Phillips Brooks speaks of “the fantastic absurdity of apostolic succession.” And with reason, for in the Episcopal system, bishops qualified to ordain must be: (1) baptized persons; (2) not scandalously immoral; (3) not having obtained office by bribery; (4) must not have been deposed. In view of these qualifications, Archbishop Whately pronounces the doctrine of apostolic succession untenable, and declares that “there is no Christian minister existing now, who can trace up with complete certainty his own ordination, through perfectly regular steps, to the time of the apostles.” See Macaulay’s Review of Gladstone on Church and State, in his Essays, 4:166‐178. There are breaks in the line, and a chain is only as strong as its weakest part. See Presb. Rev., 1886:89‐126. Mr. Flanders called Phillips Brooks “an Episcopalian with leanings toward Christianity.” Bishop Brooks replied that he could not be angry with “such a dear old moth‐eaten angel.” On apostolic succession, see C. Anderson Scott, Evangelical Doctrine, 37‐48, 267‐288. Apostolic succession has been called the pipe‐line conception of divine grace. To change the figure, it may be compared to the monopoly of communication with Europe by the submarine cable. But we are not confined to the pipe‐line or to the cable. There are wells of salvation in our private grounds, and wireless telegraphy practicable to every human soul, apart from any control of corporations. We see leanings toward the world‐church idea in Pananglican and Panpresbyterian Councils. Human nature ever tends to substitute the unity of external organization for the spiritual unity which belongs to all believers in Christ. There is no necessity for common government, whether Presbyterian or Episcopal; since Christ’s truth and Spirit are competent to govern all as easily as one. It is a remarkable fact, that the Baptist denomination, without external bonds, has maintained a greater unity in doctrine, and a closer general conformity to New Testament standards, than the churches which adopt the principle of episcopacy, or of provincial organization. With Abp. Whately, we find the true symbol of Christian unity in “_the tree of life, bearing twelve manner of __ fruits_” (_Rev. 22:2_). _Cf._ _John 10:16_—γενήσονται μία ποίμνη, εἶς ποιμήν—“_they shall become one flock, one shepherd_” = not one fold, not external unity, but one flock in many folds. See Jacob, Eccl. Polity of N. T., 130; Dexter, Congregationalism, 236; Coleman, Manual on Prelacy and Ritualism, 128‐264; Albert Barnes, Apostolic Church.