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the world by the succession of Bishops, to whom the apostles gave power to rule and govern the church," p. 360.

For an answer to the objections against Irenæus, taken from the ambiguous meaning of the word Presbyter, see Drury's Second Answer to Boyse, p. 75, and Third Answer, p. 136, and also Brokesby, pref. p. 23.

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St CYPRIAN BISHOP OF CARTHAGE, A. D. 250, writing to Cornelius Bishop of Rome, says, "This, brother, is and ought to be our principal labour and study, even as much as we are able, to take care that unity may still obtain, which was delivered by our Lord and his apostles to us (Bishops) their successors." And as he thus speaks of Bishops as successors of the apostles, so he also shews that they are superior to Presbyters: "How great reason have we to be afraid of the wrath of God, when some Presbyters, neither mindful of the gospel, nor of their own station, nor thinking on the future judgment of God, nor considering that they have a Bishop now their governor, dare to assume all to themselves, to the contempt of their governor,-a thing never before attempted under any of my predecessors." (Epist. 16.-edit. Oxon.) But whoever desires to see the judgment of St Cyprian explained in the fullest extent, he may consult a book called The Principles of the Cyprianic Age, Lond. 1695, and The Vindication of it, 1701, written by J. Sage, formerly Bishop of Aberdeen.

CORNELIUS in his epistle to Fabius affirms, that in his Church (or, as we generally say, Diocese) of Rome, there were forty-six Presbyters and seven Deacons, Euseb. lib. 6. c. 43.

From the testimonies of particular persons, I proceed to those of entire churches. The apostolic Canons

were made by several councils in the three first cen. turies. The 1st Canon is this: "Let a Bishop be ordained by two or three Bishops," the 2d, "Let a Presbyter or Deacon be ordained by one Bishop,"the 5th, "A Bishop, Presbyter, or Deacon must not put away their wives under pretext of religion,"-the 39th, "Let neither Presbyters nor Deacons perform any thing without the Bishop's permission."-Council of Laodicea, A. D. 321. "Let no clergyman travel without his Bishop's consent."

I might soon fill a large volume with citations from the Fathers and Councils within the first four centu ries; for we have scarcely any writings of antiquity, which do not clearly distinguish the three orders of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.

CHAP. III.

OF THE NECESSITY OF THE ORDER OF BISHOPS TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

Ir has already been proved, that there are distinct Offices in the church; it follows then that there must be distinct Powers appropriated to each of them. And therefore, although the scriptures had been silent on this head, we might have safely concluded, from the different kinds of officers whom Christ has entrusted with the care and government of his church, not only that private christians are excluded from the exercise of any ecclesiastical power, but that some powers are appropriated in such a manner to the chief officers, that they cannot be lawfully exercised by those of inferior orders *.

The exclusion of private christians from the work of the Ministry, and the distinction between Clergy and Laity, is pretty generally admitted. "The adminis tration of ordinances, (as a late Methodist writer † justly observes,) belongs to those only who have been

* Potter on Church Gov. p. 214. Leslie on the Qualifications requisite for Administering the Sacraments, reprinted in the Scholar Armed, vol. 1. 1812. Wotton, Lewis, Turner, Hill, and Bennet's Answers to Tindal's Rights of the Church, 1707-8.

+ Mr A. Scott in a tract On the Lord's Supper, and the Propriety of administering it among the Methodists, Belfast, 1803. This tract has had an extensive circulation throughout the North of Ireland, otherwise I should not have taken notice of it.

called and separated to the work of the ministry. To none else hath Christ given authority. It was to ministers that Christ said, " Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature, baptising them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you." Men are required to acknowledge that ministers possess this sole authority, "Let a man account of us (says the apostle,) as ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God," (1 Cor. iv. 1.) Suitable gifts for the work of the ministry are not given to all, but only to some: "He gave some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, some pastors, some teachers, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ," (Eph. iv. 11. 12.) As there is a diversity of gifts, each should keep his own station in the church, and exercise in that way for which he is fitted, and to which he is called. "But are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers?" (1 Cor. xii. 20.) A diversity among the teachers of the church is as essential as it is among the members of the body: And if all were the eye, where were the hearing? If all were the hearing, where were the smelling? If all were the pastors, where were the flocks? If all were the ministers, where were the people to be ministered unto?"

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I shall not insist farther on the proof of a distinction between Clergy and Laity, since I have already demonstrated that there actually existed in the time of the apostles, three distinct orders of ministers, viz. Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons; and that these offices were not personal, but were intended to be continued, and have, in fact, continued uninterrupted to the present day. I proceed in the next place to

prove:

1. That in order to undertake lawfully the office of a Bishop, Presbyter, or Deacon, a Call or Commission. from Christ the Head of the Church, is absolutely necessary.

2. That this Call or Commission can only be had from Bishops, to whom alone Christ conferred this power.

With respect to the first then, that a Call or Commission is absolutely necessary before a man can lawfully undertake the work of the ministry: We are told in express terms, that "no man taketh this honour, (i. e. of being an officer in God's church,) but he who is called and commissioned by God, as was Aaron," (Heb. v. 4.-Exod. xxviii. 29.) Nay even our Lord, who was both God and man, "glorified not himself to be made an High-priest, but he that said unto him, Thou art my Son-Thou art a Priest," (Verse 5. 6.) Accordingly we find that he assumed no part of that office, which he came into the world to execute, till after that outward commission given to him by a voice from heaven at his baptism, (Matt. iii. 17.) for it is written, (Matt. iv. 17.) "from that time Jesus began to preach." "So that (to use the words of a Presbyterian Doctor, in which all true churchmen will agree, but which, I fear, the Doctor will be unable to reconcile with his practice,) even Christ, as priest, was not selfcreated or self-appointed: No, he received his designation, his appointment from the Father, and under this commission he acted. And after this declaration, and in the face of this inspired record, shall poor selfconceited presumptuous worms dare, without any appointment, to invade the sacred office! Ought not this passage to make many novices amongst us, who, from pride, vanity, or impatience of manual labour, start

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