A CONTINUATION OF LETTERS CONCERNING THE CONSTITUTION AND ORDER OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY; ADDRESSED TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCHES IN THE CITY OF NEW-YORK. BEING AN EXAMINATION OF THE STRICTURES OF THE BY SAMUEL MILLER, D. D. K ONE OF THE PASTORS OF THE FIRST PRESBYTERIAN NEW-YORK: PUBLISHED BY WILLIAMS AND WHITING, AT THEIR THEOLOGICAL AND CLASSICAL BOOK-STORE, J. SEYMOUR, PRINTER. BRITISH District of New-York, ss. BE E it remembered, that on the fifth day of December, in the thirty-fourth year of the Independence of the United States of America, WILLIAMS & WHITING, of the said district, have deposited in this Office the title of a Book, the right whereof they claim as Proprietors, in the words following, to wit: "A Continuation of Letters concerning the Constitution and Or. der of the Christian Ministry; addressed to the Members of the Presbyterian Churches in the city of New-York. Being an examination of the strictures of the Rev. Drs. Bowden and Kemp, and the Rev. Mr. How, on the former series. By Samuel Miller, D. D. one of the Pastors of the First Presbyterian Church in the said City.” In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An act for the encouragement of learning by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the au"thors and proprietors of such copies during the time there"in mentioned; and also to an Act, entitled an Act, suppleદ mentary to an Act, entitled an Act for the encouragement "of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and "books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, du"ring the time therein mentioned, and extending the benefits "thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching, historical and other prints.' CHARLES CLINTON, Clerk of the District of New-York. CONTENTS. INTRODUCTORY remarks-Origin of this dise pute--Diligence and zeal of our Episcopal brethren in asserting their offensive claims-Design and character of the author's former series of Letters-Attacks made upon those Letters-The avowed opinions of Dr. Bow- den and Mr. How—Various unfounded charges brought by these gentlemen against the author's former volume- Dr. Bowden and Mr. How charge the author with the doctrine of Election-Mr. How misrepresents and Virtually vilifies an article of his own Church-Cer- tain facts stated in the former volume, concerning Eng- lish Episcopalians, denied-Proved to be true-Charge of illiberality against the author-Refuted-The claim of high-churchmen construed by impartial judges, and even by Episcopal writers, as we construe-it-Charge Scripture the only rule of faith and practice-Dr. Bowden declines being judged by Scripture alone-Be- gins with the testimony of the Fathers-Even this testi- mony he is afraid to encounter in its natural order→→→→ Singular management to make it appear more favourable to his cause than it isArgument drawn from the Asia- tic Angels reviewed-Shown to make nothing in favour of Prelacy-Blondel misrepresented His real opinion stated-The argument founded on the mission of Timo- thy and Titus again examined-The argument drawn from the Constitution of the Jewish Synagogue reviewed and defended-Quotations from Episcopal writers in support of that argument—Argument drawn from the alleged Episcopal character of James, examined and re- futed-Calvin unjustly produced as a witness in favour of this argument-Calvin grossly misrepresented in an- other instance-Dr. Bowden denies that thé genuine- ness and authenticity of the Scriptures can be decided Testimony in favour of the office of Ruling Elder more · particularly considered-This, or some similar office, necessary in the Church-There were Ruling Elders in the Jewish Synagogue―They are expressly mentioned in the New Testament-Testimony in favour of this office from the Fathers-The Waldenses, the Bohemian brethren, and the Hussites, had Ruling Elders in their Churches before Calvin was born-Testimony of the Reformers-Martin Bucer-Peter Martyr-Confes- sion of Saxony-Acknowledgment of Archbishop Whit- gifi-Szegedin-Kromayer-Voetius-Ursinus- This Testimony of the Fathers reviewed-The author's former protest and explanations on this subject disre- garded by Dr. Bowden-Charge of suppressing testimo- ny from the Fathers unfounded-Charge of misrepre senting the testimony of other Fathers equally unfounded -The Fathers of the third and fourth centuries ought not to be credited, even if they had asserted the apostoli- |