, that we
must hope for the propagation of Christian truth, or
the establishment of Christian order in the world. It
is indeed distressing to the compassionate mind, to
reflect on the forlorn and desolate condition of those
who are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of
death ; and a delightful and consolatory exercise to
anticipate the progress of salvation, and to observe
with the prophet, How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that
publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good
things, that publisheth salvation ; that saith unto Sion,
Thy God reigneth ° ! It is allowed, that men cannot
call on him, in whom they have not believed ; that
they cannot believe in him, of whom they have not
heard ; and that they cannot hear without a preacher ;
but it is contended also, that the preacher cannot
preach, except he be sent p ; except he be sent not by
any voluntary association of men of the purest bene
volence and the holiest zeal, but by men who have au
thority to send others into the vineyard of the Lord,
as they themselves have been sent, on whom the au
thority of the Apostles has devolved, and who are the
rulers of the Church of Christ. We must study the
acts and the writings of the Apostles, and if we would
• Isaiah Hi. 7- p Rom. x. 14, 15.

156
rival their success in preaching, we must follow their
example. They removed not from Jerusalem, till they
were invested with power from on high ; we also must
wait for regular commission and authority. They
were gifted with various tongues, and with discerning
of spirits ; we must acquire competent learning and
discrimination of character. They were united among
themselves, and maintained a regular correspondence
with the Apostolic College at Jerusalem ; we must
observe a similar unanimity, and dependence upon our
proper Governors. The Spirit of truth preserved them
in unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of
God ; his inspired Scriptures must be our guide and
standard. They in the first instance addressed them
selves to their brethren of the circumcision ; we must
first call upon those who are united with us in Christ
tian fellowship and profession. They gave solidity
and permanence to the Churches which they collected,
by settling over them a person to ordain presbyters ;
we must make the same provisions for perpetuating
our success, and facilitating our future exertions.
They went whither the Spirit directed them, or the
revealed necessities of the country invited them : our
efforts will be most wisely employed, where there is
best hope of useful interference. They visited and
strengthened the disciples ; we must confirm the few,
before we think of converting the many. They were
Nazarenes hated by the Jews, Jews despised by the
Heathen ; we are Christians and Englishmen, names
every where respected. They went without authority
from their civil rulers, to people, to whom they had
no introduction ; let us obtain the recommendation
of our government, and the whole world will rejoice

157
to receive us. They carried with them no promise
of temporal advantage, no means of civilization, no
commercial interests, no political alliances ; every
thing is given to us, by which we can engage their
affection, improve their condition, and enlarge their
understandings. They were obliged to support them
selves by their own industry, or depend on the gratui
tous contributions of their disciples ; we may be sup
ported by the generosity of individual and associated
benevolence, or, where a proper case is established, we
may look for the remuneration of labour, and the en
couragement of Christian proselytism, to the revenues
of the Church, or the liberality of Parliament.
Oh ! England, placed as a city on a hill, and exalted
beyond other nations by many signs of the Divine fa
vour and protection, thou art called to exert thy best
energies in the cause of truth, and in the enlargement
and confirmation of the Christian Church ! Thou art
possessed of riches ; of political influence ; of an un
precedented extent of colonial territory; nor is there
a spot upon the globe to which the spirit of commer
cial enterprize hath not recommended thee. A love
of piety and virtue is the marked character of thy
sons, who feel beyond other men for the spiritual wants
of their fellows, and who are actuated by the strongest
desire of diffusing the wisdom which is from above.
Thou hast received, and thou maintainest, the faith
delivered to the saints, without any additions of human
invention ; and the long roll of thy literary fame has
been swelled by names of the first distinction in every
branch of sacred knowledge. Thou hast a ministry
constituted on an apostolical model, adorned by piety

158
and learning, with the advantages of an establishment,
capable of the widest and most complicated opera
tions in the work of the Lord. Consider thy talents ;
remember thy responsibility! Thou art exalted to
heaven ; beware lest thou be cast down to hell ! The
promise of perpetuity, which is made to the Church
of Christ, is not appropriated in favour of any age or
country. The Churches of Asia, fed by the Apostles, and
nourished with the genuine milk of the word, have been
corrupted, and are no more! England maybe reserved
for the same desolation ; and if there be a contiriued
Unsettledness of religious opinions, a growing indif
ference to the truth, a want of earnestness in con
tending for the faith, there needs not the desponding
spirit of an alarmist, to predict the progress of infi
delity, the revival of superstition, the success of dis
orderly and fanatical zeal, the conflict of opposite
heresies, the depression of the friends of truth and
order, the dissipation of the ecclesiastical revenues,
the destruction of the strength of Christendom, and
the desolation of the fairest beauty of holiness. The
time has been, when such expectations were all but
realized ; the time is, when similar causes threaten
similar effects. Beware therefore, and avert the im
pending danger. Be earnest in the work of the Lord ;
be united in the bond of peace. High and low, rich
and poor, one with another, combine to preserve the
inheritance of your forefathers. With all liberality to
the inveterate and invincible prejudices of others, be
zealous in maintaining the form of sound words in
which you have been instructed, and avoid those who
cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine
which you have received. Be constant in the observ-

159
ance of every religious ordinance, administered ac
cording to the Scriptural rule, which you possess.
Adhere to your proper pastors, and esteem them very
highly in love for their work's sake. Encourage their
piety and animate their zeal by your steady attention
to their doctrine and fellowship. Ye that are in au
thority exert your power for the defence of the truth,
for the establishment of peace and order in the Church,
and for the execution of such measures as may gra
dually and without offence restore the Church of
England to its former influence and ascendancy, to
its original loveliness and simplicity. England, be it
thine to exhibit the example of a religious family,
united in sentiment and affection, and conforming as
far as is in the power of man with the design and will
of the heavenly Father. When strangers see thee,
let them behold with admiration the constancy and
zeal, the order and regularity of thy service, and re
port in their own less favoured countries, that the
Lord is with thee of a truth. Let those, who have
adopted rites of recent invention, see in thee a lively
image of the primitive constitution, and own the weak
ness of their innovation. Let the Papist learn to
venerate thy simplicity, and renounce his superstition,
and no more be offended by thy divisions, on which
he justifies his preference of an assumed unity of com
munion. Be thou a light to enlighten the ignorant,
an arm to assist and support the weak, and give thy
powerful aid to the Churches which sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death, and revive and strengthen
the scattered bands of Antioch and of Rome, that the
Gospel may be preached among the heathen, that the
ways of God may be known upon earth, his saving

160
health among all nations, that the path may be pre
pared for the restoration of the Jews, and for the
union of all men in one flock under one Shepherd,
Jesus Christ the righteous. England ! May the great
Master of the Christian family approve and assist
thee in thy labours of love! May he confirm thee in
the truth, sanctify thy love of virtue, inform thy zeal,
and strengthen thee in peace and order and unani
mity ! May he make thee the blessed instrument of
preserving and diffusing Christian knowledge in the
world, of repairing the walls of his Sion, and enlarg
ing the borders of his Sanctuary ! May he remove
from his Church every thing which offends and leads
to confusion, and establish every thing which instructs
and makes for peace ; and by the powerful influence of
the Spirit of love and holiness operating on the hearts
of individuals, and directing the counsels of associated
Christians, may he produce that end, for which he
originally purchased a peculiar people, and appointed
the subordinate ministrations of men, the advance
ment of the divine glory, and the establishment of
peace on earth, arid good-will toward men.
Behold ! the time cometh, when the effect of the
divine blessing and the efficacy of all human exertions
shall manifestly appear ; when every difficulty which
has hitherto delayed the conversion of Jews and Hea
thens shall be surmounted ; when the work of the
ministry shall be accomplished ; when the Saints shall
be knit together into an indissoluble fellowship, and
the whole body of Christ shall be edified into an holy
temple worthy of the habitation of God. The signs
of the times may seem to be in opposition to these

161
great events ; and the hearts of the pious may be de
pressed through fear and anxious expectation of the
things that are coming upon the earth. But sure and
stedfast is the word of prophecy : though heaven and
earth pass away, it shall not fail, till all be fulfilled ;
nor shall even the gates of hell prevail against the
Church of Christ. All shall yet come in the unity
of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature
of the fulness of Christ. The day is appointed in the
unsearchable counsels of the Father, when the labours
of the Church militant shall be resolved in the glories
of the Church triumphant; and requisite preparation
shall every where be made for realizing and accom
plishing the sublime and affecting vision of the pro
phet, when he beheld, and lo, a great multitude,
which no man could number, of all nations, and kin
dred, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne,
and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and
palms in their hands ; and cried with a loud voice, say
ing, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the
throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood
round about the throne, and about the elders and the
four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces,
and worshipped God, saying, Amen : Blessing, and
glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and
power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever.
Amenq. i Rev. vii. 9, 10, 11, 12.

M

NOTES.

"AGE 7. line y. In her apostolical form and comeliness.']
Home's Discourses, vol. iii. p. 327-
P. 11. 1. 23. But it has been objected, &c.J The first
three exceptions were urged by Mr. Sykes in controversy
with Dr. Rogers, by whom they are refuted in a Review
of a Discourse of the Visible and Invisible Church of
Christ, p. 115 — 118. The fourth exception is advanced
in the Exclusive Claims of Episcopal Ordination examined
and rejected, and the Methodist Ministry vindicated, by
Edward Hare, Manchester, 1815. This subject is treated
more fully in the fifth section of the preceding Survey.
P. 13. 1. 13. Even in the patriarchal ages.] Skinner's
Primitive Truth and Order vindicated, p. 118, 119.
P. 14. 1. 6. i/ cannot be supposed, that tlie religion of Clirist,
&c.J Skinner's Primitive Truth, p. 120. Nott's Bampton
Lectures, p. 112.
P. 16. I. 12. To ait straight the furrow.] OgSoTo/xowra.
See Parkhurst's Lexicon ; and Bloomfield's Visitation Ser
mon, note.
P. 18. 1. 15. Whom the apostle expressly denominates Lord
and God.] 1 Cor. xii. 5, 6. The commentators interpret
" Lord" of the Son and " God" of the Father r but the
apostle's discourse is ¦srsgi Tlvvjjuxxix.<av, concerning the gifts,
administrations, and operations of the SPIRIT. Now there
M 2

164
are diversities of gifts, but the same SPIRIT; and there
are diversities of administrations, but the same LORD.
When he proceeds to specify, v. 8, 9. what these adminis
trations and gifts are, he ascribes them all to the SPIRIT.
For to one is given by the SPIRIT the word of wisdom ;
to another the word of knowledge by the same SPIRIT;
to another faith by the same SPIRIT; to another the gifts
of healing by the same SPIRIT. Of the diversities of ope
rations he says; And it is the SAME GOD, which worketh
all in all. And after enumerating these diversities of opera'
tions, which, v. 6. lie attributes to the SAME GOD, he
concludes, v. 11. but all these worketh THE ONE and
the SAME SPIRIT, dividing to every man severally as
he will. By the words which he uses he seems plainly to
refer to his own previous language.
AIAIPESEIS evegywxrcov I1ANTA 8e rotura. ENEP-
euri, o Se ATTOS efi Geo;, TEI ro ev xat to ATfTO
oENEPraNralJANTA Tlveu/jLcc, AIAIPOTN <Si«
sv •at our i. Ixaftu xtxSw; fiouXerou.
Lastly, to the climax in which he speaks concerning the
SAME SPIRIT, the SAME LORD, the SAME GOD, he
immediately subjoins But, or And, the manifestation of the
SPIRIT is given to every man to profit with.
P. 20. 1. 17- This consecration, which supplied the place of
the material unction.] Hammond's Dissertationes quatuor,
quibus Episcopatus jura ex S. Scripturis et primaeva anti-
quitate adstruuntur. Diss. 3tia, c. i. §. 3. Potter's Dis
course of Church Government, p. 37*
Ibid. 1. 24. If then he, who from the eternal ages.] Dau-
beny's Appendix to the Guide to the Church, p. 404
Stevens's Treatise on the Nature and Constitution of the
Christian Church, p. 20. Taylor's Answer to the Question,
Why are you a Churchman ? §. 5. Wheatley's Illustration
of the Common Prayer, chap. ii. §. 3.

165
P. 22. 1. 8. The assumed rights of popular election could
not have been more effectually discountenanced.] Original
Draught of the Primitive Church, p. 119.
P. 23. 1. 24. The plan for the service of the tabernacle.]
Daubeny's Guide to the Church, p. 381. note.
P. 24. 1. 25. This promise ivas of a temporal nature.] So
Camero and Grotius on the text. Hall's Episcopacie by
Divine Right asserted, part ii. §. 2. Hammond's Diss.
Stia, c. ii. §. 3, 6. Jackson's Dissertation on Episcopacy.
P. 25. 1. 2. Our Lord's subsequent recommendation of mu
tual subjection.] Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity, book vii.
§. 16. Hammond's Diss. Stia, c. ii. Potter's Discourse,
p. 56—60.
P. 26. 1. 12. He sent out his apostles.] Hammond's Diss.
3tia, c. i. §. 13. Daubeny's Guide, p. 22.
P. 32. 1. 33. He was numbered with the eleven apostles by
virtue of the divine preference.] Orig. Draught of the Prim.
Ch. p. 155 — 158. Jones's Essay on the Church ad fin.
Not so Mr. Hare, (Exclusive Claims, p. 42, 4.3.) who as
serts, that the " Apostle was chosen by the Church," and in
cludes the women among the electors, whom the Apostle calls
men and brethren, an address which certainly does not com
prehend the female part of the congregation. He is offended,
that this elevation of Matthias is " called by our translators
an ordination," in which he seems to refer to St. Peter's
words, "one must be ordained:" Sei ouv yevec-Sui, more
literally and more congenially with the exposition in the
Survey, must one become : but the insinuation, " that it is
not one word, but various words which are thus uniformly
rendered," by tne word ordained, " by our translators,
perhaps to impress us with the importance of Episcopal
ordination," imputes to the translators, an offence of which
M 3

166
they are innocent, and which the general tenour of their
version does certainly not justify.
P. 38. 1. 5- Multitudes both of men and women.] Mau
rice's Defence of Diocesan Episcopacy, p. 8, 9, S5.
Ibid. 1. 16. To the latter interpretation is objected.] Sy
nopsis Criticorum in loc.
Ibid. 1. 30. It will not violate the sense of the original.']
Ew<(rxe\J/a(rSs e£ u/judv xv'Sgac ftagTUgouftsvouj. So Schleusner
(Lex. Nov. Test.) under jaagrugfco, septem viros probatos
inter vos ; and under stTia-x.snroii.ai, circumspicite igitur, seu
eligite septem viros probatos. In the same manner Pyle
paraphrases the third and fourth verses : " And therefore
advised them to choose out seven of the most eminent and
proper persons."
P. 3.9. 1. 12. The unequivocal testimony of Epiphanius.] As
it is quoted in Potter's Discourse, p. 49. note.
P. 41. 1. 1. Tlie practice is still retained.] In the Church
of England, in the candidate's testimonial subscribed by
three Clergymen ; in the testimonial from College, or in
the advertisement to the people among whom he resides,
technically denominated a Si quis; and in the address to
the congregation in the offices of ordination.
P. 42. 1. 3. The prophecies concerning Timothy.] Ilgo-
pijTeia, admonitio monitum ; 1 Tim. i. 18. xa.ro. ra; •nrgoa-
youcraf «r» <rs -srgoiprireiu;, secundum nionita ilia, quae jam olim
tibi dedi. iv. 14. hot wgoiptjTeiaf, non sine gravissimis admo-
nitionibus. Schleusner.
Ibid. 1. 28. United with Paul and Silvanus in a regular
gradation of order.] Dr. Brett however, in his Account of
Church Government and Church Governors, considers him

167
a suffragan, and recommends at considerable length the
revival of that office. See also the preface to several Letters,
which passed between Dr. George Hickes, and a Romish
priest, where he proposes " more .Diocesan Bishops with
out Baronies, of which there is as great need, as of more
parish priests."
P. 46. 1. 16. Among whom were also Apol'os.] Mr. Hare,
(Exclusive Claims, p. 36, 37.) speaks of Apollos, « as a
layman. Knowing only the baptism of John, he could not
have received a commission from the apostles." Certainly
not; but because he had not already received it, it does
not follow, that he might not receive it at some future time.
" And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue ; and
when Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him unto
them," and admitted him to their company, not to coun
tenance his premature zeal and indiscretion, but to expound
" to him the way of God more perfectly." This must
have occupied some time ; " and when he was disposed to
pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples
to receive him ; who, when he was come, helped them much
who had believed through grace ; for he mightily convinced
the Jews, and that publicly, shewing from the Scriptures
that Jesus was the Christ." Acts xviii. 26, 27, 28. Hitherto
the ministrations of Apollos have been confined to the
Jews, in whose synagogue, as a Jew, he might have privilege
of speaking. Who the brethren were, who recommended
him to the disciples at Corinth, does not appear : no men
tion has yet been made of any brethren at Ephesus, except
Priscilla and his wife, and they were not very active, or the
disciples of John in the following chapter would have been
more fully instructed concerning the Holy Spirit. The
terms in which these brethren exhorted the disciples to
receive Apollos, are the same in which St. Paul recommends
a minister to a church ; and it is not improbable that St.
Paul concurred in the recommendation, and that the trans
action took place during his short stay at Ephesus, where
M 4

168
Apollos had already arrived, xanjvnjo-e, before him. In
the first Epistle to the Corinthians, St. Paul constantly
speaks of Apollos, as of a ministerial person ; comparing
him with Cephas and himself, i. 12. asking who is Paul, and
who is Apollos, but ministers by whom they believed, iii. 5.
including Apollos with himself under the plural form, we
are labourers together with God, iii. 9. After requiring
the Corinthians to account of them as ministers of Christ,
and stewards of the mysteries of God, he subjoins, These
things have I transferred to myself and Apollos for your
sakes, that ye may learn in us not to think of men above
that which is written ; that no one of you be puffed up for
one against another, iv. 1, 6. In the conclusion of the
Epistle, he calls him his brother, whom he greatly desired
to go with them to the brethren, xvi. 19. Such expressions
are sufficient to invalidate the negative evidence, which is
derived from the want of a record of the ordination of
Apollos ; especially as St. Paul never attributes to him the
divisions of the Corinthians under him, or reckons him
among " the false apostles, the deceitful workers, trans
forming themselves into the apostles of Christ." 2 Cor.
xi. 13.
P. 47. 1- 29. Exhortations, which imply a succession of mi
nisters.] Potter's Discourse, p. 133.
P. 49. 1. 3. Compared with the evidence of various facts.]
Claims of the Established Church, p. 34, 35. Daubeny's
Appendix, p. 465, 466.
Ibid. 1. 15. Who needed not particular information.] Skin
ner's Primitive Truth, p. 132, 134. Potter's Discourse,
p. 130.
P. 51. 1. 5. During the personal administration of our
Lord there were three distinct orders.] Hall's Episcopacie,
part ii. §. 2. Brett's Church Gov. p. 53. Jones's Essay,
chap. ii.

1.69
P. 53. 1. 3. Our Saviour in recommending humility.] Mo-
sheim's Eccl. History, cent. i. part ii. c. ii. §. 10. note.
P. 58. 1. 29. The proportion of faith.] Clarke's Sermons,
vol. 2. serm. 12. p. 267- Svo. ed. and Schoetgenii, Schleus-
neri, and Parkhurst's Lexicons under avccXoyia.
P. .59. ). 23. Knitting together of the saints.] TIgo; xarag-
Tio-jiiov tcov dyicvv. See Parkhurst's Lexicon under xaragrtfa,
xu.ra.gr 111$, and xa.ra.gr io-p.o;.
P. 60. 1. 1. In the enumeration of these several offices.]
See Potter's Discourse, p. 99, 100. The arrangement of
the gifts is copied from Horsley's Sermons, vol. ii. p. 357,
where a reference is made to Lightfoot's Hone Hebraiese.
P. 62. 1. 28. When the disciples of Antioch determined to
send relief.] Synopsis Criticorum in loc. Hooker's Eccl.
Pol. b. vii. §. 23. Brett's Ch. Gov. 130. Pearson's An
nates Paulini sub ann. xliv.
P. 63. 1. 11. James and all the elders.] Potter's Discourse,
p. 90. Brett's Ch. Gov. 128. Claims of Estab. Church,
p. 33.
P. 64. 1. 9. Barnabas had been raised to. the apostolic
office.] Hooker's Eccl. Pol. book vii. §. 4.
Ibid. 1. 12. Epaphroditus is recommended to the Philip-
pians.] Hammond's Diss. 4ta, c. 3. §. 24. Wheatley's
Illustration, chap. ii. §. 3. Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 65. Dau
beny's Appendix, p. 63.
P. 65. 1. 1. The glory of Christ.] See Synopsis Criti
corum in loc.
Ibid. 1. 17 . Denominated the Twelve, emphatically Apostles.]

170
Hammond's Annotations quoted in Stackhouse's History of
the Bible, vol. ii. p. 1295.
P. 66. 1. lb. It is a powerful confirmation of the argument.]
Hammond's Diss. 4ta, c. 3. Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 65. Jack
son's Diss, on Episc. p. 24. Daubeny's Appendix, p. 62.
These writers refer to Clemens Alexandrinus, Theodoret,
and Chrysostom.
P. 67. 1. 30. A ruling power.] Stevens's Treatise, p. 35 —
38. P. 68. 1. 6. Which though specifically addressed.] Ham
mond's Diss. 4ta, c. 5. §. 3, 9. Maurice's Dioc. Episc.
p. 279.
Ibid. 1. 14. Commands, censures, and peremptory precepts.]
Orig. Draught of Pr. Ch. p. 18. Hall's Episcopacie, part
ii. §. 3. Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 57, 58.
P. 69. 1. 13. Spiritual persons were resident among them,
ivho, &.c] Stevens's Treatise, p. 15, 16. Potter's Discourse,
p. 73.
Ibid. 1. 30. T7ie form, in which this determination was re
corded.] Rogers's Review, p. 270.
P. 71. 1. 5. Titus was left in Crete to set in order.] Orig.
Draught of Pr. Ch. p. 210. Potter's Discourse, p. 313.
P- 73. 1- 9. A case of notorious incest.] Brett's Ch. Gov.
p. 129, 130. Potter's Discourse, p. 355—361. Skinner's
Prim. Truth, p. 146—149.
P. 74. 1. 23. The case of Simon Magus.] Potter's Dis
course, p. 353 — 355.

171
P. 75. 1. 9. To reject an heretic.] Rogers's Rcriew, p.
289. Ibid. 1. 12. The angels of the Asiatic churches.] Hall's
Episcopacie, part ii. §. 7. Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 66. Potter's
Discourse, p. 149, 150. Rogers's Discourse of the Vis.
and Invis. Church, p. 76.
Ibid. 1. 29. Diotrephes, whose offence was, &c.] Ham
mond's Diss, lma, c. xiii. Hall's Episcopacie, part ii. §. 3.
Hickes's Treatise on the Christian Priesthood, p. 197.
Potter's Discourse, p. 1\.
P. 77. 1. 9. It is a sufficient proof of the distinctness of the
ordaining power.] Hooker's Eccl. Pol. book vii. §. 11.
Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 62 — 64. Hall's Episcopacie, part ii.
§. 5. Stevens's Treatise, p. 34.
P. 7S. 1. 5. Deacons were required to be blameless.] The
qualification of blamelessness, which was to appear on the
trial, fixes the nature and design of it to have been, to ascer
tain their moral fitness ; nor is this text any warrant for
the practice of foreign churches, in requiring persons before
ordination to preach a year or more ad probandam faculta-
tem. See Hare's Exclusive Claims, p. 37. where he seems
to quote from Wesley's Appeal, part iii.
Ibid. 1. 12. As was exemplified in the ordination of Ti
mothy.] See Claims of the Established Church, p. 26, 27-
where a reference is made to Hales's Analysis of Chrono
logy, vol. ii. p. 1085, and to a treatise on the Government
of the Church, by Edward Barwick, M. A. of Trinity Coll.
Dublin. Ibid. 1. 20. No record of the conveyance of this privilege.]
Orig. Draught of the Pr. Ch. p. 125—127. Daubeny's
Appendix, p. 449, 450.

172
P. 79. 1. 6. It was a form of recommending them.] Pot
ter's Discourse, p. 287—291.
P. 80. I. 1. The votes and suffrages of the members.] See
Buck's Theological Dictionary; article Ordination. The
same objection is urged with less distinctness by Mr. Hare,
(Exclusive Claims, p. 42, 43.) Xsigoroveco non solum per
suffragia aliquem creare, alicui muneri prseficere, protensis
manibus eligere, sed etiam absque suffragiis eligere aliquem,
constituere, creare, ordinare, designare. Acts xiv. 23. Xei-
gorovY)<ravrs; Se avroi; ¦srgeaSvregoui xar sxx\rj<riav, constituerunt
per singulas ecclesias presbyteros. Schleusner.
P. 81. 1. 20. Who, though full of the Holy Ghost] Dau
beny's Appendix.
Ibid. 1. 29. The words of institution primarily relate.]
Potter's Discourse, p. 256.
P. 82. 1. 29. When Jesus made and baptized more disciples.]
Potter's Discourse, p. 71, 72.
P. 83. 1. 14. While that of inferior ministers.] Sykes's
Discourse on Parochial Communion, p. 321, 343 — 345.
P. 84. 1. 17. To facilitate the execution of their commis
sions.] Hammond's Diss. 3tia, c. 4.
Ibid. 1. 20. The Twelve distributed among themselves.]
Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 54.
Ibid. 1. 26. An extensive jurisdiction.] Maurice's Dioc
Episc. p. 125, 188, 239.
P. 85. 1. 7. James was president of the churches.] Pot
ter's Discourse, p. 89. Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 55, 56. Skin
ner's Prim. Truth, p. 246—251. Sykes on Paroch. Com.
p. 35—38. Claims of the Estab. Church, p. 33.

173
Ibid. 1. 24. That he might go to his own place.] Sykes's
Paroch. Com. p. 28. note.
Ibid. 1. 29. The jurisdiction of the apostles.] Claims of
the Estab. Ch. p. 21. note. " Hales's Analysis, vol. ii. p.
1078." Sykes's Paroch. Com. p. 34. and quotation from
Bernard's Clavi Trab. p. 1 28. assigning the following order.
" Peter to Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia; John to Asia and
Parthia; Andrew to Scythia, Pontus Euxinus, and Byzan
tium ; Philip to Upper Asia unto Hierapolis ; Thomas to
India, Persia, and to the Magi ; Bartholomew to Armenia,
Lycaonia, India Citerior ; Matthew to Ethiopia ; Simon to
Mesopotamia, Persia, Egypt, Afrique, Britany ; Matthias
to Ethiopia."
P. 87- 1. 7- Who had companied with the apostles all the
time.] Hammond's Diss. 3tia, c. 5. §¦ 21.
Ibid. 1. 15. Matthias and Barnabas.] Whom Eusebius
(to whom Sykes refers, p. 24.) and Epiphanius (as quoted by
Potter, p. 49.) place among the Seventy. See Hall's Epis
copacie, part ii. §. 2. and Hammond's Diss. Stia, c. v. §. 11.
Ibid. 1. 26. The same as came from Jerusalem to Antioch.]
Mr. Hare (Exclusive Claims, p. 37.) having quoted Acts
xi. 19, 20, 21. concludes; "Thus was the first Gentile
Church founded by these laymen." To this it may be an
swered, under the supposition that they were private Chris
tians, that they were actuated by the extraordinary influence
of the Holy Spirit ; that they preached the word only pri
vately, and not in the congregation, and it is not even inti
mated that they entered into the synagogue, or that there
was any public assembly of the Grecians ; and that what
ever was the nature of their ministrations, the Church
which was at Jerusalem, considering them not efficient of
themselves, as soon as they heard of what had been done,
sent unto them Barnabas, c. xi. 22. who when he had seen

174
the grace of God was glad, and exhorted them, that with
purpose of heart thfljr would cleave unto the Lord : and
much people was under him added unto the Lord. Then
departed Barnabas to Tarsus to seek Saul, and when he
had found him he brought him unto Antioch, 23 — 26.
But there is no proof, that they who were scattered abroad
were all private Christians, or that they all preached fhe
word. It is not probable, that all the disciples of Christ,
of whom there were now many thousands at Jerusalem,
quitted the city on occasion of this persecution, viii. 1, 4.
xi. 19. and express mention is made of brethren and disci
ples, ix. 25, 26, 30. at Jerusalem, beside the apostles. The
only person who is mentioned by name is Philip the Dea
con, and it was against the ministers of the Church that
the fury of persecution was usually directed. But though
these men, preaching some to Jews and some to Grecians,
were the means by which a great number believed and
turned unto the Lord, there was no regular settlement, nor
indeed is there any mention of the Church, before the ar
rival of Paul and Barnabas ; and it may have been the slow
and progressive work of the year, in which they assembled
with the Church and taught much people, v. 26. In the
mean time there was a further accession of prophets from
Jerusalem unto Antioch, v. 27 : and in the next mention of
" the Church which was at Antioch," chap. xiii. 1. are re
corded the names of certain prophets and teachers, i. e. of ec
clesiastical officers of the second and third degrees. That at
this time, " the Apostles themselves were disputing the pro
priety of preaching to the Gentiles," is a gratuitous assump
tion from the sacred history, which records only the oppo
sition of them " that were of the circumcision," chap. xi. 2.
and even these, on Peter's explanation, held their peace
and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the
Gentiles granted repentance unto life. See Potter's Dis
course, p. 234 — 238.
Ibid. 1. 27- The presbyters oj -Jerusalem.] Potter's Dis
course, p. 106—109.

175
P. 88. 1. 25. This opinion, which is recommended.] Orig.
Draught of the Prim. Ch. p. 22. Wheatley's Illustration,
chap. ii. §. 3. Bingham's Origines Ecclesiasticse, book ii.
ch. 19. 8vo. ed. Daubeny's Appendix, p. 78. These
writers refer to Theodoret. Com. in 1 Tim. i. 3. Theo-
phylact in Phil. i. 1. and Chrysostom.
P. 89. 1. 5. The Ephesian elders.] Hooker's Eccl. Pol.
book vii. §. 5. Claims of the Estab. Church, p. 28 — 31.
Ibid. 1. 19. The church at Philippi with the Bishops.]
Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 64. Maurice's Dioc. Episc. p. 27.
P. 90. 1. 11. Who were not to be novices.] Orig. Draught
of Prim. Ch. p. 252. Potter's Discourse, p. 100.
P. 91. 1. 18. In whose deliberations they concurred,] See
Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 130, 202—214, 325, 344.
P. 92. 1.11. It has been conjectured.] Mosheim's Eccl.
History, vol. i. p. 103. note.
P. 93. 1. 21. Their office was of a probationary nature.]
Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 177. Hammond's Diss. 4ta, chap. 26.
$. 9, 10.
P. 94. 1. 3. The office of deaconesses.] Hammond's Diss.
4ta, chap. 24. §. 6. Bingham's Origines Eccl. book ii. chap.
22. Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 439.
P. 96. 1. 24. Originally of apostolic institution.] Nott's
Bampton Lectures, p. 92, 96.
P. 97- 1. 23. The extraordinary and miraculous gifts of
their teacheis.] See Leslie's Discourse on the qualifications
necessary to administer the Sacraments, in the Scholar armed,
vol. i. p. 83. Daubeny's Appendix, p. 2.08. Jones's Ser
mon on 1 Cor. xiii. 13. Works, vol. v. serm. 12;

176
P. 98. 1. 19. To speak evil of dignities.] See Sykes on
Paroch. Com. p. 92 — 107. Mant's Parochial and Domestic
Sermons, vol. ii. 297 — 300. Leslie in Scholar Armed, vol.
ii. p. 76.
P. 99. 1. 23. The order of the Colossians] BXettoiv u\utuv tijv
ra£iv. Videns vestrum ordinem, ncmpe in dispositione, et
observatione rituum ecclesiasticorum. Schleusner.
P. 100. 1. 17- The form, in which our Lord delivered his
prayer,] See the London Cases, vol. ii. p. 164 — 171.
P. 101. 1. 5. A creed or summary of the Christian faith.]
Rogers's Review, p. 188.
P. 102. 1. 31. The reference from Antioch of the dispute
concerning circumcision.] Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 299.

P. 103. 1. 1 1. Inscribed in the name of the apostles, presby
ters, and brethren.] See Potter's Discourse, p. 316—320.
where the right of the brethren to vote in the Council is
denied. P. 105. I. II. The perpetuity of the order.] Potter's Dis
course, p. 136 — 139.
P. 107. 1. 15. The twelve apostles instructing the people.]
Potter's Discourse, p. 49, 50. Skinner's Prim. Truth, p.
122. P. 108. 1. 5. A coincidence has also been remarked.] Pref. to
London Cases, No. 15.
Ibid. I. 23. The autlior of the ecclesiastical polity.] Book
t. §. 78.

177
P. 109. 1. 26. Addressing himself to tlie multitude of Ids
disciples.] Hammond's Diss. 2nda, chap. vi. §. 3.
P. 110. 1. 2. This is the altar.] See Parkhurst's Lexicon
under duo-iarrjgiov, who refers to Ignatius, by whom the
word is used in the same sense.
Ibid. 1. 11. The errors of the Romanist.] Daubeny's Ap
pendix, p. 313.
P. 111. 1. 20. If under the words Xstrovgyo; and Ugovg-
youvra.] See Bid's Thesaurus under Xstrougysco; and
Hickes's Christian Priesthood, p. 53, from which the ar
gument is principally collected. See also Potter's Dis
course, p. 260—267, and Skinner's Prim. Truth, p. 94.
P. 1 H. 1. 6. T7ie sacrifices with which God is well pleased.]
Hammond's Diss. 2nda, chap. vi. §. 5.
Ibid. 1. 21 , Episcopacy has been uniformly found to prevail.]
Daubeny's Appendix, p. 286, 287. Leslie's Discourse on
the Qualifications, &c. in Scholar armed, vol. ii. p. 93 — 95.
and Hall's Episcopacie, part ii. §. 18. where he has " for
the reader's satisfaction contracted into a short view some
passages of laborious Christianography, of Mr. Paget, ga
thered by him out of many authors, whereby it well ap
pears how the Christian Church is governed abroad, and
(which is very remarkable) well near all of them in a
manner utterly divided from the correspondence with
Rome, and professedly opposite to most of her errors, and
chiefly to her ambitious and tyrannous usurpation." The
following is a sketch of this curious picture.

178

Greek Church.
Russian Church.
Armenian Christians.
Jacobite Christians.
Maronites. Nestorians(misnamed)indian Christians.
Atrican Christians.
Abassine Christians.

Patriarch of Constanti
nople.
Patriarch of Moscow.
Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Patriarch of Antioch.
2 Patriarchs in greater
and lesser Armenia.
Patriarch in Mesopotamia
A Patriarch.
Patriarch of Seleueia.
Patriarch of Musal.
Patriarch of Alexandria.
A Patriarch or Abuna.

74 Metropolitans. Divers Bishops
under them.
2 Metropolitans. 4 Archbishops, 6 Bishops.
5 Metropolitans. 10 Bishops.
142 Metropolitans, Archbishops, and
Bishops.
Bishops according to different ae-
counts varying from 300 to 1000.
Many Churches in Mesopotamia,
Babylonia, and Syria.
8 or 9 Bishops.
22 Bishops said to have been under
another Patriarch.
An Archbishop *.
164 Bishops under 1 Metropolitan
127 Archbishops.

P. 1 1.5. 1. 12. Tlie difficulties under which those Protestants
laboured.] For the case of the Reformation in France, see
Hall's Episcopacie, part i. §.. 5.
Ibid. 1. 20. Tlie only motive of the King Christian III]
Modern Universal History, vol. xxxii. p. 440.
Ibid. 1. 24. The opinion of Calvin and of those who con
curred with him.] Their testimonies are collected by Hall,
Episcopacie, part i. §. 4.
P. 116. 1. 3. A certain subordination, &c.J Mosheim's
Eccl. Hist. vol. iv. p. 288.

Ibid. 1. 12. The irregular appointment of a Bishop in Ame
rica.] Jones's Life of Bishop Plorne. Works, vol. xii.
p. 182. Charge intended to have been delivered to the
Clergy of Norwich, at the primary visitation of George
Lord Bishop of that Diocese, p. 23. This Charge was the
composition of Mr. Jones, and not of Bishop Home, to
* See Buchanan's Christian Researches, and East India Reports of the So-
cii't\ l'ur promoting Christian knowledge.

179
whose works it has been improperly added, since the tlcath
of Mr. Stevens, who as well as Mr. Jones's family was
probably possessed of the fact.
P. 118. I. 2. Except the consciousness of acting in obedience
to Christ] Maurice's Dioc. Episc. p. 4. and Skinner's
Prim. Truth, p. 306—308, 312 — 324.
Ibid. 1. St. A writer who has -illustrated, &c] Bishop
Sage in the Principles of the Cyprianic age, and the Vin
dication of the Principles, &c: from the latter work the en
suing argument is collected.
P. 124. 1. 14. There is then no interval between the Apo
stolic and Cyprianic ages.] The testimonies of Clemens,
Ignatius, Irenseus, and Tertullian are quoted by writers on
Ecclesiastical polity. " Episcopal government is acknow
ledged to have been received universally in the Church
presently after the time of the Apostles; between the
Apostles and this presently after there was not time enough
for, nor possibility ofj so great an alteration : and therefore
there was no such alteration as was pretended." Chilling-
worth's Works, fob p. 322. quoted in Daubeny's Appen
dix, p. 466.
Ibid. 1. 24. It was the conclusion of the learned Hammond.]
Diss, lma, c. ult. §. 1 1.
P. 129. L 11. Which one who possessed an affectionate at
tachment to the ancient faith.] Eustace's Classical Tour
through Italy, vol. ii. p. 179, 180. 8vo ed. The premature
death of this accomplished Scholar is an occasion of deep
regret to all, who love an undisguised sincerity, and a re
gulated liberality of Christian profession. It is his own
testimony; " In truth Reconciliation and Union are the
objects of his warmest wishes, of his most fervent prayers^,
they occupy his thoughts, they employ his pen ; and if a
N 2

180
stone shall happen to mark the spot where his ashes are
to repose, that stone shall speak of peace and reconcilia
tion." Preface, p. xiii.
P. 139. 1. 13. Defects of the Church Catechism.] Nelson's
Festivals, Preface. They may be supplied by the use of
Bishop Burgess's Short Catechism on the duty of conform
ing to the Established Church. Stevens's Treatise, and
Taylor's Answer to the Question, Why am 1 a Church
man ? in the didactic form, are very excellent.
P. 140. 1. 20. In the language of the judicious Hooker.]
Eccl. Polity, book v. ad fin.
P. 141. 1. 17- Exempt or under the -negative jurisdiction.]
Brett's Ch. Gov. 413.
P. 142. 1. 3. By the division of the larger and more popu
lous parishes.] See on this subject and on the erection of
additional churches, a valuable pamphlet, entitled, " Free
and impartial thoughts on the dangers to be apprehended
from the increase of Sectaries in this kingdom, and the
evils arising from the want of places of worship for the
lower orders of the community." Taylor and Hessey,
1808. Daubeny's Guide, 425—434. Middleton's Address
to the parishioners of St. Pancras; and Yates's Church in
Danger. The friends of true religion will rejoice to know
that the attention of the Government has been drawn to
this most important subject, and that measures for relieving
the present exigency are in contemplation.
P. 143. 1. 5. Which they are still capable of carrying into-
] Brett's Ch. Gov. p. 154— 165.

P. 146. 1. 22. Distinguished by the Clerical habit.] The
disuse of the gown and cassock was lamented at the time
by the benevolent Jonas Hanway, who remarked, that if a

181
clergyman, in his proper attire, remonstrated with a per
son, whom he saw committing any offence against good
manners, the people, recognizing his office in his dress,
would support and approve his interference; without the
protection of his gown, he would be liable to insult. It
would be curious to enquire, Whether the influence of the
Clergy has -improved, since they have ceased to be dis
tinguished by their attire. What objection is there to
resuming the use of the band, an infallible distinction ?
P. 147. 1. 12. Wlwse constitution not only claimed the re
spect of foreign Churches, &e.J See the correspondence of
Archbishop Wake and certain Doctors of the Sorbonne
on the project of an union between the English and Gal-
lican Churches, Mosheim's Eccles. Hist. A pp. iii. Dr.
Grabe made a similar attempt to unite the English and
Prussian Churches. See Biographical Dictionary; art.
Grabe. P. 152. 1. 15. That Infidelity which is rankling.] See
Jacobi's Answer to Dr. Middleton's Charge on his de
parture as a Missionary of the Society for promoting Chris
tian knowledge. The early death of this promising young
man has disappointed the confident expectations which
were entertained of his ministerial exertions in the East.
Ibid. 1. 24. The tree which had suffered excision.] Home's
Discourses, vol. iii. p. 123.
P. 155. 1. 4. It is by the union of zeal and discretion.]
Among the signs, which mark the character of a restless
and unsettled age, it is not possible to overlook the spirit
of association, for the accomplishment of purposes of piety
and benevolence. Persons, whose zeal and liberality are
less questionable than their discretion, communicate their
sentiments to each other, and a society is formed and at
tains considerable strength, before there is any time for

182
enquiring, whether the project is expedient or practicable;
whether the method of carrying it into execution is de
serving of praise or liable to censure; and whether the
ostensible object is indeed original, and not already pur
sued by existing Societies, which with increased powers are
capable of achieving it. The spirit of religious associations
has penetrated the remotest corners of the land ; and it is
of the highest importance that these associations should be
brought into connection with each other, and reduced to a
regular subordination to the ecclesiastical authorities of the
country, who might effectually solicit the liberality of the
affluent, without appealing to the vanity or imposing on
the simplicity of the poor, who have no concern in pro
moting foreign and distant designs, and whose scanty
means of charity will be most appropriately employed in
relieving the distress of their immediate neighbours, friends,
and relations. With those Societies, which are principally
under the control of the Dissenters, it would be improper
to interfere, except to assign the meed of well merited
praise to the strenuous exertions of the Baptist Missionaries
in the East to translate the Scriptures, and to those of the
United Brethren, in making civilization the handmaid of
conversion. It is not however inconsistent with the design
of the preceding Survey, to examine the merits of those
Societies, which hold or profess to hold an exclusive con
nection with the Church, without any intention of provok
ing controversy, with no other view than to recommend a
consolidation of their interests, in conformity with their
professed attachment to the National Religion. The prin
cipal religious Societies are, the Society for promoting
Christian Knowledge; the Society for propagating the
Gospel in foreign parts; the Church Missionary Society;
the Prayer Book and Homily Society ; the Society for con
verting the Jews ; and the National Society. The National
Society demands all the assistance, which the friends of
the education of the British poor can possibly contribute,
and especially that which is afforded by some members of

183
the Church to the Society for Sunday Schools, and to other
more exceptionable institutions. The Prayer Book and
Homily Society, which has no exclusive object, except the
Translation of the Homilies into the languages of the East,
an object certainly premature, and probably unndvisable,
might with the best effect be resolved into the Society for
promoting Christian knowledge, which is quite sufficient
to answer its designs. The Society for propagating the
Gospel, coalescing with the Church Missionary Society,
might assume the management of the oriental missions,
which are under the patronage of the Society for promoting
Christian knowledge, which is sufficiently occupied with
the recent enlargement of its domestic labours. The So
ciety for converting the Jews cannot be necessary, what
ever may be its success, in a country, abounding in the
means of Christian instruction, which it is known, that
Jews have applied and do apply with effect, and may be
left to the undisturbed possession of its patrons and advo
cates. There would then remain for the patronage of the Church
of England, a Society for instructing the poor in the prin
ciples of the Established Church, whose office would be to
assist in the erection and endowment of Schools, to supply
masters prepared and qualified for the office, and to take
the superintendence of a fund to be raised among them,
for the relief of those, who are incapacitated by age or in
firmity : the Society for promoting Christian knowledge,
distributing at reduced prices, Bibles, Prayer Books, Books
of elementary instruction, Devotional Treatises, Tracts on
Faith, Manners, Public Worship, and every thing con
nected with its specific object of promoting Christian
knowledge: and one Society for propagating the Gospel,
which in the extent of its labours might emulate, and in
sincerity and usefulness might surpass, the Romish College
de propaganda, and whose appropriate design would be to
engage, direct, assist, and remunerate the labours of pious

184
Missionaries ; to erect churches, as occasion might require,
and to convey religious knowledge to the Heathen; to en
lighten the churches, which are in darkness and ignorance :
to exert its combined energies for the establishment of a
colonial Episcopacy ; and to hold correspondence on the
state of religion with the several branches of the Christian
family dispersed throughout the world.
The constitution of these Societies cannot be too simple
and unostentatious. The sanction of the Bishops, who
should be the patrons of all auxiliary Committees within
their respective Dioceses, should be required at their first
institution, and they should be open to all subscribing
members, with no other officers, than a Treasurer and
Secretary. Quarterly meetings of each Committee might
be held in convenient situations, communicating with the
central Board in London, where an anniversary celebration
of the several Societies on three successive days would be
a festival of the purest delight to all who love the peace and
prosperity of Sion. The first effect of this new organiza
tion of the religious Societies would be to abate the lust of
controversy, to allay the violence of those mutual jealousies
and suspicions, which are so contrary to the spirit of Christ,
and to conciliate reciprocal affection, and unite the talents
and exertions of all, who are zealous for love, for truth,
and good works. Union of counsels and combination of
means would give new strength and vigour to their several
operations, and by removing difficulties and preventing
collision, would facilitate the accomplishment of the objects,
which all desire. Every man would possess his proper in
fluence in this labour of Christian love, and the harmony
and voluntary subordination which would obtain in the
Committees, would under the divine blessing, for which
earnest prayer should be made, be the means of renewing
at home the unity of the Spirit in the bond oT peace, and
of spreading abroad the light of the knowledge of the
glory of God in the person of Jesus Christ. In the dis-

185
tracted state of religion in this country, it is the first
maxim of ecclesiastical policy, to conciliate all that is with
out, and to consolidate all that is within, the Church, of
wisdom, zeal, piety, and benevolence in furtherance of the
common salvation, for the maintenance of glory to God in
the highest, and for the diffusion of peace on earth, and
good-will toward men.
4 Additional Note.
P. 17. last line. The division of the sons of Aaron, &c]
This matter is not correctly stated. The order of the Le
vites was a distinct and separate institution of God, (Numb.
iii. 5. Deut. x. 8.) subsequent to the election of Aaron's
family to the priesthood. (Exod. xxviii.) The parallelism
therefore between the Deacons and the Levites consists in
their both being successive appointments. In page 17-
line 26. in strict propriety of speech it should have been
said, that Eleazar his son, and not that the Levites, inhe
rited the office of Aaron : the priesthood is however consi
dered as belonging to the whole tribe of Levi. Heb. v. 5,
9, 11.

THE END.

Printed by W, Baxter, Oj.iord.

ERRATA.
Page 30. line 19. for day of Pentecost read election of the Deacont.

46.

27. for constitutions read contributions.

61.

4. for lowest read intermediate.

81.

1. for into read in.

83.

11. dele on.

89.

2. for superior read supervisor.

92.

17. for man read men.

115.

3. for highest read brightest.

118.

17. for Acrius read Aerius.

123.

22. for Jimaus read Iren&vs.

132.

12. for and read a.

Lately published by the same Author,
CURSORY REMARKS on the proposed Measure of an
EPISCOPAL ESTABLISHMENT for British INDIA, and on
other general Suggestions for the Conversion of the Natives.
Price Is.

A
DEFENCE
OF THE
CLERGY OF
We ^bnvti of <£ttglantr:
STATING
THEIR SERVICES, THEIR RIGHTS,
AND
THEIR REVENUES,
FROM THE
EARLIEST AGES TO THE PRESENT TIME:
AND SHEWING THE
RELATION IN WHICH THEY STAND
TO THE
COMMUNITY, AND TO THE AGRICULTURIST.

BY THE
REV. FRANCIS THACKERAY, A.M.

" Quest' & colei ch' & tanto posta in croee
" Pur da color che 'le dovrian dar lode,
" Dandole biasmo a torto e mala voce." Dante.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR F. C. 8s J. RIVINGTON,
st. Paul's church- yard;
and waterloo-place, pall-mall.
1822.

Printed by R. Gilbert, St. John's Square, Loudon.

INTRODUCTION.

Without apprehending any immediate dan
ger from the ignorance or obstinacy of many
who are unfriendly to our ecclesiastical esta
blishment, I do not hold the opinion that "si
" vult populus decipi, decipiatur." There
are prejudices at this time existing as to the
duties and rights of the Clergy of the Church
of England. They may not, at present, af
fect the pecuniary interests of that body, they
may not apparently injure the stability of that
Church ; but, if uncorrected, they may gra
dually undermine, and ultimately destroy both.
At all events, they are productive of many in
conveniences, and much unpleasant feeling.
They oppose many obstacles to the progress
of that religion, whose ways should be ways
of pleasantness, and all of whose paths should

IV INTRODUCTION.

be peace. Their removal would tend mate
rially to create personal esteem and respect
in the laity towards the Clergy, and a reci
procal exercise of the best offices which
human beings can discharge. These preju
dices it has been my endeavour to correct,
and, in doing so, I have presumed to call
myself a defender of the Clergy.
There are numberless weighty facts and
arguments most favourable to my cause,
which accident and forgetfulness have occa
sioned me to neglect, or, of which, brevity,
and want of time to discuss them, has com
pelled the omission. The facts which have
been admitted, the arguments which have
been advanced, are, I trust, not at variance
with truth, or with reason. But whatever be
the inaccuracies and imperfections of this
work, they must be charged wholly upon the
defender, and not upon his cause. One ne
gative kind of merit, I think, I may claim —
that of not being offensive. However de
ficient may be the mode of defending my

INTRODUCTION. V
cause, I trust, it has never been indecorous.
The language of contumely recoils on the
employer, and, is as unwise, as it is inhu
mane — It is has been used towards none.
The fervour of my zeal has never, I hope,
consumed my judgment, nor the density of
professional attachment, obscured my under
standing towards the public good. I have
not often, I believe, deviated from that tem
perate style, which ought to be a peculiar
feature in one of my profession, and which
is as much the characteristic of the calm
reasoner, as of the charitable Christian.
I beg to observe that I have availed myself
frequently and copiously of the information
which many previous publications connected
with my subject, were calculated to convey,
so much so, that it would be tiresome to the
reader, were I to make more than a general
acknowledgment by marginal reference.
There is one author, however, whom justice
impels me to particularize. I am indebted
for great information to Dr. Cove's elaborate

VI INTRODUCTION.
work on the Revenues of the Church. Where
I have adduced facts sanctioned by his autho
rity, I have always, I believe, confessed the
obligation ; where I have differed from him,
the grounds of my dissent have been invari
ably stated.
I have occasionally illustrated my subject
with poetical quotations, but to prove it, my
references are invariably drawn from the best
historical sources.
The information promised in the table of
contents, is, I trust, generally afforded in
the respective chapters to which each de
scription refers. After having stated and
explained the plan and arrangement of the
work, I have, in the first Chapter, briefly
considered the religious establishments of a
few leading nations of Antiquity. The ad
vantages conferred on the community by the
existing Church establishment, the merits,
and the gradations of its members, are then
subjected to general and particular exami
nation. Without wishing to brand with the

INTRODUCTION. Vll
name of Pharisaism the conduct of those
who take a pride in departing from the
established rites and ceremonies of the
Church, and who condemn the principle
upon which its highest appointments are
founded and endowed, I have deemed it
proper to devote several pages to the
consideration of episcopacy; to prove its
utility and necessity, and to shew that
it is a legitimate and immutable charac
teristic of Christ's Apostolic Church. The
venerable charters declaratory and explana
tory of the rights of the Clergy are then ad
duced ; charters, not emanating from the su
perstition of one or two feeble princes, but
repeatedly established by a long line of in
trepid, sagacious, and determined sovereigns,
of different nations, dispositions, and pur
suits. With respect to the sixth Chapter, if it
be asked, " quid dignum tanto feret hie
" promissor hiatu ?" I acknowledge that I
have been compelled to confine my obser-
7

Vlll INTRODUCTION.
vations to the brief notice of a few histori
cal facts. The occurrences connected with
the Church from the £era of the Norman
conquest to that of the Reformation, would
form one of the most extraordinary and
interesting histories which the world has
seen ; but it would require years to prepare
the materials, and the bulk of many volumes
to comprize them, when thoroughly di
gested and arranged. This has not been
completely effected by any writer, and, of
course, was not to be attempted by me.
My object in that chapter, is to convey to
the reader, by the occasional mention of
a few strong facts, the positive and relative
situation of the Clergy in former times —
their conduct, their influence, and their pos
sessions. These points are there and else
where considered.
The revenues of our present Church es
tablishment have then been stated — have
been compared and contrasted with those

INTRODUCTION. IX
of the Laity at this time existing, and with
those of the Clergy in former periods.
In the tenth Chapter, I have stated my
impressions with respect to the landed pro
prietor and occupier, and attempted to shew
the impolicy and injustice which would at
tend a commutation of tithes.
In the last Chapter the great advantages
conferred on the country by an established
body of Clergy, are recapitulated, and a
brief summary afforded of the leading doc
trines inculcated by the Church of England.
Could I hope to impress on the minds of
others, a portion of that conviction which this
whole inquiry has left on my own, I should
say, that two most important truths will
be established. The first is, that the spirit,
the expectations, and the possessions of the
Clergy are regulated by extreme modera
tion ; and the second is, that the doctrines
of no other Church have ever tended more to
inculcate every active duty towards God
and man, the members of no other Church
a

X INTRODUCTION.
have exerted themselves more in works of
useful benevolence, and Christian charity.
But whether I succeed or not, to convince
my readers, or whether I shall have any
readers to convince ; whether " populus me
" sibilat," or not, I shall preserve, at least,
the satisfaction arising from upright inten
tions, and from an approving conscience.
If, however, I am able to attract the atten
tion of, even a few, to the important sub
jects here discussed ; if I shall be the means
of leading them to farther inquiry, and ulti
mately, to conviction on the great questions
proposed, I shall consider myself as having
contributed something towards strengthen
ing the most sacred of all connexions, shall
esteem my labours to be well rewarded, and
that I have not written in vain.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I. Page
General Observations — Arrangement of the Work
— View of the Religious Ordinances of the An-
tients — Necessity of an established Religion ... 1
CHAPTER II.
Advantages conferred on the Community by the
established Clergy  16
CHAPTER III.
Inequality of Rank and Stipend among the Clergy
considered — Episcopacy  34
CHAPTER IV.
Episcopacy continued — Subordinate Stations in the
Church  45
CHAPTER V.
Mode of remunerating the Ministers of Religion from
the first Ages of Christianity to the Reign of the
Anglo-Saxon King Ethelwulph, A. D. 854 .... 65
CHAPTER VI.
Charters of the Clergy, and a brief account of the
Church, from the Reign of King Ethelwulph, to
the Death of Harold, A. D. 1066  88

xii CONTENTS.
CHAPTER VII. Page
Norman Conquest— Charter of the Clergy — Account
of the Church, from A.D. 1066, to the Reforma
tion — Henry VIII. — Account of the Church con
tinued to the present Time  114
CHAPTER VIII.
Present Amount of Church Property — Revenues of
the Bishops — Deans and Chapters — Parochial
Clergy — The Average of their Income, supposing
a Distribution of their Revenues to take place 135
CHAPTER IX.
Comparison of the Revenues of the Clergy, with
those of some of the Laity — Comparison of the
present Property of the Church with that in the
Reign of King Henry IV. — Fatal Effects result
ing from an indigent Church  150
CHAPTER X.
Tithes as affecting Agriculture — No Commutation
ought to take place  «  172
CHAPTER XI.
The Church claims a filial Gratitude from the Coun
try — Appeal to those who are unfriendly to a
Church establishment — Conclusion  185

CHAPTER I.
General Observations — intended Arrangement of the
Work — View of the religious Ordinances of the
Ancients — Necessity of an Established Religion.

" On consacra aux dieux des lieux particuliers ; il fallut qu'il y
" eftt des ministres pour en prendre soin, comme chaque citoyen
" prend soin de sa maison et de scs affaires domestiques. Aussi
" les peuples qui n'ont point de prctres sont ils ordinairement
" barbares." — Montesquieu's Esprit des Lois, livre xxv. chap. 4.

There is a disposition in many persons to
dismiss any serious question involving the
rights and privileges of large bodies of men,
and the convenience and happiness of king
doms, with sweeping condemnation, or with
compendious abuse. Too idle for investiga
tion, and too fearful for discussion, they
shrink from the manly warfare of argument,
and seek to destroy their antagonist, by the
random shaft of ridicule, or the poisonous
insinuation of detraction. Although I do not
believe that the character of the Established
Clergy has been vitally wounded by that
B

2
ridicule, or that the public mind has been
thoroughly infected by that detraction ;
although I am not aware that there have
been any regular attacks upon the rights
and property of the Clergy of this country,
yet the insulting sarcasms, the ignorant and
illiberal remarks which have been prevalent
during many years past against them, have
induced me to consider minutely their situa
tion, and, if possible, to direct the public
attention to a close consideration of their
deserts. On a question of such deep moment
as the necessary support of our Established
Church, few of those who have insulted or
threatened her, who have written with dog
matism, or talked with arrogance; few, I
repeat, have been qualified to decide. Borne
away by the tide of passion, of prejudice or
of interest, they have altogether lost sight of
those true landmarks — the lucid principles
of equity and utility, and the venerable and
repeatedly confirmed declarations of positive
lawa. Having bestowed considerable pains upon,
and devoted much time to the calm compre-
* See Cove's Essay on the Revenues of the Church, p. 1.

3

hensive study of tlie subject, I presume to
come before the public as an humble, yet
firm advocate of the rights of my profession.
My wish is to avoid, as much as possible,
every thing which may involve political dis
cussion, and, to consider simply the advan
tages resulting to the country from our
ecclesiastical establishment. I shall endeavour
to prove the three following assertions :
I. That an established body of Clergy,
distributed throughout the country, is essen
tial to the order, civilization, and religious
government of the community.
II. That an inequality of rank and of
stipendiary allowance is attended with many
advantages not attainable by an equalization
of property among the Clergy.
III. That no method of Church salary
attended with the same advantages, could
be proposed upon a more economical system.
This will naturally involve the consideration
of tithes, and the present actual property of
the Church.
With regard to my first head, which,
although I do not think to be much contro
verted, I consider very necessary to be fully
b2

established, as upon it, the two others alto
gether depend : I begin with adducing a
somewhat stale, but most excellent argu
ment in favour of an established priesthood,
derived from the universal belief, among
almost every nation, of its absolute necessity
to the community. However absurd were
the notions of the ancients respecting reli
gion, they all had their priests and sacrifices,
and the offices of public devotion were dis
charged generally, by men of first considera
tion in the state. Their inferior priests were
exceedingly numerous, and distinguished by
many rights and privileges. I shall briefly
regard these establishments as they existed
in some of the most renowned, and in some
of the rudest countries of antiquity.
In most of the Grecian cities, and parti
cularly at Athens, as we are informed by
Plato, the priests were honoured with the
next places to their kings and chief magis
trates, sometimes, indeed, these offices were
united. Thus Virgil, by tradition, makes
one of his kings, at the same time, a priest
of Apollo. " Rex Anius, rex idem hominum, Phaebique sacerdos."

In places of small population, all the reli
gious ceremonies were generally performed
by one person, who offered up the sacrifices,
had the care of the temple, and saw that
every thing pertaining to the worship of their
gods was properly arranged. But in large
cities, where the worshippers were numerous,
and the religious services consequently too
various and heavy for one priest, several
were appointed. Notwithstanding the gene
ral grossness and absurdity of the mytholo
gical tenets of this people, many beneficial
effects resulted from their religion. I am not
of Bayle's opinion, that a bad religion is
worse than none; it certainly may be inju
rious in many points, and they

-" Who deify

" Adultery, and throne incest in the skies :
" Who not content with earth's vast scope defil'd,
" Advance the majesty of human sin,
" Even till it fills the empyreal heavens b ; — "
were certainly not unlikely to imitate the
vices they ascribed to their deities ; yet it is
plainly to be inferred from the descriptions
of their poets, and the relations of their his
torians, that the general belief of an invisible
" Milman's Martyr of Antioch, p. 58.

6

superintending Providence who took cogniz
ance of these crimes, to which no human
power can extend, must have produced some
effect in restraining vice and encouraging
virtue. It is the powerful remark of the
historian Gillies c, that the majesty of
Jehovah is very feebly represented by the
united powers of the Grecian divinities. Yet
feeble as, by comparison, were the attributes
assigned to these imaginary beings, it must
be allowed, that the belief of some of their
imputed attributes were serviceable to society;
Their supreme deity Jupiter, although his
character was stained by gross inconsistency
and excess, was styled Oe^itoc. Hesiod's ex
pression,
" Xiavra idtov Awe o00a\jto<;, koi iravra vonaaQ
" Kck vv rale, cwce i9t\nai eiriSipictrai," &c.
shews that the belief in such supernatural
power and authority must have been most
salutary. We learn from Sophocles, that
the Greeks acknowledged the
-" Aypairra, KaaQakn Stbtv
" No/ujua 
" Ov yap ti avvv yt KaxOtc, aXK au iron
" Zjj tuvto:, kovSuq oifti/, i% ore (jiavn."
Antigone, I. 460.
These, and numerous other passages in the
e See History of Ancient Greece, Vol. I. chap. ii.

works of ancient writers shew that the cause
of morality must have been greatly aided by
religion d.
The Romans borrowed their religion
chiefly from the Greeks, but added many
most dangerous and depraved ceremonies,
all unknown to the heroic ages. Disgusting,
however, as were many of their observances,
and absurd the majority of their tenets, yet,
as in Greece, the great doctrine of the exist
ence and moral government of their gods
was attended with great advantages to the
community e. Cicero says, " Utiles autem
" esse opiniones has quis neget, cum intel-
d The heathen doctrine of another world, though full of
inconsistency, and the most gloomy notions, was, upon the
whole, most favourable to virtue. Tartarus was stored with
the souls of the unjust and the impious, with traitors, tyrants,
and murderers. Elysium was peopled with the shades of
the good, the pure, and the pious ; with heroes, legislators,
and sages.
e " The ancient religion of Rome was probably of Celtic
" extraction, destitute of images and temples, and with few
" religious rites. Numa established many ceremonies, and
" erected a temple to the great superintending God. In suc-
•' ceeding ages the Romans seem to have adopted almost
" entirely the religion of the Greeks, blended with that of
" the Hetruscans." Butler's Horce Juridicw, p. 145.

8
" ligat quam multa firmentur jurejurando ;
" quantae salutis sint foederum religiones ;
" quam multos divini supplicii metus a sce-
" lere revocarit; quamque sanita sit so-
" cietas civium inter ipsos, diis immorlalibus
" interpositis, turn judicibus, turn testibus."
The truth of these opinions was demonstrated
by the fate of Rome, when she imbibed the
sceptical doctrines of Epicurus. When reli
gion was despised, and its ministers insulted,
when the belief of a hereafter was treated
as a visionary notion, then were the bonds
of civil society rent asunder. Truth and
falsehood, honesty and fraud became vague
sounds, and the arm of law could alone
enforce or restrain them. But this was ut
terly impossible in all cases, and the horrible
6tate of morals which preceded and occa
sioned the fall of Rome, may be attributed
mainly to the extinction of a religious
creed. To explain the nature and duties of the
priesthood among the Romans, I shall extract
a passage from a judicious living author, who
has condensed all the necessary information
on the subject. " To the service of the

9
" Roman deities several colleges of priests
" were dedicated. Fifteen pontiffs whose of-
" fice it was to judge and determine on all
" sacred things ; fifteen augurs who, from the
" flight, chirping or feeding of birds, and
" fifteen auspices who, from the entrails of
" victims, derived omens of futurity ; the
" Quindecemviri, who had the care of the
" Sibylline books; the Septemviri who pre-
" pared the sacred feasts ; the Fratres Ara-
" barvales, who offered up sacrifices for the
" fertility of the grounds ; the Curiones, who
" officiated in the Curiae ; the Feciales, or
" sacred persons employed in declaring war
" and making peace ; the Sodales Titii whose
" office it was to preserve the sacred rites of
" the Sabines ; and the Rex Sacrorum f, to
" whom that title was given from his perform-
" ing certain sacred rites, which could only
" be performed by royal hands.
" In addition to these, each god had his
" Flamines, or particular priests. The six
f " The ofiice of supreme pontiff, which from the time of
" Numa to that of Augustus, had always been exercised by
" one of the' most eminent of the senators was at length
" united to the imperial dignity."— Gibbon, Vohlll. ch. xx.

10

" vestal virgins had the care of the sacred fire
" in the temple of Vesta, and to them the
" secret pledges of the eternal duration of
" Rome were intrusted. Every part of the
" empire abounded with temples and statues,
" and in every temple and statue a divine
" something was supposed to reside g."
These establishments are certainly ex
tremely absurd, but still they shew, by the
minute attention paid to them, how essential
religion was considered to the welfare of the
community. They also shew into what gross
errors the most enlightened nations may fall
when untaught by revelation. Let us now,
from the polished states of Greece and Rome,
turn our attention to the rude and terrible
worship exercised by the priests among the
Gauls, the Germans, and Britons h, Julius
* Butler's Horae Juridiciae.
h Druides magno sunt apud eos honore : nam fere de omni
bus controversiis, publicis privatis que constituunt ; et si quod
est adraissum facinus, si caedes facta, si de haereditate, si de
finibus controversia est, iidem decernunt, praemia paenas-
que constituunt : si quis aut privatus aut publicus eoruni de-
creto non stetit, sacrifices interdicunt. Druides a bello adesse
consueverunt, neque tributa una cum reliquis pendunt: mi-
litiae TOCStionem, omnium que verum immUnitatqm. Tantis

11

Caesar and Tacitus' are minute upon this
subject. In Britain the tremendous autho
rity and mysterious secrecy of the Druids is
well known.
" Underneath the soil we tread, a hundred secret paths
" Scoop'd thro' the living rock in winding maze
" Led to as many caverns, dark and deep,
" In which the hoary sages acted rites
" Mysterious : rites of such strange potency
" As done in open day, would dim the sun
" Tho' thron'd in noontide brightness k."
To the Druids1, appertained the enacting,
explaining, and executing the laws. In all
public litigation, in every private contro
versy their decision was final and absolute.
They had the entire property of large dis
tricts, and the offerings to the gods, placed
at their disposal, were enormous. They were
excitati pnvmiis, et sua sponte multi in disciplinam conveui-
unt, et a parentibus, propinquis que mittuntur.
1 Neque enim animadvertere neque vincire, neque verbe-
rare quidem, nisi sacerdotibus permissum, non quasi in
paenam, nee ducis jussu, sed velut, deo imperante. And
again, cap. 2. silentium per sacerdotes, quibus et turn coer-
cendijusest, imperatur. Tacitus de nior. Germanorum, cap.
vii. p. 384, Edit Gron.
k Mason's Caractacus.
1 Caesar, lib. vi.

12

exempt from all description of taxes and im
posts, they possessed the civil, religious, and
criminal jurisdiction. The Druids, in short,
united in themselves, the temporal and spiri
tual authority of their age. They possessed
the temporal power of the crown, the spiri
tual influence of the mitre, and the financial
resources pf the state. They wielded the
sword of the first, the anathemas of the
second, and the revenues of the last, to the
advancement of their own peculiar order m.
Such then, were some of the religious esta
blishments of antiquity. Many of them de
praved, and all abounding in gross absur
dities. If these establishments monstrous as
they were, appeared necessary in the systems
of heathen worship, let us see how the gene
ral argument applies to that religion which
does indeed come from God. There is no
intention as there is no necessity on my part,
to prove the divinity of the Christian religion ;
or to shew, that it is one most perfectly cal
culated to promote the best interests tempo
ral, as well as eternal, of civil society. These
01 Hume, Vol. I. chap. i.

13

great points — the stupendous and well attested
miracles in confirmation of Christianity ; the
perfect sanctity, and benevolence of its author;
the purity of its precepts ; the sublimity of its
doctrines ; and the awful sanctions by which
both are enforced — these, with many other
proofs, have been so irrefragably demon
strated, by arguments utterly inapplicable to
every other religion, that any endeavours from
me to support them, must be comparatively
feeble and impertinent. Here then, I take
my stand, asserting that as the Christian
religion is allowed to be productive of in
finite blessings to the community, it is to
be maintained in its highest influence. That
this be effected, I now insist, that an esta
blished body of Christian clergymen must be
maintained. When the age of miracles ceased, Chris
tianity like many other blessings which
Divine Providence has been pleased to im
part to man, was, in a great measure to
be forwarded by human means. It is be
lieved, because it is. proved, that God was
pleased to promote the extension of Chris
tianity, in its first stages, by his own inter-

14

posing power. But when this religion had
overthrown the reigning superstitions, and
was established in several principal kingdoms
of the world, supernatural assistance was
withdrawn, and it was left to be maintained
and advanced by human methods. What
ever means of fair persuasion, industry, and
learning, whatever, in short, apply to the
confirmation and extension of other know
ledge, were then found efficacious in the
cause of Christianity. Nothing can be more
inconsistent than the conduct of those who
are offended if you question their belief in
the truth of the Christian religion, and yet
systematically oppose an established order of
men to teach and defend that religion. Do
these persons think that because the religion
is divine, no human means are required to
extend and promote it ? As well might they
suppose that because God has given us food?
that no pains were necessary to procure or
provide it : or, that because he has implanted
medicinal properties in various herbs, that no
human skill or study were requisite to disr
cover and apply them. Nothing is given to
man which may not be improved by industry

15
and care, and the Scriptures themselves teach
us, that human co-operation is necessary to
the knowledge and extension of Christianity.
It is not in the power of the great mass of
society to investigate minutely every question
in religion : they have not time, they have
not ability, nor have they always inclination.
It is not at present pretended to procure una
nimity ; but there would be no end to con
troversy, if there were not a regularly ap
pointed class of men to consider and explain,
many important questions in divinity. With
out this class of men, a portion of the com
munity would be employed in endless dispu
tation, and the bulk of the population plunged
in the most sordid and utter ignorance.

CHAPTER II.
Advantages conferred on the Community ly the
Established Clergy.

" A good man ther was of religionn
" That was a poure persone of a towne
" But riche he was of holy thought and werk ;
" He was also a lerned man a clerk
" That Christe's gospel trcwely wold preche
" His parishers devoutly would he teche,
" Beninge he was, and wonder diligent
" And in adversite ful patient,
" Wide was his parish, and houses fer asonder
" But he ne left nought for no rain ne thonder,
" In sicknesse and in mischief to visite
" The ferrest in his parish moche and lite," &c. &c.
Chaucer's Good Clergyman.

Having thus far, generally considered the
necessity of a priesthood from the common
nature and constitution of civilized and bar
barous societies, and having applied the
argument to Christianity ; let us regard the
services of that particular order of men of
ficiating in the English Church. I shall
begin with their religious duties, and consider

17
the debt we owe them for transmitting the
Scriptures to us in our native tongue. Every
one possessing the least spark of religion,
must allow the importance and necessity of
such a work. But as the necessity was most
urgent, so was the difficulty of the under
taking most awful. The numerous errors
into which those who singly attempted a
translation of the Scriptures, continually fell,
amply prove, that it required all the learning,
ability, and attention of a considerable body
of men to preserve the exact meaning and
spirit of the original. Now unless there had
been a class of men, part of whose duty it
was considered to be versed in the original
languages of the Scriptures, we never could
have possessed any thing like a faithful trans
lation. Even the attempts of Wickliff and
the earliest reformers are due to the regular
education these men received at the univer
sities superintended by the Clergy. Il is no
detraction from my argument to say that the
Clergy were then under the superstition of
Rome. It is not their knowledge, it is the
prohibition of the use of that knowledge that

18
must be then be laid to their charge. That
learning, that knowledge necessary to a
faithful translation of the Scriptures, was
exclusively in the possession of the Clergy.
When the Reformation enabled them to
shake off the servile yoke of Rome, they
were enabled to apply it, and, whatever be
the errors and imperfections of our transla
tion, that work, I consider, one of the highest
eulogiums upon the English Clergy.
It would be impossible, in the limits of
this work, to enter at length upon the con
troversy which has been raised in this country
respecting the ceremonies of the Church,
and her right to appoint an express form of
prayer. As to the first; it may briefly be
observed, that the ceremonies" of our Church
¦ " A man that were unacquainted with the true state of
" our case, that should stand by, and only hear the bitter
" cries and invectives that have been made against ceremo-
" nies, would be ready to imagine, that sure our Church
" was nothing else but ceremonies. But he would be mightily
" surprized, when, upon enquiry, he should find, that these
" ceremonies, which had occasioned all this noise, should be
" no more than three ; — the surplice, the cross after baptism,
" and kneeling at the sacrament. He would be amazed to
" think that these should be the things about which so many
" massy books had been written, so great discords and ani-

19
are few and simple, reduced, so nearly as
possible, to the decent standard of apostolic
communion. In the first heat of separation
from the Romish superstition, an unhappy
difference of opinion respecting the use of the
surplice in the performance of divine offices,
the kneeling posture in which communicants
receive the holy sacrament, and the sign of
the cross in baptism, occasioned the dissent
of many* which continues to this day. But
how far a want of agreement in these indi
vidual ceremonies can authorize a separation
from that Church which teaches the great
truths of the Gospel, I exhort those who
have dissented, or may be urged to dissent,
most earnestly to consider. As to the lawful
ness of the Church to appoint an express
form of prayer ; it may suffice to remark that
¦" mosities raised; such a flourishing Church once quite
" destroyed, and now most miserably divided ; after it had
** been so happily restored; and his wonder must be ia-
¦" creased, when he should perceive that of these three there
" was but one, and no more, in which the people were in any
" way concerned. The cross and surplice are to be used
" only bv the minister, and if his conscience be satisfied, no
" man's else need be disturbed about them." — Bishop Grove's
Persuasive to Communion, London cases, p. 9, 10.
c2

20

it is a right sanctioned by our Saviour him
self, who attended the public service of the
Jews, and who has himself dictated a form
of prayer, that it has been exercised from
the first ages of Christianity ; and that even
Calvin, who commenced the attack upon
ecclesiastical authority, has given this testi
mony in its favour ; " For so much as con-
" cerns the form of prayers and ecclesiastical
" rites, I highly approve that it be fixed and
" certain, and that it be unlawful for the
" ministers in the discharge of their office to
" vary from it V
The sound sense and spirit of devotion
which pervade our Book of Common Prayer,
require neither comment nor eulogium from
me. It was the opinion of that most impar
tial and excellent man Grotius, who was not
a member of our Church, nor, in giving his
opinion, was under any other obligation than
the necessity of speaking the truth, that " the
" English Liturgy comes so near the primi-
b " Quod ad formulam precum et rituum ecclesiasticorum
*' valde probo ut certa ilia extet, a qua pastoribus discedere
" in functione sua non liceat." — Calvin, Epist. lxxxvii. (writ
ten to the Lord Protector, in the reign of Edward VI.)

21
" tive pattern that none of the reformed
" Churches can compare with it." Again he
says, " In the prayers a scholar can discern
" close logic, pleasing rhetoric, pure divinity,
" and the very marrow of the ancient doc-
" trine and discipline ; and all made so fa-
" miliar that the unlearned may safely say,
" Amen." As to the subsequent labours of the Clergy
in explaining difficult points of Scripture, in
recommending and proving the necessity of
faith in God and obedience to his command
ments, it would be presumption in me to at
tempt to do them justice. Their works have
gone abroad, and it is not exaggeration to
say, that the world can produce nothing
superior to the learning, the good sense, the
piety and morality which distinguish the
writings of our English divines. Nor is it
alone in the publications of the Clergy which
have undergone the press, that the great
requisites, I have mentioned, prevail. Weekly
exhortations to every duty towards God and
man may be heard in almost every village in
the kingdom ; delivered, always, in a decent
and intelligible, and frequently in the most

22
devout and impressive manner. Thousands
who would otherwise be stretched in the most
supine indolence, or wallowing in the grossest
ignorance and bestiality, have the Scriptures
thus read and expounded to them, not by
heated enthusiasts, but by men of sound
judgment, and of the best education. I
have heard many candid men, who were not
regular frequenters of the Church, declare,
that they never went casually into one with
out being compelled to think seriously, for a
time, of the doctrines there recommended.
Is it possible then, that the exhortations of
the Clergy c should not, produce an effect on
the community ? There is scarce a vice by
c The coinciding opinion of a most enlightened and impar
tial person may give weight to my own observations. Bishop
Watson, in his Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury,
remarks, " I have long considered the Clergy, who are dis-
*' persed through the kingdom, as a little leaven preserving
" the whole mass from corruption ; and the great kindness
*' and respect, with which the whole order is treated by the
" best and most enlightened part of the laity, is a proof that
" they consider them in the same light." And again, " It is
" owing principally to the teaching and example of the
" Clergy, in general, that there is not more infidelity in the
" highest, more immorality in the lowest classes of the eom-
" munity."

23
which society can be injured, there is scarce
a virtue by which it may be benefitted, which
does not frequently receive public condem
nation, or public encouragement. If man
kind are not utterly deaf to exhortation, this
must produce an effect.
" I say the pulpit (in the sober use
" Of its legitimate peculiar powers)
" Must stand acknowledged while the world shall stand,
" The most important and effectual guard,
" Support and ornament of virtue's cause."
Cowper's Task. — " The Time-Piece."
But it may be said that example is far
better than precept. Be it so. It is on our
part fearlessly asserted that the conduct and
example of the Clergy have been eminently
successful in restraining every description of
vice. That vice exists, and will exist, under
every shape, till the end of time, is one of
the inscrutable decrees of Providence ; that
it is very much restrained, is due, I think,
under that Providence, to the efforts of the
Clergy. It is asserted, that although drun
kenness is by no means abolished, that the
drunkard goes to his haunts much less fre
quently, from the apprehension of clerical
2

24
condemnation from the pulpit, or from s
dread of the Clergyman's personal rebuke.
That although theft and debauchery prevail
to a lamentable extent, the thief and the pro
fligate are vehemently restrained by the
known residence and known character of the
Clergy. It is asserted that actions of the
most extensive and well-judging humanity
are every where promoted and performed by
the Clergy. That schools have been insti
tuted d, and the ignorant instructed, in most
parts of the kingdom, frequently by their
exclusive charity, and invariably with their
assistance and support. It is asserted that
civility and decorum mark the manners of
those neighbourhoods where a Clergyman
resides. It is vain to produce exceptions, I
am arguing generally, and the facts are in
controvertible. The liberality of the educa
tion which the Clergy have in general
received, tends greatly to eradicate little pre-
<> Mr. Carlisle, (librarian to the late Queen Charlotte,)
enumerates 475 endowed grammar-schools, now existing in
England and Wales ; of these, 82 were founded, and 69
principally or partially endowed by Clergymen, making a total
of 151, or nearly one-third of the whole number.

25
judices, and to enlarge their minds, to put
them above low disputation, or idle curiosity.
The support thus given to religion, by their
good sense and discretion, is most powerfully
advantageous. It is not, I hope, from pro
fessional vanity that I regard the Clergyman
to be amongst his parishioners, what his
Church is among their houses ; a sort of
moral landmark ; a prominent and conspi
cuous landmark of respect and veneration,
and one in general free from profanation and
abuse. The man of careless pleasures and
thoughtless habits, may go on in his favou
rite pursuits, and indulge freely in his ridi
cule of every thing venerable and grave ; yet
even he, if he pauses for a moment, will be
convinced that it is impossible for all man
kind to be employed similarly with himself,
and that if there were not a class of men
professionally to teach and inculcate honesty
and good conduct, the fear of God and of a
hereafter; his very children would despise
him even more than they do, and the fraud
and dishonesty of his servants would be with
out measure increased. It is unsafe, it is
unjust to argue, that because the world

26
abounds with iniquity, it might not be infi
nitely worse. The river may occasionally
overflow, but who would argue from this that
its banks were unnecessary ? The act which
abandoned the Clergy, would produce two
effects. It would tacitly decree altars to un
blushing vice, and whining hypocrisy. The
votaries of the first would indeed want no
support ; on every side we should find them
officiating, and sacrificing to their deity every
thing that we consider honorable, sacred, or
good. The ministers of the second, like
the worshippers of Diana of Ephesus, no
longer opposed by the regularly appointed
teachers of the Gospel, would soon establish
the dominion of their goddess, and " bring
" no small gain to the craftsmen." e
In speaking of the professional services of
the Clergy, I have dated them from the aera
of the Reformation. I cannot, however, pass
on to further considerations, without endea
vouring to pay a tribute to those, who, not
withstanding their errors, were eminent for
e This comparison, has, I believe, been reversed, but I, ap
peal to the common candour of every thinking mind, whether
truth and analogy is not on my side.

27

many talents, and many virtues. In the
darkest ages of papal superstition, we shall
find the influence of the Clergy eminently
useful in checking the lawless rapacity of
power, in affording an asylum to helpless
age, and persecuted innocence. Under the
munificent and zealous superintendance of
the Clergy, hospitals and colleges arose, be
speaking their earnestness in the cause of
humanity and learning. By their exertions,
the country is indebted for those venerable
cathedrals and churches, where, almost ex
clusively, the old the young, the rich the
poor, of each succeeding generation have
regularly been assembled/ Be it confessed,
that the monastic walls enclosed many de
signing hypocrites, and many absurd en
gines of artifice and imposture ; yet did they
also contain the cell where fervent devotion
watched and prayed, the sanctuary where
1 The cold sceptic of each country parish, whose breast
glows with no sentiment of devotion, must yet occasionally
feel some degree of interest and even affection for his Church,
when he considers, that it has seen a continued weekly con
gregation of his forefathers assembled within its walls. That
it is the only common resorting place which has withstood
the shock of time, and the caprice of fashion.

28
contrition sought and found consolation, and
the refuge, where the disconsolate widow, and
the helpless orphan, were free from calamity.
— That the Clergy were eminently charitable
to the poor, and that the large sums vested in
their hands were judiciously applied ; that the
country, upon the whole, was a gainer, when
these sums were under ecclesiastical direction,
may be collected from the fact, that soon after
the plunder of the Church, the poor-rate was
established by law.
Having thus spoken of the services of the
Clergy in points connected with their pro
fession, I shall mention some others inde
pendent of it, but very frequently discharged
by them. One most important obligation
under which the country lies to the perse
vering industry and judicious management
of the Clergy, is the education of its youth.
I shall briefly consider this, both previous to,
and at the Universities. If there be a duty
more solemn, more difficult, and more neces
sary than another, it is instruction. When
we consider the numerous points that require
unremitted attention, the health, the morajs,
the temper, the acquirements, the religion of

29
the pupil, we at once allow the deep respon
sibility of his superintendant ; and when that
person is found whose good sense, whose abi
lities and whose character, warrant the con
signment of our children to his absolute con-
troul, we may esteem ourselves relieved from
the greatest earthly care. If gratitude is
due any where it must here exert itself. For
centuries, by far the greater portion of the
youth of Great Britain owe their education
to the Clergy. It is not saying too much in
their praise, that if manly generous feeling,
if elegance in literature, and good sense in the
common concerns of life distinguish the great
bulk of our society from that of every coun
try in the world, much, very much, of this
praise redounds to the honour of their instruc
tors. It is usual, I know, with many persons
to point out the excesses committed at our
Universities, to stigmatise as general, the
expensive idle habits of a certain portion of
the students. In brief reply, on the score of
learning, I would beg to refer an objector
to our public University examinations. On
that of morals, 1 would beg him to walk
through the streeTs of Cambridge or of Ox-

30

ford at any hour of the day or night, to
reflect that he is in the midst of a population
at the most spirited and ungovernable period
of life, where the sons of the mighty and most
opulent persons in the kingdom must neces
sarily consort often together, at seasons too
when every youthful passion burns with the
utmost violence; where exuberance of health,
money, and animal spirits, tempt to every
species of extravagance; let him consider
all this, and then pronounce upon the ma
nagement of the place. If he can withhold
his warm panegyric on the general order and
good government which there prevail, he must
possess a spirit so illiberal and so cold, that
I doubt whether even an Utopian theory
would be found to give him satisfaction.
Another great advantage to the commu
nity from a resident Clergy arises from their
frequently discharging the important offices of
the Magistracy. I am not one of those who
consider the duties of a magistrate and
clergyman as at all opposed. On the con
trary, I think that the good sense, the in
formation, and pacific disposition which ge
nerally characterise the Clergy, eminently

31
qualify members of their body for the com
mission of the peace. I know not indeed
how these very arduous duties would other
wise be discharged. You are by no means
sure of finding laymen qualified by station
and acquirements in many places where the
presence of a magistrate is particularly re
quired. The private country gentleman will
not often submit to the tax upon his time
and amusements which the office imposes.
If you were to employ professional lawyers
as justices of the peace, a considerable ex-
pence would necessarily result to the coun
try, and it is doubtful whether you would
have justice administered with so much pru
dence or effect. Among my own acquaint
ance, there are several clergymen who de
vote as much time and as great a portion of
learning and ability to the purely gratuitous
duties of the magistracy, as enables many
gentlemen in the profession of the law, to
secure affluence to themselves and fami
lies. Churlish and brutal must that man
be, who denies them the tribute of his hearty
gratitude and respect for their honorable and
public-spirited exertions.

32

Again, the many useful offices which a
prudent application of a few known rules
in medicine enable many of our Clergy to
perform, the saving of expence to poor fami
lies, and frequent restoration to health thence
resulting, should justly endear the profes
sion. Advice and assistance also respecting
the proper mode in which those who happen
to possess any trifling property may bequeath
it, and general counsel in any case of
emergency and distress : all these are points
small in themselves, but tending to swell the
aggregate of public gratitude. and respect to
a very considerable amount. Let it be re
membered, I repeat, that all these offices are
performed without the remotest idea of re
compence, and then let those men who put
not pen to paper in the cause of distress,
without first calculating their gains, whose
hands are not stretched out in the service of
their fellow-creatures, but that may after
wards be more earnestly stretched out to
receive their reward. Let these men, I say,
hesitate before they condemn the whole body
of the Clergy, for the neglect or dereliction
of a few of its individuals.

33
It is utterly, impossible, I conceive, to re
gard society in any point resembling its pre
sent state, without considering a body of
clergymen essential to its well-being. The
Church, I repeat, is so interwoven with our
notions upon those occurrences which form so
much of that which is desirable, impressive,
or solemn in our existence; with our bap
tismal, our marriage, our funeral rites, and,
particularly, with that admirable appoint
ment of sabbatical rest and congregational
worship, that the meanest member of society
can scarcely consider his own state with the
least degree of attention without associating
himself with it. For their services to the
community in points inseparable from their
profession, in points allied to, and those
which are merely accidental to it, I do
maintain that the deepest gratitude is due to
the Clergy. Their profession, moreover, is
planted so deeply with our charters, our
laws, and our observances, that, shake its
foundation, and you at once endanger that
fabric on which all our civil, political, and
domestic liberties depend.

CHAPTER III.
Inequality of Rank and Stipend among the Clergy
considered — Episcopacy.

" Order is Heaven's first law ; and this confest,
" Some are, and must be, greater than the rest,
" More rich, more wise ; but who infers from thence
" That such are happier, shocks all common sense !"
Pope's Essay on Man, Fourth Epistle.

The necessity of an established Church, and
the claims of its members on the public, being
thus considered, I have, I trust, prepared the
way for the fair discussion of the second head,
namely, * that the present inequality of rank,
* and of stipendiary allowance, is attended
' with many advantages, not attainable by
' an equalization of property among the
* Clergy.' Few objections appear to me to be worse
founded than those against the difference
which obtains in the Church as to rank,
stipend, and situation. Equality of con
dition does not seem to have been the inten-

35
tion of Providence in any part of creation.
The productions of one country excel very
much those of another, and those of the same
are almost all unlike. The stately cedar and
the dependant ivy have the same author.
The elephant is the work of the same God
who created the ant. This difference obtains
in the human species ; one man is born with
stronger mental and bodily faculties than
another. And in those institutions which
derive their origin from Divine ordinance
we find the same arrangement: there has
been a constant distinction among men. In
deed if we for a moment reflect on the di
versity of talents which God has bestowed
on men, and the ascendancy which some of
these naturally confer, we shall cease to
wonder at any inequality of condition. That
the man of vast bodily strength should in the
ruder ages of the world, when the beasts
of the earth, and men, violent as beasts,
committed the most frightful ravages, that
such person should signalize himself, by de
stroying these monsters, and acquire an as
cendancy over his fellow countrymen, cannot
at all surprize us. As the world became
d2

36

more civilized, the mind soon asserted her
superiority to the body. Many of the in
ferior animals were found to be endued with
greater strength than man, and, as their
powers were rendered subservient to his use,
mere force in the human species was soon
considered infinitely below the high pos
session of intellectual endowment. This dis
tinction in all civilized countries, is universal,
and will for ever obtain. To this superio
rity the greatest statesmen and warriors have
owed their elevation. In the management
of kingdoms, in the direction of every great
and important concern, you must select men
of distinguished ability. But that this ability
should operate to advantage, you must invest
it with authority. The dictate of wisdom
must be executed by the hand of power, or
it is uttered in vain. Now, if it be admitted
that religion is of vital importance to the
welfare of a state, the ministers of religion
must be allowed a voice in the public coun
cils. Many national questions deeply in
volving religion, must necessarily occur, and
who, I ask, so proper to decide, as those who
have made them their peculiar study ? Proper

37

persons must be selected to represent, and
to protect the rights of religion. You must
also, if you expect their voices to produce the
same effect with those of the rest, invest them
with the same authority. It would be vain,
it would be presumptuous to expect the same
influence to be produced without it. Man
kind, in general, are influenced by rank,
station, and appearance ; and statesmen are
certainly liable to the same impressions. It
is necessary I maintain, that a certain pro
portion of the ministers of the Church, in
vested with that degree of temporal power
and authority, which shall give to their opi
nions the same weight that the rest possess,
be admitted to the national councils of the
realm. These councils are chiefly composed
of noblemen, of men closely connected with
the nobility, or with men nearly as powerful
as noblemen. It is necessary, therefore, that
you dignify certain ecclesiastics, and support
their dignity with an adequate pecuniary al
lowance. Now there is no man, fairly con
sidering the revenues of the Church, who
can say that the general affluence of our
Bishops is at all more than equal to support

38
their titles and situation, upon the least de
gree of equality with their compeers. On the
contrary, I know not how several of the
Bishops can afford to pay for their patents,
and their robes ; and with the exception of
one or two sees, I believe there is scarce a
nobleman but would consider an episcopal
allowance a most miserable pittance. Having
mentioned the public councils of the king
dom, I cannot here refrain from giving my
opinion upon that law by which Clergymen
are excluded from the House of Commons.
I said in the beginning of this work, that I
wished, as much as possible, to avoid all po
litical discussion, but the brief observations
which may seem an exception to that deter
mination, are so naturally connected with
my view of an ecclesiastical establishment,
that I cannot forbear to advance them. No
man more sincerely desires to see the Clergy
exercising their influence, and employing
their time and abilities in their own profes
sion, yet do I think that the rights and privi
leges of so large a body of men ought to
have appropriate assertors in each of our le
gislative assemblies. They have them — they

39

require them in the upper house, and I see
no reason for excluding them from the lower.
It has always appeared to me, an unwhole
some measure to the community, and an un
just one to a particular portion of it, which
deprived the Clergy of the right of sitting in
the House of Commons. Members are eli
gible from every other profession and depart
ment, who may, if necessary maintain their
peculiar rights and privileges, and the Clergy
are the only body of men, who have none re
gularly to defend them. Who can be so
well acquainted with ecclesiastical affairs, as
ecclesiastics ? and who can possibly be so well
able to give information and instruction upon
any of these questions as members selected
from the Clergy ? It does seem to me most
extraordinary, that in a great country like
this, of which the Clergy form so consider
able a portion, that there is no person in the
House of Commons from whom information,
on any clerical question, can be regularly
demanded. The objections relative to the in
decency of a clergyman's canvass, and its se
cular appearance, deserve very little weight,
as they might easily be avoided, by selecting

40

a certain number of representatives from the
whole body of ecclesiastics.
To return to the consideration of our
hierarchy, and highest appointments in the
Church. In all points where Scripture can di
rect us we are to follow implicitly its injunc
tions. But it is unreasonable to expect that
exact rules should be prescribed in Scripture
for every point of temporal administration in
the Church as it should exist in future ages and
different countries. It has always appeared
to me as one strong proof of the wisdom and
sincerity of the author of Christianity and of
his apostles, that whilst the great duties of life
are clearly pointed out and enjoined with an
utter condemnation of every temporising mea
sure, and with a fearless adherence to recti
tude ; whilstall things necessary to salvation are
clearly defined; whilst unity is strongly and re
peatedly inculcated, no precise restrictions are
laid upon the temporal management of the
Church. Our Saviour, and his apostles,
knowing the dissimilarity in the government
and institutions of different nations, appear
to have guarded against any obstacle to the
diffusion of Christianity which might arise

41
from prescribing any exact form of eccle
siastical government minutely applicable to
all. The Church was then too much in its
infancy to admit of complete, particular, and
permanent regulation. It is from analogy
we alone can reason. From this analogy
we may clearly infer, that, the same Divine
Master who bade his followers refer their dif
ferences to the decision of the Church, who
selected twelve apostles from the body of his
disciples that they should be with him, and
that he might send them forth to preach,
investing them with exclusive privileges, and
confiding unto them exclusive revelations
and directions ; who also " appointed other
" seventy, and sent them two and two be-
" fore his face," that master has expressly
sanctioned a distinction of orders in his mi
nistry. In St. Paul's age the outline of
Church discipline could alone be marked.
Bishops8, presbyters, and deacons are ap-
S I know that it is argued by many, that the offices of
bishop and elder were the same, and that the early Church
contained no ministers of a higher order than the elders. To
overthrow this notion, one quotation from a powerful writer,
will, I think, be sufficient, " when we find it given in charge

42

pointed. Appropriate directions are given
to these persons, and the utmost vigilance and
" to Timothy, the first bishop of Ephesus, how he was to
" proceed against his presbyters, when they transgressed, to
" sit in judgment upon them, examine witnesses against them,
" and pass censures upon them, it is a most impertinent lo-
" gomachy to argue from the etymology of the words that not-
" withstanding all this, a bishop and a presbyter are the same
" thing, therefore that one text (1 Tim. v. 19.) is sufficient to
" silence this pitiful clamour of the Presbyterians. Our
" English reads it against an elder which is the literal trans-
" lation of the words presbyter, »ot« n-gse-jJt/TEpou ; against a
" presbyter receive not an accusation but before two or three
" witnesses ; and them that sin rebuke before all, that
" others also may fear. Now upon the Presbyterian hypothesis
" we must say, that Timothy had no authority or jurisdiction
" over that presbyter, against whom he had power to receive
" accusations, examine witnesses, and pass censures upon
" him ; and that such a presbyter had the same authority
" over Timothy ; which is so extravagant, and against com-
" mon sense, that I will not stay longer to confute it." Leslie
on the Qualifications necessary to administer the Sacraments :
—Works, Vol. II. p. 722, 723. See also Daubeny's Guide
to the Church, Letter II.
To the fuller comprehension of Church discipline in the first
ages of Christianity, I subjoin the following extract : " The
" rulers of the Church, in the apostolic ages had sometimes
" different functions to discharge. While some of them con-
" fined their labours to the instruction of the people, others
" contributed in different ways to the edification of the
" Church. " Among the first professors of Christianity, there were but

43

attention inculcated upon them in the dis
charge of their duties; but how those who
" few men of learning, few who had capacity enough to in-
" sinuate into the minds of a gross and ignorant multitude the
" knowledge of divine things. God therefore in his infinite
•* wisdom, judged it necessary to raise up in many Churches
" extraordinary teachers who were to discourse in the public
*' assemblies upon the various points of the Christian doctrine,
" and to treat with the people in the name of God as guided
" by his direction and clothed with his authority. Such were
" the prophets of the New Testament, an order of men whose
" commission is too much limited by writers who confine it
" to the interpretation of the books of the Old Testament,
" and especially the prophecies. For it is certain that they
*' who claimed the rank of prophets were invested with the
" power of censuring publicly such as had been guilty of any
" irregularity. But to prevent the abuse that designing men
" might make of this institution by pretending to this extraor-
" dinary character, in order to execute unworthy ends, there
" were always present in the public auditories judges di-
". vinely appointed, who by certain and infallible marks were
" able to distinguish the false prophets from the true. This
" order of prophets ceased when the want of teachers which
" gave rise to it, was abundantly supplied. In the infancy of
" the Christian Church its assemblies were neither numerous
" nor splendid; three or four presbyters, men of remarkable
" piety and wisdom ruled these small congregations in perfect
" harmony, nor did they stand in need of any president or su-
" perior to maintain concord and order where no dissentions
" were known. But the number of the presbyters and dea-
" cons increasing with that of the churches, and the sacred
" work of the ministry growing more painful and weighty by

44
filled these stations were to be enumerated,
and what the intervening appointments, he
" a number of additional duties, these new circumstances re-
" cpaired new regulations. It was then judged necessary that
" one man of distinguished gravity and wisdom should preside
" in the council of presbyters in order to distribute among
" his colleagues their several tasks, and to be a centre of union
" to the whole society. This person was at first styled the
" angelofthe Church to which he belonged, but was afterwards
" distinguished by the name of bishop or inspector, a name
" borrowed from the Greek language, and expressing the
" principal part of the episcopal function, which was to in-
" spect and superintend the affairs of the Church. It is
" highly probable that the Church of Jerusalem, grown con-
" siderably numerous, and deprived of the ministry of the
** apostles who were gone to instruct the other nations, was
" the first which chose a president or bishop. And it is no
" less probable that the other churches followed by degrees
" such a respectable example." — Mosheim's Eccles. Hist.
Vol. I. ch. ii.
These remarks assist to shew, that in the earliest ages of
Christianity, there have been men corresponding to our higher
dignitaries, invested with power, and presiding over the
Church. The most important evidence upon this point, is
that of Clement and Ignatius, the one the fellow-labourer of
St. Paul, the other a disciple of St. John. " Our Apostles,"
says Clement, " knew by our Lord Jesus Christ, that there
" would be contentions about the name of Episcopacy ; on
" this account therefore, having perfect foreknowledge, they
" appointed those whom I have mentioned, and moreover esta-
" blished a rule, that, when they died, other approved men
" should succeed them « in their ministry."' The language of

45
does not specify, no doubt leaving it to the wis
dom and sound principle of succeeding ages
Ignatius is, if possible, still more decisive. " In like manner
" let all reverence the deacons, as the command of Jesus
" Christ; as also the bishop as the Son of the Father; and
" the elders as the council of God, and assembly of the apos-
" ties. Without these it is not called a Church." " He that
" doth any thing without the bishop and presbytery and dea-
" cons, the same is not pure in his conscience." " Give heed
" to your bishop, that God may give heed to you. My life
" be ransom for those who are subject to the bishop,
" priests, and deacons, aud may my portion be with them
" in God." And again, " Let no one, without the bishop,
" do any of those things which relate to the Church. Let
" that Eucharist be accounted valid, which is under the re-
" gulation of the bishop, or of one whom he may appoint.
" Wherever the bishop appears, there let the people be ; even
" as where Christ is, there is the Catholic Church.''
Archbishop Potter speaking of the opinions of Cyprian
says, " It is as impossible, for an impartial man, who shall
" compare this historian with the rest of the primitive Fa-
" thers, to doubt whether there was a succession of bishops
" from the apostles, as it would be to call in question the
" succession of Roman emperors from Julius Cssar, or the
" succession of kings in any other country." — Discourse on
Church Government, p. 169, 170.
Eusebius brings up the line of bishops in unbroken succes
sion from the apostolic age to his own time. After this pe
riod it is perfectly unnecessary to say more upon the subject
of episcopal supremacy, as it has never been questioned. But
there has been a modern objection to the claim of the English
Church, to an uninterrupted succession of bishops, from our

46
to adopt such an arrangement upon these
points, as should be most conducive to the
best interests of religion.
Now I have before stated that equality of
condition seems neither agreeable to the
divine dispensation, nor human appointments.
It fetters genius, and renders men sordidly
negligent of improvement. It is certainly
desirable to quell any human propensities
and feelings which may oppose themselves
to God's revealed will, or tend to chain men
down to terrestrial expectations ; but if that
strong natural desire to advance his condi
tion, which God has planted in the human
breast can be made subservient to the best
interests of religion, I see no reason why a
progression in his profession, may not law-
being compelled to do so through the corrupted channel of
Papal superstition. In answer to this it has been most satis
factorily observed, that " the succession of Church offices
" is no more affected by the errors of Popery, than a man's
" pedigree is affected by his bodily distemper, or the distem-
" pers of his parents ; and if the man, by alteratives and
" restoratives, is cured with the blessing of God, he returns
" to the state of his purer ancestors of a remote genera-
" tion." — Short View, &c, Scholar Armed. — See Fausset's
Bamptom's Lectures, passim.

47

fully be proposed to himself by every con
scientious clergyman. I am sure that no
candid person will so far misunderstand my
meaning as to raise a sneer at any compa
rison I may make between the Church and
secular professions : or that any religious
man will take offence when I say, that in
the temporal direction of ecclesiastical affairs,
the general rules and principles which direct
men in other cases will be found to apply.
I say then, that as a gradation of rank and
situation is found necessary in the civil and
military professions, so are they in the
Church. Is it not according to common
reason and experience that there should be
men distinguished by rank, as well as by
learning and abilities, to whose decision
upon any controverted question, all parties
may look up ? If human nature in every
line is accustomed to pay a certain deference
to rank, it is reasonable that in the Church
you should have a class so dignified, that
their learning and their talents may have
scope for exertion, and authority when they
are exerted. It is allowed that the really
wise and good man would pay as much
6

48

respect to religion when clad in the hum
blest garments, as in the richest apparel.
" We deny not, but that they who sometime
" wandered as pilgrims upon earth, and had
" no temples, but made caves and dens to pray
*' in, did God such honour as was most ac-
" ceptable in his sight. God did not reject
" them for their poverty and nakedness sake :
" their sacraments were not abhorred for
" want of vessels of gold h." But this was in
an unsettled state of society. A wise legis
lator will consider the general feelings and
impressions of the community, and will not
hesitate to secure by a proper maintenance
and authority, the pure, the simple, the holy
religion he professes, from the ribaldry of
foul-mouthed vulgarity, the taunts of sneer
ing opulence, and the oppression of lawless
power.
h Hooker's Ecclesiastical Polity, Book vii. sect. 23.

CHAPTER IV.
Episcopacy continued—Subordinate Stations in the
Church.

" Pesa '1 gran manto a chi dal fango 'I guarda,
" Che piuma sembran tutte 1' altre some \"
Dante's Purgatorio, Canto xix.
 " in modern times, and days of old,
" It sate on those whose virtues might atone
" Their predecessors frailties trebly told :
" Mathew and Morton, we as such may own,
" And such (if fame speak truth) the honour'd Barington."
Scott's Harold the Dauntless, Canto iv.

But, it is not only that the Church may
have due weight in the cabinet, and councils
of the state, and with the community, that it
behoves the country to appoint a Hierarchy,
and endow it with proportionate revenues :
the elevation of certain men, distinguished
for their learning and abilities, is necessary
to superintend and protect the interests and
affairs of the Church, and to examine into
the qualifications of those who present them
selves for ordination. In both these cases

50

temporal authority will be found extremely
beneficial. Young men from the highest
ranks of life are candidates for Holy Orders,
and will naturally look up with greater re
spect to those from whose hands they expect
ordination, when they see such dignitaries,
at least their equals in station, and so much
above them in learning and acquirements.
The very solemn, arduous, and responsible
duties which the higher appointments in the
Church impose ; the fixed attention of the
community to the lives and conduct of the
Hierarchy ; and the late period at which men
are thus preferred, must, in a great mea
sure, preclude the mere worldly man from
either obtaining or aiming at it.
Again, in other professions, you reward
those who have distinguished themselves in
the service of their country, with rank and
fortune ; and, I do maintain that the Clergy
man who, after a long course of years, spent
much of it in that most wearisome of states,
solitude, and all in studious exertion, is not
over-recompensed, in a temporal point of
view, when he is elevated to the mitre. But
it is not alone in what respects the indivi-

51
dual ; the general interests of the profession
are greatly promoted by his advancement.
Human nature is, in general, sanguine in
expectation, and when the younger mem
bers of the profession behold merit, in one
of their body, so honourably rewarded, they
are the more stimulated to emulate his learn
ing and his virtues, and to adopt his perse
verance. The advancement of a few indivi
duals to the dignities of the Church, confers
an additional respectability on the whole
profession, is a necessary point in its good
government, acts as a spur to exertion and
good conduct, and is a fitting reward for
long tried merit and exertion. I am here
prepared to anticipate objections. It will be
said, that as the kingdom of Christ is not of
this world, temporal rewards should not be
proposed to themselves, by the Ministers of
the Gospel. In answer, I repeat what I
before advanced, that when these rewards
can be rendered subservient to the interests
of religion, and the welfare of mankind, they
may lawfully be desired. The injunctions
of Christ, and the dictates of nature decide
strongly against any thing which would pro-
e2

52

duce a stagnation of intellect and exertion.
This stagnation would, in a great degree,
attend an equalization of situation in the
Church. Is it in the least contrary to reason
or religion to say that we may lawfully
aspire to situations, in which our exertions
may be more eminently beneficial ? I do not
wish to quote Scripture unnecessarily, but
let those objectors to any distinction among
the members of the Church inform me,
whether our Saviour, in his parable of a city
on a hill, and the candle that was to be put
in an open place, did not sanction and ad
vise the exercise and advancement of our
several abilities ? By investing a certain
number of distinguished persons with rank
and stipend, you place religion upon a com
manding station, you enable her to survey
more extensively the field of duty which is
spread before her, and to dispense her bless
ings with more liberality and effect. I have
said, that both in a religious and temporal
point of view, the exaltation of certain indi
viduals to ecclesiastical eminence, is at
tended with many beneficial results. Let
us regard it as operating upon those whose

53

attention is chiefly influenced by terrestrial
good, and such will necessarily be found.
It is of the highest importance to the good
order of society, which 1 have before shewn,
was considerably influenced by the Clergy,
it is of the first consequence to the general
interests of religion, that her ministers should
generally possess learning and respectability.
Now mankind, I repeat, are sanguine in
their expectations, and the hopes of making
his son a bishop has been the cause, with
many a worldly father, to bestow upon his
son the best education which the country
affords. Nor is this all : respectability of
station ranks with many above wealth. By
seeing ecclesiastics dignified with the highest
rank, they consider that a certain respecta
bility attaches to the lowest offices, and are
therefore not unwilling that their sons shall
discharge the duties of a Curacy a. This ar-
a This was the opinion of Adam Smith, he says, " The
" great benefices, and other ecclesiastical dignities, support
" the honour of the Church, notwithstanding the mean
" circumstances of some of its inferior members." But
whoever would see the argument fully develloped, must con
sult Dr. Bentley's Phileleutherus Lipsiensis. Let those who
are in the habit of carping at the higher orders of the Clergy,

54
gument would bear much exemplification,
and fully shews that those interested motives,
which, in the present state of man, cannot
altogether be suppressed, may be made to
strengthen and extend the blessings of reli
gion. The patronage of the Bishops has been the
subject of frequent cavil. But when we con
sider the advanced age of ecclesiastics before
they are thus preferred, and the inadequacy
of their revenues to enable them to make
provision for their families, some other means
must be allowed them. God forbid that I
should be understood to imply that their
friends and connections were thus^ at all
events, to be endowed. I wish explicitly to
state, that where the interests of religion and
of the Church admit the advancement of
his relations, then only, a Bishop is at liberty
or giving opinions as to the expediency of an equalization of
Church situations weigh well this opinion of Burke's, " No
" man knows, when he cuts off the incitements to a virtuous
" ambition, and the just rewards of public service, what
" infinite mischief he may do his country through all genera.
" tions. Such saving to the public may prove the worst
" mode of robbing it."
Burke's Speech on Economical Reform.

55

to advance them. And that where he pre
fers an unworthy person, knowing him to
be such, he is guilty of the heaviest crime.
But such abuses are of rare occurrence. In
vain shall objectors mention individual in
stances of patronage disgraced, I am arguing
upon the general advantages to society, ac
cruing from the promotion of able men, and
the power, authority, and patronage annexed
to their stations. If we wait for that system
which shall exclude every entrance to abuse,
although theory may occasionally devise, ex
perience will for ever reject it. That system
is most perfect, which, notwithstanding many
errors, produces the greatest good.
I shall conclude the subject of the Episco
pacy with a few remarks on the exception
which has been taken to its temporal autho
rity. In a country, the genius of which is
decidedly monarchical, two orders of men
seem necessarily to form its constituent parts ;
a nobility and a commonalty. This, I think,
is agreeable to reason, and will be found
consistent with experience. These links of
communication, between king and people,
are no less applicable to the Clergy than to

56

the laity. Now, supposing that any distin
guished ecclesiastics, many centuries ago,
when patents of nobility were issued upon
some particular occasion, had been ennobled,
and proportionately endowed, with inheri
tance both of title and possessions to their
descendants. There would then be no dif
ference between their condition, and that of
any other of the nobility. As the matter
now stands, instead of title and property
going to descendants who might possibly
nullify or disgrace them, you fill up certain
vacancies in your peerage by a perpetual
succession of men venerable in age and cha
racter, and eminent for their literary attain
ments. Not only so, but you impose upon
them high, arduous, and responsible duties.
It does appear to me most amazing, that
any persons who do not object to the condi
tion of noblemen in general, from whom few
positive services can be exacted, should
quarrel with that particular portion of no
bility, the revenues of which are the lowest,
and the duties of which are most laborious.
There are many who can see, with much
complacency, noblemen with scarcely a ne-

57
cessary duty, excepting that of distributing
their incomes, yet fire with indignation, be
cause there are among that class a few eccle
siastical noblemen, whose abilities, acquire
ments, and characters, must necessarily be
high, and whose offices render industry and
attention indispensable. With regard lo the
feeling of the House of Peers towards that
portion of it which constitutes the Bench of
Bishops, respect, I think, as it will volunta
rily flow from the majority, must be extorted
from all. Whatever can render a nobleman
distinguished among his compeers, combines
to adorn the episcopacy. Does antiquity of
title b, does long established authority confer
b " In this realm of England, before Normans, yea before
" Saxons, there being Christians, the chief pastors of their
" souls were Bishops. This order, from about the first
" establishment of the Christian religion, which was publicly
" began through the virtuous disposition of King Lucius,
" not fully 200 years after Christ, continued till the coming
" in of the Saxons ; by whom paganism being every where
" else replanted, only one part of the island, whereinto the
" ancient natural inhabitants, the Britons, were driven, re-
" tained constantly the faith of Christ, together with the
" same form of spiritual regimen, which their fathers had
" before received. Wherefore in the histories of the Church
" we find very ancient mention made of our own Bishops.
" At the Council of Ariminium, about the year 359, Britain

58
respect? Why then the mighty signatures
of our Archbishops, and many of our Bishops
appear in the public charters of the realm,
long before our ducal or other noble titles
had power or existence ? Does extensive
erudition shed a bright additional ray over
the person of a nobleman ? Then do the
Bishops shine with lustre equal to any of
their fellows. Does dignity of demeanour
contribute to preserve the character and per
son of a nobleman from the rude breath of
vulgar familiarity ? Then does the Bench
of Bishops maintain that character in its
most unsullied purity. Is judgment in the ex
penditure of their revenues required of our
aristocracy ? Then, with an income compa
ratively small, and that enjoyed only as
" had three of her Bishops present. At the arrival of
" Augustine the monk, whom Gregory sent hither to reclaim
" the Saxons from Gentility, about 600 years after Christ,
" the Britons he found observers still of the self-same go-
" vernment by Bishops, over the rest of the Clergy. Under
" this form Christianity took root again, where it had been
" exiled. Under the self-same form it remained till the days
" of the Norman conqueror. By him and his successors,
" thereunto sworn, it hath from that time till now, by the
" space of above 500 years more, been upheld."
Hooker's Ecclesiast. Polity, book vii. sect. 1.

59

annuitants, the Bishops of this country main
tain their station with as much dignity as
the most powerful nobles in the land. As to
the general temporal advantages derived to
the public from the residence of an eccle
siastical dignitary, whose very profession en
joins hospitality and charity, and whose
sense and information enable him to make
the best use of his revenues ; I consider
them so great, that if the Bishops were much
more numerous, and much more affluent,
the country would be a very considerable
gainer. To consider now the advantages to so
ciety from having certain opulent common
ers among the Clergy. You tend very
considerably to amend the morality of the
country by enabling clergymen to mix in
society. They give a tone to the manners of
the age which is not the less powerful
from being free from hypocrisy and osten
tation. Their general information raises
the conversation above trifling insipidity, or
garrulity, their cheerfulness promotes good
humour, and their characters restrain ex
cess. This obtains with regard to their
deportment in society, and to their domestic

60
arrangements. Let any man ask himself
whether he has not frequently been withheld
from indecency and profaneness by the pre
sence of a clergyman. Let any sensible
mistress of a family say whether the recom
mendation of a clergyman is not a most pow
erful testimonial in favour of a servant. The
experience of individuals will illustrate the
general advantages of enabling clergymen
to mix in society. But this could not be
done, so that a portion should associate with
the wealthier members of the community, un
less this portion were rendered easy in their
circumstances, and enabled to receive and ex
ercise the rites of hospitality. " There is no
" law, divine or human, which should confine
" the ministers of religion to the secondary
" and inferior ranks of life, and by conse-
" quence not only preclude them from some
" of the fairest occasions of commending- to
" the favour of the temporal powers, and
" otherwise effectually promoting her genu-
" ine interests, but deprive the superior classes
" of society of every beneficial intercourse
" with spiritual directors, whom they could
" personally respect, and thus convert the

61
" highest boast of the Gospel of Christ into
" its most obvious defect, by making it too
" literally and too exclusively ' good tidings
" to the poor Y "
The same reasoning applies to those pieces
of preferment which are called good livings,
and to the lesser. But when I maintain that
an equalization of Church property would
prove very detrimental to society, I am not
saying that if the country could afford it, it
would not be desirable that the situation of
the poorer Clergy should be amended. For
I hold it to be an axiom that without a cer
tain degree of competency it is very difficult
to be respectable. Contempt, in some de
gree, will generally be attached to extreme
poverty. Clergymen too, have greater rea
sons than other men to marry, and the ex-
pences of a family, upon the most moderate
scale, are heavy. What provision then can
that man make for his family whose little
income is annually consumed, and whose
salary ceases with his life ? Moreover, the
man who is always compelled to calculate
the means of doing most with a small sum,
° Fausset's Bampton Lectures, p. 315,

62

is seldom capable of enlarged views or ge
nerous feelings. The calls of his children
for maintenance and education must chill his
efforts in the cause of his fellow creatures,
and the constant demand upon his charity at
home, must very much tend to limit its exer
tions to his own threshhold. The perpetual
anxiety for the unprovided state of his chil
dren, and the contemplation of the misery
that must be their portion should he be sud
denly removed, must often hasten death,
whilst it continually embitters existence. The
death of a Clergyman, who leaves a large
unprovided family behind him, is one of the
most afflicting events which can possibly
happen. A gentleman probably by birth,
and certainly by education, his family have
necessarily imbibed certain refined feelings
and habits, which, whilst they increase the
poignancy of their affliction for his loss, must
render them but too sensible of the hardship
and dependence which must thence ensue.
The sons are often expected to receive with
thankfulness the offer to be apprenticed to
any coarse mechanical master, the daughters
are considered fortunate if they obtain the
5

63

situation of governess, but most frequently are
consigned to the milliner. As for the widow,
affliction, want, and misery, in general, ren
der many cares on her account unnecessary,
and the, last melancholy charge of the under
taker is all, perhaps, that she is destined to
occasion. The picture I have drawn shews,
I think, in strong light, that poverty in a
Clergyman is a great evil to himself and
others. It is an evil which I think it highly
incumbent upon the state to endeavour to
redress. Much has, certainly, been effected
within the last century. The bounty of
Queen Anne, and several parliamentary
grants, have raised many of the lower livings,
but they are yet wholly inadequate to the
decent maintenance of their incumbents. Still
that inequality which places some Church
men in affluence, and leaves to others a pit
tance, is a wiser arrangement than the
equalizing system. The one would cramp
exertion, and be utterly inadequate to give
religion its distributive influence. The other
is not without remedy, and in applying that
remedy the poorer portion of the Clergy con
fer an invaluable benefit on the community.

64

It must be acknowledged that the Clergy are
generally men of sense, they have all had the
benefit of an excellent education, an alter
native is offered to them in their poverty, and
they become the instructors of youth. I have
already dwelt upon this, and shall not recur
to it, although the vast importance of the
subject would almost excuse repetition.

CHAPTER V.
Mode of remunerating the Ministers of Religion from
the first Ages of Christianity to the Reign of the
Anglo Saxon King Ethelwulph, A.D. 854.

" Je ne suis point entete des privileges des ecclesiastiques ;
" mais je voudrois qu'on fixat bien une fois leur jurisdiction. II
" n'est point question de savoir si on a eu raison de l'^tablir, mais
" si elle est 6tablie ; si elle fait une partie des lois dn pays, et si
" elle y est partout relative."
Montesquieu's Esprit des Lois, livre ii. chap. 4.

Having considered the necessity of a Chris
tian priesthood, and the advantages attending
an inequality of stipend and situation in that
establishment, I come now to consider the
manner and amount of their remuneration,
and shall be able, I trust, to prove, " that no
" method of Church salary, attended with
" the same advantages, could be proposed
" upon a more economical system." In order
to this, I shall suppose the case of a nation,
recently emerged from barbarism, or recently
converted to Christianity, anxious to establish
p

66
the Christian religion among them to the
highest, and most distributive advantage.
Would it not be the dictate of common pru
dence to those intrusted with this vast con
cern, to enquire in what manner, the wisest
nations, and those especially from whom,
in a great measure, they derived their faith,
had remunerated the ministers of religion ?
A mere human precedent, which had the
antiquity of many centuries, and the practice
of many countries to recommend it, would*
I conceive, be entitled to the deepest atten
tion. If, then, it was found that one system
of ecclesiastical remuneration had existed,
nearly coevally with the world ; that this
system had extended itself almost universally
over different countries, and had, especially^
been observed in that one, from which the
Christian religion emanated, any legislator
would be most unwise, in neglecting to profit
by the example. Now this is exactly the case
with the system of tithes — the vast addition
being made, that it is of divine original.
Chargeable with great inconsistency and pre
sumption, guilty of much contemptuous indif
ference towards God's original appointment

67
must that legislator be, who, professing
himself anxious to establish the Christian re
ligion in its highest possible perfection, re
jects a proposed model which has God for its
author. The fact that the remuneration of
the priesthood by tithes, was minutely en
joined upon the Jews, added to the facts, that
in the earliest patriarchal times Abraham had
paid tithes to Melchizedec the priest of the
most high God ; that Jacob addressing him
self to his Maker had vowed, " of all that
" thou shaft give me, I will surely give the
" tenth unto thee," abundantly shew, that
the worship of God, and the payment of
tithes for the support of that worship, were
originally inseparable. It appears to me
also that nothing but the belief of its divine
original could have spread abroad so univer
sally, a practice which was not likely to offer
itself spontaneously to mankind* But it may
be said that neither our Saviour, nor his Apos
tles, enjoined the payment of tithes upon their
followers, which they would have done had
they considered them necessary. It may also
be objected, that as the Mosaic economy was
abrogated by the coming of Christ, tithes, as
f2

68
part of that economy, were necessarily abro
gated too.
I know not whether I shall deserve any
merit, on the ground of originality, but I
trust that it will be in my power, to shew the
unsoundness of both these objections. With
respect to the assertion that the payment of
tithes is not enjoined expressly in the New
Testament, I admit the fact, but I by no
means allow the inference. At the first pro
mulgation of the Gospel an injunction to
pay tithes could not have been given. The
great object was to establish the religion, not
to prescribe a system of maintenance for its
ministers, which it would have been impos
sible to enforce whilst property was almost
exclusively in the possession of Jews and
heathens. The very death of our Saviour,
and the persecutions experienced by his
Apostles and immediate followers, sufficiently
prove that temporal power, authority, and
possessions were so much in the hands of the
enemies of Christianity, that it would be ab
surd to look in the New Testament for any
minute regulations as to the maintenance of
the Church. The whole economy of the

69
ministers of the Gospel as to temporal
arrangements, was necessarily contingent
upon circumstances which were perpetually
changing with the governments around them.
Violent state persecutions at one time, po
pular tumults a at another, rendered any
permanent regulations as to Church remune
ration, perfectly impossible. That Christ re
cognized and sanctioned the payment of
tithes to the Jewish priesthood is clearly
evident from Matt, xxiii. 23., where, al
though he charges the Scribes and Phari-
a The martyrdom of Stephen is recorded in the Acts of
the Apostles, ch. vii. v. 55. that of James, the son of Zebedee,
Acts vii. 12. that of James the just, bishop of Jerusalem,
is mentioned by Josephus in his Jewish Antiquities, book
xx. chap. 8. and by Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical His
tory, book ii. chap. 22. See also Mosheim's Ecclesiastical
History, vol. I. chap. v. The sufferings inflicted by the
Romans on the Christians have been recorded by various
writers. In one reign we see them, upon confession of their
faith, threatened with instant execution, from which only
apostacy could reprieve them : under another, we see the in
genious cruelty of the magistrate exercising all its tortures to
compel a renunciation of their faith. The unrelenting and fu
rious spirit of persecution exercised against loveliness, infir
mity, and age, is strongly and faithfully, although poetically
depicted in Massinger's " Virgin Martyr," and in Millman's
'* Martyr of Antioch."

70

sees with laying the whole weight of duty on
the payment of tithes to the exclusion of
actions of judgment, mercy and faith, he
expressly says, " these ought ye to have done,
" and not to leave the other undone." In
Matt. x. 10., speaking of the manner in
which his apostles might expect a supply,
he says, " the workman is worthy of his
" meat." And again in Luke, x. 7. " the
" labourer is worthy of his hire." These
injunctions, general as I have shewn in those
days, they must necessarily have been, suffice
to shew, that the ministers of tlie Gospel
were authorized by their master to expect a
maintenance from those they taught. The
system of tithes obtained not only in the
Levitical, but in the Patriarchal ages ; and
our Saviour without making any injunction
upon the subject, might naturally leave it to
the common sense of mankind, whenever cir
cumstances should enable them to adopt it.
He never innovated without a regard to the
best interests of men. His injunction to pay
tribute to whom tribute was due, and his
declaration that he did not come to destroy,
but to fulfil the law, when taken in their

71

proper sense, clearly shew, that he did not
intend to change or abrogate institutions
merely because they had been observed by
the Jews.
If then we regard the circumstances and
situation of the Jewish priesthood, we shall
find that the causes which induced the ap
portioning of tithes to them, operate with
very considerable addition, when applied to the
Christian Church. It is not my bare assertion,
for it is in the power of any man (who will
be at the pains to consult the Old Testament)
to ascertain the fact, that the Levitical priest
hood, with not a tenth part of the duties to
discharge which now devolve on the Chris
tian Clergy, enjoyed revenues more valuable
to a tenfold amount. The Levites in gene
ral, and their priests in particular, were di
vided into twenty-four courses, which went
up by rotation to perform the rites and cere
monies of their religion. These courses were
again subdivided into seven classes each, of
Which one class performed the duties of each
succeeding day in the week, and then, re
turning home, were succeeded by the seven
classes of another course. It is a fact, there-

72
fore, that no priest under the Mosaic dis
pensation, excepting upon the greater festivals,
when all appeared, served more than two
days in the year. The intervening period
was occupied by them in husbandry, war
fare, or any other secular employment they
thought proper to follow. The qualifica
tions necessary to the Levitical priesthood
were simply these. 1st. They were to be
descended from the true sacerdotal line.
2dly. They were to be of the full age re
quired by their law. 3dly. They were to be
free from all bodily imperfection.
Let us now contrast the religion, the quali
fications, and the duties of the Christian mi
nistry. If dignity of station is to be any
measure of remuneration, none can contend
for the justice of a superior allowance to
the Levite. Was the Jewish worship vene
rable and divine, and therefore to be main
tained with the highest decorum and solem
nity ? As far as the substance is above the
shadow, as far as the thing typified is above
the type, so far higher, both in dignity and
estimation, is the Christian priesthood above
the Levitical.

73
Ought the necessity of high qualifications
to have weight in the scale of remuneration ?
Then does the long, expensive education im
posed upon the Christian minister, plead most
strongly in favour of his claim. Do the
labours of his profession, and the utter prohi
bition of profiting by any secular employ
ment in trade or commerce, demand an
adequate compensation ? Then, even sup
posing the labours of a clergyman confined
to the mere discharge of his obligatory du
ties ; by a contrast with the Levite, it will
be seen how much higher is his title to
reward b.
Both reason and analogy being thus fa
vourable to an ecclesiastical remuneration by
tithes, under the Christian dispensation, let
us consult history as to experience, and shew
what were the sentiments and practice of the
early Christians upon this point so soon as
their religion was regularly established. Pay-
b I have not specified the manner and amount of the ,tith(es,
lands, and various other possessions enjoyed by the Levitical
tribe. For these particulars, I must refer the reader to Pri-
deaux's most excellent Work on Tithes, chap. ii. p. 47,
48, &c. 7

74

merit by tithes not being at first practicable,
St. Paul, upon whom rested the vast weight
of the temporal as well as spiritual appoint
ments of the Church ; directed his followers
in Gallatia and Corinth, to lay by, upon each
first day of the week, a proportion of their
respective earnings for the support of their
spiritual teachers, and for the purposes of
charity c. These were afterwards reduced
to monthly collections, but there were many
occasional offerings, both those to supply the
ordinary wants of the Church, and those pro
ceeding from the ardent impulse of extraor
dinary generosity. " In the prime of the Chris-
" tian world, that which was brought and laid
" down at the apostles' feet, they disposed of
" by distribution according to the exigence of
" each man's need. Neither can we think that
" they who out of Christ's treasury made pro-
c In the first fourteen verses of 1 Cor. ix. we find
a regular defence of the right of the teachers of religion to a
maintenance from those they taught. — See Whitby's para
phrase on the passage. In Galat. vi. 6. we have, " let
" him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him
" that teacheth in all good things.'7 In 2 Thess. iii.
8, 9., St. Paul takes the claim of the teachers of religion to
support at the public expence, as a conceded point.

75
" vision for all others, were careless to fur-
" nish the Clergy, with all things fit and
" convenient for their estate. And as them-
" selves were chiefest in place of authority
" and calling, so no man doubteth but that
" they had power proportionally to use the
" same for their own decent maintenance.
" The apostles, with the rest of the Clergy in
" Jerusalem, lived at that time according to
" the manner of a Fellowship, or Collegiate
" Society, maintaining themselves and the
" poor of the Church with a common purse,
" the rest of the faithful keeping that purse
" continually stored *."
By degrees, estates and lands were con
ferred for the benefit of certain churches,
which thus became endowed with revenues
for the due support of a ministry. The whole
of the offerings and endowments, with the
exception of those oblations which were
expended on the service of the altar, were
placed in the treasury of the Church under
the inspection, and at the disposal, of the
d Hooker.

76

bishop6. Outof these collected sums a monthly
salary was paid to the ministry of the Church,
and the rest applied to charitable purposes.
To prove that the remuneration of the early
teachers of religion, although not paid as a
specified and regular sum, was not less than
that by tithes, I have selected certain pas
sages from the fathers and doctors of those
ages. IrenaBiis, who lived about 180 years after
Christ, and was the disciple of Polycarp, who
was the contemporary and disciple of St.
John, says, " The Christians consecrated all
" that they had to God's service, cheerfully
" and freely, not giving less than the Jews,
" because they have a better hope." Origen
(in Num. Homil. 2.) speaking of the Pharisees
paying tithes of mint, anise and cummin, saith,
" What therefore Christ would have done
e In the canons styled apostolical, is the following passage :
" We appoint that the bishop have care of those things which
" belong totheChurch,"and the subsequent reason explains the
motive. " For if the precious souls of men must be committed
" to him of trust, much more it behoveth the charge of money
" to be given him, that by his authority, the presbyters and
" deacons may administer all things to them that stand in
" need."

77
" by the Pharisees, much more abundantly
" would he have fulfilled by his disciples."
Cyprian, in magnifying the liberality of the
first Christians, passes this reflection on those
of his own time, " domos tunc et fundos ve-
" nundabant, pretia apostolis offerebant, at
" nunc de patrimonia nee decimas damus."
In the latter part of this sentence tithes are
inferred to be necessarily due. Chrysostom
(Homil. 43. in 1 Corinth.) speaking of what
was to be offered to God by Christians, says,
" I require no great matter, but that as the
" Jews who were infants in religion, and
" loaded with many sins, did pay, so let us
" pay, who expect Heaven. I speak not this
" as making a law, or forbidding to give
" more, but requiring that less than a tenth
" be not consecrated. This must be observed
" by all that gather just increase." It would
be swelling this work to too large a com
pass, were I to bring forward all those argu
ments and exhortations respecting tithes to be
found in the writings of the Fathers. Suffice
it to remark, that they are exceedingly
numerous in the works of Gregory Na-
zianzen, Epiphanius, St. Hilary, St. Am-

78
brose, St. Augustine, and St. Jerome, who
all flourished prior to the completion of the
fourth century. It is admitted, even by the
great antithist Selden, that " so liberal, in
" the beginning of Christianity, was the de-
" votion of believers, that'their bounty to the
* Evangelical priesthood, far exceeded what
<* a tenth could have been." " The libera-
" lity formerly used had been such, that in
" respect thereof, tithes were a small part."
" It had been little to the purpose to have
" had tithes of annual increase paid, whilst
" that most bountiful devotion of good
" Christians continued in frequent offer-
t( ings of lands and goods to such large
" amount." But the spirit of liberality and religious
zeal which animated the early converts of
the Gospel, and glowed in the breasts of suc
ceeding generations, lost much of its fervour
towards the end of the third century. The
offerings to the Church began to be doled
out with a niggardly hand, and notwith
standing several legal endowments, her reve
nues were scanty, and the maintenance of
her ministers precarious. None being com-

79
pelled to contribute, although the offerings
of many might evince liberality, many also,
would give but little, and some altogether
withhold them. It became necessary then to
investigate the opinions of former ages, and
these being found favourable to an eccle
siastical remuneration, at least equal in value
to a tenth part of each man's annual pro
duce, payment to that amount was declared,
by succeeding synods, to be a matter of con-»
scientious and necessary obligation. But it
would be unreasonable to expect to find, in
the times of those terrible convulsions which
overthrew Rome, and shook the world, any
proofs that tithes were so scrupulously paid,,
as they were authoritatively demanded.
Amidst the plunder of cities, the carnage of
war, the devastations of earthquakes and
pestilence, and the horrors of famine, order
must have been generally abandoned f.
f For an account of the earthquakes and plague in the
reign of Justinian, I refer the reader to Gibbon's Rome,
Vol. VII. chap, xliii. That historian relates, " That during
" three months, five, and at length ten thousand persons died
" each day at Constantinople, that many cities of the East
" were left vacant, and that in several districts of Italy the
" harvest and the vintage withered on the ground. The

80

When all other laws were exposed to neglect
or violation, those of the Church also must
have greatly suffered. Still, however, the
general practice of payment by a mode equi
valent to decimation, obtained, and evinced
itself whenever the Christian community en
joyed a respite from civil dissention or foreign
invasion, and instead of enquiring why this
practice cannot in all cases be proved, it is
rather a matter of surprize that it should be
established in any. It could only arise from
the blessed effects of Christianity in soften
ing the dispositions of those naturally fero
cious conquerors who visited almost every
quarter of the known world, that a Christian
Church establishment was not utterly sub
verted. But it is not the intention, as it
would not be within the limits of this work,
to trace the line of ecclesiastical remunera
tion through its, widest field. I have shewn
what were the sentiments and regulations of
the early Christians in those countries whence
" triple scourge of war, pestilence, and famine afflicted the
" subjects of Justinian, and his reign is disgraced by a visible
" decrease of the human species, which has never been re-
" paired in some of the fairest countries of the globe."

81
the religion sprung, and I shall now confine
myself to Britain. In treating this subject, I
shall, first, give some general account of the
progress of Christianity in this island, and
then descend to the particular point in ques
tion ; the remuneration of the Clergy. On
this last head, I shall produce statutes and
charters declaratory and corroborative of
ecclesiastical property and privileges, more
positive and more ancient than any existing
documents in the kingdom.
I shall not attempt to fix the exact period
when this country became converted to
Christianity. The conversion took place,
partially and progressively, many years pre
vious to the first arrival of the Saxons : for
we find in Gildas, Bede, &c. repeated men
tion of the Clergy, their monasteries, and
establishments. About the year 449, or 450,
the Saxon forces, under Hengist and Horsa,
arrived in the isle of Thanet. It is well known
how soon the Saxons, who came over as
allies, proved the most deadly enemies of the
Britons : and that their heptarchy, after
violent struggles, was at length established.
The Saxons were polytheists, and continued
G

82
the gross superstitious practices of their fore
fathers, many years after the subversion of
the island. Indeed it is most wonderful that
any regular form of Christianity could have
been preserved amidst the struggles of the
natives, and the brutal ascendancy of the
Saxons. So however it was, and although
their government, their laws, and their
country, fell beneath the iron hand of the
invader, their religion, under Providence,
was preserved, and at length softened, and
converted their victors. About the middle
of the sixth century, Ethelbert, who had
been associated with his father in the govern
ment of Kent, married Bertha, only daughter
of the French king. This princess, a zeal
ous Christian, stipulated with Ethelbert for
the free exercise of her religion. The influ
ence she soon acquired over him, enabled
her to prepare the way for the general con
version of his subjects. The papal throne,
some years after this marriage, was filled by
the ardent Gregory, who, conceiving the
occasion to be favourable, selected Augus
tine, a Roman monk, and with forty asso
ciates, commissioned him to preach the

83
Gospel in Britain. Notwithstanding the
many idle, superstitious practices which ac
companied the first proffer of Christianity,
the innate sublimity of it's precepts must have
operated most powerfully with the Saxons,
when contrasted with their own hideous ob
servances. I can imagine one of the sensible
conscientiousassociatesof Augustine,applying
the following sentiments to some relenting
Saxon, who had previously meditated violence
against him,
" Des dieux que nous servons, connais la difference ;
" Les tiens I'ont commanded le meuftre et la vengeance,
" Et le mien, quand ton bras vient de m'assassiner,
" M'ordonne de te plaindre, et de te pardonner !"
Saxon's exclamation,
" Quoi done ! les vrais Chretiens auroient tant de vertu !
" Ah ! la loi qui t'oblige a cet effort supreme
" Je commence a le croire, est la loi d'un Dieu ineme,
" J'ai connu l'amitie, la Constance, la foi,
" Mais tant de grandeur d'ame, est au-dessus de moi,
" Tant de vertu m'accable, et son charme m'attiref !"
The success of these missionaries exceeded
the most sanguine expectations of Gregory.
Multitudes of the Kentish inhabitants re-
f Voltaire's " Alzire," Act v. scene 7. The dialogue is
between Don Gusman and Zamore.
g2

84
sorted to Augustine for baptism, and the
king himself was converted. Augustine,
after this successful issue of his mission, was
consecrated Archbishop of Canterbury. But
the pure religion of Jesus was not fully
established among that rude people. Ethel
bert died in 616, and his son Eadbald prov
ing apostate, historians tell us that his king
dom also returned to idolatry. But the lapse
could have been but transient, and must
soon have been succeeded by a fresh conver
sion, for under Eadbald's son Ercombert we
find idolatry totally extirpated. The king
doms of Northumberland, East-Anglia, and
Essex were, soon after Kent, converted to
Christianity. The first, owing to the active
endeavours of Ethelburga, the daughter of
Bertha, whom Edwin, the Northumberland
king, had married. The second, in conse
quence of its king's (a dependent of Edwin's)
following the example of Northumberland.
And the third, from the persuasion of its
monarch, who was a nephew of Ethelbert's.
In the course also of a few years, the king of
Wessex, marrying the daughter of Edwin,
became himself a Christian, and extended

85

the blessings of his religion throughout his
dominions. Thus the union of Ethelbert
with Bertha, was the immediate cause of dif
fusing the knowledge of Christianity through
five of the kingdoms of the heptarchy. Sussex
and Mercia were converted in the course of
a few years after. It was now that religion
came forth from her hiding places ; It was
now that, " In Saxon strength the abbey frowned,
" With massive arches broad and round,
'* That rose alternate, row and row,
" On ponderous columns, short and low ;
" Built, ere the art was known,
*' By pointed aisle, and shafted stalk,
" The arcades of an alleyed walk,
" To emulate in stone."
Scott's Marmion.—" The Convent."
The French preceded this country in a
regular ecclesiastical allowance by tithes.
The sacrilege of Charles Martel, who took
away the endowments of the Church to give
them to his soldiers, was the chief induce
ment with his son Pepin, and his grandson
Charlemain, to establish the payment of tithes
by a compulsory law over all their domi
nions. Offa, king of Mercia, the most
powerful of all the Saxon princes, was in the

86

closest bonds of friendship with Charlemain,
and at his suggestion adopted many princi
ples of civil and church government. From
the capitulars of the great French monarch
it was, that Offa, about the year 790, intro
duced that law which made tithes compul
sory in his dominions. They were, however,
paid long before this, by way of offerings,
according to the ancient customs and decrees
of the Church. This appears from the canon
of Egbert, Archbishop of York, about the
middle of the eighth century, and from an
epistle of Boniface, Archbishop of Mentz,
to Cuthbert, Archbishop of Canterbury, about
the same period, in which epistle the denun
ciatory expression, " qui lac ac lanam ovium
" Christi oblationibus quotidianis ac decimis
" fidelium suscipiunt, et curam gregis domini
" deponunt," applicable to certain ecclesi
astics, evidently shews that the payment of
tithes was in general use. The kingdoms of
the heptarchy were firmly united under one
government, by the prudent and victorious
Egbert, in the year 827. His reign was one
continued struggle with the Danes ; and no
arrangement or charter, with respect to the

87

property of the Church, has been thence
transmitted to us. He died in 838. It is
now that we arrive at a point from which
we may safely date. Ethelwulph, the son of
Egbert, in the year 854, extended over the
whole of West Saxony, the payment of tithes,
which had been previously established by
Offa, in Mercia.

CHAPTER VI.
Charters of the Clergy, and a brief Account of the
Church from the Reign of King Ethelwulph, to the
Death of Harold, A.D. 1066.

the scepter'd heralds call

" To council in the city gates : anon,
" Grey headed men and grave, with warriours mix'd,
" Assemble, and harrangues are heard."
Paradise Lost, Book XI.

At a Wittenagemote held at Wilton, on
the feast of Easter, the following charter,
carefully extracted by Prideaux from Dug-
dale's monasticon, was enacted.
" Ego Ethelwulf gratia Dei Occidenta-
" Hum Saxonum Rex in sancta ac celeber-
" rima paschali solemnitate pro meas remedio
" animae, et regni prosperitate, et populi ab
" omnipotent deo mihi collati consilium sa-
" lubre, cum episcopis, comitibus, et cunctis
" optimatibus meis perfeci, ut decimam par-
" tern terrarum per regnum nostrum non
" solum Sanctis ecclesiis darem, verum etiam

89
" et ministris nostris in eadem constitutis in
" perpetuam libertalem habere concessimus,
" ita ut talis donatio fixa incommutabilisque
" permaneat ab omni regali servitute abso-
" luta ; placuit autem Aelstano episcopo
" Shirburnensis ecclesia?, et Swithuno Wen-
" tanas ecclesias episcopo, et ducibus com-
" muniter. Hoc autem fecimus in honorem
" domini nostri Jesu Christi, et Beatae semper
" virginis Marias, et omnium sanctorum, et
" paschalis festi reverentiam, ut deus omni-
" potens nobis et nostris posteris propitiari
" dignetur. Scripta autem est haec cartula
" anno ab incarnatione domini nostri Jesu
" Christi 854> indictione secunda, die pas-
" chali, in palatio nostro quod dicitur Wil-
" ton. Qui autem augere voluerit nostram
" donationem, augeat omnipolens deus dies
" ejus prosperos : Si quis vero minuere, vel
" mutare prassumserit, noscat se ante tribunal
" Christi redditurum rationem, nisi prius
" satisfactionem emendaverit. *|« Ego Aeth-
11 elwulf Rex, *%> Ego Aelstan episcopus,
" •{* Ego Swithun episcopus, >{• Ego Wul-
" flaf abbas, »J* Ego Werferd abbas, »f« Ego

((

90

Aelhered et Ego Aelfred filii regis consen-
simus." I subjoin the translation : —
" 1 Ethelwulf, by the grace of God, king
" of the West-Saxons, in the holy and most
" solemn feast of Easter, for the health of
" my soul, and the prosperity of my king-
" dom, and of all the people by Almighty
" God committed to my charge, have with
" my Bishops, Earls, and all other my
" Nobles, brought to pass this wholesome
" counsel, that I have not only given the tenth
" parts of the lands through my kingdom to
" the holy Churches, but also have granted
" to our Ministers placed in them, to enjoy
" them in perpetual liberty ; so that this
" Grant shall remain firm and immutable,
" freed from all royal services, and from all
" other secular service whatsoever. And it
" hath pleased Aelstan, Bishop of Sherborn,
" and Swithun, Bishop of Winchester, and
" the rest of the chief men, to give their con-
" sent hereto. This we have done for the
" honour of our Lord Jesus Christ, and o£
" the blessed Virgin Mary, and of all the
" Saints, and for the reverence which we

91
' bear to the feast of Easter, that Almighty
' God may vouchsafe to be propitious to us
' and our posterity. This Charter was
' written in the year of the Incarnation of
' of our Lord Jesus Christ, 854, in the se-
4 cond Indiction, on Easter Day, in our
* Palace called Wilton. Whosoever shall
' augment this our donation, may God
' augment to him his prosperous days. But
' if any one shall presume to diminish or
' change it, let him know, that he must
' give an account hereof before the Judg-
' ment Seat of Christ, unless in the interim
' he doth make amends by giving satisfaction
' for the same. »|« I Ethelwulph the King,
' t%* I Aelstan Bishop, t%* I Swithun Bishop,
« 4- 1 Wulflaf Abbot, »{« I Wereferd Abbot,
« »J« I Elthered and I Alfred the King's
' sons, have given our consent hereto."
It will be seen that this grant extended
only to Ethelwulph's hereditary kingdom of
West Saxony, or Wessex. In the following
year, however, at a Wittenagemote assem
bled at Winchester, this grant was rendered
general for the whole kingdom. As the es
tablishment of this right is of the highest in-

92

terest and importance, I shall give the words
of the Charter, both in Latin and English,
from Ingulph, and Matthew of Westminster.
" 1. Regnante. Domino nostro in per-
" petuum. Dum in nostris temporibus
" bellorum incendia, et direptiones opum
" nostrarum, nee non et vastantium crude-
" lissimas poslium deprasdationes, barbara-
" rum, Paganarumque nationum multiplices
" tribulationes ad affligendum nos pro pecca-
" tis nostris usque ad internecionem, tempora
" cernimus incumbere periculosa."
Ingulph. Matt. Westm.
" 2. Quamobrem ego Ethe- " 2. Quamobrem ego
" wulphus Rex West Saxonum " Aethelwulpus Rex Occiden-
" cum, consilio episcoporum, " talium Saxonum cum con-
" ac principum meorum, con- « silij episcoporum, ac prin-
" silium salubre ac uniforme " cipum meorum, consilium
" remedium alfirmantes con- " salubre atque uniforme re-
" sensimus, ut aliquam por- " medium affirmavi,utaliquam
" tionem terrarum haeredita- " portionem terra mea3 deo
" riam antea possidentibus " et beats Maris, et omnibus
" omnibus gradibus, sive fa- " Sanctis, jure perpetuo pos-
" mulis et famulabus dei deo " sidendam, concedam deci-
" servientibus, sive laicis " mam scilicet partem terra?
" miseris, semper decimam " mea3, ut sit tuta muneribus,
" mansionem, ubi minimum " et libera ab omnibus ser-
" sit, turn decimam partem " vitiis secularibus necnon

93

" omnium bonorum in liber- " regalibus tributis, majoribus .
" tatem perpetuam donari " et minoribus, sive taxationi-
" sanctae ecclesise dijudicavi, " bus quae nos Witteredden
" ut sit tuta, et munita ab " appellamus, sit que omnium
" omnibus secularibus servi. " rerum libera, pro remissione
" tutibus, imo regalibus tri- " animarum, et peccatorum
" butis, majoribus, et mino- " meorum, ad serviendum soli
" ribus sive taxationibus quae " deo sine expeditione, et
" nos dicimus Wynterden, " pontis constructione, et
" sit que libera omnium re- " arcis munitione, ut eo dili-
" rum, pro remissione ani- " geutius pro nobis preces ad
" marum, et peccatorum nos- " deum sine cessatione fun-
" trorum, ad serviendum deo " dant, quo eorum servitutem
" soli, sine expeditione, et " in aliquo levigamus."
" pontis extructione, et arcis
" munitione, ut eo diligentius
" pro nobis ad deum sine ces-
" satione preces fundant quo
" eorum servitutem in aliqua
" parte levigamus."
" 3. Acta sunt haec apud Wintonian in
" Ecclesia Sli. Petri, Anno Dominicae In-
" carnationis 855, indictione tertia, Nonas
" Novembris, ante majus Altare pro honore
" gloriosaa Virginis et Dei Genetricis Mariae,
" Sancliq ; Michaelis Archangeli, et Beati
" Petri nostri Gregorii Papae.
" 4. Praesentibus, et subscribentibus Ar-
" chiepiscopisetEpiscopis, Angliae Universis,

94
" necnon, Beorredo Rege Mercian, et Ed-
" mundo East-Anglorum Rege, Abbatum, et
" Abbatissarum, Ducum, Comitum, Proce-
" rumq ; totius Terras, aliorumq ; fidelium
" infinita multitudine, qui omnes Regium
" Chirographum laudaverunt, Dignitates
" vero sua nomina subscripserunt.
" 5. Rex vero Ethelwulphus pro firmatate
" ampliore obtulit banc Chartulam scriptam
" super Altare Sti. Petri ; Apostoli ; et Epis-
" copi pro fide Dei illam acceperunt, et per
" omnes Ecclesias postea transmiserunt in
" suis Parochiis publicandam.
" 1. Our Lord Jesus Christ reigning for
" ever. Whereas in our time we have seen
" the burnings of war, the ravagings of our
" wealth, as also the cruel depredations of
" enemies wasting our land, and many tri-
" bulations from barbarous and Pag-an na-
" tions inflicted upon us, for the punishing
" of us for our sins, even almost to our utter
" destruction, and also very perilous times
" hanging over our heads.
" 2. For this cause, I Ethelwulph king of
" the West-Saxons, by the advice of my

95

" Bishops and other chief men of my king-
" dom, have resolved on a wholesome and
" uniform remedy, that is, that I grant as
" an offering unto God, and the blessed
« Virgin, and all the Saints, a certain por-
" tion of my kingdom, to be held by perpe-
" tual right, that is to say, the tenth part
" thereof, and that this tenth part be.privi-
" leged from temporal duties, and free from
" all secular services, and royal tributes, as
" well the greater as the lesser, or those
" taxes which we call Witerden, and that it
" be free from all things else for the health
" of my soul, and the pardon of my sins, to
" be applied only to the services of God
" alone, without being charged to any ex-
" pedition, or to the repair of bridges, or
" the fortifyings of castles, to the end that
" the Clergy may with the more diligence
" pour out their prayers to God for us with-
'f out ceasing, in which we do in some part
" receive their service.
" 3. These things were enacted at Win-
" Chester, in the Church of St. Peter, before
" the great altar, in the year of the incarna-
"tion of our Lord, 855, in the third indic-
6

96
" tion, on the Nones of November, for
" the honour of the glorious Virgin and
"Mother of God, St. Mary, and of St.
" Michael the Arch- Angel, and of the blessed
" Peter, Prince of the Apostles, and also, of
" our blessed Father Pope Gregory, and of
" all the Saints. .
" 4. There were present, and subscribing
" hereto, all the ArchrBishops and Bishops
" of England, as also Boerhed king of Mer-
" cia, and Edmund king of the East-Angles,
" and also a great multitude of Abbots,
" Abbesses, Dukes, Earls, and Noblemen
" of the whole land, as well, as of other
" Christian people, who all approved of the
" Royal Charter, but those only who were'
" persons of dignity subscribed their names
" to it.
" 5. King Ethelwulph for the greater
" firmness of the Grant, offered this Charter
" upon the altar of St. Peter the Apostle,
" and the Bishops, on God's part, received
" the same of him, and afterwards sent it to
" be published in all the Churches through-
" Out their respective Dioceses."
The plain good sense of Prideaux, through-

97

out his excellent work on tithes, is so con
spicuous, that I have exactly followed him
in his manner of quoting the two historians.
He subjoins, in the margin, the various
readings in the charter, as above recited,
and as recorded by William of Malmsbury.
There has been, I am well aware, much
controversy as to the authenticity and mean
ing of certain parts of this charter ; arising,
probably, from the two later historians,
(Matthew of Westminster and William
Malmsbury) confounding the first given at
Wilton, with the other given at Winchester.
Selden has attempted to shew that the grant
was both partial and temporary ; but Pri-
deaux has proved, in the fullest, clearest,
and most convincing manner, that tithes
were then settled, not only on the Clergy at
that time in being, but on them and their
successors for ever. Hume tells us that
Ethelwulph lived but two years after making
this grant. He was succeeded by his two
eldest sons, who shared his dominions. The
reign of both was short, as was that of a
third, who died of a wound received in an
action with the Danes, leaving the inheri-
H

98

tance of his cares and misfortunes, rather
than of his grandeur, to his youngest brother,
Alfred. That astonishing prince found time
to attend to every call of justice and religion,
of peace and war, and has left a name for
real virtue, not to be paralleled in the history
of the world. The wisdom which directed
Alfred in other points, we may reasonably
suppose, induced him to confirm the charters
of his father for the maintenance of religious
worship. In a body of laws, published by him,
there is express injunction upon his subjects
as to the payment of tithes. And when the
Danish king, Guthrun, was converted to
Christianity, and associated in the govern
ment of a portion of this kingdom, the pay
ment of tithes was enforced, under a heavy
money penalty, upon the Danes also.
One feels a difficulty and unwillingness,
in quitting the subject of this most amiable
and excellent prince, upon whose virtues, the
mind lingering delights to dwell. His me
mory is one to which we are always eager to
do homage, and it is scarcely an exagge
ration to say, that we feel prouder of Alfred's

99
name as an Englishman, than of all the
mighty tribe who have subsequently flou
rished. In that rude and terrible period*
when the throne was the hardest and most
dangerous seat, when the scepter was almost
ever thrown hastily by for the sword, when
the lives of men, like the heads of wolves,
were estimated at a price ; the wisdom and
exertions of one man, gave an impulse to the
country, the effects of which, in many of our
establishments, are felt to this day. The
blessings and security of judicial administra
tion ; the culture and encouragement of the
arts and sciences ; the firmer establishment of
religion — these, and a thousand other blessings,
originated in the same source, and, whatever
has been their subsequent advancement, are
due to the exertions of Alfred. But let it not
be supposed that all this is a strain of pane
gyric, foreign in its application, and insipid
from its want of originality. The virtues of
Alfred bear powerfully upon the question
before us. If it be allowed that he was indeed
that great, that wise, that religious man,
whose greatness had always the happiness of
his people for its basis ; whose wisdom ever
h 2

100
looked beyond the narrow policy of tempo
rary expedients ; and whose religion was un-
tinctured with the smallest superstition ; I do
say the consequence follows, that he would
not have given his sanction to a law which
he conceived to be burdensome to his people,
or unnecessary to religion. The approval
of Alfred has stamped a value upon the
charter of Ethelwulph, and no impeachment
upon the father's understanding, can affect
the measures or motives of his son.
«  Alfred,

" In whom the splendour of heroic war,
" And more heroic peace, when govern'd well,
" Combine ; whose hallowed name the. Virtues saint
" And his own Muses love; the best of kings!"
Thomson's Seasons.
Alfred died in the year 900, and was suc
ceeded by his son Edward, surnamed the
Elder. This king appears to have inherited
many of the great qualities of his father. He
died, possessing the esteem and respect both
of his own subjects and of foreign princes, in
the year 925. Elsward, Edward's eldest son,
survived his father only a few days, and
Athelstan, another son, although illegitimate,

101
was called to the throne. Next in import
ance to the assembly at Winchester, the
most considerable, with respect to reli*
gious ordinances, was the synod of Graetly*.
This was held in the year 928, and the fol
lowing is the canon which enjoins the pay
ment of tithes.
" I, Athelstan, the King, by the prudent
" advice of Wulfhelme, my Archbishop, and
" my other Bishops, do command all my Re-
" ves in my kingdom, and strictly enjoin
" them in the name of God, and of all his
" Saints, and as they tender my favour, that
" above all things they take care to pay out
" of my lands the just and due tithes, as well
" of all cattel, as of the annual product of
" the ground. And, moreover, let all our
" Bishops, Earls, and Reves do the same out
" of their lands. And let all our Bishops and
" Reves who administer justice to those they
" are over, take care that they give judg-
" ment according hereto. And let all this
" be done by the day that we have appointed
" for it, that is the feast of the decollation of
* Henry calls it Gratanlea ; Prideaux spells it Grately ;
and Rapin, as I have spelled it.

102
" St. John the Baptist. Moreover, let us cou-
" sider with ourselves, and throughly weigh
" in our minds what the great patriarch
" Jacob, said unto God, « my tithes, and a
" ' peace offering will I offer unto thee ;'
" and what the Lord hath said in the Gos-
" pel, ' to every one that hath, shall be
" ' given, and he shall abound.' And let us
" also recollect what is threatenly written in
" the book. ' If we will not pay our tithes,
" ' the tenth part shall only be left us, and
" ' the other nine shall be taken from usb.'
" And I will, that the Cyricsceatc be paid t6
" that place to which it doth belong, that
" there those may enjoy them who by their
" ministerial service shall best deserve them
" from God and us. We are admonished by
" the word of God, that we endeavour by our
" earthly things, to gain heavenly, and by our
" fading things, those that will last for everd."
b This is from St. Ambrose, Sermo. 33, &c,
0 It was called cyricsceat, quasi Church scot, i.e. the
portion that belonged to the Church, and it was a certain
quantity of corn paid out of the first threshing after harvest.
See Prideaux on Tithes, p. 127. Also Dr. Kennet's Paro
chial Antiquities, p. 603.
d Spelm. Council. Tom. I. p. 396.

103
The death of Athelstan took place in 941.
Having no issue, the crown devolved to Ed
mund, the eldest of the legitimate sons of
Edward the Elder. This prince confirmed
the laws of his brother Athelstan ; and en
joined every Christian subject of his realm,
to pay lo the Church her dues. His end was
tragical, being stabbed by a robber and as
sassin in the year 948. Edred, his brother was
placed on his vacant throne. No alteration
took place on the subject of tithes during the
short reign of this Prince, nor in the still shorter
one of his Nephew, Edwy. Edgar, who has
been surnamed the Peaceable, next succeeded
to the throne. He was possessed of the most
vigorous genius and the most solid judgment,
and was enabled to preserve the country in
peace and prosperity throughout his reign.
I consider the charges of bigot and hypocrite
which have been heaped upon this king, to
be ill-founded. His attachment to the monks
may have been great, but was, I believe sin
cere. A speech of his, yet extant, proves him
at least to have been a most decided enemy of
the vices and excesses of ecclesiastics. " It
" is your duty," says he, addressing himself

104
to the directors of the Church, assembled
in council ; " it is your duty, to examine
" into the life and conversation of the
" Clergy. To you it belongs to see that
" they live agreeably to their profession :
" that they be sober, temperate, chaste* hos-
" pitable to the poor and stranger : that they
" are careful in the administration of their
" office, constant in their instructions to the
" people, &c V These are not the injunc
tions of a bigot, or of a hypocrite.
The most effectual laVv for the payment of
tithes and other Chirrch dues, was made by
this King about the year 967 ; it is as follows:
" The laws which King Edgar made in full
" parliament, for the glory of God, the
" hdrtfourof the Royal Majesty, and the be-
" "iiefit of the commonwealth.
" 1. First of all let the Church enjoy all
" her rights and immunities, and let eVery
" one pay to the Mother Crrurch to which he
" belongs, iithes of all lartds which the
e Collier observes that this speech seems too polished for
the tenth century, and that he should have considered it much
improved by Jossefin, h'ad he not met with it in Rfevallensis,
an amtient historian.

105
" plow goes over, whether they be lands
'* of the gentry, or the lands of their vassals.
" 2. If any lord hath a Church built on
" his charter-hold lands, that hath church-
" yard belonging thereto, with right of bu-
" rial, he may assign a third part of his
" tithes thereto. But if there be no church-
" yard belonging thereto, with right of bu-
" rial, the Lord of the soil may give unto the
" Minister of that Church for his mainte-
" nance, as much of his nine parts as he
" shall think fit, but the tenth part must be
" paid to the Mother Church* And the
" Church due, called Cyricsceat, which is
" due out of every freeman's house, nwst
t( also be paid to the Mother Church.
" 3. All must pay their tithes of the yowng
" of their cattel before Whitsuntide, of the
*' fruits of the earth before the autumnal
" equinox, and their ^Cyricsceat on St.
" Martins-day. " If any one doth not pay <them, 'let him
" undergo the penalty prescribed in the ju-
" dicial book. And if any one shall refuse
" to pay his tithes in such manner as We
" have prescribed, then let the King's Reve,
7

106
" and the Bishop of the Diocese, and the
-« Minister of the Parish, convene together,
" and let them by force cause the tenth part
" to be paid to the Church, to which it was due,
" leaving only the ninth part to the owner.
" And for the other eight parts, the Lord of
" the Manor shall have one four parts, and
" the Bishop of the Diocese the other four.
" And let this be done, whether the party
" offending hold of King or of any other
" Lordf."The decease of Edgar in 975, was fol
lowed by the accession of his son Edward,
who has been, without much reason, sur
named the Martyr. He fell a victim to the
treachery of his mother-in-law, and was as
sassinated in the year 979. Ethelred his
brother, a son of the murderess, succeeded
him. During this reign, which was long
and unprosperous, the English were so much
involved in calamities that they had little
leisure to attend to ecclesiastical affairs. The
following laws, however, respecting the
payment of Church dues, were passed by
Ethelred.
f Translated from Bromton's Chronicle, column 871.
5

107
" Let every man duly pay every year
" what is due unto God ; the plow-alms
" within fifteen days after Easter ; the tithe
" of the young cattel at Whitsuntide ; the
" tithe of the fruits of the earth on the feast
" of All Saints ; and the Church due, called
" Cyricsceat, on St. Martin's-day. The
" Church due for finding of lights, must be
" paid twice in every year. But it is most
" fitting that the fee for burial be always
" paid at the time when the grave shall be
" dug. If any one burieth a dead body out
" of the parish to which the deceased did
" belong, he shall nevertheless pay the fee
" of burial to that parish Church where he
" was, while he lived, a parishioner g."
This law was made about the year 1008,
in a parliament held at Enham, on the feast
of Pentecost ; and about four years after this,
another was framed, in a council convened at
Haba, to the following purport :
" We command that every man, for the
" love of God and all his Saints, shall pay
" his Cyricsceat and his full tithe, in the
" same manner as it was done in those times
b Spelm. Concil. Tom. I. p. 517.

108
" of our predecessors when it was best done ;
" that is, that he pay for tithe every tenth
" acre that the plow shall go over. And
" every other customary due must be paid to
" the Mother Church, to which every man
" belongs, for the love of God. And let no
" man take from God, what belongs to God,
•" and which our predecessors have conse4-
" crated to him h."
Amidst all the horrors of internal war and
foreign invasion, Edmund, surnamed Iron
side, was called to the throne in 1016. He
disputed the possession of the kingdom with
Canute with the utmost valour, but fell a
viotim to domestic assassination in the year
1017. The Danish conqueror Canute was
a Christian, and friendly to the Church. In
a letter from Rome, addressed to his Bishops
and Nobles, he thus enjoins the fulfilment of
former canons.
" I do now solemnly charge all my
" Bishops and all the Reves of my kingdom
" by the faith nfftrich they ough unto me, and
" unto God, that before I shall return into
" Translated by PrideaUix, from Brdmtori's "Chronicle,
column 902.

109
" England, ye take effectual care that the
" dues which we ough out of all things to
" the Church, be fully paid ; that is to say,
" the Plow Alms, and the tithe of young
" cattel for the year in which they are pro-
" created, and the Peter-pence which we
" ough unto Rome, and that this be paid as
" well out of cities as villages ; and by the
" middle of August the first fruits of the seed
** (which in Saxon is called Cyricsceat) to
*' the Church of the parish, where every per-
" son dwelleth. And if these and such like
** dues be not fully paid by the time I shall
" return, whoever he be that shall be found
" faulty herein, the royal coercion shall force
" him according to the law, strictly and with-
" out any indulgence, to pay the same'."
The date of this letter is 1031. From its
general tenor we must observe that, notwith
standing the troubles of the country, the
payment of tithes had become a regularly
established law, having, among other points,
a prescriptive right of 177, years, to recom
mend it.
In the year 1032, Canute having revived
1 W. Malms, De gestis Regum, Lib. II. chap. xi. p. 75.

the laws of Edgar and of Ethelred, on the
subject of Church dues, passed also the fol
lowing :
" Let every man annually render unto
" God, what is of right due unto him. Let him
" pay the plow alms within fifteen days after
" Easter ; the tithe of the young of cattle at
" Whitsuntide ; and the tithes of the fruits of
" the earth on the solemn festival of All Saints.
" But if any one shall refuse to pay his tithes
" in such manner as we have said, that is,
" every tenth acre that is plowed, let the
" King's Reve, the Bishop, the Lord of the
"Manor, and the Minister of the Parish,
" convene together, and by force cause the
"tenth part to be paid to the Church to
" which it is due, leaving the ninth part only
" to the owner. And as to the other eight parts,
" the Lord of the Manor shall have one four
" parts, and the Bishop of the diocese the
" other four. And this shall be done, whe-
" ther the offender holds of the King, or of
" any other lord. Let the Church due called
" Cyricsceat be paid on St. Martin's Day.
"If any One shall delay to pay it, let him
" render to the Bishop eleven fold, and also

Ill
" pay a fine to the King of one hundred and
" twenty shillings. If a lord hath a Church
" on his charterhold lands, which hath a
" churchyard belonging thereto, with right
" of sepulture, he may assign the third
" part of his tithes to that Church. But if
" that Church hath not a churchyard be-
" longing thereto with right of sepulture,
" then let the lord of the soil give to the
" minister of that Church for his mainte-
" nance, as much of his nine parts as he
" shall think fit, but the tenth must be paid to
" the mother Church. And the Church due,
" called Cyricsceat, must also for every free-
" man's house, be paid to the Mother
" Church. Thrice every year a certain sum
" of money must be paid for the maintaining
" lights at the parish Church ; that is to say,
" for every hide of land an halfpenny at Eas-
" ter, another halfpenny at the solemn festival
" of All Saints, and the like must be done at
" the festival of the Purification of St. Mary.
" And it is fitting, that at the digging of
" every grave, the burial fee should forthwith
" be paid to the minister. And if any man
" shall bury his dead out of the parish of

112

" which he was an inhabitant, the fee of the
" burial must, notwithstanding, be paid to
" the Church to which of right it belongs/'
Canute died in 1036. The latter part of
his life seems to have been very different
to the beginning of it. Some years before
his death he became humble, modest, just,
and truly religious. Malmsbury tells us, that
from the time he was seated firmly on the
throne of England, he gave daily marks of
piety, justice, and moderation, and gained
the affection of his own subjects, and the
respect of foreigners. His courage, and his
reverence of the Deity, render Turenne's
favorite passage in Racine's Athalie, not in
applicable —
*' Soumis avec respect a sa volont6 sainte,
*' Je crains Dieu, cher Abner, et n'ai point d autre crainte."
The two succeeding reigns of Harold
Harefoot and Hardjcanute, from A. D. 1035
to A. D. 1041, were so short and unsettled,
that they afford no materials of importance
to the ecclesiastical enquirer. Edward the
Confessor does not appear to have framed
any new laws, but has the merit of con
densing into one body those which had pre-

113
viouslybeen observed, in Wessex, Mercia, and
Northumberland.11 This prince, as we might
infer from his surname, was a great lover of
the Church. At his death, more than one
third of all the lands of England were in the
possession of the Clergy, subject to no tax,
and even exempted from military service.
To Edward the Confessor succeeded the
dauntless, unfortunate Harold. The same
year which beheld his elevation to the throne,
saw him stretched breathless on the bloody
field of Hastings. He fell in 1066, and with
him fell the empire of the Anglo-Saxons, an
empire which had maintained a harassed
existence of more than six hundred years ;
"  in that decisive day

" The haughty Norman seized at once an isle,.
" For which, through many a century, in vain
" The Roman, Saxon, Dane had toil'd and bled."
Thomson's Liberty, Part IV,
k Spelman Gloss, p. 396.

CHAPTER VII.
Norman Conquest— Charter of the Clergy — Account
of the Church from A. D. 1066, to the Reformation —
Henry VIII.— Account of the Church continued to
the present time.

¦ the land awhile

" Affrighted, droop'd beneath despotic rage ;
" Instead of Edward's equal gentle laws,
" The furious victor's partial will prevail'd."
Thomson's Liberty, Part IV.

It may reasonably be supposed that the
Norman Conquest occasioned the greatest
changes both in Church and State ; and that
a conqueror of the very haughty and deter
mined character of William, would neither
submit to political encroachments, nor to ec
clesiastical tyranny.
An adventurer, the descendant of adven
turers, one would suppose that gain of some
description would be the measure of his ac
tions. The successful invader of a country,
it may be thought, would not be slow in

115
appropriating the property of its Church.
Tlie Clergy certainly came in for a share of
the oppression which he exercised upon the
country. But the general rights of the
Church he respected and confirmed. The
English were particularly attached to the
code of laws which had been compiled by
Edward the Confessor, and as William af
fected lo ground his title to the crown upon
Edward's gift, he at length, consented to
abide by that code.
The following is Edward the Confessor's
law of tithes enforced by the authority of
the Conqueror:
" Of all corn the tenth sheaf is due to God,
" and therefore is to be paid unto him. If
" any one have an herd of mares, let him
" pay the tenth colt, but if he have only one
*' or two mares, let him pay a penny for
" every colt, which he shall have of them.
" In like manner, if he shall have many
" cows, he shall pay the tenth calf; if he
" shall have but one or two cows then he
" shall pay an halfpenny for every calf.
" And he who shall make cheese, must give
" God the tenth cheese ; but he that shall
i2

116
" make none, must give the milk of every
"tenth day; and so likewise must be paid
" the tenth lamb, the tenth fleece, the tenth
" part of the butter, and the tenth pig, and
" so in like manner of the bees the tenth
" part of the profit. And so likewise of
" woods, of meadows, of wate.rs, and mills,
" of parks, of ponds, of fisheries, of cops, of
" orchards, and gardens, and of trade, and
" of all things, which the Lord shall give,
" the tenth part is to be rendered to him,
" who giveth unto us the other nine parts
" with that tenth. Whosoever shall detain
" this tenth part, shall by the justice of the
" Bishop and the King be forced to the pay-
" ment of it, if need shall be. For these
" tithes St. Augustin hath preached, and
" they have been granted by the King, no-
" bles, and people of the land ; but after-
" wards by the instinct of the devil many
"have detained them. And rich priests
" being negligent, did not care to take pains
" to recover them, because they were suffi-
" ciently supplied with the necessaries of life!
" For in many places, where are now three
" or four Churches, there in former times

117

" was but one, and so the tithes began to be
" diminished a."
The Conqueror, although overbearing and
imperious to the highest degree, possessed
many shining and some amiable qualities.
He had received a good education, was fond
of reading, and took much pleasure in the
society and conversation of learned men,
whom he advanced to the highest dignities
and richest benefices of the Church. The
encouragement given by him to literary pur
suits, excited an extrordinary ardour among
the Norman Clergy, and after the conquest
produced the same effect in England. So far
however from being blindly devoted to the in
terests of the Clergy, or an obedient servant
of Rome in spiritual concerns, William exer
cised his supremacy over the Church of
England with determined authority, and
made some important changes in its polity
and revenues. The celebrated survey of
England, which is recorded in Doomsday-
Book, was made by the direction of this pow
erful king ; it was then found that the whole
kingdom contained 60,215 knight's fees, of
which 28,115 were attached to the Church,
i Hoveden, Knighton, Spelman.

118
The thirteen years of William Rufus's
reign furnish little to interest or instruct us.
If his accidental death scarcely occasioned
the sorrow of a single individual in his own
times, the recital of it can excite no sym
pathy now. He seems to have pursued the
gratification of his passions at the expence of
every principle of justice. He despised the
Church, and coveted her possessions. But
it is one of the most extraordinary facts
in the history of mankind, that whatever
changes and subversions might happen to
civil and legal institutions, from the opera
tion of conquest, usurpation, or tyranny, the
law establishing the right of tithes remained
inviolate. Like the ark of tlie deluge, it rode
triumphantly amid universal devastation, and
it may be almost said, without superstition,
that, like the ark, it was divinely protected.
In the following reign, when Henry the First,
by the imprisonment of his brother, Duke
Robert, had fully established himself in his
Norman possessions, being free from appre
hensions in that quarter, he determined to
rid himself of the restraints which the laws
of Edward the Confessor imposed upon him

119
in England. Accordingly he framed an
extensive code of laws, more favourable to
the exercise of his own prerogative than lo
the rights and liberties of his subjects, and,
abrogating all others, commanded that this
code should be observed throughout his do
minions. Whatever variations were then
made in the other laws of King Edward;
not a single infringement is offered upon that
respecting the payment of tithes. On the
contrary, the following enactment most ex
pressly confirms it, " If any shall detain his
" due tithes let the King's Reve, and the
" Bishop's Reve, and the Reve of the Lord
" of the Manor go with the Parish Priest,
" and take from him by force the tenth
" part, and render it to the Church to which
" it shall belong, and leave only the ninth
" part to him that would not pay the tenth,
" and let them divide the remainder into
" two half parts, and let the Bishop have
" one half part, and the Lord of the Manor
" the other. Whosoever shall detain his
" Cyricsceat beyond St. Martin's-day, let
" him render it to the Bishop, with a fine
" of eleven limes the value, and let him,

120
" moreover, pay a fine to the King of fifty
" shillings. And if anyone shall forcibly de-
" tain any of God's dues, let him, if a Dane,
" pay the Danish fine Lashlite, and if an
" Englishman, the English fine Wita, or
" eleven times the value on his denial."
The Church of England appears to have
enjoyed much tranquillity throughout this
reign. In the year 1132 the bishopric of
Carlisle was founded, of which Adelward, the
king's confessor, was the first Bishop, The
usurpation of Stephen involved England in
continual misery and warfare, and the his
tory of the Church in that period is little else
than a recital of the base venality of the
Bishops, and the dissolute lives of the
Clergy, The great interruption to the happiness of
Henry the Second arose from his difference
with Archbishop Becket, and from the mur
der of the latter. However this king might
wish to lower the power of the Clergy, he
appears to have observed solemnly the laws
of Edward the Confessor, and the Church
enjoyed her dues.
Richard the First closed his warlike life

121
before the castle of Chalons, in 1199, and was
succeeded by his usurping brother John.
The great charter extorted by his subjects
from King John, in 1215, is too well known
to render any comment upon it necessary.
 " The tyrant see !

" Mark how with feign'd alacrity he bears
" His strong reluctance down, his dark revenge,
" And gives the charter, by which life indeed
" Becomes of price, a glory to be man !"
After the preamble the first article of that
charter respects the Church, and is as fol
lows, " I. That the Church of England shall be
" free, and enjoy her whole rights and liber-
" ties inviolable. And we will have them so
" to be observed, which appears from hence
" that the freedom of elections, which was
" reckoned most necessary for the Church
" of England, of our free will and pleasure
" we have granted and confirmed by our
" charter, and obtained the confirmation of,
" from Pope Innocent the Third, before the
" discord between us and our barons, which
" charter we shall observe, and do will it to
" be faithfully observed by our heirs for
" ever."

122
Henry the Third confirmed the charter of
his father King John. In the account of this
reign, Hume, who never has been suspected
of partiality to the Church, bears this testi
mony to its utility. " It must be acknow-
* ledged, that the influence of the Prelates
' and the Clergy was often of great service
' to the public. Though the religion of that
' age can merit no better name than that of
' superstition, it served to unite together a
* body of mert who had great sway over the
' people, and who kept the community from'
' falling to pieces, by the factions, and inde-
' pendent power of the nobles. And what
' was of great importance, it threw a mighty
' authority into the hands of men, who, by
* their profession, were averse to arms and
* violence ; who tempered by their media-
' tion the general disposition towards mili
tary enterprises ; and who still maintained,
' even amidst the shock of arms, those secret
links, without which it is impossible for
" human society to subsist b."
The feeble Henry was succeeded by the
acute and intrepid Edward. He was no
b Hume, Vol. I. chap. xii.

123
passive child of Rome. Without any papal
sanction, and indeed in opposition to the
Pope, he established his right lo tax the pos
sessions of the Clergy. Still, however, this
body continued to increase, both in power
and possessions. It is to be feared that they
frequently abused both ; but whatever may
have been their failings and their vices they
continued to supply a succession of men emi
nent for their religion and literary attainments.
Of such was Robert Winchelsey, Arch
bishop of Canterbury, who closed his distin
guished life in the early part of Edward the
Second's reign.
An event which occurred about the year
1360, will serve to evince the great authority
of the Clergy, during the reign of Edward
the Third. " One of the greatest barons in
" England, Robert de Morley, had com-
" mitted some violent trespass in a park
" belonging to the Bishop of Norwich. In
" spite of his noble rank, and of his utmost
" exertions to prevent it, in spite even of the
" king's earnest intercession in his favour,
" the Bishop compelled him to submit to the
" following degrading penance : To walk in

124
" his waistcoat, bare headed and barefooted,
" with a wax-candle, weighing six pounds,
" lighted in his hand, through the streets of
" Norwich, to the cathedral ; and there, in
" the presence of a prodigious concourse of
" people, to beg the Bishop's pardon, in the
" most humble posture and language c."
During this reign the celebrated statute of
pro visors was enacted. By this statute it
was declared penal to procure any presenta
tions to benefices from the court of Rome,
and the rights of patrons and electors were
rendered independent of the Pope. The year
1385 was distinguished by the death of the
venerable Wickliffe. The encouragements
which the doctrines of this reformer received
from numbers of every class and station ; the
remarkable coincidence between these doc
trines and those of the more fortunate re
formers in the sixteenth century ; and the
repeatedly revived statutes of provisors and
premunire, plainly shew that the bulk of
the English people were at that time con
vinced of many of the absurd pretensions
c Henry's History of Great Britain. Anglia Sacra, Tom. I.
p.415.

125
and tenets of the Church of Rome. The Re
formation would certainly have taken place
nearly a century earlier, had it not been for
the distracted state of the country during
almost the whole of that period.
In the blood-stained asra that followed, the
reign of Henry the Fifth was the only one
exempted from civil war. The English were
then pouring forth upon the French that fury
which the next generation spent upon their
country ;
" What hideous times succeed ! Thou inartyr'd king !
" Here 'gainst thy gentle sway aspiring York
" First drew the sword rebellious ! Oh ! that sword
" Was never sheathed in peace till England's veins
" Were drain'd of every drop of noble blood ;
'* And each poor family deplored the loss
" Of father, son, or brother. On this spot
" Fell Stafford, Somerset, Northumberland,
" And Clifford's ardent soul escaped by death
" The bitterness of defeat, the victor's pride,
" And every horror that succeeding prey'd
" On England's vitals — Let the peevish churl
" Scowl on the present age, exalt the past,
" And call the glories of our fathers back
" But to reproach posterity: to me,
" Comparison upraises high the race
" That war not with their fellow citizens,
" Or wage alone the war of words ; their arms
" Their energies reserv'd for England's foes.

126
" Look ! near that spot where Ofta's temple c rears
" Its stately awful bulk, unhurt by time,
" There erst rode Richard with his furious sons,
" Urging the English arm 'gainst English hearts,
" And shouting ' York ! and death or victory !'
" And there, the fierce Thalestris of the field,
" Undaunted Margaret, press'd foremost on,
" Raising her shrill unbroken voice 'mid cries,
** Of 'king!' 'the rose!' ' red rose'.' and ' Lancaster!'" Verulam.
When civil discord thus burst the bonds
of allegiance, family affection, and social
duty, it may be supposed that men had little
leisure or inclination to attend to ecclesias
tical regulations. Nothing, however, can
more strongly shew the respect that is almost
naturally paid to religion, than the fact, that,
notwithstanding the great wealth of the
Clergy, the vices and corruptions of many of
their body, and the general horror and con
fusion of this period, the possessions of the
Church remained untouched.
We can form some idea of the immense
wealth and hospitality of the higher order of
the Clergy in those times, when we read that
Henry Bowet, Archbishop of York, con-
<= The Abbey of St. Albans, founded by the Saxon king
Offa.

127
sumed no less than eighty tons of claret an
nually in his different palaces; but the
quantity of provisions and liquors prepared
for the installation feast of Archbishop Ne
ville, almost exceeds credibility d.
Edward IV., soon after his accession,
granted a most extraordinary and unwar
rantable charter in favour of the Clergy, by
which they were rendered almost entirely
independent of the civil magistrate. We
cannot wonder if such exemption from con-
troul was attended with many evil conse
quences. The Clergy, like other men, are
subject lo error and weakness, passion and
prejudice ; and I am amazed that their unre
strained liberty did not produce even greater
excess. The reign of Henry VII. affords few par
ticulars to the ecclesiastical historian. That
respectable prelate, Archbishop Bourchier,
died in January, A.D. 1486, in the thirty-
second year of his primacy.
Henry VIII. succeeded to his father's
throne, A.D. 1509. For the first half of his
d Amongst other viands 4000 mallards and teals are men
tioned.

128
reign he was not only a most dutiful son,
but a most zealous champion of the Roman
Church, and exerted both the sword and the
pen in her favour. Hitherto the custom of
paying tithes, had been universal in his do
minions. It comprehended the produce of
peace, and the spoils of war ; the traffic of
the merchant and the gains of trade, what
ever the earth produced or the water con
tained, which were available to the use of
man, afforded a tenth for the remuneration
of the Clergy. The addition from royal
grants and private benefactions had more
over swelled the property of the Church to
an immense amount.
Its opulence and immunities were, in
deed, too vast for any class of men,
and proved sometimes, that the way to
the temple of vice, is through the gates of
prosperity. We come now to its reverses.
Urged by rapacity and caprice, the unspar
ing hand of Henry VIII. pulled down not
only the strong holds of hypocrisy and vice,
but with the sword which he wrested from
superstition he struck a blow at religion
which she has not yet recovered. We must
5

129
now no longer expect to find the stately col
lege or cathedral rising by the munificent en
dowment of the Clergy ; nor benevolence
exerting' herself with such princely liberality.
However the heart may melt at the sight of
distress, the hand has not. now the same
power to relieve it.
Had Henry possessed any real regard for
the dignity and interests of religion, he might,
at the dissolution of the monasteries, have
made the noblest provision for the Church of
his own and after ages. He, perhaps, in
tended to do much in this respect with the
revenues of the suppressed houses ; he cer
tainly made many pompous promises. Lord
Cromwell brought a bill into the house of
peers to empower the king to erect new
bishoprics, deaneries, and colleges, by letters
patent. A draught of the preamble of this
bill, written in the king's own hand, is still
extant ; to which, in the same hand, is an
nexed a scheme of eighteen new bishoprics,
as many deaneries, and several colleges ; the
places where they were to be seated, and the
monasteries out of which they were to be
endowed. These mighty promises, and the
K

130
mighty sums with which they were to be
executed, were quickly reduced. Six new
bishoprics were, however, erected, those of
Westminster, Oxford, Peterborough, Bristol,
Chester, and Gloucester. Before this new
arrangement several of the dioceses were
much too extensive : so lhat the greatest ad
vantage the nation seems to have gained by
the suppression of the monasteries, was the
creation of these six sees. Let it not however
be supposed that, amid all the revolution in ec
clesiastical property, the right of tithes was
ever questioned by the king. Although he
appears to have thought that all points in
religion, whether doctrinal or ceremonial,
whether public or private, should be decided
by his sole direction : although he has ex
empted certain lands which were previously
titheable, he considered, in general, the pay
ment of tithes, as the vital principle of eccle
siastical remuneration. In the preamble to
an act passed in the twenty-seventh year of
his reign, it is expressly declared that " tithes
" are due unto God and Holy Church ;" and
in the body of that act, it is enjoined, that
" Every person, according to the ecclesias-

131
" tical laws and ordinances of the Church of
" England, and after the laudable usages
" and customs of parishes, should yield and
" pay his tithes, offerings, and other dues."
But all considerations of the legality and in
violability of tithes, were unable to secure to a
once opulent Clergy competence or respec
tability. The curtailment in the revenues of
the Bishops, and the immense proportion of
poor livings, left the profession in a state ap
proaching to beggary. Could we wonder if
an order so reduced, should speedily have
been filled with men illiterate, sordid, selfish,
men whose religious sentiments veered with
the breath of royalty, and with whom want al
most apologized for apostacy ? Such fatal con
sequences, although by no means general, did
partially attend the degrading allowances
in the reformed Church, and the lapse of
several ecclesiastics to popery, in the reign of
Mary, may thus, in a great measure, be ac
counted for.
The rapacity of King Henry VIII., and
the consequent miserable reduction in the
Church, were not repaired during the short
reign of the amiable Edward ; then came his
k2

132

popish and persecuting sister. Elizabeth's
reign was certainly a lengthened arid glo
rious one, but the economy which then pre
vailed in political, seems to have extended
itself, with even greater inflexibility, to ec
clesiastical management. The resources of
the Clergy must have been mean, and wholly
inadequate to the encouragement and sup
port of an enlightened profession, which,
from its very nature, should be charitable,
and given to hospitality. The same obser
vations apply to the reign of King James I.,
and to that of his successor. Although seve
ral complaints were submitted to Parliament
respecting the depauperated state of the
Clergy, although King Charles I. recom
mended it to the House " to make due provi-
" sion that every parish should allow a com-
" petent maintenance for an able minister,"
little or nothing seems to have been done.
Puritanism, indeed, had already been at work
in misrepresenting and disguising the nature
of our religious establishment ; in painting it
in the blackest colours which malice could
invent, or hatred inspire. Not satisfied with
the reduced condition of the Church, the

133
Puritans panted for further violence. And
malice, when combined with avarice, is
never in want of excuses. When the proT
perty of the French Clergy was confiscated,
thirty years ago, it was done under the plea
of reason. When episcopacy was attacked,
in Cromwell's time, the cry raised against
her was "the covenant." Plunder was the
real object of both assailants, and although
the hostility of the one was directed by
atheism, that of the other, marshalled by
hypocrisy, was perhaps equally rancorous
and deadly. It was not to be expected that
the Church should recover its due ascen
dancy under the careless and licentious reign
of King Charles II., or that of his popish
successor. Nothing, in fact, was done for
the Clergy till the splendid liberality of Queen
Anne, assigned the first-fruits and tenths
as an augmentation for the poorer livings in
England and Wales. This took place in
1703, her majesty observing, " that she had
" taken into her princely consideration the
" mean and insufficient maintenance belong-
" ing to the Clergy in divers parts of this
" kingdom." The fund has been in opera-

134
tion since the year 1714, many incumbrances
preventing its earlier application*1. During
the course of the last century the application
of Queen Anne's bounty, the benefactions of
charitable individuals, and several parlia
mentary grants, have tended much to the
increase of the smaller livings, which are
yet, however, lamentably deficient. But I
shall not anticipate the subject of my next
chapter.
d The miserable poverty of considerably more than a half
of the whole number of benefices, will appear by the follow
ing authenticated classification, applicable to that period.
Number of Livings. Per Annum.
1071, not above  £10
1467  20
1126  30
1049  * .  40
884  50
5597

CHAPTER VIII.
Present Amount of Church Property— Revenues of the
Bishops— Deans and Chapters — Parochial Clergy —
The Average of their Income supposing the Distribu
tion of their Revenues to take place.

" Progressive truth, the patient force of thought ;
" Investigation calm, whose silent powers
" Command the world." Thomson's Seasons — " Summer.'

I shall now endeavour to state the present
property of the English Established Church.
" The revenues of the Church of England
" are derived from reserved rents in corn or
"money, or both conjointly, fines on re-
" newals of the leases of the Church estates,
" glebe and augmentation lands, tithes by
" composition or in kind, surplice fees,
" and some other sources of inconsiderable
" emolument a." a Cove, p. 106.

136
The data from which conclusions, appli
cable to the present period, are usually
drawn, are,
Bishop Watson's Statement, extracted from his Letter
to the Archbishop of Canterbury, in  1 783
Cove's Essay on the Revenues of the Church, &c. in 1795
And ditto iu  1797
Colquhoun  1815
And Cove again, in  1816
Bishop Watson's statement is the follow
ing, " The whole income of the Church, in-
'" eluding bishopricks, deans and chapters,
" rectories, vicarages, dignities, and benefices
" of all kinds, and even the two universities,
" which being lay corporations, ought not
" to be taken into the account, do not
" amount, upon the most liberal calculation,
" to 1,500,000/. a year."
This certainly appears to be a low esti
mate; but the proportion of the sum affected
by the price of corn must have been consi
derable ; and the then low price of corn
and produce may, in some degree, account
for it.
The average prices of corn in England

rri

137
and Wales, by the standard Winchester
bushel, for 1 783, were,

Wheat.e*. 7rf.

Rye. I Barley.
4s. b\d. \ 3s. 9irf.

Oats.
2s. 5±d.

Beans.
4s. 4|rf.

And fhe importation exceeded the exporta
tion to an immense amount.
The rise in the price of all agricultural
produce in the year 1795 appears to have
been considerable.
The average prices were then about

Wheat.
9s. Qd.

Barley. 4s. 3d.

Oats. j Beansv
3s. Id. I 5s. Id.

I am aware that this rise may be attri
buted to temporary causes.
Dr. Cove, in his Essay, published in
1795, does not think any very great ad
dition had then taken place, in the eccle
siastical revenue, to the sum specified by
Bishop Watson, in 1783.
His estimates in 1795, are these : Per Ann.
The revenues of the Bishops, viz. the two Me- > „
tropolitaus and the 24 Bishops  j '
Those of all the corporate bodies, styled Deans ^ ..
and Chapters  S
Those of the two Universities, Cambridge and ~i 1QQ Q0Q
Oxford  3
Those of the parochial Clergy  = 1,350,000

Whole revenue  £1,742,000

138
Which amount exceeds the Bishop's cal
culation by only 242,000/".
Dr. Colquhoun in a table, which he mo
destly calls, " an attempt to exhibit a gene
ral view of society," gives the following sum
mary of the yearly incomes of the Clergy of
Great Britain and Ireland c.
Per Ann.
48 Bishops at  £5,010 each  if240,480
1,500 eminent Clergymen ¦ • 720 •  1,080,000
17,500 lesser idem  200  . 3,500,000

£4,820,480

19,048 whole number of Clergy enjoy- 1
ing a revenue  J
There are two reasons which prevent me
from saying any thing reflecting upon the
general accuracy of Dr. Colquhoun; the first is,
that he is no longer alive to defend his asser
tions, and the second is, that in a work re-
quiringthe immense labour andresearch which
his treatise must have imposed, great allowance
b In p. 183, Dr. Cove gives a statement rendering that
excess 484,000/. But in the following pages, by stating the
incomes of the parochial Clergy at their highest and lowest
valuations, viz. 1,108,000/., 1,313,000/., and 1,593;000/. ;
and then taking the mean 1,350,000/., and adding it to the
revenues of the Bishops, Dignitaries, and Universities ; the
amount will be what I make it.
c This table is dated 1812.

139
should be made for any occasional errors.
Still, however, a statement that the Clergy
possess a revenue, which appears to me so
very much higher than its actual amount,
may be most prejudicial to the interests of
that body, and may operate with the Legisla
ture in withholding further assistance — it is
therefore most necessary to overthrow it.
This, therefore, I shall attempt.
Dr. Cove's estimate in 1816, of the annual
incomes of the whole English church esta
blishment is this,
The gross revenue of the Bishops  .£130,000 d
Of the Deans and Chapters  275,000 e
Of the parochial Clergy  2,557,202 f
Whole amount of the revenues of the English"^ £2 „„, „Q2
Church  5
Revenue of the Irish Clergy  670,000 S
 of the Scotch idem  • • ¦ ¦ 260,000 h
Whole amount of the revenues of the Church} ^ 898,202
in Great Britain and Ireland • • • •  3
Thus Dr. Colquhoun's estimate exceeds
* Cove, p. 106. e Idem, p. 111. f Idem, 124. e p. 169.
h p. 161.
4

140
that of Dr. Cove, by the sum of 922,278/.,
an excess utterly at variance with fact.
But with all due deference to the re
searches of Dr. Cove, of whose labours I
have freely and frequen tly availed myself, I
conceive his calculation in 1816, upon a
comparison with the Bishop of Llandaff in
1783, and his own in 1795, to be above
the mark. Dr. Cove receives the Bishop's
account in 1783 as authentic, and he
has not since annulled his own statements
in 1795. The comparison between these,
shews an increase of ecclesiastical property
in the twelve years to the amount of only
242,000/. Surely, then, no farther increase
in the prices of agricultural produce, how
ever enormous (exclusive of the revenues of
the two universities, which have previously
been taken into the account, by the Bishop
and himself) could have made an increase in
that property, to the amount of 1,220,202/.;
which results from his estimate in 1816.
It may be impossible to make any exact
calculation as to the present amount of eccle
siastical property from a consideration of the

141

various prices which have obtained since the
year 1783 ; and very difficult to say in what
proportion that property will be affected by
the late depression in the price of all agricul
tural produce. This much, however, seems
to be matter of almost arithmetical certainty,
that the same causes which occasioned the
great increase in the value of tithes and other
Church property, operating now in a de
cidedly opposite direction, must materially
effect their reduction. Although none can
pretend to determine from the present depre
ciation in agricultural produce, what the
lapse of a few years may occasion ; my own
opinion is, that the low prices will long con
tinue. On this opinion, founded on much
contemporary inquiry, joined to a careful in
spection and comparison of past publications,
I give, in the annexed table, the probable
amount of ecclesiastical property for the
present year, and for several future years.
The aggregate annual incomes of thei two %
Archiepiscopal, and twenty-four Episcopal { #90000
sees, exclusive of any livings, or other pre- f '
ferment, held in commendam  )
Those of the 25 corporate bodies, styled Deans \
and Chapters, with those of the eight other \ 200,000
Deans not having jurisdiction in Dioceses • • j

142
Those of the parochial Clergy ; being the aggre- ¦>.
gate of the incomes of 5,098 rectories, 3,687 M
vicarages, (all of which were originally in-f
eluded in the valuation of Henry 8.) and of/ 2,000,000
1864 Churches, neither rectorial nor vicarial, V
and never in charge in the King's books- ••• J

Whole income of the English Church establish- ^ £2,290,000"
ment  ¦ 

In a question involving millions, I have not
affected the silly pedantry of arriving at cer
tainty, by giving odd hundreds; but have
stated the sums, in what I believe to be, the
nearest whole numbers.
Let us first consider among how many per
sons these sums are actually divided ; and,
then, what would be the stipend of each
Clergyman, supposing that most absurd pro
posal of equalization, to be adopted.
As the poorer bishopricks, have always
some other valuable preferment annexed to
them, to enable their possessors to maintain
the necessary dignity of their stations, I shall
suppose the 90,000/. to be solely enjoyed by
the twenty-six spiritual peers, without farther
sub-divisions. It is not so, however, with the next class.
Inclusive of clerical members of all ranks and
5

143
denominations, attached lo Ihe cathedral
and collegiate Churches ; and a much more
numerous train of lay-otficers, in the quality
of organists, choristers, &c. &c. the number
of persons who participate in the esti
mated sum of 200,000/. cannot be less than
1,800. With respect to the third class, the beneficed
parochial Clergy, it amounts to about 9,500
persons ; but as many of these, either from
ill health or the extent of their parishes, are
unequal lo discharge their duties without the
assistance of Curates, an addition of 3,500
must be made to the number on this account.
The 2,000,000/. will then be divided, with
very great inequality, I acknowledge, among
no fewer than 13,000 persons. The whole
number of Clergymen, of all ranks, officiating
regularly at this time in England, is about
14,000 \ The collective sum for the support of
the whole of the establishment I have stated at
• This does not include those, who although ordained,
do not serve Churches; nor those who officiate in the
private chapels of noblemen, in those of the metropolis and
elsewhere : reckoning these, the whole number of established
Clergy in England, is upwards of 15,000.

144
2,290,000/. Upon the levelling principle,
this distributed equally, -would give an in
come, to each Clergyman, of rather more than
160/. a year.
It appears to me that an equalization of
Church property is so utterly irreconcileable,
with the nature of our constitution, society,
and manners, that many arguments are un
necessary to expose the absurdity of siich a
proposal. The argumentum "ad crumenam,"
however, must be understood by all. I ask
then any man of the least observation, who
knows the necessary expences of an univer
sity education, and the protracted period of
ordination ; who considers the nature of a
Clergyman's life, which renders marriage
almost imperious upon him ; who goes on to
consider the charges of a family, with all the
ramifications of their maintenance, apparel,
and education ; and who, lastly, considers the
state of that family upon the father's death ;
to tell me whether 160/. a year is a sufficient
inducement to lead respectable men to ordi
nation ; or, to maintain them and their fa
milies, with respectability, after ordination ?
We cannot contemplate such a distribution
6

145
for an instant, without being struck with its
absurdity. The Church would not be the Church upon
such a supposition. All those gentlemanly,
honourable feelings, which, under the guid
ance of the Christian religion, now produce
such happy effects upon society, must entirely
disappear. The profession must be wholly
degraded, must fall a prey to the frantic en
thusiasm of some, the low and sordid interests
of others, and to the ignorance of all. Its
influence upon the higher, and middling
classes would altogether vanish ; and gra
dually, as it became filled with half-educated
coarse-bred men, would cease to command
the respect of the people.
Let us now consider the quantity of land
subject to tithes ; and see what would be the
amount of ecclesiastical property, if a full
tenth of the produce was enjoyed, as many
suppose it is, by the Clergy.
It was calculated twenty-two years ago,
that the quantity of land under cultivation in
England was thirty-three millions of acres k ;
k Dr Beeke on the Income Tax, 1800.
L

146
since that time, I should conceive, at least
another million must have been added. The
present quantity under cultivation, I compute,
therefore, at 34,000,000 acres. I am aware
that the great recent reductions in the rent of
land and in the price of all agricultural pro
duce, may furnish no certain criteria upon
which to build a prospective argument. I
am also aware of the very great difference of
opinion which exists as to the exact propor
tion which rent bears to produce, and that
any reasoning deduced from specifying that
proportion may be considered inconclusive;
still, however, due allowances being made to
avoid misleading others, some approxima
tion may be made to the truth.
Mr. Pitt stated in parliament, in the year
1805, that the annual rental of England was
37,000,000/. and calculating the produce as
equal to four times the rent, he estimated the
annual produce of England at 148,000,000/.
Dr. Colquhoun in 1815, estimated the
annual produce of Great Britain and Ireland
at 216,817,624/. Deducting then 53,000,000/.
which Dr. Cove considers the value of pro
duce for Ireland, and 20,000,000/. for that
6

147
in Scotland, we have 143,817,624/. the va
lue of annual produce for the year 1815, a
result nearly coinciding with Mr. Pitt's state
ment in 1805. But at both the periods when
these calculations were made, rent was very
considerably higher than it now is, as was
the price of all agricultural produce. In
many cases, land was then averaged at more
than 25s. per acre, and in all, at above 20s.
I do not suppose the present rental of the
country is more than 30,000,000/. Taking
then four times the rent, as equal to the pro
duce, we have 120,000,000/. asthevalueof the
present annual produce of England. If then,
as many persons suppose, the Clergy enjoyed
a tenth part of the whole produce of the
country, they would possess a revenue of
12,000,000/. But the claim of tithes does not extend over
the whole quantity of land under cultivation.
The tithe-free lands are of two classes —
1st. Those which were formerly in the pos
session of the greater abbies ; not of the
whole number, but of those which at or be
fore the dissolution, by act of 31 Hen. 8.
were discharged of tithes. 2nd. Those lands
l2

148
which are discharged of tithes by the pay
ment of moduses and ancient compositions,
by claims of prescription, by act of Parlia
ment, under bills of enclosure, &c. &c.
Now the first class, in number 187, en
joyed revenues then computed at 108,000/.
per annum. It is supposed, however, that
they were very greatly undervalued. And,
without going to the extent of Bishop Bur
net, I do suppose that the value of these
lands must then have amounted to 150,000/.
Supposing these lands then, to have increased
in the moderate proportion of ten to one,
their present value would be 1,500,000/.
With respect to the amount arising from the
second class of tithe-free lands, it is very dif
ficult to determine with accuracy; its pre
sent value may, however, I think, be com
puted at about 2,000,000/. Subtracting
then, 3,500,000/. the value of the tithe-
free lands, from 30,000,000/. that of the
whole quantity under cultivation, we have
26,500,000/. as the rental, or 106,000,000/.
as the produce, subject to tithes. The share
to the Clergy would therefore, if a tenth
were actually received by them, amount to

149
10,600,000/. I have attempted to shew thet
they do receive 2,000,000/. But even this
revenue, small as it comparatively is, does
not arise solely from tithes, it proceeds from
glebe and augmentation lands, surplice
fees, &c. The value of the augmentation
lands, was proved by Mr. Cove in 1816, to
amount to 100,000/. per annum. And, not
withstanding the fall in the price of produce,
&c. ; their value, from the accumulating na
ture of the fund, must be at least equal to
that sum at the present time. The present
value of the glebe lands and surplice fees,
is about 300,000/. per annum, so that de
ducting 400,000/. from the 2,000,000/. we
have 1,600,000/. solely arising from tithes,
which is not a sixth part of what they would
receive, provided a tenth of the whole tithe-
able produce were taken.
I do not believe that there is any material
error in the foregoing calculations, I am sure
there is none to affect this conclusion ; that
the Clergy in receiving their proportion, ex
emplify the Christian doctrine of " modera-
" tion," and that of endeavouring, " if it be
" possible, to be at peace with all men."

CHAPTER IX.
Comparison of the Revenues of the Clergy with those of
some of the Laity — Comparison of the present Pro
perty of the Church, with that in the Reign of King
Henry IV. — Fatal Effects resulting from an indigent
Church.

 " think, oh grateful think !
" How good the God of Harvest is to you :
" Who pours abundance o'er your flowing fields."
Thomson's Seasons—" Autumn."

Such being the actual income of the Eng
lish Church Establishment, I purpose to com
pare it with the property enjoyed by a few
lay individuals, and to see among how few,
the sum which supports the whole ecclesias
tical body, and which circulates so much
of knowledge, of moral conduct, and religion,
throughout the country, will then be divided.
I shall select a number, equal to that of the
bishops, and other dignitaries, from our
wealthiest peers, baronets, and commoners.
Now there are in this kingdom, 2 arch
bishops, 24 bishops, 32 deans, 60 archdea
cons, and about 600 other cathedral diffnita-
ries. Taking then the property of 2 dukes
at 60,000/. per annum, of 24 of our lords at

151
40,000/. per annum, of 32 of our baronets
and others at 12,000/. per annum, of 60
esquires at 10,000/. per annum, and of 600
other commoners at 1000/. per annum each ;
we have the sum of 2,664,000/. enjoyed by
718 lay individuals. I have shewn that
a less sum than this supports the whole eccle
siastical establishment. The duties and ser
vices of this order of men I have before con
sidered, and if I have succeeded in shewing
that their distributive influence most power
fully and most beneficially affects the com
munity, how I ask, in the sacred names of
humanity, of learning, and of religion, shall
a sum be grudged to this large ecclesiastical
body, whilst a greater is seen with compla
cency, to be enjoyed by a very small portion
of the Laity ? It is not my wish to say, or to
infer any thing in the least derogatory to the
conduct and characters of our nobility and
gentry, nor any things invidious as to the
property they possess. Equality is neither
the law of nature, nor of civil society.
Whilst human beings exist, there must ever
be gradations of situation among them. But
let any one of that, comparatively small,
number I have adduced, who is in the prac
tice of condemning the Clergy as burden-

152
some, or, of despising it as useless to the
community, inform me whether the sum
which maintains a body of 14,000 men,
whose services are various, heavy, and re
sponsible, is not as well applied, as that
which supports this 718 lay persons who
have scarcely any public duties to perform ?
In vain shall I be told that many of the
Clergy neglect their duties, and disgrace
their profession. The very exceptions thus
adduced prove the belief in the general merits
and utility of the ecclesiastical body. But I
will go further, and maintain, that if the
case were reversed, if the bulk of the Clergy
contented themselves with the bare discharge
of their official duties, they have by reason,
by law, by antiquity of title, a stronger claim
to their possessions, than any of the 718 lay
persons can shew to their own.
If antiquity, custom, and law, give any
right lo property, I maintain that tithes are
claimed by the Clergy, by a stronger title
than other property by any class of pro
prietors. The State has not one jot more
claim to, or more jurisdiction over the pos
sessions of the Clergy, than it has to, or over
the possessions of any private individual, or
chartered corporation. If the State makes a

153
positive grant of land or money to any indi
vidual who shall say, that it can, at pleasure,
resume such grant ? The practice of Turkey
may be such, but the laws even in that des
potic country, directly condemn it. The
same argument which I used in comparing the
state and circumstances of the spiritual, with
those of the temporal peers, is here strictly
applicable. Upon the supposition then that
marriage had originally prevailed among the
Clergy, it is clear that if tithes had anciently
been assigned to a number equal to that of
the present incumbents, with an hereditary
right to their legitimate descendants, no pos
sible question could have arisen as to their
exclusive right of enjoyment ; and no pri
vate gentleman would hold his estate upon a
claim comparable, in point of antiquity, to
their's. And surely, because instead of being
hereditary, the succession of the Clergy may
be termed elective ; because many arduous du
ties are imposed upon, many high qualifica
tions required of, each succeeding incumbent,
his claim to the rights of his predecessors ought
to be strengthened, rather than invalidated;
If any stupid first-born son is, without the
smallest objection, allowed to enter on the
possessions of his forefathers, discharging no

154
duties beyond the obligation of the laws;
what on earth, I demand, can vitiate the
claim of the Clergy, who, to a much more
ancient title, add the high qualifications of
humanity, industry, and learning ? Is pro
perty, is power only objectionable when in
the hands of sensible, well-educated men?
and shall I be told that the present pos*
sessions of the Church, would be much more
properly bestowed upon the squire or the
farmer? Such assertions would be mon
strous ! Yet it is upon the strength of such
assertions that many would rob the Clergy
of their ancient, chartered, and repeatedly
established rights.
I know not whether the vague notion,
that the modern Clergy are by no means so
charitable as those formerly under the papal
dominion ; or the still wilder notion, that as
the Clergy once, in great measure, supported
the poor, so they should now, deserve much
attention. They are however prevalent no
tions, and it may be well to expose their
absurdity. If ever that homely proverb,
" charity begins at home," can be applied
with propriety, it is in the case of the Clergy.
As a balance to much deprivation, they were
invited by the Reformation to marry. Since

155
that epoch, the greater part of them have
become husbands and fathers of families.
Themselves possessing the education, and
unfortunately, in some respects, the feelings, of
gentlemen, it is natural that they should
wish to bestow a good education upon their
children. Their sons must be left to depend
on industry and exertion for support, but
they will struggle hard to make some pro
vision for their daughters. I say nothing of
the occasional indulgence in any of the in
nocent relaxations of the age, in which,
however, as human beings, constituted like
the rest of their species, they may sometimes
be desirous of partaking; I speak of expe
dient, of necessary expences, and when these
are incurred, I ask how is the luxury of
doing good to be maintained ? How is it
possible that men whose whole average de
pendance is an annuity of one, or two, or
three, or even 400/. to be frequent in their
largess to the poor? It is utterly prepos
terous to expect it ; and the charge against
the Clergy of want of charity, is itself the
most uncharitable that can be conceived.
Wealth and poverty are comparative terms;
in applying them to the Clergy we are not,
however, to draw a positive comparison be-

156
tween the comforts, the accommodations
now, and those formerly enjoyed by the
Clergy ; but to compare the property of the
Clergy and Laity in former ages, with that
enjoyed by both classes at the present day.
To prove then how totally mistaken those
persons are wno suppose the present condi
tion of the Church to be more affluent than
it anciently was, I shall adduce from a re
cent pamphlet l, the very passage the author
has selected in defence of his opinion, that
the modern Clergy should support the poor.
" In the year 1410, 11 Hen. 4. the Commons
" House of Parliament presented an address
" to the King, stating, ' That the temporal
" possessions, lands, and revenues of the
" Clergy were lewdly spent, consumed, and
" wasted by the bishops, abbots, and priors
" of the realm ; which, if they were well
" managed, would maintain 150 earls, 1,500
" knights, 6,200 esquires, and 100 hospitals
" more than are now at present; by which
" means, the nation would be better provided
" for, the poor better maintained, and the
" Clergy would be more humble and pious.' "
It is amazing that any one desirous of proving
1 Letter addressed to Mr. Scarlett, &c. &c. 1822, by Unus
Populi.

157
the duty of the present Clergy to maintain
the poor, should bring forward such a histo
rical quotation, as an auxiliary argument.
I have shewn how small a number of noble
men and commoners, enjoy a property more
than equal to the whole ecclesiastical reve
nues. I now intreat every reader to go over
the ground again with me. In the year
1410, we are told, that the possessions of the
Clergy were such, that " if prudently ma-
" naged, they would support 150 earls, 1,500
" knights, 6,200 esquires, and 100 hospitals."
Supposing it possible that such a charge
could be brought forward at the present
day, let us see to what sum it would amount.
I shall take an extremely low estimate of
the wealth possessed by the nobility, gentry,
&c. of this age. Taking then 150 earls at a
yearly income of 5,000/., those corresponding
to the 1,500 knights, at 2,000/. per annum;
the 6,200 esquires, at 800/. per annum ; and
the 100 hospitals at an annual endowment
of 500/. each, we have an amount of
8,760,000/. I have purposely undervalued
the property of the several classes; but even
at such valuation, what man would be

158
so rash as to state this as the present property
of the Church ?
. Without allowing that it ever was the duty or
the practice of the Clergy, exclusively to sup
port the poor ; 1 will yet grant that their dona
tions and disbursements were much greater
than those of the modern Clergy. But
whence were these ancient donations and
disbursements drawn ? In those periods the
Church possessed exclusively the 3845 im
propriations, two thirds of which are now in
the hands of the Laity m. In those periods the
revenues of the subsequently suppressed re-
m " It is now too late to undo what was done at the Re-
" formation in this matter. The property has for 300 years
" passed into circulation — is become family inheritance —
" possessed by as good a title, and as safe a conscience, as
" other family inheritance ; but when I observe, that it is to
" be lamented, that a better provision was not at that time,
«' made out of these revenues, for the support of the national
" religion, I say no more than what is supported by high au-
" thority, particularly by that of a person who was a great
" favourite and ornament of this House, and no partial friend
** to ecclesiastical claims — Mr. Selden ; and by that of ano-
" ther person of still more elevated character, the ornament
" of his age and country ! whose voice, when not perverted
" by passions or interests of his own, was the voice of rea-
" son and philosophy itself !— the great Lord Bacon." 
Speech of Sir W. Scott, April 7, 1802, p. 32.

159
ligious establishments, equal, at least, to a
twentieth part of the national landed income,
was in the hands of the Clergy. In those
periods almost all the lands now exempt
from tithes by whatever cause, were in the
possession of ecclesiastics. Stript and plun
dered as the Church has been, it only amazes
me that she can yet perform so many chari
table actions ; that she can devote, out of
her pittance, such sums in benevolence.
I have endeavoured to shew the fatal
effects which would attend an equalization
of property in the Church, let us go on to con
sider what would be the consequence of a
reduction of its present income. Luxury,
meaning by that term an indulgence in high
food, rich wines, pompous furniture, large
idle household establishments, equipages, and
horses, have been, I think, carried much too
far in this country.
The term luxurious, when applied to any
class of people, conveys a reproach ; a dis
gusting one, I think, when applied to the
Clergy. Let it be remembered, however,
that the division of labour, and the great im
provement of every description of manufac-

160
ture, have converted many things which
were formerly esteemed luxuries, into com
mon and familar use. What was formerly
the luxurious ornament of a king's palace, is
now the common appendage of the labour
er's cottage. If the Clergy could not in
some measure keep pace with the general
system of accommodations which the last
century has universally introduced ; if whilst
all other descriptions of men have increased
the circle of their comforts, have established
themselves in more commodious dwellings,
adopted a superior fare and apparel to those
in use among their forefathers ; the clergy
man alone, is expected to present the squalid
appearance of poverty, of " lean and sallow
" abstinence;" the very end and aim of his
profession would be defeated. Instead of
commanding respect, he would excite con
tempt, or provoke derision.
If the poverty of a clergyman compelled
him to adopt mean and ungenerous savings,
and, above all, if he were unable to perform
any acts of charity and hospitality, he would
become in most cases, a cypher, in many, an
object of disgust and aversion. Nor is this

161
all. We must enter a little into the feelings
of a class of men so reduced. Of men re
duced to abandon society, to forego most of
the comforts of life and many of its necessa
ries ; to consign their children to remediless
ignorance, and even then with all their en
deavours, to be unable to avoid debt ; to have
continually in imagination or reality the
awful creditor before them — ¦¦
" With thundering voice, and threatening mien :
" And screaming horror's funeral cry,
" Despair and fell disease, with ghastly poverty."
It would be painful to proceed.
Such a state of things could not, however,
continue. The bow, when bent beyond a
certain point, defeats the object of the archer,
and is snapt asunder. A profession reduced
to the state I have mentioned, would quickly
be deserted. Its vacancies would cease to
be filled by respectable persons; it would
gradually fall into low hands; its members
becoming men of mean, and at last of no
education, could not command attention, and,
in the course of time, the order would dis
appear. To this conclusion, I apprehend, two ob-
M

162
Jections may be made. The first, interro
gatively, thus ; How happens it if a certain
competence be necessary to maintain an
established Church, that the dissenting and
independent congregations are supplied with
preachers, whose allowances are uncertain
and extremely moderate ? The other objec
tion may come in the shape of an appeal
to the Church of Scotland.
With respect to the first objection, I would
beg to state, that the very idea of a Church
establishment implies, a class of men edu
cated for, and afterwards restricted to, the
exercise of their profession. I have never
meant to say, that reduce the salaries of the
Church ever so low, and allow men to fol
low profitable secular pursuits during six
days of the week, that you would not find
some persons ready to officiate on the Sab
bath. But would these be ,the men
" To point to brighter worlds, and lead the way ?"
Would they be the men to command the
respect of a mixed congregation, a necessary
preliminary I conceive, to instructing and
improving them ? Yes, it may be said, they

163
would be very competent to these purposes :
for did not the apostles themselves labour
in various secular pursuits ? and whose ex
ample can we more worthily follow ? Now
it is this very kind of answer which con
vinces me that such guides are not only
blind, but most rash and presumptuous. It
is this groveling adherence to the letter of
the Scriptures, which convinces me that such
teachers, by utterly mistaking its general
scope and tenor, might do infinite harm.
Could such men declaim against spi
ritual pride, what a powerful comment
upon their text, would their own vanity
afford, which induces them to compare
themselves to inspired apostles! The first
teachers of religion were inspired men ; their
lives, their deaths, their doctrine, their exam
ple, their sufferings, and their escapes, were
attended and confirmed by repeated mira
cles. These miracles have ceased with them,
and the most frantic enthusiasm cannot now
calculate upon their revival in its favour.
The substitute for these miraculous assist
ances, in promoting the knowledge of the
Scriptures, is now, I apprehend, a sound
m2

164
education. None, without this, is qualified
to instruct his fellow-creatures.
"Without an. order of Clergy educated
" for the purpose, and led to the prosecution
" of these studies, by the habits, the leisure,
" and the object of their vocation, it may
" well be questioned whether the learning
" itself would not have been lost, by which
" the records of our faith are interpreted and
" defended. We contend, therefore, that an
" order of Clergy is necessary to perpetuate
" the evidence of revelation, and to inter-
" pret the obscurities of those ancient wri-
" tings, in which the religion is contained.
" But, beside this, which forms, no doubt,
" one design of their institution, the mere
" ordinary offices of public teaching, and of
" conducting public worship, call for quali-
" fications not usually to be met with amidst
" the employments of civil life. It has been
"acknowledged by some, who cannot be
" suspected of making unnecessary conces-
" sions in favour of establishments, ' to be
" barely possible, that a person who was
"never educated for the office, should acquit
" himself with decency, as a public teacher

165
l< of religion.' And that surely must be a
" very defective policy which trusts to possi-
" bilities for success, when provision is to be
" made for regular and general instruction.
" Little objection to this argument can be
" drawn from the example of the Quakers,
" who, it may be said, furnish an experi-
" mental proof, that the worship and pro-
" fession of Christianity may be upheld with-
" out a separate Clergy. These sectaries
"every where subsist in conjunction with a
" regular establishment. They have access
" to the writings, they profit by the labours
" of the Clergy, in common with other
" Christians. They participate in that ge-
" neral diffusion of religious knowledge,
" which the constant teaching of a more re-
" gular ministry keeps up in the country j
" with such aids, and under such circum-
" stances, the defects of a plan may not be
" much felt, although the plan itself be alto-
" gether unfit for general imitation n."
If no man dare establish himself in the
meanest mechanical trade, without a long
"Paley's Moral Philosophy; chapter on Religious Estab
lishments.

166
previous initiation into, and practice of it;
shall persons, with scarcely more than a
knowledge of the alphabet, presume to ex
pound that volume which contains the word,
and, in many places, the hidden word, of
God ? The absurdity is too glaring and too
disgusting for farther exposure.
With respect to the second objection,
founded on an appeal to the Church of
Scotland ; it can now only originate in gross
ignorance or misrepresentation. Whatever
may have been the decayed state of the Kirk
of Scotland some years ago, and whatever
injurious consequences might and did attend
that decay, it is now, in proportion to its
numbers, in a more affluent state than the
Church of England. I speak from the most
correct information when I state that, con
sidering the lower price of provisions in
Scotland, the actual stipend, the manses, and
glebes attached to the Kirk of Scotland, the
ministers of that Church now possess a higher
average income than the English Clergy "*
0 The poorer livings in Scotland, calculated at a fifth of
the whole number, have received a most considerable aug
mentation by a parliamentary grant of 10,000/. per annum,
1

167
It will be now proper to speak briefly of the
necessary expences preparatory to ordination.
Dr. Adam Smith, with whom originated the
invidious parallel between the churches of
England and Scotland, tells us, that, " It has
" been considered of so much importance
" that a proper number of young people
" should be educated for certain professions,
" that sometimes the public, and sometimes
" the piety of private founders have esta-
" blished many pensions, scholarships, exhi-
" bitions, bursaries, &c. for this purpose,
" which draw many more people into those
" trades than could otherwise pretend to
" follow them. In all Christian countries,
" I believe, the education of the greater part
" of churchmen is paid for in this manner.
" Very few of them are educated altogether
" at their own expence p."
He seems to think that the very superior
which took place rather more than 10 years ago. The poorer
livings in England amount to four tenths of the whole num.
ber ; and to put them on a level with those of Scotland, re.
quire, instead of a temporary grant of 100,000/. which has
been made, the permanent annual one of 230,000/,
p Book I. chap. x. p- 202.

168
profits acquired by practitioners in physic, is
very naturally accounted for, by the greater
sums expended on their education. Now
without wishing to sneer at the proverbial
parsimony of his countrymen, I would only
ask any man who has visited and inspected
the great medical university, Edinburgh, and
is also well acquainted with the system pur
sued in Cambridge and Oxford, to tell me
whether the most secluded English sigar or
servitor, from his habits, his appearance, and
his associates, must not necessarily expend a
greater sum than the general class of students
who are perched in the Aeries of the old
town of Edinburgh ; and whether when the
Scotch physician " charioted along" begins
to receive his golden fee for the transient
morning visit, it has cost him so much, as it
has the English curate to enable him to walk
forth in the most hostile atmosphere to per
form the almost gratuitous offices of burial or
baptism? The general respectability of the
clerical profession is one strong incentive with
many to incur the long expensive education
previous to ordination, and to be contented
with the extremely moderate remuneration

169

afterwards allotted to them. I have endea
voured to shew that the nature of our Church
establishment, and the dignity of several of
its appointments, transmit a considerable
share of respectability to the lowest of its of
fices. But this respectability, although it has
not stipend for its basis, is very far from being
entirely independent of it. Perhaps the
Church, of all professions, is the one that
yields the most grateful return for any small
pecuniary assistance of the country. I ap
peal to the very great improvement which
has taken place in the qualifications of the
Clergy, and to the very superior manner in
which they now discharge their duties, as
proofs of the happy effects resulting from the
munificence of the crown a century ago, and
from the recent parliamentary allowances.
And if public encouragement should be
proportioned to merit, if any prospective as
sistance should be measured by the effects
produced by past liberality, I do say, that the
conduct of the Clergy has given them every
right to expect that assistance. If we, on the
contrary, suppose a reduction in the general
revenues of the Church to take place, we

170
should find a speedy deterioration in the
education of her ministers, as the first conse
quence. The expences of education, must
be rewarded in reality or expectation by
something like a return. At the ages of
seventeen, eighteen, or nineteen, students are
generally admitted to our universities ; where,
although many are assisted with bounties in
the shape of scholarships, exhibitions, &c.
by far the greater proportion are supported
at their own private expence. They take
their degrees at the ages of twenty, twenty-
one, or twenty-two years. Whether they do
so a little earlier or later, makes no material
difference. There must necessarily be an
interval of six or seven years from the period
of leaving school to that of their taking Holy
Orders. Supposing that they do this at the
age of twenty-three or twenty-four years, they
are then enabled to hold a curacy of 80 or
100 pounds a year, or, if they possess pa
tronage, to obtain preferment. Whoever
considers all this, will see that a reduction in
the salaries of the Church, and a sufficient
number of well educated men to fill it, could
not co-exist. " The whole provision of the

171
" Church is as low as it can be, unless the
" State will be contented with a beggarly
" and illiterate Clergy, too mean and con-
" temptible to do any good either by pre-
" cept or example ; unless it will condescend
" to have taylors and cobblers for its pastors
" and teachers^." Such professors might,
indeed, abundantly be supplied upon almost
any terms, and if the object were to make
religion disgusting, it were well to appoint
them. " While crouds unlearn'd, with rude devotion warm,
*' About the sacred viands buz and swarm,
" The fly-blown tent creates a crawling brood
" And turns to maggots, what was meant for food ;
" A thousand daily sects rise up and die,
" A thousand more the perished race supply '.
Dryden's Religio Laid.
i Bishop Watson's Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury,
* The remark of Panormitan was * Ad tenuitatem benefi-
ciorum, necessario sequitur ignorantia sacerdotum.'

CHAPTER X.
Tithes as affecting Agriculture — No Commutation ought
to take place.

" Mi crederai crudele
" Dirai che fiero io sia,
" Ma guidice fidele
" Sempre il dolor non &.
" M'affliggono i tuoi pianti ;
" Ma non 6 colpa mia
" Se quel, che giova a tanti
" Solo e danuoso a te.
Metastasio's Atilio Regolo.

It would exceed the limits, and indeed the
nature and intention of this essay, were I
to enter into a regular investigation of the
effects produced by tithes upon the agricul
ture of the country. Before, however, I bring
it to a conclusion, I cannot refrain from ex
pressing my decided opinion that no subject
has been more grossly misunderstood, nor
more perversely misrepresented. Almost every

173
obstacle, of however opposite a description,
almost every variation in the price of produce,
has, at one time or other, been ascribed to
the operation of tithes \ That heterogeneous
and disjointed production, " The Annals of
" Agriculture" contains many of these vague
and indefinable charges. Mistaking head
long assertion, for political courage, and hos
tility to one class, for friendship to the com
munity, it long cried out against the hard
ships imposed upon the farmer by the pay
ment of tithes. It went farther, and dared to
say that the time was not distant, when the
unanimous voice of England will refuse to
a When the price of corn was at its height, the common
cant mode of accounting for it, was " tithes." The present
wonderful depreciation in corn, &c. has been referred by
many farmers, to the same cause. This senseless jargon of
the antithists, reminds one of the mutinous citizens in Shakes
peare's Coriolanus, who will have it that his existence is the
sole cause of the scarcity of bread.
1st. Citz. First you know, Caius Marcius is the chief
enemy of the people.
All. We know it, we know it.
1st. Citz. Let us kill him, and we'll have corn at our own
price. Is't a verdict ]
All. No more talking on't, let it be done ! Away ! Away !

174
discharge them. When that day arrives, i9
there, I ask, in the names of every thing
sacred, venerable or lawful, is there any sort
of property secure ? What nobleman, what
gentleman, what yeoman, shall beunassaulted
by that species of logic, which would de
prive him of his possessions under the plea of
rendering them more advantageous to the
community ? If tithes occasion obstacles to
the productions of the earth, or the increase
of its inhabitants, are there not many other
causes much more powerfully affecting both ?
Let me illustrate my meaning by a homely
appeal to men in each gradation of society.
Upon the same reasoning that tithes would
be attacked, why may not the nobleman of
great landed possessions be told, that if his
estates were parcelled out into many minute
divisions, a much greater quantity of corn
might be raised, a much greater number of
human beings enabled to subsist ? That if he
would but consent to reduce his establish
ment, and simplify his fare, he could afford
to let his land at a very considerable abate
ment ? The private country gentleman, with

175
the same reason may be told, that if he would
but consent to substitute for wine, the nutri
tious beverage ale, if he would but cloathe
himself in a coarser apparel, and adopt some
other similar retrenchments, his tenants also
might thrive. The yeoman might even be
upbraided by his sub-tenant, with superfluity
in his expenditure; might be told that the
gloss of his Sunday hat was a reproach to
him as a landlord, and that a saving in the
vehicle which conveyed him to market,
would enable him to repair the cottage of his
tenant, and remit some portion of his rent,
Every man, taken from the unsifted mass of
the community, must now see the utter ab
surdity of such reasoning. They must see it,
because the occurrences of each day teach
them that human society and human nature
would not admit of such a levelling appli
cation. Why then are the claims of the
Clergy to be made an exception ? Only
because the selfish think they are more de*
tached from the community than other
classes, and therefore that they are to be
assaulted with greater impunity. To me it

176
has never appeared that the operation of
tithes, has been any impediment to the inte
rests of agriculture b. It may, perhaps, in
some cases ha ve checked the enclosure of waste
lands, but the advantages arising from a very
extended cultivation appear to be question
able. If it can with certainty be proved,
that tithes have prevented the present quan
tity of land under cultivation, from receiving
the necessary improvements of labour, ma
nure, and general attention ; if it also can be
b " It is true estates are not as beneficial to the possessor, as
" if there were no tithes ; so neither are farms as beneficial to
" tenants, as if there were no rents, and no right to turn them
" out. But as this is no reason why landlords should be de-
" prived of. their rents ; so neither is it a reason why the
" Clergy should be deprived of their tithes." Dr. Belward's
Defence of the Right to Tithes, on Principles of Equity.
This reasoning is strictly applicable, and a reference to
history will prove its truth. It is curious, indeed, to observe,
how nearly the pretexts of hypocrisy and avarice may resem
ble each other. As the last would now attack tithes, so the
first once objected to the payment of rents. Hume tells us
that, during Cromwell's protectorate, the doctrine was pretty
common, that it was unworthy of a Christian man, to pay
rent to his fellow-creatures ; and the landlords were obliged
to use all the penalties of the law against those tenants whose
consciences were scrupulous,— Hume, Note F. Vol. x.

177
shewn that the stubborn avarice of the Clergy,
in refusing a moderate compensation for a
certain number of years, has been a serious
impediment to the culture of wastes; and,
above all, if it can be proved that the general
interests of agriculture have within the last
fifty years, receded, I will acknowledge that
a parliamentary investigation is necessary,
and that a general commutation of tithes may
be expedient. But even allowing these facts
to be proved, I would still exhort my eccle
siastical brethren, and all who value the dig
nity and stability of the profession, to pause
most deliberately before they consent to alie
nate and exchange rights, the most antient,
the most universal, the most legitimate in the
world. Let them, even then, pause before
they consent to accept a degrading pensionary
establishment, or lend themselves to any com
promise of character or station, by receiving
a substitute, which would reduce them to be
mere tillers of the earth. But the case I have
supposed, is imaginary. It is impossible to
look around one, in any part of England,
without being convinced, that so far from re
ceding, the progress of agriculture has been
N

178'
prodigious t. That so far from there having
been any remissness or languor in the work
of enclosure, the attempt has been extended
with heedless ardour to soils almost incapable
of improvement. That the farmers have been
of the race of Antaeus — giants, acquiring their
strength from the elastic touch of the earth ;
and then (to continue the comparison) be
coming wanton with success, have supposed
that the Herculean power of the world was
to confess their ascendancy, That agricul
ture has been most powerfully affected by
recent occurrences, that the plough may, in
consequence, partially stand still* must be
allowed and lamented. But is a temporary,
or even a permanent inconvenience to one
c 1 give from Mr. Cove an extract from the Report of a Com
mittee of the House of Commons in 1814, as corroborative of
my own opinion. " Within the last twenty years a very
" rapid and extensive progress has been made in agriculture ;
" great additional capitals have been skilfully and success-
" fully applied not only to the improved management of
" lands already in tillage, but also to the converting of large
" tracts of inferior pasture into productive arable land ; and
" of late the export from Great Britain and Ireland has nearly,
" if not fully balanced the importation."

179
class of men, to be the cause of injustice to
another ? Another, which for centuries, when
the farmers of the country were considered
scarcely superior to the clod they turned, or
the cattle they drove, have been eminent and
illustrious in almost every portion of theglobed.
d I should be the last to contend for the propriety of al
lowing clergymen in thjs age to possess or exert any great po
litical power. They certainly, however, did once eminently
possess it. In early times we shall find that ecclesiastics
have frequently been conversant in the affairs of kingdoms.
Lactantius, whom Gibbon says, has adorned the precepts of
the Gospel with the eloquence of Cicero ; and Eusebius who
has consecrated the learning and philosophy of Greece to the
service of religion were both received into the friendship and
councils of Constantine. —Gibbon, Vol. III. chap. xx.
The political power once exercised by the Clergy in this
country will be seen from the fact, that ecclesiastical synods
sometimes decided upon the temporal constitution of the
state. At Calcluith (a place now unknown) a council sum
moned by the Pope's legates enacted that none but legitimate
princes should be raised to the throne. And the canons were
confirmed by the signature of the kings of Mercia and Nor
thumberland, and a great proportion of the nobility. See
Hallam's State of Europe, Vol. II. chap. vii.
The great power of, and the great abuse of that power by,
Wolsey in a subsequent age, is too well known to be dwelt
upon here. With respect to agriculture, Adam Smith has
shewn the immense improvement in the condition of modern
farmers over those in former times, and in other countries.
Wealth of Nations, Book. III. chap. ii.
N 2

180
Those who entered upon farms ten or twelve
years ago may be compared to merchants.
Their venture was a great speculation ; it
succeeded for some time. But the causes of
that success were unnaturally stretched, and
the collapse has been most violent. They
have suffered, and their sufferings are to be
lamented. So likewise are those of the mer
chant, who, miscalculating the supply of any
foreign or domestic market is ruined by the
incumbrance of his unsold cargoes. So like
wise are those of the merchant who is de
prived of half his vessels by the violence of
the tempest. But these last are every day
occurrences, and no one stops to bemoan
them. The poor merchant is left to repair
his " rates quassas," to embark again in spe
culation, or, " pauperiem pati." No one can
be more thoroughly convinced than myself, of
the importance of agriculture to the welfare
of all classes of the English community. But
the conviction of that importance may carry,
and has carried men too far. The farmers
supposing their individual interests identified
with those of the country, have plunged into
expences wholly beyond their means and

181
utterly inconsistent with their occupation.
They went on in a giddy sort of expenditure
without appearing to think a change of con
dition possible; and now that change has
taken place, they seem to consider themselves
the only legitimate objects of public commi
seration and assistance.
I wish not to say any thing harsh, I wish
not to involve the whole class of farmers in
one sweeping condemnation, for numbers of
most prudent, most industrious, and most
honourable men are amongst them ; but I
must say, that the farming scheme has been
carried so far during the last five and twenty
years, that it appears to resemble, in many of
its features, the notorious South Sea scheme
of 100 years ago. I allude merely to the
self-delusion which existed, to the disappoint
ment and loss which has ensued ; any farther
comparison would be most inapplicable and
unjust. That the farmers will, for years,
severely feel the depression of the market
prices of produce, is, I fear, too certain to be
disputed. What then is to be the remedy ?
I know of none which will not demand a

182
long, patient, and painful endurance. A
degree of forbearance towards them, on
the part of the community, and a great
degree of exertion on their own, will, I
trust, enable the present proprietors to re
tain their farms, and the present tenants to
cultivate them. If not, however harsh the
truth may sound, the lands must necessarily
be transferred to others, who can, and will,
afford to accommodate themselves to the ex
pences and profits of cultivation. The higher
orders of land proprietors must set the ex
ample, and the most rigid economy must be
adopted. I have given it as my decided opinion that
no legislative interference as to tithes is neces
sary or expedient. A commutation in money,
by corn rent, or in land, would injure, not per
haps the interests of the existing Clergy, but
the future stability of the Church. If the
Clergy once consent to give up their charters,
I know not where the spirit of innovation may
be arrested. Under the plea of public con
venience and necessity, pleas which have been
advanced for almost every proposed alter
ation, they may endanger and forfeit their

183
firmest privileges. " What the law respects,
" should be sacred to all. If the barriers of
" law should be broken down, upon ideas of
" convenience, even of public convenience,
" we shall have no longer any thing certain
" among us. If the discretion of power is
" once let loose upon property, we can be at
" no loss to determine whose power, and
" what discretion it is that will prevail at
" last. It would be wise to attend upon the
" order of things; and not to attempt to
" outrun the slow but smooth and even
** course of nature. There are occasions, I
" admit, of public necessity, so vast, so clear,
" so evident, that they supersede all law.
" Law being only made for the benefit of
" the community, cannot in any one of its
" parts resist a demand which may compre-
" hend the total of the public interest. To
" be sure, no law can set itself up against the
" cause and reason of all law. But such a
" case but rarely happens; and this most
" certainly is not such a case."  " At any
" rate it is better, if possible, to reconcile our
" economy with our laws, than to set them
" at variance ; a quarrel which in the end

184
" must be destructive to both e." The present
Clergy are trustees of the rights of the pro
fession, and it is their bounden duty to trans
mit these rights to their successors uninjured
and unimpaired. I appeal to them then, in
the sacred character of guardians — to beware
how they suffer the legal tenure by which
they, and the future members of the profes
sion, must claim their maintenance, to be
shaken or exchanged : to beware how they
consent that the firm pillar which has stood
the shock of ages, be exchanged for any un
tried prop, which the future statesman may
think himself warranted to remove and the
innovator may regard as merely preparatory
to removal.
" Remember, O my friends ! the laws, the rights,
" The generous plan of power delivered down
" From age to age, by your renowned forefathers
*' (So dearly bought, the price of so much blood :)
" Oh ! let it never perish in your hands !
" But piously transmit it to your children." Addison's Cato. '
c Burke's Speech on Economical Reform.

CHAPTER XI.
The Church claims a filial Gratitude from the Country
—Appeal to those who are unfriendly to a Church
Establishment — Conclusion.

" There was an ancient house not far away
" Renown'd throughout the world for sacred lore,
" And pure unspotted life ; so well they say
" It govern'd was, and guided evermore
" Through wisdom of a matron grave and hore,
" Whose only joy was to relieve the needs
" Of wretched souls, and help the helpless poor.
" All night she spent in telling of her beads,
" And all the day in doing good and goodly deeds.
" Dame C'aelia men did her call, as thought
" From Heav'n to come, or thither to arise,
" The mother of three daughters well up-brought
" In goodly thews, and godly exercise ;
" The eldest two, most sober chaste and wise,
" Fidelia and Speranza, virgins were
" Tho' spous'd, yet wanting wedlock's solemnize
" But fair Charissa to a lovely peer
" Was linked, and by him had many pledges dear."
Spencer's Faery Queen, Canto X. B. 1.

The above beautiful allegory is descrip
tive of religion, and with a few exceptions
which the unaffected good sense of the pro
fession has introduced, by substituting active

186
benevolence for unmeaning ceremonies, it
well describes, I think, that spirit which ac
tuates the members of the Church of England.
I know not whether our " antient bouse be
still more renowned for sacred lore" than in
former times, but, with confidence, I may say
that " the pure unspotted life" was never
more applicable. It is not my wish by any
inflated comparison, to magnify the claims
of the Church to the respect and grati
tude of the country, nor to aggravate the of
fence of those who having been bred up in
her bosom, afterwards employ their strength
to injure or destroy her ; yet do I think that
without being charged with narrow pedantry
or affectation, I may continue Spencer's al
legory and consider the Church in the capa
city of a parent. I think I may consider the
Church as claiming that sort of reverence
from the country, which is due from a son to
a parent, who has taken every pains with
his early education.
The homage, the affection of child to pa
rent is the law of nature and of God, and is
universally due ; it is more especially due from
that son who by the tender care of the mother

187
has laid the foundation of a healthy tempe
rament of body, and of a strong and vigorous
understanding. Should we then not call that
son most brutal, who employed those powers of
body and those improved faculties of mind to
the annoyance and discomfort of his mother?
— the laws, the customs of the world unite to
brand such a wretch as unnatural, and to
hold him up to detestation.
" Ingratitude ! thou marble-hearted fiend
" More hideous, when thou shews't thee in a child
" Than the sea monster.''
Whatever may have been the supersti
tion, the errors, the vices of the Clergy in
former times, they kept alive and cherished,
almost exclusively, those sparks of under
standing which the country afforded. From
their lamp the flame of knowledge, which
has since burned so brightly, was originally
borrowed. In the most barbarous periods
they softened the passions of contending
parties, and mitigated evils, which no human
policy could then suppress. Such offices were
parental. Have they degenerated ? In the
name of the profession I confidently assert
7

188
that they have not. To remove the poverty
of the indigent, the happy privilege of their
affluent predecessors, is now in a great mea
sure beyond their power ; to defend and suc
cour the oppressed, was once the illustrious
office of a mighty Clergy ; they no longer
possess it. But although their sphere has
been contracted, it is still governed by the sun
of benevolence. Their beneficence has been
narrowed, but their charity is the same.
Their resources have been straitened, but
their hearts are as warm. To whom in case
of mental uneasiness, requiring calm and rea
sonable advice, do the relatives of the afflicted
person usually apply?— To the Clergyman
of the parish. Of whom does the sick man
first bethink himself, when he requires any
of the comforts of diet or raiment which are
beyond his own ability to procure ? — Of the
Clergyman of the parish. And when stretched
out in hopeless agony, to whom does he send
for spiritual consolation ? — To the Clergyman
of the parish. Again, I say, such offices are
parental. No, it may be replied, ' you are
¦' a prejudiced advocate. The Church of
' Rome, instead of directing its votaries to

189
' the knowledge of the one true God, de-
' luded them into idolatry. But whatever
' superstition taught our forefathers to re-
f ceive implicitly, reason now teaches us to
' reject. Your Church still abounds with
e unreasonable and mysterious doctrines — we
' want neither your establishment, nor the
c religion it inculcate.' Although I believe
it to be evident, that reason does not dictate
the arrogant language which her pretended
votaries so frequently employ ; although I
think that he who presumptuously adheres to
his own opinions, must clearly be charged
with grosser prejudice than those who reve
rence and adopt the sentiments and practice
of the wise and the good of former ages ; it
may be proper to consider these and other
objections with discriminating care, and
prove that those who advance them, are the
only deserters of reason, the only victims of
prejudice. Is it reasonable, then I ask, in
objecting to any religious establishment, to
forget the plain, simple, intelligible doctrines
which it every where inculcates, and to at
tack those which are wholly beyond the ex
tent of reason ? To endeavour with heedless

190
presumption to pass that point, beyond which
the human understanding cannot penetrate,
and then, to charge religion with irration
ality, because all is doubt, perplexity, and
darkness ?
To such reasoning was the illustrious
Bacon a stranger. He went on developing
some, of the most wondrous of nature's arcana,
and forcing to the stubborn test of experience,
the delusive though specious theories of his
predecessors. But he knew where to stop ; he
presumed not to put the pure gold of Chris
tianity into the crucible of metaphysics, nor
to gauge with his finite understanding, the
infinite decrees of Providence. Such rea
soning, such natural principles, had no weight
with that " high priest of nature," Newton,
on the contrary, it was by modestly confining
his mighty mind to the proper objects of re
search, that he was enabled to demolish, one
of the most ingenious visionary structures,
that fancy has reared and adorned, or con
jecture defended. Such reasoning never vi
sited the mind of Locke. Not all the triumph
of a successful investigation of some of the
most intricate operations of the human under-

191
standing, ever seduced him to suspect that
his own individual understanding had been
imposed upon in the grand question of re
ligion. The same may be said of Berkeley.
He appears to have been a most humble, ex
cellent person, and gave forth with the
greatest modesty some of the most ingenious
philosophical propositions, the meanest of
which, when afterwards trumpeted with a
louder voice, and a different note, have con
ferred celebrity, on his brazen successors.
The tendency of his doctrines may be danr
gerous, but his intentions were irreproach
able, and his faith in Christianity was un
shaken. These certainly were men endowed
with the best gifts of reason, yet they ac
knowledged that
" Dim as the borrow'd beams of moon and stars
" To lonely, weary, wandering travellers,
" Is reason to the soul ; and as on high
" Those rolling fires discover but the sky,
" Not light us here ; so reason's glimmering ray "
" Was lent, not to assure our doubtful way,
" But lead us upward to a better day."
Dryden's " Religio LaiciJ'
But allowing the great utility and neces
sity of religion, there are some who object

192
to a national establishment, and assert that it
is unreasonable that any should be compelled
to pay for doctrines from which they dissent.
It is answered, that such argument goes to the
subversion of all religious instruction. For
if it were left to the discretion of each sepa
rate individual to contribute towards the
maintenance of that religious teacher whom
he most approved, the sordid motives of
some, and the cold apathy of others, taking
advantage of the option afforded them,
would altogether withhold their assistance.
Whilst the enthusiasm and wild notions of
others, might never be accommodated with
an instructor to their minds. Thus in most
places, the pittance raised by the few whose
sentiments were in unison, would be wholly
inadequate to the decent maintenance of a
religious teacher ; whilst in many, the calm
dignity of religion, would be converted into
the wrangling disputation of contending can
didates, into cringing meanness, or theatrical
allurement. But a charge is made against the whole
establishment, on account of the vices of cer
tain of its professors. Is it reasonable to ex-

193
pect perfect exemption from error in a. class
of men who bear about like others a load of
human infirmities ? and, if it be not found, to
brand the system as useless and burdensome?
Surely a Church establishment may effect
the greatest national good, although some of
its members are neither exemplary Christians,
nor conscientious men \ Let me then intreat
him who would be severe upon the Clergy,
not to measure them by any imaginary stand
ard of perfection, not to weigh them in that
scale, in which every human being will be
found wanting, but to regard their general
value and their general utility.
A harmonious society has been powerfully
compared to a bundle of sticks, the united
strength of which, defies any effort to break
them. May I not liken the Clergy to the liga
ment which keeps the whole bundle together?
Do not the many kind offices which a clergy
man has it in his power to perform, conciliate
most happily the good will and respect of
the lower orders to the higher ? Does not the
weekly assembling of all classes in the offices
a See Paley's Chapter on Religious Establishments, and
Adam Smith, Book V. chap. i. O

194
of divine worship, create a general feeling
of good will, of sympathy, and acquaintance
amongst all. Above every thing, does not the
doctrine inculcated from that sacred place,
tend to produce and strengthen harmony, in
dustry, honesty, and every social virtue? It
does so in every class of the community, and
in a peculiar manner, it does so in the poor.
The present condition of the poor has
employed, and probably will for years em
ploy the attention of our legislators. May
a blessing attend their labours, for they
are manly, humane, and enlightened. They
reflect honour on this highly cultivated
century, they redound more perhaps to our
national glory than the works of all our
poets, and of all our philosophers; inasmuch
as the happiness of the many, is of more
importance than the gratification of indivi
duals, and " as the proper study of mankind
" is man."
But whilst we admire and venerate their
cares, we cannot but admit the melancholy
truth, that no national parliaments can
convert the heart. Quid leges sine moribus
vanae proficiunt ? No political wisdom can

195
legislate for the secret ebullition or the pru
rient passion. No law, however judicious,
can impart discretion to the improvident,
economy to the prodigal, or abstinence to
the profligate. These vices are not to be
quelled by any sudden process, it is the sure
hand of time, directed by the quick, active,
discerning eye of charity, which can be
expected to alleviate or remove them. But
charity must call in religion as her auxiliary,
and that religion to be permanent and bene
ficial, I trust I have shewn, must be an
established one. Here then I advance ano
ther step. Ye who are unfriendly to the
Church, I request your attention. I address
myself not only to your feelings as compas
sionate brethren, as humane and benevolent
men. There are strings in some hearts which
vibrate only to a different touch. The chords
of interest are sometimes those, which are
most powerfully strung — even these must
give response here. Are you householders,
engaged in trade, or in the cultivation of the
land ? Do you suppose that the menial will
not more faithfully discharge his duty, from
imbibing regularly the lessons of Holy Writ?
o2

196
Is it possible that the strong admonitions
every where inculcating honesty, sobriety,
and industry, should not have some effect on
the minds of those, who are to sleep beneath
your roof, to have the care of your property,
or to receive your pay ? Is it possible that
the terrible denunciations against the liar,
the thief, and the drunkard, should not deter
many from excess ? If this be the case, and
certainly upon this head, will, I am con
fident, attend upon enquiry, if this be the
case, then, even in a temporal view, there
is scarcely an individual in the country, who
is not benefited by the Church. From a
regard therefore to the services of that
Church, the parent of so many virtues, and
of so much utility, from reverence to a much
higher parent, even the common Father of
all, from consideration of your own personal
interests and convenience, from the highest,
from the dearest motives, I request you not
to asperse our establishment. If it be essential
to the safety of the community, that there
should prevail among men the belief of one
eternal Being to whom all hearts are open,
all desires known, and. from whom no

197
secrets are hid. If it be of importance
that they should anticipate that day, when
Omniscience shall distinguish, separate, re
ward, and punish, according as their ac
tions have been, good or evil; if such
principles have any effect on the happiness
or welfare of mankind, if they have any ten
dency to encourage the good, to console the
afflicted, or to restrain the wicked, again. I
request you not to asperse our establishment.
Such principles it teaches, such views of the
Supreme Being it presents. Its doctrines
possess evidences of trulh, which are suffiv
cient to convince the candid, neither tainted
by those fatal superstitions which for many
ages prevailed, nor substituting the dreams
of enthusiasm, for the unbending injunctions
of active virtue. They explain, they incul
cate the sublime duties of faith, hope, and
charity ; they define our duty towards man,
and prescribe the reasonable worship of the
heart and the understanding by one spirit,
through one mediator, to one God.
After this appeal to that solemn subject,
which although not new, can never be wea
risome, that subject which is of hourly in-

198
terest, and of universal application, I shall
not weaken my cause by any farther discus
sion. I have concluded my investigation ac
cording to my purposed arrangement. I
have stated the vast benefits conferred on
the country by the Church, even in its state
of unpurified superstition ; I have shewn her
general power and possessions, and dwelt
particularly on those rights which are hal
lowed by divine precedent, consecrated by
immemorial usage, and confirmed by the most
positive charters. I have then considered the
nature and condition of our reformed Church,
its episcopacy, and its subordinate stations ;
the offices and revenues of each and all ;
their positive and their gratuitous duties. I
do hope that I have demonstrated my propo
sitions, 1st. That an established body of
Clergy distributed throughout the country is
essential to the order, civilization, and reli
gious government of the community. 2dly.
That an inequality of rank and stipendiary
allowance is attended with many advantages
not attainable by an equalization of property
among the Clergy. 3dly. That no method
of Church salary attended with the same

199
advantages could be proposed, upon a more
economical system. These, and infinitely
greater points, have I trust been proved.
Let the sneerer refute them. Let the hol
low-hearted infidel hold up particular abuses,
and exult in the imputed infirmities of indi
viduals, as proofs of professional decline ; but
let not the man of argument and information
pretend to say, that the world has at any
time beheld an establishment uniting more
completely the liberal with the severe vir
tues; more learned, humane, and religious,
than the Clergy of the present day.

THE END.

Printed by R. Gilbert, St. John's Square, London.

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OF ORIEL COLLEGE OXFORD,
AND RECTOR OF THE SAID PARISH.

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THE AUTHOR.

SERMON I.

PREACHED ON ADVENT SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 30, I794.

EPHESIANS, C. 5. PART OF V. 27.
A GLORIOUS CHURCH, NOT HAVING SPOT, OR WRINKLE,
OR ANY SUCH THING.
yJN this day, Advent Sunday, commences the
Ecclefiaftical Year, according to the computation
of the Church of England. By referring to your
Prayer-books you will fee that £he feries of Collects,
Epiftles, and Gofpels for each Sunday and Holyday
through the year, as alfo that of Proper Leffons for
the fame, each begin their c©urfe, and as it were
ftart from this day. Herein it is obfervable that
the Church differs from every other account of
time whatfoever. And an ingenious reafon has
been affign'd for this very particular deviation. As
e in

2 SERMON I.
in the Civil year the times are naturally meafur'd
by the courfe, of the Sun in the firmament, whofe
diurnal rotation, to fpeak popularly, metes out day
and night to each quarter of the globe, while his
annual courfe as regularly furnifhes each with the
grateful viciffitudts of feafons, Summer, and Win
ter, Spring and Autumn : fo the Church, in her
diftribution of the Year, is guided by the Sun df
Righteoufnefs, Chrift- Jefus ; previous to the cele
bration of whofe Nativity, which fhe commemo
rates at Chriftmas, fhe has aflign'd four preparatory
weeks to pave the way for the obfervation of that
i
folemn Feftival, and as harbingers to ufher it in
with becoming dignity.
Our Religion is the Religion of Chrift ; our faith
is in Chrift, our hope is in Chrift, our falvation is
through Chrift. But who is Chrift ? and how hath
He atchieved falvation for his faithful fervants ? He
is the fecond Perfon in the ever-bleffed and glorious
Trinity ; the only-begotten Son of God, and Him
felf God, eternal, and uncreate. And He purchafed
pur falvation by dying for our fins, and by rifing
again for our juftification. But He could not have
died, unlefs Pie had been Man, and in order to be
come Man, that the Word might be made Flefh, and

SERMON I. 3
and take human nature upon Him, it was neceffary
that He fliould be born in the world. He was fo ;
and from that aufpicious' day whereon He quitted
the Virgins womb, wherein He had been iinprifoned
during the appointed months, from that bleffed
day of glory to God on high, and of peace on earth,
and good will to men, do we date the firft origin of
Chriftianity. During the long-protracted fpace of
four thoufand years from the creation and fall of
man, the whole bufinefs of the Patriarchs,, of the
Law, and of the Prophets, was to typify and fore
tell this great and momentous event : with the ut-
moft propriety therefore has the Church fet apart
the fpace of four weeks, to prepare our minds for
it's due celebration.
This day therefore, thus diftinguifh'd, appears to
me a proper time for entering upon a plan which
I have long had in contemplation ; which is, to offer
to your ferious confideration a defence and vindica
tion of that moft excellent and truly primitive,
Church, whereof we all are happily members, and
of which Myfelf, however unworthy, have the
honour to be a Minifter, from the invidious cavils
and groundlefs objections of thofe who have evil
will at this our Sion ; who in this age and nation,
r 3 and

4 SERMON I.
and particularly in this neighbourhood, are reftlefs
in their oppofition thereunto, and ceafe not their
endeavours to put men out of conceit with it's
doctrines and fervices, and I muft add, to turn them
afide from the truth, as it is in Jefus. Sincerely
and cordially as I feel myfelf from conviction at-
tach'd; to the Church of England, I could wifh to
inculcate a fimilar, refpect and reverence thereunto
upon thofe who are committed to my charge.
I could wifh that every one, even the moft unlearn
ed and ignorant among my flock, might be enabl'd
to comply with the Apoftle's injunction, ofgiying
to every one that afketh them a reafon of the hope
that is in them j that each might have a ready reply
both to the ferious attacks on our faith and doctrine,
and to the petulant cavils at our fervices and cere
monies. To this fubject then I intend to dedicate
a feries. of difcourfes, to be continued at intervals,
as health, and leifure fliall give me opportunity}
and whichfI purpofe to.difcriminate by prefixing to
each the fame, text.
To, thefe I mean the prefent difcourfe as merely
introdv)ctpryt; and herein I, fhall firft enter a little
more largely into the, reafons which have induc'd
rne to adopt- this plarjj fe,condly, I fhall give you a
a brief

SERMON I. 5
a brief explanation of the Text, fliewing you
both its connection with the Context, and alfo how
I mean to apply it ; and laftly fhall fketch out to
you the method which ftrikes trie as moft proper
to be purfued in the farther profecutibn of thefe
difcourfes. Firft then for my reafons for adopting
this plan.
Now here it might be deem'd fufHcient to allege
thefe two general motives ; firft, that as a Minifter
of the Eftablifhment it is my duty to defend the
Church, whofe bread I eat ; and fecondly, that as
your Paftor it is my duty to impart to you all things
whatfoever that I am myfelf fully convinc'd are
true, and alfo tend to your edification. But then
it may be objected, that if a Chriftian Minifter
take care to inftruct his flock in the genuine
doctrines of the Gofpel, and the nature of their
practical duty, preffing upon them a blamelefs life,
with a ftrict adherence to the rules which Chrifl:
hath laid down for their behaviour toward God,
their neighbour, and themfelves j it were better
for him to keep clear of whatever may tend to
controverfy j and of courfe to avoid meddling with
thofe nicer fhades of diftindtion which divide and
difcriminate the various fects and perfuafions of
b 3 Chriftians,

6 SERMON I.
Chriftians, and concerning which mankind will never
be brought to think alike. I acknowledge the
force of the objection, and in general have acted under
it's conviction. But as in war a fkilful Commander
will ever adapt his conduct to that of the enemy,
varying his modes of attack and defence according
to the circumftances of time and place, and the
motions and relative fituations of the foe ¦, juft fo is
the cafe of the Chriftian Warrior. If the adyer-
fary make an open affault, he muft be refitted with
courage ; if he proceed covertly by fap, he muft be
counteracted with addrefs. Should the wolf overleap
the fold, he muft be boldly withftood; fhould he
prowl about in fheep's clothing, the fhepherd muft
ftrip him of his borrow'd fkin. At prefent, the times
loudly call upon the friends of the Church of Eng
land for the moft vigilant circumfpection, and the
moft active defence: the conduct of the Sectaries
provokes us to it. Not content with the liberal tole
ration allow'd them by the laws, they difdain to flop
fliort df Profelytifm. In this populous diftrict of
ours, and the cafe is the fame in many others, the
fmallnefs and inconvenience of our place of worfhip,
with it's diftance from fome thickly inhabited parts
of the Parifh,.are circumftances much in their favour.
For thefe. a remedy will I truft be one day provided; and

SERMON I. 7
and that probably at no very great diftance of time.
In the mean while the Diffenters not only infinuate
privately to individuals, but publifh openly to the
world their objections to the Eftablifhment. Nor is
it a matter of lmall confequence to what congrega
tion you join yourfelves. However flightly,and even
contemptuoufiy, fome of their champions may have
affected to treat the notion of an Alliance between
Church and State, yet does the united voice of hif
tory and experience concur in proving, that they
have ever fiourifh'd and declin'd together. Let us
but advert to the now-exifting pofture of affairs.
While the Nation is ftraining every nerve to the
utmoft ftretch in oppofition to the wanton and un-
provok'd attacks of the moft ferocious, blood-thirf-
ty, and unprincipl'd Banditti that ever ravag'd the
face of the earth; while, in the common caufe of all
European Kings and Governments, we have ken
ourfelves firft feebly fupported; and then deferted
and abandon'd, if not betray'd, by almoft every Ally :"
while Peace may pofiibly be neceffary to our fafety,
however fatal to our honour: what in the mean time
do we fee going on at home? a fet of Societies, af-
fembling together under fpecious titles, and upon
plaufible pretences ; afting in open and avow'd de
fiance to the Laws and the Conftitution, and dif-
p a feminating

8 SERMONS I.
feminating their poifonous doctrines with unremit
ted vigilance and activity through every corner of
the land. And when fome of the ringleaders have
been brought to their Trials, though the voice of
their country have acquitted them of the actual
crime of Treafon, yet not a doubt remains in the
breaft of every candid man of their having ap-
proach'd the very verge of Treafon; and however
their overt acts may have fteer'd clear of the penal
ties of the Law, yet are their intentions fufficiently
apparent. And among all the numerous members
of thefe fojuftly obnoxious Societies, of whatever
defcription or rank in life, I dare take upon me to
affert, there can not be found one fingle true, genu
ine, and fincere member of the Church of England.
There is, there can be, no fellowfhip between
Chrift and Belial.
But enough has been faid in explanation of my
reafons, and enough I truft to convince you not only
of the propriety, but alfo of the expediency of the
defign I have undertaken. I fhall therefore now pro
ceed in the fecond place to a brief elucidation of the
Text and Context. Saint Paul in this Chapter is giv
ing the Ephefians fome inftructions concerning re
lative duties; and touching upon the reciprocal ob
ligations

SERMON I. ^
ligations of the conjugal ftate, he commands huf-
bands to love their wives, even as Chrift alfo loved
the Church. In the facred language of the New
Teftament the appellation of the wife or fpoufe of
Chrift is commonly given to the Chriftian Church.
Now the word, Church, has three different appro
priate fenfes. In its moft ordinary and fimple mean
ing it denotes the edifice wherein we meet toge
ther for the purpofes of public prayer, preaching,
and the adminiftration of the Sacraments, with other
folemn ordinances of our holy Religion; and where
in we are now aflembled. Secondly, it denotes the
members of Chrift, or the aggregate body of Chrif
tian people, wherefoever difpers'd over the furfacc
of the globe : and thirdly it is' ufed to fignify a parti
cular Chriftian Community, who agree together in
the fame doctrine and difcipline, and in the ufe of
the fame rites and ordinances;, in which fenfe we
fpeak of the Greek Church, the Church of Rome,
the Church of England, and fo forth. Now it is
moft clearly in the fecond fenfe that the word is here
ufed by the Apoftle, when he fays of the Church,
that Chrift gave himfelf for it, that He might fanc-
tify and cleanfe it with the wafhing of water by the
word ; that He might prefent it to Himfelf a glori
ous Church, not having fpot or wrinkle, or any
fuch

10 SERMON I.
fuch thing ; but that it fliould be holy, and without
blemifh. But in the application of thefe words, I
muft confine the term to it's third and more limited
fenfe : my defign being to fhew you, that the Church
of England is in fact poffefs'd of thofe qualifications
which Saint Paul declares to be characteriftic of
the Church of Chrift in the more extended fenfe ; or
that it is, as far as the imperfections .of every merely
human inftitution will admit, a glorious Church, not
having fpot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing. It may
be proper to obferve here that the whole expreffion
is figurative; the allufion feemingtobe to a gar
ment, probably the Wedding-garment ; which being
new and clean for the occafion, would of courfe be
free from fpot or wrinkle.
Thus much may fuffice to elucidate the Text,
and to fhew you in what manner I mean to apply
it. All that feems farther neceffary at prefent is,
to fketch out to you the order I mean to purfue in
the difcourfes that are to follow. Firft then it may
be proper to begin with a fuccinct hiftorical account
of our National Church ; fhewing you thofe cor^
ruptions of Popery which it fo laudably rejected,
and marking diftinctly the point whereat it ftop'd;
while fome other Reformers, poffefs'd of more zeal
than

SERMON L ii
than knowledge, proceeded to much greater lengths.
This will probably take up two Sermons ; when
the way being thus clear'd, my next object will be
that fundamental doctrine, the very groundwork of
Chriftianity, which the Diffenters of this day almoft
univerfally reject, the Divinity of Chrift ; and while
on this fubject, I fhall take occafion to vindicate
our Church from the outcry rais'd againft her for
retaining what is ufually call'd the Athanafian Creed.
This topic difcufs'd, which I judge will take up three
difcourfes, what then remains will be to confider
and refute the various cavils and objections fo induf-
trioufly and fo malicioufly thrown out againft our
Church, with its ceremonies, liturgy, and feveral
Offices, contain'd in, and prefcrib'd by the book
of Common Prayer, as fet forth by authority.
This part of my plan I imagine may require to
be branch'd out into about four Sermons more;
and I hope I may venture to promife not to trefpafs
upon your time to any very confiderable length
in any one fingle difcourfe. I will conclude the
prefent with my hearty prayer to the Almighty,
not only that the refult of the whole may be your
thorough conviction, that the Church of England
is a glorious Church, not having fpot or wrinkle,
Or any fuch thing ; but alfo that He may grant you
grace

is SERMON I.
grace to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith
you are called, and of the Church whereto you
belong : that ye may be blamelefs and harmlefs,
the fons of God, without rebuke.

Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God
the Holy Ghoft, be afcxib'd all honour and glory,
for ever and ever.

AMEN.

SERMON

J3

SERMON II.

PREACh'd ON SUNDAY DECEMBER J 4, Ijg^i,

AlAVING in my firft Sermon on thefe words
fketch'd out to you the method I propos'd to pur-
fue in my following difcourfes on the fubject, I
Ihall now without any further introduction enter
upon the firft part of my plan ; which is, to give
you a fuccinct hiftorical account of our national
Church ; fhewing you thofe corruptions of Popery
which it fo laudably rejected, and alfo pointing
out where it ftopt : while other Reformers, poffefs'd
of more zeal than knowledge, went much greater
lengths.

o

When our bleffed Saviour had compleatly ful
filled the important end of his Incarnation, and
finifhed the work for which his Father fent Him into

14 SERMON IT.
into the world ; when after a life wholly fpent in do
ing good, and teaching and preaching the word of
God, He at laft died on the crofs for our fins, and
rofe again from the grave for our juftification; his
laft parting words to his difciples, previous to his
afcenfion into heaven/ to the bofom of his Father,
which for our fakes He had fo gracioufly quitted for
a feafon ; his laft 'words, as recorded by the holy
Evangelift Saint Matthew, were thefe : All power
is given unto Me in heaven and in earth. Go ye
therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in
the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghoft : teaching them to obferve all things
whatfoever I have commanded you ; and lo ! I am
with you alway, eVen unto the end of the world.
At that period of time the whole world had long
loft the knowledge of the one true God, and was
overfpread with heathenifm and idolatry ; fave only
the Tingle nation of the Jews, the pofterity of faith
ful Abraham, and of whom Chrift came in the flefh.
To thefe were the divine oracles committed, and to
thefe was the Mofaic difpenfation confin'd. But
theMefliah was to found an univerfal Religion, to
comprehend the whole race of mankind ; not par
tial to the defcendants of Abraham, but general for all

SERMON II. 15
all the fons of Adam. And this new Religion was
not only to abolifh heathenifm and idolatry, but
alfo to fuperfede the Law of Mofes ; which had
now fulfilled its office of a fchool-mafter, to bring
it's followers to Chrift. Jefus then, having while on
earth laid the foundation of this new religion, com
mits to his difciples, in the words above recited from
Saint Matthew, the care of compleating the edifice.
In obedience then to this charge, they went forth,
as Saint Mark takes care to inform us, and preach
ed every where; the Lord working with them, and
confirming the word with figns following. So won
derful, I may fay fo miraculous a revolution requir'd
miraculous aids; and the Apoftles were thereby
enabl'd in a very fhort time to convert aftonifhing
multitudes to the Faith. But large as was the har
veft, the labourers were few. In this cafe they
had been previoufly inftructed by their Mafter to
pray to the Lord of the harveft that He would
fend forth more labourers into the harveft. They
did fo ; and accordingly as the number of converts
increas'd they form'd them into Societies, or Com
munities, and plac'd each congregation under the care
of fome appro v'd Difciple, whom they ordain'd to
the Miniftry by laying on of hands, and thereby
conferring the gift of the Holy Ghoft.
Now

16 SERMON II.
Now thefe primitive Minifters, thus ordained
and conftituted by the Apoftles, were at firft indif-
criminately nam'd either Bifhops, which literally
fignifies Overfeers ; or Erefbyters, the literal mean
ing of which word is. Elders; a title partly ex-
preflive of Age, and partly of Authority. We
read alfo in the fixth Chapter of the Acts, of another
inferior Order appointed by the Apoftles, dif-
tinguifli'd by the name of Deacons; whofe bufinefs
was to fuperintend what is there call'd the daily mi
niftration ; or the diftribution of the alms, of the
more opulent Chriftians among the widows, and
fuch as were deftitute of daily bread. But as the
word of God grew mightily and prevailed, whole
nations by degrees3 and at laft the mighty Roman
Empire, then miftrefs of the world, embracing the
faith, and profeffmg Chriftianity ; confequently the
Church, thus enlarg'd, found it expedient to adapt
it's mode of internal government to that which
then took place in civil fociety. Accordingly we
find an eccjefiaftical Hierarchy fubfifting at a very
early period : fmaller diftricts, fimilar to our modern
Parifhes, being affign'd to the care of particular
Minifters under the appellation of' Prefbyters, or
Priefts, alllfted where neceffary by one or more
Deacons; a number of thefe united forming a
Diocefc

SERMON II, 17
Diocefe under the government of a fuperior Mini
fter, dignified by the title of Bifliop -: and fome-
thr.es the Biftiops of a whole province or kingdom
acknowledging the paramount authority of One,
call'd from his pre-eminence, Archbifhop; and from
his refidence in the principal city, or Metropolis,
Metropolitan. That in me Chriftian Church, during it's early
days of primitive and unadulterated purity, fome
fuch fubordtno.tion and government was generally,
if not univerfaily eftablifh'd, we are furnish 'd with
uncontrovertible proof from genuine and authentic
hiftory. But alas ! thefe days of it's purity were
of fhort duration. The miraculous powers be-
ftow'd by Chrift on his Apoftles, and continued to
their immediate fucceffors, were foon withdrawn;
and the Church, now paft it's infancy, and advancing
with hafty ftrides to the full vigour of maturity, was
left to itfelf to make it's way in the world, without
any farther fupernatural affrftances. Then did hu*
man pride and human paffions quickly deface the
faireft fyftem the world had ever beheld : and that
to fuch a degree, that though long ago reveal'd by the
'Prophetic Spirit both under the Old and New Dif
penfation, yet mankind were never able to com
prehend the meaning of thofe Prophecies, till they
c beheld

18 SERMON II.
beheld them fatally verified by the event. It' is not
my defign here to trace minutely the origin and
progrefs of the Papal ufurpations and corruptions ;
fuffice it to fay,, that the Bifhops of Rome, merely
from the, circumftance of local, fkuatibn, as refiding
in that grand. Capital of the Empire, began yery
foon to harbour views of ambition ; claiming to
themfelves not only a pre-eminence over all other
Bifhops, but farther arrogating fuch a fupremacy in
Spirituals, as .the Roman Emperors exercis'd in
Temporals. When that Empire was weaken'd by
the memorable divifion into the -Eaftern and Weft-
em, and the Imperial refidence remov'd from
Rome to Conftantinople ; then did the Bifhops of
the latter City maintain a violent ftruggle with thofe
of the former for this affum'd Supremacy; to which
both had an equal Right, that is in fact no Right, at
all. But when afterwards the Northern Barbarians
totally deftroy'd the Weftern Empire, and Rome-,
from being. Miftrefs of the world, became fubject
to the dominion of thofe fierce invaders ; then was
the foundation laid of that ftupendous ufurpation
which foon fpread over all Europe, and involv'd
both the minds and bodies of men in compleat fub-
jugatipn and abfolute flavery to a new Anrichriftian
Power, moft ftrangely and incongruoufly blending
fpiritual dominion with temporal. For thefe Con-
I ,-, querors

SERMON IL r9
querors being ignorant and illiterate beyond con
ception, and having for the moft part embrac'd
Chriftianity either before, or foon after their con-
quefts, Superftition and Bigotry follow'd clofe in the
train of their victories, and foon gave ample fcope
to the ambition and avarice of the Roman Bifhops.
An attempt to point out the progreflive fteps ancj.
degrees of their fucceflive encroachments would
lead me to an unwarrantable length ; and befides
forms no part of my prefent plan, which is only
to fhew you what actually were the corruptions of
the Church of Rome at the time when this Nation
with fome others feparated from her Communion.
Thefe are neceffary to be explain'd, in order to vin
dicate our Church from the charge brought againft
us by the Papifts on one hand, for what they call a
needlefs and unjuftifiable feparation ; and by the
Sectaries on the other hand, for what they call a
partial and imperfect feparation : each of which is
inconfiftent with the character of the Church of
Chrift in the Text.
Let us then take a furvey of the Romifli or Po-
pifh Religion, as it was for fome centuries profefs'd
by almoft all Europe, and among the reft by our
Anceftors in this Ifland ; and is at this time adher'd
to by feveral, and thofe very confiderable Chriftian
c 2 Pow-

bo SERMON II.
Powers : for its tenets and principles are in fact the
fame now, as they were between two and three cen
turies ago ; however fome of the moft abfurd and
unwarrantable of them may be palliated or glofs'd
over by its more learned profeffors in thefe more en-
lighten'd times. In the firft place then the Bifliop
of Rome, or as he is moft ufually ftil'd, the Pope,
hot only claims a fupremacy and abfolute authority
over all o'ther Bifhops, and over all fpiritual perfons
whatfoever; but alfo over all temporal Monarchs,
and their refpective dominions. Pretending to be
the immediate fucceffor of Saint Peter, and the fole
Vicar, or rather Viceroy of Chrift, upon earth, he
has frequently both arrogated andexercis'd the pow
er of creating and depofing Kings; of granting and
taking away kingdoms ; of abfolving Subjects from
their Allegiance, and authorizing them -to murder
their Sovereigns. To imprefs the idea of his tran-
fcendeht fuperiority over earthly Kings, while the
ufual mode of ceremonial approach to their pre
fence was with bended knee, and luffing hands,
that to the Pope was by proftration of body, and
kiffmg his feet: nay fome of the mightieft Monarchs
of Germany and France has he compell'd to the
abject and humiliating degradation of holding the
ftirrup while he mounted his mule. Add to. this his
ftill more infolent claim to abfolute infallibility ; and in

SERMON II. 9,
in confequence thereof of garbelling and moulding
the Chriftian Faith at pleafure ; adding new articles
or fuperfeding old ones •, and utterly invalidating the
Scriptures of truth, partly by his own arbitrary inter
pretations, and partly by afferting the fuperiority
of his own dictatorial mandates to the written
word. Having attain'd this fummit of power and great
nefs, we find him flicking at no innovation, however
unwarrantable, or even contrary to the word of
God, as taught by Chrift and his Apoftles, in
order to fecure and ftrengthen this ufurp'd power;
to flatter his Ambition, and pamper his avarice.
To this end a main object of his policy was to fe
cure in his intereft the whole body of the Clergy,
who through the profound ignorance and abject
fuperftition of the times were become by far the
moft numerous, powerful, and opulent body in
every State of Chriftendom. Accordingly they
were prohibited to marry; that being depriv'd
of each tender domeftic connection, their attach
ments to their Country might be thereby weaken'd j
and depending entirely on the Pope for preferment
they might be ever ready to fide with him, in op
pofition to the civil Sovereignties of their refpective
Nations. To a deep laid fcheme for the exaltation
c-3 of

22 SERMON II.
of the authority and confequence of the Clergy may
be trac'd the original of that monfter of impiety
and abfurdity, fo.well known by the name of Tran--
fubftantiation. For Chrift having inftituted the Sa
crament of the Eucharift, both as a commemora
tion of his death, and as a federal rite for the con
veyance of the benefits of that facrifice once offer'd
by Him on the crofs for the fins of the whole world ;
the Church of Rome taught that their Mafs, fo they
Call the bleffed Eucharift, was itfelf an actual perpe-;
tually-renew'd facrifice; that on the pronouncing of
the words of cohfecration by the Prieft, the ele
ments of bread and wine inftantaneoufly chang'd
their nature and fubftance, and became the real
Body and Blood of Chrift : thus blafphemoufly arro
gating to the Clergy the power of creating God ;
to fay nothing of the fliocking abfurdity of fwallow-
ing Him too. Still to keep the Laity at a farther
diftance, they denied them a participation of the
Cup, in direct violation of the Redeemer's com
mand, Drink ye All of this. They multiplied- the
Sacraments from two, the number inftituted by
Chrift, to feven : they prohibited the Laity from
reading the Scriptures : they enjoin'd all the Servi
ces of the Church to be perform'd in an unknown'
tongue;, they authoriz'd the worfhip of Images,
particularly- Crucifixes, or reprefentations ofChrift's Body

SERMON II. t$
Body hanging on the crofs, in pointed oppofition.
to the fecond Commandment in the Decalogue :
they enjoin'd -the invocation of Saints and Martyrs,
as Interceffors with God, in manifeft contradiction
to the fole interceffion of Jefus, whom the Scrip
tures declare to be the One and only Mediator be
tween God and Man : they afcrib'd to the Virgin
Mary a worfhip and reverence fuperior to that
which they allow 'd to the Saviour of the world;
praying her in their addreffes to lay her authoritative
maternal commands on her Son to grant their peti
tions. In confequence of the plenary power of
-forgiving fins, faid to be vefted in the Pope, a moft
fhameful and fcandalous traffic was inftituted in
:difpenfations and indulgences; fo that for ftipulated
fums of money may be obtain'd not only permiffion
-to. omit the practice of any moral or chriftian duty,
.but ftiU farther, abfolution and pardon for all fins
already committed, or to be committed hereafter.-;
without any the leaft regard to the Gofpel-terms of
Forgivenefs, Repentance and Amendment. And
not to tire and difguft you with a. recital of the
trumpery of Relics, and other fuch dregs of fuper-
ftition, they invented a moft Angular and unfcriptu-
ral doctrine, which they alfo exalted into an indif-
penfable article of faith, refpedting an imaginary
Purgatory, or ftate of the dead; wherein the fouls
04 of

24 SERMON II.
of the deceas'd were to undergo the moft horrible
torments, till liberated by prayers and Maffes ; all
of which had their fet and ftated prices.
Though -I have endeavour'd to comprefs into as
fmall a compafs as poffible this imperfect detail of
the manifold and grofs corruptions of Popery, yet
has it fwell'd to a length abundantly fufficient for a
fingle difcourfe. It appears I imagine pretty
plainly, that the Fabric of the Romifh Church,
however fplendid and glorious in external appear
ance, had long ceas'd to be fiee from fpot or wrin
kle ; and that it was high time to liften to the fcrip-
tural injunction, Come out of her, my people, that
ye .be not partakers of her fins ; that ye receive not
of her plagues. Bleffed be God, we of this nation
have long fince come out of her ; but in what man
ner and to what degree, muft be referv'd for my next
difcourfe on the fame Text.
Now. to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft,
be all honour and glory for evermore. Amen,

SERMON

25

SERMON III

PREACH'D ON SUNDAY DECEMBER 21, 1794-

J.N my laft difcourfe on thefe words I laid before-
yoii a concife, but I hope tolerably accurate detail
of the corruptions of Chriftianity which prevail'd in
the Church of Rome. The firft beginnings of
thefe corruptions may be trac'd as far back as to
thofe early times when the Roman Empire under
Conftantine, renouncing the idolatry of Paganifm,
embrac'd the religion of Chrift. But their advan
ces being progreffive, and at firft flow, though rapid
afterwards, they did not attain to their full growth
till fomewhat more than five hundred years fince ;
at which time fuch was their prevalence and univer-
fality, that true and genuine Chriftianity was not on
ly defac'd andobfcur'd, but well nigh extinguifh'd :
or to adopt the very fignificant metaphor -of the
Text.

a 6 SERMON III.
Text, the bridal garment was fo fpotted and wrink
led, that its original form and texture could no
longer be difcoverd. Not but that as in the moft
corrupt iEra of -the Jewifh Religion God declar'd
there were ftill left, in Ifrael feven thoufand faith
ful who had never bowed the knee to Baal ; fo in the
times above defcrib'd there were always fome few
who faw and regretted the prevailing errors ; and
both in our own and in foreign countries fome bold
oppofitions were made to them even in the darkeft
ages; but they were foon crufh'd by the iron rod
of power; and perfecution drench'd the altar of
Chrift with the blood of his faithful witneffes.
In this deplorable ftate did all Chriftendom re
main for about two Centuries ; when a fortunate
difcovery was made, accidentally to outward ap
pearance, but which, when we confider it's moft
extenfive and beneficial confequences, we cannot
fcruple to attribute to the benign interpofition of
an all gracious Providence; 1 mean the inventioh
of the Art of printing. Antecedently to this period
fuch was the fcarcity and dearnefs of Books, as to
render them wholly unattainable by any but the
great and opulent; and fuch was the barbarifm,
fuch were the manners of the times, that thofe
great and opulent who alone were able to pup-
chafe,

SERMON m: if
chafe, neglected and defpis'd them. Looking upon
War as the only honourable employment, and alone^
worthy of the Gentleman, they gloried in their igno
rance of Letters; and among Sovereign Princes and
dignified Ecclefiaftics, it was no ordinary attain
ment for a man to be capable of writing his own:
name. But no fooner had the art of printing, by
multiplying copies, redue'd the purchafe of Books
within the compafs of moderate incomes, than learn
ing began to revive ; and a new and powerful
light burfting upon the world, penetrated and by
degrees difpers'd the black darknefs of ignorance.
Copies of the holy fcripture now began to find their
way into private hands;, tranflations of them were
made into the vernacular tongues of each nation :
the Clergy ftudied them with avidity; numbers
among the Laity, in fpite of the Church's prohibi
tions, did the fame : and the minds of men, gradu
ally, a waken 'd from that torpid lethargy, or rather;
deep fleep, in which they had flumber-'d for fo many
fucceffive ages, were prepar'd to; exercife their in
herent and unalienable prerogative of thinking for
themfelves. In fhort, the Age both requir'd, and
was prepar'd for, — a Reformation.
It was in Saxony, a province of the German Em
pire that this Reformation firft took its rife. That
country

s8 SERMON III.
country had the honour of giving birth to the fa
mous Martin Luther ; whofe eyes were firft open'd,
and his zeal awaken'd, by the fcandalous and bare-
fac'd traffic of Indulgences. The detection of one
abufe pav'd the way for that of others; till at
length he was led on to a denial of their funda
mental tenet of the Pope's infallibility : a tenet
which he fhew'd to be equally repugnant to found
reafon, and to genuine Chriftianity. In fhort, fuch
was his ability, and fuch his intrepidity, that he
compleatly tore off the malic which had fo long
conceal'd the horrors of this corrupt Communion,
and expos'd it's deformity to open view. The
progrefs of thefe new principles upon the Conti
nent, the wars they occafion'd between their abet
tors and oppofers, together with the ftates and
kingdoms by which they were finally embrac'd
or rejected; all thefe are points foreign to the pur-
pofe of my plan ; which is confin'd to the efta-
blifhment and fettlement of our own church.
I mean to fhew you, that although this kingdom
had not the honour of leading the way, and of ap
pearing among the firft Reformers ; yet fuch was
her -good fenfe and moderation, as juftly to merit
the praife of having conftituted the moft pure and
truly primitive Church at this day exifting in the
world : a Church, approaching as near as any hu
man

SERMON III. ao
man inftitution can approach, to the fcriptural de-
fcription in the Text, of a glorious Church, not
having /pot or wrinkle, or any fuch thing.
At the period of time, when the Reformation
preach'd by Luther was making a rapid progrefs
in Germany, the Throne of this kingdom was
fiil'd by Henry the eighth, the moft abfolute and
imperious of all the Tudor family : a race far
more arbitrary than any of their ill-fated fucceffors
of the Stuart line. The principles of liberty,
which at this day fo eminently diftinguifh our
glorious conftitution, were then but feebly felt by
the Subject ; and the leading features in the cha
racter of the Monarch were pride, luft, caprice and
cruelty. Bigoted to the religion of his Anceftors,
and incens'd at what he deem'd the infolent bold-
nefs of a private Prieft, in controverting the opini
ons of his fuperiors, he enter'd the lifts as a cham
pion againft Luther ; and compos'd, or at leaft
publifh'd a Treatife, in oppofition to his doctrines :
in grateful return for which work, the Pope con-
ferr'd upon him that title, which ftill remains an-
nex'd to the Britifh Crown, of Defender of the
Faith. Not long afterwards, in a quarrel with a
Succeeding Pope, for thwarting him in his favour rite

r30 SERMON III. .
rite fcheme of a divorce from his lawful wife, in
order to enable him to marry another woman, on
whom he had fix'd his affections ; he fuddenly re -
nounc'd the Papal Supremacy, and declar'd him
felf fupreme Head of the Church, within his own
dominions. He proceeded farther to fupprefs the
numerous Religious Foundations, throughout the
Realm, feizing their temporalties into his own
hands ; and lavifhly fquandering many of them up
on his Courtiers and Favourites. Still amid all this
rapacious violence, he pertinacioufly adher'd to
moft of the capital errors of Popery; and expect
ing his Subjects to conforrn implicitly to his own
notions, he procur'd the enaction of the famous,,
or rather infamous Law of the fix Articles ; which
Warded the punifliment of death, to all who
fliould dare to deny Tranfubftantiation, with fome
other equally falfe and pernicious doctrines : fo
that England now beheld both Proteftants and
Papifts burning at the ftake, the indifcriminate vic
tims of the Tyrant's capricious rage ; while the
former could not in confcience fubfcribe to the fix
Articles, nor the latter confiftendy abjure the
Pope's fupremacy. The confin'd limits of my
plan will barely fuffer me to add, that when death
had free'd the nation from this fanguinary.yoke,
xhe bufinefs of Reformation proceeded profperoufly
;... during

SERMON IIL ". jr.
during the mild, but fhort reign of his fon and
fucceffor Edward the fixth : but being ftill incom-
pleat, fuffer'd a rude fhock, amounting to little lefs
than utter deftruction, under the bloody Mary:
after whofe deceafe it at length attain'd its perfect
eftablilhment under the benign aufpices of the glo
rious Queen Elizabeth. This may be enough for
the hiftorical deduction; my principal fcope being
to fhew you not fo much the means whereby it
was perfected, or the progreflive fteps which
led thereto ; as the grounds whereon it was
eftablifh'd, and the precife point, at which it
ftop'd. It feems neceffary to remark here, that during
the time that interven'd between the firft begin
ning of the Reformation in Germany, by the
preaching of Luther, and it's reception here, and
the final fettlement of the Church of England, ma
ny able and learned Divines had diftinguifh'd them
felves by their active oppofition to the Church of
Rome ; though differing from Luther, and from
each other, on feveral points both of doctrine and
difcipline. One of the principal of thefe was the fa
mous John Calvin ; of whofe particular notions
in divinity, and more efpecially reflecting Church
government, it were both tedious and fuperfluous to

33 SERMON III.
to give you a detail. Suffice it to fay, that fuch
was his influence as to induce many ftates of Europe
to adopt his tenets : in fo much that among the
Proteftant Powers on the Continent the principal
diftinction at this day fubfifting is that of Calvinrfts
and Lutherans. Nay even in our own Ifland, the
northern part call'd Scotland, which at the ./Era of
the Reformation was a diftinct kingdom from Eng
land, chofe to abide implicitly by the opinions of
Calvin ; and had their National Religion confirm'd
to them inviolate at the Union of the two king
doms, in the beginning of the prefent Century.
And one of Calvin's favourite maxims being a kind
of Republican Equality among Chriftian Minifters,
confequently wherever his notions were adopted,
the ancient Hierarchy, including a fubordination of
ranks and degrees in the Church, was rejected; the
fuperior order of Bifhops was abolifh'd ; and the care
of fpirituals being committed folely to Priefts and
Lay Elders, both of which are comprehended in
the term Prefbyter ; thence originated the deno
mination of Prefbyterian, or Low Church, in contra-
diftinction to the Epifcopal, or High Church.
It were eafy to fhew from hiftory the concur
rence of caufes and events which operated upon
our now fellow-fubjects of Scotland to induce them to

SERMON III. 33
to adopt the Prefbyterian doctrine and difcipline,
nor would the detail be unentertairting ; but it
would lead me too far from my fubject. Many
too were the caufes which in England led to a
different Syftem. The feveral circumftances
which procraftinated the full fettlement of the Re
formation among us, the capricioufnefs of Henry,
the Minority and early death of Edward, the bi
gotry of Mary, and the Wary caution of Eliza
beth ; all thefe feem to have been directed by the
gracious wifdom and goodnefs of Providence, to
the moft falutary ends. The daily advancement
and progrefs of Learning had furnifh'd a fupply of
moft able Divines; they had leifure to trace up the
feveral corruptions of Popery to their refpective
fources ; and the fucceffive changes of the times
had taught them a moft inftructive leflbn of mo
deration. They perceiv'd that the Church of
Rome, however debas'd and corrupted, was ftill
the Church of Chrift : Chriftianity lay at the bot
tom, how much foever disfigur'd and adulterated.
The fubftance of the garment was yet whole and
entire, though fo lamentably diftain'd by fpots, and
deform'd by wrinkles. They refolv'd therefore to
proceed with the utmoft caution, left by their too
haffy and violent attempts to obliterate the fpots
and fmboth the wrinkles, they fhould unfortu-
d nately

34 SERMON III.
nately tear the original web. In fliort, to drop
the figure, they determin'd to adhere fcrupuloufly
to this important fundamental maxim, to depart
no farther from the Religion of Rome, than the
Religion of Rome had deviated from the primitive
Religion of Chrift.
Refpecting the Government of the Church, they
were fully fenfible that every nation had an inde-
feafible Right to fettle and appoint it's own, inde
pendently of any foreign Power. Renouncing
then all obedience to the Pope, and wifhing to
avoid that Solcecifm in Politics, of a government
within a government, they acknowledg'd the So
vereign of the State to be the Head of the Church,
ftyling him, over all perfons, and in all caufes, as
well ecclefiaftical as civil, in thefe his dominions fu
preme. The Hierarchy they found to have taken
place at a period by many years prior to the
Papal ufurpations ; and moreover conceiving it
peculiarly adapted to our civil conftitution, they of
courfe retain'd it; veiling the miniftration of all
fpiritual offices in the order of Priefts, fave only
thofe of Confirmation and Ordination, which were
referv'd to the higher order of Bifhops ; the nomi
nation of whom, as alfo of two Archbifhops, was
left to the King : and the Prelates retain'd their
ancient

SERMON III. 35
ancient privilege of fitting and voting with the
temporal Peers in the houfe of Lords, as confti-
tuent members of that higheft Court of Judicature.
The inferior Clergy had alfo a houfe of Convoca
tion, to which they elected Clerical Members, in
the fame manner as the Laity return'd their Re-
prefentatives to the houfe of Commons ; while the
Archbifhops and Bifhops compos'd the upper
houfe of Convocation, analogous to the Houfe of
Peers : but that part of the original Church-go
vernment has within the prefent century funk into
difufe; no Convocation fitting, and the Clergy pro-
mifcuouQy voting with the Laity for members of
the houfe of Commons. Ecclefiaftical Courts
were conftituted for the cognizance of fome par
ticular caufes, chiefly matrimonial and teftamenta-
ry ; but ever fubject to the fuperior controul of
common and ftatute Law: and the Clergy, divert
ed of all temporal power, were confin'd to the mi
niftration of the word and facraments, to teaching
and preaching, and the cure of Souls.
Refpedting the Liturgy of the Church, with it's
various forms and offices, our Reformers retain'd
as much of the Romifli as was found and ortho
dox, rejecting only fuch parts as were idolatrous
and fuperftitious; pruning away an immenfe num-
d 2 ber

36 SERMON III.
Ber of idle and abfurd Ceremonies, and continu
ing only a few of the moft fignificant ; and thofe
too not as effential, but merely for the fake of or
der and decency. To avoid diverfity and con
trariety of doctrine, they promulgated what are call
ed the thirty-nine Articles of Religion, containing
the fenfe of the Church on various points ; and to
which they requir'd fubfcription from all fuch as
ihould be call'd to any office or adminiftration in
the fame : and therein gave the finifhing blow to
all the errors and corruptions of the Romifh
Church, by the ever memorable affertion in the
fixth Article, that " Holy Scripture containeth
" all things neceffary to falvation : fo that what-
" foever is not read therein, nor may be proved
" thereby, is not to be requir'd of any man,
" that it fhould be believed as an article of the
" faith, or be thought requifite or neceffary to
" falvation." Such is the outline of the Church of England,
as fettl'd by our firft Reformers ; and fuch as it
exifts at this day ; fave only the alteration I be
fore noticed, reflecting the houfes of Convocation ;
and to which I may add, that as our civil liberties
became better underftood, and more firmly fe-
cur'd, the rigours of the Act of Uniformity were
done

SERMON III. 37
done away by the Act of Toleration. You will
obferve, that hitherto I have related only; not
vindicated. That remains yet to be done ; but
previoufly thereunto, I am to call your attention
to that fundamental doctrine at prefent fo furioufly
attack'd, of the Divinity of Chrift. A point on
which I fcruple not to affert, that whatever
Church prefumes to controvert or deny it, that
Church is fo far from being free from fpot or
wrinkle, that it is one univerfal blot. In abhor
rence whereof, may we ever cordially unite in
giving all laud and glory to God the Father, to God
the Son, and to God the Holy Ghoft.

AMEN.

D 3 SERMON

38

SERMON IV.

PREACH'D ON SUNDAY JANUARY II, 1795.

J. HE object of thefe difcourfes being a defence
and vindication of our national Church, it was
expedient to clear the way by a fliort deduction of
the hiftory of Chriftianity, from it's firft founda
tion by Chrift and his Apoftles, to the period of
it's reception by the Roman Empire, compre
hending the whole civiliz'd world, under Conftan-
tine; thence through the ages of darknefs and ig
norance that enfued upon the overthrow of that
Empire by the Northern Barbarians, down to it's
lamentable corruption under the ufurp'd Papal
Tyranny : with an account of the reformation
from thofe corruptions, .which enlighten'd no in-
confiderable part of Europe, in the beginning of
the.fixteenth century; and a ftill more particular detaiL

SERMON IV. 39
detail of the eftablifliment and fettlement of the
Church of England, on the bafis of that Reforma
tion. But amidft all the fuperftitious and even
idolatrous errors of Popery, however they may
have violated the mediatorial dignity of Chrift, by
admitting other Mediators in Saints and Angels ;
nay, however they may have depreciated his Di
vinity by addrefling religious worfhip to other ob
jects, as Images and Relics, and by fuppofing him
bound to pay obedience and fubmiffion to the
commands of his Virgin-Mother ; yet had they
never the hardinefs to deny Chrift's Divinity, or
that of the Holy Ghoft ; nor did they ever re
nounce the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity in
Unity, or refufe the adoration of three Perfons in
one God. And as I before obferv'd to you that
our Englifh Reformers determin'd to adhere fcru-
puloufly to the fundamental maxim of departing
from the religion of Rome no farther than the reli
gion of Rome had deviated from the primitive re
ligion of Chrift ; fo they confequently adopted this
important doctrine of the Trinity, although a tenet
of the 'Romifti Church, from a full conviction of
it's beincr a genuine doctrine of primitive. Chriftia
nity, founded on the pure and unadulterated
Scriptures of truth and infpiration. It

40 S E R M O N IV.
It hath feemed good to the divine wifdom, for
reafons beft known to God, but which have a ma
nifeft reference to our condition in this world, as
free agents in a ftate of probation : it hath feem
ed good, I fay, to the divine wifdom, that Herefies
fhould never ceafe in the Church : even as was
fliadow'd by the Parable in the Gofpel, where the
Hufbandman had no fooner fowed the good feed,
than the Enemy follow'd clofc after with his tares.
Thus no fooner had JefuS afcended to the bofom
of his Father, and his faithful difciples, having re
ceived the completion of his promife by the de-
fcent of the Holy Ghoft on the day of Pentecoft, '
had enter'd upon the execution of ¦ their Mafter's
commiflion, going forth and preaching every
where, the Lord working with them, and confirm
ing the word with figns following: no fooner had
this infancy of the Gofpel commenc'd, than we
read of the inftant appearance of the fiift Arch-he
retic in the perfon of Simon Magus. Dry and
tedious would it be in the extreme, to detail to
you his various errors, with thofe of his early fol
lowers, fuch as Ebion and Cerinthus, with the
other founders of the Gnoftic Sect, as contain'd in
the moft antient eeclefiaftical writers^ Suffice it
to fay, that the common ground-work of all wa.s
the denial of Chrift's Divinity. In oppofition to
this

SERMON TV. 4i
this moft peftilent herefy, the beloved difciple of
Chrift, Saint John, judg'd it neceffary to write a
fourth Gofpel, in addition to the three already
publifli'd by Matthew, Mark, and Luke; and
that as it fliould feem, principally, if not folely, with
a view to confirm and eftablifli this important
and effential doctrine. When the Gofpel had
attain'd to maturity by the ever- memorable con
version of the Roman Empire from Pagan Ido
latry to the faith of Chrift, then did Satan take
care to revive his darling herefy in the perfon of
one Arius, a Prefbyter of Alexandria in Egypt :
for the fupprefiion of which, a general council con-
ven'd at Nice in Bithynia, compos'd and pub
lifli'd that orthodox confeflion of Faith, which our
Church retains in her fervice under the appellation
of the Nicene Creed. Laftly, when in modern
times Chriftianity was reform'd from thofe errors
and corruptions which Papal Rome had accumu
lated during the long night of ignorance, then did
the grand enemy again broach his long-exploded
blafphemies in the perfon of one Socinus, a native
of Italy. From the two laft mention'd revivers
and propagators of this herefy of Simon Magus,
their modern followers affume the names of Arians
and Socinians. It is not worth while to point out
to you the various di vifions and fubdi vifions of
thefe

42 SERMON IV.
thefe Heretics, refting chiefly on nice metaphyfical
diftinctions; feeing they all agree in the leading
tenet df the denial of Chrift's Divinity. The way
of truth is but one : the wanderings of error are
unlimited. However, as. they are all unanimous
in afferting the Unity of the Godhead, in oppofi
tion to the Trinity of Perfons in that Unity, they
may all be compriz'd under that title of Unitari
ans, which of late they have pretty generally
affected. v
Now of thefe two fimple, but diametrically oppo-
fite propofirions, Chrift is God, and Chrift is not
God ; it is neceffary that one only can be true, and
the other muft of courfe be falfe. The queftion then
is, which is the true opinion, and which the falfe ; in
other words, is Chrift God, or is He not God. And
the infinite importance of this queftion is eafily
demonftrable. We maintain that Chrift is God,
and in confequence of that belief we addrefs to
Him our prayers and piaifes, with all religious
worfhip. If our opinion be wrong, we are guilty
of the moft damnable idolatry in attributing that
glory to the creature which is due only to the Crea
tor, God bleffed for ever; even that jealous God
who will not give his glory to, another. Our ad-
verfaries maintain that Chrift is not God ; and of
courfe

SERMON IV. 43
courfe addrefs. Him not with any religious worfhip.
If their opinion be wrong, they incur the damnable
guilt of withholding that worfhip which God de
mands as unalienably his due. Such are the dan
gerous and fatal confequences of error on either
fide of this momentous point. But. how is this
queftion to be decided? that our finite reafon is ut
terly incompetent to comprehend this myftery of
infinity, is pretty generally agreed by both parties;
and both of confequence appeal to the written
word of God, reveal'd in the holy Scriptures;
confeious that we can know no more of God than
Pie has been gracioufly pleas'd to difcover of Him
felf. Here then the matter is at iffue. We pro
duce texts, declarative of Chrift's co-equality with
the Father. They produce texts, declarative of
Chrift's inferiority to the Father. To thefe our
reply is obvious. We lay that all fuch texts ma-
nifeftly relate to the human nature affum'd by
Chrift; whom we affert to be equal with the Fa
ther as touching his Godhead, and inferior to the
Father as touching his manhood. Their reply to
our arguments is different, according to the kind
of opponents they have to encounter. To the learn
ed, and fuch as are tolerably vers'd in Biblical
knowledge, they endeavour to evade the force of
the texts which affert or imply the Divinity. of
Chrift,

44 SERMON IV.
Chrift, by forc'd interpretations; perverting ,the
fenfe, or allegorizing the meaning in a way that
would deftroy the credit of any the plaineft hiftory
whatever; and by mif-quotations, ftrain'd perver-
fions, and falfe tranflations, would fain perfuade
us, that our. doctrine of the Trinity is novel, un
known to the Apoftles, to the primitive Chrif
tians, and to the Fathers of the firft three centuries;
in fliort, to be reckon'd among, and even. reproba
ted more than the other corruptions of Chriftianity,
which fprung up fo plentifully in the dark ages.
To the unlearned, who compofe'the bulk of man
kind, they addrefs themfelves in a different man
ner. Appealing to that pride, which more or lefs
is a latent principle or ingredient in the composition
of liuman nature ever fince the fall of Man, they
afk with a triumphant fneer, Have you common
fenfe? fay, if you have, how can one be three,
and three one ? will you, can you believe fuch a
contradiction ? and why ? becaufe your Parfons
tell you fo. And why do they tell you fo ? they
cannot be fuch fools as to believe it themfelves,
but are the menial fervants of the eftablifhment j
the devoted flaves of creeds and articles of human
invention, and bafe enough to accept the wages of
iniquity ; and as dirty hirelings ready to do the
vifeft drudgery, and to preach the groffeft abfurdi- ties

SERMON IV. 45
ties, in consideration of being paid for it. Such
are the methods by which Sectaries aim to propa
gate their herefies; fuch the calumnies with which
they load your lawful Paftors : thus would the
wolves perfuade the fheep to difcard their faithful
guardians and protectors the dogs, in order that
themfelves may ravage the fold with impunity.
Having thus ftated the nature and Angular im
portance of this queftion, and given you a fpeci-
men of the infidious arts and barefac'd calumnies
reforted to by th» oppofers of the Trinitarian doc
trine ; I wifh here to remind you, that having in
the courfe of my miniftry among you, fometimes
exclufively, and much oftener incidentally dif-
cours'd upon this fubject, You therefore can not
expect any thing new at prefent. To advert to
the formal defences of Unitarianifm, to expofe their
various fallacies of miftranflations, mifquotations,
and perverfions of different texts of Scripture, and
paffages of ancient writers, is a tafk which has
been moft ably and fatisfactorily executed by emi
nent Divines of our Church, particularly by one
who is now feated on the epifcopal bench, and is
an honour to the age and nation ; but is by no
means fuUed to the pulpit, efpecially in addreffing
a plain audience. The fcanty portion, of time yet
remain-

46 SERMON IV-
remaining to be allotted to this difcourfe, fliall be.
employ'd, firft in obviating their popular infinua-
tionsvand then in pointing out to your notice a few
out of the many plain fcriptural proofs of the Tri
nity : intending in my next to explain and recom
mend fome methods, whereby any fincere, how
ever unlearned reader of the Bible, may fully fatisfy
himfelf of the truth of this fundamental article.
Firft then let me review their-popular objections.
How, they afk, can three be one, and one three ?
I anfwer, by no means : no mora, than it can be
noon at midnight, or midnight at noon. But who
ever told you this ? Your Parfons, they reply.
Then your Parfons muft be fools and liars. But
do we, or do our creeds affirm that there are three
Gods? fo far from it, that the Athanafian creed
fays exprefsly there are not three Gods, but one
God. But how then, anfwer they, can the Father ..
be God, the'Son God, and the Holy Ghoft God ?
Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, are three ; and if each
of thefe be God, there are three Gods. This we
deny ; affirming the three Perfons to be one God.
How can you explain, or even comprehend this ?-.-
alas ! we are totally unable to comprehend, much
lefs can we explain it. Why then do you require
it to be believ'cj, as an article of Faith ? On the
authority

SERMON IV. 47
authority of Scripture. I find it to be the uniform
doctrine of the Bible, that there is but one God,
the Father and Maker of all things. Yet I read
in the fame Bible fuch paffages applied to Chrift
and the Holy Ghoft, as can be competent to God
alone. Some of thefe paffages I fhall foon point
out to you ; but muft firft notice their farcafms on
creeds and Parfons. Creeds, you are told, are of
human invention, the work of fallible men. We
grant it ; but did the compilers of thefe Creeds
deliver the doctrines therein contain'd, as their own,
or as the doctrines of God in Scripture ? A Judge
on the bench is a fallible man ; he is bound to de
cide by the Laws of the land : if his fentence be
not conformable to thofe laws, it will be revers'd ;
if it. be in conformity with them, it muft ftand.
So with regard to the compilers of Creeds and ar
ticles ; as alfo with us the Preachers of the Gof
pel. The Scriptures are our fole guide. If what
we deliver be not confonant to them,- reject it :
if it be, it is the word of God, and as fuch infalli
ble, though deliver'd by fallible men. But we are
Hirelings. By this they can not mean that we reap-
any additional pecuniary advantage by preaching
this particular doctrine; but that being bound by
our fubfcription to articles, we are of courfe oblig'd
to adhere to the doctrines of the Church, whether in

48 SERMON IV.
in unifon with our own private fentiments, or
otherwife. Suppofe we preach in oppofition to
thefe articles. We fliall incur the guilt of perju
ry, and be liable to fufpenfion by the Bifliop.
True : he may fufpend us from executing the duties
of our office ; but cannot deprive us of our legal
emoluments, our Livings being our Freeholds.
I leave you then to judge, whether a man, who ac
cording to their ftatement can be bafe enough to
preach to others what he difbelieves himfelf, whe
ther fuch an one would be likely to boggle at per
jury ; and not rather gladly take refuge in fufpen
fion, as relieving him from the irkfome talk, and
continuing to him the profits, without the labours
of his Office.
But enough of this. Let me only add, that
while an immoral Or licentious, a vicious or pro
fane Clergymari, ever is, and juftly defei ves to be
an object of your abhorrence and contempt ; the
groundlefs and impudent calumnies 1 have now
adverted to are equally beneath a man of common
candour to utter, and a man of common fenfe to
believe. I now proceed to point out to your notice fome
few out of the numerous texts which the Bible
affords

Sermon iv, 43
affords, whence we are led to believe that Chrift is1
God, and that the Holy Ghoft is God. When our
Saviour, at his final parting with his Apoftles, gave
them a commiflion to baptize all nations, it was in j
the name of the Father, and of the Son, artd of
the Holy Ghoft. Saint John, who, as I before re-
mark'd, wrote his Gofpel profeffedly to counteract
the herefy of Simon Magus and the Gnoftics, opens
that Gofpel with this irrefragable teftimony. In the
beginning, meaning from all eternity, was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God. On which memorable paflage I would
fuggeft two brief obfervations ; firft, that the Word
was a title of the Meffiah, or Chrift, familiar
to the Jewifli writers ; and fecondly, that this ex
preffion of the infpir'd Apoftle contains a myftery
exactly congenial to that of the Trinity. For the
difference is equally effential between two and one
as between three and one : yet we arc told that
the Word, or Chrift, was with God, implying a
distinction of Perfon ; and yet was God, afferting
an Unity of Nature. Saint John goes on to
affirm of Chrift, All things were made by Him, and
without Him was not any thing made that was
made. Chrift then is the Creator of all things ;
therefore Chrift is God. Our adverfaries allow
Jefus to have been a good Mao, who did no fin,
£ neither

5b SERMON IV,
neither was guile found in his mouth. They al
low Him alfo to have been an infpir'd Prophet,
full of grace and truth. Surely then He could not
lie. Now what fays He of Himfelf? I and the
Father are One. He that hath feen Me, hath
feen the Father. Before Abraham was, I am.
Where you may obferve, that in the Old Tefta
ment the Almighty God appropriates to Himfelf
the peculiar appellation of I Am. When we read
of any of the Prophets, whether under the Mofaic
or Evangelic difpenfation, offering worfhip and
adbratioh to the glorious Beings who communi
cated to them divine meffages, or revelations, we
find them conftantly check'd : See thou do it not ;
P am thy fellow-fervant : worfhip God. But
when the long incredulous Saint Thomas ador'd
Chrift, faying, my Lord, and my God ; Chrift re
proves him not for it. Saint Paul tells the Ro
mans, Chrift is over All, God bleffed for ever.
In the Epiftle to the Hebrews it is written, To the
Son He, that is God, faith, Thy throne, O God,
is for ever and ever. Of the Ploly Ghoft we read
in the Acts, that when Ananias and Sapphira lied
againft the Ploly Ghoft, they lied not unto men,
but unto God.

But

SERMON IV. 51
But I muft remember my promife, not to detain
you too long at one time. Here then I difmifs
you for the prefent. In my next I purpofe laying
down fome methods, by;the ufe whereof any fin-
cere Chriftian may obtain full and ample fatisfac-
tion on this point ; and the following fhall be al
lotted to the confideration of the Athanafiajj
Creed. Now to God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft,
be honour and glory for evermore.

AMEN

£ 3

SERMON

52

SERMON V.

PREACH'D ON SUNDAY MARCH 8, IJ^S"

X HOUGH my principal intention in this dif
courfe be, as ftated in my laft, to recommend fome
few methods, whereby every reader of the Bible,
however unlearned, may fatisfy himfelf of the truth
of the Trinitarian doctrine; I think it neceffary in
the firft place, to addrefs a few words on the fub
ject to fuch of my Chriftian hearers, as through a
total want of education, are utterly unable to read
at all. Such have fouls to be faved, fuch have du
ties to perform; and of thofe duties Faith is a moft
effential one. But their Faith not being grounded
on knowledge, muft be taken up on truft. For
their instruction chiefly is the Chriftian miniftry
appointed : others may have, and often have great
need of being reminded of their duty ; thefe muft; be

SERMON V. 53
be taught it. To fuch then I would fuggeft the
propriety at leaft, if not the fafety, of liftening to
their own Pallors, in preference to Strangers. In
fpite of any fneers of the Diffenters, I fcruple not
to affirm, that to our charge is the care of their
fouls committed by the Bifliop ; and if we teach
them untruths, we fhall have it to anfwer for at
the dreadful day of Judgement, while they fhall
ftand acquitted on the fcore of their ignorance.
God forbid that the poor unletter'd Papist fhould
be condemn'd for that Idolatry which he knows
not to be fuch, and which his Priefts daily incul
cate. I grant indeed that the Sectaries fpare not
to infinuate how much better men and better
Chriftians themfelves are than the Minifters of the
Church ; but judge of them by their works : re
member the Parable of the Pharifee and the Pub"
lican; and know that boafting is no proof of ex*
cellence. How, or in what manner the Father, Son, and
Holy Ghoft can each be God, and yet not three
Gods, but one God, is equally unknown to the
moft learned Divine, as to the moft ignorant la
bourer. We deduce this doctrine from Scripture,
which Scripture we know to be the word of God j
which God we know cannot lie. Therefore we
£ 3 impli-

54 SERMON V.
implicitly believe it ourfelves ; and therefore as in
duty bound, we prefs the fame implicit belief on
you. That fuch is the declaration -of God in
Scripture, you can but have our word : that fuch
is not the declaration of God in Scripture, you can
but have their word. Their appeals to reafon are
ridiculous : the doctrine being infinitely above
reafon. Still more ridiculous are their fuggeftions
of the folly of believing what we can not compre
hend. Alas ! it is no more than we are oblig'd to
do every day. We know that we have a foul, and
we know that we have a body. We know farther
that the union of foul and body conftitutes a living
man; and that their feparation from each other
leaves only a dead carcafe. But how are thefe two
join'd ? how are they parted ? when did the foul
firft enter the body ? how does it act upon it ?
why can not the body even fubfift without the foul,
but on being depriv'd thereof immediately tends.
firft to putrefaction, and then to diffolution into
it's original duft ? To thefe, and a thoufand more
fuch queftions, the anfwer of the wife man and the
fool is the fame, — We can not tell. Nor can we
tell of the Trinity how it is, but barely that it is.
But if any among the unlearned of my flock fhall
be unwarily feduc'd to hearken to the infidious in-
finuations fo zealoufly inftill'd by our opponents, and

SERMON V. 55
and rather take the word of a Sectary than that of
their proper Paftor, I would advife all fuch inftant-
ly to quit the Church for the Meeting- houfe j
fince I fee not how they can with a clear confci
ence, and without idolatry, join with us in hum
ble fupplication to the holy, bleffed, and glorious
Trinity, three Perfons, and One God, to have mer
cy upon us miferable finners.
Thus much being premis'd, I now come to
the main drift of this difcourfe ; which is, to fug
geft fome few methods whereby the plain reader of
the Bible may, as I apprehend, obtain full fatis-
faction for himfelf on this contefted point. Ac-
quir'd learning, critical fkill, knowledge of the
original languages, are not here demanded : all I
afk is common fenfe, freedom from prejudice, a pi
ous difpofition, and a sincere heart. Of thefe, if com
mon fenfe be wanting, all reafoning muft be nugato
ry ; if prejudice prevail, the jaundic'd eye fees every
object of it's own colour ; without a pious difpofi
tion, the Bible has little chance to be read at all, ftill
lefs to be read with due attention; and without a fin-
cere heart, it will moft probably be read as it is by the
modern fceptical Atheifts, ufurping and difgracing
thetitle of Philofophers ; who read it with the fole
view of ridiculing and picking holes in it. To fuch
E 4 then

56 SERMON V.
then as would wifh to fatisfy themfelves whether
the doftrine of the Trinity be really fcriptural, or
not, without pinning their faith on Creeds, Churches,
or Preachers, it can not but be feafonable, nay it is
a duty incumbent on the Chriftian Minifter to give
every afliftance in his power. And this is what I
now purpofe to attempt,
Firft then, whoever confults the facred volume
with a view of regulating his faith, as well as his
practice, muft remember that he is to take his faith
from the Bible, not to bring his faith to it. If he
have already form'd a preconceiv'd opinion, and
fliould meet with any text which feems to militate
againft that opinion, he will find himfelf tempted
to twift and torture that text till he can bring it to a
feeming conformity; nay probably, for it often has.
been done, will fooner give up the text than the
Opinion. To avoid this abfurdity, I would recom
mend to the pious and humble reader, to take all
fcriptural expreffions in the plain fenfe fuggefted by
the words themfelves at firft view, in their moft ob
vious acceptation. On perusing the Gofpels, he
will find that they contain a narrative of the life and
death of a man, whofe name was Jefus ; a man,
born of a woman, and as fuch, of few days, and full
pf trouble : that He taught a new religion and was

SERMON V. 57
put to death for fo doing. All this might have
been competent to any other man. But he will
find many circumftances recorded of this man,
which could not be competent to any other man.
Plis birth, as well as the time and place of it, had
been foretold many ages previous to the event ; his
name was fix'd by an Angel before He was conceived
in the womb ; his conception was miraculous, his
Mother being a pure Virgin, impregnated by the
Holy Ghoft ; or as Saint Luke expreffes it, over-
fliadow'd by the power of the Higheft; and there
fore, fays the Angel to Mary, therefore that holy
thing which fliall be born of thee fhall be called the
Son of God. As the reader advances, he will per
ceive the whole complection of his life in full con-
fiftency with the wonders of his birth ; that He
fpake as never man fpake, and did the works
which no other man did. Attend Him to the crofs ;
there behold Him bleed, and expire ; thence fee
his lifelefs body convey 'd to Jofeph's tomb. Here
will the reader paufe. This man, he will fay, was
certainly a moft extraordinary Character, and every
thing hitherto has befpoke the Son of God ; but
now I fee He could be no more than Man ; for alafs I
the common fate of mortality has arrested Him :
there he lies, dead, and buried. Such feem to have
been the fentiments of his own difciples, even of
them

58 SERMON V.
them who had conftantly acknowledg'd Him to be
the Meffiah, and who trusted that this had been He
who fliould have redeemed Ifrael. But fliort is
this awful paufe of fufpence and despondency.
See the' third morning dawns in the eaft. He re
vives, He rifes! He burfts the fetters of death and
the grave, and leads captivity captive. For the fpace
of foity days He fliews Himfelf alive by many in
fallible proofs ; and then, in the prefence of his dif
ciples, He afcends up into heaven. And as Saint
Luke exprefsly informs us, they, that is the difci
ples, worfhipped him. (
On this laft recited paflage I would not hefitate
to reft with the unletter'd reader the satisfactory
proof of Chrift's Divinity. Our adverfaries are
here redue'd to a wretched quibble, endeavouring
to diftinguifh two forts of worfhip : a diftinction
for which they are indebted to the Papifts, who
firft invented it to palliate their worfhip of images
and relics, of Saints, and of the Virgin Mary. To
thefe they pretend that they addrefs an inferior wor
fhip, referving the fuperior to God alone. A dif
tinction this, which the unlearned can not compre
hend, and the learned know to be groundlefs. It
has been fuggefted alfo, that the difciples, struck
with aftonifhment at the ftupendous fight of their
Matter's

SERMON V. 59
Matter's human body of flefh and blood quitting
the furface or" the earth, and rifing gradually in the
air, till a cloud hid him from their eyes ; ftruck I
fay with aftonifhment, they fell on their faces, de-
priv'd in a manner of their fenfes, and not know
ing what they did. But what will the plain rea
der fay to this ? the difciples worfhipped Him, and
He forbade them not ; therefore worfhip is his
due : but worfhip is due to God alone ; there
fore He, Chrift, is God.
On farther progrefs in the perufal of the Bible,
we fliall find every name and every attribute of
God afcrib'd to Chrift. By the Prophet Ifaiah He
is ftil'd the everlafting Father ; in exact conformi
ty to his own affertion, I and the Father are One.
He is eternal, the firft, and the laft. Saint Paul
tells the Coloffuns, that Chrift is before all things,
and by Him all things confift. Juft as Saint John
afferts of that Word which was made flefh, and
dwelt among us, even by that Word were all thirjgs
made, and without Him was not any thing made
that was made. He is omniprefent. While con
verfing with his difciples on earth, He calls Him
felf the Son of Man, which is in heaven. Sitting as
He now is at the right hand of God on the throne
©f glory, in heaven, yet as He told his difciples, lo !
I am

60 SERMON V.
I am with you always, even to the end of the world;
fo now wherefoever two or three are gathered to
gether in his name, there is He in the midft of
them. He is Omnifcient. While He was on
earth, He knew all men, and needed not that any
fliould tell Him ; for he knew what was in man.
Now He is in heaven, He fearcheth the hearts, and
trieth the reins. In confequence of thefe two attri
butes or qualities of Omniprefence and Omni-
fcience, He is even now prefent here, in the midft
of this affembly : to Him do I appeal for my sin
cerity in preaching this doctrine ; to Him do each
of you ftand amenable for your faith herein. In
confequence of thefe attributes He will one day
come to judge the world in righteoufnefs. Then
as Saint Paul tells the Corinthians, we muft all ap
pear before the judgement feat of Chrift, that every
one may receive the things done in his body, ac
cording to that he hath done, whether it be good
or bad. The fame Apoftle tells Timothy that the
Lord Jefus Chrift fhall judge the quick and the
dead, at his appearing, and his kingdom. But God
is Judge alone ; God alone is eternal, omniprefent,.
and omnifcient. What conclufion then follows
from thefe premifes ? even this, that Chrift is
God.

In

SERMON t- 6\
In the New Teftament, particularly in Saint
John's Gofpel, are recorded various converfations
of our bleffed Saviour, both with his own difciples,
and with the unbelieving Jews. Many of the ex
preffions which He ufes are involv'd in no incon
siderable degree of obfcurity. Of this the Unita
rians endeavour to take advantage, and deny them
to contain any proofs of Chrift's Divinity. I fhall
not attempt an explanation of them, fome of them
being poffibly not fully comprehended by the moft
learned; but the unlearned may eafily collect
in what fenfe they were understood by thofe to
whom they were addrefs'd. You will obfervey
that Jefus is uniformly call'd the Son of God.. That
title we grant to have been fometimes applied to
others ; though we maintain that the appellation of
the only-begotten Son was never confer'd on any
but Jefus. But does this imply equality with the
Father ? you will find that the Jews fo understood
it. In the fifth Chapter of Saint John's Gofpel is
recorded the miraculous cure wrought by Jefus on
the impotent man at the pool of Bethefda, on the
Sabbath-day. The Jews feeking to flay him for
this, Jefus anfwered them, My Father worketh hi
therto, and I work. Therefore, adds the Evan
gelift, the Jews fought the more to kill Him, be-
Capfe

62 SERMON V.
caufe He not only had broken the Sobbath,
but faid alfo that God was his Father, making
Himfelf equal with God. Again in the tenth
chapter of the fame Gofpel, Jefus having fpoke
, thofe memorable words, I and my Father are one ;
the Jews took up ftones again to ftone Him. Je
fus anfwer'd them, Many good works have I
fhewed you from my Father; for which of thofe
works do ye ftone me ? The Jews anfwered Him,
faying, For, a good work we ftone Thee not, but
for blafphemy ; and becaufe that thou, being a
Man, makeft Thyfelf God. Many fimilar paffages
will occur to the attentive reader, which for bre
vity's fake I omit, and proceed to the finifhing
fcene of the crofs. In the plain narrative of the.
Gofpel-hiftory you read that Jefus Chrift, the fub
ject of that hiftory, after a life fpent in doing good,
having at length finifh'd the work of his Ministry,
was betray 'd by Judas, feiz'd in the garden, taken
before the Jewish Council, examin'd before the
Priefts and Elders, found guilty on his own con-
feffion ; then fentenc'd to-death by the Roman Go
vernor Pontius Pilate, and inftantly drag'd to ex
ecution by the Roman Soldiers, and nail'd to the
crofs. At the fame time the Governor himfelf
pronounc'd Him innocent, even while he infa-
moufly abandon'd Him to the fury of the people, incited

SERMON V. 63
incited by the malice and envy of the Rulers. That
Jefus liv'd and died guiltlefs, is acknowledg'd by
all Chriftians, of every feet or denomination. Let us
enquire then on what grounds He was condemn'd.
We learn from Saint Matthew, that the chief
Priefts and Elders and all the Council fought falfe
witnefs againft Jefus to put Him to death, but
found none ; yea though many falfe witneffes came,
yet found they none. This account is farther ex-
plain'd by Saint Mark, who tells us, that many bare
falfe witnefs againft Him, but their witnefs agreed
not together. They then endeavour'd to fubftan-
tiate againft Him a charge of fome intention of
deftroying their Temple. We heard Him fay, I
will destroy this Temple that is made with hands,
and within three days I will build another made
without hands. But neither fo did their witnefs
agree together. Thus baffl'd and difappointed,
but ftill perfevering, at laft the High Prieft flood
up in the middle, and having tried in vain to get
an anfwer from Jefus, who difdain'd to reply to fuch
frivolous and inconfiftent charges, he puts to Him
this decifive queftion, Art Thou the Chrift, the
Son of the Bleffed ? or according to Saint Mat
thew, I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou
tell us, whether Thou be the Chrift, the Son of
God. To this decifive queftion thus folemnly afk'd,

64 SERMON V,
afk'd, He plainly and decifively anfwers, I aril*
Then the High , Prieft rent his clothes, and faid,
what need we any further witneffes ? Ye have
heard his blafphemy : what think ye ? and they
all condemned Plim to be guilty of death.
Here let me addrefs you in the words of the High
Prieft, What think Ye ? Ye have heard the
charge, a charge of blafphemy, and that blafphemy
exprefsly condemn'd by the Law of God given to
Mofes. , And what was the blafphemy ? that Jefus.
acknowledg'd Himfelf to be the Son of God. By
this expreffion it is plain that his enemies under-
ftood Him as arrogating Divinity to Himfelf;
otherwife they could not have condemn'd Him.
It is as plain that He defign'd they fliould under-
ftand Him fo ; otherwife as an explanation of his
words in a lower fenfe would effectually have
quafh'd the accufation, fo we cannot fuppofe that
He would patiently have fubmitted to a fentence
founded on a mifconftruction which might have
been fo eafily rectified, and which even the truth
itfelf oblig'd Him to rectify. Clearly then did
Jefus acquiefce in the fenfe put upon his words by
his judges ; and as clearly did He thereby declare
Himfelf to be God. If then He was not God, He
was manifestly guilty of falfehood as well as blai-,
phemy,.

SERMON V. 65
phemy ; and the Unitarian muft on his own prin
ciples approve of the bloody fentence> and pro
nounce the Saviour and Redeemer of the world
to have fuffer'd juftiy. But what think Ye ? is it
in a guilty Malefactor that ye have plac'd all your
hopes of falvation ? does not every pious hearer
even fliudder at the horrid fuggeftion ? Let the
Unitarian and his brother Jew brood over their
moft execrable blafphemies ; while the true Chrifti
an adores and glorifies in the Perfon of the bleffed
Jefus, his Saviour, his Redeemer, and his God !
I will conclude this difcourfe with recommend
ing one method more to fuch of my hearers, as
may wifh for ftill farther fatisfadtion on this impor
tant point. It is that of comparing Scripture with
itfelf; or collating various texts one with another.
But as this may be too difficult a tafk for the unlet-
ter'd reader, and requires more time than can well
be fpar'd by the man of bufinefs ; I would inform
fuch that the work is already executed to their
hands in a moft mafterly manner, in a fmall- and
cheap book, intitl'd, The Catholic doctrine of a
Trinity, by the Reverend William Jones. You
will there find upwards of an hundred fliort clear
arguments, all exprefs'd in the terms of the Holy
Scripture. And having hitherto chiefly dwelt
f upon

66 SERMON V.
v
upon the Divinity of the fecond Perfon in the
Trinity, and but briefly touch'd on that of the
third ; I wilt clofe with a fpecimen of his manner,
in a proof of the Divinity of the Holy Ghoft.
Read then the fixth chapter of the Prophecy of
Ifaiah. You will therejfind a moft fublime defcription
of a Vifion, wherein the Prophet beheld the Lord
Jehovah fitting upon a throne of glory. Mine
eyes, fays he, have feen the King, the Lord of
hafts. God vouchfafes to fend him on an errand :
Go, and tell this people, hear ye indeed, but under
stand not ; and fee ye indeed, but perceive not.
Then turn to the laft chapter of the Acts of the
Apoftles, and mark the words of Saint Paul to the
Jews : Well fpake the Holy Ghoft by Efaias the
Prophet unto our Fathers, faying, Go ~unto this
people, and fay, hearing ye fhall hear, and fhall not
understand ; and feeing ye fliall fee, and not per
ceive. Here the fame words which Ifaiah declares
to have been fpoken by God, are by Saint Paul de-
clar'd to have been fpoken by the Holy Ghoft.
Ifaiah was infpir'd, and Saint Paul was infpir'd :
nor can Infpiration err. What follows? What
can follow, but this, that the Holy Ghoft is God.
Doubt

SERMON V. 67
Doubt ye not then that the Holy Ghoft is God :
doubt ye not that Chrift Jefus is God: doubt ye
not but that Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft, though
three Perfons, are neverthelefs but One God.
This is the true Catholic Faith ; in this Faith were
we all baptiz'd ; even in the Name of this ever-
bleffed Trinity in Unity ; to whom be afcrib'd all
Adoration and Praife through the Ages of
Eternity.

AMEN.

F2

SERMON

68

SERMON VI.

PREACH'D ON SUNDAY MARCH 22, 1795'

1 N my two laft difcourfes I have been pretty co
pious and explicit on the fubject of the Trinity.
I have laid before you the infinite importance of
the doctrine; I have pointed out feveral fingle
texts of Scripture declaring the true and proper
Divinity of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghoft ; I have fuggefted fome methods whereby
every plain and sincere, however unlearned reader
of the Bible may fully fatisfy himfelf on this point ;
and for his farther afliftance I have recommended to
his notice a fhort and cheap treatife on the fubject. I
have alfo remark'd to you, that all fuch paffages of
Holy Writ as either exprefs or imply an inferiority of
the Son to the Father, are capable of a plain meaning
by applying them to the human nature affum'd by
Chrift ; and when fo underftood, are perfectly re-
con-

SERMON VI. 69
concilable to the doctrine of the Trinity. Let me
here add, that the Author of the book recom
mended has been peculiarly fuccefsful on this
point ; having fairly produc'd every text urg'd
againft us by our adverfaries, and compleatly ob
viated and invalidated every argument attempted
to be grounded upon them. I will here farther
obferve, that whoever ftudies the Scripture on
Trinitarian principles, will find the fyftem of
Man's Redemption and Salvation by Chrift, how
ever wonderful and mysterious, yet uniformly con-
fiftent throughout, and a fteady foundation of ra
tional faith and hope: while on the contrary,
the Unitarian will meet with nothing but a dark
and confus'd Chaos of inconfiftencies and contra
dictions, without any fure ground of faith or hope j
and not improbably will proceed in the beaten
track of what is call'd modern Philofophy, from
Unitarianifm to Deifm, and thence into the gloo-
mieft depths of Atheifm.
I now proceed to the juftification of our Church
for retaining in her Liturgy that admirable Creed
call'd the Athanafian. This is the grand mark
whereat the envenpm'd fhafts of our adverfaries are
principally levell'd ; on account of this we ftand
char°'d not only with bigotry and abfurdity, but
f 3 what

70 SERMON VI.
what is ftill worfe, with the moft Anrichriftian un-
charitablenefs. A ferious and a cruel charge this,
at any rate ; and if falfe and groundlefs, fuch as I
hope and truft I fhall prove it to be, words can not
adequately exprefs it's unparallel'd malignity and
impudence. Nay fhould it even be granted to
reft on fpecious or plaufible grounds, ftill it can
not be vindicated from indecency, from arrogance,
from ingratitude. The national Church is an ef-
fential part of the national Conftitution : that Con
ftitution not only protects in their civil Rights,
but indulges full liberty of confcience to all who
refufe to conform to that Church ; permitting
them to ferve God in their own way, and that pub
licly, and without moleftation : but it does not
permit them to flander and revile the eftablifh'd
Church, and the national worfhip. The lenity, and
indulgence of Government have at leaft a claim
upon their gratitude. The well-known Act of
Toleration, whereon all their privileges and immu
nities are founded, contains an exception with re
gard to all fuch as deny the Trinity ; and more
than that, there is a Statute now exifting in full
force, and which was pafs'd fome years fubfequent
to the Toleration Act, in the fame Reign ; where*.
by it is enadedj that if any perfon, educated in the
£hriftian Religion, or profefling the fame, fhall by
writing,

SERMON VI. 71
writing, printing, teaching, or advifed fpeaking de
ny any one of the Perfons in the Holy Trinity to
be God, or maintain that there are more Gods than
One ; he fhall undergo certain penalties and difa-
bilities therein fpecified. Were Government in-
clin'd to carry this Law into execution, which as
it never has been done, fo I fincerely hope It never
will ; but if it fliould, I fee but one fubterfuge left
to the Unitarian, but that one not devoid of truth j
namely, that he does not profefs the Chriftian Re
ligion, but another Religion, of quite a different
nature and completion.
But let us now 'attend to our adverfaries charge,
not againft Creeds and Arricles in general, all of
which they are for fweepingaway indifcriminately ;
but againft the Athanafian Creed in particular.
Our Church, we are told, denounces with, awful
vengeance the everlafting punifhment of Hejl
againft thofe who do not believe in a Creed which
they can not understand ; a mysterious Creed, drawn
up by fome unknown writer in the dark ages of
the Church. Hereby we incur a breach of true
charity, and by fo doing depart from the pure mo
del of primitive Chriftianity. This is the charge,
which muft be examin'd and refuted ; but it may
not be amifs previously to fuggeft to your notice
f 4 fome

72 SERMON VI.
fome obfervations on the nature of Chriftian Faith,
and of the modes or forms of profefling that
Faith, which are adopted by the Church of
England. The neceffity of Faith is obvious. He that com
eth to God3 muft believe that he is. To the Athe
ift, who fays there is no God, the very name of Re
ligion is an unmeaning found. The Deift ac
knowledges there is a God, but grounds his belief
on the works of nature, and the deductions of rea
fon ; rejecting as both falfe and needlefs the light
of Revelation. But we are the difciples of Chrift,
profefling ourfelves Chriftians : and our opponents
lay claim to the fame privileges and distinctions.
Our Faith then muft depend on 'Revelation : in
other words, we are bound to believe whatfoever
God has been pleas'd to reveal to us in Scripture.
That Scripture acquaints us with the original crea
tion and fubfequent fall of Man ; together with his
Redemption and final falvation by the means of
a wonderful Ferfonage nam'd Jefus, or the Savi
our. The Old Teftament was written before the
appearance of this Jefus in the world; the
New Teftament after it. The former is pro
phetic of what was to happen to Him ; the
latter is hiftorical of what actually did happen to
Him.

SERMON VI. 73
Him. The antient Jews were bound to believe
that fuch things as their Prophets foretold would
certainly come to pafs : the modern Chriftians
are bound to believe that fuch things as the Evan
gelists have related did affuredly come. to pafs, ac
cording to the accounts by them recorded.
But this Faith or Belief being an inward act of
the mind, known only to God and ourfelves, it be
comes farther neceffary that we outwardly profefs
it ; according to the doctrine of Saint Paul, who
tells us, that with the heart man believeth unto
righteoufnefs, and with the mouth confeflion is
made unto falvation. From the firft planting of
the Gofpel by Chrift. and his Apoftles, we uniform
ly, find fome fhort teft or confeflion of Faith re
quir'd of all who from among either Jews or
Gentiles were converted to Chriftianity. This
feems to have been ufually no more than an ac
knowledgment of Jefus being the Chrift, or Son of
God. One or two inftances from among many
may fuffice. When Philip had preached to the
Ethiopian Eunuch in his chariot, as they went on
their way, they came unto a certain water, and the
Eunuch faid, See, here is water ; what doth hinder
me to be baptized ? and Philip faid, If thou be-
lieveft with all thine heart, thou mayeft. And he
anfwered

74 SERMON VI.
anfwered and faid, I believe that Jefus Chrift is the
Son of God. Again, when at Philippi Paul and
Silas being caft into prifon for preaching the word,
the prifon doors were miraculouflyopen'd and eve
ry one's bands were loofed ; the aftonifli'd Jailer
starting out of his fleep, and with difficulty pre
vented by; Paul from killing himfelf, call'd for a
light, and fprang in, and came trembling, and fell
down before the Apoftles, faying, Sirs, what muft I
do to be faved ? and they faid, believe on the Lord
Jefus Chrift, and thou fhalt be faved. Now that
thefe fhort declarations are tantamount to an ac
knowledgement of Chrift's being God, will evident?
ly appear by comparing them with another conver
sion wrought by Chrift Himfelf. Jefus had open
ed the eyes of a man who was blind from his birth.
The Jews, after a captious examination both of
the man, and of his parents, caft him out of the
Synagogue, or excommunicated him. Jefus found
him again, and faid unto him, doft thou believe
On the Son of God ? he anfwered and faid, Who
is he, Lord, that I might believe on him ? And
Jefus faid unto him, Thou haft both feen him,
and it is He that talketh with thee. And he faid,
Lord I .believe. And he worfhipped Him. By
this act of worfhipping Him he acknowledg'd
Him to be God; and Jefus, the humble Je
fus,

SERMON VI. 75
fus, acquiefc'd, and gracioufly accepted his ado
ration. Now as the Scripture hiftory is by the facred and
infpir'd writers brought down but a few years only
below the final departure of the bleffed Jefus from
earth, after that period we muft have recourfe to
the works of other early writers of Eeclefiaftical
hiftory, many of which are ftill extant. From
thefe we learn, that the primitive Churches, found
ed by the Apoftles, or their immediate fucceffors,
for fome time admitted new converts to Baptifm
on the "bare profeffion of this Ample form, taken
from the baptismal inftitution by Chrift Himfelf:
I believe in God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Ghoft. As the numbers of converts were multi
plied, it was judg'd expedient to draw up a larger
form, comprehending fundry particulars concerning
Jefus, as related in the Scripture; and this form is
what we now call the Apoftles Creed; not as being
the work of the Apoftles themfelves, but as being
drawn from the pure fountains of Apoftolical Scrip
ture. Some time afterwards, new Heretics fpring-.
ing up, and corrupting the Orthodox Faith, a ge
neral Council of Bifhops conven'd at Nice, having
' formally condemn'd the blafphemous tenets of Arius,
•in order to guard the church from thofe peftilent errors

76 SERMON VI.
errors for the future, thought proper to compile a
ftill fuller profeffion of faith.; and this form is call'd,
from the name of the place where it was compos'd,
the Nicene Creed. In ftill farther procefs of time
the impugners of the Trinity, calling to their aid
the absurd Metaphysics then in vogue, endeavour'd
to darken and elude the plain truth by numberkfs
nice and subtle diftinctions, unintelligible even to.
themfelves, but apparently calculated to puzzle and
perplex. Here too the Orthodox found it neceffa
ry to follow them ; and; hence arofe the obnoxious
Creed known by the name of the Athanafian. And
here I readily concede to our adverfaries, that
neither it's Author, the date of it'scompofition, or of
it's reception into the' Church, are certainly known.
We are fure it has been admitted upwards of eight
hundred years, and not improbably above eleven
hundred : and it took it's name from one Athana-
fius, who greatly diftinguifh'd himfelf as a Con-
, troverfialift in oppofition-to Arius. Hence as the
Antitrinitarians were from their leader ftil'd Arians,
fo the Trinitarians, as alfo this Creed, as profefling
the fupport of the Trinitarian doctrine, obtain'd the
Title of Athanafian.
Let us now examine the fentiments of our
Church on this fubject; and for this we muft have
recourfe

SERMON VI. 77
recourfe to her Articles. I have before in a former
difcourfe quoted her fixth Article ; but as it is a
very fhort one, I muft beg leave once again to
befpeak your attention to it. " Holy Scripture
" containeth all things neceffary to falvation ; fo
" that whatfoever is not read therein, nor may be
" proved thereby, is not to be required of any man
" that it fhould be believed as an article of the
<c faith, or be thought requifite or neceffary to fal-
" vation." From hence it is but a very fhort ftep
to the eighth Article, which runs in thefe words.
" The three Creeds, Nice Creed, Athanafius Creed,
" and that which is commonly called the Apoftles
" Creed, ought throughly to be received and be-
" sieved, for they may be proved by moft certain
" warrants of Holy Scripture." Here you have in
the plaineft words the reafon why our Church has
thought proper to retain this Creed. She meddles
not with the difputed points reflecting it's author,
or it's date; but only declares the neceffity of be
lieving it, becaufe warranted by Scripture.
It is not my intention here to enter upon an
Analysis of this Creed ; which to any obfervant
reader will appear to confift of but two principal
doctrines, that of the Trinity, and that of the In
carnation. On the firft of thefe it declares that all
the

78 SERMON VI.
the feveral Attributes belonging to the Godhead
are alike competent to each Perfon ; fo that the
Father is God, the Son God, and the Holy Ghoft
God; and yet not three Gods, but One God.
And all idea of inferiority being incompatible with
the notion of God, it of courfe declares that in
this Trinity none is afore or after other, none is
greater or lefs than another ; but the whole three
Perfons are coeternal together, and coequal. On
the fecond point, it is a mere comment on that
text of Saint John, The Word was made Flefh:
which it guards againft the perverfe mifreprefenta-
tions of the early Heretics ; moft truly afferting
our bleffed Saviour to be perfect God and perfect
Man ; of courfe equal to the Father as touching
his Godhead, while inferior to the Father as
touching his Manhood; and that although He
be God and Man, yet He is not two, but One
Chrift. I have already pointed out to you this grada
tion of Creeds, from the moft fimple profeffion of
faith in the time of the Apoftles, down to this laft
and moft diffufe of all, the Athanafian. The very
firft implied a belief in the Trinity : I believe in
God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft.
The Antitrinitarian could not with the fmalleft de
gree

SERMON IV. 79
gree of decency object to this ; but hug'd himfelf
in a mental refervation, that thefe were not three
diftinct Perfons, but only different names and
titles. The Apoftles Creed ftiles Jefus, God's only
Son, and our Lord. The Arian allow'd Him to
be the Son of God, but not Himfelf God ; and
acknowledg'd Him to be our Lord and Mafter,
as being Head of the Church which Himfelf had
founded. The Nicene Creed goes a ftep farther,
declaring Chrift to be Very God of Very God, and
of one fubftance with the Father. Here the Arian
was stagger' d ; but by degrees, and with the help
of fome metaphyfical quibbles, he cpntriv'd to
4
evade this alfo. At laft comes the Athanafian
Creed, and afferts in plain terms, that the Father
is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Ghoft is
God. No farther fubterfuge now remain'd. If
the Arian acknowledg'd this, he muft either give
the lie to his own principles, or by renouncing
thofe principles muft ceafe to be an Arian. Una
ble to refote, he has recourfe to abufe, Obftinate
and determirr'd in his oppofition to the Trinitarian
doctrine, his enmity againft all creeds which main
tain that doctrine is in exact proportion to the clear
nefs and explicitnefs wherewith they maintain it.
Now having fhewn you in my two preceding dif
courfes that the Trinitarian doctrine is the genuine
doctrine of S cripture, I fhall not fcruple here to add, that

go SERMON VI.
that as our Church for that fole reafon adopts it,
fo the zeal of every true Son of the Church in the
defence of her feveral Creeds fhould rife in exact
proportion to the virulence of our adverfaries againft
them refpertively : and of courfe I confider the
Athanafian Creed as the grand bulwark of the Tri
nitarian doctrine, of the Church of England, and,
of Christianity itfelf.
But enough I truft has been faid in vindication
of this Creed on the point of it's Orthodoxy. Our
adverfaries chufe to give their objections a more
popular turn ; and therefore declaim againft it's un-
charitablenefs, on account of what they, are pleas'd
to call it's damnatory claufes. Let the Creed fpeak
for itfelf. " Whofoever will be faved, before all
" things it is neceffary that he hold the Catholie
" Faith ; which Faith, except every one do keep
cc whole and undented, without doubt he fhall pe-
" i ifh everlastingly." The plain meaning of which
is no more than this ; None can ple'ad a right to
falvation by the Gofpel without holding the Chrif
tian Faith, or believing the truths reveal'd in that
Gofpel. " And the Catholic Faith is . this, that
" we worfhip One God in Trinity, and Trinity
" in Unity." Here the doctrine of the Trinity
is afferted to be a part of the neceffary Catholic or

SERMON VI. Si
•or Chriftian Faith. But the word Trinity not
occurring in the Bible, this Creed proceeds to ex
plain it's fignification more at large; fhewing that
there are three diftinct Perfons, to each of whom
every Attribute of the Godhead is afcrib'd in that
fame Scripture, which yet uniformly maintains
there being one only God. After an ample dif-
cuffionofthis point, the Creed pftffes on to a fe
cond, refpecting particularly the fecond Perfon in
this Trinity. " Furthermore it is neceffary to
" everlafting falvation, that he alfo believe rightly
" the incarnation of our Lord Jefus Chrift." It
then explains what the right Faith is, or what the
Scriptures have revealed to us, on this fubject alfoj
and finally concludes with this declaration, " This
" is the Catholic Faith; which except a man be-
" lieve faithfully, he cannot be faved." Now
here it is obvious to obferve, that thofe explana
tory paffages which make up the bulk of the
Creed, are intended folely for our information
and fatisfaction ; being all of them adduc'd by way
of arguments in proof and illustration of the main
points, and of courfe having nothing to do with the
damnatory claufes ; and the whole is reducible to
this fimple affertion : Christian Faith is neceffary
to falvation ; and Chriftian Faith includes the be
lief of the Trinity, and of Chrift's Incarnation.
c And

Ss SERMON VI.
And for this both the Creed itfelf, and our
Church for retaining it, are accus'd of the moft
flagrant violation of Chriftian Charity !
The Church of Rome has indeed the affurance
to. pronounce on her own bare authority, and
without pretending any warrant from Scripture,
that falvation is not to be had out of her commu
nion ; and for this we juftly accufe her of unchari-
tableriefs : and think it ground fufficient, even had
we no other, to relinquifh her communion. And
in this odious light would the infidious Sectary
fain put the Church of England. But we defy
the charge, and boldly appeal to the Scripture.
The Chriftian Religion is founded on a mutual
covenant between the Creator and the Creature.
Faith and good works are the conditions : falva
tion the reward of obedience, damnation the pu
nifhment of difobedience. For good works, our
Saviour thus commissions his difciples : Go ye,
and teach all nations, teaching them to obferve all
things whatfoever I have commanded you : and
Saint Paul accordingly denounces that God will
render to every man according to his deeds ; to
them who by patient continuance in well-doing
feek for glory, and honour, and immortality, eter
nal life; but on the contrary, indignation and
wrath

SERMON VI. 83
Wrath, tribulation and anguifli upon every foul of
man that doeth evil. Will they accufe Saint Paul
of uncharitablenefs ? For the other condition of
Faith, hear our bleffed Saviour's commiflion to
his difciples, as recorded by Saint Mark. Go ye
into all the world, and preach the Gofpel to every
creature. " He that believeth, and is baptized,
" fhall be faved ; but he that believeth not, fhall be
" damned." Will they dare to charge the Re
deemer of mankind with uncharitablenefs ? But
I forget : they will not allow Jefus to be more
than Man ; and as fuch, the obfcure and illiterate
fon of an honeft Carpenter : of courfe not likely
to know fo much of the Religion inftituted by
Himfelf, as the enlighten'd Adepts of modern
Philofophy! We, more humble Chriftians, ac
knowledge the terms of our falvation to be fuch as
are announc'd by the fole Author of that falvation,
even the bleffed Jefus, the everlafting God of truth
and love : to whom, with the Father, and the Holy
Ghoft, three Perfons and One God, be addrefs 'd
all prayer and praife from men and Angels, even
all in heaven and earth, for ever and ever.
AMEN.

c 2 SERMON

84

SERMON VII

PREACH'D ON SUNDAY APRIL 19, 1795.

A.LTHOUGH in the profecution of this plan
which I have undertaken I have already proceeded
to the extent of fix difcourfes, yet have I fcarcely
faid a fingle word in vindication of the Church of
England, as fhe ftands in contradistinction to the
Prefbyterian. In my third Sermon indeed I
acquainted you with the ground and origin of the
diftinction ; which refted folely on a difference of
opinion at the time of the Reformation with re-
fpect to Church-government. Our Englifh Re
formers, approving of an Eeclefiaftical Hierarchy,
and due fubordination, adopted, or rather retain'd
the Epifcopal form of government ; both as more
confonant to the primitive model of Antiquity, and
as more congenial to the fpirit of our Civil Con-
ftitjition.

SERMON VII. 85
ftitution. Others who follow'd the opinions of the
famous Calvin, and among them our Scottifh
Brethren, (Brethren now, but in thofe days moft
commonly Foes,) prefer'd a difcipline of more
equality, and lefs fubordination. Among them
therefore the Hierarchy was abolifh'd, and the
management of their Church being committed
to Synods, or affemblies compos'd 'of Priefts and
Lay-Elders, both cpmpriz'd under the denomina
tion of Prefbyters ; thence arofe the title of Pref-
byterians. In the fame third Sermon you may
farther remember, that after giving a general
outline of the Church of England, I defir'd you
particularly to notice, that what had been faid was by
way of relation only, not of vindication ; this latter
being referv'd for a future difcuffion, after points of
¦much greater confequence fhould have been pre-
vioufly confider'd.
Thefe points have now been pretty fully confi
der'd ; my three laft difcourfes having been wholly
dedicated to the defence of the doctrine of the Tri-
' nity, and the vindication of our Church for retain
ing in her fervice that grand bulwark of the Tri
nitarian doctrine againft every fubterfuge and quib
ble of Sophistry, the Athanafian Creed. And here
it may be proper to explain more fully what I have
c 3 ' hithertQjs

86 SERMON VII.
hitherto but barely hinted ; which is, that this con-
troverfy refpecting the Trinity has in fact nothing
to do with the Prefbyterians, as fuch. The Pref-
byterian Church, or as more commonly call'd, the
Kirk of Scotland, is on this point no lefs ortho
dox than the Church of England. Calvin, who
may be ftil'd the Father of Prefbyterianifm, was a
Trinitarian, as well as Luther, and the other Re
formers; and fo are, all his genuine difciples
to this hour. However they may differ from us
refpecting Church-government and difcipline, and
even in fome lefs material points of doctrine ; how
ever opinions might vary concerning preconceiv'd
forms of prayer, or Liturgies in general, and that
of the Church of England in particular, with it's
feveral ceremonies and offices : yet in the leading
article of the Trinity, or the acknowledgment of
three Perfons in one God, the Faith of all Chrif
tians was alike. Papifts, Prefbyterians, Sectaries of
every denomination, join'd in abhorrence" of that
peftilent herefy, which, as I have already obferv'd,
was firft broach'd by Simon Magus, afterwards
propagated by Arius, and laftly reviv'd by Soci-
nus. A herefy, whofe abettors, whatever they may
think of themfelves, have no more right to the
appellation of Chriftians, than the followers of Ma
homet or Confucius. They profefs indeed to be
lieve

SERMON VII. 87
lieve in the Chriftian Revelation, but torture that
Revelation out of it's Chriftianity. And on this
account it was, that with the confent of all parties
the oppugners of the Trinity were excepted out of
the Act of Toleration.
But in thefe latter days whereon our lot is fallen,
a new and unheard of Phenomenon hath appear'd
in the world. A fet of men 'started up on the Con-
r
tinent, openly profefling to explode Chriftianity,
and in it's room to substitute what they are pleas'd
to call Philofophy. Trufting folely to the ftrength
of their own reafon, their leading maxim of courfe
is, to reject and difbelieve whatfoever is beyond the
power of that reafon to comprehend. On this
principle it requires no great penetration to fee
what fate the doctrine of the Trinity muft expect
at their hands, even fhould they admit the truth of
other parts of Revelation. Farther, declaring
themfelves champions of unqualified liberty, and
obferving the clofe alliance between Popery and
Defpotifm ; at the fame time not diftinguifhing
between the corruptions of Popery and the genuine
purity of Chriftianity; they rafhly concluded that
Chriftianity itfelf, nay that all Religion muft be
incompatible with liberty', and that no man can be
ftrictly and properly free, while fubject to a fu-
g 4 preme

88 SERMON VIL
preme Governour of the world, or God. In
France they have unhappily prevail'd fo far, as to
bring this wild and abford theory to the teft of ex
perience. They have renounc'd all belief in a
God, and difcarded all religion; and on this ac
count fancy themfelves the only free people in the
world. Hence the anarchy and mifery which at
this moment defolate that devoted land ; whofe
liberty confifts in an unbounded licence to rob
and murder, and after all, to starve. Among our
felves, this bastard Philofophy feems to have ftopt
fomething fhort of this extreme. It's boafted
leader and. champion, whofe defpair of fuccefs here
has driven him to the Continent of America, uni
formly profeffes his belief in God, and his adher
ence to reveal'd Religion : but adopting in it's full
force the maxim above-mention'd, of rejecting
from his Creed whatever furpaffes his compre
hension ; he is thence led to declare the moft ran -
courous hoftility againft the doctrine of the Tri
nity ; which he places at the head of the grofs cor
ruptions of Chriftianity, And his acknowledg'd
abilities, together with the fuccefs, wherewith in
confequence of thofe abilities, and of the moft di
ligent and laborious investigation, he has been
enabl'd to make fome important difcoveries in
Natural and experimental Philofophy, have attach'd to

SERMON VII. 89
to him many admirers, whofe blind zeal indifcrimi-
nately adopts even his wildeft Reveries in divinity.
Now thefe Prieftleian Unitarians can by no means
maintain a communion with the Church of Eng
land, which is Trinitarian throughout. What is
the confequence ? In the Metropolis, where their
numbers are confiderable, they have form'd them
felves into feparate focieties, under the name of
Unitarian congregations. But in the country,
where their numbers are not confiderable enough
for that purpofe, they have generally join'd them
felves to fome feet of Protestant Diffenters ; whofe
members being unfetter'd from, the. reftraints laid
upon the Church of England by her Articles of
Religion, are of courfe at full liberty to adopt
whatever mode of faith their caprice or prejudice
may fuggeft. And as the fame reftlefs fpirit which
difinclines men to believe what they can not com
prehend, and to acknowledge any authority in
matters of faith, naturally leads them to impa
tience under civil controul, and to a diflike of every
conftitution which falls fhort of their fpeculative
ideas of unattainable perfection ; hence it comes that
Unitarians in religion are for the moft part Repub
licans in Politics. Nor is it to be wonder'd at,
that fuch as would degrade the Saviour and Re
deemer of mankind into a mere Carpenter's fon,
fliould

oo SERMON VII.
fliould wifh alfo to reduce the Kings and Nobles
of the earth in the fame manner, and to level all
rank and power into an undiftinguifhable mafs of
imaginary equality.
From this ftatement of the cafe, thus fairly and
fully reprefented, it is clear that the controverfy
between the Church of England and the Prefbyte
rians is of trifling import in comparifon of that
between the Trinitarians and Unitarians. But un
fortunately, whether from the long refidence of the
now departed Unitarian Philofopher in this neigh
bourhood, and his unwearied zeal and industry
in propagating and diffeminating his heretical te
nets ; or from what other caufe it may have hap-
pen'd, which I presume not to fathom : yet the
fact is, that the Prefbyterians in this part of the
kingdom are almoft univerfally Unitarians. Were
it otherwife, 1 fhould fcarcely have thought it
worth my while to undertake a formal defence and
vindication of our Church againft fuch objections
as are ftrictly Prefbyterian ; moft of which
are mere trifling captious cavils fcarce worth no
ticing, and fome upon matters totally indifferent.
But having already taken up fo much of your time •
in combating the Unitarian Herefy, and their
other objections being blended with that principal one

SERMON VII. 91
one againft the Trinity ; I can not confider the exe
cution of my defign as compleat, without a cur-
fory notice of whatfoever befides they have thought
proper to allege againft us. As to the original
difpute refpecting the mode of Church-govern
ment, I fliall drop it entirely ; and for this reafon,
becaufe every Sovereign State is poffefs'd of an
indifputable right to chufe it's own. I look upon it
as equally unjustifiable to decry Prefbyterianifm in
Scotland, as Epifcopacy in England : unlefs either
can be prov'd repugnant to the word of God,
which is not pretended. The affertion indeed
which is ftated to be the grand principle wherein all
Diffenters agree, that Jefus Chrift is the only Head
of his Church, I fhall think it neceffary to exa
mine at fome length, as involving ambiguities,
which taken in a wrong fenfe may lead to dange
rous confequences. The feveral exceptions taken
againft Liturgies in general, and that of our own
Chufch in particular, with it's various ceremonies
and offices, I intend adverting to at fuch length as
the importance of each may appear reflectively to
deferve. But the remaining parts of my plan be-
in" in a good meafure diftinct from all that has
already preceded, and a kind of commence
ment of a new fubject, it feems inexpedient to en
ter upon it in the middle of a difcourfe. Befides, I feel

92 SERMON VII.
I feel myfelf call'd upon to apologize to you for
having extended my late difcourfes to a greater
length than you had reafon to expect from the ear
ly intimation I gave you to the contrary : for
which I have only to plead in excufe the great im
portance of the fubject, and the impropriety of in
terrupting the continuity of the argument. I hope
to be able to correct this fault in future ; fince
though much remains to be faid, yet as the feve
ral topics will be diftinct, and in & manner dif-
united from each other, and no one fubject will re
quire much time in the difcuffion ; it will confe-
quently be eafy to circumfcribe the limits of a Ser-
mon, which may be concluded indifferently at air
moft any part. And the remainder of my time
now I fhall dedicate to an attempt to .prepare your
minds for the readier acceptance of the anfwers I
fliall have to make to our adverfaries, by pointing
out to you the general beauty and excellence of our
admirable Liturgy.
In order to do this effectually, it would be ne
ceffary to take an exact and comprehensive furvey
of the whole ; pointing out in order it's feveral
beauties and excellencies, both in the fubftance,
method, and language of it's prayers; it's judicious
intermixture of petitions and fupplicatjons with
hvmns

SERMON VIT. 93
hymns of praife and thankfgiving, professions of '
faith, and exhortations to duty : together with it's
inimitable felections of fcriptural portions in the
Leffons, Epiftles, and Gofpels. But this would
require many more difcourfes than all the reft of
my plan taken together ; nor would fuch an under
taking be fo fuitable to a fermon as to a treatife ; in
which form it has already been executed in a maf-
terly manner by feveral able and learned divines of
our Church. And as one of thofe commentators
has in a preface to his work given a moft juft cha
racter and encomium thereof j and as his book,
written at the diftance of an hundred and twenty
years, is now in few hands } I fliall without ce
remony take the liberty of concluding this dif
courfe in his words ; which are much more
expreffive than any that I could pretend to fubfti-
tute in their room.
" No Church was ever blefs'd with fo com-
" prehenfive, fo exact, and fo inoffenfive a Litur-
" gy, as our own. So judicioufly is it contriv'd,
" that the wifeft may exercife at once their know-
" ledge and devotion ; fo plain, that the moft jg-
" norant may pray, with understanding : fo full,
" that nothing is omitted which is fit to be afk'd
" in public; fo particular,, that it comprifeth moft

"things

S4 ¦ SERMON VIT.
" things which we would afk in private ; yet fo
" fhort, as not to tire any that hath true devotion.
" It's doctrine is pure and primitive, it's ceremo-
" nies few and innocent ; it's method exact and
" natural ; it's language fignificant and perfpicu-
" ous. Moft of it's words and phrafes are taken
" out of the holy Scriptures; and the reft are the
" expreflions of the firft and pureft ages ; fo that
" whoever takes exception at thefe, muft quarrel
<* with the language of the Holy Ghoft, and fall
" out with the Church in her greateft innocence.
" The Scholar may therein difcern clofe Logic,
" pleafing Rhetoric, pure divinity, and the very
" marrow of the ancient doctrine and difcipline ;
" yet all made fo familiar, that the unlearned may
(( fafely fay Amen. It has obtain'd univerfal re
futation •, is. defervedly admir'd by the Eastern
" Churches, and had in great efteem by the moft
" eminent Protestants beyond fea ; who are the
" moft impartial judges that can be defir'd. And
" one of the moft eminent and moft learned of
" thefe foreign divines, one not only unconnected
" with our Chinch, but alfo under none, not even-
" the fmalleft obligation thereto, has given his de- .
" cifive opinion, that the Englifh Liturgy comes
" fo near to the primitive pattern, that none of the
" Reform'd Churches can compare with ,it."
To

SERMON VII, 95
To this fpirited and ftriftly juft, as well as ele
gant Encomium, the pious author after a fliort in
terval, adds the following fentence and prayer;
wherewith as he clofes his preface, fo will, I clofe
this difcourfe.
" Whoever defires no more than to worfhip God
" with zeal and knowledge, fpirit and truth, purity
" and sincerity, may do it by thefe devout forms.
" And to this end, may the God of peace give us all
" meek hearts, quiet fpirits, and devout affections ;
" and free us from all floth. and prejudice : that we
" may have full churches, frequent prayers, and fer-
" vent charity : that uniting in our prayers here, we
" may all join in his praifes hereafter, for the fake of
" Jefus Chrift our Lord : to whom, with the Father,
" and the Holy Ghoft, three Perfons and one God,
" be all honour and glory for evermore."

AMEN.

SERMON

96

SERMON VIII.

PREACH'D ON SUNDAY APRIL 26, I7O/5.

JjEING now to take into confideration the feveral
exceptions made againft our Church by thofe who
diffent from us, and who allege thefe as the
ground and juftification, of their feparation from
our communion, my defign is firft to examine each
objection apart, in order to fhew the futility of
each ; and fecondly to prove that all of them toge
ther are far from fufficient to juftify what I make
no fcruple of calling the heinous fin of Schifm.
Of thefe the firft is neceffary in order to vindicate
my application pf the Text > fince otherwife our
Church can not be truly characteriz'd as not having
fpot or wrinkle ; and the fecond may ferve to con
vince you of the folly and danger of that fpirit of
innovation, which would caft off an old, tried, fer-
viceable

SERMON VIII. 97
viceable garment, on account of a few fuppos'd
fpots or wrinkles, and thofe fcarcely if at all per
ceptible ; and adopt in it's room a flimfy piece of
modern texture, without either ftrength, beauty,
or conveniency. But there remains ftill in the way
an obftacle, which muft be previoufly remov'd.
For before entering upon the feveral fpecific ob
jections, I muft beg leave to examine the ftrength
and folidity of that fundamental bafis which sup
ports the whole fabric. This I fhall now give you
in their own words ; and a thorough difcuffion of
this fingle point will furnifh ample matter for the
prefent difcourfe.
The grand principle then of Diffenters, in
which we are told they all agree, is ftated to be
this : that Jefus Chrift is the only Head of his
Church ; and that no earthly power has a right to
prefcribe what his difciples are to believe ; fince
He has taught us to call no man upon earth Maf
ter, with refpect to religious matters ; becaufe One
is our Mafter, even Chrift. Now as this fentence
is fomewhat perplex'd, I fhall take the liberty to
analyfe it, and give you a view of it's feveral com
ponent parts, or members. It contains then firft
the main propofition, or Axiom, that Jefus Chrift
is the only Head of his Church. Secondly, an
h infer-

9? SERMON VIII.
inference, or Corollary, drawn from thence ; which
is, that no earthly power has a right to prefcribe to
the difciples of Chrift what they are to believe.
Laftly, the fcriptural proof whereon the proposi
tion is founded ; namely, that Chrift has taught us
to call no man upon earth Mafter, with refpedt to
religious matters, by having told us that One is our
Mafter, even Chrift. Now in the examination of
this matter it feems neceffary to invert the order
by beginning, with the laft part; fince if the Scrip
ture proof be inadequate to the purpofe for which
it is alleg'd, the whole muft fall to the ground.
My prefent defign then is, firft to explain the paf-
fage of Scripture whereto they allude ; fecondly,
to fhew in what fenfe the Axiom is true, and what
dangers as well as absurdities naturally flow from a
finifter acceptation of it ; and laftly, to exa
mine the Corollary, or confequence, here drawn
from it.
Firft then for the fcriptural proof. The Text
alluded to is the tenth verfe of the twenty third
chapter of Saint Matthew, where it is thus writ
ten : Neither be ye called Masters ; for One is
your Mafter, even Chrift. For the clear under
standing of this Text, it will be neceffary to take
in the whole fcope of the context, from the begin ning

SERMON VIII. 99
ning of the Chapter. We find in the firft verfe
that it is Jefus who fpeaks ; and that his difcourfe
is addrefs'd both to his own difciples, and to the
multitude. In the conclufion of the preceding
Chapter, Jefus having firft filenc'd the Sadducees,
and after them the Pharifees, in fuch fort that, as
the Evangelift informs us, no man was able to an
fwer Him, neither durft any man from that day
forth afk Him any more queftions ; takes occafion
on their departure to caution his hearers concern
ing them. And it is very obfervable, that He be
gins with a direct and implicit avowal of their law
ful authority in the Jewifh Church : The Scribes
and Pharifees fit in Mofes' feat. All therefore
whatfoever they bid you obferve, that obferve and
do : that is, obey their commands in all things
agreeable to the divine Law given by God to Mo
fes; but do not ye after their works ; for they fay,
and do not. And fuch is the unhappy frailty of
human nature, that it would be no unbecoming
humility in the very beft of Chriftian Minifters to
urge a similar caution refpecting ourfelves : follow
our precepts rather than our examples ; for alafs !
but too often we fay, and do not. Our Saviour
then proceeds to notice particularly the feveral
Pharifaical practices which He would have his fol
lowers efchew ; and firft He marks that oftentatious
h 3 vanity

100 SERMON VIII.
vanity for which they were above all other men
remarkable. All their works, fays Chrift, they
do to be feen of men. They love the uppermost
rooms at feafts, and the chief feats in the fyna-
gogues, and greetings in the markets : and to be
called of men Rabbi, Rabbi. Now thefe feveral
charges, together with that other of making broad
their Phylacteries, and enlarging the borders of
their garments, have a reference to Jewifh cuftoms
of thofe days, familiar to the audience to whom
Chrift fpoke ; but a full explanation whereof would
lead me too far from the main fubject. I fhall only
obferve that the term Rabbi, which is equivalent
to Mafter, was a title much affected by the learned
teachers of the Jews; and that the Heads or Prin
cipals of what they call'd the fchools of the Pro
phets were particularly diftinguifh'd by the appel
lation of Fathers. In allufion hereto we muft in
terpret the three following verfes. But be not ye
call'd Rabbi ; for One is your Mafter, even Chrift;
and all ye are brethren. And call no man your
Father upon the earth ; for One is your Father,
which is in heaven. Neither be ye called Mafters ;
for One is, your Mafter even Chrift. That thefe
words can not be underftood ftrictly, is manifeft
from two considerations. For firft, it is well
known that in thofe times no fuch a defcription of

SERMON VIII. xor
of perfons exifted, as what are now hired or menial
Servants ; but all work was perform'd by actual
Slaves ; who were as much the property of their
refpective owners or proprietors, as are our horfes or
cattle. If then Chrift's prohibition to call any man
Matter had been taken strictly, it muft have been
confider'd as implying an immediate emancipation
of all flaves on their converfion to Chriftianity.
But that no fuch thing was in fact defign'd is plain
from Saint Paul's firft Epiftle to the Corinthians,
where in the feventh Chapter he fays, Let every
man abide in the fame Calling, or condition, where
in he was called ; and adds, Art thou called, or
converted, being a fervant, or Have ? care not for
it: be contented in that ftate ; nor imagine that
thy admiffion into Chriftianity is to difcharge thee
from thy fervitude. Nay the fame Apoftle's Let
ter to Philemon is nothing but a request that he
would forgive and receive a runaway Have nam'd
Onefimus ; who although a Chriftian, and beloved
brother, and Minifter unto Paul in the bonds of
the Gofpel, was not yet on the fcore'of all this me
rit releas'd from his obligation to his mafter. But
fecondly Chrift adds, Call no man your Father
upon the earth ; for One is your Father which is in
heaven. Can this injunction be taken strictly ?
Ihall we fuppofe the bleffed Jefus meant to deftroy
h 3 the

102 SERMON VIII.
the parental tye ? is it Anrichriftian for a child to
ufe the endearing name of Father ? Abfurd, and
even ridiculous ! Nay farther, it is not forbidden
us to apply the term - Father in a fpiritual fenfe.
Saint Paul having call'd the Corinthians his be
loved fons, immediately adds, For though ye have
ten thoufand instructors in Chrift, yet have ye
not many Fathers; for in. Chrift Jefus I have be
gotten you through the Gofpel : meaning, that by
his ministry alone they were originally converted to
Chriftianity. Even the Diffenters themfelves fcru
ple not to appeal to the antient eeclefiaftical wri
ters under the appellation of the Fathers : how
ever their fqueamifli confeiences may be offended
at our addreffing the Bifhops of our Church by the
ftyle of Right Reverend Fathers in God. The re-
fult of the whole is, that the words we have been
considering relate particularly to that audience to
whom Chrift addrefs'd them, and to cuftoms then
and there fubfifting : and as far as they concern us
imply no more than an admonition to us not to
ufurp a dominion over your Faith ; but to exhort
you in Saint Paul's words to the Corinthians,
Be Ye followers of Us, even as we alfo are of
Chrift. This

SERMON VIII. 103
This paffage then of Scripture being thus upon
examination found to be inadequate to the proof
of the affertion in behalf whereof it is fo confidently
alleg'd, I now proceed to confider the affertion
itfelf. Jefus Chrift is the only Head of his Church.
That Jefus Chrift is the Head of the Church, is
true in every poffible fenfe. He is God, over All.
He is the fole founder of Chriftianity: the fole
author of our falvation. In confequence of his
voluntary humiliation, He is likewife invefted by
the Father with that Mediatorial kingdom which
is to continue till the final confummation of the
Univerfe; when according to Saint Paul, the Son
alfo Himfelf fhall be fubject unto Him that put all
things under Him, that God may be All in All.
Then only fliall Chrift's Mediatorial kingdom
ceafe, when All being fubdued thereto, nothing
farther remains whereupon it can be exercis'd. In
all thefe refpedts does every Chriftian unequivocally
acknowledge Chrift to be the Head, and only Head
of the Church. But here the equivocation lies in
the little word— Only. That there neither is, nor
can be, any authority paramount to that of Chrift,
we readily allow ; but they would fain ftretch the
fio-nification of the word Only into a denial of the
lawfulnefs of any fubordinate authority. The ab
furdity of this notion fearcely needs to be pointed
h 4 out.

104 SERMON VIII.
out. Our Civil Conftitution acknowledges but
one fupreme head in the King ; but is this any
argument againft the delegated power of inferior
Magistracies? The Chriftian Church is the aggre
gate body of Chriftian people: the Church of Eng
land is the aggregate body of thofe Chriftian people
who affent to her doctrine and difcipline. Chrift,
the fupreme Head, is invifible : while on earth, He
left us general rules for our faith and practice,
which ftill remain in their full force; but He left
us no precife or determinate directions for the go
vernment of his Church, confider'd as a vifible
Body. In order to govern his Church immedi
ately and perfonally, He muft either have conti
nued to refide upon earth, or have prefer v'd a
continued miraculous interpofition and commu
nication from heaven. God is univerfal Sovereign:
yet has every nation a fovereign power residing
fomewhere in it's conftitution, whether that conftitu
tion be Monarchical, Ariftocratical, Democratical,
or like our own, a happy mixture of all ; and with
out fuch a Sovereignty, all would be Anarchy.
Thefe few obfervations, while they fhew you the
abfurdities that flow from the perverfe mifapplica-
tion of a principle in itfelf strictly true, may at the
fame time convey fome idea of the dangers that
may

SERMON VIII. 105
may from thence confequentially arife. But far
ther to illustrate and confirm this laft idea, of the
danger, I mean, as well as the abfurdity ; permit
me to remind you of what actually came to pafs
in this very kingdom, within the lapfe of a Century
and an half. In thofe dreadful times which imme
diately preceded and follow'd the execrable, and
'till of late unparallel'd murder of Charles the firft;
times, which fome factious and turbulent fpirits of
thefe days, not content with extolling, would gladly
renew : when Church and State, which always
ftand or fall together, lay prostrate in the duft;
while Anarchy, conducted by Hypocrify, rode tri
umphant over their ruins : among the innumerable
fedts and heresies which Hell foawn'd out on this
distracted land, there ftarted up a fet of Fanatics,
who affum'd to themfelves the title of Fifth-mo
narchy men. Alluding to the four great Monar
chies that according to the prophetic predictions
have fucceffively rul'd over the world ; and recur
ring to a prophecy in the Revelations of Saint
John, imperfectly understood, refpecting a Millen
nium, or reign of Chrift with his Saints upon
earth, for a thoufand years previous to the final
confummation of all things ; on thefe grounds
they affected to maintain that this-fifth monarchy,
or reign of Chrift, was already commenc'd ; and
Jefus

to6 SERMON VIII.
Jefus being the Only King, all earthly authority
was of courfe fuperfeded and utterly abolifh'd.
The confequences of this doctrine were among the
moft dreadful of thofe which ftain that gloomy and
inaufpicious page of Britifh hiftory : and I fhall
leave it to your own imaginations to pourtray the
fcenes that would now enfue, and the triumphs of
folly and fanaticifm over fenfe and loyalty, if, from
the finifter acceptation of God's being fole King
and Judge, muft follow the abolition of all earthly
Government and Judicature ; and your obedience
to King Jefus overturn your allegiance to King
George. But let me not be misunderstood as though I
meant to infinuate, that the Separatifts from our
communion generally lean towards the pernicious
doctrines which I have been reprobating: though
there be certainly fomething fufpicious in their ftat-
ing this principle of Chrift's being the only Head
of his Church as a kind of center of union to all
Diffenters ; whereas in fact, when restricted within
it's proper fenfe, and guarded from perverfe mifap-
plications, it is equally a center of union to all chri
ftians of every denomination. The Corollary or.
conclufion which they draw from this principle is,
that no earthly power has a right to prefcribe what the

SERMON VIII. 107
the difciples of Chrift are to believe. This I
come now thirdly and laftly to confider.
The very mention of prefcription in matters of
Faith is an abfurdity. Belief is the child of perfua-
fion, not of Authority. Perfecution has made ma
ny an hypocrite, but never a true believer. But
however incompetent human authority be for the
propagation of Faith, yet muft divine authority
be ever acknowledg'd as it's legitimate fource.
When Man fpeaks, we are at liberty to withold
our affent, 'till proof generates conviction. When
God fpeaks, all the proof requifite is merely of the
fact, that it is God who fpeaks ; and implicit belief
muft inftantaneoufly follow. Now all who call
themfelves chriftians agree in receiving the Holy
Scriptures as the undoubted word of God ; and all
are confequently under the fame obligation to be
lieve and obey them. If then it can be made ap
pear that the Church of England does in any one
fingle inftance prefcribe the belief of any article
which is not contain'd in Scripture, nor may be
prov'd thereby ; come out of her : difcard her au
thority ; renounce her communion. But 'till this
can be done, and all the acutenefs, all the industry,
all the malice of her ableft, as well as moft deter-
min'd adverfaries have never yet been able to do
it;

108 SERMON VIII.
it ; to what purpofe all this renunciation of hiiman
authority in matters of Religion ? this raifing fuch
a duft about nothing, merely to blind our eyes.
Thus much I have thought neceffary in order
to put you upon your guard againft the fly and in-
fidious infinuations that lurk conceal'd under the
mafk of truth in the affertion I have been consider
ing. The affertion itfelf is strictly true. Jefus'
Chrift is the only Head of his Church ; nor has
any earthly power a right to prefcribe what Chrif
tians are to believe. But from the mode of urg
ing this, and from the flaring it fo particularly as
the grand principle .wherein all Diffenters agree,
would not any unprejudic'd ftranger, ignorant of
the differences between us, be naturally induc'd to
fuppofe, that this faid agreement was peculiar
to the Diffenters exclufively ? that the Church of
England difavow'd this grand principle ? that by
her entitling the King her fupreme head, fhe re
nounces the Headfhip of Chrift ? that fhe enforces
articles on your Faith by the mere dint of human
authority, utterly unsupported by the word of God
in Scripture ? This is in fact what they wifh you
to believe, though they dare not openly and une
quivocally avow it. And this covert mode of at
tack appear'd to me of confequence fufficient to
demand

SERMON VIII. 109
demand fingly one entire difcourfe. Their open
and avow'd objections, together with what I have
farther to offer upon the fubject, I fliall be able
to comprize in two more Sermons; and having
detain'd you long enough at prefent, fhall now dif
mifs you with the ufual conclufion ; afcribing all
honour and glory, praife, might, majefty, and do
minion to the ever-bleffed and undivided Trinity
in Unity, for ever and ever.,

AMEN.

SERMON

no

SERMON IX

PREACH'D ON SUNDAY MAY IO, 1 795*

At that period of time when England, at length
happily emancipated from the fpiritual tyranny of
Rome, was to eftablifh. a National Church for her
felf it could not be expected in the nature of
things that all fliould be uniformly of one mind
refpecting the model and form whereon that
Church fliould be conftituted. The Maxim which
our Reformers fo prudently adopted, of departing
from the Church of Rome no farther than fhe had
departed from the Church of Chrift, was by no
means agreeable to fome hot headed zealots, who
were for reprobating and difcarding indifcriminately
whatfoever had been adopted by Papal Rome,
however primitive and orthodox ; all which the cant
of fanaticifm affected to abominate, as polluted
by the infectious touch of the fcarlet whore of Ba
bylon

SERMON IX. in
bylon. Becaufe the Bifliop or Pope of Rome had
ufurp'd and exercis'd an undue dominion, therefore
all Church government by Bifliops was Popifh and
Antichriftian : becaufe the Church of Rome had
invented and introduced many ceremonies that en-
courag'd fuperftition, and led to idolatry, therefore all
ceremonies were fuperftitious, Popifh, and idolatrous;
becaufe Papal Rome ufed a Liturgy, all Liturgies
were Popifh : becaufe Rome encourag'd pageantry,
they were for banishing decency. Hence origi
nated the petulant cavils rais'd against praying by
precompos'd forms, or a Liturgy ; againft the ufe
of the Surplice, which though white, was branded
as a rag of that fame fcarlet whore ; againft the in
nocent, however fignificant ceremonies of the crofs
in baptifm, and the ring in marriage ; and againft
the humble and reverential posture of kneeling at
the holy communion. But thefe ridiculous and
trifling objections feem at prefent to be nearly worn
out : the expediency of precompos'd forms is pretty
generally acknowledg'd by the wifeft and beft of
the Prefbyterians themfelves, and rejected only by
the moft illiterate bigots of that feet : and it is
candidly own'd, that the old Puritans objected not
fo much to the ceremonies themfelves, as to the
authority which impos'd them. And this is one
ftriking inftance among many, of the perverfo rnif"

na SERMON IX.
mifapplication of the principle confider'd in my
laft difcourfe, of Chrift being the only Head of the
Church. All thefe I fhall pafs over; as well as what
relates merely to Church government, for the
reafon already aflign'd ; that every National Church
has an indefeafible right to model it's own, provi
ded there be nothing therein repugnant to the word
of God, Under this head I comprize the exception
taken againft us, on account of our withholding from
Chriftian people the power of choofing their own
Minifters. In the opinion of our Reformers the in
conveniences of that practice were imagin'd far to
over-balance it's conveniences : the Founders of the
Scottifh Church, with the generality of our Sedtar
ries, thought otherwife : nqr has either party any
right to find fault with the other on this' point.
On the propriety of requiring a fubfcription to Ar
ticles from the Clergy, I fliall only obferve, that
every Society has an undoubted right to prefcribe
rules and orders to all whom it admits to a miniftra
tion of it's Offices, and a participation of it's emo
luments. And I hefitate not to affirm, in reply
to a moft bafe infinuation, that our declaration of
unfeigned affent and confent to every thing 'con
tain'd in, and prefcrib'd by the book of Common
Prayer, has not the moft diftant tendency to injure
either delicacy of confcience, or the ftridteft re
gard

SERMON IX. ii.
gard to truth. Diffenters may and do object : We
diffent not, but approve.
Having thus briefly notic'd general charges, I
now proceed to vindicate thofe particular offices
of our Liturgy which are ftated by the Diffenters
as moft peculiarly offenfive to them, and thefe are
five; namely, thofe of Ordination, and Confirma
tion, which are restricted to the Bifliop ; and thofe
of Infant-baptifm, Vifitation of the fick, and Burial
of the dead, which are ordinary miniftrations of
every Parifh Prieft. To the two firft it is but na
tural to expect objections, were it only on ac
count of the hands by which they are confer'd ;
fince to a ftaunch Prefbyterian, Prelacy is little
lefs obnoxious than Popery. To begin then with
the Ordination fervice, wherein they confine their
accufations principally to one part, which is this :
the Bifliop fays, Receive the Holy Ghoft. Whofe
fins thoudoft forgive, they are forgiven ; and whofe
fins thou doft retain, they are retained. On this
form they thus infidioufly and indecently comment.
We can not find in the New Teftament, fay they
fneerjngly, that Bifhops in the prefent day poffefs
the power of forgiving fins ; much lefs of commu
nicating that power to others. Witty and fmart
this ; and what may pafs upon fuch as can not dif-
i tinguifh

ii4 SERMON IX.
tinguifh between ridicule and argument. But let
them turn to the fixteenth chapter of Saint Mat
thew, where at the nineteenth verfe Chrift tells
Saint Peter, I will give unto thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven ; and whatfoever thou fhalt bind
on earth fhall be bound in heaven, and whatfoever
thou fhalt 'loofe on earth, fliall be loofed in heaven.
Next, to fhew that thefe words are not to be restrict
ed to Saint Peter exclufively, let them turn to the
eighteenth chapter of the fame Gofpel, where at the
eighteenth verfe Chrift addreffing Himfelf to all
the Apoftles, ufes nearly the fame words : Verily
I fay unto you, whatfoever ye fhall bind on earth
fhall be bound in heaven, and whatfoever ye fhall
loofe on earth fhall be loofed in heaven. Once
more, let me refer them to the twentieth chapter
of Saint John's Gofpel ; where the holy Evange
lift having recorded an appearance of Chrift to his
difciples after his refurrection, has the following
very remarkable paflage. Then faid Jefus unto
them again. Peace be unto you : as my Father hath
fent Me, even fo fend I you. And when He had
faid this, he breathed on them, and faith unto them,
Receive ye the Holy Ghoft. Whofefoever fins ye
remit, they are remitted unto them ; and whofefo
ever fins ye retain, they are retained. Here we
have the very form of words ufed by Chrift Jefus,
the great Shepherd and Bifliop of our fouls, in or
daining

SERMON IX. 115
daining his difciples to their Apoftolical Priest
hood. And this form our Church, in reveren
tial imitation of her divine Founder, ftill retains.
But common fenfe, if accompanied by the fmalleft
degree of candour, cannot but fuggeft one very
material diftindtion. The bleffed Jefus had pro-
mis'd to fend the Comforter, that Holy Spirit
which proceedeth from the Father and the Son.
He breathed on them, and the promife was ac-
complifh'd. The words then which as ut-
ter'd by Chrift were authoritative, when pro-
nounc'd by man are but fupplicatory. And
that our Church adopts them in that fenfe is
manifeft from the whole tenor of the Ordina
tion fervice itfelf. The Bifliop in his previous
exhortation enjoins the candidates for Priefthood
to pray continually to God the Father, by the Me
diation of the only Saviour Jefus Chrift, for the
heavenly affiftance of the Ploly Gho'ft. The
hymns us'd on that occafion are folemn invoca
tions of the Holy Ghoft. Chrift made ufe of no
fuch invocations : He commanded, and it flood
faft. Then for what is call'd the power of the
Keys, namely, remitting or retaining of fins; al
though the learned differ confiderably with refpedt
to it's full latitude, yet is it moft ufually restricted
to fpiritual cenfures and abfolutions. And the
1 2 Church

n6 SERMON IX.
Church may be fafely juftified for retaining an ex
preffion thrice repeated by Chrift Himfelf, even
though the full extent and precife import of that
expreffion be granted to be but imperfectly un-
derftood. This unreafonable cavil againft a part of our Or
dination fervice being thus at fome length obviated,
I come next to their equally unreafonable cavils at
the rite of Confirmation, that other Epifcopal func
tion. Here they affect to be angry, becaufe the Bifhop
- in his addrefs to God folemnly declares that God has
vouchfaf 'd to regenerate thefe his fervants by wa
ter and the Holy Ghoft. Were this office to be
us'd to the unbaptiz'd, the objection would be juft ;
but whoever understands the nature of the Sacra
ment of Baptifm will plainly fee, that thefe words
amount to no more than a grateful acknowledg
ment that God hath already admitted thefe his fer
vants into the covenant of grace by the laver of
regeneration in Baptifm. But farther, the Bifhop
by laying on of hands, 'certifies each particular per
fon of God's favour and gracious goodnefs towards
him : though he can not poffibly tell that all whom
he thus certifies are regenerated and true Chrif
tians. Here is a striking inftance of that equivo
cal ambiguity fo frequently and fo fhamelefsly em-
ploy'd for the abufe of our Church, and her ordi
nances.

SERMON IX. u7
nances. The Bifhop does know that each perfon
on whom he thus lays his hand is a Chriftian, and
regenerate by Baptifm, whereby he became a
member of Chrift, a child of God, and an inheritor
of the kingdom of heaven. But here they artfully
foift in a different acceptation of the words; mean
ing by regenerated and true Chriftians, fuch as by
the conftant practice of goodnefs have uniformly
continued in that ftate of grace to which they were
admitted by Baptifm. Now to which of the can
didates for Confirmation this defcription may be
competent, we grant the Bifhop can not poffibly
know ; and that for this plain reafon, becaufe he is
not infallible. Here then again a fmall mixture of
candour with common fenfe will ferve for the vin
dication of this rite; whereby the Bifhop only cer
tifies the continuance of that grace beftow'd in
Baptifm on fuch as fulfil the conditions in that very
Baptifm ftipulated ; and which, as our Catechifm
teaches, when they come to age themfelves are
bound to perform.
In hopes that what I have now advanc'd in juf
tification of the offices of our Church refpecting
thefe two Epifcopal functions ofOrdination and Con
firmation mayfuffice for the fatisfadtion of the mem
bers of our own communion, and enable them to
1 3 view

U& SERMON IX.
view with merited contempt the frivolous and cap
tious exceptions of gainfayers ; I here difmifs the
topic ; and proceed to vindicate thofe other fer
vices which appertain to our daily miniftration as
Parifh. Priefts, from the equally trifling and equally
malicious objections of our adverfaries. Now
among thefe offices there are three which are
mark'd as being peculiarly objectionable, namely,
the refpective forms of adminiftering Baptifm, of
vifiting the fick, and of burying the dead. To be
gin then with the firft of thefe, the adminiftration.
of Baptifm. . Now on this: fubject I mean not to*
trefpafs on your time and abufe your patience by
entering on a formal confutation of the Quakers,
on. the one hand, or of the Anabaptifts on the other..
The firft of thefe, under the pretence of rejecting
what they chufe to call carnal ordinances, admit of
neither Priefthood, Service, nor even Sacra
ments i and enthufiaftically dreaming of a fancied1
infpiration which they denominate inward light,
refer every thing thereto, in preference to the writ
ten word of God in Scripture ; which they affect
to call the dead letter. Now in oppofition to En-
thufiafm, which is a fpecies of madnefs, it is vain to
employ the arms of reafon : and though there may
be, and I doubt not are, very fenfible individuals,
whom the prejudices of education and habit retain in

SERMON IX. n9
in that fociety ; yet there feems little danger of any
man being induc'd to defert the national Church
for it's fake; unlefs on fome motives of temporal
intereft, or worldly, policy. Nor is much more to
be apprehended from the Anabaptifts ; who are ad
vocates for the facrament of Baptifm, but deny it
to Infants ; in direct oppofition to the com
mand of Chrift, as well as to the practice of the firft
and pureft ages of Chriftianity.
Leaving then the Quaker and the Anabaptift to
their feveral absurdities, I fliall here confine my
felf to' the exceptions taken by the Prefbyterians
againft the form prefcrib'd by the Church of Eng
land for the adminiftration of this Sacrament of
Baptifm ; and thefe are two. The firft is, that we 1
afk the Infant queftions, which it can neither un
derstand nor anfwer. Here is a falfe ftatement of
the fact. We afk nothing of the Infant. But Bap
tifm being a folemn initiation into the new cove
nant of grace, and the nature of a covenant imply
ing reciprocal conditions, the Church dares not ad
mit into that covenant an Infant conceived and born
in fin, without exacting the neceffary ftipulations on
the Infant's part; the nature of which ftipula
tions we know the Infant can not underftand, while
an Infant ; and therefore charge the fponforsto take
1 3 care

lao SERMON IX.
care that he be properly instructed therein, as foon
as his years will permit : and it is to thofe fpbnfors
we put the queftions, which they are to anfwer in
the name and on the behalf of the Infant, previous
to his admiffion into the facramental covenant of
Baptifm. This firft cavil then would come with
more propriety from the Anabaptifts, who withold-
ing the participation of this facrament from In
fants, allow it only to Adults, or thofe of full age
to anfwer for themfelves.
The other objection muft be more fully confi-
der'd ; not only as being much more fpecious and
plaufible, but as alfo coinciding with the prejudices of
too many of our own communion, and particularly
among the lower ranks of life. It is thus ftated.
Our Church refufes to receive thofe as fponfors for
the religious education of their own children,
whom the God of nature has conftituted fuch ; and
appoints others, to whom God has not " delegated
this important and folemn truft. Now here again
is an egregious fallacy and mifreprefentation ; for it
is infinuated as though the Church of England
would fain deprive parents of the care of their own
children, fo far at leaft as refpedts religious educa
tion ; and would commit that moft facred truft to
ftrangers. Whereas the real truth is no more than
this :

SERMON IX. 121
this: the Church very properly confiders all parents
as already engag'd by the ftricteft ties both of na
ture and religion to take care of the education of
their own children. But notwithftanding thefe
obligations, parents may be, and too often in fact
are negligent or incapable of performing their duty:
many deiert their families ; many are called off by
death. For all thefe emergencies the Church
, would willingly make a provifion, by appointing
others upon whom that charge might devolve in
cafe of the neglect, incapacity, defertion, or death
of the parents. And farther, to insure, as far as
poffible, a proper choice of perfons for this mp-
mentous truft, fhe ordains, that no perfon be ad
mitted Godfather or Godmother, before the faid
perfon fo undertaking hath received the holy, com
munion. But alas ! this wife and falutary provi
fion of the Church is in a great meafure defeated
by two circumftances. One is, that the common
law of the land invefts no controuling power in
fponfors ; fo that the utmoft -they can do is no more
than to advife and remonstrate : and the other is,
the laxity at leaft, if not impiety of the times ;
owing to which, the Handing to a child, as it is
call'd, or undertaking the office of afponfor, is now
confider'd as a mere piece of ceremony; and inftead
of implying any obligation of duty, only confer ring

is2 SERMON IX.
ring a kind of title to a participation of the chriften-
ing entertainment. Here then however we may
lament the decay of piety among us, and the con-
fequent perverfion of a moft facred ordinance, yet
can not the leaft degree of blame attach to our
Church; which on the contrary is highly praife-
worthy for the very follicitous care fhe has in this
inftance exprefs'd for the religious education of her
members. There remain yet to be confider'd the cavils of
Diffenters againft fome parts of our Vifitation and
Funeral fervices, which I fliall referve for my next,
and that my concluding difcourfe onthis fubject.
Now, to God, the Father, Son, and Holy
Ghoft, be all honour and glory, for ever, and ever.

AMEN.

SERMON

123

SERMON X.

PREACH D ON SUNDAY MAY 17, I795.

JtlAVING in my laft difcourfe obviated the
cavils rais'd by the , Diffenters' againft the feveral
forms prefcrib'd by our Church for Ordination,
Confirmation, and Baptifm ; I now proceed to thofe
againft our refpective offices for vifiting the fick,
and burying the dead. In the firft of thefe, the
form of Abfolution is particularly cenfur'd. The
Prieft, fay they, after the fick perfon has profeffed
his faith and repentance, whether that profeffion be
sincere or not, is directed to fay, By the authority
committed to me I abfolve thee from all thy fins.
And hereon it is obferv'd, that neither does the
Prieft poffefs the power of knowing mens
hearts,, nor is any fuch authority committed to him
from

124 SERMON X.
from above. In anfwer hereto I beg leave to sub
mit to you the four following remarks. Firft then
I obferve that this whole office is entirely difcre
tionary. When our liturgy was firft compil'd,
fuch was the low ftate of learning, that but few
Minifters could be found who were deem'd capa
ble of properly instructing the people. Hence the
diftindtion in thofe days between Preachers, who
Were fpecially licenc'd to preach ; and other Mini
fters, for whofe ufe the Homilies were compos'd
and fet forth. Now the Canon fays exprefsly, that
when a Minifter is call'd upon to vifit the fick, he
Ihall ufe the Vifitation fervice, if he be no Preacher ;
but if he be a Preacher, then fhall he proceed as he
Ihall think moft needful and convenient. Now in
thefe days, when learning is fo much more generally
diffus'd, this distinction no longer exifts ; every
Minifter of the Church of England being a Prea
cher; and as fuch enjoying a difcretionary power
refpecting the ufe of this fervice. Secondly, the
words, I abfolve thee, however abfolute they
may feem, are neverthelefs clearly conditional,
on the provifo that the finners repentance be fincere;
which though unknown to the Prieft, is known to
God ; who will accordingly either ratify the Abfo-
lution, or not. But thirdly, that the Church here
by meant no more than a remiffion of eeclefiaftical cenfyres,

SERMON X. ia5
'censures, and infuring to the fick penitent the pri
vileges of church communion, will be little doubted
by any, who will candidly examine the prayer im
mediately following this abfolution. Open thine
eye of mercy upon this thy servant, who moft ear-
nefily defireth pardon and forgivenefs. Surely he
can not think himfelf in full poffeffion of that for
which he thus importunately renews his fupplication.
Again ; Preferve and continue this fick member in
the unity of the Church. The tenor of this peti
tion not obfcurely points out the meaning of the
foregoing Abfolution. Fourthly and laftly, in con
fideration of the great change of manners that has
prevail'd fince the compilement of our Liturgy, I
am much miftaken if the generality of the Clergy
do not avail themfelves of the difcretionary power
above mention'd ; fo that this formidable objec
tion is level'd after all againft what may be confi-
der'd as an obfolete Statute, remaining indeed in the
book unrepeal'd, but never put in force.
I come now finally to our Funeral Service ;
which the Diffenters profefs to admire greatly upon
the whole, but object warmly to fome parts of it ;
becaufe they are read over all characters, and are ap
plicable only to real Chriftians. In anfwer here
unto it has been urg'd by Ritualifts, that the com
pilers

ia6 SERMON X.
pilers-of our Liturgy, presuming upon a due exer
cife of difcipline, never fuppos'd that any would be
offer'd to chriftian burial, who had not led chrif
tian lives. But this apology I candidly own ap
pears to me little satisfactory. From the confide
ration of thofe defcriptions of perfons to whom the
Church denies chriftian burial may, I think, be
collected .her true fentiments concerning all others
to whom fhe allows that burial. She denies it to
three defcriptions ; the unbaptiz'd, excommunicate,
and felf-murderers. Of thefe the firft have never
been admitted into the Church ; the fecond
have been authoritatively expell'd out of it ; and
the third have died in the actual commiffion of a
fin, which precludes all poffibility of an after-re
pentance. Thefe three alone excepted, fhe en
joins the burial fervice to be perform'd for all others
indifcrimihately. Hence I infer, that the Church
with equal prudence and charity meant to difcourt-
tenance all private judgment ; that fhe looks upon
all as true Chriftians, who having been once admit
ted into the covenant of grace by Baptifm, have ne
ver, by their grofs enormities incur'd her public cen
sure ; and that fhe prefumes not to arraign the va
lidity and efficacy of a death-bed repentance, which
even the moft notorious finner may have exercis'd,
for ought we can fay to the contrary : and whofe
fincerity

SERMON X. 127
sincerity can be known only to that omnifcient Be
ing to whom all hearts are open, all defires known,
and from whom no fecrets are hid. Viewing then
the fentiments of our Church in this juft light, it
will not be found very difficult fatisfadtorily to vin
dicate the condemn'd paffages. They are princi
pally three : one in the form us'd by us on commit
ting the body to the ground ; and one in each
of the two concluding prayers. Thefe I fhall con
fider in their order.
Firft then, on the body being laid in the grave,
we fay, Forafmuch as it hath pleafed God of his
great mercy to take unto Himfelf the foul of our
dear brother, or fifter, here departed. Upon this
we are told, that the expreffion of God in mercy
taking a foul to Himfelf, can imply nothing lefs
than the eternal falvation of that foul ; confequently
that we affirm all to be faved, over whofe remains
we pronounce thefe words. Had any fuch infer
ence been intended, an alteration fhould furely
have been made for the fake of confiftency in
what follows ; and inftead of, Bleffed are the
dead which die in the Lord, fhould have been
fubftituted, Bleffed are the dead to whom the
Church

isS SERMON X,
Church of England is pleas'd to vouchfafe chrif
tian burial. But farther, we commit the bo
dy to the ground in fure and certain hope
of the refurrection to eternal life. True : we
exprefs our faith and hope of a general refurrection
at the laft day, through our Lord Jefus Chrift,; but
we prefume not to pronounce concerning the in
dividual body now lying before us, whether it
fhall rife to eternal happinefs, or to eternal mi
fery. One of the two alternatives we know to be
certain ; but which of the, two muft be left to
the final fentence of the great Judge, from whofe
righteous determination there can be no appeal.
Our form then, when interpreted by candour,
amounts to no more than this : Whereas it hath
feemed good to the God of all mercy to fummon
out of this world the foul of this our late Relative -T
we the furvivors do here carefully depofit the body
in the bofom of it's parent earth; in full confi
dence, grounded on the declarations of Jefus Chrift,
that it fhall one day be raifed again ; and reunited
to the fame foul which has lately forfaken it, fliall
therewith partake of the endlefs blifs, or endlefs
torment, referv'd for it in the world to come.
Secondly, in the first of the two concluding
prayers is this expreffion. We give Thee hearty
thanks,

SERMON X. u9
thanks, for that it hath pleafed Thee to deliver this
our brother out of the miferies of this finful world.
This, fay they, you read over thofe who are pro
bably gone to a worfe place. Poffibly they are 3
nay, and I grant, according to the beft of our
judgments, probably too : but who made us jud
ges in thefe cafes ? It may fuit Puritanical pride
to pronounce dogmatically on the future condition
of individuals : we reft contented with fetting in
array the terrors of the Lord to deter finners in
this life ; but when once the spirit is departed,
true chriftian humility will beware of all peremp
tory decifions. And whereas the weaknefs of hu
manity can not but revolt at the lofs of thofe who
were near and dear to us, the Church in the true
fpirit of religion and piety offers a corrective to
this weaknefs, by inculcating not only resignation,
but even thankfulnefs. The Lord gave, and the
Lord hath taken away ; both are alike his doing,
and all his ways are mercy and goodnefs : bleffed
be the Name of the Lord.
Thirdly, in the fecond and laft prayer immedi
ately preceding the final bleffing, and which is of-
fer'd up to God in behalf of the furviving attend
ants on the deceas'd, is this petition. We meekly
befeech Thee, O Father, to raife us from the death
K Of

J30 SERMON X.
of fin unto the life of righteoufnefs •, that when we
fhall depart this life, we may reft in Him, that is in
Chrift; as our hope is this our brother doth.
Here again is Puritanic zeal rous'd into a flame.
What ? do you profefs before God that yOu hope
this your brother refts in Chrift, when you muft
believe that he died in his fins, and is not gone to
Chrift ? And why, let me afk in my turn, why
am I bound to believe this ? did I fee or' hear
the deceas'd vomit forth his laft breath in blafphe-
mies ? am I confeious to what pafs'd between his
foul and God in his parting moments ? probably
his life had been wicked ; I fufpedt as much : pof
fibly I know it; and of courfe entertain ftrong
doubts and fears as to his final doom ; but fhall
thefe doubts and fears abfolutely preclude every
ray of hope ? muft I prefumptuoufly take upon
me to declare his foul irrevocably damn'd to all
eternity ? God of his infinite mercy forbid ! for
bid it piety ! forbid it charity ! Nor again do we
pray that we may reft in Chrift in the fame man
ner as our deceas'd brother doth. Abfurd in the
higheft degree for any man to flake his own falva
tion on that of another. Our prayer is pofitive,
that after our departure out of this life we may reft
in Chrift ; to which we add, not, as this our bro-<
ther doth, but, as our hope is this our brother doth.
We

SERMON X. 131
We affirm nothing concerning the deceas'd, but
only exprefs a hope ; however faint and probably
groundlefs that hope may be. And the hypocri
tical affectation of fandtity that reprobates this, can
not but on the fame ground reprobate even our
bleffed Saviour Himfelf, for compassionately weep
ing over that Jerufalem, which after having kiHed
the Prophets, and ftoned them which were fent un
to her, would very fhortly proceed, as He certainly
foreknew, to fill up the full meafure of her ini
quities by crucifying Himfelf, the Lord of Life.
You are now, my beloved brethren, in poffef
fion of my fentiments refpecting fuch objections as
have come to my knowledge, againft the feveral of
fices us'd in our Church. There may be others; but
I am juftified in considering thefe as the principal,
fince thefe they profeffedly allege as grounds of
their diffent. And from the obfervations, how
ever imperfect, which I have made upon them, I
truft they will appear in your eyes as they do in
mine ; nothing more than the peevifh petulant ca
vils of difcontented men, impatient of controul,
reftlefs under authority, and diffatisfied with what
ever accords not minutely with their own idle fan
cies, opinions, and prejudices. But were their ob-
jedtions of ten times more importance than they in
k a • fact

*3X SERMON X.
fact poffefs, ftill would they be far from fufficient
to vindicate them from the heavy charge of un-
neceffary, and therefore finful, Schifm, Nothing
can justify a breach of chriftian union and com
munion, but the circumftance of a Church requir
ing fuch terms of communion as are in oppofition
to the commands of God, and the doctrines of the
Gofpel. On this circumftance alone do Prote
stants justify their feparation from the Church of
Rome. Among her terms of communion is ido
latry, which is exprefsly forbidden by God ; and
therefore we can not in confcience comply. But
no fuch unlawful terms are prefcrib'd by our
Church. The Unitarian indeed, who rejects the
doctrine of the Trinity, can not confiftendy hold
communion with that Church which is built up
on the bafis of the Trinity. But the Prefbyterian,
merely as fuch, quarrels at things in themfelves in
different j diflikes this and that, which he would
have mended according to his own model ; but
after all his ucnaoft efforts can not charge us with
any repugnancy to Scripture. And although their
feparation,, being protected by the act of Tolera
tion, thenceforwards ceafes to be ap offence againft
the. laws, of the land * yet how iar it continues to
be an offence .againft the divine law of charity and
love, is a ferious matter of confideration for them
felves.

SERMON X. 133
felves. Be that as it may ; we are innocent : let
them look to it.

For my own part, the more minutely and the
more impartially I examine into the grounds and
motives of feparation alleg'd by the feveral fects of
Proteftant Diffenters, ftill the more reafons do I
difcover for thankfulnefs to God, for that he hath
been gracioufly pleafed to call me to a miniftration
in the Church of England : ftill do I fee in a
ftronger light the propriety of applying to that
Church thofe words of the Apoftle which I have
prefix'd as a Text to this feries of difcourfes. A
strict application of the words can indeed be alone
competent to the Church triumphant in heaven,
compos'd of God's Elect, the fpirits of juft men
made perfect. The Church militant here in
earth, confifting of frail mortals, muft in fome de
gree partake of human infirmity. To affirm that
our Liturgy is abfolutely faultlefs, would be to
claim the gift of infpiration to it's compilers.
Learned and pious they all were ; many of them
were Martyrs and Confeffors: but we pretend not
to fay they were infpir'd, nor of confequence could
they be infallible. But thus much we may fafely
and confidently affert, that a more perfeft and fault-
Jefs work never iffued from the pens of uninfpir'd men

134 SERMON X.
men. And fhould ever a review of it be thought
expedient, little more will be found neceffary than
an accommodation of fome few parts, and thofe
chiefly among the Rubrics, to the alter'd manners
of the rimes. And fuch a review might not im
probably have taken place before now, had it not
been for the unreafonable cavils of the Diffenters ;
whofe real aims are eafily difcoverable through the
flimfy veil wherewith they affect to cover them.
Againft thefe both Church and State can never
be too cautioufly guarded : and when a fortrefs
is cfofely begirt and vigoroufly attack'd by an in
veterate and indefatigable foe, an attention to the
meaneft and apparently moft infignificant outwork
becomes a matter of importance. Shall we give
place then by fubjedtion ? No ; not for an hour.
I am not fanguine enough to entertain a hope
that any thing I have advanc'd in thefe difcourfes
would reconcile a fingle Diffenter to the Church,
even on the fuppofition that any of that defcription
had made a part of my audience, and favour'd me
with the fame attention which I have experienc'd
from You. I well know the rooted obftinacy of
their prejudices, imbib'd in earliest infancy, and
confirm'd by education and habit. And God for
bid that I fhould judge them : to our common Mafter

SERMON X. 135
Mafter they muft ftand or fall. It is for the fake
of my own flock folely that I have engag'd in
this tedious undertaking, which I have now at laft
brought to a conclufion ; and whofe merit, if any
be allow'd it, belongs more to the defign than to
the execution. It has been my aim to guard you
againft the wily arts, and furnifh you with anfwers
to the captious cavils of fuch as would fain feduce
you from the plain and fafe road of truth, into the
crooked by-paths of error, which lead to destruc
tion ; and who for that purpofe ceafe not continu
ally to revile and malign the eftablifh'd Church.
Of that Church, whereof we are happily members,
I have endeavour'd to impress you with that high
opinion, which is to me the refult of conviction;
and to justify the application I have made to it of
the words of the Text : fince it can fairly claim
the merit, beyond any other eftablifhment of
Chriftianity, and with the exceptions only of mere
human infirmity, of being
A Morbus Church, not having fpot or wrinkle,
or any fuch thing !
And may the Almighty ever preferve, protect,
and blefs it! may He profper its fupreme head
upon earth, our gracious Sovereign ; granting him
along

136 SERMON X.
a long and happy life, and compleat victory over
all his enemies both-foreign and domeftic; who are
alfo the decided enemies of Order, of virtue, and
of Religion ! And may He vouchsafe to us his
humble fervants grace fo to faithfully ferve, honour,
and obey Him here, that hereafter we may finally
obtain everlafting life ; and for ever join the heavenly
choir of Saints and Angels in unceafing Hallelujahs
to the adorable Trinity in Unity. Amen.

FINIS.

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

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