many.

:

Wherefore the officers in Christ's kingdom may have no temporal dominion or jurisdiction, nor execute any temporal anthority or law of violence, nor may have any like manner among them. But clean contrary they must cast themselves down under all, and become servants unto all, suffer of all, and bear the burthen of every man's infirmities, and go before them, and fight for them against the world with the sword of God's word, even unto the death, after the ensample of Christ.

my

And (Matt. xviii.) when the disciples asked who should be greatest in the kingdom of heaven, Christ called a young child unto him, and set him in the midst among them, saying: except ye turn back and become as children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Now young children bear no rule one over another, but all is fellowship among them. And he said moreover, whosoever humbleth himself after the ensample of this child, he is greatest in the kingdom of heaven; that is, to be (as concerning ambition and worldly desire) so childish, that thou couldst not heave thyself above thy brother, is the very bearing of rule, and to be great in Christ's kingdom. And to describe the very fashion of the greatness of his kingdom, he said, he that receiveth one such child in name, receiveth me. What is that to receive a child in Christ's name ? Verily, to submit, to meek, and humble thyself, and to cast thyself under all men; and to consider all men's infirmities and weaknesses: and to help to heal their diseases with the word of truth, and to live purely, that they see no contrary ensample in thee, to whatsoever thou teachest them in Christ; that thou put no stumbling block before them, to make them fall while they be yet young and weak in the faith; but that thou abstain as Paul teacheth, (1 Thess. v.) from all that might seem evil or whereof a man might surmise amiss; and that thou so love them, that whatsoever gift of God in thee is, thou think the same theirs, and their food, and for their sakes given unto thee as the truth is, and that all their infirmities be thine, and that thou feel them, and that thine heart mourn for them; and that with all thy power thou help to amend them, and cease not to cry to God for them, neither day, nor night; and that thou let nothing be found in thee, that any man may rebuke, but whatsoever thou teachest them, that be thou; and that thou be not a wolf in a lamb's skin, as our holy father the Pope is, which cometh unto us in a name of hypocrisy, and in the title of cursed Cham, or Ham, calling himself Servus Servorum, the servant of all servants, and is yet found tyrannus tyrannorum, of all tyrants the most cruel. This is to receive young children in Christ's name and to bear rule in the kingdom of

Christ.

Thus ye see, that Christ's kingdom is altogether spiritual, and the bearing of rule in it, is clean contrary unto the bearing of rule temporally. Wherefore none that beareth rule in it may have any temporal jurisdiction, or minister any temporal office that requireth violence to compel withal."

If these observations be true my Lord, and if God's law is our only rule, then a Bill of Divorcement to separate the Church from the State, and free bishops from temporal engagements, should once more render "their lordships' House the arena of Biblical criticism.”

"It is no slight advantage in a matter where so many interests are involved" to have this question settled by an authority above us.

It behoves your Lordship therefore, according to your consecration vows, to "banish and drive away all erroneous and strange doctrine contrary to God's word;"-to "faithfully exercise yourself in the same Holy Scriptures,-so as you may be able by them to teach and exhort;" to "think upon the things contained in THIS BOOK "* and finding it different to the Prayer Book, and to that system of secular spiritual lordship amidst which you have not forgotten the nature of real Christianity, to perform the necessary duty of obeying God's word alone.

The rule is your own adoption, let it then be carried out; for as is recorded of your Lordship's speech on the Marriage Bill "the part of the Legislature, must not be to lower the law to the standard of practice, but to elevate the practice to the standard of the law." In this matter, it is the divine law alone, by which we are to be ruled. To this we must elevate our practice.

No considerations of expediency will be urged by your Lordship for the continuance of this anomalous alliance, for as is recorded in the same speech, "reference to expediency, supposed the absence of acknowledged principles or settled law. When principle began, the provision of expediency was at an end: and he (the Archbishop of Canterbury) held that in the present case they were bound by a settled principle and divine law, and could allow of no other consideration."

Then, my Lord, let this sole consideration have its full weight in reconsidering the Ecclesiastical Marriage Bill, legalizing the union of the Church and the world. The same rule should be applied in any future Ecclesiastical Titles Bill, where we should have pointed out to us not only "bishops, priests, and deacons," sanctioned by the Scriptures, but such bishoprics, priesthoods, and deaconships as are now assumed.

Together with the many other orders, not pretended to be founded on the divine law, as "Dean of Arches, and other Judge of the said Archbishop's Court, Guardians of Spiritualities, Chancellors, Deans and Chapters: Archdeacons, Commissaries, officials, Registrars, and all and every other ecclesiastical officers."

Let such names and orders be measured by the Apostolical constitutions, as "Prebendaries, Canons, Vicars, Petty Canons, Singing-men;" Major Canons, "Masters and Heads of Cathedral Churches," Churchwardens, Side-men, "Presidents and Residentiaries of Cathedral Churches," Ordinaries, Vicars, Curates, Rural Deans, Suffragans, Apparitor of the Archbishop's Prerogative Court; Surrogate, Proctor, and all the other appendages of ecclesiastical courts and offices.

Your Lordship will perceive the same disproportion between the three orders modestly claimed by the Church of England and the thirty or forty foisted in, as there is between the simplicity of the gospel and the abuses of a secularized religion. It has not yet been explained why the "three orders of bishops, priests, and deacons," should admit of a fourth and fifth order, arch-deacon, arch-bishop, and not the sixth to complete the triple pair, ARCH-PRIEST.

* The Bible presented to a bishop at his consecration; when the above words are uttered.

Consider, my Lord, not only the opposition between the gospel and this alliance with the world, but also the equality of Christians as brethren under one master, compared with the usual titles of our prelates, every one of whom is a "LORD Bishop" by courtesy and right of office.

Are these the terms Christ intended to sanction, when he said-"they that are accounted to rule among the Gentiles exercise LORDSHIP Over them, and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you. Whosoever will be chiefest, shall be servant of

all." (Mark x. 42-44.)

This description of Christian dignitaries, may perhaps appear mean, as compared with a Lord Archbishop, Most Rev. Father in God, two large titles and two fine palaces.

But interest and expediency we have agreed are to yield to the settled law of the Redeemer's kingdom.

The modest and judicious Hooker thus addressed the Archbishop of Canterbury, in his day ;

TO THE

MOST REVEREND FATHER IN GOD,

MY VERY GOOD LORD,

THE LORD ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY,
HIS GRACE

PRIMATE AND METROPOLITAN OF ALL ENGLAND.

Allow me to conclude this appeal to your Lordship, in the words of the same writer"humbly beseeching your Grace to pardon my great boldness,

Your Grace's in all duty,"

AN ADMIRER OF THE ENGLISH REFORMERS.

P.S. Your Grace may find some principles to guide in the formation of an Ecclesiastical Titles Bill,in the following observations extracted from a Letter by Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, in the reign of Henry VIII. It is printed in Bishop Burnet's Collection of Records, vol. iii. History of the Reformation in England, "by the Right Reverend Father in God, Gilbert, LORD BISHOP of Sarum."

"Cranmer's Letter to Cromwell; justifying himself, upon some complaints made by Gardiner.

Right Worshipful, in my moste hartie wise I commend me unto you, most hartely thankyng you, for that you have signified unto me by my Chapleyne, Master Champion, the Complaynte of the Bishope of Winchester unto the King's Highness, in two Thyngs concernyng my Visitation. The one is, that in my Style, I am written, Totius Angliæ Primas, [Primate of all England,] to the Derogation and Prejudice of the King's Highe Power and Authoritie, beyng Supreme Hedde of the Church. Firste, as concernyng my Stile, wherein I am named Totius Angliæ Primas. I suppose, that to make his Cause good, (which els indede were nawghte) he doth myxe it with the King's Cause, (as ye knowe

the man lacketh, neither Lernyng in the Lawe, neither witty Invention, the Crafte to sett furth his Matters to the best,) that he myght appere not to maynteyn his own Cause, but the Kyng's. But to be plain, I cannot think the Bishop of Winchester SO MUCH TENDERETH THE KING'S CAUSE AS HE DOTHE HIS OWN.

I doubt not, but all the Bishops of England, would ever gladly have hadd the Archbishop's both Authoritie and the Title taken away, that they myght have byn equall to gether; which well apperith by the many contentions agaynst the Archbishops for Jurisdiction in the Courte of Rome; which had been easily brought to pass if the Bishops of Rome had thought the Archbishopes Titles and Stiles to be any Derrogation to their Supreme Authoritie. All this notwithstandyng, yf the Bishops of this Realme passe no more of their Names, Stiles, and Titles, than I do of myn; the Kyng's Highnes shall sone order the Matter between us all. And if Í saw that my Stile were against the Kyng's Authoritie, (whereunto I am specially sworne,) I would sew my self unto His Grace, that I might leave it; and so wolde have don before this Tyme. For, I pray God never be mercyful unto me at the Generall Judgement, if I perceyve in my Hert, that I sett more by any Title, Name, or Stile that I write, than I do by the Paring of an Apple, farther than it shall be to the setting furthe of God's Worde and Will. Yet I will not utterly excuse me herein, for God must be Judge, who knoweth the Botome of my Harte, for many evill Affections lye lurkyng ther, and will not lightly be espied. But yet I would not gladly leave any Juste Thyng, at the Pleasure and sute of the Bishop of Winchester, he beyng none otherwise affectionate unto me than he is. Even at the Beginning furst of Christ Profession, Diotrephes desired gerere Primatum in Ecclesia as saith St. John in his last Epistell. And sayns, [since then,] he had more Successours than all the Apostles hadd, of whom have come all theis Glorious Titles, Stiles, and Pompes into the Churche. But I would, that I, and all my Brethren the Bishopes, would leave all our Stiles, and write the Stile of our Offices, callying our selves Apostlos Jesu Christi [Apostles of Jesus Christ] so that we take not upon us the Name vaynly, but were so even indede; so that we might order our Dioces in suche Sorte, that neither Paper, Parchmente, Leade, nor Wexe, but the very Christian Conversation of the people myght be the Letters and Seales of our Offices, as the Corinthians were unto Paule, to whom he said, Literae nostrae et Signa Apostolatûs nostri vos estis." [Ye are our letters, and proofs of our Apostleship."]

IV.

SCEPTICS' RELIGION.

Under this department, sceptical objections, and systems or principles advocated as hostile to Christianity, are dispassionately considered.

DEAR SIR,

INFIDEL TACTICS.

[To the Editor of the Bible and the People.]

You were kind enough to observe respecting a former communication, that you would be glad to hear from me again, and this emboldens me to trouble your readers with a few further observations.

Your department on sceptics' religion will do good service, if it should even do nothing more than direct men to the true question at issue,-the Bible itself, and not the mistakes and prejudices either of believers or

infidels.

While Bibles are so common and so cheap, every man may possess a copy, and those who write against it, should first read it; and if they quote, should quote fairly. For instance, to quote vengeance is mine, as a reason for human revenge; is as good as the old method," Judas went and hanged himself," "go and do thou likewise."

I shall perhaps be pardoned for observing that the article on "Infidel's Candour and Knowledge of the Scriptures," might have been extended to advantage, though perhaps it was thought sufficient to point out a few palpable contradictions, and leave the reader to pursue the enquiry for himself.

One point of information respecting the Paper there commented on was omitted, namely, that whilst not written by the editor of the Sceptical periodical in which it appeared, it was endorsed by a note of the editor's; in which another instance of the same kind was adduced.

The tactics of some sceptical writers, (as distinguished from those doubters who are honestly groping after the truth, as a final resting place,) appears to be not only to misapply and quote the Scriptures partially, but also to ridicule distorted theories professedly founded on the Scriptures, as if these were Christianity itself. Further, they seem apt to overlook not only the self-commending principles of the gospel, but the most powerful defences of it, whilst they fasten with great glee upon any instances where zeal overleaps discretion.

Nor are they anxious to engage with any of those lighter antagonists who meet them in the congenial contest,-the encounter of wit, relieving the dulness of logic.