I recollect hearing you say, that once, when on a journey to London, you were accompanied by a pretended Prophet of that impostor Johanna Southcote and that in the course of conversation, he avowed that he had been favoured with a revelation from Heaven, which he then had in his pocket, written upon parchment, and which he was carrying to London to make known to some of his brethren; you said you requested him to shew it you, and that he did so, and that upon examination, you found it to be written in very bad Latin, which induced you to tell him that it very evidently was not a divine revelation, for had it been written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, it would most certainly have been written in good Latin. This argument I recollect you considered quite conclusive against the inspiration of the pretended Prophet, in which I did then and do now fully agree with you. At the same time, I conceive that the same mode of arguing is equally as conclusive against the pretended inspiration of extemporizing Preachers; for it is a well known fact, that not one out of fifty speaks good Engdish; and it is very evident that if they were inspired by the blessed Spirit, he would most assuredly influence them to use good and proper language-whereas numbers of them do really utter such nonsense, that both they and their preachments are a satire on religion, and have done it more real injury than all the envenomed shafts of Infidelity. And there is little doubt that the increasing disregard of the lower classes to every thing in the shape of religion, and the spread of Infidelity amongst them, may, in a great measure, be ascribed to the loose and hypocritical pretences of "preaching the Gospel," through which they can easily see.

Indeed all who take upon themselves the Ministerial office, and set themselves up as Preachers of the Gospel, without being regularly and duly authorised by those appointed in the Church of Christ for that

purpose, are no more than intruders, whatever may be their pretensions. All "such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ." They are not made Ministers by others, according to Christ's appointment, but they make themselves Ministers-they transform themselves into the Ministers of Christ. And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light.

Therefore, it is no great thing if his Ministers also be transformed as the Ministers of Righteousness.† They put on the appearance of great piety, pretend to great sanctity, are very zealous for the cause of religion, and imitate in every respect the true Ministers of Christ. But being destitute of the delegated autho rity of Christ, they are to be considered merely in the light of a man who takes upon himself the office of a magistrate without a commission-without the delegated authority of the King. Such a man might be of a more excellent understanding-might possess a far more extensive knowledge of the law, and might be far better able to administer it than many duly authorised magistrates; but not having received authority from the King, none of his acts would be legal, or valid, and, therefore, not binding upon any of the King's subjects. So a man may be of a more consistent conduct-may be of a more excellent understanding in spiritual matters-may possess a far more extensive knowledge of the Gospel, and be far better able to preach it, than many duly authorised Ministers; but not having received the delegated authority - of Christ in regular Ordination, none of his acts can be legal or valid, and, therefore, not at all binding upon any of Christ's subjects. A desire to do good, and a hope of doing it, would by no means justify him in assuming the Ministerial office; he is not to "do evil that good may come." Whenever God really intends

an individual for the Ministry of his holy Church, 'in whatever circumstances or station of life that individual may be placed, he will open up a way in the course of his Providence, whereby he may enter the Ministry by regular Ordination, his own appointed way. This he has frequently done, for several persons who have been ornaments to Christianity and our excellent Church, have been raised, by the Providence of God, from the very lowest grades of society. But, to allow every man to assume the Ministerial office who may think proper to do so, without any kind of order, would create endless confusion, as it does with Dissenters; put an end to the office altogether; destroy the communion of the Saints, together with the visibility of the Church of Christ, and banish Christianity itself from the face of the earth.

In conclusion, Sir, I remark, that I am quite of Ignatius's opinion, that without Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, there is no Church; and, therefore, that all the various Sectarian Societies which are without the presence and presidence of a regular successor of the Apostles, are without the pale of the Christian Church; and whatever title they may arrogate to themselves, or whatever they may be called by others, they are neither Christian Churches, nor parts of the visible Church of Christ. For, by rejecting the authority of Christ as it exists in his delegated Ministers-his only official representatives, they are guilty of rejecting Christ, which constitutes one of the principal features, and one of the main offences, of Anti-Christ. Viewing all Dissenters in this Scriptural light, I could no longer conscientiously, and as an honest and consistent man, remain a Member of your Society. I felt obliged, out of duty to God and reverence to his Holy Word, to throw off that pretended authority which you had unscripturally usurped over my conscience. And if you feel at all aggrieved at my not considering you a Minister of Christ, you have nothing to do but to shew

me your authority-to give me something like reasonable evidence of your being a Minister of the Gospel of Christ, and I will immediately consider you as such, but not till then. In the meanwhile,

THOSE being pointed out, who are alone to be acknowledged as the true Ministers of Christ, and the only means by which they can be distinguished from false Teachers and mere pretenders being afforded, the next thing to be determined is, what authority belongs to them as the delegated and authorised servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, and as his representatives in the government of his Church? The Church of Christ, as well as every other Society, must have rules by which to conduct its affairs, for without them it cannot exist. St. Augustine justly says,"Nulla religio neque vera neque falsa sine cœremoniis potest consistere ;" —no religion, whether true or false, can possibly exist without ceremonies. This is a truth acknowledged and experienced not only by the Church, but also by every sect of those "who separate themselves."* Since this is the case, therefore, and since the New Testament does not furnish the Church with directions sufficiently explicit and minute to guide all its necessary proceedings, the question is, by whom, or by what authority are they to be determined? As Christ has ceased to converse orally with his Church, all those proceedings for which no particular directions

. Jude 19.