ters of some churches parted with their liberty " and right, and agreed among themselves that ec“ clesiastical matters should be managed by the “ Bishop only." Edwards's Remains, p. 253.

Sir Peter King, lord chancellor of England, about the beginning of the eighteenth century, published a very learned work, entitled, An Inquiry into the Constitution, Discipline, Unity, and Worship, of the Primitive Church, that flourished within the first 300 years after Christ. In this work his lordship undertakes to show," that a Pres- .

byter, in the primitive church, meant a per" son in holy orders, having thereby an inherent " right to perform the whole office of a Bishop, and

differing from a bishop in nothing, but in hay

ing no parish, or pastoral charge.” He further "shows," that Presbyters, in those times of primi“ tive purity, were called by the same titles, and were “ of the same specific order with Bishops; that they " ruled in those churches to which they belonged; " that they presided in church consistories with " the Bishop; that they had the power of excom"munication, and of restoring penitents ; that they

confirmed; and that there are clearer proofs of “ Presbyters ordaining, than of their administering " the Lord's Supper.” The same learned author maintains that there were but two orders of church officers, instituted by the authority of Christ, viz. Bishops and Deacons—"and if they ordained but

two,” adds he, “ I think no one had ever a com46 mission to add a third, or to split one into two,

z

66 as must be done, if we separate the order of "Presbyters from the order of Bishops."

Dr. Haweis, an eminent clergyman of the church of England, now living, in the Introduction to his Ecclesiastical History, makes the following decided avowal. 66 Having, through divine mer66 cy, obtained grace to be faithful-having in Pro"vidence received my education, and been called "to minister in the church of England, I have em"braced and subscribed her articles, ex animo, and "have continued to prefer an Episcopal mode of

government. But disclaiming all exclusive pre"tensions, and joined to the Lord in one spirit, "with all the faithful of every denomination, I "candidly avow my conviction, that the true "church is catholic, or universal; not monopo"lized by any one body of professing christians, "but essentially a spiritual church; and consisting "only and equally of those who, in every denomi"nation, love our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity.

66

Respecting the administration of this church, I

am not convinced that the Lord of life and glory " left any precise regulations. His kingdom could "alike subsist under any species of government; " and having nothing to do with this world, was, in "externals, to be regulated by existing circum(6 stances. Whether Episcopacy, Presbytery, or "the congregational order, be established as the "dominant profession, it affects not the body of "Christ. The living members, under each of "these modes of administration, are alike bound to

" love one another out of a pure heart fervently; to

indulge their brethren in the same liberty of

private judgment which they exercise themselves; " and ought never to suffer these regulations of "outward order to destroy the unity of the spirit,

or to break the bonds of peace.”

The Rey. Mr. Gisborne, a distinguished and popular writer, of the church of England, also now living, avows opinions nearly similar to those concained in the preceding quotation. In his Survey of the Christian Religion, (chapter xii.) he has the following passage. “If Christ, or his apostles, en

, . "joined the uniform adoption of Episcopacy, the “ question is decided. Did Christ then, or his

disciples, deliver, or indirectly convey, such an

injunction? This topic has been greatly con“ troverted. The fact appears to be this :that " the Saviour did not pronounce upon the subject; " that the Apostles uniformly established a Bishop

in every district, as soon as the church in that “ district became numerous; and thus clearly “ evinced their judgment, as to the form of ecclesi" astical government most advantageous, at least " in those days, to christianity ; but that they left

no command which rendered Episcopacy uni“ versally indispensable in future times, if other “ forms should evidently promise, through local " opinions and circumstances, greater benefit to re

ligion. Such is 'THE GENE

THE PRESENT CHURCH OF ENGLAND ON THE SUR* JECT."

SENTIMENT OF

a

An eminent layman of the church of England, in a work lately published, in the course of some excellent advices for promoting the prosperity of that church, expressly reprobates the exclusive claims for which some zealous hierarchists contend, and pronounces them most mischievous in their operation on the interests of religion. Among many pertinent and judicious remarks on this subject, he makes the following. “A general * presumption lies against all extraordinary claims; " and on this account, the opposition which is

commonly made to them, (though previous to “ examination) is not absolutely unreasonable: “ They are marks by which the weakest persons,

as well as the weakest causes, are particularly “ distinguished. In this kind of competition, the

empiric, the pedant, and the sophist, will far out“strip the skilful physician, the able scholar, and the “profound philosopher. The same observation is applicable to bodies of men, ecclesiastical as well

Hence the high claims of the Romish “ church afford the Protestants one of their most le. “ gitimate presumptions against her. From her “ claim of right to an absolute dictatorial authority, we presume the contrary; from her claim to

apostolic purity in her faith, worship, government, “and discipline, we presume upon her corruption « in each. From her denial of salvation to those “ that are without her pale, we presume it to be

peculiarly hazardous to be found within it. Thus by her ambitious or fanatical endeavours to exalt

as civil.

“ herself above other churches, she supplies them, " and her adversaries in general, with a forcible “plea against herself.” Again" Suppose a “church to give a decided preference to Episcopal

goverment, not considering it as absolutely es“ sential to her being, but as conducive to her well“ being ; not as indispensably necessary, but expe4 dient ; and this chiefly in respect to her own edi“ fication, without any positive determination as to 4 other churches; it is almost impossible that a

peference thus qualified should occasion any con

test or animosity. But if she assert such a go“vernment to be of indispensable divine right, and

set up a claiin which nullifies the sacraments and u administrations of other churches, she must expect

to encounter the most violent opposition. On the “ other hand, should a church, on account of the “ parity of her ministers, exalt herself above other

churches, and look down on the Episcopal order, " in its most primitive state, as something Popish " and antichristian ; she can hardly fail,

can hardly fail, by such an extravagance, to diminish her credit with all “ impartial by-standers*."

The opinions and the declarations of Dr. White, the present Bishop of the Episcopal churches in Pennsylvania, will have weight with all Episcopalians. In a pamphlet published by him, a few years ago, entitled The Case of the Episcopal Churches in the United States considered, the principal object