Therefore, none but the Messiah, or one whom He has authorized to act in His stead, can, as a Prophet or Teacher, authoritatively proclaim "peace and good will towards men h;" nor, as a Priest, receive a child of Adam from the outer state in which it is naturally born, into the Church of God, and there administer to it, as the adopted child of God, the bread of life and cup of salvation; nor, as a King or Governor, give laws to the kingdom of righteousness, and take care that all things be done decently and in order. Without a regularly authorized Ministry, there can be no Church.

Q. What do you mean by this? Explain it a little more fully.

A. Adam, when he transgressed the Divine command, was driven out of the Church of God into the outer state of the world, and its gate was guarded by the angel of death; so that man, by his own exertions, could never have laid hold on life, nor forced his way back into the kingdom of the Father. The world, or kingdom of darkness, into which he was driven, means a state where the light of Divine truth shone not; where the Divine grace was not enjoyed; where the Divine authority was not acknowledged; where ignorance prevailed, where wickedness triumphed, where Satan reigned.

h Rom. x. 15.

The Son of God alone had power to take man out of this wretched state, to overcome the angel of death, and so to lead man, under His banner, into the kingdom of righteousness. Hence it is, that we ascribe our victory solely to the Redeemer, and believe that it is only under His standard, that we can escape death, and find admission into the Father's kingdom; or that when there, we can only by Him be instructed in the knowledge of heavenly truth, or blessed with the means of obtaining the aid of the Holy Spirit, or taught to submit with due reverence to the authority of the Lord of heaven and earth; and hence it is, that during our Lord's absence, no man can act in His stead without His full commission. It is the ambassador for Christ, who proclaims the glad tidings of salvation to all nations, and beseeches men to be reconciled to God: who receives the child of Adam into the family of God, and teaches this holy family all things whatsoever that Christ has commanded1, and dispenses to its members the bread of life, and the cup of salvation: and who preserves order and decency in its affairs, by reproving, rebuking, exhorting, and watching in all things; thus making full proof of his ministry". But he does these

i St. Mark xvi. 15.

St. Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.

k 2 Cor. v. 20.

m 2 Tim. iv. 2, &c.

C

things, not in his own name, or by his own authority, but in the name of his Master, and by virtue of his commission. Were he to assume this commission, we have no authority to conclude, that the Prince of Peace would ratify his deeds; and were he to act in his own name, it would be impiously to take on himself the office of the Redeemer; but we know, that there is no salvation in any other name but in that of Jesus only; and whether the carnal mind can understand it or not, the truth is fully established, that without the Son of God, nothing can be done in the Church or Kingdom of God.

Q. I perceive that you have a very correct knowledge concerning the necessity of the distinguishing marks of the Church. I should like to know your opinion concerning the sacredness of their nature. With regard to the first, then, as several places of the revealed Word of God, may to some appear rather too strict, or too obscure, to be wholly agreeable to the inclinations or prejudices of many, who would otherwise be willing to receive and defend it, as the rule of faith and practice; may not such disagreeable passages be omitted, and an abridgment made, suitable to the creed of all the various communities of Christians?

A. God's thoughts are not man's thoughts, and, therefore, some things in revelation may be opposed

to human views, and disagreeable to human prejudices; but it is not to forward the former, nor to flatter the latter, that the will of God is revealed, but to direct our views to heaven, and to reduce our prejudices to compliance with the habits of the heavenly hosts. It would, therefore, be altogether dangerous and wrong, to interfere with the Word of God in any way whatever. It is full and complete, and men must, if they would make this life a preparation for a better, bring their opinions to an agreement with its declarations, and not venture to reduce its declarations to their opinions. "Holy Scripture containeth all things necessary to salvation, so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby, is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation"." The reception of the Word of God, is one of the marks of the true Church, and it may well be so; for man is naturally ignorant of the Divine will; that will which is revered in heaven, and which must be studied here, otherwise the Church militant cannot be a fit preparation for the Church triumphant. In one word, then, it is my belief, that no one can have a title to be reckoned a child of God, who would venture to interfere with His holy Word.

n Article VI.

The good Christian must receive the revealed Word entire, and preserve it entire°; and any man, or society of men, who ventures to alter, to add, or to diminish, is endeavouring to obliterate one of the marks of the Church, and, consequently, must be in great error.

Q. This may be the case with regard to the first mark of the Church; but does the same thing hold good in reference to the second, or the means of grace, by which the Divine aid is graciously communicated? That is, may not some of these means be such, that they may safely be omitted, or may not others more noble, or more suitable to the opinions or prejudices of men, be beneficially substituted?

A. No man can either alter or amend any of the marks of the Church, without great detriment to himself, or even without sin against God. The outward means of grace, can have no efficacy whatever without the Divine blessing. But this blessing is no where promised to human inventions in preference to the Divine institutions. When men throw seed into the earth, it is in compliance with a divinely instituted means, and therefore the blessing of God accompanies the means, and causes the seed to spring up and bear fruit. But if men were to contemn the wisdom of God, and instead of seed,

o Rev. xxii. 18.