ferred that he was conscious of something unsound in his principles, from his evading a test that goes to ascertain whether he regards religious truth and the command of God, as things to be adhered to at all events, or merely, when coinciding with the requisitions of Govern

ment.

So also, in the present case: when a Church possesses Ministers who are the regularlyappointed officers of a Christian Community constituted on evangelical principles, and who are also ordained by persons descended in an unbroken series from those ordained by the Apostles, the two circumstances coincide, on which, according to the two different principles, respectively, above treated of, the legitimacy and apostolical commission of Christian Ministers may be made to depend. Now in order to judge fairly, and to state clearly the decision, which foundation we resolve to rest on, it is requisite to propose a case (even supposing-which is very far from being the factthat it could not actually occur) in which these two circumstances do not come together; and then to pronounce which it is that we regard as essential.

Cases of a

cessity for

36. As a matter of fact, there can moral nebe no reasonable doubt that the Apostles did "ordain Elders in every city." Even

ceparation.

if there had been no record of their doing so, we might have inferred it from the very fact of their instituting Christian Societies; since every Society must have Officers; and the founder of a Society will naturally take upon him to nominate the first Officers; as well as to "set in order the rest" of the appointments. And those Officers, acting in the name and on the behalf of the Community, would, of course, appoint others to succeed them; and so on, from generation to generation. As long as every thing went on correctly in each Church, and its doctrines and practices remained sound, there would be nothing to interrupt this orderly course of things. But whenever it happened that the Rulers of any Church departed from the Christian faith and practice which it is their business to preserve,-when, for instance, they corrupted their worship with superstitions, made a traffic of "indulgences," and " taught for doctrines the commandments of men," by "blending" human traditions with Scripture, and making them, either wholly or in part, the substitute, as a rule of faith, for the records of inspiration, in any such case, it became the duty of all those who perceived the inroads of such errors, to aim at the reformation of them; and, when all or any of the Spiritual Pastors of such a Church obstinately stood out against

9. 1 Cor.

reform, to throw off their subjection to persons so abusing their sacred office, and, at all events, reform themselves as they best could. It is as plain a duty for men so circumstanced to obey their Heavenly Master, and forsake those who have apostatized from Him, as it would be for the loyal portion of a garrison of soldiers to revolt from a general who had turned traitor to his King, and was betraying the city into the enemy's hands. So far from being rebellious subjects in thus revolting, they would be guilty of rebellion if they did not.

In like manner, the very circumstances in which such a Body of reformers, as I have been alluding to, are placed, confer on them that independence which they would have been unjustifiable in assuming wantonly. The right is bestowed, and the duty imposed on them, of separation from the unreformed, which, under opposite circumstances, would have been schismatical. They are authorized, and bound, by the very nature of their situation, either to subsist as a distinct Community or to join some other Church; even as the vitality which Nature has

An instance of this was very recently afforded by the people of Zillerthal, in the Austrian dominions; who, being deliberately convinced of the errors of the Church in which they had been brought up, underwent, in consequence of their refusal of compli ance, a long series of vexatious persecution, and ultimately forsook their home, and found refuge and freedom of conscience in the territory of Prussia.

conferred on a scion of a tree, enables it, when cut off from the parent-stock, either to push forth fresh roots of its own, or to unite, as a graft, with the stock of some kindred tree.

suitable for

ous seced

ers.

Conduct It is for men so circumstanced to do conscienti- their best according to their own deliberate judgment, to meet their difficulties, to supply their deficiencies and to avail themselves of whatever advantages may lie within their reach. If they have among their number, Christian Ministers of several Orders, or of one Order, if they can obtain a supply of such from some other sound Church, or if they can unite themselves to such a Church with advantage to the great ultimate objects for which Churches were originally instituted,all these are advantages not to be lightly thrown away. But the unavoidable absence of any of these advantages, not only is not to be imputed to them as a matter of blame, but, by imposing the necessity, creates the right, and the duty, of supplying their deficiencies as they best can. Much as they may regret being driven to the alternative, they ought not to hesitate in their decision, when their choice lies between adherence to the human Governors of a Church, and to its Divine Master;-between "the form of godliness, and the power thereof;”—between the means and the end;-between unbroken

apostolical succession of individuals, and uncorrupted Gospel principles.

37. Persons so situated ought to be

Mistakes to

be guarded

against by when com

Reformers

pelled to

on their guard against two opposite mistakes the one is, to undervalue the privileges of a Christian Community, separation. by holding themselves altogether debarred from the exercise of such powers as naturally and essentially belong to every Community; the other mistake is to imagine that whatever they have an undoubted right to do, they would necessarily be right in doing. In no other subject perhaps would such a confusion of thought be likely to arise, as is implied by the confounding together of things so different as these two. Although the legislature (as I have above remarked) has an undoubted right to pass, or to reject, any Bill, a man would be deemed insane who should thence infer that they are equally right in doing either the one or the other. So also the Governors of a Church are left, in respect of ordinances and regulations not prescribed or forbidden in Scripture, to their own judgment; but they are bound to act according to the best of their judgment. What is left to their discretion is not therefore left to their caprice; nor are they to regard every point that is not absolutely essential, as therefore absolutely indifferent.