WILLIAM LEDAWAY,

The Orthodox Dissenter.

"BEING that the Church was born of seed immortal, and the apostles themselves, though excellent and divine, yet still mortal men; it did concern the Church in an high degree to be provided of a perpetuity, or if you will, an immortality of overseers, both for the sowing of this seed, and for the ordering of the Church, or the field itself. This, since they could not do in person, they were to do it by their successors, who by their office were to be the ordinary pastors of the Church and the vicars of CHRIST. Now if you ask the fathers who they were that were accounted in their times, and ages, the successors of the apostles, they will with one accord make answer that the bishops were."-Heylin.

MR. BASIL, the rector of Beldell, was sent for one day to visit a sick person, whose name was William Ledaway, and whom Mr. Basil had known as a strong dissenter. "I have sent for you, sir," said William, "to talk to you upon a subject, which, during my illness, has pressed much upon my mind, I mean my being in dissent from the Church. Now, sir, I wish you to tell me whether or not you think, that if I die in the position in which I am, I shall be saved? I ask this question because George Kelly, our neighbour, has latterly said some things as to dissent, which have caused me to think very differently about it, from what I have been used to do." In answer to William's question, Mr. Basil replied, "I should be very sorry indeed, Mr. Ledaway, to answer your question in the way in which you put it. It is impossible for me or for any man to answer it. Such things are hidden with ALMighty God, doubtless for sufficient reasons. He knows our opportunities and trials, according to which our final sentence will be decided, and sure we are, that the Judge of all CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE, NO. VII.

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the world will do right. But, Mr. Ledaway, allow me here to ask you a question, by answering which, I shall, probably, be enabled to afford you satisfaction upon the point before us. Do you wish to know whether I think dissent right or wrong?" 'Yes, sir," answered William, "that is my wish. I wish to know whether orthodox dissent is right or wrong?" Well, then," replied Mr. Basil, "I will endeavour, to the best of my power to answer you; but first I must say a few words on the phrase you make use of, viz., 'orthodox dissent;' there is no such thing, my good man, they are a contradiction in terms; they cannot exist together in the same person. If a man is orthodox, he cannot be a dissenter; if a man be a dissenter he cannot be orthodox. To see this, just answer me, William, what you mean by the word orthodox ?" "I suppose, sir," replied William, "a right faith; and an orthodox dissenter means a dissenter who holds the right faith." 'Well," said the rector, “that will do for a definition. Now attend : where do you suppose that the right faith is contained?" "In the Bible, sir; is it not?" asked William. 66 Yes," replied the rector, "you are quite right; it is contained in the Bible. Now, I believe, you admit that the Apostle's creed contains, in a summary form, the right faith, which is given at large in the Bible ?" "Yes, sir," replied Ledaway, "we always repeat the Apostle's creed, and are taught to believe it to contain the right faith.' Now then," asked the rector, if you believe it thus, how do you understand that article in it, which says, 'I believe in the Holy Catholic Church ?' "I have been taught, sir, to understand that as meaning the whole body of Christians throughout the world, all who hold the fundamental doctrines of Christianity, whether they belong to what you call the Church or not." "And who has taught you this, William ?" "The orthodox dissenters,' was the reply. "And do you think," asked the rector, "that the orthodox dissenters, as you call them, are right in teaching you thus, when I tell you that they have interpreted this

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article of the creed in a different way from that of the Church itself; but, perhaps, you will be better able to answer my next question as to who is the proper interpreter of this article, when I have placed before you a somewhat analogous case. Suppose that a hundred or a thousand men, or as many as you please, were to rebel against the laws of the country, and to justify their rebellion by saying that they put a different interpretation upon the laws from what was put upon them by the constituted authorities, and that they were in reality, as good and true subjects as those who kept the laws in their common acceptation. Do you think, Ledaway, that such an assertion would clear them from the charge of rebellion, or that they would escape the punishment awarded by the state to rebels ?" Certainly not," said William, "of course it would be no proof that they were not rebels, because they said they were not. The state is to decide, not those who rebel against her; and I conceive that when persons refuse to obey her laws, let them call themselves what they may, they are rebels, and must of course expect to be punished." " Now, such is precisely the case," replied Mr. Basil, in the subject upon which you wish to speak to The Church has her laws and constitutions, and among other things asserts that the three orders of the ministry, bishops, priests, and deacons, are essential to the existence of a Church, and that where these are not, there is no Church. It is clear, therefore, that all dissenters, as they have not bishops, priests, and deacons, are not a part of the Church, and are, therefore, not orthodox, because on one point at least they do not hold the right faith; they may call themselves a Church, or a part of the Church, but, then, calling themselves so, is no greater proof that they really are such, than it would be, that rebels are true subjects, because they say they are. The Church, William, refuses to acknowledge dissenters to be a portion of her; and it is for you to consider whether CHRIST's promises are made to mankind indiscriminately, and unconditionally, or to

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such only, as are in covenant with Him; and if the latter be the case, whether it is safe for any one to leave his Church, which, we read. CHRIST So loved, as to give himself for it. (Ephes. v. 25, 26, 27.) William, let me ask you a question: if you had been alive at the time of the flood, should you have refused entrance into the ark, if it had been offered to you, or would you have wished to have ventured upon the flood in a boat of your own "Sir," answered William, "I should have been very thankful to have been admitted into the ark."

DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND ON SCHISM.

"WHOSOEVER shall hereafter separate themselves from the communion of saints, as it is approved by the apostles' rules, in the Church of England, and combine themselves together in a new brotherhood, accounting the Christians, who are conformable to the doctrine, government, rites and ceremonies of the Church of England, to be profane, and unmeet for them to join with in Christian profession; let them be excommunicated ipso facto, and not restored but by the archbishop, after their repentance, and public revocation of such their wicked errors."-Canon IX.

The following is an extract from the Register Book at Bedworth, Warwickshire. We make no comment upon it, and only insert it to shew that the Church had discipline one hundred years ago :

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"John Sutton, and Mary his wife, was excommunicated May 18, 1712, for clandestine marriage."

"John Drought, and Mary his wife, for the same."

"John Sutton, and Mary his wife, hath since been absolved,"

"WE must take to flight, Corporal," exclaimed the foremost of them; "there is a large body of horsemen coming up the opposite hill, and I'm sure they're some of Rupert's boys.' "How many should you think there, are?" asked the Corporal, who, whatever his other ill qualities, must be acquitted of cowardice. "I dont know how many," answered the other, "but with these prisoners to take care of, and our horses tired, I should think that we had better make the best of our legs, and get out of their way." "Get out of their way!" shouted Longfass, who now entered into the conversation,-" get out of their way! Far be it from us; let us show a bold front, and do our master's work, by opposing ourselves, and destroying these Philistines."

More he would have said, but just at that moment the enemy appeared in sight, at a distance of about a quarter