that is given of their choosing one to supply the place of Judas. The words are these, Acts i. 21, "Wherefore, of these men which have companied with us all the time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be witness with us of his resurrection." This appears quite decisive of the point before us. It shows, first, for what purpose they ordained Matthias; and secondly, that they were ordained for the same purThe truth of the whole scheme of Chrispose. tianity rested on thus establishing the fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Cor. xv. Hence the anxiety of the eleven to complete the original number selected by the Saviour, and their concern to see that the person selected should have the same acquaintance with the facts as themselves.

The same doctrine is confirmed by the history of the Apostle Paul. Before he could be an Apostle, it was necessary that he should see the Lord. This miraculous sight he had at his conversion. Hence Ananias says to him, "The God of our fathers hath chosen thee that thou shouldst know his will, and see that Just One, and hear the voice of his mouth." Accordingly, when some questioned his apostolic authority, he

says, "Am I not an apostle. Am I not free. Have I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord." This proves that to have seen the Lord Jesus was an indispensable qualification for the apostleship. He too, with the rest, had what is called the signs of an apostle,-the power of working miracles as their credentials for demanding the attention of men to the truth they testified.

But besides what appears to me a total want of evidence in support of Apostolical succession, the leading feature of the Episcopal Church, in reference to the extensive power possessed by the bishop, seems opposed to the whole spirit and design of Christianity. This is represented by its Divine author in the following passages :—

When the mother of Zebedee's children indicated a spirit of worldly ambition by desiring of the Lord that one should sit on his right hand, and the other on his left, in his kingdom, we learn, "When the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus called them to him, and said, ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them; but it shall not be so among you but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant : even

as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many," Matt. xx. 24. The same truth is again taught when after speaking of the pharisees as loving the uppermost seats at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the market, and to be called of men Rabbi, Rabbi, our Lord adds, "But be not ye called Rabbi, for one is your master, even Christ, and all ye are brethren; and call no man your father upon the earth, for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Neither be ye called master; for one is your master, even Christ. But he that is greatest among you, shall be your servant; and whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself, shall be exalted," Matt. xxiii. 8.

The same spirit is inculcated by Paul, Phil. ii. 3, "Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

The language of the Apostle Peter breathes the same spirit. "The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed; feed the

flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock and when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble."

:

On this passage, I subjoin the following observations, 1. That the term bishop and elder denote in Scripture the same office. This is plain from this passage, being made overseers," is in the original exercising the office of bishop. Also from Titus i. 5, "For this cause I left thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee if any be blameless," &c. "For a bishop must be blameless," &c. Compare 1 Tim. iii. 1. 2. Observe the word heritage, is literally God's clergy, the very word from which that name is taken. It is thus applied to what in modern language would be called the laity, in contradistinction to those who are bishops, or clergy of any grade.

When we take such a view of the whole spirit

of the gospel, its design and tendency is to subdue pride and to foster humility-to guard public teachers against the love of filthy lucre; when at the same time we look at the dangerous position, in a spiritual point of view, in which a modern bishop is placed, his unlimited power over the inferior clergy, so inconsistent with one of our first principles, "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind," with his inducement to indulge a spirit of worldly ambition,—we cannot but be struck with the contrast; nor can we suppose that it was ever the design of the Divine Master, that any of his servants should be exposed to such temptations. It would require, then, very different kind of evidence from any we have ever seen, to convince us that such an office is in accordance with either the letter or spirit of the religion of the Bible.

On these simple grounds, then, that the Apostles were personally witness of the resurrection, and that they wrought miracles in confirmation of the truth of their testimony, they could have

no successors.

But it is asked, did not Jesus promise to be with them always, even to the end of the world? and how is this promise fulfilled if they have no successors? It is so by the Spirit of God accompanying their writings with his Divine bless