ting particular places to the care of particular Ministers, is not the contrivance, as you call it, of men, but of the Holy Spirit. And this matter will be still plainer to you, when you consider that our Lord Himself had His particular parish or diocese (the words meant the same thing fórmerly); for, says He, 'I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Matt. XV. 24). So had the Apostles; for our Lord commanded them, saying, 'Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Matt. X. 5). We know likewise, that the primitive Fathers and Bishops of the Church had their peculiar Dioceses, in which they had the supreme Church power: such were Timothy and Titus, and the Angels of the Churches mentioned in the Book of the Revelation of St. John and no one ever doubted but that the inferior Clergy are lawfully set over their particular provinces, now called parishes, after the models of those great examples which I have just mentioned. When therefore this orderly dispensation is broken in upon, either by people or priest, how can you expect that God will grant His Grace at all? So much then for the method, which it has pleased God to suggest to His Church, for its good order and edification. But I will put this matter in a clearer point of view to you. You very properly ask me to show you my commission for assuming the sole government and care of the inhabitants of this parish; that is, you ask me how God Almighty is to be considered as setting me over this particular place?

Tu. Aye, Sir; that is exactly what I mean: because, if you can show me that, I can easily perceive that

no other minister ought to thrust himself upon your people under any pretence whatever.

Min. True John; and now attend closely to what I say, and you will soon see the matter in a very different light to that which has so misled you. My commission to take care of the people of this place is from the Lord Himself. You acknowledge that I am sent by the authority of Jesus Christ into His Vineyard, the Church; and now I will show you that I have His commission to take care of this particular part of it. I received my commission from the Bishop in these words, when he ordained me a Christian Priest: Take thou authority to preach the Word of God, and to minister the Holy Sacraments in the congregation where thou shalt be lawfully appointed thereunto'; and afterwards, he lawfully appointed me to this parish, when I first became your Minister herc. The Bishop, you know, derives his authority from the Apostles, and the Apostles had their's from our Lord Himself: Whatever the Bishop does in the Church, in consequence of his authority from our Lord, through His Apostles, our Lord declares He considers as done by Himself. Now the Bishop appointed me, in Christ's name, to take care of this place, and no other; and therefore, I have Christ's authority to feed and govern that part of His flock living in this parish; and if so, you and all your fellow - parishioners are bound to obey and submit yourselves, and receive my instructions, because I have by Christ's authority, the rule over you (Heb. XIII. 17 ). »

Sike's Dialog. Lond. 1815. 5.th Edit. pp. 10- 13.

3. «You have given up the foolish notion that any man may become a Gospel preacher, and have said that the Divine Authority must be had by means of the Bishop. I say, Mr. B. has not Divine Authority for what he does and therefore is no Gospel preacher.

Tw. You surprise me a little, Sir: has he not had Ordination of the Bishop?

Min. No such thing, John; - he has not had the Bishop's Ordination for what he does: he is now doing the work of a Dissenter, and splitting and separating the Flock of Christ; and you surely can see but little difference in effeet, whether a man get into the Church by the Bishop's Ordination, and then does the Dissenter's work, or whether a Dissenter, without Ordmation be admitted into the Church to do his own work. The evil work is done; and that should satisfy any reasonable Christian, that such a man is not likely to be a real Minister of Christ. But, when a man receives his Ordination of the Bishop, it is Ordination and authority not to do just what he pleases-that he could do without Ordination: but to that work which the Bishop shall commit to his care. For what is Ordination but the giving and receiving that Divine Authority of which we have been speaking? But any one may see, that, unless the Ordainer specify to what he ordains the candidate, it is, in fact, no Ordination for try the case, in plain words, and make the Bishop ordain a man to do as these men do: I ordain thee to the work and office of a Priest; take thou authority to do just what you please, under any pretence you like best!!

Tw. That, Sir, is too absurd to think of twice.

Min. Then, John it must follow that the person is ordained to do what the Bishop pleases; which is, in fact, the case, as every one of common sense must know. Now, the Bisbop, at the time of Ordination, specified and declared to Mr. B. and the other Clergy in these words, Receive the Holy Ghost for the Office aud work of a Priest in the Church of God, and be thou a faithful dispenser of the Word of God and of His Holy Sacraments'; then delivering the Bible to every one of them, he said, 'Take thou authority to preach the Word of God, and to minister the Holy Sacraments in the Congregation WHERE thou shalt be lawfully appointed thereto’. He first calls the man to his sacred Office, and then gives him authority to act. Now, observe how Mr. B. proceeds; he acts exactly as if the Bishop had given him no directions, but had left him to do as he pleased; for this Mr. B. does, without the least regard to his Ordination.

Tw. Why, Sir, surely the Bishop told Mr. B. to take authority to preach the Word, and so forth.

Min. Ah! John, that's not fair: none of your so forths', if you please. And do you really mean to prove that Mr. B. is a true Gospel preacher in this way?

Two. Really, Sir, I think nothing can make it more clear.

Min. In the same way, I can prove to you, that the Bible speaks blasphemy; in the 14.th Psalm it is said there is no God'.

Tw. True, Sir, but if you read it all, it runs thus: The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God'.

Min. True, John; and if you will read all the Bishop's words, they run thus: Take thou authority to preach in the congregation WHERE thou shalt be lawfully appointed thereunto'; not to preach any where he pleases, but in that congregation alone to which he has a lawful appointment.

Two. That is very just to be sure, Sir.

Min. Now if your Gospel preacher will preach any where but in that congregation to which be is lawfully appointed, he goes beyond the commission which the Bishop gave him, which is the same thing as going without it; for if, when I send a man upon my business, he shall take it in his head to transact another for himself, it is plain enough he has my authority for the first, but certainly not for the last; he does my business to be sure, but the rest he does for himself. Therefore in this proper and accurate sense of Ordination. your Gospel preacher has it not; he stands upon the same ground as the Dissenting teacher. But forasmuch as without the Bishop', says a holy Father, nothing can be done', he who acts without the Bishop's authority, acts against it; and that under the false pretence of acting with it; for as he could without Ordination do as he pleased, and go beyond the Bishop's commission, so it is plain his Ordination serves him only as a blind to deceive others. And that Mr. B. does knowingly and wittingly act in open rebellion to the Bishop, (that is, in open opposition to the authority by which he pre