V. The Episcopate of the Anglican Church chargeable with the error of reminding their people rather of the Reformation, than of Christianity ; and of the temporary and parliamentary regulations of their worship, than of the inherent reasonableness of their holy services. A system of religious instruction more commensurate with the wide field of Scriptural teaching is required by the Laity in the present day. Future triumphs reserved for the due discharge of the ministerial office.

VI. Importance, and inevitable necessity, of inquiring into the cause which has hitherto impeded the progress of true religion. The cause pointed

out.

VII. The true meaning of the word "Apostle," as applied by our Lord to His first chosen followers; and a survey of the manner in which they discharged the duties thus solemnly assigned to them. In what sense Christ's kingdom is, and is not, of this world. The use of the term "Apostle" among the Jews. St. Paul the "Apostle" of the High Priest: : way in which he exercised his office. The unlimited field of labour appertaining to each of the Apostles of our Lord.

VIII. The foregoing view of the absence of all limit to the field of Apostolic labour confirmed by the testimony of Scripture, especially with reference to St. Peter, St. James, St. Paul, St. John, and St. Jude.

IX. Secular, as well as Ecclesiastical Princes earnestly urged to use their influence for the restoration of the Apostolic office to its primitive integrity and efficiency.

X. Rise of the usurpation of the Roman pontiff traceable to the early departure of the ecclesiastical rulers from the Apostolic mode of regulating the affairs of the Church Universal. Difference between the Primitive and Modern theories of episcopal Church government. This diversity of practice unjustifiable.

XI. Causes and consequences of the discontinuance of the Apostolic office. Parochie and Dioceses. Bishops originally called "Apostles." Reason for declining the appellation; and mischievous consequences attending its discontinuance. Rise of Metropolitans.

XII. The Metropolitan order proved so unequal to the task of removing the evils occasioned by the suspension of the Apostolic functions, that recourse was at length had to General Councils, which were suggested by Provincial Councils.

XIII. General Councils are found to be an insufficient substitute for the Apostolic office. This paved the way for the usurpation of the Bishop of Rome, who claimed an exclusive right to an authority which he could only share with every other bishop of the Church Universal. which favoured the pretensions of the Bishop of Rome.

Causes

XIV. Extent of the Romish usurpation, and noble insurgent spirit which that usurpation at length excited. Luther and the Reformation.

XV. Evils arising from injudicious efforts to overturn the domination of Rome -Sectarianism, Deism, animosities between contending religious parties.

XVI. Advantages of the Apostolic government. The Jewish Sanhedrim ambulatory after the destruction of Jerusalem.

XVII. Remedy for the evil of suffering the Apostolic office of general superintendence to fall into abeyance. Evil permitted, becomes, through Divine Wisdom, the source of greater good. The contemplation of this wondrous appointment will be one of our occupations in a future

state.

XVIII. General and growing persuasion, that a better state of things is now required by the Universal Church. Fitness of the present time for the advocacy and adoption of the remedy here put forward for the evils that afflict the Church. Duty of Secular powers in this crisis; and the advantages that would arise from their performance of it. XIX. Summaries of the Dedications of the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Parts of this work. Earnest appeal in this Sixth Part to the prelates of the Universal Church in behalf of Christian Unity. Special obligations that lie upon them, in consequence of the marvellous preservation of the Universal Episcopate, amidst the convulsions and storms that have shattered temporal institutions.

XX. Three things essential to religious union :-Personal piety; identity of belief; and agreement in discipline and of these, the two last cannot be enforced by any authority less binding than that of the Church Universal, which can only act with effect by restoring the Apostolic office.

XXI. The Bishops of Rome have never been able to effect Unity in the Catholic Church, in consequence of their deficiency in the three sources of Unity,-personal piety; Scripturality of Creed; and unexceptionable Discipline. The astonishing influence possessed by the See of Rome in the height of its power. Means by which it lost that power. Its attitude of hostility to other Churches.

XXII. Infidelity cannot effect the union which the Church of Rome has failed to bring about. Christianity was confounded with Popery by the agents of the first French Revolution. Lesson given to the Churches by that memorable event. General Apostolic superintendence of the Church Universal, the only remedy for disunion.

XXIII. Statement of the mode in which the Princes and people of the civilized world may be most effectually interested in the projected union of the Churches; and of the plans to be submitted, and of the specific object proposed. The general ecclesiastical conclusions of the Ante-Nicene period, deduced from Revelation, are the only ones that can be appealed to, as authoritative in this case.

XXIV. The five powers, or governments, of France, Germany, England, Russia, and the United States of America, and the leading Ecclesiastic in each of them, may reasonably be expected to listen to, and act upon, an appeal for the Union of the Churches.

XXV. The present condition of France, and the recollection of the fearful commotions through which she has passed during the last sixty years, seem to justify the hope that she would now be a fit and willing instrument to assist, in conjunction with England, in effecting a general Union of the Churches,—a measure which, more than any other, would be pregnant with important benefits to France herself.

XXVI. Expectation of the co-operation of France in this project for Union grounded upon two things,—the spirit with which the Church of that nation once defended its liberty against the encroachments of Rome; and the fact that it was the only Church then in connexion with Rome with which an Archbishop of Canterbury projected a union with the Church of England, against the aggressive supremacy of Rome.

XXVII. Threefold form assumed by the resistance to the usurpation of Rome. The case of the Greek and Anglican Churches. The case of the Church of France, and the Gallican Liberties. Concordats. Important influence which that Church may exercise in any attempt to effect the union of the Church Universal. Appeal to the Protestants, as well as to the Romish ecclesiastics, of France. XXVIII. The French Church invited by an Archbishop of Canterbury to consider with the English Church the possibility of an union. Correspondence between Archbishop Wake and Ellies Dupin and Piers Girardin. Faults committed in this negotiation by the Archbishop of Paris, and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

XXIX. Appeal to the Bishop of Rome. An earnest entreaty to that pontiff to effect a return to that simplicity and integrity of faith which once won the approval of an Apostle and the admiration of the whole Christian world. The Creed of Pius IV. condemned. Analysis of it. The Bishop of Rome himself does not and cannot believe it. The Roman pontiff exhorted to remove the obstructions, which the groundless and exorbitant pretensions of that see oppose to the peace and union of Christendom.

The

XXX. Appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury. Importance of his Grace's declaration, on his elevation to the Primacy," That the blessing of God was to be expected in proportion as we are true to the principle of adherence to the Word of God, and deference to the Scriptures, rather than to the practice or opinions of men." station and influence of the head of the Church of England render him the fittest instrument to propose and commence an object so dear to Christians as the union in one body, and faith, and hope, of all who name the name of Christ.

SECTION I.

The Sacred Volume which contains the revelation of God's will, and of man's duty and destiny, is received by all professing Christians of every Church as the principal foundation of their common faith and hope. It predicts also the complete and final destruction of evil by means which, however apparently diversified or fortuitous, constantly and undeviatingly tend to one point,—the transforming of the kingdoms of this world into the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ.

To the Archbishop of Paris, the Bishop of Rome, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, three of the principal Ecclesiastics in the Catholic Church of Christ, and to all other Archbishops and Bishops of every name and title—their brother-Christian and fellow-labourer in the cause of the Religion of Jesus Christ, ("He is Lord of all,") wishing to them grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ, humbly and respectfully submits the following considerations:

FATHERS IN THE CHURCH OF CHRIST,

THE Holy Volume which contains the revelation of the Will of God, and of the duty and destiny of man, is equally received by us all, as the principal foundation of the Faith and Hope of ourselves, of the Church, and of Mankind. That Holy Volume begins and ends with one sacred Truth. It declares at the beginning, that the head of the serpent shall be bruised. It declares at the end, that the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ. It begins with a Prophecy. It ends with the account of the accomplishment of that Prophecy. It begins with the prediction, that Good shall be finally more influential and more prevalent than Evil. It ends with the representation of the manner in which that triumph of Good over Evil shall be manifested. Sovereigns with their subjects, and Governments with their people, shall be united and incorporated as one kingdom of Christ, the Prince of the kings of the earth.

Nor is this all. We regard all the events which are recorded in that Holy Volume, as being, like the incidents of an epic poem, the steps, or stages, of the progress of the fulfilment of the first prophecy and because that prophecy has not yet received its perfect accomplishment, we believe, also, with a true and perfect faith, that all the events of the period which has elapsed since the closing of the canon of the Scriptures, are no less the steps, or stages, of the same progress. We believe, too, that the events which are now passing before our own eyes, and the results of those events on the present and future generations, will all be overruled to the accomplishment of the prophecies of Revelation. Whatever be the clouds and darkness which surround the throne of God, we, who are Christians, believe that "Righteousness and Judgment are the habitation of His seat." We all pray daily that

the "kingdom may come," which shall thus include within its universal dominion the Rulers, the Churches, the People, the Nations, the kindreds, and the languages of the human race. We believe that our prayers shall be heard, and that this kingdom of Christ shall come, and His Will be done on earth. No difficulties shake this faith. No mysteries depress us. No doubts divert us from our firm and well-grounded conviction that the Revelation of God is true; that the head of the serpent shall be bruised; that the heathen shall be the inheritance of Christ, and the utmost parts of the earth His possession. Nothing moves us from the certainty that the Blood of our beloved and merciful Redeemer shall not have been shed in vain. We walk by faith, and not by sight: and we are all well assured, that though heaven and earth shall pass away, this word of the prophecies of Truth shall never, never fail.

SECTION II.

Our hope of the final and complete triumph of good over evil is founded upon the solid and immovable basis of the written word of God, which testifies that the wickedness, and consequent misery, which degrades and afflicts mankind, can be removed by Christianity alone; the only source of holiness among individuals, morality among societies, and peace among nations.

FATHERS of the Universal Church of Christ! it is well for us that we have this hope and this conviction established upon a foundation that cannot be moved. The combined evidence of prophecy, of miracles, of the reception of the Scriptures by the world, of the history of the Church, and of the authority of the Church, the testimony of the innumerable martyrs, and confessors, and inquirers who have examined with impartiality and caution, with boldness yet with humility, into the proofs of the truth of the Scriptures, which we believe, all unite to convince us that the Volume of Revelation is worthy of our reception-" that we have not followed cunningly devised fables," when we have welcomed it as the word of God; and that the blessedness, the peace, the comfort, and the happiness, which follow its sincere reception, is not a delusion nor a dream. It is well for us that we have these proofs and demonstrations that the most high God rules and governs; or the wisdom of His dispensations, and the goodness of His providence, would be alike distrusted. For evil still continues. Christianity has not yet leavened the lump. The leaves of the tree of life have not yet healed the nations: the fruits of the tree of life have not blessed them. The three great objects which were to be effected by the establishment of Christianity in the world,— holiness among individuals, morality among societies, and peace among nations,have not hitherto been effected. Ignorance and wickedness still debase individuals. Immorality and profligacy still degrade societies. Wars and rumours of wars still perplex nations. Though we have no sufficient reason to believe, that