OXFORD and LONDON: JOHN HENRY AND JAMES PARKER. 1864. TO THE RIGHT REV. THE LORD BISHOP OF OXFORD THESE PAGES ARE, WITH HIS KIND PERMISSION, VERY RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY HIS OBLIGED AND OBEDIENT SERVANT, THE COMPILER....

Having , through the kindness of a friend, had the opportunity of reading a book which appears as scarce as it is valuable, “Sikes on Parochial Communion,” it has seemed to me desirable to make a few extracts from it, in order that a work which has evidently been the product of much thought and deep study, may not be wholly lost to those persons who value sound reasoning and clear expositions of Scripture truths, but who may not (as it has been long out of print) have the privilege of reading th

If the sacred character and divine authority of the Christian priesthood were correctly understood, it would greatly conduce to the prevention of those many divisions which at present distract the Church of Christ.  It is at present much to be feared that there are few who feel any obligation to submit, upon a right ground.  It is necessary therefore, in the first place, to lay the foundation firm by establishing the principles of ecclesiastical obedience, and by a brief recurrence to the nature