not alter the nature of things. Its seniors, or presidents, though not authorized to perform all the offices usually assigned to bishops, give it too high an Episcopal tincture tc allow of its receiving any other classification.

The orders of ministers recognized by the American Pret estant Episcopal Church are three bishops, priests, and deacons. They hold a triennial convention, in which each diocese is represented by lay and clerical delegates, each having one vote, and the concurrence of both being neces sary to an act of the Convention. The bishops of the church form a separate house, having authority to originate measures for the approval of the house of delegates, and having a negative on all acts passed by the said delegates. The canons ordained by this assembly, constitute the laws of the church. It is the highest legislative and judicial tribunal of the denomination, from whose decisions there is no appeal.

Passing the Methodist Episcopal church for more particular consideration hereafter, the Presbyterians come next in order. The officers of this denomination are pastors, ruling elders, and deacons. The pastors preach the word, administer the ordinances, and have the general oversight of the church. The ruling elders exercise government and dis cipline in conjunction with the pastors. The deacons take care of the poor, and distribute among them such moneys as are raised for that purpose. They also manage other

secular matters.

The judicatories of this branch of the general church are three — Congregational, Presbyterial, and Synodical. The first, called Church Session, is composed of the minister, or ministers, and ruling elders, of a particular congrega tion. It is the duty of this body to admonish, try, suspend.

and exclude, offenders from the church, as in their judg ment the case may require, and appoint delegates to the higher courts.

The Presbyterial Assembly consists of all the ministers, and one ruling elder from each congregation, within a certain district. This body exercises a general supervision over all the churches within its bounds. It has power to receive and try appeals from the Sessions; examine and license can didates for the ministry; decide questions of doctrine and discipline; ordain, settle, and unsettle ministers; divide or unite congregations, at the request of the people; and order whatever pertains to the spiritual concerns of the churches under its care.

The Synodical Assembly consists of all the ministers, and one ruling elder from each congregation, within the bounds of several Presbyteries. The Synod receives and tries appeals from the Presbyteries, corrects whatever has been done contrary to order, and adopts such regulations as it judges best for the Presbyteries under its jurisdiction.

There is yet another tribunal above all these, called the “General Assembly." It consists of an equal delegation of ministers and elders from each Presbytery; that is, one minister and one elder to every six ministers. To this body belongs the power of consulting, reasoning, and judging in controversies respecting doctrine and discipline, of putting a stop to schismatical contentions and disputations, and of establishing new Synods where it is deemed necessary. Its decisions are final.

The Independents derive their name from this sentiment, to wit: that every particular congregation of Christians has full power of ecclesiastical jurisdiction over its members, independent of the authority of bishops, presbyteries, or any other ecclesiastical assemblies. This sentiment being held

in common by Congregationalists, Baptists, Universalists, and various other sects, entitles them equally to a place in this general category, though they differ considerably in their particular arrangements, and no one of them embraces every principle of the original Independents.

Congregationalists denominate themselves "a class of Protestants, who hold that each congregation of Christians, meeting in one place, and united by a solemn covenant, is a complete church, with Christ for its only head, and deriving from him the right of choosing its own officers, to observe the sacraments, to have public worship, and to discipline its own members." Yet they disclaim the name of Independents, because they are pleased to associate in Conferences for mutual counsel, and refer questions of difficulty to each other for advice. But this, it will be perceived, does not alter the nature of their government, since neither these Conferences or councils have any authority, but to advise. Most Independent Churches, however, have no such provision. They attend to their own business, and leave others to do the same.

As it respects the particular governments of Independent Churches, little is known beyond their own limits. They all claim to be purely democratic, and in theory they may be So. But nothing is plainer than that in practice they are strongly aristocratic. A few individuals control every thing. We do not mention this as an evil of itself. As a general thing, matters are much better managed than they would be by the mass. The truth is, there are but few in any church that have interest enough to attend to these things. The number who possess this, in connection with other necessary qualities, is still less. So that the real business is generally done by the few in Independent Churches, as well as in Episcopal and Presbyterian, and

done better and more efficiently than it would be by a larger number. Hence, they gain, in spite of their system, some advantages other systems provide for; but there are others they cannot have under their advisory arrangements, valuable as we acknowledge them to be. These will be enumer ated in another chapter.

Now, of all this variety, none claim to be positively and unmistakably Scriptural and right in such a sense that the others are wrong, except the Romanists, and a Romish class of Protestant Episcopalians. Yet these denominations embrace men of piety, talent, and learning, of the highest order, who have every possible means of knowing the truth, and have canvassed the whole subject with profound interest. Their united conviction is, that no definite order of church government is laid down in the Scriptures; and, therefore, though they have a preference for one form instead of another, (perhaps on Scriptural grounds,) they cannot deny the validity of the others. They, therefore, allow their brethren the same indulgence they claim for themselves, viz. to exercise their own judgment, and adopt such arrangements as they deem best suited to the nature and objects of the gospel, believing it to be practically true, that "the government which is best administered, is best."

CHAPTER 11.

THE GOVERNMENT OF THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.

ITS OFFICERS AND JUDICATORIES.

THE system of polity recognized by this branch of the Christian church, is peculiar. It differs from every other form of the general class to which it belongs. Originating as it did, it could not well have been otherwise. How far it is sustained by Scripture and reason, will be considered hereafter. Our first object is to exhibit its several parts in their proper character and connection.

Of orders in the ministry, strictly speaking, we recognize two, elder and deacon. Our elders are constituted by an election in the Annual Conference, and the laying on of the hands of a bishop and some of the elders. They are authorized to administer baptism and the Lord's supper, perform the office of matrimony, and all parts of divine wor ship. They may belong to an Annual Conference, and be subject to the appointment of the bishops, if they prefer it, and the Conference deem them suitable; or they may be local, and exercise their authority as they have oppor tunity

Deacons are constituted in the same way, except the imposition of the elders' hands. They are authorized to baptize, and perform the office of matrimony in the absence of the elder, and assist the elder in administering the Lord's What was said of the elders belonging to an An

supper.