case of the incestuous person, the apostle directed the brethren, "when gathered together," to deliver him unto Satan, and censures them for not having done this already, as they possessed a power of judging their own members. (1 Cor. v. 1—12.) And this punishment, we are told, "was inflicted of many." (2 Cor. ii. 6.) Sometimes the apostles appointed officers; so Paul and Barnabas, on an itinerant excursion, ordained elders in every church. (Acts xiv. 23.) And sometimes the apostles employed others to do this work: Paul left Titus in Crete, to ordain elders in every city, and entrusted Timothy with similar powers.

The commission of the apostles included teaching and baptizing, but not a word about governing. When they had constituted a church in any place, instead of stopping to exercise the episcopal functions in it, they set off, according to their instructions, to break up new ground. It is easy to conceive, that when, in the course of their travels, they visited a church, their advice would be asked and followed upon many points; because they enjoyed an extraordinary inspiration of the Spirit, and spoke the mind of Christ; but this no more proves that they are church governors, than that the counsellors of kings are kings themselves.

Our bishops do not possess apostolic gifts and powers, nor do they discharge the duties of the apostolic office in visiting heathen countries, and planting churches by preaching and baptizing; but only execute the discipline of the church, which the apostles appointed others to do; they are not therefore, in any official sense, the successors of the apostles; and, consequently, their assumed right to ordain, upon this pretence, falls to the ground.

When our Lord chose the twelve, "that he might send them forth to preach," he is said to have ordained them; but the word, poico, imports no more than "to constitute," "appoint," "perform," etc.; and there is not the slightest intimation that he used any cere

monious consecration. After the ascension of Christ, only two persons, Matthias and Paul, were raised to the office of the apostleship; and neither of them received any human ordination. The appointment of Matthias is remarkable: "Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, (the number of the names together was about an hundred and twenty,") and made a speech on the necessity of electing another apostle to fill the place of Judas; "and they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias." This shows that the election was in the disciples; and when they could not determine which of the two was most suitable, the apostles did not pretend to take the matter out of their hands, but all the parties agreed to refer the election to God; they, therefore, prayed, and "gave forth their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias ;" and all we read more about this business is, that "he was numbered with the eleven apostles." Here the whole affair of making an apostle was managed by God and the people, without the eleven, who were present, presuming either to appoint or consecrate him.

man.

The apostle Paul received no human ordination to preach the gospel. "I certify you brethren," says he, "that the gospel which was preached of me is not after For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. When it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, 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 which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then, after three years, 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 Lord's brother. (Gal. i. 11-19.) From this account it is clear, that when he received his commission from heaven, he did not go to Jerusalem to receive orders from the apostles,

no, nor apply for a licence to the civil magistrate, but immediately entered upon his work, and was employed for full three years in preaching the gospel and planting churches, before he even saw an apostle.

There is not the slightest evidence, in the whole of the New Testament, that the apostles ordained either coadjutors, or successors to themselves in the apostolic office. In the ancient form of consecrating bishops, and in that of the church of England, Acts xiii. 1-3, is referred to; and is, therefore, no doubt, the best authority the bishops can produce to countenance their practice. Upon this transaction let it be noted, First. It is full as probable that Saul and Barnabas were set apart by the whole church, as by the prophets and teachers, since no individuals are particularised as sending them away. Secondly. There are only five officers mentioned in the account; and as two of them were set apart for the mission, there were only three, if the people be rejected, to perform the ordination, namely, Simeon, Lucius, and Manaen. But all the five were officers of the same rank before this ordination took place. They are all equally and indiscriminately called prophets and teachers. Now, if Saul and Barnabas were put into another and superior office, by this laying on of hands, which must be admitted, or the ordination was of no value, and so not worth contending about, then this case proves that equals are authorised to elect and ordain their own superiors; a principle this, which traces the origin of church power to the people; the people may make teachers, teachers bishops, etc. This strips their lordships, the bishops, of nearly the whole of their assumed importance. Thirdly. At this famous ordination, no spiritual powers are given either to preach the gospel, or to govern the church; neither is the Holy Ghost communicated to, nor yet the keys of St. Peter put into the hands of, these consecrated gentlemen, which leaves room for suspicion that the ordainers did not properly understand their business, and performed it so imperfectly, that the wisest course, perhaps, will be to nullify the whole proceedings.

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Fourthly. But, seriously, the plain state of the case is this: the Holy Ghost made known to the church at Antioch, that he intended Paul and Barnabas to be separated from them for a season, upon a special mission. The brethren by fasting, prayer, and laying on of hands, recommended them to the favour and protection of Heaven. When they had finished this work, they returned "to Antioch, from whence they had been recommended by the grace of God, for the work which they fulfilled." (Acts xiv. 26.) Here this mission ended; but Paul and Barnabas were both preachers, long before this. Paul had taught christianity publicly and boldly at Damascus and Jerusalem; and they had both preached to large congregations at Antioch, for a whole year. (Acts ix. 19—29; xi. 25, 26.) All christian churches, which have any piety, imitate, in similar circumstances, the conduct of these brethren. When their ministers make itinerant excursions, they recommend them to the protection of God, and pray for the success of their labours; but they are not so ignorant as to call this an ordination to the work of the ministry.

Admitting episcopal ordination to be valid, it does not follow that it is necessary, unless the New Testament prohibits the exercise of the christian ministry to all those who have it not; and this is not even pretended.

When our episcopalians are pressed with the case of the reformed churches, which have no bishops, they generally betray a struggle betwixt bigotry and charity; to save them without bishops, would diminish the importance of the episcopal order; and to damn them. merely for the want of bishops, is shocking; it is therefore gravely and shrewdly remarked, that these churches desire bishops, but cannot obtain them, for which reason they are excusable; the will is taken for the deed. This would appear plausible to some people, if it were only true. But when did they express such a wish? and why did not the English church gratify them? But if episcopal ordination be only

necessary where it may be had, it is not necessary to our dissenting ministers, because they cannot have it. Individuals have every now and then applied for it, but generally without success. The author never asked such a favour of their lordships, for two reasons. First. He esteems himself too great a heretic to be entitled to so high a privilege. And, secondly, he is afraid that holy hands, if laid upon his profane head, would not be sufficiently efficacious to mend his heart. Mere ceremonies and matters of order are not to be regarded in cases of necessity. Our Lord healed the sick on the Sabbath-day, and bade objectors go home and study this text: "I will have mercy and not sacrifice." God has not left it to the option of a bishop whether men shall be saved or not. When the bishop of Rome prohibited all public worship throughout a whole nation, was it sinful for men to meet together for the purposes of devotion and instruction? And if bishops now do not ordain a sufficient number of priests; or if those they ordain be ignorant, or indolent, men that cannot, or will not discharge the duties of their functions; must a minister of piety and abilities hold his tongue, and suffer sinners to go quietly to hell, without so much as exhorting them to repentance, for this wonderful reason, because this is the will and pleasure of a right reverend father in God? “If a man see another fall down in the streets," says Mr. Baxter, “shall he refuse to take him up, because he is no physician? If the country be infected with the plague, and you have a sovereign medicine that will certainly cure it, with all that will be ruled, will you let them all perish, rather than apply it to them, because you are not a physician? If you see the poor naked, may no one make them clothes but a tailor? If you see the enemy at the walls, will you not give the city warning, because you are not a watchman, or on the guard? If a commander die in fight, any man that is next may take his place, in case of necessity. Will you see the field lost for a point of order, because you will not do the work of a commander? A hundred such