The Yazoo Democrat., 1854-04-12
The "Church Herald" and Rev
Mr.. Abbey.

SIR in your paper Of the 29th ult., the Rev.
Mr. Abbey, published letter, addressed to us.
which we declined publishing, and in which
he saws we charged him " in terms broad and
plain, with misquoting from Jerome" In the
other passage. after stating what Mr.. Abbey
quoted, he also on the same page and in connec-
ton with, stated, :" Afterwards, indeed, when
each thought those he baptised were his, not
Christs, il was decreed through the whole world
that one chosen from the presbyters should be /
put above the rest to whom all the Church i
should belong, aud the seeds of schism taken
away" Now Mr.. Abbey omitted both the quail.
fcations of Jerome himself. They were inpor
tant. because they proved the superiority of the
Bishop over the Presbyter. In the one, Jerome
put them on equality, except in the matter Of
order.
His quotation was thus "a Presbyter is therp.
fore the same as Bishop" "Before through
the instigation OF the devil there were different
parties in religion, and it was said among differ
ent people, am Of Paul, | am Apollos, and Of
|Cephas, the churches were governed, by a COM
mon council of Presbyters." (Abbeys Letters,
PIP. %. This was all he quoted. Now we ask
you, in justice to truth, to publish the precise
words of Jerome. Wequote them below Uer-
batim We have marked in italics the impor-
tant exceptions made BY Jerome himself in both
passages. The omissi of these exceptions. By
Mr.. Abbey. made his quotation prove, what
was his then present purpose" to wit: that.
according to Jerome, there was no difference as
to power, between Bishops and Presbyters.-
Bat when all OF Jerome is quoted. he proves di-
rectlv the reverse. We do not charge Mr.. A. with
Intentionally mIsquoiing, but when his error
is clearly pointed ont. he ought not, upon Chris
tian principles, to insist upon it. He mlsquo-
ted Ignatius also, by eGUing out that part uOhich
prov4a the superiority Of the Bishop. This We
pr we'd. but he said he only quoted enough to
prove his ''tken present purpose This was We
nv candid. but truth should never be sacrificed
or garbled for "any purpose" Here is what Je-
r,me says:
First Pdragrdph.-vol z. page 562. of the
PaFisian republication of the BeneLiciiue Faith
ers, in his comment on Titus, chap. !, yer. 5,
Jerome says as follows:
'Let us attend diligently 10 the words Of the
Apostle, saying that ThAO-mayest oFdain elders
in every city, as ! have appointed thee who
dseoursing in what follows, what sort of a
presbyter ought to be ordained, says thus Ii
any be blameless the husband of one wife, &c
afterwards adds, For Bishop must be blame
less as the Steward Of God. A Presbytef, there
fore is the same as a Bishop, and before there
were, by the devils instigation, parties in reli
gion, and ii was said among the people, am at
Paul, of Apollos, and of Cephas, q Cor. ],
| l2) the churches were governed By common
council of PresbyterS. Afterwards, indeed,
sche each thought those he baptized lcere his. not
Christs 1t 1cGs decreed through the ichoie to0yld
that one chosen from the presbyters should be put
above the rest to lchom all the care Of the Church
should belong. and the seeds of schisl taken aa0ay.
Should any one think that 1t is not the view OF
the Scriptures, but our own. that Bishup and
Presbyter are the same, and that one is the name
of age the other of office let him read the words
Of the Apostles t. the Philippians saying. Paul
and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ, to all
the saints In Christ Jesus, that are at Philippi,
with the bishops and deacons, grace be unto you,
and peace (Phillippi. /, I2.) and so forth
Phillippi is city OF Macedonia, and certainly
/ in one CITY there could not be more bishops, as
they are now called. But at that time they cali
/ led those bishops whom they called presbyers: I:
therefore. he speaks indiferently Of bishops as
Of presbyiersr."
| Second Paragraph. h.-Epistola 146, Alias IS.
| Ad Evaugelum, vol. J. 1894:
But that afterwards one was chosen who
should be above the rest, was done as a remedy
against schism lest each drawing the Church Of
Christ to himself should break il in pieces. For
at Alexandra from the Evangelist Mark to He
racles and Dionysus the Bishops, the Presby.ers
always chose one from among them, placed in
higher grade. named him Bishop, like an army
should make an Emperor, or deacons should
choose one Of themselves. whom they know ss
most Industrious and call him Arch deacon
For Dhat can Bishop do ordination excepted,
that Presbyter cannot?
Had Mr.. Abbey waited for our edition of tho
3lst ult., he might have been spared the effusion
which has called forth this reply.
EDITORS OF HERALD.
VlcKsBURG. April 6, l "a.