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DISCOURSE XXI.

THE CHURCH'S HOLY PLACES, THEIR DIGNITY, ORIGIN, AND

USES.

PSALM CXxii. 1.

PAGE

I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house
of the Lord

520

DISCOURSE I.

THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND AND IRELAND A TRUE PART OF CHRIST'S VISIBLE CHURCH.

ACTS ii. 47.

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

THE Evangelist is here describing the effects consequent on the preaching of St. Peter, after the descent of the Holy Ghost, on the day of Pentecost and he concludes his description by affirming, that "the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved;" more correctly perhaps, "such as were saved," or "the saved;" namely, those, who by being "added to the Church," were made partakers of Christ's salvation, which, commencing in this life, by saving men from their sins on earth, is perfected in the other life by the salvation of their souls in heaven. To these persons "the Church," at its first institution, is here designated as the avenue of salva

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tion. "And what was then daily done," observes Bishop Pearson on the Creed, "hath been done since continually. Christ never appointed two ways to heaven: nor did He build a Church to save some, and make another institution for other men's salvation. There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved,' but the name of Jesus: and that name is no otherwise given under heaven than in the Church." Agreeable to this are the frequent and plain assertions of the ancient fathers, that there is no salvation to be had out of Christ's Holy Catholick Church; but that whosoever would be a member of the Church triumphant in heaven, must first be a member of the Church militant here on earth.

In pursuance of these observations, it is my purpose to take a view of the Church, as instituted by authority of its Divine Founder for man's salvation; and thence to estimate the character of our national Church, the united Church of England and Ireland a subject, I apprehend, of great importance in a general view; certainly not of less importance, by reason of the inattention, with which it is too commonly treated in the present day, and of the ignorance and misapprehension which too commonly prevail concerning it.

The Greek word "ecclesia," which we render

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