trace his progrefs, with as much order as his frequent excurfions will permit. Before we are regularly introduced to the firft ftep of his courfe, we find several things premifed, and laid down for our direction, which, as I observed already, would feem to render quite unneceffary all that follows, refpecting the different forms of ecclefiaftical adminiftration. For in the most unqualified language, we are plainly told, that "the terms of the gofpel covenant "are no where, in the facred pages, connected "with, or made to depend on, either the minifter, "or the form of the ministry;" although he had juft before quoted our Lord's own declaration of the terms of the gospel covenant in these words" He "that believeth, and is baptized, shall be saved;" which furely implies his being baptized after the form and manner pointed out in the commiffion which Chrift gave his apoftles, at the very time when he made this declaration. If baptifm then must be confidered as one of the terms, or conditions of falvation, how can it be faid to have no dependence on the minister, or no connection with the form of his ministry? Are we to understand our Lecturer's words, as intended to teach his pupils, that our Lord's apoftles acquired no particular authority from the commiffion which he gave them, for making all nations his difciples, by baptizing them; and that the form of baptifm laid down in that commif

fion,

Vol. I. p. 90.

fion, was not more valid, or more neceffary to be obferved, than any other form, which might be adopted for the fame purpose? Then, to be fure, the original form of government in the church is a matter of no confequence; and it is perfectly ridiculous to give ourselves any trouble in inquiring, or rea, foning about it. Every one that pleases, may take on himself the office of a minifter, and every form of miniftry is equally confiftent with the terms, and productive of the benefits, of the gospel covenant.

The fame inference muft undoubtedly be drawn from the account which is afterwards given of the apoftolic commiflion, where we are told by this learned explainer of the "facred pages," that"the first order given to the eleven to make converts, "to baptize, and to teach, carries in it nothing from "which we can discover, that it was a commiffion "entrufted to them exclufively as apoftles or mini

fters, and not given them alfo as Christians; and "that the apostles were particularized, because best "qualified, from their long attendance on Chrift's "ministry, for promoting his religion in the world,

but not with a view to exclude any Chriftians, "who were capable, from co-operating with them "in the fame good caufe." We had just before been told of a "fimilitude taken from temporal "things," for the better illuftration of this dark and difficult fubject; and by the help of a little freedom

of the fame kind, in which, we hope, there is no harm, we now difcover, that Dr. Campbell's fo long poffeffing the theological chair in Marifchal College, and inftructing his pupils in the knowledge of found divinity, was not in confequence of his having received any commiffion or authority for that purpose, but merely because he was " beft qualified" for discharging the duties of the office, and none elfe were capable of co-operating with him in the "fame good caufe."‡

But that the opinion, which led to this fimilitude, was the "conftruction put upon the apoftolic charge, "in the days of the apoftles," we are told,

ap

pears not improbable, from the subsequent part "of the fcripture hiftory; for Philip the deacon bap"tized the Ethiopian eunuch; Peter trufted the "charge

This point is well illuftrated by another "fimilitude," which the AntiJacobin reviewer of Dr. Campbell's work, thus happily makes ufe of. It is not probable, that his Majesty's commiffion to the prefident of the fupreme court of law in Scotland, exprefsly probibits all other lawyers from executing that office, to which it appoints him; and it is certainly not improbable, that there are many lawyers at the Scotch bar perfectly well qualified to prefide over any court of law in that part of the united kingdom. Yet what would Dr. Campbell have thought of the man, who, having formed opinions of the conftitution of courts of law, fimilar to thofe which he had himfelf formed of the conftitution of the Chriftian church, should have said"There is nothing in the commiffion given to the prefident of the court of fes"fien, from which we can difcover, that it is a commiffion entrusted to him "exclufively, as a judge, and not given to him alfo as a lawyer; and that " he is particularized in it, only because he is beft qualified for discharging "the duties of the office, but not with a view to exclude any lawyer who is "capable, from occasionally taking poffeffion of his chair, and prefiding with authority over the court?"

"charge of baptizing Cornelius and his family, to "the Chriftian brethren who attended him; Ana"nias, a difciple, was employed to baptize Paul; "and Paul fays of himself, that Chrift fent him not "to baptize, but to preach the gospel."

ઃઃ

With refpect to the first of these instances, it is faid, that "Philip, though no apostle, and proba"bly at that time no more than a deacon, (that is, "a trustee for the poor in matters purely fecular) "did all to the Ethiopian eunuch, which the apof"tles had in charge with regard to all nations. He "converted, baptized, and taught him." And fo he well might, when the "angel of the Lord" had fent him on the journey, which led to this conver fion, and the "spirit" directed him how to proceed in it. Our Lecturer takes no notice of this circumstance, or of the account which is given of the appointment of the feven deacons; who, though men "full of the Holy Ghoft," were yet folemnly ordained by prayer, and the laying on of the apoftles hands; which evidently fhews, that this fame deacon, or "trustee for the poor," as he is here called, for the fake of leffening his facred character, was fomething more, even in office, than thofe, who are thought to fupply the place of deacons under the Scotch establishment; and being alfo directed by an immediate vifion, or infpiration from heaven, was fufficiently warranted in all that he did for the benefit of his Ethiopian convert.

A fecond

A fecond inftance produced from fcripture in fupport of our author's opinion, respecting the nature of the apoftolic commiffion, is the relation of what happened, "when Peter was fent to open the door "of faith to the Gentiles, by the converfion of Cor"nelius and his family." To prepare the way for that merciful event, an angel of God was fent to the devout centurion, not to inftruct him directly in the faith of Christ, but to inform him of one, who "fhould tell him what he ought to do." This neceffary knowledge of his duty was to be obtained, not from the first well-informed Christian, who could be found to impart it, but from an apostle of Chrift, who was to be brought from a confiderable distance for that purpose: Which clearly fhews, that the commiffion, in virtue of which the apoftles acted, was fo "exclufively entrusted to them as apostles," that not even an angel from heaven was allowed to intermeddle with any thing that belonged to it. An apoftle therefore having been fent for; having come to Cornelius, and having found, that "on all thofe "in his houfe, who heard the word, the gift of the Holy Ghoft had been poured out" in a moft wonderful and confpicuous manner, he naturally puts question to "the fix brethren who accompanied him," "Can any man forbid water, that these should not "be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghoft

'

this

as well as we?" And then we read, that "he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord;"

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