sacrifice of the Eucharist, there is truly, really, and substantially, the body and blood, together with the soul and divinity, of our Lord Jesus Christ"." By this bold conduct, human wisdom has been exalted above the wisdom of God, the Divine institutions have been superseded by the inventions of men, and spiritual life has been made to feed on meat prepared by human hands, instead of the heavenly manna provided by the Almighty. Other religious communities have degraded these high and holy mysteries into mere rites. They look upon Baptism as little else than an inefficacious form, and the Communion of our blessed Lord's body and blood, as nought but a bare repetition of the Supper, and thus in this holy Sacrament, do not discern the Lord's body. They would esteem it gross superstition, to call Baptism the washing of regeneration, or the Lord's Supper the Christian sacrifice, in which the One sacrifice for sin, offered Once for all, is represented and shewn forth till the coming of our Lords. They throw over their doctrines a thin veil of apparent respect for things sacred, and even many who are really pious are thus blinded; but through such a flimsy covering, may easily be seen the well-marked features of P Tridentine Creed. q Tit. iii. 5. s 1 Cor. xi. 26. Socinianism, German Neology or Rationalism, and other dangerous enemies of the truth, which, on favourable occasions, would boldly deny the efficacy of every means of grace, and the merits of the Lord that bought them. This is at once dangerous to man, and insulting to the wisdom and goodness of God. Thus portions of the Church have so greatly erred, that communion with them is far from safe. Q. Have any portions of the Church become defective or impure through want of due respect for the third mark? A. Yes! Our Lord, speaking of what should happen to the Church in the latter days, says, “For t In the Jewish Passover, there was a typical and bloody sacrifice, indicating what was to take place; in the Lord's Supper, there is a commemorative and unbloody sacrifice, reminding us of what has been accomplished. But in the former, there was no actual offering of Christ, for then must He have suffered often, and therefore no inherent efficacy; neither is there in the latter, but as it is blessed by God as the appointed means of shewing forth, or keeping in remembrance, the great and atoning sacrifice and death of Christ, which is alone efficacious in taking away sin; which is alone acceptable to God; which is alone necessary to purge the conscience from dead works to serve the living God; and which has already been offered and accepted, and can never be offered again. The Apostle's words are explicit in regard to this important doctrine; "Nor yet that He should offer Himself often, as the high-priest entereth into the holy place every year with the blood of others; for then must He have often suffered since the foundation of the world; but now Once in the end of the world, hath He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself." there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Alas! the prediction has not fallen to the ground; for many have arisen, who, without any commission derived regularly from Christ, have taken upon themselves to act as His ambassadors; that is, in our Lord's words, "saying, I am Christ." About the middle of the sixteenth century after Christ, this dreadful evil came upon several parts of the Christian world. At that time, the Church in Britain, and some parts of the continent, was employed in throwing off the errors which she had, from neglect of the revealed word of God, contracted during the lapse of ages. Numbers then began to maintain, that on that extraordinary occasion, an extraordinary way of ordination was justifiable", viz. that any man who felt himself disposed to proclaim the good news of salvation, might very warrantably consider our Lord's commission, 'Go ye and teach all nations,' as addressed to himself, and so might take out a commission immediately from Jesus Christ. The channel through which orders in the Christian Church had been transmitted, was a subject about which, as they u Vide Conf. of Faith, Direc. sec. 11, 12. frankly avowed, they gave themselves no trouble*. On this principle numbers acted. They not only bound themselves to endeavour the extirpation of Church government by Archbishops, Bishops, &c. but they began, without any commission whatever, to act as ambassadors for Christ; to dispense the means of grace, and to do all things which a regularly commissioned servant has the Redeemer's authority to do. What is perhaps still more extraordinary, those men, who thus assumed the office of the Priesthood, without any commission derived through a visible channel from Christ, and even in utter contempt of such commission, proceeded a step farther, and gave a commission to others to go x Vide Dr. Mitchell's Presbyterian Letters, p. 354. y Vide any impartial history of the Church at the time of the Reformation in Scotland. Take, for example, the following passage from Dr. Russell's History of the Church in Scotland, vol. i. p. 247. "In the early stage of the Reformation, a great laxity of opinion was allowed to prevail, in regard to the nature and origin of sacerdotal authority. In many cases, all distinction between laymen and members of the Priesthood, was utterly contemned as a Popish prejudice; and the history of that period accordingly, presents a number of preachers, who, immediately on leaving mechanical employments, assumed the office of Ministers. Ordination to the Clerical functions fell into entire disuse. Nothing more was required, but an election or nomination by the parishioners; a certain examination as to morals, and the gift of popular oratory; and a verbal appointment by the presiding Divine to the charge of the congregation." "Imposition of hands," said they, "we judge not to be necessary." and do as they had done, to discharge all the sacred offices of an ambassador for Christ; and this their commission has descended from generation to generation to the present day. Thus, although the Divine Word assures us, that no man taketh this honour to himself, yet history informs us, that this has been done. All Scripture is opposed to such a course; and although charity induces me to hope for the best, yet a regard for truth compels me to state, that a single text will scarcely be found, to satisfy the inquiring mind of the validity or efficiency of the acts of those who have no regular commission from Christ. It is an error not less dangerous than that which arises from undue interference with either of the other marks of the Church; because, if Christ, represented by His authorized servant, be not in the Church of God, it does not appear how any thing can be done in the great work of our salvation. " Without Me," says our Lord, "ye can do nothing." The absence of this mark is so detrimental to the character of the Church, that even the successors of those who despised it, and effaced it from the portion of the Church to which they belonged, not unfrequently shew an anxiety to convince their adherents that it is still to be found among them. But they seem to forget, that this mark can be impressed by no |