CESSION OF FAITH and the SEEDS OF DOCTRINE were derived to other churches; and daily continue to be derived, to give them EXISTENCE AS CHURches. And, by this process, these succeeding churches will be esteemed Apostolical, as the offspring of Apostolical churches." Once more: "I am an heir of the Apostles. As they have provided for me by will, committing the same to the faith, and establishing it as by OATH, So I hold it. But they have disinherited you, heretics, and cast you out as aliens and enemies. But whence are heretics aliens and enemies to the Apostles? It is by OPPOSITION OF DOCTRINE." No individual can read or hear these quotations from Tertullian, without perceiving at once that, with him, the great desideratum, in order to the exist ence of a TRUE CHURCH, was orthodoxy of faith; or the embracing those distinguishing and evangelical doctrines which were preached by the Apostles. He says, expressly, that those churches which are not founded by Apostles or Apostolical men, but yet agree with them "in the same faith," are, from this cONSANGUINITY OF DOCTRINE, to be esteemed not less Apostolical than those churches which were founded by the Apostles." He says, likewise, it is "the SUCCESSION OF FAITH" and "the SEEDS OF DOCTRINE" which are necessary to give existence to churches. So likewise it was not any want of personal succession, although he affirms they did not possess even this, but “ OPPOSITION OF DOCTRINE," which proved heretics to be “aliens and enemies to the Apostles." How very different these views of Tertullian from those of exclusive personal succession divines, who hold that it is no matter how sound in the faith other churches may be, yet, if they have not the personal succession, they are not to be fellowshipped as churches of Jesus Christ. !

That Tertullian was not a jure divino Episcopalian is evident from the following quotation: "The highest priest, who is the bishop, has the right of administering baptism. Then, the presbyters and deacons; yet not without the au

thority of the bishop, BECAUSE OF THE

HONOR OF THE

CHURCH. THIS BEING PRESERVED, PEACE IS PRESERVED : otherwise, THE RIGHT BELONGS TO LAYMEN.

However, the

laity ought especially to submit humbly and modestly to the discipline or ecclesiastical regulations of the church in these matters, and not assume the office of a bishop, seeing their superiors, the presbyters and deacons, submit to the same. Emulation is the mother of divisions. All things are lawful to me, said the most holy Paul, but all things are not expedient. Let it suffice that you use your liberty in cases of necessity, where the condition of the person, and the circumstances of time and place compel you to it." Who Tertullian means by the "highest priest or bishop," he informs us in his celebrated Apology: he says, "Approved elders or presbyters preside among us, having received that honor, not by money, but by the suffrages of their brethren." From all of which it would appear, that at the commencement of the third century, the period when Tertullian lived and wrote, the elders or presbyters of each church, not at all by divine appointment, but for the sake of the order and peace of the church, chose one of their number to preside among them, whom they called their bishop; and upon ordinary occasions, they yielded up to him the administration of ordinances, such as baptism, &c. It would likewise seem to be the opinion at least of Tertullian, that by divine right, even laymen might administer these ordinances; but that they should, except on very special occasions, for the sake of peace and order, follow the example of the presbyters and deacons, and leave them to be performed by the president or bishop. The idea of this father that laymen or even deacons may administer ordinances, under any circumstances, is, of course, unscriptural; but it goes to show how very far removed his sentiments were from the lofty and exclusive notions of high churchmen. It will likewise be perceived by all, that the form of governinent here described bears no analogy to dio

cesan Episcopacy. High churchmen are welcome to all they can get out of this witness. The more closely they question him, the more will they be dissatisfied with his testimony.

The last father whose testimony we shall introduce into this discourse, is Clemens Alexandrinus, who flourished at the close of the second century. He was presbyter in Alexandria, and a prodigy of learning in his day. He says (Pædagog. Lib. I.), "We, who have rule over the churches, are shepherds or pastors after the image of the good Shepherd." In Lib. III., speaking of the impropriety of women. wearing foreign hair, he says, "On whom or what will the presbyter impose his hand? To whom or what will he give his blessing? Not to the woman who is adorned, but to the strange locks of hair, and through them to another's head." Stromat, Lib. I., "Just so in the church, the presbyters are intrusted with the dignified ministry, the deacons with the subordinate." It is readily admitted, that this Father once speaks of bishops, presbyters, and deacons; and once he inverts the order, and speaks of presbyters, bishops, and deacons. But the bishops of Clement were like the bishops of Tertullian," approved elders or presbyters," elected by the brethren to preside among them. That he considered bishop and presbyter the same order, is made to appear beyond the semblance of a doubt, from the following singular passage, taken from his work entitled Quis dives Salvandus sit: "Hear a fable, and yet not a fable, but a true story reported of John the Apostle, delivered to us, and kept in memory. After the death of the tyrant, when he (John) had returned to Ephesus out of the isle of Patmos, being desired, he went to the neighboring nations, where he appointed bishops, where he set in order whole cities, and where he chose, by lot, into the ecclesiastical function, of those who had been pointed out by the Spirit as by name. When he was come to a certain city, not far distant, the name of which some mention, and among other things had refreshed

the brethren, beholding a young man of a portly body, a gracious countenance, and fervent mind, he looked upon the bishop, who was set over all, and said: 'I commit this young man to thy custody, in presence of this church, and Christ bearing me witness.' When he had received the charge, and promised the performance of all things relative to it, John again urged and made protestation of the same thing, and afterward departed to Ephesus. And the presbyter, taking the young man, brought him to his own house, nourished, comforted, and cherished him, and at length baptized him." Here it is most evident that Clement applies the terms bishop and presbyter interchangeably to the same individual and office.

Here closes the testimony of the Fathers for the first two hundred aud fifty years of the history of the New Testament church. We have presented the testimony of all the important witnesses who lived and wrote during this early period, and to whom an appeal is made by both sides of this controversy. It has been our intention and aim to keep nothing of importance back upon either side of the question. We have labored to give a fair and impartial view of what they say upon this subject. And we are entirely willing to leave it to the hearer to judge, whether, during the whole of this period, he can find any thing in the church that bears the least resemblance to diocesan Episcopacy.

LECTURE VI.

TESTIMONY OF THE FATHERS-CONTINUED.

MATT. XV. 9.-"But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."

In the last lecture we entered upon the testimony of the Fathers, and brought it down in the history of the church for two hundred and fifty years. During that period, we have no evidence of the existence of such a thing as prelacy. It took its rise about the middle of the third century; and the power of the prelates over the people continued to increase. until it terminated in the usurped supreme authority of the papal chair. It is proposed in the present discourse to attend to the testimony of the later fathers, or of those who lived and wrote after the first half of the third century.

The first of these fathers is Cyprian, bishop of Carthage. He flourished about the year 250. The quotation made by our author from this father is as follows: "From thence, through these changes of times and successions, the ordination of bishops and the government of the church have descended, so that the church is built upon the bishops." This testimony of Cyprian proves nothing in favor of prelacy, unless it can first be shown that the bishops of Cyprian were of a distinct order from presbyters, and not simply presbyter bishops, who were chosen by the college of presbyters to preside over their councils and discharge the duties of president as the first among equals. It is readily admitted that Cyprian is the most lofty in his views upon the authority of