cannot be necessary to inform a churchman, an ecclesiastic and a curate, that the word Church, in its original orthography, means a calling, choice or selection,-nor by whom such choice is made, nor yet from what abundance; but, as a foundation for the doctrine, and likewise as a clue to the pedigree of Christendom, the most glorious galaxy of kingdoms and states that ever shone, perhaps, upon earth, it may be well, to remind my brother of the fact; or, as St. Paul says, "if one put the brethren in remembrance of these things."

Begun therefore, as it was in the divine choice or selection, and also with due notice (Gen. xvii, &c.; Ps. lxxxix. 3, &c.) from as great an abundance as the world affords the primitive form of the church, and which it ought still to maintain, was that of a single family or patriarchate; its foundation being then in Israel, and so to continue; as it is said by the prophet, "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem," (Isa. ii. 3,) and as it is confirmed by our Saviour. (John iv. 22, &c.) For there can be no dispute about the assimilation of any one state or community by another, when it acknowledges and submits to the highest authority acknowledged in that state, receiving the same however peaceably, by its means. But Jehovah gives the law to Israel: therefore all other states and communities which shall renounce their idols, turning in a body to Jehovah, and taking the law from him by this medium, are in a moral and religious, if not in a political-sense, scions of Israel, and equally with that people members of the holy church of Christ, and peculiar kingdom of God. "Send ye the LAMB to the ruler of the land,” (Isai. xvi. 1,) is one authority for all. It may be sent without fire and sword; and Israel born will be less Israel than Moab, if she think to halt in the midst-crying out to Jehovah, Hold! Thou hast given us Moses; we will not have another like him; (Deut. xviii. 18;) thou hast provided thyself a lamb for a

burnt offering, (Gen. xxii. 8; John i. 29,) keep thy lamb and thy burnt offering to thyself, or let others have it who will: we will none of it.

If we were to state shortly what the church of Christ is, or in what it may consist, we should say, In a larger and livelier selection from the world, and a much happier than Israel was during the dimness: "when at the first He lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterwards did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the gentiles. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” (Isai. ix. 1, 2.) The church now is Israel recovered and enlarged-come to be the Israel of all nations, as it was foretold and promised: (Gen. xxviii. 14, &c. :) One body, but not a natural body; and one spirit, but not a natural spirit. It is a Christian body, with a Christian spirit, Christian faith, Christian ministry, ordinances, and every thing else- one Christian body-one Christian spirit. If among different churches calling themselves Christian, therefore, we were to say, Which is it? We should say, none in particular, but a remnant of all, the sincerest and most Christian-like of every Christian community; if, Who are most likely to be the men? As before,-all men of Christian manners, and in Christian circumstances, the poor in purse and poor in spirit: if, Who the least? The proud in spirit, whether rich or poor, and whether civil or ecclesiastical, and regular or secular, or any other sort, however distinguished in other respects beside the forementioned. You may call men as you will,-Heads, Hinges, or what not; you may call one, Head of the catholic church, Holy, Infallible, or any thing else that you like better, enthrone him in the house of God, and put three crowns of gold upon his head for one of thorns, if you think it more Christian like: but this will not make,—no, nor even designate him properly a

member of Christ, much less a dignitary or ornament of the church. It is the calling of Christ, or of God in him by his Word and Spirit to a new obedience, that can only make one a Christian, or, if I may so say-a particle of Christ; not the calling of one's fellow mortals to the enjoyment of any dignity, as they consider it, in the church: it is such a calling as God's, of his people by Moses, "Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice in deed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people; for all the earth is mine, and ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation." (Exod. xix. 5, 6.) And all who did so became his people accordingly.

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For in the moral as well as in the natural department every tree is to be known by its fruit: "of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they grapes:" (Luke vi. 44 :) "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." (Rom. viii. 9.) And, as they are not all Israel which are of Israel," (Ib. ix. 6,) so neither are they all churchmen who belong to the church, or think it belongs to them. St. Paul says of the badge of Israel, or rather of the seed of Abraham, "Circumcision verily profiteth if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law thy circumcision is made uncircumcision:" (Rom. ii. 25:) And parallel thereto it may be said of baptism, which is the emblem or badge of Christianity, Baptism verily profiteth if thou obey the gospel: but if thou obey not the gospel thy baptism will be no baptism whatever unto thee.

The church, as the mystical body of Christ, must have Christ for the fountain of its existence, for its soul or spirit, and be to him what the human body would naturally be to every human soul, a performer of its intentions, an humble servant to do its behests: so that the actions of the church may be the acting of Christ; as those of the human body are of the human soul, and accounted for accordingly between God and man by Christ; there being

no church acts in strictness, but the acts of its Head, as in other cases. Of his own official acts especially, a true churchman will hardly care to own any which have not the stamp of the Spirit, and operation of Jesus Christ; as St. Paul for example, who says, "I have therefore whereof I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God. For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the gentiles obedient by word and deed." (Rom. xv. 17, 18.) For in short it is to the Spirit of Christ that the catholic or universal church owes its form and character, as every individual member of the same owes his private or peculiar person and being to the chief principles of which he is compounded, or to that sort, whatever they may happen to be, which predominates in his constitution. So God predominates in Christ, and Christ in his people," that they all may be one, (says he,) as thou Father art in me, and I in thee; that they also may be one in us; that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." (John xvii. 21.) And the strongest evidence and recommendation of Christianity to the world, or those without the pale of the church, is its ruling principle, the mutual love and harmony of those within; its most characteristic constituent is the common feeling and enjoyment which its members have of the Head, and each other in the divine fellowship, or perfect communion just mentioned, which for want of a stricter or more appropriate term, we are fain to designate by that of unity.

The unity that one also observes in the frame of the church being of a piece with what one observes in nature, in providence, in all the works of the Creator-may shew too whose work that is, proving it to be his work, and that such is the church of God. But, as we find among the works of nature a wonderful disparity, with all their unity and subservience to one general effect; so likewise in its Author's church, though we can see but a part of

the same now compared with what we hope to see of it hereafter; as an apostle of the same observes. "For now we see through a glass darkly; (and prospectively, it may be added;) but then face to face; now I know in part; (says he) but then shall I know even-as also I am known." (Cor. I. xiii. 12.) So, as we know in part, it will be most suitable for us to prophesy in part, or at least by a part at a time. And only from this one circumstance of there being a part to be seen and a part not, there will arise very conveniently for this prophecy in part a distinction of the whole church of God and Christ into two several parts or species; which are commonly called visible and invisible: and both of which I must still believe to subsist and continue, notwithstanding that remarkable declaration of our Lord's to the woman of Samaria, "Woman, believe me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither in this mountain nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father:-but the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth." (John iv. 21, 23.)

I call this declaration remarkable, and consider it apparently adverse to the premised distinction, as it seems to intimate a period to the existence of the visible church in the present state of the world, when that which was visible should be no longer to be seen. For our Saviour could not mean literally, that the Father was not also to be worshipped in flesh and blood, as well as in spirit and in truth; and if in flesh and blood, then also in time and place, and in every other usual predicament. What our Saviour meant to deny or repudiate was, most likely, the prevailing use of mere visible or intuitive worship; which the law rather seemed to sanction with its types and trappings, but was now to be abolished-the matter or essence of the law continuing, independent of sight, just like what it was- ever holy, just and good, (Rom. vii. 12,) unaltered and unalterable in every jot and tittle. (Matt. v. 18.) The ceremonial or embellishment might be altered but the substance was to continue, that the visible church