The adoration and invocation of saints begun thus, late in the sixth century, at which time Gregory, who held relics in great estimation, sent many into this country by Mellitus and Augustine. Almost all our Cathedrals and churches formerly conventual, held shrines containing the remains or relics of their patron Saint, or failing that, some reputed or local one, to which shrine pilgrimages were made, and rich gifts presented, and at which wonderful miracles were reported to have occurred.

Well may the Reformed Church say of all this that it was a "fond thing vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the word of God."

Not only has each of these errors no Divine authority, but it has Divine condemnation. Where is the warrant for the invention of Purgatory, and purchased release from its torments by the efforts of surviving friends? "The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God; there shall no torment touch them." "Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord; they rest from their labours, and their works do follow them." Their own works shall follow them, not those of their friends be sent after them ; according to their deeds done in the body shall they receive of the Lord who will "give every man according as his work shall be."

Where in God's Word do we find the spirit of the second commandment repealed? 66 Thou shalt not make to thyself any graven image, nor the

likeness of anything that is in the heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down to them, nor worship them, for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God;" one who will not give His glory to another, nor allow homage due to Him alone to be paid to "silver and gold, the work of men's hands."

The Church of Rome indeed admits this command to be condemnatory of her practice, and therefore omits it from her version of God's Law. A very wise and safe proceeding, where the Bible is a sealed book to all but her priests, the promoters and teachers of idolatry.

As regards the worship of saints; when St. John would involuntarily kneel to adore that angelic spirit who had showed him the glories and mysteries of the highest heaven, how was was his homage received?" See thou do it not," as in solemn warning, "for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this Book; worship God." And would not this be what the "glorious company of the the Apostles, and the noble army of Martyrs " would still say to us, as that member of the "goodly fellowship of the Prophets" said to St. John? As they once were as we are, so we may some day be as they are; every Saint in heaven was once a mortal of like passions with ourselves ; the Angels are those servants of God "sent forth to minister unto them that shall be heirs of salvation."

Nevertheless we are not to pray to them; they do not come unless "sent forth" by God, they cannot "minister unto" us unless they receive a commission of God. Worship Him and Him only. Worship the Lord with an holy worship;" even in spirit and in truth, for "the Father seeketh such to worship Him."

ARTICLE XXIII.-" Of Ministering in the
Congregation."

Two principles are here asserted; that the "sacred Ministry of the Church" is not a function which any Christian can assume at will, but is a regularly authorised order of those lawfully called and sent; that the call and appointment of such can only be exercised by those "who have public authority given them in the congregation to call and send Ministers into the Lord's vineyard."

The Preface to the Ordinal says: "It is evident unto all men diligently reading the Holy Scripture and ancient authors that from the Apostles' time there have been these Orders of Ministers in Christ's Church: Bishops, Priests, and Deacons."

The Diaconate may clearly be traced to be of Apostolic instituting (see Acts vi. 1-6); and was referred to afterwards by St. Paul, "they that have used the office of a Deacon well, purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the

faith." The Church of England following the Apostolic tradition orders that those who enter this preliminary estate of her Ministry, shall have some suitable, definite call, and maintenance which is called a "title," in which to remain in probation as it were, a year at least, before being promoted to the higher degree of the Presbyterate; as set forth in the thirty-first Canon; " A Deacon shall continue in that office for the space of a whole year at the least (except for reasonable causes it be otherwise seen to his Ordinary), to the intent he may be perfect, and well expert in the things pertaining to the Ecclesiastical administration; in executing whereof if he be found faithful and diligent, he may be admitted by his Diocesan to the Order of Priesthood,"

The functions of the Diaconate are as follows: assistance to the priest in the performance of Divine Service, public reading, and "on licence of the Bishop himself" preaching, administering Baptism, acting as the priest's deputy, and that duty from which originated the Diaconate itself, visiting and relieving the sick and poor; all which duties are to be performed under direction and control of the priest under whom the Deacon must serve.

The Priesthood, or second Order of the Church's ministry, may likewise be traced back to Apostolic times. We find this order recognised in the Church established in Jerusalem in Acts xi. 30; xv, 4, 6, 23; while the ordination of Presbyters in the

Gentile Churches is mentioned in Acts xiv. 23; XX. 17. The Epistles contain numerous directions given by the Apostles to ministers of this Order.

The Priesthood, standing between the Diaconate and the Episcopate, partakes of the nature of both. Admitted by virtually the same rites as the former, the priest has power to celebrate and administer the Sacraments, pronounce the Absolution and Benediction, teach and preach God's Word, and rule and govern the Church and congregation committed to his charge, in the right way. The difference between this Order and the preceding is clearly shown by their titles. The word translated deacon means simply a servant of Christ and His Church. The name Presbyter, which we render priest, means Elder, a title of dignity and authority. And here it should be said the Church of England never pretends to possess any right or authority for a sacrificing priesthood, as some-arguing from the retention of the word "priest" in the Prayer-Book-assert. The word as accepted and used by the Church means presbyter or elder, being a corruption of the former, and is to be understood in this sense only. As our Church recognises no sacrifices nor offerings for sin but the one Sacrifice and Offering of Himself made once by our Divine High Priest, so she lays no claim to possess, nor would she acknowledge on earth, a sacerdotal priesthood.

The third and highest Order of the Church, which