the real absurdity, that two religious societies, distinguished as societies by their "peculiar doctrines, and their peculiar discipline," and whose peculiar doctrines and peculiar discipline flatly contradict each other, are yet one and the same society, that is, that CONTRADICTORY propositions are identical propositions! They are, just as much so as black and white are the same, and as two and two are five. The absurdity of the doctor's position being thus manifest, all his conclusions fall to the ground; and the following opposite conclusions become established: CONCLUSION 1st.-The Church before the Reformation, and the Church after the Reformation, are two different churches, distinguished by directly opposite peculiar doctrines, and peculiar discipline, or church government. CONCLUSION 2d.-The Church after the Reformation, as distinguished by its peculiar doctrine and peculiar discipline, was founded at the Reformation, as much so as the Scotch church, the Lutheran church, or any of those other sects toward which the doctor manifests such scorn. As to the succession of the bishops of the Church of England, through the Church of Rome, or through the Church before the Reformation, we have shown in the Essay, that they have no more claim, on that ground, than bastards have to the inheritance of legitimate children. CONCLUSION 3d.-The Church of England, and the bishops of the Church of England, have no more just affinity to the British or Saxon churches, than any other church that equally resembles them in peculiar doctrine and discipline. The doctor's assertion, at page 9, that "the Church, as at the period of the Reformation, had existed, as all parties admit, from the first planting of Christianity in England," is one of his accustomed, hardy, fallacious, and baseless statements. Had that Church, as 66 66 distinguished at the period of the Reformation by such peculiar doctrines and peculiar discipline" as we have seen above, existed as always marked (p. 23) by those peculiar doctrines and that peculiar discipline" from the first planting of Christianity in England? Yes! the doctor says, "All parties admit" this!! Then all parties admit that FULL-GROWN POPERY existed in England from the first planting of Christianity in this country!! The reader who believes this is worthy to be a disciple of Dr. Hook. CONCLUSION 4th.—The right of the present Church of England to those church endowments, which existed before the Reformation, is merely statute right. The parliament has as much power to alienate as to appropriate. If the Church of England has a righteous claim to those endowments, any other church might, by another statute, have an equally righteous claim to them. The sum of the whole, is, then, that the Church of England, as a religious society, must establish its claim to affinity with apostolical churches, with the British and Saxon churches, and the Church before the Reformation, by the resemblance of its peculiar doctrines and its peculiar discipline to the peculiar doctrines and the peculiar discipline of those churches. Her bishops, and her other ministers, must prove their claim to apostolicity by their likeness to the apostles in personal piety, a divine call to the ministry, and by the preaching of the faith as the apostles preached it. Whatever they possess besides is but as the chaff to the wheat. All other churches must do the same. Here is the divine rule. Here let all strive to excel: let all covet the best gifts. keep in mind the more excellent way. vidually, is true of churches collectively: "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal," &c., 1 Cor. xii. Above all, let them GENERAL INDEX Abbots, though only presbyters, or- African church never maintained Angels of the seven churches of Apostolical bishops, who? 49. 258. Athanasius on episcopacy examin- Augsburg confession on the identity of bishops and presbyters, 177. 133. Austin the monk, his treachery, Baptism nullified by confirmation, Baronius on the election of the of proofs, 34-on the apostolical forsaking bad and heretical minis- Barrington, Lord, on Clemens Ro- Bede, on British bishops, 238, &c. part of true apostolical authority, 49. Bishop, ETIOкоTоç, meaning of, in Blondel, David, on the identity of and presbyters, 204. Cabassute quoted, 113, 120. Calderwood's Altare Damascenum quoted, 132. Calvin, on confirmation, 197-on identity of bishops and presby- Confirmation examined, 196–200. Cosin, Bishop, on presbyterian or- Carthage, fourth council of, quoted, Courayer, Dr., on English ordina- 119, 120. Catholic Church, what? 298. Chairs, apostolical, presbyters sit Chairs, bishops', what? 113, 117. Chemnitius on the atrocity of the a fine passage from, 292. 341, note. Chrysostom, on ordination, ex- plained, 129-132. Chor-episcopi, or village bishops, Claude, on the absurdity of the high Church scheme 20-on the identi- Collega, term explained, 119, 120. of succession, 217, &c. tions, quoted, 137, 138. Daille, the celebrated French Pro- with bishops as necessary to Edward VI. (King) on the high Elections of popes described, 220. terbury, canons of, 92. English bishops before the Refor- Enthronization of bishops, 137. church, his office explained, 40. Episcopacy, ecclesiastical, what? | Gregory Nazianzen, on genuine 95, &c., 141-144. Erasmus, on the identity of bishops and presbyters, 202. Faber's work on the Vallenses, quoted, 190-remark on, 190. the identity of bishops and presby- Froude, R. Hurrell, an Oxford Tract- el's Defence, 156. Fulke, Dr., on the nullity of Popish "Gift of God," what? 323. of the bishops in his days, 238. Gradin, Arvid, quoted, 181. succession, 283. Hall, Bishop, on presbyterian ordi Hammond, Dr., gives up direct giving an account of the rise of Heber, Bp., remarks of, on Bp. Tay- lor's doctrine of confirmation, and High Churchism, semi-popery, ex- High priest, Jewish, 50, 51, 68, 80, 319, 320. Hilary, the deacon, quoted, 126. succession, none, 212, &c., 312. Holmes, Rev. J., of Fulneck," His- Hook, Dr., vicar of Leeds, on high |