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frame of epifcopal government is not fo expressly prescribed, but that the church may, in many things,' have power of making therein accommodations to the times and exigencies of the ftate; yet may not thofe acts of accommodation amount to fuch a height, as to fubvert or abolish the government, which by the judgment of her members, then infallible, was set on foot; because no judgment of her prefent members now can come in any competition with her first. And any ftate fhall fo accommodate itself, the accommodators may, perhaps, be found fighting against the fpirit of God, manifested both in the scripture, and in the judgment and practice of the univerfal church of God."*

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A fhorter and ftill more direct anfwer to the Archdeacon's eccentric pofition, refpecting the appointment of bishops, confidered only as a matter of temporary accommodation to the circumstances of the primitive church, will be found in the following judicious obfervation of the celebrated Mr. Law.

We do not fay that epifcopacy cannot be changed, merely because we have Apoftolical practice for it; but because fuch is the nature of the Chriftian priest

"A Proteftant's Account of his Orthodox Religion," p. 16, 17. Published in "Bibliotheca Scriptorum Ecclefiæ Anglicane;" by the Rev. GEO. HICKES, D. D.

hood, that it can only be continued in that method which God has appointed for its continuance. Epifcopacy is the only instituted method of continuing the priesthood; therefore episcopacy is unchangeable. The Apoftolical practice, indeed, fhews that epifcopacy is the order that is appointed; but it is the nature of the priesthood that affures us that it is unalterable. So that the question is not fairly stated, when it is asked, whether epifcopacy, being an Apoftolical practice, may be laid afide? But it should be afked, whether an inftituted particular method of continuing the priesthood be not neceffary to be continued? Whether an appointed order of receiving a commiffion from God be not neceffary to be observed, in order to receive a commiffion from Him? If the cafe were thus ftated, as it ought to be fairly stated, any one would foon perceive, that we can no more lay afide epifcopacy, and yet continue the Christian priesthood, than we can alter the terms of falvation, and yet be in covenant with GOD."* Till the Archdeacon has answered what has been fo ably advanced upon this fuhject by the celebrated writer above-mentioned, the reader will readily difpenfe with further enlargement upon it.

* Law's Second Letter to Bishop HOADLEY.

That a writer, who fees the Chriftian church in the light in which Dr. PALEY appears to see it, rather as an appendage to the ftate, than as a fociety poffeffing an existence and government independent of it, fhould express himself on the subject of creeds and confeffions in the manner he has done, is but what was to be expected. He who confiders the establishment of the Chriftian church as the mere result of human' judgment, exercised on that particular fubject at a certain given time, will confider the establishment of creeds and confeffions, as expreffive merely of the opinion or perfuafion of the age in which they were compofed; rather than as fixing any ftandard of judgment for mankind at any future time.

To fuch a person the establishment of the Christian church, and the establishment of an article of Chriftian faith, will appear fubjects equally open to difcuffion; and subjects upon which no fettled judgment can ever be formed; becaufe they must be continually varying with the opinions of mankind upon them. What was therefore an acknowledged article of faith in the primitive church, may in process of time ceafe to be fo; because (to make use of the Archdeacon's words) " in confequence of the changes which are wont to take place in the judgment

of mankind, it may contradict the actual opinion of the church of the prefent day upon that fubject." The inference to be drawn from this pofition may be extended, I should conceive, beyond the boundaries marked out to it in the author's mind. For, as an unqualified pofition, it authorizes us to conclude, that articles of faith, fuppofed to be built upon the revealed word of God, are matters of mere opinion; in other words, that articles of faith are true, just fo long as men think them to be fo, and no longer.

How this pofition is to be reconciled with the rule laid down by TERTULLIAN, and univerfally acted upon in the primitive church, we muft leave Doctor PALEY to confider. "Regula fidei immobilis irreformabilis; cætera difciplinæ et converfationis admittunt novitatem correctionis."* And fhould this fluctuating pofition be admitted, in what sense, it may may be asked, can the church be called, as it is by the Apostle, the ground and pillar of the truth? Inftead of having any form of found words to have recourse to for the determination of his judgment on any given point, the Chriftian muft, in this cafe, be continually asking, what is truth? And if it be made to depend upon the fluctuating opinions of men, we

* TERTULLIAN, Lib. de Virgin. veland.

may venture to fay, that it will not be worth his while to wait for the anfwer.*

By a perfon entertaining the foregoing idea respecting the accommodation of religious fubjects to

*The accommodating articles of faith to the varying opinions of the members of the church for the time being appears to be fo very inconfiftent with the direction given by ST. PAUL to TIMOTHY for the discharge of his miniftry, that that part of ST. PAUL'S writings muft, it may be fuppofed, have efcaped the Archdeacon's obfervation. "Hold faft,” said ST. PAUL to TIMOTHY, "the form of found words, which thou haft heard of me, in faith and love, which is in JESUS CHRIST." 2 TIM. i. 13. "And the things which thou haft heard of me among many witneffes, the fame commit thou to faithful men, who fhall be able to teach others alfo." 24 TIM. ii. 2. ST. PAUL (as we read Acts ix) was, by an immediate command from the head of the church, fent to ANANAIAS and the difciples at Damafcus, for inftruction in the Gofpel. The knowledge received by ST. PAUL on this subject, he afterwards communicated to TIMOTHY; whom, on that account, he called “ his own fon in the faith;" 1 TIM. i. 2; with direction that he should commit the fame to other faithful men, for the purpose of their teaching the fame to others. Here then appears to be a form of found words handed down through five fucceffive ftages,originating with CHRIST himself; a circumftance, which warrants the conclufion that a certain ftandard of doctrine was established in the church for the uniform profeffion of its members from time to time.

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But, according to the Archdeacon's idea upon this fubject, TiMOTHY should have reminded ST. PAUL, that however determined he might be in his own mind to hold faft the form of found words, which had been delivered to him; nevertheless that he could not take upon himself to answer for the conduct of those who might fucceed him in the miniftry; because, "by reafon of the changes that are wont to take place in the opinions of mankind upon religious fubjects," the form of doctrine which he had received might

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