or Power of abfolving, extended in their Perfons I fhall not enquire; as it would carry me too far from the Point.-It is, I think, fufficient for our present Purpose, to obferve, what is plain and undeniable, that both the Affistance they received, and the Power they enjoyed, were infinitely fuperior to those of any fucceeding Paftors in the Chriftian Church. Yet that fome such Affistance, and fome fuch Power, derived from the Apostles, ftill remain, and will constantly remain, with their Succeffors in the Ministry, is, I think, very evident; if not from pofitive Proofs, at least from very clear Deductions, from the holy Scriptures. This is what our Church contends for; in which fhe is juftified by a Variety of the moft re

to the Sacerdotal Office; or as a Seal of their Commiffion: And the Words, "Receive ye the Holy Ghoft," may be suppofed to have no farther Reference. Yet fome of the best Commentators look upon them as a Confirmation of the Promife our Saviour had made his Apoftles, before his Suffering, of the miraculous Defcent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecoft, which was to guide them into all Truth. John xvi. 13; and when they were to receive Power, in the fulleft Manner, to execute their facred Office. See Acts i. 8. Pool's Con-finuator calls this breathing on them, "an Earnest of that more plentiful Effufion," which they afterwards received.

3

fpectable

fpectable Authorities, ancient and modern.-. But, waving any Enquiry into human Wri tings and Opinions, let us have Recourse to the Fountain of Truth, and fee what Light we can derive immediately from thence, Our bleffed Lord, in his laft Inftructions to his Apoftles, as recorded by St. Matthew, bids them go and teach all Nations, &c. and concludes with thefe encouraging Words, Lo! I am with you ALWAY, even UNTO THE END OF THE WORLD. Amen.

Here,

as well as in St. John, we fee a Commiffion granted, and a Promise annexed to it. And what is this Promife? No other certainly than that which is fomewhat differently expreffed by St. John; namely, of the Prefence and Protection of Christ, by the Holy Spifit: which, he affures them in the plainest Words poffible, was to be perpetual: I am with you ALWAY, even unto THE END OF THE WORLD not unto the End of your Lives, but unto THE END OF THE WORLD.

Now if the Promife of divine Afliftance and Protection made to the Apostles was to extend, in fome Degree, to their Succeffors in all After-Ages, fo certainly was the Commillion

D 2

miffion likewife, to which that Promife was annexed. A very material Part of this Commiffion is the Power of remitting Sins, or abfolving, mentioned by St. John in the Paffage under Confideration. That it is not mentioned by St. Matthew, at the End of his Gospel, is no Objection at all; as there are many Instances of Things being recorded by one Evangelift, that are omitted by another. Befides, St. Matthew, in another Part of his Gofpel, fpeaks of a Power of binding and loofing, (Terms of much the fame Import with those used by St. John) granted by Chrift, first to St. Peter, and afterwards to the Disciples in general. Matt. xvi. 19. and xviii. 18. Upon the whole then, our Church maintains (appealing to Scripture for the Proof of it) that fome Power of abfolving or remitting Sins, derived from the Apoftles, remains with their Succeffors in the Ministry; and accordingly, at the Ordination of Priests, the Words of our Saviour, on which the Power is founded, are folemnly repeated to them by the Bishop, and the Power at the fame Time conferred. We do not pretend it is in any Sort a difcretion

६

ary

ary Power of forgiving Sins, (for the Priest has no Discernment of the Spirits and Hearts of Men, as the Apostles had †) but a Power of pronouncing authoritatively, in the Name of God, who has committed to the Priest the Miniftry of Reconciliation, his Pardon and Forgiveness to all true Penitents, and fincere Believers.-That God alone can forgive Sins, that He is the fole Author of all Bleffings, fpiritual as well as temporal, is undeniable: But that He can declare his gracious Affurance of Pardon, and convey his Bleffings to us, by what Means and Instruments he thinks fit, is no less certain. In whatever Way He vouchfafes to do it, it is our Duty humbly and thankfully to receive them; not to dispute his Wisdom in the Choice of those Means and Inftruments: For in that Cafe

We have a remarkable Inftance of this Difcernment of the Spirit, or Heart, in the Account of St. Paul's curing the Cripple at Lyftra; where it is faid that the Apostle ftedfaftly beholding him, and PERCEIVING that he had Faith to be healed, faid with a loud Voice, Stand upright, &c. Acts xiv. 9, 10.- May we not likewife infer that he had the fame difcerning Power in the Cafe of Agrippa, when he declares fo pofitively to him, I KNOW that thou believeft? Acts xxvi. 27.

be that defpifeth, defpifeth not Man, but God. Would a Rebel, who had received a Promife of his Prince's Pardon, call in Quef tion, or object to, his Manner of conveying it? Would he not rather thankfully accept it from the Officer commiffioned to deliver it ? And fhall finful Duft and Ashes prefcribe Rules to the Great Sovereign of the Univerfe? And not rather, with the most profound Reverence and Gratitude, receive his Pardon from the Mouth of his Minifter, whom He has deputed to pronounce it? Let us then devoutly attend to the Priest thus officiating, while he declares in the Name of God, that "HE pardoneth and abfolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gofpel." And here let us. filently pray to God, that He will confirm, and make this Declaration of his Pardon effectual; which we may be affured He will do, provided we are not wanting in the Conditions required on our Parts, which are Faith and Repentance.-Let us now enquire into the full Meaning and Extent of thefe Terms, which fo often occur in the facred Writings. Now by Faith, in the GospelSense,