cal establishment of the church stand ór fall, the church itself, so long as God shall think fit to preserve it in any country, will remain as to its constitution, what it originally was, firm on its own divine foundation. After such strong assertions of this excellent writer in defence of the independent power of the church, is it not very surprizing that he should contradict himself within the compass of the same volume, in asserting, that "the preservation of the establishment is essential to the continuance of the church in this country; it being the best security against that babel of religious confusion and infidelity, which would be the ultimate effect of its destruction," (Guide. p. 537.) In my opinion there could not be a stronger satire on our religion and the clergy, than to say that they essentially require the aid of the civil power. May not the Dissenters, on hearing such assertions, exclaim with the greatest justice, "The Church of Christ is built upon a rock, and we are assured that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Had your church been built upon this rock of truth, it would have had nothing to fear. Its own evidence and excellence would have supported it," Priestly's Letter to Burke, p. 98. It is equally absurd to imagine that establishments are the best security against confusion and infidelity. For did establishments ever prevent schisms, and infidelity?-No. Look at the condition of our own country even at present, and we shall soon perceive that this notion is contrary to plain matter of fact; and I must agree with a late clergyman in the truth of the following remarks:-The Dissenters have been frowned on from the Restoration to the present time, and yet they and the Methodists, who are in the same predicament, are much more on the increase than we of the Establishment, who are fostered by the government, attended by the nobles and gentry of the land, and supported by the state, at the expence of near two millions a year. Simpson's Plea. Similar to this assertion of Mr Daubeny is that of Mr Milner, author of an Eccl. Hist. in 5 vols. 1803, who supposes that "without a state establishment there would be no religion among us." But did not the Church of Christ from the beginning subsist without it? Does not the Reformed Church in America and Scotland subsist without it, or idea, and every other end that has been mixed with this, as the making the Church an engine or even an ally to the state,-converting it into the means of strengthening or of diffusing influence,--or of regarding it as a support of regal, in opposition to popular forms of government, have served only to debase the institution, and to introduce into it numerous corruptions and abuses.Moral and Political Philosophy, Vol. II. p. 305. is there less religion with them, than among us?-No, on the contrary, one of the most spiritual Bishops England ever had to boast of, declared that from the present circumstances of the primitive orthodoxy, piety, poverty, and depressed state of the Episcopal (unestablished) Church in Scotland, he was of opinion that, if St Paul were upon earth, and it were put to his choice with what denomination of christians he would communicate, the preference would probably be given to the Episcopalians in Scotland, as most like to the people he had been used Jones's Life of Bishop Horne, p. 153. to. Should it happen, that Episcopacy in England and Ireland were deprived of all that support, which it now enjoys from the temporal power; were its ministers even spoiled of their proper revenues; were they ejected from national councils, and rendered in their external condition contemptible and destitute; its claims to authority in the Church of Christ would nevertheless continue exactly the same, as they are at present. Should that time ever arrive, then the piety, the zeal, the constancy, with which the Episcopal clergy would adhere to the afflicted church would prove, that their attachment to it in the hour of prosperity proceeded solely from the conviction, that this form of ministry, whether persecuted, or whether exalted, is truly that which was appointed by their blessed Lord *. * Nott's Bampton Lectures, 1802, p. 107.—It has been asserted, that “ in such extremity, no person will be a candidate for the ministry, but those who have not been liberally educated, or those in the lower classes of life." But this goes on the idea, that no one will officiate in a christian church, but for the sake of temporal emolument which he receives from it, which is a most unjust and ill-founded reflection on christianity and the ministers of it. It is an equally injurious reflection to say, that "wealth and temporal honours are neces sary to render the clergy respectable." Some indeed (says Dr South,) may please and promise themselves high matters from full revenues, stately palaces, court interests, and great dependencies; but that which makes the clergy glorious, is to be knowing in their profession, unspotted in their lives, active and laborious in their charges, bold and resolute in opposing seducers, and daring to look vice in the face, though never so potent and illustrious, and lastly, to be gentle, courteous, and compassionate to all. These are our robes and our maces, our escutcheons and highest titles of honour; for by these things God is honoured, who has declared this to be the external rule and standard of all honour derivable upon men, "that those who honour him shall be honoured by him." Sermon on the Duties of the Episcopal Function. There is a remarkable fact in confirmation of this in Kettlewell's Works, Vol. I. p. 61. pref. O'Conor's Columbanus, Third Letter, p. 37. See also an Account of the Church Establishment in Sweden, in Leslie's Works, I. p. 612. To conclude with the late pious Mr Jones: "To any particuler or national church, all temporal alliances are but momentary considerations, which pass away with the fashion of the world; and the church may be either with them, or without them, as it was in the first ages; for the church itself, under the relation it bears to Jesus Christ, abideth for ever. Essay on the Church, Pref. No. III. "Si quis nullam in Ecclesia disciplinam conservet, et ominibus tantum inservit de Episcopatus vigore actum est."Goulartii Notæ in Cyprian. Epist. 55. It cannot be denied, that in the primitive church those who were convicted of notorious crimes were excommunicated, and expelled from the communion of the faithful, and not restored until they had exhibited the clearest proofs of repentance. This power of excluding offenders from communion, was committed by our Lord to his apostles and their successors only, (See Matt. xvi. 19. xviii. 15. to 20.-John xx. 21. 22.—1 Cor. v.-2 Thess. iii. 6. 14.-2 John x. 11.-1 Tim. v. 19.-Tit. iii. 10.) And in the age succeeding the apostles, there are many convincing proofs that the same method of excluding offenders was constantly kept up as a thing of divine institution. See Bishop Potter, on Church Government, p. 367. Expulsion from church communion did not consist merely in exclusion from the eucharist, but also from the public prayers of the church; for those who are unfit to receive the former, are also unfit to partake in the latter, (Prov.xv. 8.-Psalm lxvi. 18.) See Kettlewell's Works, I. p. 371. Sherlock on Relig. Assemblies, last chap. It is well known, as Bishop Andrews remarks, that all the time of the Primitive church, the sermon was ever done before the service began. To the sermon, heathens, infidels, jews, heretics, schismatics, in short, all sorts of people were admitted; but when the liturgy began all these were excluded, not one of them suffered to stay. See Daubeny's Guide, p. 203. The ends for which this discipline was instituted, were, according to Bishop Potter,—1. For the honour of God and his church. (1 Pet. II. 9. Eph. v. 25, 27. Rom. ii. 24.-2 Sam. xii. 14.) It is manifest, says he, that the church's reputation was never so great in the world, as in the primitive ages, when discipline was exercised with severity and rigour. Then her professed enemies admired her, great number of proselytes daily flocked into her, and could not be restrained by the utmost torments, which human or devilish malice could inflict: Whereas since the primitive discipline has been laid aside, and christians have lived like the rest of the world, though the church has been pro◄ tected by the civil power, and flourished with far more outward splendour than before, fewer converts have been brought over to her, and too many of her own sons and members have lost their first zeal and love for her.—2. Another end of this discipline, was to reform offenders, (2 Cor. x. 8. xiii. 10.-1 Cor. v. 8.-Act. v. 11.-2 Thess. iii. 14. 15.) And it is a great charity, (continues the Bishop) to deprive them of the sacraments, because they are not qualified to receive them. For though it be a very great sin to neglect them, yet it is a much higher affront to God to receive them with an unbelieving heart, than not to receive them at all.—3. It is a means to preserve the rest of the church from being corrupted. 1 Cor. v. 6. 7.—2 Tim. ii. 16. 17. 18. - Such were the benefits arising from the exercise of this holy discipline in the primitive church. With us both are equally neglected and unknown. Once a year (see the office of Commination,) says Dr Marshall, we solemnly profess our wishes to have it restored, but if something farther be not contributed to its restoration, than our annual wishes, it will lie where it does, disregarded by all, and utterly unknown to the thoughtless many, (Penit. Discipline of the Primitive Church, Lond. 1714.) There is one thing (says Bishop Burnet,) yet wanting, to complete the reformation of the church, which is to restore primitive discipline against scandalous persons, the establishing the government of the church in ecclesiastical hands, and taking it out of lay hands who have so long profaned it, and have exposed the authority of the church, and the censures of it, chiefly excommunication, to the contempt of the nation; so that the dreadfullest of all censures is now become the most scorned and despised, (Hist. Reformation, abridged, p. 367, and Pastoral Care, passim.) Disciplinam Ecclesia, superiore seculo, collapsam, nostro pene obrutam lugemus omnes, (Episc. Gibson, Concio ad Synod, 1714. Leslie's Works, I. p. 594. Bingham's Antiq. Book XV. c. 9. sect. 8. Reynold's on the Government of the Church of England, Lond. 1743, p. 149. Hickes's Two Treatises, Pref. 82. Bishop Latimer's Sermons *. The venerable Bishop Wilson was one of the most strenuous assertors of discipline in modern times. See his Works in two vols. 4to. with his Life prefixed. See also some extraordinary observations on this head in William Whiston's Address to the Princes, &c. of Europe, for the Toleration of the Christian Religion Lond. 1716. Hammond, Of the Power of the Keys. Sir George Wheler's Account of the Churches of the Primitive Christians, Lond. 1689, where he shews "with what ease this order might be accommodated to our church," p. 109.— Although discipline is of the greatest importance to the edification of the church, |