New-York daily tribune., 1844-01-12
VGL. EEs. NO. 237.

who distinctly denied it, and VIII ole Churches,
the Waldensian for instance, winch always re-
fused even to admit the element Of Prelacy INTO
their constitutions and all this long before the
glorious Reformation THIS is unqucstonable
but that the reader may not rely upon the asser-
ton Of enc who. lie may suppose, +" uses words
at random | will quote, from disInterested
witness, a single sentence; | vii! sit the au.
thorty Of the learned Preatc Stiilingieet over
against that Of Or. Wainwright. These are his
words: q do despair OF finding any one single
testimony IN ali antiquity, which doth IN plain
terms assert eplscopacy as it was settled by the
practice of the primitive Church, in ages follow
lng the Apostles, TO be Of uaaltcra5te djcine
right" So much for the g unchallcngcd, undis-
puted' antiquity and universally Of your motto.
Bat leaving these things for future consldera-
ton, proceed 10 the most alarming part OF your
last comInuncaton--i mean that IN which am
warned, in capital letters, Of q horned dilemma
winch is gorlng me. 1t may be obtuscness IN
me, bat | confess do not see these tremendous
horns.
Ny q modest call for your own definition of
the terms of proposition which you volunteered
to maintain and which is the basis of this dis
cussion was dictated by the wish TO put our read
crs in possession of your meaning in your own
their meaning. The proposition is capable of
tlco senses; but from the very circumstances IN
which you announced it, am myself at no loss
as to your real meaning. But | have heretofore
imagined that no discussion could be carried Oh
without a mutual understanding as to the sense
in which the parties mean to use the principal
terms and phrases How long is it since this ap
parentIy indispensable preliminary has been ex-
plunged from the laws Of debate
WHY you should manifest a reluctance F." to
commence the discussion by defining your terms, :"
which is all asked of you, is more than | will
undertake to explain. But as you decline dong
this, and IS must contrve some way oi coming
TO an understanding as to the true stnfu$ quGS
tioniS, and the sense which our readers are to
fix to It's terms, propose to waive even this right,
and to 90 your work for you, rather than TO waste
time in an idle war Of words. In dong THIS /
shall at the same ,TRc state wherein your detlnl-
tons and mine differ in meaning.
First: What is the meaning of the word
CHURCH IN your proposition am quite wiling
20 take The definition Of your own articles which
is as follows The visible Church Of Christ is
a congregation OF faithful men, in WHICH the pure
word Of God is preached, and the sacraments be
duly minislcred according to Chrlst's ordinance,
in all things that Of necessity are requisite to the
sane"-Art. l9. This, however, does not fully
express the hig!,-Church claims !nasmuch as It
does not declare, Gas it ought, II the doctrlnc Of
monopoly were true thatthcre cannot be a congrc
CATION Of faithful men, and that the true word OF
God c1nn0t be preached nor the sacramentS GaIy
administered, &c, except under . The regimen OF
Prciates.' This the trainers OF your articles stu
dotlsly avoided saying, ior II Is We'll known That
the English Rciormcrs fratcmzcd with the lie
formed Churches of the continent OF Europe
Since the time of Laud, however, the " ne Pre-
late, no Church. dogma has been held by an m
crcasing number Of your communion, with more
or less camcstness, although never without re-
sistancc upon the part of others, until it must be
admitted that at the present time there IS proba-
bly a majority OF Anglican and American Prclat-
lists, who hold the extreme views and MAINTAIN
tina, Prelacv s-not simply scriptural and use
full, and therefore the best model Of ecclesiastical
poty-but essential 10 the uery being of a
Church.
OF this number you are one; and the follow
ing is the gloss YOU must put upon your Church
article Just quoted. The Church is a congrcga
ton OF faithful men, and the pure word of God is
preached in it, and it alone has the sacramcnts
duly administered because IL has Pre!ates
through whom, as the delegates of Christ, and
the direct successors of the Apostles, tho inferior
orders Of the ministry receive right to preach
aad grace to administer Christian ordinances el-
ticaciousy In other words, the statements OF
these extreme Prelatis:s warrant IN saying that
though men may believe, teach and practice dH
else contained in the word of Sod, yet they
reject Prclacy, they arc not IN the Church OF
God at all, and if saved at all, (of which some
speak hopefully, but others doubtlnliy,) must be
saved ." as by fire, upon some undcfnable prin-
ciples of mercy upon which nothing that is SAID
in the Gospel will Justify them in relying.
Do | misrepresent your views of the lndlspcn-
sablcncss of Prelacy to the very existence of
Church If so, YOU could have prevented the
possibility of Misrepresentation, had you, accord
mo to nv reasonable call, defined your terms in
your own language This you still do.
Secondly: What is the definition of the office
and functions of g BlsHor?"
In your theory a Bishop is the highest of three
grades of clergy bishops, priests and deacons.
He is set over a particular section or diocese, as
It's ecclesiastical head, and is invested with GER
tain exclusive rights which rights are thus stated
by q Prelate: The right to ordaln and confirm,
that of general supervision IN diocese ana that
| Of the chief administration of discipline; besides
enioving all the powers of the ether grades. =
| DIR H. U. Onderdonk.) In virtue OF the last
two Of these rights, expressed with an INDEFINITE
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES which we will examine at q
subsequent stage in the discussion, the Prelate
has been known even to claim control over the
proceedings and minutes of q convention.
Farther, in order to the right institution Of !" a
Bishop" in your sense of the term, he must have
received his ordination from other prelates, and
they again from Others, 50 that an unbroken cham
NAV convey the Episcopal grace from the Apos-
ties themselves. This is the far-tamed Apostol-
ical succession, of which so much has been made
of late wears. Why this chain is considered OF