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And this word is preached, and these sacraments are ministered, by men regularly commissioned to preach the one and minister the other; and who have received their commission from those who have authority to confer it, as delegates and in the name of " Almighty God, the Giver of all good gifts, who by his divine Providence hath appointed divers orders of ministers in his Church'."

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Would we then be partakers of that salvation, for which the Lord instituted his Church, let us seek it in that branch of it which He has graciously established in this kingdom. Under the blessing of the great Head of the Church, sufficient, we doubt not, are the means provided for our salvation in her apostolical communion. At the same time be it ever borne in mind, that however well-qualified by his grace be the Church of this nation to promote the salvation of those whom the Lord continually "adds to it that they may be saved," our incorporation with it will be then only effectual for the purpose, when we faithfully and diligently practise the means which the Lord has committed to it for our salvation: in a willing obedience and submission to those who are "over us in the Lord;" in an earnest maintenance of the primitive faith of Christ; in a sincere devotion to

Form of Ordination.

the pure word of God; in a worthy attendance upon Christ's holy mysteries; in stedfast communion with his duly-constituted ministers in their spiritual ministrations; and all this out of obedience and love to Him, "who is the Head of the Church, and Saviour of the body," even Christ, "in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily;" "who loved the Church, and gave Himself for it, that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish."

Unto Him, in the unity of the Father and the Holy Ghost, One Lord and God Almighty, be glory in the Church throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

O Almighty God, who hast built thy Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the head corner-stone; grant us so to be joined together in unity of spirit by their doctrine, that we may be made an holy temple acceptable unto Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen'.

1 Collect for St. Simon and St. Jude's day.

DISCOURSE II.

THE NATIONAL CHURCH VINDICATED AS A TRUE PART OF CHRIST'S VISIBLE CHURCH.

PART II.

ACTS ii. 47.

And the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved.

IN a former Discourse on these words we took a view of the Church of Christ, as instituted by authority of its divine Founder for man's salvation: and thence estimating the character of our national Church, the united Church of England and Ireland, we arrived at the conclusion, that she is intitled to be considered a true member of the Catholick Church of Christ; and, as such, possesses all the means necessary for the enjoyment of grace in this world and of everlasting salvation in the next.

Amongst the different objectors to the Church's

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claims, there are few, I apprehend, who deny her capability of ministering grace and salvation to her members, though they may be dissatisfied with her method of ministering them, and may prefer methods of their own choice or appointment. Thus objections are sometimes made against her ecclesiastical polity, and her orders of ministers; or against her confessions of faith; or against her rules for reading the holy Scriptures; or against her forms of prayers and of administering the holy sacraments: but these objections are unessential, and can hardly be said to affect her claim to the character of a true part of the Church of Christ.

Other objectors however there are, a large and a numerous division, they fondly proclaim themselves to be the whole, of the Catholick Church, who take a higher, and, if it could be made good, a more formidable ground against her: and it is to these objectors that I would now draw your attention.

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I. We know then, and to whom is it not known? that her character has been impugned, and her claim to the distinction of a true member of Christ's Church denied, because, whilst she acknowledges her subjection, in common with that of all Christian Churches, to Christ her Head, she does not acknowledge her subjection to a Vicar

general of Christ on earth, invested with an absolute primacy or sovereignty over all Churches, and endowed with a spirit of infallibility: although she sees no reason to suppose that Christ Himself ever constituted such a vicar; although she sees no footsteps of any such universal vicar throughout the apostolical and primitive times; although the exercise of such authority, when first assumed, was a gross and palpable usurpation; and although there neither is nor can be any one man qualified to embrace and comprehend in his mind, much less to preside over and to regulate, the Universal Church of Christ, co-extensive as it is with all the regions of the earth.

We know that her character has been impugned, and the claim of her governours to their episcopal name and office contradicted, because they derive not their office from one universal bishop, the only bishop by immediate Divine dispensation, possessing in his own person plenitude of power, causing others to receive of his fulness, and distributing to them every privilege that they have: and yet she knows, that when Christ founded his Church, He appointed the Apostles to govern it, without any prerogative assigned to one over another, but each enjoying an equal share of power, each invested with the same authority, each intitled to exercise the same jurisdiction; that this unity and identity

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