Church which acknowledges "the suffi"ciency of the holy Scriptures;" which requires nothing to "be believed as an arti"cle of faith," which "is not read therein, "nor may be proved therebyk;" which suffers not the Church as a body "to or"dain any thing which is contrary to God's "word written," nor to " expound one

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place of Scripture that it be repugnant "to another," nor "to decree any thing "against the same," nor "besides the "same1;" or of which it may not be declared, that it “is taken out of holy Scrip"ture":" and which requires of her ministers a persuasion "that the holy Scrip"tures contain sufficiently all doctrine required of necessity for eternal salvation

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through faith in Jesus Christ," with a determination "out of the said Scripture to "instruct the people committed to their "charge, and to teach nothing as required "of necessity to eternal salvation, but that "which they shall be persuaded may be ❝ concluded and proved by the holy Scrip

k Art. VI. 1 Art. XX. m Art. XXI.

"ture"." By the provision which is made for the daily reading of the Scripture, and by the prevailing mode of educating youth in the principles of the Established Church, it is hardly possible that men will long remain in ignorance of scriptural doctrines and scriptural expressions. There is also in this place peculiar encouragement given to the study of the sacred Writings, by making a competent knowledge of them indispensable to the attainment of the lowest degree of academical honour. These are strong motives to excel in scriptural learning, without which we cannot fulfil the character which our Church supposes her ministers to possess; without which we cannot only not preach with effect and authority to the people, but shall expose ourselves to the scorn and derision of the meanest of our congregations. A judicious use of scriptural language and allusion will be the best ornament of our discourses, and command with most certainty the attention of the people; and if it be necessary to

n Office of Ordering of Priests.

very

confute any error, to maintain any truth, or enforce any precept, the object will be accomplished most popularly in the language of the Scriptures, applied correctly, and explained with precision.

It is our office not only to preach but to interpret the holy Scriptures, to elucidate the obscurities of a volume of difficult interpretation, and to remove the doubts which may arise from the perversion of it. To this end it is necessary that we should attend to the scope and object of the sacred writers in their several arguments, that we should compare the text with the context and with the parallel passages, and that we should mark the peculiar idiom and construction of the original language, and seek the meaning which the words bore in the minds of those who wrote them. The scribe who will undertake this patience of investigation will seldom fail of speaking the truth, and extricating himself from the cunning craftiness of the designing. The sophistry in which the Socinian involves the redemption and atonement, the Calvinist the state of salvation, the Papist the

authority of tradition, and the Sectary the forms of ministerial order, will not succeed, where there is an acquaintance with scriptural manners, scriptural arguments, and scriptural criticism.

If there be many, by whom this desirable preparation can neither be attained nor employed, there are none exempt from the duty of "speaking the truth in love." It is one part of the ministerial office "to watch "for souls ;" and an earnest interest in the salvation of all men will lead us, both in our conduct and conversation, to adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour, and to give "no offence, that the ministry may not "be blamed." The same love will produce an exemplary spirit of piety, charity, and moderation; of ministerial earnestness, patience, and perseverance; of boldness in the rebuke of vice; of affectionate kindness in the consolation of the penitent and faithful; of discretion in guiding the ignorant; and of meekness in "instructing those that 66 oppose themselves." This will be the love of a pastor to his flock, which he will con

sider as a small portion of the Christian Church, with which he will labour to consolidate it in the purity of a scriptural faith, and in the strength and firmness of an apostolical order and ministry. In the same spirit and love of unity, he will submit himself to the lawful authority of his ecclesiastical governors, and will live with his ministerial brethren in the intercourse of mutual kindness, " striving together with "them for the truth of the Gospel," cooperating with them in all measures which promise peace and edification, and scrupulously abstaining from every practice of an opposite tendency. He will consider the Church of England as a sound member of the Universal Church, and will rejoice in its prosperity, from a conviction that her prosperity is edifying to the whole Christian family. In his desire of Christian unity, he will avoid and discountenance all doubtful disputations; and knowing that, as peace and security are the end of war, the establishment of the truth in love is the only end of religious controversy, he will accelerate the attainment of his object, by abstaining from all personal insinuations, by