The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-10-11


aets, 10 which they do not hold,and mlsre-
presented others which they do, will PLAIN
l. appear on examination. The first, and
My one, of which shall take parteu ar
notice, l. the one against the Protestant l.
pbeopal Chnrch.--He Says Episcopaey
commenced between the I'd aud Sd centn1
ries"--but which we say had IFS rise during
the days Of Christ, nhile on earth-he
being the great head and bishop of his
church and When he was about 10 close
his ministry and ascend TO his father In
Heaven, lac clothed his blessed apostles aud
followers with authority and power TO gov
ern his church, and transmit that power
down 10 succeeding ages, by the ordination
of bishops, presbyters and deacons.-in
proof Of Episcopacy taking its rise during
the days of our Saviour on earth, and that
II was continued down 10 succeeding ages,
we have abundant evidence by referring TO
the writings of the ancient fathers of the
ehufch.--1hat | may not consume more
time on this head, rs II u not my intention
To enter nj large on this discussion, beng
convinced the occasion does not demand
II, shall merely referto some of those au-
kind, should have great weight.-The fri
whom | shall adduce, is Hooker, than whom
greater lumnary never adorned the
church, aud whose writings viii continue
10 he read, with delight and Improvement,
when those Of the modern opposers OF the
church shall have been consigned to obliyi-
on.--lle says that, F." The first bishops IN
the church of Christ were his blessed apos-
ties. For the Office wherennto Matthias
Was chosen, the sacred history doth term
AN Episcopal Office which being spoken
expressly oil one, agreeth no less unto them
all, than unto him. For which cause St.
Cypriao, speaking of them all, doth call
them bishops. They which were termed
apostles, as being sent of Christ TO publish
hls gospel throughout the world, and were
named likewise bishops, in that the care Of
government was also committed unto them,
did no less perform the Offices OF their T.
plscopal authority by government, than of
Their apostellcal byteaching." Bishop Pear
son, IN indicating the epistles Of lgnatius,
quotes several authors, "Who particularly
mention, that the bishop Of Alexandra was
always ordained, not by presbyters, but by
bishop. Simeon Metaphrastess says ofSt
Marx, that che ordained as his successor,
Aranas, bishop of Alexandra, and gave TO
other churches, bishops, presby ters and
cacons.o-Jerome positively asserts, =" that
mparlty existed in the church of AIeXan
dra from It's foundation. y" ST. Cyprian,
one Of the most celebrated men of his age,
who lived about the year $50, and was ac
lually bishop of Carthage, furnishes us in
ms writings with abundant evidence that
Episcopaey was universal in his day"
Agaln-"Pol ycarpwa unquestonably BIZ
shop OF Smyrna, and according to the mo st
authentic record, was ordained by st. Paul.
Ierullan, who lived in the Sd century, III
ms writings, gives US full account OF the
bishops of his day"
About seventy years from the apostolic
age, flourlshed ireneus, who was bishop of
Lyons -" We" says he, can reckon up
those, whom the apostles ordained bishops
III The several churches, and who they were
that succeeded them down to our times
The catalogue OF bishops, who have been
continued down from century to century,
might be augmented to amostan indefinite
extent were it necessary, but those alrea-
dy adduced, we should think, are sufficient
To establish the fact Of the particular regi-
men OF the apostolic church being Episco-
pal. We will, however, thai the fact may
ae placed beyond dlsputation,produoe ano-
lher author, whose opinion ON the merits
o. Eplscopacy, 10 divine origin, IS cnti-
Jed to the highest respect, and we shall
hen have donewith this part Of the subject.
Doctor Buchanan Informs us, in his account
oil the condition IN which he found the Sy~
ran Church, that, the history of that
church Is traced back to the church OF An
tloch, where disciples were first called
christians. That they never had had the
least intercourse with Rome, and had me-
yer heard Of such person as a Pope, be-
lore the 10th century, although in this
church were found, bishops, priests and
deacons. An eloquent divine remarks on
tins account of the Doctor that, here
then are two churches, existing for sixteen
centuries, IN quarters OF the world far reno
we'd from each other--nay, even without
The nations in which they were respectively
situated, having amy commerce together /;
and yet both tracing their history back to
Christ aud his aposlcs-both maintaining
the same regimen Of church order, and both
claiming to receive ii by transmission from
Christ.-ln short we here Gnd the same
church existing for ages, in quarters of the
globe widely separated not only, but which
have had no intercourse with each other
his is a fact to prove the divine origin of
Eplscspecy, which no sophistry can evade,
and " Inch no one will have the hardhood
to gainsay."*
Having now, as we trust, shown that z
plscopacy commenced long before . the I'd
and Sd centuries Menus assertion must
fall to the ground. We shall, therefore,
proceed to his other,that, ats yotaries say,
you must come within our pale oryou stand
ON a footing with the heather. Whittier
Momus went to coniure up this monstrous
idea have not been able TO learn.-If it
could be shown to be any thing more finn