they were solemnly called and set apart to their office, Matt. xxviii. 19; Mark iii. 14; vi. 7; xvi. 15. Both they and the seventy were sent forth with the declaration that those who received them received him, and those who despised them despised him, Matt. x. 40; Luke x. 16. St. Paul often insists upon his mission from Christ, Rom. i. 1; 1 Cor. i. 1; ix. 1; Gal. i. 15, 16. Presbyters before they presumed to exercise their functions, were ordained by the apostles, Acts xiv. 23; and deacons, who were of the lowest rank, were approved and authorized by persons having apostolic authority, Acts vi. 1. et seq.; 1 Tim. iii. 10. In short, in the first planting of Christianity, no qualifications whatever were sufficient to authorize the exercise of any sacred function without a due call and commission.

9. The nature of the ministerial office implies a delegation from those whose commission was originally received from God. It is a spiritual function, and not only the authority, but the ability and graces requisite for its effectual discharge are the gift of the Spirit. Thus, the apostle exhorts the elders to "take heed unto the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made them overseers," Acts xx. 28; not surely by a miraculous call, but by the imposition of the apostles' hands. The qualifications by which men are enabled to exercise it beneficially are ascribed to the Holy Spirit, 1 Cor. xii. 1, et

seq.; Ephes. iv. 7-13; but a miraculous appointment is not now vouchsafed; men are not now called immediately by the Holy Ghost; and the ordinary way of receiving its gifts and graces is through the medium of human hands. In no other way can we rationally expect the gifts and qualifications for the ministry; and by comparing 1 Tim. iv. 14. with 2 Tim. i. 6, we find a certain "gift," be it what it may, expressly connected with the laying on of hands in his ordination. From all which we cannot but infer that men have not only the power and authority, but are made capable of executing the sacred function by being consecrated to it by those whose right to ordain was derived by successive appointments from our Lord1.

There is, indeed, antecedently to this outer one an inward call, which consists in being inclined by the Holy Ghost to undertake the office of the ministry. "No one can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost," 1 Cor. xii. 3, from whom the ordinary graces, and all good

1 The Church of England service for the ordering of priests is to the same effect; for the bishop says, "Receive the Holy Ghost for the office and work of a priest;" meaning his gifts and graces, and the ability to fit the candidate for the office, which are conferred by ordination when rightly administered. In the above defence of the necessity of ordination, the instance of Barnabas and Saul, as related Acts xiii. 3, 4, upon which many writers lay great stress, is here omitted; because of the uncertainty whether the transaction was a real ordination, as observed in a subsequent page.

dispositions and resolutions proceed, and by whom they are confirmed, Gal. v. 22; Phil. ii. 13; James i. 17. To the same Spirit must be attributed a sincere dedication to the work of the ministry; and the evidence of this sacred influence upon the heart is, that the office is sought, not with a view to ease, to wealth, to honour, nor for the sake of any worldly advantage or aggrandizement, but with a real intent to fulfil all its holy requirements, and a fervent desire to be useful in the Lord's vineyard, by promoting the glory of God, and the edification of his people. This is that inward call to which the Church of England adverts when she requires from the candidates that they "trust," viz. are on good grounds persuaded, that they "are inwardly moved by the Holy Ghost to take upon them this office." But there must also be an outward call and commission by those who have power given them to admit qualified persons into the sacred function.

Hence not every one who may possess abilities and attainments has a right to discharge the office of the ministry; he must have a mission likewise, for, as it is a divine ordinance, those only can lawfully assume it who are duly called and sent, who have a commission from the Head of the church, the conferring which is ordination. The necessity of it being fully established, it is now to be inquired what persons God has intrusted with authority to ordain

ministers for sacred services. It has been variously maintained, first, that the call must come from the Holy Ghost immediately; and there-fore that any man, feeling this inward call, is competent to assume the office; secondly, that the people forming a single congregation may confer it by election; thirdly, that presbyters have power to ordain; and, fourthly, that this power belongs exclusively to bishops in the proper sense of the word. The first is the doctrine of the Fanatics; the second, of the Independents; the third, of the Presbyterians; and the fourth, of the Episcopalians. It will be proper, therefore, to examine the grounds upon which they build their respective opinions.

Those who hold the first opinion assert that any believer is competent to act as an ordinary minister, according as convenience may require, provided only he be endowed with the necessary gifts, these gifts constituting his commission. Appeal is made to several texts which, as is supposed, imply that the offices of preaching and baptizing were not unfrequently performed by laymen in the first age of Christianity. These have come under our review in p. 188, where it was shown that they relate to matters foreign from the purpose for which they are cited. Not one of them affords a proof of the ministerial office having ever been exercised by the laity, while some of them lead to a directly contrary inference.

But it were a waste of

time to enter into a lengthened examination, since some kind of outward ordination has been established above by the most unquestionable evidence.

It is likewise urged that St. Peter represents true Christians as "a spiritual house," "an holy priesthood," "a royal priesthood," "an holy nation," 1 Pet. ii. 5, 9; and that St John represents them as "made kings and priests unto God," Revel. i. 6. The meaning however is, that the people of God are priests not ministerially, but spiritually, because they can offer up spiritual sacrifices unto God. Thus it is expounded by the apostle, who adds that they are appointed "to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." They offer these instead of material sacrifices, and are therefore" a royal priesthood" in a higher sense than the Israelites were called "a kingdom of priests," Exod. xix. 6'. They may be said in a figurative sense to be made priests to God, because they offer prayer, thanksgiving, and alms-deeds to him, which are called sacrifices in Scripture ; but in the literal sense they are no more made ministers than they are made kings.

Private Christians may instruct and admonish each other in private conversation, and may use such exhortation as may provoke one another to piety and good works. Nay, it is the duty of all,

1 See Christian Expositor in 1 Pet. ii. 5.