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fituation, the improvement, character, or even the prejudices and paffions of the feveral communities upon whose conduct and edification they are intended to operate.

and extent.

THE apoftolic directions, which are preserved in the writings of the New Teftament, feem to exclude no ecclefiaftical conftitution which the experience and more inftructed judgment of future ages might find it expedient to adopt. And this reserve, if we may fo call it, in the legiflature of the Christian church, was wifely fuited to its primitive condition compared with its expected progress The circumstances of Chriftianity in the early period of its propagation were neceffarily very unlike thofe, which would take place when it became the established religion of great nations. The rudiments indeed of the future plant were involved within the grain of mustard feed, but ftill a different treatment was required for its fuftentation when the birds of the air lodged amongst its branches. A fmall felect fociety under the guidance of inspired teachers, without temporal rights and 'without property, founded in the midst of enemies and living in fubjection to unbelieving rulers, divided from the rest of the world by many fingularities of conduct and perfuafion, and adverse to the idolatry which public authority every where fupported, differed fo much from the Christian church after Christianity prevailed as the religion of the state; when its economy became gradually interwoven with the civil government of the country; when the purity and propagation of its faith were left to the ordinary expedients of human inftruction and an authentic scripture; when perfecution and indigence were to be fucceeded by

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Tegal fecurity and public provifion-clandeftine and precarious opportunities of hearing the word and communicating in the rites of Christianity, by ftationary paftors and appropriated feafons, as well as places, of religious worship and refort: Ifay, the fituation of the Chriftian community was fo different in the infant and adult ftate of Chriftianity, that the highest inconvenience would have followed from eftablifhing a precife conftitution which was to be obligatory upon both; the fame difpofition of affairs which was moft commodious and conducive to edification in the one, be coming probably impracticable under the circumstances, or altogether inadequate to the wants, of the other.

WHAT farther recommends the forbearance obfervable in this part of the Chriftian institution, is the confideration, that as Christianity folicited admiffion into every country in the world, it cautiously refrained from interfering with the municipal regulations or civil condition of any. Negligent of every view, but what related to the deliverance of mankind from spiritual perdition, the Saviour of the world advanced no pretenfions, which by disturbing the arrangements of human polity, might present an obftacle to the reception of his faith. We may afcribe it to this defign, that he left the laws of his church fo open and indeterminate, that whilft the ends of religious communion were fufficiently declared, the form of the fociety might be affimilated to the civil conftitution of each country, to which it fhould always communicate strength and fupport in return for the protection it received. If there be any truth in these observations, they lead to this temperate and charitable conclufion, " that

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"that Christianity may be profeffed under any form of church government."

BUT though all things are lawful, all things are not expedient-If we concede to other churches the Chriftian. legality of their conftitution, so long as Chriftian worship and inftruction are competently provided for, we may be allowed to maintain the advantage of our own, upon principles which all parties acknowledge-confiderations of public utility. We may be allowed to contend, that whilft we imitate, so far as a great difparity of circumftances permits, the example, and what we apprehend to be the order of the apoftolic age, our church and ministry are inferior to none in the great object of their institution, their suitableness to promote and uphold the profeffion, knowledge, and influence of pure Chriftianity. The feparation of a particular order of men for the work of the ministry-the referving to these, exclufively, the conduct of public worship and the preaching of the word-the diftribution of the country into diftricts, and the affigning of each diftrict to the care and charge of its proper paftorlastly, the appointment to the clergy of a maintenance independent of the caprice of their congregation, are meafures of ecclefiaftical policy which have been adopted by every national establishment of Chriftianity in the world. Concerning these points there exifts no controverfy. The chief article of regulation, upon which the judgment of fome proteftant churches diffents from ours, is, that whilst they have established a perfect parity amongst their clergy, we prefer a distinction of orders in the church, not only as recommended by the ufage of the pureft times, but as

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better calculated to promote, what all churches muft defire,. the credit and efficacy of the facerdotal office.

THE force and truth of this laft confideration I will endeavour to evince.

FIRST. The body of the clergy, in common with every regular fociety, muft neceffarily contain fome internal provifion for the government and correction of its members. Where a diftinction of orders is not acknowledged, this government can only be administered by fynods and affemblies, because the fuppofition of equality forbids the delegation of authority to fingle perfons. Now although it may be requifite to confult and collect the opinions of a community, in the momentous deliberations which ought

precede the establishment of those public laws by which it is to be bound; yet in every fociety the execution of these laws, the current and ordinary affairs of its government, are better managed by fewer hands. To commit: perfonal queftions to public debate to refer every cafe and character, which requires animadverfion, to the fuffrages and examination of a numerous affembly-what is it, but to feed and to perpetuate contention, to fupply materials for endless altercation, and opportunities for the indulgence of concealed enmity and private prejudices? The complaint of ages teftifies, with how much inflammation, and how little equity, ecclefiaftical conventions have conducted their proceedings; how apt intrigue has ever been to pervert enquiry, and clamour to confound difcuffion. Whatever may be the other benefits of equality, peace is best fécured by fubordination. And if this be a confideration of moment B 2

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in every fociety, it is of peculiar importance to the clergy. Preachers of peace, minifters of charity and of reconciliation to the world, that conftitution furely ill befits their office and character, which has a tendency to engage them in contests and difputes with one another.

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SECONDLY. The appointment of various orders in the church may be confidered as the ftationing of ministers of religion in the various ranks of civil life. The diftinctions of the clergy ought in fome measure to correfpond with the diftinctions of lay-fociety, in order to fupply each class of the people with a clergy of their own level and defcription, with whom they may live and affociate upon terms of equality. This reafon is not imaginary nor infignificant. The usefulness of a virtuous and well-informed clergy confifts neither wholly nor principally in their public preaching, or the stated functions of their order. It is from the example and in the fociety of fuch perfons that the requifites which prepare the mind for the reception of virtue and knowledge, a tafte for ferious reflection and discourse, habits of thought and reafoning, a veneration for the laws and awful truths of Chriftianity, a difpofition to enquire and a folicitude to learn, are beft gained; at leaft, the decency of deportment, the fobriety of manners and conversation, the learning, the gravity, which ufually accompany the clerical character infenfibly diffuse their influence over every company into which they are admitted. Is it of no importance to provide friends and companions of this character for the fuperior as well as for the middle orders of the community? Is it flattery, to fay, that the manners and fociety of higher life would fuffer fome depra

vation,

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