cord among all who name themselves of Christ. Cheerfully, therefore, and trustingly does he bid the ensuing little work forth, that it may be the instrument of doing whatever God may allot as his part in the blessed work of filling the world with the spiritual reign of its One Prince of Peace.

BROOKLYN, October 1, 1846.

CONTENTS.

PART I.

THE SPIRITUAL CHURCH CATHOLIC.

DISCOURSE I.

General Remarks on Eph. ii; 19–22. Subject proposed. Special interest

of the subject at the present day. ROMANIST's definition of the Church Catholic.

THE TRACTARIAN'S definition. A THIRD definition sought. God's design in the

Bible, to save sinners. Requisites to salvation. Union with Christ, individual

and immediate. The aggregate of those thus united, "a peculiar people.”

Some of this peculiar people found among all Christian denominations. Case of

such among non-Episcopalians, Reasons why they belong to the Church

Catholic. Third definition of the Church Catholic deduced. Difference be

tween this and former definitions. Close.
Page 18 to 33

DISCOURSE II.

Third definition of the Church Catholic resumed. SCRIPTURE TESTIMONY to

this definition. I. METAPHORS. 1. A FOLD. John x; 16, examined. 2. A

FAMILY. Eph. iii; 15, explained in connexion with vs. 20, 21. 3. A BRIDE.

Rev. xxi; 9, examined in connexion with vs. 10, 11, 24, 27. 4. A BODY. Rom.

xii; 4.5. Eph. ii; 16: and iv; 12—16, examined. 5. A TEMPLE. Eph. ii; 21,

examined in connexion with the rest of the Chapter, and with i; 23. Reason

why the Church, in this sense, is addressed as imperfect. Use of argument from

these Metaphors. Close.
Page 35 to 48

DISCOURSE III.

SCRIPTURE TESTIMONY resumed. II. LITERAL PASSAGES. 1. Meaning of

Greek word, ECCLESIA. 2. Matt. xvi; 18, explained. 3. Acts ii ; 47, explain-

ed. 4. Eph.i; 22, 23, explained. 5. Eph. iii; 10, 20, 21, explained. 6. Col.

i; 18, 24. explained. 7. Eph. v; 25—27, explained. 8. I Tim. iii; 16, explain-

ed. 9. Heb. ii; 10–12, explained. 10. Heb. xii; 22—24, explained. Mutual

support of the metaphors and the literal passages, which have been examined.

Page 49 to 67

DISCOURSE IV.

I. Objection to the theory. Rational and Scriptural reasons for distinguish-

ing the SPIRITUAL from the VISIBLE Church Catholic. Comments on John x;

26: Rom. ii; 28, 29: Rom. ix; 6—8: Gal. iii; 7. Sense, in which the old

writers call the true Church INVISIBLE. II. Importance to Christian theology

of the view, which has been taken; 1. To a right understanding of CHURCH

UNITY; 2. To a right application of Christ's PROMISES; 3. To a right view of the

INDEFECTABILITY of the Church. III. Testimony of our STANDARDS to this

view. Reason for citing DEVOTIONAL rather than DOGMATICAL Standards.

1. Collect for ALL SAINTS' DAY. 2. CLOSING PRAYER in Communion Service.

3. Language in the CREED, the LITANY, and the TE DEUM. 4. Force of all these

testimonies.
Page 69 to 83

DISCOURSE V.

TESTIMONY OF OUR STANDARD WRITERS. Ages to which they belong.

1. CRANMER. 2. RIDLEY. 3. HOOKER. 4. PERKINS. 5. HALL. 6. TAYLOR.

7. USHER. 8. JACKSON. 9. BARROW. 10. SANDERSON. Force of these testi-

monies. Non-juring doctrines of the Seventeenth Century.

witnesses cited. Close.

True use of the

Page 85 to 96

PART II.

THE VISIBLE CHURCH CATHOLIC.

DISCOURSE VI.

Recurrence to distinction between the SPIRITUAL and the VISIBLE Church.

True comprehension of the VISIBLE Church Catholic sought. Our view of the

SPIRITUAL governs our view of the VISIBLE Church. VISIBLE Church Catholic

defined. 1. Distinction founded in Scripture. SPIRITUAL Church described in

the Bible as one, all holy, and all in Christ; irrespective of times, places and cir-

cumstances. VISIBLE Church described as many, mixed, and affected by condi-

tions of time, place and circumstance, 2. VISIBLE Church, as a KINGDOM, likened

to a NET; and to a FIELD. 3. The thecry, which makes EPISCOPACY essential

to the BEING of the Church, confliets with the Scriptural account of THE ONE

MEDIATOR. True comprehension of VISIBLE Church more fully stated. No

part of the VISIBLE Church may rightly call itself THE Catholic Church. Doc-

trine of our XIXth ARTICLE. Our Church does not make EPISCOPACY essential

to the BEING of the Church.
Page 99 to 111

DISCOURSE VII.

Doctrine of VISIBLE Church resumed. I. Testimony of our STANDARDS.

1. Renewed reference to XIXth ARTICLE. 2. "Prayer for the whole state

of Christ's Church Militant." 3. Prayer at the Institution of Ministers.

4. "Prayer for all conditions of men." 5. Language of American "Preface to

Book of Common Prayer." Sum of Testimony. II. Testimony of our STAND-

ARD WRITERS. 1. JACKSON. 2. SANDERSON. 3. COSIN. 4. HOOKER. 5. HALI..

6. TAYLOR. Value of their testimonies. Importance of this discussion concern-

ing the VISIBLE Church. Close.
Page 113 to 124

DISCOURSE VIII.

Requisites to the well-being of the VISIBLE Church. Its MINISTRY. The

Church not organised in the ministry, but the ministry set in the Church. The

ministry essential-not to the being, but-to the well-being, of the Church. The

primitive ministry, EPISCOPAL. Comment on Preface to Ordinal. Difference

between the FACT, and the NECESSITY of Episcopacy to the being of the Church.

Reasons for retaining Episcopacy.
Page 125 to 136

DISCOURSE IX.

Well-being of the Visible Church, resumed. SCHISM. Opposed to that well-

being. Schism defined. It separates not from the Church. Evils of Schism.

Cure of Schism. No indifference to distinctive principles recommended. The

cure of Schism practicable.
Page 137 to 148

DISCOURSE X.

An attribute of

Well-being of the Visible Church further considered. UNITY.

the SPIRITUAL CHURCH. An attribute of the VISIBLE CHURCH. I. In the Visi-

ble Church Unity consists, 1. Not in subjection to ONE TEMPORAL HEAD. 2. Not

in subjection to ONE Constitution of ecclesiastical government and law. 3. Not in

subordination to ONE form of the ministry. II. But, in professed subjection to

CHRIST, the ONE DIVINE HEAD of the Church. VISIBLE Unity consists in pro-

fessing what constitutes TRUE Unity. Question of RETURNING TO THE UNITY of

the Visible Church, considered. Extent of the obligation to an Apostolic minis-

try. Duty and privilege of Protestant Christians. The Church has no surplus,

or common store of merits to save the individual. Reference personal to the

author. Close.
Page 149 to 161

PART III.

VIEWS OF GOVERNMENT AND WORSHIP.

DISCOURSE XI.

GOVERNMENT of the Church. General remarks on Heb. xiii; 17. Subject

stated. Cleared of things extraneous. A pure, or simple Episcopacy proposed.

Advantages of such Episcopacy in government. I. As a Discipline of ORDER.

II. As a Discipline of TEACHING. I. As a Discipline of ORDER, Episcopacy is

centralizing. A true MEAN between PAPAL usurpations, and POPULAR excesses.

The Papacy, not Episcopacy developed. Corruption of Episcopacy, whence?

Springs of Popery. Position of simple Episcopacy. II. As a Discipline of

TEACHING, Episcopacy has peculiar advantages over Parity. Position of a

Teaching Bishop. Objection to this view considered. Primitive MODEL-BISHOP.

False idea of Episcopal dignity. Summary and conclusion. Page 165 to 183

DISCOURSE XII.

WORSHIP of the Church. General remarks on John iv; 23. Worship in
Spirit and in Truth. No form of Worship, a mark of comprehension to the
Church. LITURGICAL Worship may be in Spirit and in Truth. Comparison of
forms. State of the Church. True attitude of the DEVOTIONAL mind. Influ-