The commission, thus delivered, still required ratification, and the Apostles were therefore directed not to depart from Jerusalem till they were baptized by the Holy Ghost; which took place, with the miraculous vision of the tongues of fire, on the day of Pentecost following, when three thousand persons were immediately added to the Church, by the preaching of St. Peter; " and the Lord added to the Church daily". brought within the pale of the then existing true Church"such as should be saved." Acts ii. 47.

To the eleven only, collected for the express purpose at the place appointed after the institution of the last supperMark xiv. 28,-was the power committed which our Lord received from God, and which power, when these, the first Bishops, had disappeared from the earth, their successors were to enjoy, and perpetuate to the end of time.

Will it be argued that as Christ made all his followers Kings and Priests unto God the Father,”- Rev. i. 6. v. 10, --as all Christians form " a holy-a royal Priesthood,”—1 Pet. ii. 5, 9, the reasoning as to the Levitical Priesthood does not apply? It may be answered-if this description is to be understood literally, and should allow an infringement on the priestly office, it would allow equally an assumption of the kingly office. That it is meant merely to imply a general holiness, is clear from a similar passage in the Old Testament,-Ex.. xix. 6,-where God declared that the children of Israel should in like manner be a " kingdom of Priests," although one tribe was exclusively selected for the Priesthood, and any interference therein was so repeatedly forbidden, and punished.

Many instances proving the efficacy and the necessity of the Gospel Priesthood might be given. An angel of God was sent to Cornelius, not himself to reveal the Gospel, but to instruct him how he might receive it through the ministry of St. Peter, Acts x. A divine revelation was not vouchsafed immediately to the Ethiopian eunuch, but Philip was sent, by an angel, to baptize and instruct him, Acts viii. And in the extraordinary case of St. Paul, to whom our Lord was pleased

miraculously to appear, even he was only to be admitted into the Church by the ministry of Ananias, a disciple, by some supposed one of " the Seventy,"—Acts, ix.

Thus it does not appear to have been any part of the divine scheme that men should "hear without a preacher;" and how shall any venture" to preach," or expect success, (6 except they be sent:"-Rom. x. 15,-how, except acting under the sanction of the Holy Spirit, in the mode he has chosen, should they be skilled to distinguish; and to distribute "milk" to "babes," and "strong meat to them that are of full age."1 Cor. iii. 2, Heb. v. 13, 14,-or to avoid giving "that which "is holy unto the dogs;" and casting "pearls before swine?" Matt. vii. 6. St. Paul notices "false Apostles, deceitful "workers, transforming themselves into the Apostles of Christ;" but, "no marvel," says he,." for even Satan transforms him"self into an angel of light, therefore it is no great thing if his "ministers also should be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.' -2 Cor. xi. 13-15.

VI. The course pursued by the Apostles in settling the Christian Church.

THE Commission of the Apostles being sealed to them by the miraculous descent of the Holy Ghost at Jerusalem, at which place the visible Christian Church was to have its commencement,—Luke, xxiv. 47,-they now dispersed themselves for the accomplishment of the object of it, and went about preaching the Gospel, establishing Churches, settling ministers therein, and confirming the converts made by them; occasionally meeting together, and communicating the success of their ministry,-Acts, xv. 6.

In this work they attached to themselves certain disciples, after the pattern of our Lord, and according to a custom which prevailed from the earliest times,-for Joshua was the

"minister" of Moses,-Ex. xxiv. 13,-and Elisha left his father and family, and "ministered" unto Elijah,-1 Kings, xix. 21.—Some of these, as their names are recorded, were Timothy and Titus, Mark, Luke, Erastus, Aristarchus, Demas, Epaphroditus, Silvanus, Andronicus, Tychicus, and others-see Acts, xx. 4, &c.-men worthy of the calling,Rom. xvi. 7-2 Cor. viii. 23, Phil. ii. 25, Col. iv. 7. These they took with them on their journeyings, as companions, and helpers of their labours,-as St. Paul declares of Timothy

as a son with the father he hath served with me in the Gospel," Phil. ii. 22,-frequently detaching them on distant missions,-Acts, xix. 22. 1 Cor. iv. 17, xvi. 10. 2 Cor. ix. 3. Phil. ii. 19-22, 25. 1 Thess. iii. 2,-in perfect conformity with the practice of their Lord, to whom they themselves also had been companions, and ministers.

The things these disciples learnt from such opportunities, those amongst them who afterwards succeeded to the first order, as did Timothy, Titus, Epaphroditus, and others, were, in analogy to the plan adopted by Christ with respect to his disciples, to teach, and to "commit to faithful men, who "should be able to teach others also."-2 Tim. ii. 2,—and this in succession to the end of time; as St. Paul must have meant, when he said, "I charge thee,-keep this command"ment without spot, unrebukable, until the appearing of our "Lord Jesus Christ,"-1 Tim. vi. 14.

As they made converts, the Apostles solemnly ordained "Elders in every Church," with prayer and fasting,-Acts, xiv. 23,—and with imposition of hands,-1 Tim. v. 22,—and invested them with the ordinary powers of the ministry. Then, "commending them to the Lord," they left them at their posts; occasionally, however, revisiting them, and confirming the converts that were made in such places; as it is recorded of St. Paul, that he "went through Syria and Cilicia confirm"ing the Churches,"-Acts, xv. 36, 41,-and see xiv. 21,xviii. 23, &c.-These ministers, thus first ordained, though frequently termed "Overseers," or "Bishops," in a general

sense, can be considered only as of the second order; for although they were intrusted, during the temporary absence of an Apostle, and before a Bishop, properly so called, was placed over them, with a certain kind of superintendence or oversight, this was rather of a pastoral nature,-to feed the flock,—and was confined to the particular Church in which they were immediately placed,"-Acts, xx. 28.-Hence it is that mention is so frequently made of "the Apostles and Elders," and particularly at Jerusalem, where probably many of the former, or the first order, frequently met in the intervals of their missions,-Acts. xv. 4, 6, 22, 23. xvi. 4,-and we find St. James, the Bishop of Jerusalem, speaking of his elders or Presbyters,-James, v. 14,-and St. Peter giving instructions to his ;—1 Pet. v. 1-5,—and both directing the obedience of their flocks to them.

The ministers of the second order were multiplied according to the addition of new Churches; and as these became individually enlarged, and the duties arising within them, and the funds for their support, increased, others of the third order were appointed, in order to assist in the inferior offices of the Priesthood, as the Levites did in the Aaronical Hierarchy; and for these offices they were also prepared by imposition of hands, and by the communication of the Holy Spirit.-Acts, vi. 3—6.

The principal attention of this class was at first directed to the maintenance of the widows, and the poor; and hence they were appropriately termed " Deacons," or Ministers; but they were soon employed to take a higher part in the ministry,baptizing, and preaching the Gospel,-or sharing with each of the other orders in the general" work of an Evangelist,”2 Tim. iv. 5. 1 Cor. ix. 16.-This fully appears in the case of two of them-Philip,-Acts, viii, 5-13-and Stephen-vi. 8, 14, &c.—and to these powers Ignatius refers when he says, that the Deacons," being the Ministers of the mysteries of Jesus Christ," are not mere "Ministers of meats, and cups, but of "the Church of God," and that therefore they should have like reverence as the others. It seems not improbable that through

the preaching and the exertions of the first ordained of these, a secession began from the Levitical Priesthood; for it is noticed immediately after their appointment, that "a great of the Priests were obedient to the faith.”—Acts,

company

vi. 7.

Whenever new converts were made the Apostles confirmed them by the imposition of their hands, and thus imparted to them the Holy Ghost, as is seen in the case of the Samaritans converted and baptized by Philip; to confirm whom Peter and John were expressly sent by the body of the Apostles assembled in Jerusalem,—Acts, viii. 5, 14—17—and also of the Ephesian converts confirmed by St. Paul.-Acts, xix. 6.

The Apostles thus retained the characteristic powers of the first order,-Ordination-Confirmation-and the government of the Church, in their own hands; and therefore it is probable that at this period none of the Churches had an establishment of the three orders. In those first planted there might not be any even of the second order, since St. Paul lays it down that no "novice"-no one recently brought to the faith-should be received,-1 Tim. iii. 6—and therefore the Apostle," the father in Christ Jesus who had begotten them "through the Gospel,"-1 Cor. iv. 15—probably himself performed the offices of the ministry.

Where the converts were few, a single Presbyter, or a Deacon was sufficient; and under some peculiar circumstances, where the exercise of the powers of the first order was requisite-where there was a total want of persons fit for the second order, or for other local reasons, a Bishop, or member of the first order, with attendant Deacons, was found convenient. This, according to the opinion of Epiphanius, was the case at Philippi; for he says expressly, that where, through a scarcity of believers, there were not found persons to be made Presbyters, there the Bishop alone ministered; but that there never could be a Bishop without a Deacon, as his attendant. But, if on the other hand, the word "Bishops" in the passage-Phil, i. 1-means the members of the second