Baptism-Regeneration.

exalting the outward ordinances, or visible signs, to a meri torious or efficacious act. Great numbers fall into this last error; they view the Lord's Supper as a real, and vastly meritorious sacrifice, the same as when Christ died on the cross. We view it as a memorial of that sacrifice, and an assurance to the faithful receiver that Christ died for him.

"Baptism, some maintain, always effects an actual inward change. Our church avoids such extremes: she teaches that it is our duty, in obedience to our Saviour, and the believer's privilege for his own comfort, to receive these ordinances; but that they have no good or salutary effect upon those who do not rightly receive or use them. The body and blood of Christ are spiritually taken and received by the faithful in the Lord's Supper: but if any receive this sacrament without faith and charity; without properly discerning the Lord's body, they are not benefitted. And the like we believe respecting baptism.

But the church

"From some expressions in our offices for baptism and confirmation, many have supposed that our church inclines to one of the errors just mentioned;-of believing that the inward grace always accompanies the outward administration: that they who are baptized with water, are, of course, inwardly sanctified by the Holy Ghost, and that we hold to no other regeneration or birth of the spirit. And it may be, that some few have inclined to this extreme. is not accountable for the particular views of any individual: her doctrine is taught in her Catechism, Articles, and Homilies, where any one may read it. We hold what the church does teach, that baptism signifies or represents regeneration The inward part or thing signified by baptism, is "a death unto sin, and a new birth unto righteousness." Baptism is hence called the sacrament of regeneration; and when we say that a baptized person is regenerate or born again, we mean that he has received the sacrament in which that grace is exhibited: that he has received the outward, visible sign of that inward spiritual grace. Of the heart we cannot judge: of what is actually wrought in the inner man; how far he is really sanctified, we do not pretend to decide. What we mean, and what we declare is, that 'baptism signifies unto us our profession, which is to follow the example of our Saviour Christ, and to be made like unto him; that as he died and

Confirmation: Episcopacy.

rose again for us, so should we, who are baptized, die from sin and rise again unto righteousness; or, as St. Paul briefly expresses it, we are buried with Christ by baptism, that as he rose from the dead, we should walk in newness of life.'

"There are two or three points in which we differ, and regret that we are constrained to differ, from several Protestant denominations.

"The first of them is Confirmation, or the laying on of Hands. This was practised by the Apostles, and we think was evidently intended to be of permanent use, and among the principles of the doctrine of Christ. From the writers of the second and third and following centuries, we learn that it was by christians generally so considered and so used: undoubtedly it has been used as of apostolic authority, from the apostolic days to the present time. Before the reformation, almost all christians received it as one of the Sacraments, and the Roman and Greek churches so consider it still. By us, we trust it is duly reformed, and used according to the practice of the holy apostles: and so far as we can judge from experience and observation, where it is solemnly administered and devoutly received, as every ordinance should be, it is very much blessed to the strengthening of christians in their holy profession.

"Another point in which we are constrained to differ from some of our brethren of the other denominations, is that which is usually called Episcopacy. In the Jewish church there were three orders of ministers, the High Priest-the Priests and the Levites. During our Saviour's ministry, there were three orders; himself the head-his twelve Apostles, and the seventy whom he also sent. In the apostles' days there were certainly three orders. The apostles were the first: the Elders (who were there also called Bishops,) were the second, and the Deacons were the third. Since the apostles' days all history agrees that this Episcopal government was universal in the church in every age and every country. I know not of any one thing in which christians, during all the first fifteen centuries, or down to the Reformation, were more uniformly agreed, than in the necessity of these three orders of ministers. No ancient church has been, or can be found, without this mode of government.

"The Church of Rome has very much corrupted the chris

Church polity. Forms of prayer.

tian ministry, by adding one order, that of the Pope, who usurps far greater authority than Christ has given to any, or to all of his ministers-authority which belongs to God alone. Since the Reformation, and within the last three hundred years, several denominations have arisen who have adopted different modes of church government. Some of them hold that Presbyters only have the right of ordination. Others, called Independants, or Congregationalists, formerly maintained that each congregation, or religious society has the power and right of ordaining their own minister. This mode of church government was held and practised by the first settlers of New-England. Each congregation, as a complete and independent church, ordained their own minister. Others still have rejected all ordination.

"It is, no doubt, the duty of all christians, after due and candid enquiry, with humble prayer, and being fully persuaded in their mind, to receive what they believe to be the truth of God. We are fully persuaded that what is called Episcopacy is so essential that it would be sinful in us to change it for any novel form of church government. The time will soon come, when it will be known who are right, and who are in error. And let us in the mean time be cautious how we judge each other.

"We differ also from others in conducting our public, social worship, by a Liturgy, or established forms. We do not suppose that this is essential to christianity; but we believe, for several good reasons which we have not time now to mention, that it is more suitable for public worship than the extemporary way, and that it is most agreeable to what has been the general practice of God's church from the days of Moses down to this present time. Our Saviour gave his disciples a form of prayer and commands them to use it, and of course, the use of the Lord's prayer is a part of christianity.

"Thus have I endeavored to give you, as the application of our text and subject, a brief sketch, or comprehensive view, of the hope that is in us of the Episcopal Church, as distinguished from other denominations. Though, at present, we cannot all agree respecting these things, we can and we ought, candidly to hear what is the belief and the hope of others and also with meekness and fear, declare to them

Result of the examination proposed.

what is our own. By such wise and christian conduct, our very disagreement will be made profitable. It will make us more humble and more charitable; it will cause us more carefully to search the Scriptures and the history of the church in its early ages, that we may better know what the apostles taught and christians generally believed. That we may all be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life, may the Lord, of his merciful goodness, grant through our blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ."

“I have thus, through the discourse of our excellent Bishop, in part answered your enquiry, and if what I here send you, shall lead you to pursue your investigation in the spirit that he recommends, I am sure it will result, not only in the attainment of valuable information, but in the advancement of your own personal piety.

Yours, &c."

Bishops, Priests and Deacons: Dr. Bedell.

CHAPTER V.

EPISCOPACY.

"The only amaranthine flower on earth

ls virtue; the only lasting treasure, truth."-COWPER.

We have already directed the eye of the reader to Episcopa cy, as one of the strong muniments that add to the safety and glory of Zion. And as we linger a moment at this point, to mark well her bulwarks in obedience to the divine command, we are led to enquire at whose instance, and by what authority this battlement has been reared up to strengthen the fortifications of Zion? We shall find it necessary to go round about this bulwark and mark it well.

It may not be improper to remark that by Episcopacy we mean that particular constitution of the ministry, which recognizes three different grades in the sacred office-Bishops, Priests, and Deacons.

It is observed in the life of Dr. Bedell, a work to which we have already had occasion to refer, that that devoted minister of Christ had it in contemplation, just before his decease, to prepare a series of discourses on the subject of Episcopacy. We cannot but deeply regret, that his valuable life terminated before the accomplishment of this intended work. We feel confident that no man in the church could have done it with more success. Whatever he wrote would have been animated with a spirit of kindness and love to christians of all other denominations. And his known piety, acknowledged worth, and delightful manner of presenting truth, would have commended a work of this kind to the perusal of every class of readers. The church which Bedell, and Martyn, and Newton, and Scott loved-at whose altar they ministered, and in whose bosom they lived and died, is the church which