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began to ordain both presbyters and deacons; and, as their first act, they installed Matthias in the place of Judas, who, if already among the seventy, as he was according to Clemens Alexandrinus, was thus advanced in degree. Such is our argument with the Presbyterians. Against the Independents we affirm, that episcopacy vests in the individual bishop an authority of inspection over the churches and presbyters of a district. John exercised authority over the seven churches of Asia, Rev. i. 4. Paul, called to be an apostle, was a bishop, having the care of all the churches, 2 Cor. xi. 28; he appointed Titus to be bishop of Crete, and Timothy of Ephesus. Titus was sent to Crete (where there were already presbyters) to ordain other elders in every city, and to rebuke heretics, Tit. i. 5; as was Timothy to Ephesus, to exercise authority over presbyters or elders, to lay hands (or ordain), though suddenly on no man (1 Tim. v. 1, 22); and to commit the things he had heard to faithful men, that they might be able to teach others also. All the ancient Fathers call Timothy the first Bishop of Ephesus; and a list of his successors-in all twenty-seven - until the Council of Chalcedon, remains.

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Philip the Deacon, who was an ecclesiastic, ordained by imposition of hands, baptized the Samaritans; but Peter and John were sent to Samaria to perform an office beyond the power of deacons an inferior order, who were servers of tables and distributors of alms. It has now been shewn that there were three orders of the Church from its beginning: 1, Christ; 2, the twelve; 3, the seventy; or, after the death of Christ, bishops, priests, and deacons and that episcopacy, as including the power of ordination, and the authority of one over a district, has subsisted ever since there were ministers to ordain, or districts to superintend. It was, therefore, a Divine institution.

23. The moral sense.

The moral sense is an instinctive perception of right and wrong antecedent to reasoning, and to any positive law or feeling of obligation; or, according to some, a process of reasoning so swift as to be imperceptible. As the eyes wink instinctively on the approach of physical danger, may not this be an

involuntary mental nictation on the approach of moral danger? Is not this exemplified in the modest blush of women, and in courage among men? Some philosophers deny such a perception, on Mr. Locke's principle of our having no innate ideas; but it seems to be given us by Providence for safety and prompt decision in emergencies which admit not of reflection. Why should God preserve the lower animals by instincts from physical evil, and neglect provision for the suddenly endangered spiritual welfare of his highest work? Does not analogy require this provision? The mind may possess an instinctive approbation or disapprobation of certain objects, without innate ideas of the sounds, colours, flavours, which so affect them. Moral instincts are proofs of a moral government, and earnests of its future development: education, or circumstances, improve or deteriorate them. See Dugald Stewart on the Mind, p. 238; Conybeare's Inaugural Address; Butler's Analogy; Hutchinson on Campbell's Philosophy of Rhetoric, p. 63.

24. To belief in Christianity, is comprehension of all its doctrines necessary?

It is often said, that "where mystery begins, religion ends." But this will not answer the purpose even of a deist; for nothing can be so mysterious as the existence of a God, and yet to believe in this is the foundation of all religion. To say that nothing is to be believed which cannot be fully understood and comprehended, is a false proposition; for how many things in the course of nature do we not merely believe, but know, of the principles of which we are ignorant?-as the vegetation of plants-the generation and growth of animals—the properties of the magnet -the union of soul and body—the action of mind on matter.

When reason has once discovered Christianity to be a religion from heaven, and the Scriptures to be true, it must admit what God declares, although incomprehensible-since God must know the truths revealed in his word better than his creatures can know them. For us to question the proceedings of God is presumption.

The moles and bats, in full assembly, find,
On special search, the keen-ey'd eagle blind.

See the fine passage in Bishop Watson's Apology for the Bible. Can we explain the eternity of duration and the immensity of space? Yet we know these things to be certainties. Here the arguments against Christianity press equally hard on deism; and we must be either Christians or atheists on this principle. "I have dissected many bodies," said a sneering anatomist; "but I never saw the soul." "Then you disbelieve its existence ?" "Of course." "You are, then, an atheist." "No; not an atheist." "Did you ever see God?"

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25. Paul was peculiarly qualified for the office of apostle to the Gentiles.

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The Jews sought after a sign; and the other apostles, though unlearned, could convince them as WITNESSES, by their perseverance unto death, that signs had been wrought; they could also themselves work signs, i. e. miracles. The Greeks demanded WISDOM; and Paul was wise, learned, eloquent versed in their philosophy-quoting their poets a master of argument. The other apostles might have mingled Judaism with the Christianity they taught; but Paul saw the spiritual meaning of Judaism. Paul could convert the very ignorance of the most refined Gentiles into an admission of the necessity for revelation-a use he made of the altar to the unknown God at Athens. Paul was capable of coping with the early heretics. The outery of "prejudiced, ignorant fanatic," could not silence Paul. Neither the procrastination of Felix, nor the apathy of Agrippa, nor the prophecy of Agabus, could shake his purpose, or scare him from his course. He had no prejudice in favour of the Mosaic law, except as a system of prophecy and type fulfilled by the accomplishment, and of shadows absorbed in the substance. He knew that justification by faith superseded the ceremonial works of the law, and implied a regard to its moral precepts. His enlarged mind knew the limits of expedience, while, at first, the Jewish abhorrence of blood and of idol-sacrifices prevented amalgamation and eating with the Gentiles; and less guilty prejudices were to be gradually removed: yet No expedience silenced him, or prevented the sacrifice of himself in the cause of truth. He could circumcise Timothy, to

gain access for him among the Jews, and yet consistently teach that circumcision was unnecessary. In this respect, he could reprove Peter for a cowardly compromise on the subject. He was a Roman citizen, and could appeal against all unjust persecution to a higher tribunal. By his education and mental powers, he could vary his reasoning in making converts, and was all things to all men. He made his way even into the palace, and gained some of the emperor's household. By zeal, intrepidity, learning, and courteous manners, he was well qualified for the office of a missionary; and he persevered, amid all difficulties, to the end.

26. On mysteries in religion.

See Art. 24. A mystery has two senses: first, It is a truth revealed by God, which is not discoverable by our natural reason; and, secondly, It is a truth which remains incomprehensible even after it has been revealed. There are mysteries in matters of faith, in order to fill our minds with reverential awe, to humble our pride and self-sufficiency, and to engage us in a diligent search into the hidden things of God. Lastly, mysteries furnish doubting minds with an evidence of a future state of being, in which our faculties shall be enlarged, and we shall no longer see through a glass darkly, or as in a clouded (metal) mirror, and as it were in an enigma, di' ¿σóπtpov iv aivíyμarı (1 Cor. xiii.), but face to face; for it is not to be supposed that God would give his reasonable creatures an obscure knowledge, imperfect hints, notions of things not yet revealed without the intention of revealing them: He would have left them in contented ignorance if he had intended no farther information: He would not have made the human mind a vessel of large dimensions, to pour into it a scantling of contents. Since our capacity of knowledge is boundless, then, mysteries are a prophecy of immortality. Mysteries in religion are, on proper authority, to be believed; because, if we do not believe them, we can believe hardly any thing. If the works of nature, the growth of plants, the instinct of animals, the union of body and soul, the nature of spirit, are all pregnant with mysteries-how can it be supposed, that what relates to the Divine Being himself, who was, and is, and is to

come-the Maker, Preserver, and Ruler of all—his personality combined with his omnipresence- his union with Jesus-his permission of evil, and control over it-his general and particular Providence,—that these shall be without mystery?

We are to believe mysteries, then, not by attempting to solve them, but on the authority of Him who reveals them; and we prove the mysterious doctrine itself, by proving the testimony of Him who reveals it to be infallible. We are not to reject a doctrine, on the ground of our reason's being wiser than that of God. We may be certain, that if God has revealed a doctrine, but not revealed the manner of understanding it, our understanding of that doctrine is not necessary to our acceptance with God. Our belief in it is necessary, because God has revealed it: our understanding of it is not necessary, because God has not given the power, or revealed the way of understanding it.

Let us apply to mysteries the following texts: God is a God that hideth himself, Job xxiii. 9; We cannot, by searching, find out God, xi. 9. Such knowledge is too wonderful and excellent for us: we cannot attain unto it, Ps. cxxxix. 6. If I tell you of earthly things, and you understand them not, how shall ye understand if I tell you of heavenly things, John iv. 21. No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him (John i. 18), i. e. hath declared God's attributes and designs. a mystery, in the first sense mentioned above, to be believed; but hath not given us fully to understand them, a mystery in the second sense. Our salvation, then, depends on the belief, but not on the full understanding, of these mysteries.

27. On transubstantiation.

When our Saviour instituted the sacrament of the Lord's Supper, his words were, This do in remembrance of me, Luke xxii. 19, 1 Cor. xi. 24. It was a commemorative rite- -as was the passover, its type. Now, remembrance is calling to mind an event past, and is essential to the nature of that sacrament; but transubstantiation makes the event present, and is thus opposed to the nature of a sacrament. The phrase, This is my body, is to be understood (like This is the love of God, This is

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