places." And there is a curious circumstance in favour of Epifcopacy, not perhaps generally known, recorded by Mr. JONES in his life of Bishop HORNE, informing us, that JOHN WESLEY, a femi-feparatist from the Church of England, and the founder of a numerous fect, invested two minifters with the Epifcopal character, (at least fo far as he was capable of fo doing) and in that capacity fent them over to America. The reason for this conduct, according to his own acknowledgment, was " to prevent disorders and confufions among his poor people (as he called) them) in America, now all religious connexion between this country and the colonies was at an end." An anecdote, which fully proves, that unity had, in Mr. WESLEY'S opinion, been preserved among his people by their relation to the Epifcopacy of the Church of England; from which neither he nor they did ever profess themselves to be in a state of separation. And although Mr. WESLEY had not himself profited by the opinion delivered by the celebrated Mr. Law on the eccentricity of his enthufiaftic un

*SKINNER'S" Ecclefiaftical Hiftory of Scotland;" vol. ii. p.236.

† When JOHN and CHARLES WESLEY began their new ministry, one of them went to confult with Mr. Law, as a perfon of profound judgment in fpiritual matters; and when the cafe had been opened, and the intention explained, Mr. LAW made anfwer," Mr. WESLEY, if you wish to reform the world, and spread the Gospel, you must undertake the work in the fame spirit as you would take a curacy in the Peak of Derbyshire; but if you pretend to a new commissien, and go forth in the spirit and power of an Apoftle, your scheme will end in Bedlam."-JONES's Life of Bishop HORNE, p. 187.

dertaking, he was ftill wife enough to fee that the eftablishment of the Epifcopal Church government was the only plan, by which the irregularities of a licentious ministry were to be prevented.

But exclufive of the conclufion to which the foregoing confiderations will, if permitted, lead the intelligent reader, there is one circumstance, admitting it to ftand on firm ground, which ought to shut up all controverfy on this subject.

The commiffion, by virtue of which the Apostles and their fucceffors became governors of the Church, originally proceeded from the head of the Church: it confequently conveyed an investiture of authority from the only Fountain, from whence authority in spiritual matters is to be derived. As my father fent me, (faid CHRIST to his difciples, the Apostles) fo fend I you." And from the circumstance of the original delivery of the Apoftolic commiffion being accompanied with a declaration, which plainly imported the continuance of it to the end of the world; the Church has reafonably and universally concluded, as might be proved from the most unanswerable evidence, that it was the Divine intention, that this fame commiffion, for the accomplishment of the fame divine object, should accompany the Church through every stage of its progrefs. In conformity with this admitted and established principle, the governors of the Church of England have uniformly proceeded in their authoritative delegation of the ministerial

office. Either then this commiffion, thus regularly handed down to us, is ftill in force, or not. If it be, all authority in the Church must continue to be derived from it. If it be not, it is incumbent on those who act on this prefumption, by affuming a minifterial office in the Church, independent of any authoritative appointment, to inform us, at what period this commiffion determined; because, if it be determined, the Church and its miniftry are determined with it.

GOD, it is certain, can be bound only by himself; or by persons deputed and commiffioned by him to engage in his name. The Sacraments are the feals of that covenant, in CHRIST by which God hath thought fit to be bound. The administration of them CHRIST formally committed to his Apostles, and their fucceffors, for the benefit of his Church to the end of time. The validity of these seals depending, therefore, on the commiffion of the administering party, it follows, that where this commiffion, originally delivered by our Saviour, and by his authority fucceffively continued in the Church, does not actu ally fubfift, there the facraments administered are not feals of the Divine covenant, but must be confidered in the light of human ordinances.

This circumstance of the stewardship of the Divine mysteries being vacated, whereby the regularly-eftablifhed adminiftration of the Evangelical covenant comes to an end in the world, is a circumftance, that fhould weigh down all the comparative trifling con

fiderations, which are fuffered to distract the minds of diffenting Christians at any period. In all churches are to be found fpeculative opinions, concerning which a layman, who is not obliged to fubfcribe the public confefsion of faith, need give himself very little trouble to enquire, whether they are true or falfe. But ą defect in the miffion of the minifters of the gofpel invalidates the facraments, affects the purity of public worship, and can therefore be no fubject of indifference, as points of doubtful opinion are generally concluded to be; but a fubject of primary and effential importance to every Christian profeffor. It has been faid indeed, with a view, it is prefumed, to that accommodating system which the Church of England is now perfuaded to adopt, on the principle of every thing being doubtful concerning which a difference of opinion exists, (whether the fubject under confideration has been fairly examined, or not;) that "when numbers are against the Establishment, the fcale will turn; and if we do not buttress up our Establishment with those who are separated from it, the fabric must fall.” This language we certainly understand, when made use of with reference to the representation of his nation in a British House of Parliament; but when applied to the Church of CHRIST, we as certainly do not: because, with the conftitution of the Christian Church numbers can have nothing to do. And it must be to a want of information fufficient to distinguish between the Church of Christ as a spiritual

fociety, abstractedly confidered, and the establishment of that Church, politically confidered, that the sciolifts of the present day ftand indebted for fuch a palpable confufion of ideas on this fubject. Whether the political establishment of the Church ftand or fall, the Church itself, fo long as God shall think fit to preserve it in any country, will remain, as to its conftitution, what it originally was, firm on its own Divine foundation. When those who are now feparated from the Church fhall be difpofed, from conviction, to return into her bofom, the Church, as a tender mother, must with joy receive them, as strayed sheep returning to "the Shepherd and Bishop of their fouls." But in fuch case, she receives them to a conformity with her doctrine, and a due obedience to her difcipline. To receive them on any other plan, would be to attempt to form an uniform society out of heterogeneous and difcordant parts; a fociety, which, on the fuppofition that it could be brought together, and by whatever political establishment it might be fecured, muft, from the nature of its compofition, neceffarily crumble into early diffolution, for want of that principle of unity, which is the cement of the Chriftian Church, namely, a ftedfast continuance “in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowfhip." Whereas this unity, on which the very existence of the Church, as a divinely-constituted fociety, depends, according to the loose and generalizing notions of fome modern interpreters, (with the