nor ready to contend in a clamorous manner, but calm, and moderate, and dignified, even when called to contend for the truth.

13. Not covetous; açıλapvvpov, not a lover of money; not desiring the office for the sake of the emolument. One who, having food and raiment for himself and those dependant on him, is content therewith. Theodoret here notes, that the apostle does not say, актημʊvа, one who possesses nothing—for a man may possess these things, and yet distribute them as he ought. He who loves money will stop at nothing in order to obtain it. Just and unjust methods are to him alike, provided only they are equally productive.

14. He must be one who ruleth well his own house; or, who properly presides over and governs his own family. One that has the capa. city and disposition to adopt and apply sound and discreet principles of family government. One that has the command of his housenot by sternness, severity, and tyranny, but with all gravity; governing his house by rule, every one knowing his own place, and each doing his own work, and each work having the proper time assigned for its beginning and end. Having his children in subjection with all gravity. Maintaining proper dignity and seriousness in his own deportment, and due subordination among his children. He must thus rule his house, both that he might set a good example to other masters of families, and give proof of his ability to preside over the church of God. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, so as to preserve due decorum in the family, where he has such natural authority, how shall he be able to take care of, or govern in a proper manner, that greater and more important society, the church of God, in which there will be such a diversity of characters and dispositions? If a man's domestic arrangements be not good, he should not be trusted with any branch of government, whether civil or ecclesiastical. Proper family government is a just emblem and illustration of that government which Christ has established in his church; and when the condition of a man's family exposes his incompetency in the former case, he is not to be placed over the church: he wants the proper capacity for the station.

15. Not a novice; veopvrov, one newly grafted, or newly planted; one lately converted to the faith. Such were not to be made bishops or presbyters; because, being yet but imperfectly instructed in the Christian doctrine, they were not fit to teach others. Besides, as their zeal, constancy, fidelity, and other graces, had not been sufficiently tried, they could have had but little authority, especially with the brethren of longer standing and greater experience. The candidate is not called a novice, according to Chrysostom and Theodoret, in respect to age; for Timothy himself, to whom he writes, was a youth, 1 Tim. iv, 12; but in respect to his knowledge of the faith. Lest being lifted up with pride, rvowbeis, inflated with the new honor conferred upon him, or the applause which frequently follows it, he fall into the condemnation of the devil-the same into which the devil fell; or be guilty of the sin of self-conceit, or highmindedness, for which the devil was condemned.

16. He must have a good report of those who are without. A serious blemish in a man's reputation previous to his conversion, may be a strong objection to his entering into the ministry, unless his conversion is so distinct and marked, and of such long continuance, as to

give overwhelming evidence of a thorough reformation; and if immoralities are produced after an entrance into the work of the ministry, there are very few cases where a return to the sacred office should be encouraged.

17. Not accused of riot; of luxury, or intemperance. A prodigal or riotous man is not eligible to the minister's office; for the minister must be a man of such a regular life as to put to shame all attempts to bring such an accusation against him.

18. Or unruly, refractory, or disobedient. A man who is ungovernable himself is not fit to govern others. The rulers in the church are themselves under authority; and unless they possess a proper spirit of obedience and submission, they will never be able to keep the peace and union of the church.

19. Not self-willed; literally, not pleasing himself. Not one who is determined to have his will in every thing; setting up his own judgment against that of all others; expecting all to pay homage to his understanding. The minister must not please himself, but learn to please all men for their good to edification.

20. Not soon angry; μn opychov, not irritable, petulant, ready to take offence at trifles. If a man cannot govern his own temper, surely he cannot govern the church.

21. A pastor should be a lover of good men; or a lover of goodness, or good things. He who loves goodness will be gratified at its development in his fellow-men; and he will desire to associate with the wise and good, and will become wiser and better by such companionship.

22. Just, in all his dealings.

23. Holy in heart; conformed to the image of God; for no man can be of much use in the ministry without eminent holiness.

24. Temperate; having a just control over all his appetites and passions; using with due moderation things lawful and expedient, and abstaining wholly from things forbidden or pernicious.

25. Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught. Conscientiously retaining and propagating the true doctrine according to the confession of faith, or the principles of the gospel, that by sound or salutary doctrine he may be able both to exhort believers to zeal and diligence in the performance of their duty, and to convince gainsayers of their error and sins.

In looking over the foregoing twenty-five Scriptural canons, pointing out twenty-five qualifications of a bishop or pastor of a flock, it must strike every reflecting mind that all of these requirements are sober and rational. The ministers, Timothy and Titus, and through them the ministers in all ages, are told what qualifications to look for in candidates for the ministry of the word. They are not sent to investigate what no human discernment can reach; the unexhibited movements of the soul. They are to look at the character, and to judge of what is within, from what appears without-to judge of the goodness or badness of the tree by its fruits. Freedom from vice, the possession of a good Christian character, and of ministerial gifts, are the proper qualifications for the ministry. The following general canons comprise the foregoing :-

First general canon. A minister must be free from scandalous sins; or, he must not be a wicked man. He must be free from the

following ten sins, and all such. He must be blameless, not given to wine, no striker, not attached to sordid gain, no brawler or contentious person, not covetous, not accused of luxury or riot, not unruly, not self-willed, not soon angry.

He

Second general canon. The candidate for the ministry must possess, in a good degree, the Christian graces and virtues must be the husband of one wife, if married, sober, of good behavior, a lover of hospitality, patient, one that ruleth well his own house, one that hath a good report of those without, a lover of good men, just, holy, temperate.

Third general canon. He must possess ministerial gifts. He must be sound in doctrine, and qualified to teach, by the possession of that aptitude to teach necessary in a preacher and teacher.

Fourth general canon. Hence no man is eligible to the ministers' office who is immoral, irreligious, or unqualified to instruct. And, consequently, the laity have no authority to approve, recommend, or receive persons not thus qualified; the body of elders have no right to elect such, and persons invested with powers to ordain have no permission to ordain such. Hence also the ordination of unqualified or ineligible persons is null and void, and of no authority or validity in the church of God.

INFERENCE 1st. Those ordinations of wicked, irreligious, or ignorant men, that took place, and still take place, in many parts of the world, are invalid. Previous to the reformation from Popery, most of the ordinations were performed in utter disregard of the foregoing particular or general canons, and therefore they were either null or highly irregular. A large portion, too, of the ordinations in the English Church are null in like manner. Hence we learn the great error of those who place the regular transmission of the ministerial character in a mere formal ritual, when the principal part thereof consists in the proper qualifications of the candidates ordained.

In this matter, too, the Church of Rome proves herself to have embraced glaring heresy; because she pronounces, authoritatively and officially, that the ordinations and ministrations of wicked men are valid and of authority. The ordainer and ordained, according to her, may both be wicked, and yet the ordination valid; though this is in direct opposition to the Scriptural canons delivered by St. Paul, by which it is required that a bishop or pastor MUST be blameless, holy, temperate, &c.

In this matter the Church of Rome is at variance with Scripture and the primitive church, as any one can perceive who will read the quotation from Cyprian in a future page, and the following authoritative decisions of this church. In her twelfth canon on the sacraments she decides thus:

"Whoever shall affirm that a minister who is in a state of mortal sin does not perform or confer a sacrament, although he performs every thing that is essential to the performance and bestowment of it, let him be accursed."

(Si quis dixerit, ministrum in peccato mortali existentem, modo omnia essentialia quæ ad sacramentum conficiendum, conferendum pertinent, servaverit, non conficere aut conferre sacramentum, anathema sit.-Concil. Trid., Ses. 13, Can. 12.)

In her tenth canon, or penance, she declares:

"Whoever shall affirm that priests living in mortal sin have not the power of binding and loosing, let him be accursed."

(* Si quis dixerit sacerdotes, qui in peccato mortali sunt, potestatem ligandi et salvendi non habere, anathema sit.-Idem, Sess. 14, Can. 10.)

The Catechism of the Council of Trent also declares, The minister of the sacraments, be he good or bad, validly consecrates and confers the sacraments." Catechism, p. 142.

We leave these heretical and abominable doctrines with the reader, without further comment on our part.

INFERENCE 2d. Hence also it is to be inferred that, If persons lose these necessary ministerial qualifications, and become vicious, or neglect to exercise their ministry, they forfeit their authority as ministers, and the church is bound formally to depose them. Hence, furthermore, we perceive the great error of those who permit vicious or unqualified pastors to retain their offices; when, according to Scripture, they are to be deposed. In this we perceive how far a church conforms to the precepts of Christ. If they permit the wicked to minister in holy things, they show clearly that they are very defective as a Church of Christ.

Add to this, that a sound church of Christ will soon detect and expel the wicked or unqualified who unawares creep into the ministry; or if they are at first duly qualified and afterward apostatize, they will soon be deposed. By this we can therefore judge of the purity and apostolical character of a church. If she permit the hypocritical to enter and remain in the church, and do not expel the vicious, she proves herself to be corrupt to a very high degree.

Fifth general canon. A course of probation or trial is required in order to fix upon those who are fit for the ministry, and to prevent the intrusion of the unqualified; unless where the Holy Ghost immediately interposes in designating the person.

1. The first reason for this is the canon that says, a bishop or pastor must not be a recent convert. This, in ordinary cases, shows that some time ought to elapse between the conversion of the man and his entering on the ministry of the word. Hence he is to be known so as to be recommended by his fellow-disciples, as a fit person to minister in the word; having previously filled the office of deacon, or served the church in inferior offices, embraced in the deacon's office, or connected with, and preparatory to, the office of the ministry of the word.

2. This is clearly inferred from what is said concerning the deacons. And let these also first be proved. The words, and these also, show that this trial of the deacons belonged also to the higher order, and so it seems to have been from the beginning, where the Holy Ghost did not immediately interpose.

3. In this light the primitive Christians viewed the matter, and practised accordingly.

The Emperor Severus takes notice of it, as of a "practice observed both by Jews and Christians, in order to the ordination of their priests, and fit to be imitated in choosing a rector or procurator of the provinces subject to the Roman government." (* Ubi

aliquas valuisset vel Rectores provinciis dare, vel Procuratores, id est, rationales ordinare, nomina eorum preponebat, hortans populum ut si quis quid haberet criminis, probaret manifestis RebusDicebatque grave esse quum id Christiani et Judæi facerent in prædicandis Sacerdotibus qui ordinandi sunt, non fieri in provinciarum Rectoribus, quibus et fortunæ hominum committerentur et capita.-Lamprid. in Vitâ Severi, c. 45.)

The following extract from the 68th epistle of Cyprian, addressed to the clergy and people of Spain, will, I believe, give a correct view of the sentiments and practice which prevailed in the primitive church, respecting the character of ministers, and manner of choosing every grade of them. Though the extract is long, it is instructive, and will be referred to in a future page of this essay."Ye reject the commandment of God, that you may hold your tradiion. Which things having before your eyes, and considering them carefully and religiously, we ought, in the ordinations of priests, choose those priests who are unspotted and pure, who, when offering piously and worthily their sacrifices to God, will be heard in those prayers which they offer for the people of the Lord, as it is written, God heareth not a sinner; but if any one reveres him and does his will, him he heareth. Wherefore it is necessary that with full diligence and sincere examination those should be chosen to the priesthood whom God may deign to hear. Nor can the people justify themselves, as free from the guilt of sin, when they communicate with a wicked priest, and give their consent to the unjust and unlawful episcopacy of a president, when it is threatened by Hosea the prophet, and the divine censure declares, their sacrifices are as bread of grief; all who eat of them are polluted; thus teaching and showing that all are guilty of sin who have been contaminated with the sacrifice of a profane and unjust priest. In like manner, we find in Numbers, that Corah, Dathan, and Abiram asserted for themselves the privilege of sacrificing in opposition to Aaron the priest. Then the Lord also commanded Moses that the people should separate from them, lest, being joined with these wicked men in their crime, they would be involved with them. Separate yourselves, says he, from the tabernacles of these unjust, hardened men, and touch none of those things which pertain to them, lest ye perish in their sins. Wherefore the people, obedient to the Lord's precepts, and fearing God, ought to separate themselves from a wicked bishop, nor should they join themselves to the sacrifices of a sacrilegious priest, when they themselves have the power either of choosing worthy priests or of rejecting the unworthy. Which thing we also see descends by divine testimony, as a priest should be chosen in the presence of the people, under the eyes of all, and should be approved as worthy and proper by public judgment and testimony, as the Lord, in the Book of Numbers, commanded Moses, saying, Take Aaron thy brother, and Eleazar his son, and place him on the mount before all the synagogue, and take off Aaron's garment, and put it on Eleazar his son, and let Aaron die there. God commanded a priest to be constituted before the whole congregation, that is, he ordered and showed that the ordination of priests should not take place otherwise than in the presence of the people, so that the crimes of bad men may be detected in the presence of VOL. X.-April, 1839.

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