The object of my Second Difcourfe was to point out to the reader the nature, defign, and conftitution of the Christian church, confidered as a visible society. As fuch, it was observed that the church must have her rules and orders; and confequently governors, to carry those rules and orders into effect; because, without fuch a provifion for order and government no fociety can fubfift. Thus far, Sir, it is prefumed, we must agree. That fuch a provifion has been made, was proved from the commiffion delivered to the Apostles, by virtue of which, a power, originally derived from GOD the Father to CHRIST, was by him communicated to the first planters and governors of his church; and, through them, to all his fucceffors in the fame high office, for the purpose of directing the affairs of his fpiritual kingdom on earth, to the end of time.

To afcertain what particular form of government was established on this occafion, an argument was drawn from the early practice of the primitive church; which, it was conceived, would furnish fuch a comment upon it, as must be fufficient to determine the judgment of every unprejudiced reader. Proofs on this head might have been multiplied; but it being my design to draw the fubject within the fmalleft pof

fible compass, recourse was had to fuch only as might be deemed conclufive. With this view, an appeal was made to the writings of ST. PAUL; where, in his directions to TIMOTHY, the first bishop of Ephesus, mention is expressly made of the feveral ministers of the church, diftinguished by their several stations and offices.

To remove every doubt with respect to the interpretation of fome particular paffages in ST. PAUL'S writings, the testimony of two primitive writers brought forward muft, it was prefumed, be deemed competent to furnish decided evidence. ST. IGNATIUS and CLEMENT were contemporaries with the Apostles; the latter is fpoken of as a fellow labourer with ST. PAUL. Phil. iv. 3. His epistle to the Corinthians, from which I made my extract, is confidered to be, after the Holy Scriptures, one of the most eminent records of antiquity. The authenticity of the epiftles of ST. IGNATIUS, from whence I have alfo made an extract in proof of the Christian church, has been placed by Bishop PEARSON* beyond the reach of controverfy. If the abundant testimonies which are to be produced from these epiftles in fupport of the conftitution of the Chriftian church, as originally

* PEARSON'S "Vindiciæ Ignatianæ."

established under the government of bishops, priests, and deacons, be not deemed fufficient to establish the point, I do not fee how it is poffible to form any decifive judgment upon the subject.

The description which ST. IGNATIUS, in his epistle to the Magnefians, gave of a church, is exprefs and decided. "Your bishop presiding in the place of GOD, your prefbyters in the place of the council of the Apostles, and your deacons entrusted with the miniftry of JESUS CHRIST." Such was the idea annexed to the word church, as a visible fociety, in thofe early days. There is, moreover, fome reafon to think, from ST. IGNATIUS's manner of writing, if we give credit to his character, that he was favoured with revelations on this fubject. In his letter to the Ephefians, he tells them that he had the intention of writing a fecond letter, for the purpose of inftructing them in certain points, μαλιστα εαν ο Κύριος μοι αποκαλυψη, efpecially if the LoRD fhould reveal any thing to me. In his epiftles to the Philadelphians he writes thus: "When I exhorted

you to adhere to your bishops, priests, and deacons, fome of you fufpected that I had been informed of diffentions among you; but he is my witness, for whom I am now in bonds, that I have known nothing on

this fubject from human information; but the fpirit has preached to me in the following words, Let nothing be done without the bifhop,'aprus de μοι εν τ δεδεμαι οτι απο σαρκος ανθρωπινης επ εγναν. Το δε πνευμα εκηρυσσεν λέγων ταδε. Χωρις το Επισκοπε μηδεν ποιειτε. In another part of his writings, he calls the appointment of bishops to be according to the will and direction of JESUS CHRIST, Ιησε Χριςε γνώμην είναι

IGNATIUS, according to the account given of him by ST. CHRYSOSTOM, was familiarly converfant with the Apostles, and drank freely from their spiritual fountain; was brought up together with them, and partook with them in all doctrines and myfteries; and was at length thought worthy of so great a dignity as that of being a governor of the church; which he obtained in confequence of the hands of the bleffed Apoftles having been laid on his facred head.* When IGNATIUS wrote these epiftles, he was in bonds, and on his journey from Antioch to Rome; in expectation of being fhortly called to feal the truth with his blood. The teftimony of fuch a man, under fuch circumftances, muft, it should be

* CHRYSOST. Iyvar. Eynwl.

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fuppofed, have great weight with every confiderate, unprejudiced, and impartial perfon.

On fuch teftimony, in conjunction with what has been drawn from the writings of ST. PAUL and CLEMENT, have I ventured to fpeak confidently on the original conftitution of the Christian church; setting it down as a most infallible truth, in the words of the celebrated HOOKER, "That the church of CHRIST is at this day lawfully, and fo hath been from the firft beginning, governed by bishops, having permanent fuperiority and ruling power over other ministers of the word and facraments." Book vii. p. 376.

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The authority of the learned Bishop SANDERSON appearing to 'have weight with you, will, I truft, be my apology for troubling you with another quotation, before I close this of part my fubject. My opinion (fays that learned writer) is, that episcopal government is not to be derived merely from Apoftolical practice or inftitution, but that it is founded in the perfon and office of the MESSIAS, our bleffed LORD and Master JESUS CHRIST, who being fent by his Father to be the great Apostle, (Heb. iii. 1) Bishop, and Paftor (1 PETER Xi. 25) of his church, and anointed to that office, immediately after his baptifm by JOHN, which power and the Holy Ghoft (Acts x. 37, 38)