“My kingdom,” says our Lord, “is not of this world.” But although Church authority is purely spiritual, and not _of_ this world—not derived _from_ this world,—yet it was ordained to be exercised in it, for the purpose of bringing lost sinners to the favour of Almighty God, through our Redeemer Jesus Christ. Every bishop receives his commission, and with it his spiritual authority, immediately from those bishops who consecrated him, as they derived their powers and privileges from their predecessors in a direct line from the Apostles and our Lord. The Lord bequeathed His authority to His Apostles and their successors, to the end of the world: “As My Father hath sent Me, so send I you. And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said, Receive ye the Holy Ghost.” He left with them His commission and His Spirit for their natural life, entailing them upon that succession of men upon whom they should lay their hands according to His directions. This title, however, to Christ’s authority is often disputed, and will be disputed, doubtless, to the end of time, for reasons too obvious to mention. But we have not always the worse opinion of a title merely because it has been called in question. On the contrary, examination and controversy often produce such facts and arguments as greatly strengthen that which was strong before; and, in truth, this in some degree has been the case with the episcopal title, the evidence for which is so clear, that we may safely affirm that there never was, nor ever can be, a title more clear and valid; and it has providentially happened that, in the several Churches of the Christian world, 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 chair. What potentate of this world can shew for his kingly authority such a title as this? what nobleman for his dignity? who can pretend to such a title for the best estate in the world? When our blessed Lord invested the Apostles with full powers for the ministry, He sent them, as His Father had sent Him. Now the Father had sent the Son with power to send others: so, therefore, did our Lord send His Apostles, and promised to be with them to the end of the world, that is with His Church, which they should erect and continue by a regular succession: this promise itself necessarily including the notion of a Church. Vain, then, is the objection of those who pretend that the Apostles’ authority ended with their natural lives, and that Christians since their days are left to model the form of Church government as they please. But the succession, it is said, has been interrupted, what then becomes of the validity of the bishop’s authority, and consequently of the authority of all his acts and ordinations?