the revelation already made; to help you in the proper understanding of it; and what is of no less importance, to press upon you its continual recollection, and its constant application to the regulation of your hearts and conduct. This is indeed a commission of less dignity than that assigned to the Apostles; still it is one of high magnitude, in our proper discharge of which, you are deeply interested, and for the proper discharge of which we are bound to prepare by study, by sobriety, by watchfulness, and by prayer to Him who alone can bless our labours. For though, as I have said, we cannot represent God as responsible for our teaching, we must never forget on the other hand, that we are responsible for that teaching-not to you, indeed, who are fallible like ourselves—but to Him, our Lord and Master, whose ministers we

are.

Our Lord of course foresaw that religious Communions would arise in the world differing from each other in sentiments: and even that many differences would exist amongst members of the same Communion. Still He has not empowered any to pronounce an authoritative decision binding as such on their fellow-creatures. If any should claim such a power without being able to exhibit sensible miracles, they are left to maintain that claim by an appeal to reason and argument,—an appeal which effectually defeats the claim in question, inasmuch as argument is addressed to the

judgment, and implies that Christ has left you to the exercise of that judgment.*

It is perfectly obvious on the slightest consideration, that those who cannot work indisputable miracles, are not justified in claiming (nor would you be justified in conceding) that unhesitating confidence which is most rationally to be demanded and granted in the case of that preaching to which "God bears witness by signs" from heaven. But would God that all Churches and all individual Christians would remember this in practice! Would that all abstained from engrafting on the permanent commission, the awful language which the Apostles only were authorized to employ, and which, when used by those who cannot prove their inspiration by miracles, can be ascribed to nothing but human arrogance. Say not to any that they cannot be saved, because they do not belong to the true Church, that is, to what you regard as such; or because they do not know the Gospel, that is, receive the doctrines which, in your judgment, constitute the Gospel. These assertions are not arguments but decisions; decisions which have no peculiar force when proceeding from you, but which can be pronounced with equal peremptoriness, by those from whom you most differ. Avoid then the use of language which self-conceit is fully

* See Powell's "Tradition unveiled," for a luminous and forcible development of this important topic.

capable of dictating, and which you cannot prove that you employ upon any higher pretensions. Be content to reason with all;-to place before their view the ground of your own convictions, the passages of God's inspired word on which you rely, and your own interpretations of these passages; reason with them in meekness and love; but remember this,—if your reasons leave them unconvinced, no weapons remain in your hands which you are authorized to employ, or to which they would be justified in yielding.

There is one other difference between the two commissions I am comparing, to which I shall briefly advert.

The words of St. Matthew are, " "Go forth and teach all nations;" or as it is better translated in the margin of our Bibles, "make disciples of all nations." (The word is μa@nrevoαte.) And the process pointed out is, first by baptizing them ;* and secondly, by teaching them. Now in St. Mark the direction is, first, to preach the Gospel to every creature; and it is not till after the mention of belief, that a reference to baptism is introduced. "Preach the Gospel to every creature, and he that believeth and is baptized shall be

* 66 Baptizing them into the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Our translation "in the name" is in accordance not with the Greek, but with the Vulgate, and is incorrect as giving an ambiguous sense.

saved." You will perceive that the former of these directions, when baptism is spoken of as preceding instruction, corresponds with our practice of infant baptism; while the latter direction is in agreement with our service of adult baptism. This last of course must be the practice when new converts are made to the Church of Christ. But when whole nations should have been converted to Christ, then, in these, infant baptism would become the general practice. Accordingly, the permanent commission to the Church seems to enjoin that practice which would ultimately be the only one to be used.*

Those important words then which constitute Christ's charter to his Church, I could not properly have brought to your notice, without, in the first instance, guarding you against the common error connected with them, the error of confounding this passage with that in St. Mark, containing the distinct and temporary direction, which was addressed to the Apostles only.

But now look to the charter itself. And you will be disposed to regard it with the more reverence,

* Is it too minute a criticism to observe, that the expression in St. Mark," he that believeth ... he that believeth not, &c." corresponds to individual conversion, when each person is to be received or rejected by the Church according to his previously ascertained fitness, while the words of St. Matthew," make disciples of all nations," correspond with the practice of receiving a class, without any examination of individuals, namely, those whose parents or guardians are professing Christians?

when you call to mind that it was the last direction which our blessed Saviour gave previous to his visible departure from us.

He had now offered up that sacrifice for our iniquities, by which sinful man was redeemed, and the kingdom of Heaven was opened to all believers. He had gathered again the Disciples who had been disheartened and scattered by his death; for previously they had not understood the great designs of God. He had assured them not only of his forgiveness but of his love; and He meant now to unfold to them the nature of the office which He designed that they and their successors should fulful in the Church of which He himself was "the chief corner stone."*

Observe the clearness and simplicity with which our Saviour points out both the end which that Church should hold in view, and the means which He commanded or permitted it to employ.

The end is, to make disciples of all nations to Christ; to win them into a reliance upon his influence and to a submission to his authority. And the means to be employed are instruction, and the administration of those ritest which Christ him

* 1 Peter, ii. 6.

For no one who admits the duty of administering the initiating rite of baptism will doubt the duty of complying with Christ's injunction relative to the habitual celebration of the Eucharist. They will regard this injunction as included here under the expression "teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you."