Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1853-06-18
Priesthood and Kingship.


Rev. George Bush, in his .Ne,C Church Re.
PostOLy for the current month, has n iaborcd
essay on the Priesthood aud Kingship,n
which arrives Mt the conclusion thui there
should he no Priesthood or consecrnted Min
istry in tbe Christian Church. Here is lis
most material paragraph:
awe have thus exhibited, in strong relief
all the more important passages usually cited
MS nilording warrant for the institution of n
Priesthood or Clergy, comprising an order ut
men distinct from the sO-cRled laity. To
our own mind, the proof whether from the
Word or the writings OF the New Church, is
utterly wanting of the intended eyistcnce of
any such class of men in the Christian
Church, and we do not therefore hesitate to
consider the whole sncerdoiul order, us nt
present established, both in the Old Church
nnd the New, as q stupendous fnlsity, replete
with tendencies of the most perniciOus char
ncter TO the interests of the Lords kingdom.
We are constrained by whit we consider the
strctest logical necessity, TO deny the valid
ity of the claims set up ia behalf Of n sepa-
rute clerical caste, while at the same time,
we leave intact a leading or teaching function
in the Church, and one, too, that is TO lio eX-
ercsed by the men of the Church. There
is a true Ministry--nOt Clergy--in the Lords
Church on the earth, consisting of those who,
in accordance with the representative char
Hcter of the ancient Lcvites, are POSSESSED Of
the endowmeniS OF spiritual love, enliglcn-
ed intelligence, and active charity, which
shall enable them 10 exercise Il kindly pas
toral Office towards the lambs OF the flock
that naturally turn to their feeding hand.
Every other form Of priesthood we are forced
10 regard not Ouly ms an Christian usur-
patton, but Ms having the effect of an organic
| hyperhropy in the Lords mystical body.
| BY attracting to Itself mn Over-me0sure OF vi
tai influx, il will rob the other portions of
the system of their spiritual inncrvation, and
paralysis of the members will be very
certain to ensue. How much Of enlightened
! disrernment indeed, is even now requisite
| in order to perceive that the brond line OF
distinction held TO exist between clergy and
laity, acts disnstronsly upon the interior life
of the church by discharging the great mass
of It's members from that degree of respon-
sibility which properly pertains to every one
without eXcepion? What is more evident
than that the fact of having an individual
| sanrirL and set apart TO preside over the
spiritual interests OF Society, operates us n
rclense to the bulk of the members from any
duty but that OF punctunly paying their sub
| scTiptOps anu slttng deN1uly ~ lhclf seats
| from Sabbath TO Sabbath, receiving with
Guiet assent whatever is dealt out TO them.
! The practical working of the system is pre-
| cisely such as to confirm the drift OF our the
orelc objections. It goes all along on The
assumption that the actual w0rt essential Ia
| the building up of the church is 10 he per
| formed, not 10y The body collectively, but by
a particular class acting as proxies for thc. rest
Ii we make the analogy of the human body
! the criterion in this matter. il would be as II
! all the organs aud yicera of The trunk should
unite in feeling the brain to perform their
| functions for then, while they should enjoy
an exemption from their appropriate work.
! Is it possible for any one who is accessible TO
! truth TO avoid seeing that this cannot he con
| sisislent with true Divine orderP Ihut
order is well expressed by the Apostle to the
| Gentilcs. "From whom the whole body
"filly Joined together and compacted by that
(which every join, supplietl, according 10
"the eff clual working in tho measure oI
"svery pnrt, maketh increase of tho body Ia
"the edfying OF itself in love" This is the
true model of Christian church or society
and the ends of such an institution can never
bo fully realized ill there be return ilou
the primitive order"
Mr.. Bush may ho quito right in his The
oogy, hut he will nllow us 10 observe thu