New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1844-01-27

hrt upon the tact tnaL IL 10 SUBSTANTIALLY
to Apostolic practice, and that 1t is lmpueo VIA
the Apostolic spirit The call to It consists pm
,nariIv in the possession of sincere desire to ao-
vance the cause of evangelic truth and righteous
ness; secondly, in the possession OF the requisite
intellectual gifts and qualifications Tor TINS poG-
pose and thirdly in the voice of the people lsiV''-
| mo the individual to exercise those QuaiihcauoIs
| in their behalf Ordination IS the pubic recog-
milton of such an individual as the possessor OF
such call, and does not invest nm WIN any
! sacramental and mysterious virtues which he did
not before nossess. Every denomination, fer the
simple purpose OF securing order, and preventing
the intrusion among them OF persons who give no
nroof of possessing such call as the one Just des-
cribed has made its own arrangements, as 1t has
an undoubted right to do, provided It's rules be II
substantial and designed conformity with what
they believe to be the principles and spirit oi the
Gospel. This is, IN thcl sense OF the words,
Iu,ctui ordination, conccrTnng wil.ch you say so
much II the reader Of these letters wishes to see
the subject fully and ably treated, beg leave TO
recommend to his perusal the work OF The present
incumbent of the Archlepiscopal see OF Dublin,
| DR.. Whatelv, entitled ''Thc Kingdom OF Christ.
Enough now to repeat, that a succession OF
individuals, beginning with the Apostles and de-
scendng TO the present times, does not. OF ltseli,
! I
make any set of functlonares an Apostoical or
dvinely appointed ministry, for reasons gave
in nv last, and to which you have not replied
Let us ina CINE the possibility that at the pcrloa
when the Reformation shook the throne OF tie
great spiritual despotism which had so long ana
wckedly usurped the holy name OF the Cathol'c
Church not one OF the prelatcs or priests OF that
vast ncorpation of anti Christian errors had come
ont of its bosom. Instead ola number of ordaln
cd D,iests. such as Luther let us suppose some
noble hearted layman had had first lighted the
fame of reform, and had gathered multtudes of
Christians around the renstated Word of God,
would it not have been the right and duty OF
those believers to organize themselves as a
Church Of Jesus Christ, and to appoint and invest
ministers to discharge ministerial duties for them?
To deny this would be to say that that there IS no
remedy against essential error. You may reply
that this is another extreme CASE and thatlt should
not be considered as establishing a rule; but 1t
certainly establishes principle, and that prlncl-
pie is the very one ia debate, VIZ that there may
be, without a succession OF individuals, true,
evanpelic. dyinely appointed and lawfully ordan-
ed ministry Of the Gospel But must refer the
reader again to my last letter. rs containing my
views upon this point more at large, reservlng
farther and even more impressive considerations
|
evading the real ISSUE you shall have given your
answer to my first Scriptural argument.
Let me then, state the true issue, once more.
You have asserted-not merely that ministry,
and divinely appointed ministry, is essential to
the Church. but that it must be pretahcatlnn
intry so that without prejacy there is no Church,
and Of course (as have shown and as your WIZ
tiers Affirm covenanted spiritual mercles and
no warranted hope of Heaven. On the contrary
have denied that any one particular way OF Sc
lecting and designating the persons who are 10
fill the office is essential to the existence Of the
: Church. This is my first answer to the un-
churchlng dogma. pray you then come to this
point, without any further attcmptto show that
you understand Presbyterianism better than | do
, myself. Come to it boldly, and prove if
you can that it COMFORTS with the spir-
ituality of the Gospel to exalt as you do,
a matter of external order into an ESSENTIAL
Come to it, and explain why, if prelacy be pital
element in the Church of Cod there has not been
a uniformly divine and practical testimony given
to it exclusively; SO that none should be left i'll
doubt that the blessing of God rested upon your
mnstrations only. Come to the point, and show
.tor you are bound to do So that preacy has in
variably proved itself to be the only channel of
spiritual benefits to mankind that it alone has
exempied the truth in the lives of its adhercnts;
that it has promoted the peace and unity and pu-
rlty of Christendom, so infinitely beyond any
other system from which it has been discarded as
to demonstrate, not only that it is right, but
sental. In word, come to the point, and prove
that, like Gdeon's fleece, the dewS Of the grace
of Heaven have fallen only upon preaucal Rome,
preatcal Austria, prelatcal Russia, prelaticai
England and America, while the rest of Christen-
' dom is perishng in drought.
Prove these things, and your claims are cstah-
, lished. We will then no longer question the mo
; desty of your monopoly of the name and rights Of
the Christian Church. You may then call your
comparatively contracted denomination The
CHURCH, and yourself, par ercelience, CHURCH.
MEN Nay, preate may propose, Gas | under
stand one has actually done,) to drop the words
Protestant Episcopal from your style and title,
and you may publish list of your prclates in the
Dioceses OF THE CHURCH OF TIE UNITED STATES. X
In q word, prove that there can be a Church
without aprelate,' and pledge myself that we VIII
/, one and all hring-what one OF your number has
caed-our .fOrge9 commissions, and lay them ct
your feet.
But until then be assured that your claims viii
be none the more readily conceded because they
are loudly asserted; on the contrary, every open
assault like that which originated this discussion,
Will be met with promptness and repelled. If
your hands are found to be against every man, do
not wonder that every mans hand will be against
you. Selfrespect and the desire to maintain an
unimpeached character as the basis of our use
fulness enjoln the duty of self defence
! Respectfully, your obedien, servtl;,
GEORGE POTTS
See the Church Almanac for lS, published bv the Epis
co9al Tract Society President Ri. hi h-v IT, Ond-l
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