The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-10-29
AN EPIsCoPALIAS.

new molt Oh Niltihk'
AN EPIsCoPALiAN
The following Is the last communication ON
this sui ct that we shall publish
TO the Editors Of he Pi,giHian.
GenHemen---l claim the privilege of inser-
zion for the following, on the principle
which YOU yourselves laid dowo namely
that each party should hive fair hearing.
The superior antiquity ofihe Koman Cath
Ole faith has been denied by an Epscopa-
Ian am no advocate for It's doctrlnes, but
merely bring forward few authorities to
show that It IS at least NJ old as christianity.
Give me the favor demand aud | promise
to trouble You 10 more on the subject.
a SUBSCRIBER.
ron THE stHGIs1AN.
Nhenr writer comes lorwurd with os.er.
" tons false, aud statements erroneous, II il
4" the indispensable dlly OF every one 10 eN-
pose those errors nnd misrepresentation aud
' place themin prop.r point oi view"
IN EDi1opaiina.
In accordance with the above excellent
advice, ! beg leave 10 make few breJ
comments on certain passages of the very
piece from which il is exiracted.-The
learned author states that prrlacy and dio-
cosan eplscopacy originated with the apos-
ties l. e. that tue present form of episcu-
pal church government conventional meet
ings aud blsheprlcks independent except of
the whole originated with the apostles, and
has been continued from them TO the pre-
Sent day. How much credit should be at
tuched 10 this assertion, the following au-
thonlies VIII sufficiently testify. In the
first age or century after Christ, nj the
Counch nfthe Apostles, AT llcrusalem, ST.
Peter prcsd Il, and, after a serious debate
whether the Jewish ceremonies ought TO be
imposed on The 6eutles, he doereed in the
Negative -Sl. Jamcs. Tho Was bishop of
the place, secondng 10y his sentence what
Peter had decrced, "ai the multitude held
their peace and into his Peters sentence,
James the apostle, and all the priests did
pass together. "--.H Heron. EgiSi. 90, adj
Mug. And, in the same lace, he says that
Peter was priaee and author of the de
cree That st Peter translated his chair
from Antioch to Rome, is proved, lst by
bus not having remained IT Antioch, as that
church throughout Acknowledges, nor did she
ever challenge the first chair in any general
council; 2ndly by the DEGREES of Councils
and Fathers, giving the primaoy to the Ro-
man Church and lastly, because Pope
Anthems, ia hc year 2j8, tnearly 100 years
before Popcry, according 10 IN EpiScopo.
han, being asked by the Bishops OF Bet
tea and Toletum, whether il were law
full for A bishop TO be changed from one ci-
~ TO anotherr' answered ailirmatsely, "as
Peter, prince Of the apostles, had changed
from Antioch to Rome" aud st. Gregory
says, he knows no bishop but is subject 10
the Sec of Rome.--Eplst. G2. Ii is clear,
then, that Peter transferred his chair to
Rome that III other Bishops were subor-
dinatc 10 him there's and consequently, that
he was first Chief Pontif or Pope. But
IA EpiscOpdlidn maintains, that, at the
lowest computation, il must have been 32j
years posicrlor TO this period, that the
church chad relapsed into al the horrible
atrocities ofpopery :" that this also is cen
= frdry 10 fact may as easily be proved. In
the third age, Tertulian SAYS, "what be-
heve, received from the present church
the present church from the primitive
that from the apostles the apostles from
Christ. lib, PreScrip, c. 81. In the same
age, Origen-" In our understanding scrip
ture, we must not part from the first eccle-
slaslical tradition, nor believe otherwise
than as the church Of God hath by success
sion.dekyered to us."-27h treatise on III,
S3rd 9f Matt. And, more than two centu.
ries afterwards, St. Augustine says express.
Iy, the succession of priests from the We.
~ seat OF Peter the Apostle, to the prescn,
bishopricks. holds me in the church,t These
authorities (which must be considered in.
disputable) are sufficient TO show how mucl
the assertions OF. An Epi3copoiidn are WORT
With respect te the antiquity of the Roman
Catholic religion. That such should b,
made by one processing due regard fo
truth, aud an acquaintance with the writing
OF the ancient fathers OF the church, woult
BIZ astonishing indeed, if we did not witnes
daily how pre- ddces and partislities bia
the Judgment, and perYeTt the understand
Ing eiea Of the beSt informed.
OMICRON.
Acts.
His own words are these -" Multa SUI
qua, Eeelesie Cetholice gremio me tenent
Tenet coHsersio popuorum atque gentium
tenet Gb ipsa sele PetrL Apostcli cni'pascen
das owes suas posi- rcsurrcctosem Domnu
commemorate usque ad prescntlim Epise6pa
tum successio sacsrdotum. '--.4ug c0nirs EpiSt
Jsaaae.,igl,