Now, it is true that we hold, that an evil minister, incurring even deposition by our discipline, does not necessarily prevent the communications of divine grace to the souls of men in the ministration of the word and sacraments. But we hold also that he is to be deposed, and that there is something vastly contrary to the true system of things in his being where he is; though GOD has acted with inscrutable wisdom in having suffered it. But unless ministers continually prove by all the “fruits of the SPIRIT,” that the SPIRIT of GOD is with them, their ordination does nothing for them in our esteem, but load them with extraordinary sin and guilt. It is expected, that they be “not of the world;” though it is not by monasteries that they are to go out of it; but by keeping themselves unspotted from the sins and vanities and pomps of it; while their light shines before men in doing good in it, for the glory of their heavenly FATHER. Their love of souls dictates zeal and labour and self-denial and holy co-operation. They weep and pray and wrestle with GOD for blessings on their unworthy ministrations; they reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine; they humble the proud to penitence without penance; they comfort the feeble-minded, and heal the broken-hearted, without the unhallowed domination of confessionals, or absolutions other than declarative or merely ecclesiastical; {35} and they are conscious of maintaining, (without forced explanations,) an honest consistency, in doctrine and practice, with the plain meaning of their own articles and of Holy Scripture. These and all other fruits of the SPIRIT, love, joy, peace, long-suffering gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance;—these are their essential proofs of office; without which the form of Ordination would be nothing but a heavy grief to them. It always has been, moreover, and I believe it ever would be, did circumstances lead to it, the blessedness and glory of these men to die as martyrs for their faith. The love of CHRIST would constrain them to do it joyfully. Few indeed are the clear instances of any other kind of religious persecutions unto death; while the thousands upon thousands of those who have been the _usual_ martyrs for CHRIST, have been, not of the Anglo-catholic, but of the Evangelical faith. The _Reformers_ are granted to us: the _Huguenots_, the _Waldenses_, the _Lollards_ and _Hussites_, the _Paulicians_, the martyrs of Lyons and Vienne, &c., have all been of the same confession of faith and the same character. But, alas! if the likeness of the Anglo-catholic creed and practices to Popery be considered, how near are the professors of that creed most fearfully coming to the character of the accusers of the brethren, the persecutors of the saints, the very crucifiers of the LORD OF GLORY! With whom then is the HOLY GHOST to be supposed to be?