with caution, for St. Paul writes to him, "Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins;" u shewing that great responsibility is attached to the exercise of this power. Such ordinations were performed in all places, whenever occasion required. St. Paul addresses Titus in these words, "For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.* Titus has been commonly and very properly called the bishop of Crete: he ordained elders or priests to officiate wherever such ministers were needed, and he set things in order, that is, he prescribed rites and ceremonies, and passed ecclesiastical censures and admonitions, agreeably to the known practice of the Apostle himself.

Such are the functions of the episcopacy at the present time; the powers conferred on the elders or priests are also the same as those conferred by episcopal ordination. The authority for the exercise of these powers is founded on the Power of the Keys; it is consequently of divine origin, and having been transmitted by vicarious ordination through successive generations of the priesthood continued uninterrupted to the present times, it still claims the same character. The terms used by the Saviour in the promise made to Peter and to the rest of the Apostles place this position beyond the possibility of doubt. "Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven." When an Apostle, St. Paul for instance, ordained a bishop, he conferred on the person powers the same as those possessed by himself,-the power of teaching and preserving order in the Church, the power of binding and of loosing. If the power thus conferred were valid in the first instance, it must be equally valid in all, and consequently every ordained minister of God's word, whether bishop or elder, must be vested with power or authority the

same as that communicated e in the name of the Father, and diately or by his ordained age host." The visiting minister, whatever the country in which they may live resume true

Such is the holy origin of the institution of the Holyf Catholic Church, that is, of the Church whose rites and doctrines accord truly and strictly with the word of Holy Writ, for such only can be catholic. Being thus catholic, the act done, whether by an Apostle or by one ordained by the Apostle in person, is of equal validity; the acts of the Apostle and the minister ordained by the Apostle are of equal validity; each act is done by the authority of the Keys, each has the like power to bind, each to loose. The same must be affirmed of the acts of all true and legitimate holders of the power. The power was conferred by the Son of God; it is a power existing in his Church: neither time nor place can abate its authority; death and hell shall not prevail against it. Whatever may be the ordinances, the rites, the ceremonies prescribed by such authority, they ought to be regarded with religious reverence, and obeyed with dutiful obedience, under the penalty denounced against resistance. The reverence thus required for the rite is due. to the rite itself, because divine honour is due to the primal ordaining authority. Let not the minister exalt himself: he is but the instrument. The work wrought by the instrument is of worth, rather than the instrument used. The Apostle enjoins that "the ministers of God's word be esteemed very highly in love for their work's sake;"y intimating that the validity of the work or rite performed is altogether independent of and not affected by the character of the minister. Such is the doctrine of the Church of England, which decides that "the unworthiness of ministers hinders not the effects of the sacraments."z

Authorities stated above have led to the conclusion that the Apostles never decided judicially, but conditionally only, z Art. XXVI.

y 1 Thess. v. 13.

OF CHURCHES.

with caution, for St. Paul . The authorities and elders denly on no man, neither bepowers greater than those which shewing that held, for the Apostles could not give more than they had received. The well-known accounts of the sale of pardons and indulgences, which brought on the Reformation, have rendered the fact notorious that the Bishop of Rome did make the claim, and founded upon it a most lucrative traffic. There are some instances of ministers of Reformed Churches, and even of the Anglican Church, who hold themselves entitled to the same claim also. It were uncharitable to suppose that any minister of the Church of England should entertain such opinion from any other motive than a love of truth; such a one may be supposed to be candid, and ready to receive the truth, and therefore may possibly give attention to the following remarks.

The Office for the Ordering of Priests directs the use of the following words on the most solemn part of it, the imposition of hands: "Whose sins thou dost forgive they are forgiven, and whose sins thou dost retain they are retained." It has been already shewn that the power of deciding judicially on the question of the final salvation of any one was not vested in the Apostles by the Power of the Keys, and that they never did exercise it on any occasion. Leaving the apostolical power out of the question, it is pleaded, on the authority of the Office for the Visitation of the Sick, that the Church of England, although it teaches that salvation can be conditional only in general, or in most cases, yet that the Church does possess the power of judicial decision in certain cases. In vindication of this doctrine it is thus argued.

The officiating minister, after due admonition and exhortation of the sick person, is ordered to absolve him, if he heartily desire it, after this sort. "The power having been given by the Lord Jesus Christ to his Church to absolve all sinners who truly repent and believe, of his mercy forgive thee, and by his authority committed to me (the minister) I

absolve thee from all thy sins, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The visiting minister, when he says, "I absolve," may be supposed to presume true belief and sincere repentance. He has formed an opinion of the case, but he does not regard absolution as decisive and infallible; the prayer previously uttered, that Jesus Christ would forgive, proves that the absolution pronounced is altogether conditional. The absolution, however it may approximate to conviction, never can pass beyond hope. "We are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth why doth he yet hope for?" This text is decisive, whether absolution be sought from an Apostle or an ordinary minister of the present day. Forgiveness of sin is uncertain till it be ratified by God, who alone knows what is in man. There is no scriptural authority that affords reason to imagine that God does in any case reveal his decision to man on earth, and therefore there never can be certainty to man in this life. Every honest man will submit to the word of God and accede to this doctrine, more especially if he be an ordained minister, for such is the true doctrine of the Anglican Church. Such of its members as claim the power of infallible judgment must, it is feared, be sadly tainted with the proud heresy of the Church of Rome.

The decision of the Apostles on the question whether Gentile converts ought to observe the Law of Moses, has been cited as an instance of their exercise of their power in matters of practice. That assembly may justly be termed the first, or rather, the most important Christian Council ever held its decision has been ever binding on earth; the Power of the Keys affords the assurance that it is binding in heaven. The Churches did all abide by it, and even Judaism finally sank beneath the award. The ecclesiastical authorities of succeeding ages often exercised the apostolical Power of the Keys. Councils were held in all countries during many ages of the primitive Church, whenever doubts or disputes

seemed to require them. The piety of all true and sincere Christians rendered a dutiful obedience to the decisions of these assemblies, and an outward assent at least was always afforded to their decisions. Had any one a faith different from those decisions, he, in obedience to the precept of St. Paul, had it to himself, and forbore to produce divisions by opposing private opinion to the opinion declared on apostolic authority. In after times the intrigues and passions that too often prevailed in these Councils made it evident that they were devoid of the gospel spirit, and justly deprived them of that deference to which they were constitutionally entitled. Many Councils held by the Church of Rome made decisions clearly contrary to gospel principles and doctrines, and decidedly corrupt, and even abominable. At length a great portion of the Churches of Europe withdrew obedience, and acted upon the exhortation of the voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues, for her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities." They withdrew because the worship of saints and images and the assumption of the judicial power in the forgiveness of sins rendered her heretical: such practices and powers being in direct defiance of the true and plain purport of the word of God.

Such being the Power of the Keys given to the Apostles, and the consequences of that gift thus permanent, it follows that every Christian is required by the laws of the gospel to submit to the powers that be, as being ordained of God; and farther, that such obligation is ever permanent, unless the power be so abused that the exercise of them cannot be said to be in accordance with their intent and the will of God. Such being the power of Councils, it follows that there is no such thing as what is called religious liberty; that is, the power of adopting such rites and ceremonies and profess

a Rev. xviii. 4, 5.