In the Dedication of this Volume to the Regius Professor of Hebrew at Oxford, I have acknowledged my great obligation to him for the instruction which I hope I have derived from his writings—an acknowledgment which, happily, I am so far from being singular in making, that I suppose every one who has studied them, might make the same statement. But it is right that I should say, that as I have not learned a lesson by rote, but, from the first, thought patiently and freely for myself, so the Public must not consider the Professor answerable for every opinion which I may have expressed. And it may be well also to add, that the general doctrine here set forth is not hastily taken up on any man’s authority; but was maintained by the writer, both in private and public, as many will bear witness, long before he had the happiness and advantage of being acquainted with the works, or characters, of the present leading Divines of the University of Oxford. _St. Peter’s_, _Walworth_, _Surrey_. CONTENTS. PAGE LECTURE I. THE DOCTRINE. The Method of the Argument—Importance of a 1 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 so, 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 Modern, and with Scripture—The Continuance of the Ministry—DOCTRINE of the SUCCESSION stated and explained—Reasons for the present Inquiry LECTURE II. THE EVIDENCE. Importance of not hastily prejudging—Argued from the 41 parallel case of the Jewish Church—Necessity of considering the Evidence for the SUCCESSION—Evidence of Scripture, how far Important—Historical Evidence—Popular Difficulties—A General reply.—On Evidence—Popular Notions—The expected Evidence of the SUCCESSION—Illustrated by a parallel case—Impossible—And even if attainable, not satisfactory—What kind and amount of Evidence should be looked for—Parallels of Evidence—For the Scriptures—The Sacraments, 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 Bible, difficult—And of the SUCCESSION—Analysis of it, Theoretical and Historical—Accumulation of the Evidence—Moral Certainty—Conclusion LECTURE III. THE OBJECTIONS. Necessity of considering OBJECTIONS—Classification of 69 them—(1.) As connected with the FACT of the Succession, and its Consequences.—(2.) And the DOCTRINE, and its Consequences.