,transcribed from the #ahfd ,john ,henry
 and ,james ,parker edition by ,david   
,price1 email ccx#jgdpglaf4org1 using   
scans made available by the ,british    
,library4                               
,picture3 ,pamphlet cover               
,,extracts                              
,,from                       8,,sikes   
,,on ,,parochial ,,communion10          
,,relating ,,to                         
,,episcopacy1                           
,,and                              ,,the
 ,,sin ,,of ,,schism4                   
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,,oxford and ,,london3                  
,,john ,,henry ,,and ,,james ,,parker4  
#ahfd4                                  
99 99 99 99 99                          
,,to ,,the                     ,,right  
,,rev4 ,,the ,,lord ,,bishop ,,of       
,,oxford                                
,,these ,,pages ,,are1                  
,,with ,,his ,,kind ,,permission1       

,,very ,,respectfully ,,dedicated ,,by  
,,his                        ,,obliged  
,,and ,,obedient ,,servant1             
,,the ,,compiler4          ,,preface4   
,,having1 through the kindness of a     
friend1 had the opportunity of reading  
a book which appears as scarce as it is 
valuable1 8,sikes on ,parochial         
,communion10 it has seemed to me        
desirable to make a few extracts from   
it1  in order that a work which has     
evidently been the product of much      
thought  and deep study1 may not be     
wholly lost to those persons who value  
sound  reasoning and clear expositions  
of ,scripture truths1 but who may not   
7as  it has been long out of print7 have
 the privilege of reading the book      
itself1 which would of course be far    
more interesting and instructive1  and  
which also1 towards the latter part1    
treats ably on the duties of the  people
 to their spiritual pastors1 and the    
error of those who are 8given  to       
change10 and fond of the excitement     

afforded by fresh ministry4             
,extracts from 8,sikes on ,parochial    
,communion40      ,,if the sacred       
character and divine authority of the   
,christian priesthood  were correctly   
understood1 it would greatly conduce to 
the prevention of  those many divisions 
which at present distract the ,church of
 ,christ4  ,it  is at present much to be
 feared that there are few who feel any 
obligation to submit1 upon a right      
ground4  ,it is necessary therefore1 in 
the first place1 to lay the foundation  
firm by establishing the  principles of 
ecclesiastical obedience1 and by a brief
 recurrence to the  nature and          
constitution of the ,church4    ,we see 
the bishops each in his diocese claiming
 jurisdiction over every  ,christian    
residing within them1 and calling upon  
them to obey and submit  themselves to  
them in all spiritual matters4  ,how is 
this claim made out  and proved8  ,let  
this be the question at present under   
discussion4    8,my kingdom10 says our  

,lord1 8is not of this world40  ,but    
although ,church  authority is purely   
spiritual1 and not of this world--not   
derived from  this world1--yet it was   
ordained to be exercised in it1 for the 
purpose of  bringing lost sinners to the
 favour of ,almighty ,god1 through our  
,redeemer  ,jesus ,christ4    ,every    
bishop receives his commission1 and with
 it his spiritual  authority1           
immediately from those bishops who      
consecrated him1 as they  derived their 
powers and privileges from their        
predecessors in a direct  line from the 
,apostles and our ,lord4  ,the ,lord    
bequeathed ,his authority  to ,his      
,apostles and their successors1 to the  
end of the world3 8,as ,my  ,father hath
 sent ,me1 so send ,i you4  ,and when   
,he had said this1 ,he  breathed on     
them1 and said1 ,receive ye the ,holy   
,ghost40  ,he left with  them ,his      
commission and ,his ,spirit for their   
natural life1 entailing them  upon that 
succession of men upon whom they should 

lay their hands  according to ,his      
directions4    ,this title1 however1 to 
,christ's authority is often disputed1  
and will be  disputed1 doubtless1 to the
 end of time1 for reasons too obvious to
  mention4  ,but we have not always the 
worse opinion of a title merely  because
 it has been called in question4  ,on   
the contrary1 examination and           
controversy often produce such facts and
 arguments as greatly strengthen  that  
which was strong before2 and1 in truth1 
this in some degree has been  the case  
with the episcopal title1 the evidence  
for which is so clear1  that we may     
safely affirm that there never was1 nor 
ever can be1 a title  more clear and    
valid2 and it has providentially        
happened that1 in the  several ,churches
 of the ,christian world1 authentic     
documents have been  preserved to prove 
the regular descent of the episcopate   
from the very  ,apostles down to those  
persons at present occupying the        
episcopal chair4    ,what potentate of  

this world can shew for his kingly      
authority such a  title as this8 what   
nobleman for his dignity8 who can       
pretend to such a  title for the best   
estate in the world8  ,when our blessed 
,lord invested  the ,apostles with full 
powers for the ministry1 ,he sent them1 
as ,his  ,father had sent ,him4  ,now   
the ,father had sent the ,son with power
 to send  others3 so1 therefore1 did our
 ,lord send ,his ,apostles1 and promised
 to be  with them to the end of the     
world1 that is with ,his ,church1 which 
they  should erect and continue by a    
regular succession3 this promise itself 
necessarily including the notion of a   
,church4  ,vain1 then1 is the  objection
 of those who pretend that the          
,apostles' authority ended with  their  
natural lives1 and that ,christians     
since their days are left to  model the 
form of ,church government as they      
please4    ,but the succession1 it is   
said1 has been interrupted1 what then   
becomes  of the validity of the bishop's

 authority1 and consequently of the     
authority of all his acts and           
ordinations8    ,to this it may be      
replied1 that the instances which have  
been adduced for  this purpose are no   
evidence of an interrupted succession1  
but1 at  most1 are either interruptions 
in the evidence of the succession 7which
  is quite a different thing71 or mere  
cases of competition between persons    
contending for and alternately          
possessing the same dignity1 equally    
qualified1 as far as their spiritual    
descent is concerned1 to transmit  the  
legitimate episcopal character4    ,now 
to allege a mere interruption of this   
sort1 is only to allege that  you know  
nothing of the succession during a      
certain period of time1 which  you call 
an interruption2 and such an            
interruption of historical  evidence    
cannot invalidate the succession4  ,but 
since the succession is  found to recur 
at certain dates1 and to be carried on  
without any proof1  nay1 without any    

surmise1 of a spurious descent during   
that time when we  are not able to name 
the persons1 it may be legitimately     
assumed that all  was regular and right2
 for if there had been any important    
defect1  enemies enough would have been 
found to triumph in the discovery1 and  
those public records 7the ornament and  
security of the ,church7 would1  long   
ere this1 have been made the sport of   
infidels and schismatics4               
,separatists may possibly urge an       
argument from their numbers with success
  in an age unaccountably regardless of 
the advice of ,job1 8,enquire1 ,i pray  
thee1 of the former age1 and prepare    
thyself to the search of their  fathers3
 for we are but of yesterday1 and know  
nothing40    ,but turn to the ,sacred   
,scriptures1 to the fathers1 to the     
early  historians1 even to those of     
modern date1 and you find that the      
anti-episcopalian cause comes not       
recommended either by numbers or        
antiquity4  ,the first appointed ,church

 with regular episcopacy was that  at   
,jerusalem1 of which place ,st4 ,james  
was constituted bishop4  ,this is       
plainly and unanimously testified by the
 ancient fathers and historians  of the 
,church2 the sacred history in a great  
measure1 though not  directly1 proves   
the same4    ,st4 ,paul1 three years    
after his conversion1 went up to        
,jerusalem to see  ,peter1 8but other   
,apostles saw he none10 says he1 8but   
,james the brother  of our ,lord40  ,st4
 ,jerome says this was ,james the first 
,bishop of  ,jerusalem4  ,this is       
mentioned for the notice of those who   
may have taken  up an opinion that      
bishops were appointed only when schisms
 began to shew  the necessity of the    
order1 and degrade it almost to a human 
invention2  and if any further          
demonstration be required1 we must have 
recourse to  the testimony of the       
primitive fathers1 those eminent men who
 immediately  succeeded the ,apostles2  
but in the writings of these holy men we

 find  such abundant proof for the      
,divine authority of bishops1 that it is
  difficult to know how to select1 or   
where to end4  ,from the ,apostles thus 
descending to their successors1 some of 
whom conversed with them and were  their
 disciples1 we find that the succession 
of bishops and the  government of the   
,church by them still prevailed wherever
 the ,gospel was  planted4    ,the      
writings of ,ignatius are of all others 
the most direct and explicit  in        
establishing episcopacy1 and in         
asserting the authority of bishops4     
,there is scarcely a page of his        
,epistles which contains not some       
instructions upon these points4  ,to the
 ,smyrneans he says1 8,flee  divisions  
as the beginning of evils4  ,all of you 
follow your bishop as  ,jesus ,christ   
the ,father1 and the presbytery as the  
,apostles1 and  reverence the deacons as
 the command of ,god4  ,let no man do   
anything of  what appertains to the     
,church without the bishops40  ,again1  

the venerable  ,polycarp1 ,bishop of    
,smyrna1 8,let nothing be done without  
thy  approbation20 and to his people1   
8,give heed to your bishops1 that ,god  
also may hearken to you40  ,the great   
evil of schism1 the absolute duty of    
unity and obedience to the bishop1 were 
always the leading ideas in this  great 
man's mind2 and stronger testimony we   
cannot have 7the ,sacred  ,scriptures   
alone excepted7 to enforce the perpetual
 observance of these  duties4  ,and     
regarding the bishop sitting in         
,parliament1 is there any law  of the   
,gospel to forbid it8 and if he should  
haply gain the good opinion  and        
confidence of the prince of the land1   
does he not obtain a most  valuable     
opportunity of commending to his favour 
the best interests of  the ,gospel of   
,christ8    ,there is a generation who  
are fond of recommending the poverty and
 the  lowly circumstances of our ,lord  
and ,his ,apostles to the imitation of  
the  clergy1 and are constantly         

reminding them of the zeal and          
disinterestedness of the first ministers
 of the ,gospel4  ,all good men  must   
undoubtedly reverence such examples as  
these1 but it must be  observed that    
from the days of the ,apostles the      
,gospel never was  destitute of human   
aid4  ,those times1 so frequently       
pressed upon the  recollection of       
,churchmen1 were remarkable for the     
liberality of the  laity2 men sold their
 possessions1 and laid the price at the 
,apostles'  feet for their disposal4    
,when the clergy1 then1 are reminded of 
the virtues of the ,apostles1 is it  not
 their duty to press upon such friends  
the virtues of those who were  the      
,apostles' hearers8  ,such munificence  
as that of selling states and           
possessions1 and placing the price of   
them in the hands of the ,christian     
minister1 might render superfluous any  
other support4    ,we are told that     
heresies 7that is1 divisions and sects7 
must need come1  and why8  ,that 8they  

which are approved may be made          
manifest40 #aa;a  ,they are permitted as
 the trial of our faith and proof of our
 orthodoxy4  ,schism is a carnal sin1   
#aa;b and must not be countenanced1 but 
avoided4  ,it must be treated and       
resisted just as the determined         
,christian would  treat and resist any  
other carnal sin4    ,it is unnecessary 
to enlarge1 with proofs and testimonies1
 upon the guilt  of schism4  ,it is our 
business to discover what is the true   
nature of the  offence1 and what its    
guilt4  ,this is demonstrated from the  
,sacred  ,scriptures and from the       
,church ,universal4  ,we come with the  
,sacred  ,scriptures in our hands1      
supported by the holy fathers and a host
 of  primitive writers4  ,we define the 
sin from the mouth of the ,lord and from
  the pen of the ,apostles1 and we have 
the universal agreement of the whole    
,christian ,church for fifteen hundred  
years together4    ,it will be useful to
 trace the history of schism from early 

times4  ,the  very first generation of  
mankind furnishes an example1 and       
describes the  case with several of     
those circumstances which ever since    
have generally  attended it4  ,when     
,cain fled from his father after the    
murder of ,abel1 he  went out from 8the 
presence of the ,lord40  ,he went out   
from some place  where ,god was present 
in an especial manner1 that is1 the     
place of divine  worship1 which was     
doubtless with ,adam1 and thus forsook  
the stated  public communion of those   
persons with whom the covenant of mercy 
was  made1 in the promise of the        
,blessed ,messiah4  ,from this time he  
and his  descendants became a separate  
people from the true ,church1 which     
continued in the line of ,seth1 for in  
,seth's time they were called the       
people or ,church of ,god--in           
contradistinction to the schismatical   
party of  ,cain4  ,to this account of   
,cain's first schism we may add the     
testimony of  ,st4 ,jude1 who1 in       

speaking of teachers of false doctrine  
and men who  despise government1 joins  
together those who perished in the      
gainsaying  of ,corah1 and says of them 
in ver4 #ai1 8,these be they who        
separate  themselves40  ,the cause of   
this separation of ,cain may be traced  
from the  circumstances of the worship  
of the two brothers3 for schisms are not
  made for their own sake3 there is     
generally something corrupt in their    
origin4    ,now ,abel offered for his   
sacrifice the firstlings of his flock3 a
 bloody  sacrifice1 a lamb slaughtered  
for the purpose4  ,we have reason to    
suppose  that this service was by divine
 appointment instituted immediately     
after the ,fall to prefigure the one    
grand sacrifice of the ,messiah4  ,but  
,cain's sacrifice was not of this sort1 
therefore unto ,cain and his  sacrifice 
the ,lord had not respect4  ,cain was a 
tiller of the ground1 and  brought an   
offering of the first of the ground1    
which1 simply considered1  appears as   

much an act of piety as the sacrifice of
 ,abel4  ,but state the  case1 that ,god
 had positively directed and required   
the sacrifice of  blood1 and it is seen 
at once that ,cain's offering1 although 
of the best  that he had1 was an act of 
disobedience2 whilst ,abel's sacrifice  
was a  pious observance of the divine   
institution1 for it is written1         
8,behold1  to obey is better than       
sacrifice1 and to hearken than the fat  
of rams40  ,in short1 may we not        
consider this man's service as mere     
will-worship8  ,he probably adopted his 
own invention1 instead of the stated    
worship of  ,god1 and the result was    
that which was to be expected4  ,note   
likewise how  he bears the displeasure  
of his ,creator2 we see no submission1  
no humble  contrition1 no attempt to    
serve his ,creator in a more acceptable 
manner1  8he was very wroth1 and his    
countenance fell20 and soon after we    
read  that he put to death the righteous
 ,abel4  ,those who at this day         

8separate  themselves0 too hastily pass 
by the history of ,cain1 considering him
  perhaps only as a murderer1 or as     
generally a profane person1 but ,st4    
,jude appears to consider him as a      
schismatic1 a false teacher1 a despiser 
of government2 for when he is guarding  
us against persons of this  description 
he tells us 8they have gone in the way  
of ,cain40  ,the ,apostle  joins the way
 of ,cain with 8the error of ,balaam and
 the gainsaying of  ,corah40  ,now the  
error of ,balaam was the seducing the   
people from the  established worship of 
,god1 and leading them to separation and
 idolatry2  and the gainsaying of ,corah
 was the formal rebellion of some       
inferior  ministers of the ,church1 with
 their adherents1 against their         
superior1  the high priest4    ,we must 
suppose that the criminality adverted to
 in these three examples  in some point 
coincided2 accordingly1 the guilt which 
appears to be  common to the three      
instances is that of separation from the

 divinely  instituted form of worship4  
,we read in the sequel1 that after this 
separation of ,cain his posterity were  
called 8the sons of men10 and the       
posterity of ,seth1 who continued in the
 true ,church1 were called 8the  sons of
 ,god10 probably because one party      
espoused the religion of men1  the other
 adopted the religion of ,god4    ,when 
,corah and his adherents first began    
their complaint1 it was upon the  ground
 of religion and the ,church4  ,even in 
things sacred some spirits  can brook no
 superiors2 and all supremacy1 though   
originating in the  ,almighty ,himself1 
is charged with tyranny and presumption4
  8,ye take too  much upon you0 has     
generally been alleged against the      
ministers of ,god by  men who can       
pretend that all the congregation are   
holy1 that all are  equally qualified   
for the priesthood4  ,corah was for     
equality2 he could  not submit to his   
lawful superiors4  ,he tells them that  
they are not  better than other people2 

8,all the congregation were holy1 every 
one of  them40  ,what was the gainsaying
 of ,corah in which ,st4 ,jude declares 
that  those who separate themselves     
perish8  ,did he gainsay any doctrine1  
or  any part of the divine service8     
,no4  ,it was the discipline and        
government of ,god's ,church that he    
gainsayed4  ,corah's schism consisted   
in disobedience to the ,head of the     
,church1 and for this offence he and    
his party went down alive into the pit1 
and the earth closed upon them4    ,st4 
,augustine judges that scarcely any     
crime is so great as schism4            
,vincentius considers schism as the     
mother of all heresies4  8,who10 says   
he1 8ever supported any heresy before he
 had withdrawn from the ,catholic       
,church1 and had neglected the consent  
of antiquity80    ,and ,jerome1 on the  
other hand1 observes that there never   
yet was any  schism that did not invent 
some false doctrine in order to justify 
its  separation from the ,church4  ,it  

were easy to bring so large a body of   
quotations from the early ,christians   
upon this subject as must doubtless     
surprise those who have been kept in    
ignorance of the great cloud of         
witnesses against them4  ,enough1       
however1 is before us to shew that the  
first and most eminent disciples of     
,christ and ,his ,apostles steadily     
maintained the discipline as well as the
 faith once delivered to them4          
,heresies and schisms were permitted for
 the probation of their faith1 but  they
 uniformly repelled them with learning1 
vigour1 and zeal1 in no case  keeping   
back the truth upon any pretence        
whatever4  ,to believe in the  ,holy    
,catholic ,church is the ninth article  
of what is called the ,apostolic        
,creed4    ,that this ,church is        
,apostolic is professed in the ,nicene  
,creed4  ,our  ,lord's charge to the    
,apostles was this3--8,go ye1 and make  
disciples in all  nations4  ,he that    
believeth and is baptized shall be      

saved2 but he that  believeth not shall 
be damned40  ,that it is necessary to   
believe in the  doctrine of a ,church is
 therefore hardly disputable2 but it is 
further  necessary that we believe this 
article1 not in some loose and general  
acceptation1 but in that alone which was
 intended by the founder4  ,the         
,catholic ,church is defined by our     
,articles to be a congregation of       
faithful men1 in the which the pure     
,word of ,god is preached1 and the      
,sacraments be duly administered        
according to ,christ's ordinance4  ,by  
,canon #ee it is considered as the whole
 congregation of ,christian people1     
consisting of apostolical governors and 
such as hold communion with them  in the
 ,word and ,sacraments according to     
,christ's institution4    ,the ,church  
can be built upon only one foundation1  
namely1 that of the  ,apostles and      
,prophets1 ,jesus ,christ ,himself being
 the chief corner-stone1  in whom all   
the building is fitly framed together4  

,it has only one  faith1 viz4 the faith 
once delivered to the saints4  ,but     
those who will  not endure sound        
doctrine will heap to themselves        
teachers4  ,and then  what can be       
expected but that which the ,apostle    
declares will follow3  first1 8that such
 men shall turn away their ears from the
 truth20 and  then1 that 8they shall be 
turned unto fables20 that is1 they shall
 fall  into false doctrines and the most
 absurd opinions4                       
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 by ,messrs4 ,parker1 ,cornmarket1      
,oxford4          ,,footnotes4          
#aa;a  #a ,cor4 xi4 #ai4    #aa;b  #a   
,cor4 iii4 #c2 ,gal4 v4 #bj4