I A CONSTANT READER. our DEFENCE OF THE ORDINATIONS OF THE EPISCO AL CHURCH OF SCOTLAND. (Concluded from p. 510.) MUST add, that, although we have hitherto argued upon learned Principal's hypothefis, nothing is more evident than that it must be falfe. For as there was no General Council in the fecond century to authorize a change in the miniftry, nor any Chriftian King to compel it by bis power; and as Chriftians were then widely difperfed through the whole known world, and the correfondence between diftant churches was very difficult, and very expenfive'; it is clear, that there was no caufe exifting, adequate to produce fo great an efiect, as a total fubversion of our Savicur's miniftry fo early, had both bifhops and priefis been fo wicked as to attempt it. Indeed, it is incredible that clergymen, who were daily in expectation of martyrdom, and like Anicetus and Polycarp about keeping af ter, were tenacious even of mere apoftolical traditions, would have dared to altar our Saviour's inftiturions; be caufe none of them could accept of dominion over his equal brethren, with out lording it over God's heritage; nor could the body of the clergy, in any church, have either refigned their Epifcopal powers (if they had any fuch) in behalf of a beloved brother, without both degrading themfelves, which is unnatural, and (which to good men would have been a greater bar) without betraying their truft, and their Mafter's caufe. I may add, that, had they been capable of fuch folly or wickedness, as the form of church government is an object of fenfe, the change muft have been viGble to the eyes of all men. And particularly as the change was only begun in the days of Juftin Martyr, and not compleated after Tertullian had arrived at manhood, both must have feen many churches governed after GENT. MAG. July, 1802. the old model, by a college of Prefbyters headed by a temporary mode. rator, had that plan ever taken place, and must have feen alfo other churches governed by a fingle bishop, after the new fathion, had that form been then new. And fo remarkable an alteration mufi have been noticed by fuch able and inquifitive men as both those authors were But no fuch alteration, nor any difference in the government of the church, is taken notice of by either of them. On the contrary, it appears clearly from Tertullian, that all the churches in the world had, from the beginning, been governed, in his judgement, by fingle perfons; for he calls upon the fectaries to prove the fucceflion of their paftors from the apoftles, as the Catholic church could deduce her's. "Ectant ergo, originem ecclefiarum fuarum," fays that able writer," evolvant ordinem Epifcoporum fuorum, ita per fuccef fiones ab initio decurrentem, ut primus ille Epifcopus aliquem ex Apoftolis, vel Apoftolicis viris, qui tamen cum Apoftolis perfeveraverit, habuerit auctorem et antecefforem, Hoc enim modo ecclefiæ apoftolicæ cenfus fuos deferunt, ficut Smyrnæorum ecclefia habens Polycarpum ab Joanne conlocatum." Now, as this father's credibility, as a witnels, was never called in queftion, notwithstanding of his montanifin, his teftimony is decifive of the caufe: because, had there been any churches then governed by a college of Prefbyters, it is impoflible that any man but a fool could have ufed fuch language, feeing all his acquaintances could have given him the lie direct. I conclude with obferving, that, had not the Apoftles, and the other founders of the church, established Epifcopacy every where, it is impoffi ble that it could have obtained fo early, and fo univerfally, as it did all over the world. For, had they not acted under an authority which they durft neither gainfay, nor refift, a different form of church government must have been eftablished in different parts of the globe, had it been only to please the tafte of the founder, or gratify the humours of the people. But no fuch thing was ever feen in any age, or in any country. Church government, therefore, is not an arbitrary fluctuating thing, or a mere circumflance, as Profeffor 602 Ordinations of Epifcopal Church of Scotland defended. [July, Profeffor Campbell, Sir Richard Hill, and other Latitudinarians, tell us; but is effentially connected with the adminiftration of the holy facraments in the judgement even of the Eftablished church, and confequently is connected with Chriflianity. The fpiritual part of both facraments, fays the Larger Catechifm, Q. 176,is Chrift and his benefits; both are feals of the fame covenant, are to be difpenfed by minifters of the Gospel, and none other, and to be continued in the church of Chrift, until his fecond coming." Yet, this profeffor of divinity, this inftructor of candidates for holy orders, although he owns that a certain model of church government was adopted by Infinite Wifdom for the prefervation of the Chriflian faith, has given it as his opinion, that it is a circumfiance only, not connected with Chriftianity, and therefore may be overturned, and another erected by human authority!!! May the rafh and miftaken Lecturer have been forgiven; and I pray God, that all concerned may, in time, ferioutly confider the important truth here difcuffed; and be mindful of the other things which belong to their eternal peace, before they be hid from their eyes. I am, fir, your humble fervant, WM. ABERNETHY DRUMMOND. Edin. 8 Jan. 1802. P.S. It deferves to be remarked, that although our Profeffor of Divinity has acknowledged that a prefumptuous encroachment on a divine inftitution, efpecially when it tends to wound charity and to promote ftrife, is juftly reprehenfible, p. 87, and alfo has very naturally condemned all modern fecellions from the Eftablished church, p. 107, yet he finds no fault with the Prefbyterian feparations from the Epifcopal Churches; no, not when in the fynod of Glasgow, 1638, the inferior clergy depofed their Bishops, to whom they had promifed obedience, without convicting them of any crime! Audacious men! "Tell it not in Gath! publish it not in the streets of Ashkeion!" Yet, an inftitution of 1300 years ftanding, by Dr. Campbell's own acknowledgement, and, I think, I may now fay, eftablifhed in our Saviour's days, confequently a divine inftitution, was then incroached upon, and Charity wounded, and ftrife promoted, as caufelefsly, and therefore not lefs finfully, than by the more modern di vifions among the Prefbyterians themfelves. Now, this being undeniable, the learned Principal, to be confiftent with himfelf, ought furely to have exhorted his brethren to return to the churches from which they had firayed; and even fhould have fet them the example, by going before them as their head; efpecially as he pretended not to fay, that Epifcopacy originated froin the ufurpation of the firft Bifhops, but rather owns that it was yielded to them by the Prefbyters because of their superior virtues; nay, and owns too, that it is a form of go vernment which may lawfully be fubmitted to! This, in my judgement, makes the feparation highly criminal, becaufe all caufelefs divifions in the Church of God are certainly fchifinatical. I know this is an age of free thinking, as well as free acting, in different refpects. And it is very much to be regretted, that Dr. Campbell did not, and his learned brethren do not, fee the danger and guilt of rending the church in pieces, as Chrift, his Apofiles, Saint Ignatius, and the other primitive fathers, faw it; because, if they had, we fhould have had peace in Sion, and probably more love and friendfhip_among us than we now have. But from the whole tenor of the Doctor's lectures, and alfo of his fermon on the Spirit of the Gospel, preached be fore, and approved by, the Synod of Aberdeen, as abovementioned, it is evident that he laid no stress on church government, nor on unity; but thought it juft as fafe to be an Epif copalian as a Prefbyterian; and of confequence to be a Burgher or an Antiburgher, or a kirk of relief man, &c. &c. In fhort, it appears not that the Doctor faw any neceflity for Chriftians being of one communion; as the firfi difciples of our Lord most certainly were, Acts ii. 42.; and as it is evident our bleffed Lord intended they should always be, John xvii, 20, 21. For, although it be true, that we ought not to judge unfavourably of any man's fate because of his fect, provided he is fober, decent, and religious in his own way; but fhould leave him to be judged by God, whofe mercy is over all his works, and knows how to make allowances for the errors and trefpaffes of his frail creatures: and though though it be alfo true, that no man will be faved by the purity of his Church, unless his belief be found, and his life moral; becaufe, without faith it is impoffible to pleafe God; and without holiness, no man fhall fee the Lord; yet ftill to maintain, that oppofite communions are equally fafe, or that churches may be lawfully divided, when no finful term of agreement is required, although it is by fome confidered as a liberal fentiment, it is directly contradictory to our Saviour's doctrine, and to the general tenor of the New Teftament. Indeed, if unity in communion is not neceffary, why are we commanded to obey then that rule over us, and fubmit ourselves because they watch for our fouls?" Heb. xiii. 17. 66 Why are we fo earnestly exhorted to mark them who caufe divifions, and avoid them? Rom. xvi. 17; and called upon in the name of our Lord Jefus Chrift, all to speak the fame things, and that there be no divifions, literally, no fchifms among us, but that we be perfectly joined together in the fame mind, and in the fame judgement," 1 Cor. i. 10. with many fuch texts? But above all, why did our bleffed Savour pray four times for unity in his Church, in the courfe of a few fentences, among the last moments of his life? And that too, as a proof of his divinity, and of his being the true Meffah? neither pray I for thefe alone (the Apoftles), but for them alfo who fhall believe in me thro' their word, faith our Lord, that they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee; that they alfo may be one in us; that the world may believe that Thou haft fent me!" John xvii. 20, 21. That this prayer implies a petition for the affiftance of the Holy Ghoft, as Dr. Whitby fuppofes, to keep the Difciples of Chrift in one body, is not improbable; but that the virtues prayed for, were peace, and love, and concord; and the intention of it to point out the great danger of difcord and divifion, is, in my judgment, certain; because it is the most natural and obvious meaning of the words: and what is the natural and obvious meaning of any text, when agreeable to the analogy of faith, we may justly conelude to be the true and real meaning of the Holy Spirit. Our bleffed Lord forefaw, that, if his followers fhould split, instead of continuing in one great and facred body, his enemies (the wicked world), Heathens, Mahometans, Jews, Deifts, &c. would take occafion to blafpheme his facred name; would deny him to be a divine perfon, and fay that God his Father did not fend him, because he had not preferved his Church united, as he anxioufly wifhed to do. To prevent this reproach, and because divifions would engender ftrife, and deftroy peace and love, the badge of his holy religion, therefore did he fo earneftly pray that all Chriftians might continue one, even as he and his Father are one. Seeing then that our unhappy divifions operate fo dreadfully against the eternal Son of God, it feems impoffible to conceive a greater fin than fchifin is. No: I defy the greateft genius that ever lived, a Bacon, or a Newton, to conceive any thing more criminal, than deliberately to caufe our blefied Saviour to be blafphemed, treated as an impoftor, and the wicked world to fav, that God his Father did not fend him. I am willing in charity to believe that few perceive the fad confequences of their conduct; but, whatever they may either perceive or intend, all who caufeleflly feparate, do the thing. They rend the myftical body of our Lord in pieces, and do what Chrift hath foretold will caufe him to be blafphemed; and therefore all Chriftians are obliged to flee from fchifm as from the face of a ferpent. Indeed, fince the confequences of it are fo baneful, what wonder that St. Paul, in his epiftle to the Galatians, chap. v. 20. ranks dinosarías feditions (or rather divifons, as it is rendered, Rom. xvi. 16.) in the black catalogue which excludes from the kingdom of heaven? What wonder if Saint Cyprian hath faid, that he cannot have God for his Father, who hath not the Church for his Mother? and that he deemed fchifm equal to, if not a greater crime than murder or adultery? For thefe, enormous though they, be, are fill but offences against our fellow-creatures; whereas fchifm, by tearing the Church, which is our Lord's body, afunder, and caufing him to be reproached and vilified, is a direct attack upon his "Divine Perfon; and therefore appears to be fo much more heinous, as the Immortal Deity is fuperior to mortal man. And being fo, need we be furprised that the Church of England teaches |