Here then we have the express declaration of Jesus, in his most solemn moments, that the church, and not an order of men called preachers, were to be the instruments in propagating Christianity; and it does appear as if those men were fully aware of this, as they have taken to themselves the exclusive title of being the church of God, and on this claim many found their pretensions to the exclusive right of exercising in what they call holy things. They call themselves the clergy, and the people the laity-an explanation of the term clergy will expose all the craft. It means, if translated, the heritage; and as the church is called God's clergy or heritage (Peter v. 2), by assuming the name, they claim all the privileges attached to it. But if the duty of teaching Christianity belongs to God's clergy, heritage, or church, and all believers who are united to the church form that clergy or heritage, then it follows, that preachers are not only useless, but base usurpers of the rights und privileges of the Christian church. But it should be known, in justice to the Papist and Protestant churches, that they are not the only usurpers-the enlightened Unitarian preachers claim the title and the privilege, and their senseless followers meanly submit to the degradation and the robbery.

But not only have we these plain declarations of the duty of the church to teach Christianity, but apostolic acknowledgment that they performed that duty effectually, and commendation for so doing (I Thess. i. 6 to 8.) "Ye became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the holy spirit; so that ye are ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord, not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God ward is spread abroad, so that we need not speak any thing.

In this and every other church, no doubt the Old Testament was read; and the prophecies compared with the facts relating to the Messiah. Paul commends the Bereans, as honourable en, for searching the scriptures, and he assures Timothy that these scriptures were able to make him wise unto salvation, through faith which is in Christ Jesus, and that they are profitable for doctrine, reproof, and instruction in righteousness, and to make the Christian perfect and thoroughly furnished to every good word and work. (See 1 Tim. iii. 15 to 17). In addition to the Old Testament, they read also in their assemblies those epistles which were written by the apostles to the church (2 Thess. v. 27) Paul says "I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren." Now if we add to this, that in edifying each other and building up each other in their most holy faith, they talked together of the resurrection of Jesus, and of the doctrine and duties resulting therefrom,

and if (as Dr. Priestley says) their place of meeting was known to all and open to all, what could be more effectually calculated to perpetuate the knowledge of Christianity, and convert men to the Christian church, than this was? It needed butust if not learning in the teachers, or in the hearers - the man who all nos had never learned to read was as fully competent to hear and understand what these simple men read and taught, as if he beer had been ever so learned.

Had this practice continued, it must be evident to every re

Prilecting mind that it would have been difficult if not impossible

to have introduced erroneous doctrines into Christianity, as immediately upon their being offered the rest of the members would have resisted them, and proved that they had "no such doctrines, neither the churches of God."* Beside which, the mutual correspondence kept up between the different branches of the Christian church would have been a prevention; for had any thing improper crept into one branch, all the rest would have protested against it, and have thereby prevented the evil; but when one man was hired, and appointed to be the sole teacher, and the different branches of the church became separated from the main trunk, and considered themselves entirely independent of the body at large, then in the very nature of things their doctrines and practices would become corrupted --it would be the interest of the preacher to invent doctrines, &c. different from other preachers, such as would please the greatest number, and insure to him the greatest profit; and being the sol teacher, none would dare or have opportunity of giving an antidote with the poison and holding no communication with the Christian church at large, he would be free from their interference and protest-he would, indeed, have "the world before him, and interest his guide."

Although I think this would be the natural consequence of such a state of things, and should feel perfectly satisfied in rejecting the modern practice from the consequences that appear. so inevitably to result from it, and which demonstrate it to be so inexpedient and useless under any circumstances, yet we are not left to depend upon this mode of reasoning-there is a full tide of evidence in the scriptures, and history confirms all

The Christian church was a religious corresponding society, consisting of all Christians in all nations; and whoever remembers the panic into which the English government was thrown in 1793, in consequence of a political society of that nature, will be able to appreciate the effect that such a united society was capable of producing, and that nothing could be better calculated for disseminating and preserving principles and opinions than it was; and had the government looked coldly on, and suffered them to proceed, they would certainly have accomplished their object, let it have been good or bad--so wise and effectual were the meaas adapted to the end.

that has been said against it. See Robinson's Ecclesiastical Researches, page 51,52, where he says-" the first and the most fatal of all events to the primitive religion was the setting up of a CHRISTIAN ACADEMY at Alexandria in Egypt. Christians had been reproached with illiteracy, and this seemed a plausible method to get rid of the scandal. This school was first kept by Pantenus, whom Clement at first assisted, and then succeeded, as Origen did him. Each improved on his predecessor, and altogether invented questions about the Christian religion, sufficient to perplex and puzzle the whole world. From a wild enthusiastical philosopher of Alexandria, named Ammonius Sacca, these men imbibed a chaos of gross errors called philosophy; because it was the production of idle men, who concealed their love of ease under the specious name of love of wisdom. Vain questions about matter and spirit, the whole and the parts, human souls, demons, and the first cause; time, place, circumstances of events; were all applied by these men to the Christian religion, and the inspired writers were put on the rack, and tortured to give answers, and determine points, of which probably they had never heard the names, and never entertained a thought. Here youth were bewilder ed, under pretence of being taught; here the most dangerous of all rules of interpreting scripture was laid down; and the tutors first amazed themselves with it, and then distracted the minds of their pupils. This was, that scripture had a double sense, the one obvious and literal, the other hidden and mysterious, which lay concealed, as it were, under the veil of the outward letter. The former they treated with the utmost neglect, and turned the whole force of their genius and appli cation to unfold the latter; or in other words, they were more studious to darken the holy scriptures with their idle fictions, than to investigate their true and natural sense. Some Christians foresaw the mischief which this school would produce, and remonstrated against it; but they soon sunk into neglect and contempt. Time, however, hath discovered, that their fears were not groundless; for from this intoxicated house proceeded in a regular train most of the evils that have since afflicted the church. Having laid down a double sense of scripture as a first principle, all the rest followed of course; the four gospels became hard books; common Christians could not find out the meaning, for that lay in the mystical sense; consequently, the aid of the school became necessary to inform them. In proportion as ACADEMICs taught in the churches, and were applauded, unphilosophical and illiterate teachers were slighted: the title and dignity of philosophers delighted so much these vain men, that they always appeared in the philosopher's cloak, so that a man able to teach was instantly

known by his habit. The modest plain people retired, and kept at due distance. Some churches chose these superior geniuses to teach them constantly, and called them from the school to settle among themselves, and they returned the favour by introducing mysteries, from which proceeded, first disputes, and then councils of men of their own order to settle them."

Here then is the evidence of history, and that from the pen of a hireling priest, to prove that all I have suggested did happen in consequence of departing from the scripture plan, and setting up one man to be the teacher of the rest; and that this plan of expediency and utility, as modern preachers call it, was the means and sole means of subverting genuine Christianity; and shall we resort to that for restoring Christianity, which is proved to have been its bane, and reject the scripture practice, which is so wise and simple, and comes to us sanctioned by the result of experience, and the evidence of facts?

Thus then I have proved from scripture and history, not only that the Christian church was designed as the repository, and for the communication of divine truth, but that it älways answered the purpose more effectually than any other method could have done. Dr. Priestley has acknowledged that it was the primitive method, and says that a church even in his time, was "like a city set upon a hill that could not be hid."

Now in all these, and numerous other places, the duty of making Christianity public is always ascribed to the church, and never to individual teachers; and even where the apostle Paul enumerates the different characters that were raised up in the first instance for promulgating Christianity, and forming, instructing, and establishing, the Christian church, he expressly declares it was only for a particular purpose, and they were to continue no longer than was necessary to perform the work for which they were appointed. See Ephesians iv. 13, where he says, these persons and gifts were "for the edifying (building up) of the body of Christ till we (the church) all come in the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the son of man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;" i. e. till the church was fully established in all the truths of Christianity, and needed not these extraordinary persons and gifts, whose place none in the present day can pretend to supply, as they were all endowed with the extraordinary gifts of the holy spirit, which none now possess. Is it not then a most curious circumstance, that a system should be pursued and supported, of propagating Christianity by pulpit preaching, and stated ministers, not only without a single authority from

the New Testament in support of it, but with the whole scope and authority of that book in direct opposition to it?

Where then, is the authority for setting apart an order of men for that purpose? Why, say the bigots of the old school, the apostles preached, so ought we. In so doing, we are only following of their example. Here indeed, comparisons would be odious; but the modern Unitarian teachers, beaten out of this vain ground, say we do not pretend to prove it from the scriptures, they being silent on the subject! Every Christian church is therefore left to its own discretion to adopt such order, discipline, and means of spreading Christianity, as expedieney and utility shall dictate.

I think, Sir, I have shewn that their assertion, as to the silence of the New Testament on the subject, is as gross a falsehood as ever was palmed upon the folly and credulity of mankind; and had these men a claim to an estate possessed by another with so weak a title, they would not fear to obtain possession of it in any court of judicature in this kingdom. To me the evidence is so striking and copious (and not half of it have 1 adduced), that if even Jesus and his apostles had designedly written on the subject, they could not have made it more plain and determinate; and upon every view of the subject I am satisfied that in all circumstances, in all places, and on all occasions, it is and must be the most expedient, useful, and efficacious, of any plan that possibly could be devised for spreading and perpetuating the knowledge of Christianity.

What then becomes of the pretence for pursuing a plan different from that which Deity himself has appointed and sanctioned, on the ground of its expediency and utility? what then becomes of all the evasive and disingenuous trifling of your correspondent "Juvenis?" Surely he has never read the scriptures, or if he has, must have very imperfectly understood them. I trust before he ever attempts to preach again, or to defend the practice on the ground of expediency, he will answer my arguments, and shew either that they do not prove the point, or that the quotations are misapplied. If he is an honest man he will do this; if he is not, I shall not hear from him, and he will pursue his unauthorised practice; if he is a sincere Christian, and is convinced by my argument, I can have no doubt but he will publicly make his recantation in your Magazine.

If preachers are so very useful, what need of Bible Societies, and why should the pious corporation of London, with the sapient Lord Mayor at their head, in the nineteenth century, be obliged to distribute Bibles to the poor? Either the Bible ought to be sufficient without the preachers, or the preachers without the Bible; for though many may not possess, or be able to read the Bible, yet a provident government has taken care that no one shall be destitute of a priest, or free from his exactions; and yet it is said, men are still ignorant of Christianity!