Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1855-05-23
For the Advertiser.
APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION NO. Q.


APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION NO. Q.
Mr.. EDITOR :-Ilavng disclanled all prctensions
to originality ard desiring neither victory nor fame
upon this matter but simply to elicit the truth,
shall use the thoughts and the words of others
whenever think them better than my own.
This is matter upon which have spent many
anxious thoughts in my inquiries whether there be
at this time on earth visible authoritative body of
teachers Of the revealed law Of God, in the Apos-
toic succession, without which faith is impossible
and in6delity inevitable!
In our first article "we proved, rs we think, from
scripture the first part Of our proposition. Wewl
undertake to show the same from positive necessity
We proceed By the Church we understand,
when taken in its widest sense without any limita-
ton of space or time, the whole of the Lords fmi-
ly the whole congregation Of the faithful united in
the true worship of God under Christ the head. In
this sense it comprchends the faithful OF the Old
Testament, not only thosc belonging to the syna-
gogue, but also those out OF it, as JOB, Nlelchese-
deck, &C., the bcst-evcn the angels in heaven,
and those on the way.
AS eomprehending the blcst in heaven, i is call
cd the Church Triumphant; believers on the way,
Church Militant; not that these are different
churches but different states Of one and the same
Church
But the question before us turns on the Church
Militant, in which we must distinguish between the
ccclcsia credens, the congregation Of the faithfn
and the ccclesia dozens, or congregation of pastors
and teachers, referred to in preceding article.
But the church as the simple congregation OF be-
levers, taken exclusively as bcliercrs, not visi
bic organization, nor an authoritative body. The
authority Of the church in this sense is fc,ion-a
mischevous fiction, the history Of our religious
sects for these hundred years Of their exirtencc
sufficiently establishes.
When we contend for the church as visible, au-
thoritativc body or corporation, we mean the body
Of pastors and tcachers-the ministry rs we say.
The question before us turns on this ecclesia do
cens Has our blessed Saviour established body Of
teachers for his Church, that is for the consrega-
ton Of the faithful Has he given them authority
To teach and govern unto the ccnsummaton OF all
days7
Asa matter Of course we take it for granted that
our Friend admits or intends to admit the Divine
origin and authority of The christian religion, and
that the name Of Jesus is the only name given
under heaven among men whereby we must be
saved" 1t would b. discourtcous therefore on our
part to reason with him as we would with jew,
Pagan, Mohomet,n or Inficl. We assume, there
fre that he holds or intends to hold that the gospel
Of our Lord Jesus Christ is the only law Of life,
without obedience to which no one can be saved.
The Church comprehends the followers of Christ.
No one who is not in the church is q follower OF
Christ If the gospel Of Christ be the only law OF
life no one not follower of Christ be saved and
consequently no one not member of the Church
of Christian be sared To deny this is to jrct
christianity altogether, or TO fall into complete ind-
ferency. If men can be saved Or be acceptable 10
their Maker in one religion well as in another,
wherein is one preferable to another7 If the
christian releration was not necessary to our saliva
ton, why was it given US, and why are we called up
on to believe and obey it2 Why did God send his
only bcgottcn Son to make it, and why was it de-
clarcd to be Of such inesiimable value 10 us II
our blessed Savior taught tha, salvation is attanable
in all religions, or in any religion but his own, why
were the Apostles so cnraptured with the Gospel,
and why did they make such sacrifices for its pro-
mulgation2 If they had not been taught to regard
it as the only way to salvation, their conduct is un-
accountable; and il it be not the only way to saliva
ton they aud their Master be regarded only rs
a company OF deuded fanatics, whose labors, sa-
criices and cruel deaths may indeed excite our
pity but cannot command our respect. We pre-
sumo our friend concurs with US in oil this, and
therefore VIC shall presume that he holds with us,
that all mankind are bound to worship God, that
there is one true way Of worshippng God, and
therefore but one true religion and that this true re-
ligion is the Christian religion.
He who does not admit this can by no allowable
stretch Of courtesy be called Christian. lh's
promised, we proceed.
In order to be saved, to enter into life or to be-
come acceptable to God, one must be Christian.
To be Christian one must be beticrer. No one
one is Christian who is not follower of Christ.
Every follower Of Christ is member Of the church
Of Christ, and the members Of the church Of Christ
arc company of believers. Therefore christian
must be a believer He who is a believer is be-
lever because he believes something. Therefore
in order to be christian it is necessary to believe
something.
Christ was commissioned by Almighty God to
teach and to teach the truth But one cannot be
said to be follower of teacher unles he believes
what the teacher teaches This Is further evident
from the Holy Scriptures" For without faith 1t Is
impossible to please God," Heb. II ch. I" He that
believeth and is baptsed shall be saved; but he that
believeth not shall be condemned" st. Mark, l6
chapter.
This is sufficient to establish that in order to be
Christian it is necessary to be believer, that is to
believe somcuhat This somsphat which is to be