sic--The spirit of piety essential-The approbation of

Calvin, Baxter, Wesley-The experience of all Christen-

dom for fifteen centuries, and the greater part of it to this

day in favor of liturgies-The testimony of those who have

tried both modes-Conclusion.
153-184

LECTURE VIII. Government necessary in all the relations of

the social state--Church government a subject which

ought to interest every Christian-Our system misrepre-

sented as being unscriptural, Popish, hostile to liberty, and

out of character with republican institutions-Four kinds

of Church government-The Episcopalian is the middle

between extremes The general ground of the Episcopal

doctrine on this subject-The patriarchal system-The

Aaronic priesthood-The Saviour, the Apostles, and the

Seventy-The Apostles, the Presbyters, and the Deacons-

The Apostles closed their labours by putting men in their

own office to ordain and govern particular districts-Coun-

cils assembled in cases of difficulty-The progress of Po-

pery after the time of Constanstine-The Church of Eng-

land and the Protestant Episcopal Church of the United

States possess the ecclesiastical government of the primi-

tive system, the latter being reformed to the earliest mo-

del. Objections of Dr. Miller, the champion of Presbyte-

rianism, discussed and refuted in their order-His error

with respect to the Apostolic commission-Futility of the

argument derived from the interchange of the names bishop

and presbyter--Error of his assertion that the government

of the Church was committed to Presbyters-Error of his

assertion that presbyters ordained-Error of his assertion

that the synagogue was the model of the Christian Church

--General view of the priestly office-The true analogy of

the Church is to be sought for in the Aaronic priesthood--

Buxtorf on the Jewish synagogue-Testimony of Scripture

directly opposed to Dr. Miller's hypothesis-Leading princi-

ples of the priesthood designed to be the lasting heritage of

the redeemed--Correspondence of the threefold ministry

with spiritual principle.

185-236

LECTURE IX. The testimony of the primitive Church in fa-
vour of the Episcopal system--Irenæus--Tertullian--Cyp-
rian-Extent of the bishoprick of Rome in the time of Cyp-
rian--Eusebius' testimony of the state of the Church prior
to the conversion of Constantine--Calvin's praise of prim-
itive Episcopacy--Contrast between Calvin and his suc-
cessors on this subject--Luther and Melancthon on Epis-
copacy-Le Clerc on Episcopacy--Grotius on the same--
Recapitulation-Conclusion.
237-266

LECTURE X. The accordance of the government of the
Protestant Episcopal Church, with republican principle-
The Federal unity of the Church--The districts allotted to
the bishops--The official character of a bishop, threefold,
including that of a father, of a governor and of a judge--
The term father explained--It is a name of love--but has
no connexion with power-The office of governor defined-
That of judge demonstrated more at large, first from the
reasonableness of such an office in every government of law
and order, secondly from Scripture--Proved from the Epis-
tles to Timothy and Titus--from the Apocalypse--from the
Apostolic succession--Cyprian quoted on this point-Cal-
vin's admission of the same principle--Bœhmer's state-
ment of the canon law on the same--Hooker-Jeremy
Taylor--Archbishop Potter on the same-Power of the
Diocesan and General Conventions-Difference in this re-
spect between the Church of England and the American
system of Episcopacy-The responsibility of bishops is
the same with the responsibility of the civil judge-Con-
trast between the Episcopal and the Roman system-In-
justice of classing them together-Conclusion.
LECTURE XI. Importance of Christian unity-Difficulty at-
tending the common methods of attempting it--No unity
of people without unity of ministers-This is impossible in
the present distracted state of religious sentiment-Illus-
trations of this position-Folly of attempting to effect un-
ion with other denominations by departing from the rules of
the Church--Bigotry and intolerance condemned-But
zeal and frankness in the defence of religious truth are es-
sential--What is the course of duty in the selection of our
Church, under the difficulties of sectarian discord-We
must try the claims of each sect by the Apostolic rule, and
chuse accordingly--The idea of the restoration of primi-
itive unity pursued--How it seems alone possible to ac-
complish such a result-A reverie on this subject-Conclu-
sion.
293-310

CONTENTS OF THE DISSERTATION.

CHAPTER I.

Is Episcopacy a divine or a human institution? Answer, di-

vine-First proof from the appointment of Christ. Second

proof from the authority of the Apostles. Quotation from

Hooker.
312-315

CHAPTER II.

Is Episcopacy essential to the being of a Church? Answer,

that it would not seem so-Without it, the Church is maim-

ed or mutilated to a very serious extent, but may exist not-

withstanding, in all respects that are absolutely essential-

Bishops not the head of the Church, but Christ-The no-

tion of any earthly head leads to Popery. Therefore the

necessity for councils when any agreement of the whole is

required. Hooker's definition of the Church universal-

Schismatics are a part of it-And even heretics them-

selves.
316-320

CHAPTER III.

How does this doctrine quadrate with the nineteenth and

twenty third articles? Those articles set forth, and also the

preface to the ordinal - Explanation of the difference-

Quotation from bishop Burnet on the articles-Quotation

from Hooker-Quotation from Chillingworth.

CHAPTER IV.

321-330

What effect has this doctrine upon the subject of the sacra-
ments? The essentials of the sacraments consist of the el-
ements, the words, and the grace attached to them-The
minister is of the order and not of the essence of the sac-
rament-Different views entertained on this point-It is a
sin of the nature of sacrilege, for any but the regularly com-

missioned ministry to administer the sacraments, unless un-

der the plea of reasonable necessity, but the sacrament is

not thereby destroyed - Doctrine of lay baptism advocated

by Hooker-Argument drawn from the supposed analogy

of the acts of a judge being void unless he has a regular

commission, answered by Hooker - Bishop Burnet on the

same subject-Bishop White on the same-The practice

of the Church both in England and in the United States

in favor of the validity of lay baptism.
331--338

CHAPTER V.

What light does St. Paul shed on this subject, in his Epistle

to the Corinthians? The condition of the Gentile Church-

es--They must have been destitute of any settled regular

ministry for a few years after their first organization-Un-

der those circumstances of real necessity, they were allow-

ed to administer the sacraments without distinction, until

they could have a ministry ordained-The opinion of Arch-

bishop Potter examined - Hooker's opinion that prophets as

such, had no authority in the ministerial offices-Proof that

the prophets among the Corinthians were not invested with

any official distinction, because the apostle tells them that

they may all prophesy one by one-But this state of things

was not designed for a continuance-It was a state of un-

avoidable imperfection arising from and only justified by

necessity-The error of those sects who take their model

from this stage of the ecclesiastical system-The second

stage of the Apostles' work was when presbyters and dea-

cons were ordained for those Churches and the third

stage was when there were governors appointed over districts

like Timothy and Titus, with Apostolic powers-We are

bound by the last, because it was the perfection of the

Apostolic work.
339-346