credit ,transcribed from the #ahdg ,joseph ,masters edition by ,david ,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org ,on the ,apostolical ,succession4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,parochial ,,lectures4 7,,second ,,series47 99 99 99 99 99 ,,by ,,william ,j4 ,,irons1 ,b4,d41 ,,incumbent ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,trinity1 ,,brompton1 ,,middlesex4 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 99 ,,london3 ,,joseph ,,masters1 #cc1 ,,aldersgate ,,street4 ,,mdcccxlvii4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,to ,,edward ,,bouverie ,,pusey1 ,d4,d4 7,,late ,,fellow ,,of ,,oriel ,,college7 ,,canon ,,of ,,christ ,,church1 ,,and ,,regius ,,professor ,,of ,,hebrew ,,in ,,the ,,university ,,of ,,oxford2 ,,this ,,volume 7,,by ,,his ,,permission7 ,,is ,,presented2 ,,with ,a ,,deep ,,feeling ,,of ,,the ,,author',s ,,obligation ,,to ,,him ,,for ,,the ,,blessings ,,of ,,his ,,learned ,,instruction1 ,,his ,,christian ,,example1 ,,and ,,his ,,honest ,,friendship4 ,,preface4 ,,very little needs to be said to introduce these ,lectures to the reader4 ,they were delivered in ,advent last1 at ,saint ,mary's1 ,newington2 and there is the same reason for publishing1 which there then was for writing and preaching them4 ,i desire to assist1 as far as ,i am able1 those who are seeking to clear and define their thoughts1 respecting the origin1 nature1 and power of the ,christian ,ministry4 ,i have aimed only at plainness and fairness in the statement of the argument2 and have adopted that arrangement of the subject1 in which1 as far as ,i can judge1 it originally came before my own mind4 ,in the ,dedication of this ,volume to the ,regius ,professor of ,hebrew at ,oxford1 ,i have acknowledged my great obligation to him for the instruction which ,i hope ,i have derived from his writings--an acknowledgment which1 happily1 ,i am so far from being singular in making1 that ,i suppose every one who has studied them1 might make the same statement4 ,but it is right that ,i should say1 that as ,i have not learned a lesson by rote1 but1 from the first1 thought patiently and freely for myself1 so the ,public must not consider the ,professor answerable for every opinion which ,i may have expressed4 ,and it may be well also to add1 that the general doctrine here set forth is not hastily taken up on any man's authority2 but was maintained by the writer1 both in private and public1 as many will bear witness1 long before he had the happiness and advantage of being acquainted with the works1 or characters1 of the present leading ,divines of the ,university of ,oxford4 ,st4 ,peter's1 ,walworth1 ,surrey4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,lecture ,i4 ,,the ,,doctrine4 ,the ,method of the ,argument--,importance of a #a ,ministry--,scriptural aspect of the subject--,apostolical language concerning it--,compared with the ,modern--,what the safe inference--,the original ,ministry possibly still exists--,and if so1 what constitutes a ,ministry--,scripture ,language--,compared with ,popular and ,modern notions--,theory of the ,inward ,call--,erastian theory--,the ,common principle of all such ,theories--,illustrated--,the ,catholic ,,doctrine of the ,ministry--,compared with the ,modern1 and with ,scripture--,the ,continuance of the ,ministry--,,doctrine of the ,,succession stated and explained--,reasons for the present ,inquiry ,,lecture ,,ii4 ,,the ,,evidence4 ,importance of not hastily prejudging--,argued from the #da parallel case of the ,jewish ,church--,necessity of considering the ,evidence for the ,,succession--,evidence of ,scripture1 how far ,important--,historical ,evidence--,popular ,difficulties--,a ,general reply4--,on ,evidence--,popular ,notions--,the expected ,evidence of the ,,succession--,illustrated by a parallel case--,impossible--,and even if attainable1 not satisfactory--,what kind and amount of ,evidence should be looked for--,parallels of ,evidence--,for the ,scriptures--,the ,sacraments1 and the ,ministry of the ,church--,on what ,evidence the ,common ,people must of necessity receive the ,bible--,and the ,apostolic ,church--,literary ,evidence of the ,bible1 difficult--,and of the ,,succession--,analysis of it1 ,theoretical and ,historical--,accumulation of the ,evidence--,moral ,certainty--,conclusion ,,lecture ,,iii4 ,,the ,,objections4 ,necessity of considering ,,objections--,classification of #fi them--7#a47 ,as connected with the ,,fact of the ,succession1 and its ,consequences4--7#b47 ,and the ,,doctrine1 and its ,consequences4 7#a47 ,general ,corruption--,idolatry--,schism--,infrin gement of ,private ,judgment--,popery and ,superstition4 7#b47 ,judaistic ,doctrine--,carnality--,technicality--,s criptural ,uncertainty--,exclusiveness--,uncharita bleness--,unchurching other ,protestants--among whom may be seen many ,evidences of ,god's ,blessing and ,religious ,success--,explanation4 ,catholic ,charity--,theoretical and ,practical--,review ,,lecture ,,iv4 ,,the ,,summary4 ,the ,summary--,mistakes of the ,ideality of #aji ,christianity--,erroneous popular ,notions and ,arguments--,contrast of ,rationalist and ,catholic theories--,comparison--,and with ,scripture--,analytical ,review of the ,catholic ,religion1 illustrating the ,doctrine of the ,ministry--,synthetical ,view of the same--,conclusion ,,notes #ade ,i4 ,,the ,,doctrine4 ,,from ,,the ,,epistle4 #a--;,how1 then1 shall they call on ,,him in ,whom they have not believed8--and1 ,how shall they believe in ,him of ,whom they have not heard8--and1 ,how shall they hear without a preacher8--and1 ,how shall they preach except they be ,,sent8--,,romans x4 #ad4 ,,at this season of preparation for the ,,advent1 the ,apostolical ,ministry is one of the subjects especially brought before us by the ,,church1 as doubtless peculiarly calculated to fit our minds for the right reception and reverent contemplation of our ,,saviour',s first and second ,coming4 ,it would be needless to enlarge on the suitability of the ,epistle selected for this ,introductory ,festival1 opening and leading the way1 as it does1 to those of the whole glorious company of the ,apostles4 ,we can scarcely read the passage now quoted1 without recognizing at once much of its appropriateness4 ,it contains a brief vindication both of the moral necessity and the ,divine authority of the ,christian ,ministry2 and so plainly1 that1 to some extent1 all must perceive it4 ,but it may be highly profitable to us to draw out and examine with attention the subject1 which ,st4 ,paul thus lays before us in epitome only2 concerning which we know that there is much diversity of thinking among professing ,christians1 and1 consequently1 great danger of wrong thinking4 ,it is too much the practice of modern theologians to refer to the ,new ,testament1 almost as if it were a book of aphorisms2 and so1 when a quotation is made therefrom1 it seems to be inquired1 what meaning it will bear2 or what use can be made of it2 rather than1 what meaning it must have had in such a connection2 or what use must have been intended1 under such circumstances4 ,and hence has resulted this fatal consequence1 that the apostolic writings are commonly interpreted by modern opinions1 instead of modern opinions being tested by the apostolic writings4 ,there is but too painful evidence of this1 in the manner in which some men set about proving their peculiar system by the ,scriptures2 evidently assuming from the first that their system is right1 and so 7unconsciously1 we trust17 sorting and arranging the best texts to establish it4 ,surely an attempt to treat any other ancient book as the ,holy ,scriptures are thus treated1 would not be borne with4 ,suppose1 for example1 any disciple of the schools of the modern scepticism should attempt to show1 from selected passages of some leading treatise of ancient philosophy1 that his own opinions precisely coincided with those of the sage from whom he was quoting2 it is evident that he would hereby deceive no one but himself4 ,on a reference to the treatise in question1 it would be at once apparent1 that it was written by one who held opinions widely different from the modern4 ,now since1 among ,christians1 there is an universal appeal to the ,scriptures1 would it not be a rational method of testing the opinions of any of the various classes among us1 to inquire1 whether it is likely that such writings would have proceeded from the pens of men holding such and such opinions8 ,might we not thus arrive at as sure a conclusion1 notwithstanding all arguments from texts and passages1 that some nominally ,christian opinions now received1 were not the opinions of the sacred writers--as that the opinions of ,locke were not the opinions of the ancient ,epicureans1 notwithstanding the coincidences that might be found8 ,and if it should be seen that any class of opinions exactly harmonizes with the literal writings of the ,apostles1 so that we may imagine the men who held them to have naturally written what the ,apostles wrote2 then1 should we not have a highly probable argument for the ,scriptural character of those opinions8 ,such an argument will in some degree pervade these ,lectures4 ,few1 perhaps1 will fail to perceive some wide difference between that state of mind which is implied by our popular ,christianity1 and that which is implied by the ,apostolic ,epistles4 ,the complete unworldliness1 the quiet1 elevated self-denial1 the earnest humility1 the obedience on the one hand and authority on the other1 which are the evident characteristics of practical ,christianity as it appears in the inspired records1 are strikingly different from all which we see now in our popular religion2 and may at times well suggest the fear that we may have lost much of that faith which the first ,christians possessed4 ,and in no particular is this difference more remarkably seen1 than in the language held respecting the ,,ministry of the ,,church2 which from its undeniable importance deserves no light consideration4 ,of course it may be said1 that much of the difference of tone respecting the ,ministry may be ascribed to the cessation of apostolic authority strictly so called4 ,but however this be1 which we pass for the present1 it is apparent to all1 that there is a difference3 and so1 men attempt to account for the fact1 rather than deny it4 ,to account1 for example1 for the magnified importance plainly attributed in ,holy ,scripture to the living voice of an ,,apostolic ,,ministry1 above and beyond1 and often without reference to other means of ,christian instruction4 ,not only the plea just mentioned1 but other similar ones are urged1 as the change of circumstances1 the alteration in the times1 and the like1 to account for the fact4 ,how dangerous all such arguments and evasions are1 to those who seek a religion exactly1 or as nearly as possible1 such as the first ,christians had1 needs scarcely to be urged on any thoughtful mind4 ,for after all these suppositions and reasonings1 it will still remain very possible that ,,the ,,ministry first ,divinely set up in the ,,church1 was not intended essentially to change with the changing circumstances of this world2 very possible that this might have been given as one permanent if not paramount means of grace for mankind1 notwithstanding the subsequent introduction of other means1 however efficacious and invaluable4 ,and then1 the actually existing ministry1 its historical continuity1 its unconcealed pretensions1 are facts not to be lightly set aside when viewed in connection with this possibility only2 even if it were nothing more4 ,how much of ,apostolical grace is lost from the ministry1 it may be impossible to say2 but so also it would be equally impossible to say how much is retained4 ,hence1 it must ever remain the safest course for a ,christian man to adhere to an ,apostolically descended ,ministry4 ,let us not pass too hastily from these thoughts2 let us follow them out1 into minuter detail2 in order to enter into the state of mind apparently implied by language such as that in the passage1 for instance1 which constitutes our text4