But admitting the idea, that our modern bishops might have derived their authority by this uninterrupted line of succession from the Apostles of Jesus Christ, let me ask, pray do they mean all the apostles collectively, or some one individual among them? them? And if from an individual, pray what was his name? Is it from Thomas, the apostle of the Indies? Nay this is too far to fetch it. Was it derived, then, from Matthew, Andrew, &c.? No; this is not pretended. Nor is it pretended to be derived from any appointment or establishment of the apostle Paul at Antioch, or of James at Jerusalem. It is, I presume, to be traced to the apostle Peter at Rome. Alas! that is the pretended fountain! But they cannot prove that ever Peter was at Rome; and if they could prove he had been there, that would not prove he had been bishop of Rome;-and if they could prove he had been bishop of Rome, that would not prove that he had such special and paramount power and authority, that no man could ever have any right to the ministerial office, who could not trace his ministerial pedigree in regular and uninterrupted succession up to himself.

But could the church of Rome prove their lineal descent from Peter, what would this do for the protestant church of England? The Roman Catholics deny that our reformed church ever derived any authority from them. They say that the ministers of the church of England are not ministers but laymen; that the church of England has no regular bishops or clergy; and that all their ministrations are invalid. Our reformers renounced all orders received from Rome, and disclaimed all the authority of the Pope. And in those days the papists reproached the reformers as men who possessed no regular and lawful authority.

But had they derived their authority from the pope, they might have pleaded that in their defence, instead of saying, as they did, "We defy, detest, and abhor their stinking, greasy, antichristian orders." Bishop Burnet, in his exposition of the twenty-third article, which is upon this subject, says, "This article does not resolve itself into any particular constitution, but leaves that matter open and at large, for such accidents as had happened, and such as might still happen. They who drew it had the state of the several churches before their eyes, that had been differently reformed; and although their own had been less forced to go out of the beaten path than any other, yet they knew that all things among themselves had not gone according to those rules which ought to be sacred in regular times; but necessity has no law, and is a law to itself."

Now this concession alone, without any additional argument, is amply sufficient to apologize for what Mr. Wesley and Dr. Coke did, in the regulations and ordinations respecting the American Methodists. Besides every defence, derivable from reason and scripture, it was a matter of necessity. And now, after a trial of thirty years, it does not appear, that any plan could have been adopted, that would have answered better, if so well. Abundant, if not unexampled prosperity, has attended the Methodists on that vast continent, ever since Dr. Coke's first visit. So that, though the first Methodist Society was not formed there till thirty-one years after Mr. Wesley began to form Societies in England, and notwithstanding the comparative smallness of the population, the Methodists there, both preachers and private members, are already nearly as numerous as in all Great Britain and Ireland.

But to give some further idea of America, of the state of Methodism there at that time, as well as of the active laboriousness of Dr. Coke, I will present the reader with a little more extract from his journal. And in this extract we have an account of one of his many "perils by water,"— the deliverance of which he always most gratefully remembered.

The American conference was mentioned before. After the conclusion of it, the Doctor says:

I admire the American preachers. We had near sixty of them present. The whole number is eighty-one. They are indeed a body of devoted, disinterested men, but most of them young. The spirit in which they conducted themselves in choosing the elders, was most pleasing. I believe they acted without being at all influenced either by friendship, resentment, or prejudice, both in choosing and rejecting. The Lord was peculiarly present, whilst I was preaching my two pastoral sermons. God was indeed pleased to honour me before the people. At six every morning, one of the preachers gave the people a sermon: the weather was exceedingly cold, and therefore we thought it best to indulge them by preaching one hour later than usual; and our morning congregations held out to the last.

One of the week-days at noon, I made a collection towards assisting our brethren who are going to Nova-Scotia; and our friends generously contributed fifty pounds currency, (thirty pounds sterling.)

Monday 3. I left Baltimore, and came to our good friend Mr. Gough's, but had the coldest ride ever rode.

Tuesday 4. I went with several of my friends to the side of the Chesapeak-Bay, but found it

so frozen that we could not pass. Here a hospitable planter took in and kindly entertained four of us..

Wednesday 5. I returned to Abingdon.Brother Dallam had buried his father-in-law that very day, and his house was full of carnal relations: so I set up at good Brother Toy's, the silversmith: however, I preached a funeral sermon in Mr. Dallam's house, and was heard with great attention. I now gave orders that the materials should be procured for the erecting of the college.

Thursday 6. I crossed the SusquehannahRiver, with my horse, on the ice; and lay at one of our friends, whose name is Thompson, a truly good man.

Friday 7. We came to one Burton's, a local preacher, formerly a quaker; he is a precious old man, and most fervently loves God.

Philadelphia, Saturday 8-19. In this city I find myself perfectly at home. One thing worthy of notice happened hereOne of our sisters who belonged to the Dutch church, was particularly prejudiced against our liturgy, but whilst I was reading it, she received one of the greatest manifestations of God's love she had ever enjoyed in her life, and went away as much prejudiced in favour of it, as she was before against it.

New-York, Jan. 22-Feb. 6. Here I published, at the desire of the conference, my sermon on the Godhead of Christ. Our friends in Philadelphia and New-York gave me sixty pounds currency for the Missionaries, so that upon the whole I have not been obliged to advance above three or four pounds on their account.

Monday 7. I left New-York; and on Tuesday 8, reached Trent-Town (State of Jersey.) Here I had but a small congregation, and about twenty hearers in the morning.

Wednesday 9. I went to Burlington. The vestry opened to me the church, and some of the first men in the State came to hear me: Mr. S-R- formerly one of our travelling preachers. and a very zealous man, but now a prophesier of smooth things, has been appointed a reader and preacher in this church by the convention of the clergy of the church of England. He expects to be ordained as soon as they have a bishop.

Mount-Holly, Thursday 10. Here is another preacher appointed by the convention, who was also formerly one of our travelling preachers, (Mr. Sprague,) a genuine Christian.

New-Mills, Friday 11. My congregation in this chapel was not large, but very serious. Surely this place will have much to answer for.

Philadelphia, February 12-14. They are now going in reality to repair our chapel here; the scaffolding is already put up. I have united above a hundred, I think, in band, and they seem to be in good earnest about it, determined to meet. There is certainly a considerable revival in this city.

Wilmington, State of Delaware, Tuesday 15. At noon I preached in Chester-Town, in the court-house, and dined with Mrs. Withey, (the kind landlady mentioned above, as having entertained me gratis.) She has subscribed five pounds for the college. In the evening I had a large congregation at Wilmington, and also at five in the morning; the work revives in this place. From hence I went to Duck-Creek; to Dover (Mr. Basset's;) to Brother White's, the justice; to Tuckaho, (Brother Downs';) to Colonel Hopper's; to Sadler's-cross-roads; to New-Town; then over the Chesapeak-Bay to Abingdon, (poor Mr. Dallam's wife lies dangerously ill, and his fondness for her