ORDINATION, LAY-ELDERSHIP, AND LITURGIES; CONSIDERED IN FIVE LETTERS. BY THE REV. ARCHIBALD BOYD, A. M. CURATE OF THE CATHEDRAL, DERRY. PUBLISHED BY R. B. SEELEY, AND W. BURNSIDE ; AND SOLD BY L. AND G. SEELEY, FLEET STREET, LONDON; MDCCCXXXIX. ADVERTISEMENT. A FEW words of notice respecting the history of the following Letters are necessary. In the year 1837, their author preached a series of Four Sermons on the Orders, Liturgy, and Formularies of the Established Church. These Sermons were purely explanatory and defensive. Every topic was avoided, which could give just offence to Dissenters, while it was the author's resolve to abstain from any expression which could be considered aggressive. At the desire of the Bishop and Dean of Derry, and at the request of the congregation to whom they were preached, these Sermons were published. It is the author's belief that the Presbyterians of Ireland, into whose hands they came, were not offended by them. Where no cause of offence existed, that body was too just to labour perversely to discover one. It was different with their ministers. It seemed to them their duty and policy, to publish a reply. This, after a long pause, appeared in the form of Sermons, |