and "who had pleasure in unrighteousness" (2 Thess. ii. 11, 12). The lust of power, the covetousness of a sordid heart, the glittering tinsel of scarlet and purple and fine linen, the greetings in the market, Rabbi, Rabbi,—these and all their attendant concomitants led the way to blinded minds. But delusion is gone. God is uttering His voice in trumpet blasts over the face of the earth. Sturdy hands and hearts, under the guidance of God, are laying priestcraft low; but ye whose hearts are right with God be not offended. Sin in ignorance a merciful God looks upon with compassion. Give the Lord the heart, and offences vanish. He is saying, "My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways." "If thou shalt return, and obey the voice of the Lord, and shall hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, then will He make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good;" but if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, then, "I denounce unto you this day that ye shall surely perish." "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live (Deut. xxx).' [A pamphlet has just appeared from the pen of the Bishop of Exeter, entitled "The Necessity of Episcopal Ordination." If his lordship designed to overthrow episcopacy, he could not more effectually lend a hand thereto. He writes to uphold episcopal ordination, and gives not a single valid reason for its necessity. It is difficult, nay, I think impossible, to find in his pamphlet one single argument which goes to the proof of the alleged necessity. His lordship, or any other person, will oblige if he will point out any one single relevent argument to be found therein. Had any arguments been at hand he would have inserted them. That he has not done so is proof that he at least thinks no valid arguments can be adduced. Such arguments as are produced are derived from the canons of the English Church. His lordship has an undoubted talent for controversy, and he needs not to be told, that laws which regulate a fractional part of a kingdom, or F opinions bearing upon the internal government of the part as a distinctive corporation, held by members of the corporation, afford no arguments for a general standard of laws common to the whole kingdom. The laws which regulate the distinctive corporate body may be tested by the general laws which govern the whole, but the lesser cannot give laws to the greater. The particular laws of an individual body or society cannot give laws to a whole country made up of several societies. To illustrate this position, the municipal laws of a corporation cannot give laws to a kingdom. Just so, the Church of England cannot give laws to Christendom. The Bishop of Exeter would be very unwilling to accept, as a general standard for Christians, the particular laws of any one Church except his own. If the articles of the English Church are to be admitted, why may not the canons and decretals of the Roman, and those of the Greek, and the governing laws of the Scotch Churches. These are no doubt repudiated by his lordship; others in turn repudiate the English canons. To attain unity, even in secular matters, all must appeal to the higher standard; and to attain truth, as God hath vouchsafed a general standard, all Christians must put aside their particular laws for the general laws vouchsafed. His lordship is sufficiently aware of this; and it is only that there is no authority therein for episcopal clergy government, that he does not appeal to the higher standard. To appeal to the lower standard is but a weak invention. It has passed muster, but it will no longer pass the public scrutiny. It raises a good deal of dust, and people get bewildered, and it has been good generalship for a specific purpose. To scatter dust about will no longer do: people will not form their opinions with blinded eyes. The title of the pamphlet is a misnomer, and an insult to the understandings of men, and especially to God's pastors invited over to England and afterward denied Christian brotherhood. The pamphlet is an apology for the Church of England episcopate, and should have been so entitled, and as such addressed to the English clergy, to soothe their irritated consciences. And to these it would have been well to have proved from Scripture that the English canons adduced, and the opinions produced to support the conduct of the episcopate, are based on Scripture. The clergy know, that though they have subscribed to the articles of the English Church, they are binding upon them only as they can be proved" by certain warrant of Scripture."] Winchester: H. Wooldridge, Steam Printing Offices. THE POWER OF THE KEYS, AS IT IS CALLED IN ECCLESIASTICAL LANGUAGE, IS NOT GRANTED TO A MINISTRY, BUT IS GRANTED TO THE CHURCH,-THE FAITHFUL IN CHRIST. THE Clergy Church asserts that a divine power was granted to the Apostles, and is continued from them through a line of ordained ministers, called the Clergy, said to be successors of the Apostles. Our Lord declared unto the Apostles, "Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained" (John xx. 23). The questions arising out of this declaration, and two others of a kindred character, are-Was this power conferred alone upon the Apostles? Was it a power conferred upon the Church, and continued through every age? Before we enter upon the inquiry, which, we hope, will lead to a right conclusion on the subject, let us pursue the plan adopted of bringing along with us the truths already established. 1. The Antichrist of Scripture is a form of opposition to Christ, not extraneous to Christianity, but a something intimately blended and connected therewith. It is a false Church, claiming to be the true Church. In the figurative language of Scripture, it is the harlot claiming the position of the lawful bride. 2. The true Church is a body in spiritual union with Christ, which, by partaking of the righteousness of Christ, and by reason of union with Him, the members thereof are held to be sinless, |