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strenuously urge the application of the apostle's condemning language to the Corinthians, "There is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another:" but with equal strenuousness I would deny that the constitution of the church itself is condemned. On the contrary, nothing can be more conducive to the quiet prevention of litigation, than the established order for which we plead. In matters ecclesiastical this is eminent witness the amount of harmony and decorum throughout the thousands of our parishes, rarely, very rarely broken by a single instance of strife: as contrasted with the scenes of rivalry and contention, in and about dissenting chapels, too frequently and painfully protruded upon public attention. In matters of private and relative misunderstanding, threatening disputation, it is impossible to estimate the amount of peaceful forbearance which our church has ministered, and does daily minister, to her true and faithful children, and by their means to extending circles of domestic life. Wherever the ministrations of our church are brought duly to bear upon a neighbourhood, peacemakers are multiplied. Were those ministrations universal, we would approximate to a condition in which there would be no litigation, no cause for litigation, in the land. Here again we repeat, and urge with affectionate earnestness, our petition for a vigorous and adequate extension of our means of christian instruction and christian influence, that we may, by the grace of God working thereby, advance nearer and nearer to that

happy condition of genuine churchmanship, which, though it must still fail to identify the baptized with the spiritually converted, would so far identify them with the outwardly peaceful and forbearing, as to render the offices of our courts of law all but sinecures.

4. There is yet a fourth use of the word church, whose claim to be accounted scriptural demands our best attention.

It is used to signify a geographical combination of subdivisions, or congregations of the baptized, each having its own minister, and all under the general superintendence of one chief pastor. This meaning is denied by all who reject as unscriptural the episcopal constitution of the christian church. In arguing in defence of it, I am not actuated by any hostility against them, or any of them. Far otherwise if I could devise terms plain enough to express unequivocally what seems to me to be the truth of God, and at the same time mild enough to avoid the slightest wound to the feelings of any man, such are the terms I would prefer to use. I feel that I speak in kindness, and may therefore claim to be heard with candour.

I might argue from the fact, capable of detailed proof, that episcopacy was universal at the time of the Reformation. I might show the estimation in which it was generally held, from the recorded reluctance of the reformers in Germany, Switzerland, and Scotland, to depart from it; I might call attention to what is demonstrable from their writ

ings, that they would not have departed, had their bishops, like ours, led the Reformation instead of resisting it. The conduct of the German, Swiss, and Scotch bishops induced the people, and some of the clergy, too hastily to identify prelacy with popery. The line taken by our own bishops, es

4

4 See Sinclair's Dissertation on the Church of England, p. 14, where, after many pertinent quotations from the writings of the reformers, the argument is thus stated-" The veneration for episcopacy entertained at first by persons whom necessity compelled to the adoption of a different system, could not be expected to continue long. Hostility to the Church of Rome would naturally be increased by opposition and persecution. It would seem desirable, in the tumultuous conflict, not only of words, but frequently of the sword; when strife not only raged in the polemic theatre, but in the field of blood; and when, to a multitude of sufferers by inquisitorial torture, in the dungeon, on the scaffold, or at the stake, were added the victims of open war; to remove as far as possible, both in doctrine and in discipline, from that detested communion. It would also be thought expedient, by persons thus severely tried, to stand on higher ground, with respect to church polity, than the ground of mere necessity; and to make some show of argument from Scripture, or from primitive antiquity, in behalf of the new constitution which had been devised. Accordingly, many of those very persons whose writings have been quoted, spoke afterwards with far less favour of the ancient system for which they originally professed and felt so much esteem. The enmity of their disciples grew more and more decided and unequivocal. The authority of bishops was represented as a presumptuous encroachment on the rights and privileges conveyed to presbyters by the apostles. Popery and prelacy were declared to be so closely in alliance, as even to be virtually synonymous. For the space of above two centuries and a half, up to our present times, a regular system of aggres

pecially by the Primate and the Bishops of London and Worcester, taught a very different lesson, and, under the good hand of God, won for England the inestimable blessing of a church reformed in doctrine, without being revolutionised in govern

ment.

But no arguments, derived from any later source than the Scripture, will have full effect upon the class of objectors to whom I now wish to address myself, and against whose perpetual and imposing appeal to the Bible I am most anxious that our friends should be armed.

To the Bible then let us go. In Acts xix. we read of a rapid and extensive increase of the christian church in the city of Ephesus. "And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus and fear fell on them all, and the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. Many also of them which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men ; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily grew the word of God, and prevailed." (verses 17-20.)

Compare with this the facts, that they had then no large public buildings for divine worship, that

sive warfare has been maintained by the scholars and successors of Calvin, against that very form of church government, respecting which we have seen their great master declaring, that the man was worthy of all condemnation, who should not reverently and with the utmost deference receive it."

the pagan authorities were too jealous of their own fostered superstitions, and too powerful to allow the believers in Jesus of Nazareth to carry on their worship in one large company in the open street ; and ask what must have been the consequence to the Christians? Where and how could their increasing multitudes have worshipped the Lord their God? Surely the answer is, in private houses; an answer deducible from the circumstances of the case, and confirmed by the repeated mention of churches in families.

Thus a multiplication of congregations was rendered inevitable. This is a first step. For the second we refer to Acts xx., where we read of the elders or presbyters of the church of Ephesus assembling at Miletus to receive the apostle Paul's farewell charge. "And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church." (ver. 17.) That these were the ministers of congregations is evident from the 28th verse, where he addresses them as those whose office it was to take heed to the flock, to feed the church of God. Their exact number is not specified, but it is obvious there was a company of them; for it is written, verses 36, 37, “And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down, and prayed with them all. And they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him." We see, then, that there existed at Ephesus thus early a company of christian teachers; and we have already seen the necessity that existed for a company of christian congregations, meeting in different places.