A Continuation of Letters Concerning the Constitution and Order of the Christian Ministry

the doctrine of Election-Mr. How misrepresents and
abuses a clause in the Presbyterian Confession of Faith
-Virtually vilifies an article of his own Church-Cer-
tain facts stated in the former volume, concerning Eng-

lish Episcopalians, denied-Proved to be true-Charge

of illiberality against the author-Refuted-The claim

of high-churchmen construed by impartial judges, and

even by Episcopal writers, as we construe it-Charge

against the author of departing from his own Confession

of Faith Denied-Conclusion. p. 36-73.

LETTER III.

Scripture the only rule of faith and practice--Dr.

Bowden declines being judged by Scripture alone-Be-

gins with the testimony of the Fathers-Even this testi-

mony he is afraid to encounter in its natural order-

Singular management to make it appear more favourable

to his cause than it is—Argument drawn from the Asia-

tic Angels reviewed-Shown to make nothing in favour

of Prelacy-Blondel misrepresented His real opinion

stated-The argument founded on the mission of Timo-

thy and Titus again examined-The argument drawn

from the Constitution of the Jewish Synagogue reviewed

and defended-Quotations from Episcopal writers in

support of that argument-Argument drawn from the

alleged Episcopal character of James, examined and re-

futed-Calvin unjustly produced as a witness in favour

of this argument-Calvin grossly misrepresented in an-

other instance-Dr. Bowden denies that the genuine-

ness and authenticity of the Scriptures can be decided

without the Fathers-Contradicts the doctrine of our

Church, and of his own. p. 74–117. ^

་ -

LETTER IV.

Testimony in favour of the office of Ruling Elder more

particularly considered-This, or some similar office,

necessary in the Church-There were Ruling Elders in

the Jewish Synagogue-They are expressly mentioned

in the New Testament-Testimony in favour of this

office from the Fathers-The Waldenses, the Bohemian

prethren, and the Hussites, had Ruling Elders in their

Churches before Calvin was born-Testimony of the

Reformers-Martin Bucer-Peter Martyr-Confes-

sion of Saxony-Acknowledgment of Archbishop Whit-

gift--Szegedin-Kromayer-Voetius-Ursinus- This

office adopted by the great body of the Reformed Church-

F8Objections against it-Answered. p. 118-147.

LETTER V.

Testimony of the Fathers reviewed-The author's
former protest and explanations on this subject disre

•garded by Dr. Bowden-Charge of suppressing testimo-

ny from the Fathers unfounded-Charge of misrepre

senting the testimony of other Fathers equally unfounded.

The Fathers of the third and fourth centuries ought

not to be credited, even if they had asserted the apostoli
cal institution of Prelacy-But they do not assert it—
The number of Bishops, in early times, a strong argu,
・ment against Prelacy-The relation of Bishops to par-
ticular flocks equally conclusive against the diocesan
scheme Additional testimony from the Fathers--Hila-
ry-Chrysostom-Basil-Fourth Council of Carthage
-Apostolical Constitutions-Sixth general Council of
Constantinople-Council of Aix la Chapelle-Duties of
the primitive Bishop show that he was not a diocesan

but a parochial Bishop-Recapitulation of testimony

from the Fathers. p. 148-216.

LETTER VI.

Testimony of the Reformers-Further proof that the
Waldenses were Presbyterians-Additional testimony
also that the Bohemian brethren embraced the doctrine
af ministerial parity-The attempts of Dr. Bowden and
Mr. How to show that the English Reformers were be
lievers in the divine right of Prelacy, examined and
shown to be insufficient-Dr. Bowden represents the
first reformation in Scotland, under Knox, as prelatical
in its character-This representation shown to be an er
roneous one-Testimony of the Reformers on the conti-
nent of Europe-Luther-Augustan ConfessionDes
fence of the Augustan Confession-Smalkald Articles-
Syllabus of controverted Points-Confession of Saxony
Confession of Witemberg-French Confession-Bel-

gic Confession--Second Helvetic Confession Confession

of Bohemia-Ursinus-Musculus-Szegedin Junius-+

Sadeel-Crakenthorp-Further proof that the Churches ·

of Sweden and Denmark are not, and never were, Epis

copal, in Dr. Bowden's sense of the word-Recapitula

tion. p. 217-277.

LETTER VII.

Testimony of Calvin-Extraordinary pains taken by
modern high-churchmen to abuse and blacken the charac-
ter of this Reformer-Presbyterianism established in
Geneva before Calvin ever saw that city-This Refor
mer alleged to have been, in the early part of his life,

favourable to Prelacy-Demonstration that this was not
the case-Particular quotations from Calvin's Institutes
and Commentary to show that he was a uniform believ-
er in the apostolic institution of Presbyterianism—Pas-
sages from Calvin's writings alleged to be favourable to
Prelacy, shown to be of a directly opposite character-
The assertion, that Calvin was never ordained, refuted

-The high honour in which he was held by Archbishop

Cranmer, and the other English Reformers-His influ-

ence over those Reformers-The prevalence of his opin-

ions, at an early period, in the Church of England-

Testimonies in favour of Calvin by eminent Episcopal

writers-The personal character of Calvin vindicated

His conduct in the cases of Castalio, Perrin, Gruet, Bol-

see, and Servetus, set in a true light-Dr. Bowden and

Mr. How throw out many reflections against Calvinism

-In doing this, they oppose the thirty-nine Articles of

their own Church, and many of the most eminent Re-

formers of that Church, as well as the Scriptures-The

difficulties of Calvinism-Still greater difficulties in Ar-

minianism-Consequences of rejecting the former, and

embracing the latter. p. 278-340.

LETTER VIII.

Testimony of the Successors of the Reformers-Le

Blanc-Chamier Danau-Bochart-Claude-Daille

-Balduin-Dieterich-Hulsemann-Gerhard-Bud-
daus The Synod of Dort-Mr. How's astonishing
misconceptions and misrepresentations of that Synod
Its testimony shown to be strongly in favour of Presby-
terian parity-Testimony of some distinguished members
of that Synod in their private capacity-Gomarus---

Polyander-Thysius-Walaus Remarks.

P. 341

381.

LETTER IX.

Rise and Progress of Prelacy-Prelacy introduced,

not suddenly, but by little and little-Dr. Bowden

proved to be incorrect in his estimate of the great purity

of the clergy during the first three centuries-Quota-

tions from the Fathers to prove this-Hermas-Hegis-

sippus Cyprian-Origen-Eusebius-Proof not only

that clerical ambition existed, but that there were ob

vious temptations to it in those early times-Dr. Bow-