GENERAL PRINCIPLES 55 



Presbyterian Church on Fifth Avenue, or 



wherever else there is a state of culture 

 requiring it. By all means let us have 

 the Prayer-Book, " from cover to cover," l 

 from its Calvinistie Declaration of ab- 

 solution to its collect for instituting pres- 

 byters as ministers of the Apostolic 

 Succession. 



There is a still graver Episcopalian mis- 

 conception of the motives and reasons 

 with which the historic episcopate might 

 be accepted. To some denominations, no 

 doubt, it presents itself as subversive of 

 their entire doctrine and polity, but not to 

 the most intelligent and consistent Presby- 

 terians. To them it would simply be a 

 development of the apostolic presbyterate, 

 desirable in the interest of church unity. 

 Whenever ready to accept it, it would not 

 be because they doubted the validity of 

 their own ministry and sacraments : as to 

 tins they would retain the freedom of their 

 own thoughts. It would not be solely that 

 they might obtain certain acknowledged 

 advantages of Episcopal church govern- 

 ment ; these they could obtain, like the 



4 A phrase used in the debates of the late Triennial 

 Convention at Minneapolis. 



