Of the Methods of Reconciliation committed to the Apostles: Or, an Inquiry into the Nature of Church-Ordinances, and THE POWER, and QUALIFICATIONS of Church Ministers. A SERMON Preached at, an Didination, in the Cathedral of Chrift-Church in OXFORD, ON SUNDAY the 23d of September, 1739, BEFORE The Right Reverend FATHER in GOD THOMAS Lord Bishop of Oxford, AND A T St. Mary's before the UNIVERSITY, On St. James's-Day, 1746. Cecy merite d'eftre examiné, mais avec Attention, & fans Prejugé. Icy, il faut fe defaire de l'efprit de parti, & reconnoiftre de bonne foy les défauts où il y en a. Autrement, fi chacun demeure dans la Prevention en faveur de la Societé dont il eft Membre, on ne remediera jamais à rien. Car, fuppofé qu'il y ait des dêfauts, -ne fea ce pas le moyen de canonifer les abus, & d'empefcher pour toujours le reftabliffement de l'ordre. OSTERVALD l'eftat. de l' Eglife. ADVERTISEMENT. RIVATE Satisfaction was the first Mowhich engaged me, about seventeen Years ago, in Confiderations on this Subject. In reading the Teftament, I found diftinctly two Kinds of Injunctions. * SOME THINGS being commanded to be done by Chriftians, as they were pious and good Men: SOME AGAIN, as they were Members of an orderly Society, which aimed at the Promoting of Piety and Goodness. A Defcription of which Society, both as to its Regulation, and thofe, who were to regulate it, I found likewife contained in the Book aforementioned. Now, as it was the fame Perfon, who commanded us to be pious and good, that fuperadded, in cafe we lived in his Society, certain other Duties fuited to our CIRCUMSTANCES therein; there was the fame Neceffity for Obedience to the latter Injunction, as to the for mer, * A Church. It It was therefore proper to enquire, what the Regulation of this Society might be, and to whom it was committed: that finding by these Marks, whether we live in fuch a Society, or not, we may determine concerning the Neceffity of our Obedience to thofe Ordinances, which, in fuch Cafes, JESUS CHRIST hath made an indispensable Part of his Religion., The following is the Result of those Enquiries. And fince all, who call themselves Chriftians, are under an Obligation of making Researches of a like Nature, and few are able to do it, without fome Inftruction, this Discourse is therefore published, as a Direction to fuch as may want Affiftance. SER SERMON IX. 2 COR. v. 19. God was in Chzißt, reconciling the World unto himself, not imputing their Trefpalles unto them, and hath committed unto us the Wozd of Keconciliation. T appeareth from this, and the foregoing * Epistle, that the Corinthians began to be under the Influence of certain Teachers, I who set themselves up in Oppofition to the Apostle, and his Doctrine; a Revolt! which was foon attended with very bad Confequences, and ended not long after in an open Sedition. ST. Paul forefaw the Misfortunes, which must come upon the Church of Christ, from the Temper of his Adversaries: and therefore he layeth the Axe to the Root, entereth into the Merit of their Claims, and, in feveral Places, oppofeth his own Character to theirs. * 1 Cor. iv. 19, 20. the Corinthians. + St. Clement's first Epistle to R 2 THESE |