A. That nothing be wanting that of necessity is requisite for the due celebration of them.

11. What is necessary for the due celebration of them?

A. That they be administered with the matter and in the manner appointed by our Lord: Baptism with water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost2, and the Lord's Supper with bread and wine, consecrated to become spiritually His body and blood 3, by one commissioned by Him for that purpose.

12. If our Lord has commissioned some persons for the discharge of these functions, is it not plain presumption for others not so commissioned to exercise the same office?

A. Yes.

13. Will St. Peter's applying the term "royal priesthood 4" to the whole body of Christians, warrant any in exercising the ministerial office who have not been specially set apart for the purpose?

A. No for they are the words which Moses applied to the whole people of Israel; among whom the ministry was confined to the tribe of Levi; and the priesthood to the family of Aaron 7.

14. What Scripture warrant is there for saying that a commission is necessary?

A. "I will take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord "." "Pray ye the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth labourers into His harvest "." "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I 10" you How shall they preach, except they be sent 11?" Among the Gentiles in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering "No man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God 13" "Thou hast tried them which say they are Apostles, and are not 14 ❞

12"

15. Have the ministers of the Church of England received this commission? and is the pure word of God preached, and the Sacraments duly administered in her according to Christ's ordinance ?

A. Yes.

16. How have the ministers of the Church of England received this Commission?

A. They have received it from Christ, through the Apostles and those that followed them in the same office, in an unbroken line of succession from the Apostles to the present Bishops.

17. How has the Commission been conveyed?

A. By the laying on of the hands of the Apostles and their successors.

18. Who are the successors of the Apostles?

A. The Chief Pastors in every place who have received the Apostolic Commission, i. e. that authority to govern the Churches and ordain Clergy, which our Lord gave to the Apostles.

19. Do all Christians continue in the Apostles' doctrine and fellowship? A. No. Some hold to the fellowship and depart from the doctrine, corrupting it by alterations or additions: and some depart also from the fellowship, having lost the Apostolic Commission.

20. What branches of the Church continue both in the doctrine and in the fellowship?

A. Those called Protestant Episcopal, in England, Ireland, Scotland, Sweden', in the United States, and British North America, in the East and West Indies.

21. What does the term Protestant imply?

A. That they have protested against the Romish errors and corruptions. 22. What is meant by Episcopal ?

A. That they are under the governance of a duly authorized Chief Pastor (commonly called Bishop), who has two other orders of Clergy under him. 23. Are all congregations, where the chief officer is called Bishop, Apostolic?

A. No. In some cases the Chief Pastors are called Bishops, but have not received the Apostolic Commission.

24. Are all Apostolic Churches Episcopal ?

A. Yes.

25. What will justify separation from a Church which has preserved this Apostolical succession?

A. Nothing but her requiring, as the condition of remaining in her communion, an assent to some doctrine or practice which is opposed to the truth of Scripture.

26. What assistance has God provided for determining the true sense of Scripture?

A. The witness in all ages of the universal Church, "which is the pillar and ground of the truth 2."

27. How is that witness afforded?

A. By the writings of the ancient Bishops, and the decrees of those councils which have been universally received by the Church.

28. Does the Church of England require assent to any doctrine which is opposed to the written word of God?

A. No. Few even of those who separate from her, deny the truth of her doctrines.

29. Is all her practice,—that is, her forms and ceremonies,-to be found in Scripture ?

A. No.

30. By what authority, then, are they set forth?

A. By the authority of those to whom Christ has intrusted the spiritual government of the Church.

1 Apostolical succession in Sweden is not wholly free from doubt, but maintained with great probability among themselves, and said to be recognized by the Romanists.

21 Tim. iii. 15.

31. Who are they?

A. The Bishops or Apostles, assisted by the Priests or Presbyters. 32. Confirm this authority from Scripture.

A. When dispute arose in the infant Church concerning the ceremonies that were to be used, it was referred for decision to the Apostles and Elders. (See Acts xv. 2. 4. 6. 22; xvi. 4.) And St. Paul expressly mentions it as part of the commission given to Titus, Bishop of Crete, "that he should set in order the things that were wanting 3."

33. What duties do the Scriptures teach us the people owe to their pastors in spiritual matters ?

:

A. 1. Obedience. "Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves for they watch for your souls as they that must give account 4." 2. Love. "Esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake 5." 3. Maintenance. "The workman is worthy of his meat"." "The Lord ordained that they which preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel 7.” 4. Prayer. "Brethren, pray for us 8."

On Dissenters.

34. Are all the Christians in England members of the Church? A. No.

35. Are all the Christians in England, who are not members of the Church, united in one body?

A. No: they are divided into a great variety of sects, but may all be classed under two heads.

36. What are these?

A. Protestant Dissenters, and Romish Dissenters.

On Protestant Dissenters.

37. In what respect do all the Protestant Dissenters differ from the Church?

A. Each sect has some point of difference peculiar to itself: but they all differ in this, namely, that their teachers can produce no commission from Christ to exercise the office of ministers of the Gospel. These have departed from the Apostles' fellowship.

38. To whom did our Saviour give this commission ?

A. To the Chief Pastors of the Church, who were called Apostles'.

39. To whom did He intrust the power of transmitting this authority to

others?

A. To the same.

40. Show this from Scripture.

A. "As my Father hath sent me, even so send I you 1." "I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed me 2."

41. To whom were these words spoken ?

A. To the Chief Pastors only.

42. Was this power always to remain in the Church?

A. "He gave some apostles, &c. for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man," &c.

43. What promise did our Lord make to the Apostles respecting the continuance of their commission?

A. "Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world 4."

44. To whom were these words spoken ?

A. To the Chief Pastors, the Apostles, only.

45. Whom did the Apostles appoint to be their successors in this matter?

A. Chief Pastors after them, who are now called Bishops.

46. What Scripture warrant have you for this?

A. The Epistles of St. Paul to Timothy, Chief Pastor of Ephesus, and to Titus, Chief Pastor of Crete, show that he had intrusted to them the same authority for ordaining ministers and governing churches which he himself exercised as an Apostle.

47. How many orders of ministers were there in the Churches which the Apostles founded?

A. Three. For the Chief Pastors at Ephesus and Crete had two orders of Clergy under them.

48. By whom were these orders instituted?

A. The first by our Lord, with a promise that it should continue even to

the end of the world: the two others by the Holy Ghost, through the bands of Apostles.

49. What orders are there now in the Church?

A. The same.

50. By what names has the first order heen known?

A. Sometimes Apostles, sometimes Angels 6, now generally Bishops.

51. By what names has the second order been known?

A. Sometimes Bishops 7, sometimes Elders, or, in the Greek, Presbyters, which we have shortened into Priests.

52. By what name has the third order been known?

A. By that of "Deacon "" only.

53. To which of the three orders has the power of ordaining others been intrusted?

A. It has been confined to the first order.

54. Has the second order been allowed no share in ordaining others? A. Only conjointly with the first.

55. Give an instance of this from Scripture.

A. We find frequent mention of the first order ordaining by themselves 1; but the only instance (if it be allowed to be one) of the second order taking any part in that office, is conjointly with the first.-Compare 1 Tim. iv. 14, with 2 Tim. i. 6. This method is still practised in the Church.

56. Has ordination by Presbyters alone been ever allowed in the Church? A. No warrant for it can be found in the New Testament; and for the first 1500 years it was universally rejected and condemned.

57. Did Calvin and the first founders of the Presbyterian government despise the Episcopal order?

A. No; Calvin 2 held those men worthy of an anathema who would not submit themselves to truly Christian Bishops, if such could be had.

58. What advantage does the preservation of the Apostolic Commission afford to the members of the Church?

A. They have a promise from God to bless the ministrations of their teachers have an assurance that in the Sacrament of Baptism God seals His part of the covenant: and that in the Sacrament of the Eucharist He makes them partakers of the body and blood of Christ.

59. Where the commission is wanting, is there the same assurance of these blessings?

A. No.

60. Is success in making proselytes an evidence that men enjoy the Divine favour and blessing?

A. No: for the most wicked impostors have sometimes had the greatest number of followers, as in the case of Mahomet 3.

61. Do we find in Scripture any instances of persons taking upon themselves the office of the ministry without warrant from God?

A. Yes. Korah, Dathan, and Abiram1: and Uzziah, King of Judah 3. 62. Did God show Himself displeased at their conduct?

A. Yes, in a fearful manner. Korah and his company were swallowed up alive in an earthquake; and Uzziah was struck with leprosy.

63. Is it possible for persons, under the Christian dispensation, to be guilty of the sin for which Korah was punished?

A. St. Jude clearly shows that it is so; for he speaks of some in his time who "perished in the gainsaying of Korah "."

64. What does he mean by the gainsaying of Korah ?

A. The despising and opposing God's commissioned servants, as Korah despised and opposed Aaron the minister of God 7.