The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-10-25
LYNCnBuRG, OCTOBER %, la22.
TuEPRoresrA NT EPlsCoPALcnuRc1


CfnHtmtn-'i'hc desire which you have
alNays n,saiii..siudi 10 srr discussion, ofmhat-
EVER nature, when brought into your paper,
conducted on principles of correctness and
impartialiiy, has prompted me 10 appear n
gan, though contrary To your recommen-
d ti1ns of thr ! 5th inst. III defence OF tue
pfote,tan Episcopal Cnureh. aud sindicale
har from those dislasenaOas and illlberal
chnges advanced against her, by a cores
poldcnt of yours, who sty les himself Mo-
mus.--Ihe sentiments you expressed, ON
that occasion, as 10 tli. impfopfleiy OF
b ingiag subject of this nature for Discus
lston, iilo newspaper, II hardly seems ne
cessuy, after having once expressed my o.
pinion, to say meet my most sincere appio-
baton and were ! Ia consult my own
pleasure, The columns al .our paper should
not be ilkrn mp by another communication
from nr.--As YOU have, however, given
Jinmus admission for his rejoindcr, aud as
he persists IN advancing charges against the
sh rcli, ~hch IRE highly reprchrusiblc !;
which are plainly At variance with all her
articles of fifth, and which are ia direct vi
citation uf her well established doctrines, |
must clIm place for replication.
II must he apparent to every one, that |
entered on,this controversy, mol of choice,
hni OF necessity or else have permitted
errors Of the grusscst character TO pass,
mcoutroycried, down the current of time.
II imposes ON me an unexpected duty, hui
one which consider myself bound to fulfil.
When writer comes forward with asscr-
lions rs false and statements as erroneous
as those, with which Menus has, IL should
be the indispensable duty oI every one, not
only To expose those errors and misrepre
sentatlous, which are made ag INST his own
society, and place them ia "A proper view,
but, is duty incumbeni on him 10 suppress
error, in what shape II may soeyer come.
When Menus first came out with his re-
ligious peculiarilcs, was lead 10 suppose
that, IN his zeal 10 let the world know, he
had beard or read something about the pc
cnliir tenets of some few christian demon.
nations being 80 much el,tcd with the
ianccd prospect OF raising to himself the
reputation oi being some great aud learned
parsonage; and wlthh bolug entirely des-
titute ofanykn0wlede ol1s subjects, he had
been led into honest errors aud from his
known good standing in hs church and So
Getty, was Induced to expect, on his has-
position OF several of the trnuts, as rccog-
nlzed by Their respective followers, given,
that he would come forward al once, aud
frankly acknowledge them, or else say 40
more on the point But what was oar
surprise Oh seeing him asaln coming for
ward, with all the zeal of holy martyr,
anal pertnaciousy attempting to maintain
his assertion. not only against the most rc-
spectacle authors whitli coall be adduccd,
but against the very articles aud tcnets of
the churches themselyes.-Nh are we To
Infer from the motives Of writer, who pur-
sues course OF this nature can such mo-
tvcs flow from laudable desire toconvry
information 10 his fellow creatures and ex-
hbit the subject, on which he treats. in a
lair aud candid manner far from ii.-He,
Who thus proceeds, can be Influenced by no
her, than the most ni,licious m ,yes-a
desire 10 mlsr0preseat the tenets OF certain
denominations, aud thus prejudice the
minds OF the public against them. That
this has been the desigA Of Momus, with
respect 10 at least one ot two christian de-
no nnatioas, trust we shall br able Ia
make appear -ln the examination of his
remarks and quotations we shah pursue the
lie admits, Il the first place, HAT i'm
parity or in other words Episcopacy
f'exIsled IN the church of Aexan,li ia from il,
foundation aud farther SAYS :" ii existed IN
England from the tine of Anseln-and be.
fore, - and then inquiries whether that
proves, " that preltcy and diocesan Eps
ropacy originated with the apostles ?"--I
The Episcopal form Of church government
existed from the foundation of the church
ves IN AlsNf:itifd, il necessarily follows that
IL must have originated with the apostles
Ihey founded the churches there they
placed over them bishops, and clothed
Shem with power 10 goyerh thcm.--'fhis is
an important concession on the part of Mo-
mus and one which goes al once 10 o.
Verthrow The hass of his argument, and
10 establish the Episcopal assumption Oh a
permanent lOundation-As the existence
OF EpscoPacy, during the DAYS ofthe apos.
Ties IN Alexandria, shows il 10 hxve beer
the peculiar regimen of church government
~ al least oae part Of the coumtry.-lIuying
established this position, we shall proceed
10 SNOW, FROM tlc most ua1aestiolabls al.
thonties eNtait, that il not only existed
therc, bat did universally tina; il vas .heiI
pecaIiar reGmea and was expressly ioin.
ed by them on their iollowers.-A al fur.
fher-that impafity not only existed in the
apostolic church, bal dad Throughout III,
Jewish dispensation. The first au hority
We shalt adduce, is Clement, who hyed a.
bout the 10th year of our Lord, and o.
waom 81. paal makes particular mention
~ us epistlc 10 the PHILIPPINES, 4lh, Sd
de. IN ms irsi eplstle to the Corinl lans
s'ys--" To The nigh priest his propefoilic,
was appointed tlle priests had their pro
per order. aud the iesites their peculiI, ser.
vices, or dedcohslnps, and the laymea VIVA,
was proper for lay men, "-Ckne in thi,
jnssSace Is speaking expressly OF the iistri.