all sharing common privileges. 'One Lord, one Faith, one Baptism'-and all having the same object in view, but all quite independent of each other. And, while by the inspiration of Him, who knew what was in Man, they delineated those Christian principles, which Man could not have devised for himself, each Church has been left by the same Divine foresight, to make the application of those principles, in its symbols, its forms of worship, and its ecclesiastical regulations; and while steering its course by the chart, and compass, which His Holy Word supplies, to regulate for itself, the sails and rudders, according to the winds and currents it may meet with.

"The Scripture exhortations to Unity, have been interpreted by some (says the same author) as requiring all Christians to live under a single ecclesiastical government; and the passages relating to the Church,† and to the powers conferred on the Apostles, as obliging us to renounce all private judgment, and submit implicitly to whatever is decreed by the (supposed) Catholic Church. Now, this is, most emphatically, a practical question, since it involves, not this, or, that particular point of practice, but an indefinite number. Those who adopt the above interpretations must be prepared to acquiesce, at the bidding of their ecclesiastical rulers, in any, the most : gross superstitions, and the most revolting moral corrup

Annotations on Bacon's Essays, page 29. ↑ Matt. xvi. 18, xviii. 17.

tions, however disapproved by their own judgment, rather than exclude themselves (as they think) altogether from the Gospel Covenant." The Archbishop, in further dilating upon this subject, adds, that, "the difference between Christians, as to this point, which, for so many ages has divided so many millions, may be considered as not only the most important of all the divisions that have ever existed, but even greater than all the rest put together."

Now, it is very important to bear in mind, that the great Apostle of the Gentiles knew nothing, in his day, of any so-called Centre of Unity upon earth. The only idea which he seemed to entertain of Unity was, that of "holding the Head, from which all the body, by joints and bands, having nourishment administered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God."* The same idea is expressed in another epistle, "the Head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." Christ was the only Centre of Unity known to the Apostle. If it were otherwise, any language, however irregular, or, extravagant, might be justified in condemnation of St. Paul, when taking leave of the

elders of Ephesus. The address he then delivered is still extant. Foreseeing the dangers to which the Church at Ephesus would be exposed from the perversity of false teachers, in their own body, and of which, for the space of three years, he had been warning them, the Apostle tells them to "take heed unto themselves," for, he adds, "I know that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock; and of your ownselves shall men arise, teaching perverse things to draw away disciples after them-THEREFORE WATCH!" By every principle of honesty, and candour, if St. Paul had any idea of a Supreme Central Church, provided as an infallible guide, to whose decision, on matters of Faith, they might safely acquiesce, he most undoubtedly would have, on this occasion, directed them to that tribunal. Had he known anything about Peter, or, his successors, or, the Ecclesiastical figment, which later ages have invented as the source of final appeal, when doubts or disputes should arise, it is simply impossible that he could have used such words as these, "Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." It follows inevitably that he knew nothing whatever about such a Centre of Unity. The case may be briefly stated thus: If St. Paul knew of such

* Acts xx. 26, 27., &c.

a tribunal as that which the Church of Rome sets up in the person of St. Peter, and his successors, and yet, kept it back from the Elders of Ephesus, he was falsifying his own words. If he did not know of such a mode of resolving doubts, then, any Church assuming to possess such an authority, has neither warrant, nor counterpart for it in the Word of God. "Take heed to yourselves ""watch," and, "remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn you night and day with tears." There is not the most distant allusion to any other earthly source for protection against the impending dangers.

There are some who think that the beau ideal of the Christian Church, is, a single community on earth, combined under one form of Church government. Now, suppose that we were to apply this principle to the science. of political economy, and that there was only one shop in the whole of Great Britain where men could buy, any given article-what would be the inevitable consequence as regards the commodity and the cost? All experience of monopolies, in any form, go to prove that we should have an inferior article at an exorbitant price. In like manner, if there were only one form of Church government, one Liturgy, one set of rites and ceremonies, and all, pressed, by one act of uniformity, into superficial smoothness, there is not the slightest doubt whatever but

H

that a result would be obtained, corresponding, mutatis mutandis, with monopoly in every other department. The Church, at best, consists of human creatures compassed with infirmities, and, therefore, liable to stamp" their own temperament upon whatever they take in hand. That this is not a matter of conjecture, is evident from the past and present condition of Italy, and other countries, subject to the ecclesiastical despotism of the Roman Pontiff. Nay, to come nearer home, we find in the history of the English Church, during the last century, a state of things which contrasts unfavourably with the Church of England in the nineteeth century. There was then, a great stagnation among both the clergy and the people. But, when other forms of Church government arose, the healthy results of friendly competition were manifest in the revival, and the extension of the Church. It was not only never intended that there should be one exclusive religious corporation, but under the present condition of fallen human nature, the very worst thing possible for religion, would be the very state of things for which many good churchmen are sighing and praying! It is not meant that there should be dissimilar, and dissociated sects, each holding different forms of faith. By no means. The advance of Christ's kingdom is grievously retarded by the discord, and mutual ill-will which, unhappily, exists in Christendom. Such a state of things