American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1855-06-14

r. TT f7Id' .l7f 4l,NlH -gdElI ,'i4 -pDu0
.Ii..'' l,., 2 r .r, {, LETTER X. ''ioanl eo'
| Mr DEAR ,sIRs-I have with all frank
ness and honesty stated to You the reasons
(which yet preyen! me from returning TO
4 the pale, of your church. And although
! have stated but five, which arc, scarcely
latithe ofthose that press themselves for
ward for utterance, yet, if not 10 you, they
are TO myself and-I think, are to all unbi-
assed minds entirely sulicipt. ] have even
the faith to believe that you yourself will
deem them sufficient; and that We're il not
for the peculiarly Of your position, and
yopE plited oath, to sustain your church,
fright or wrong, that they would have the
same effect upon your mind and conduct
that they have upon minesaf .ref.i ..,.
Whilst reviewing and weighing these
reasons, the questions have arisen before
my mind, Is the Roman Catholic, church
of Christ? Has it SO far departed from
the truth, or 50 grieyopsly Ragygled it, as
to forfeit allclaim to that ti.le? These are
Questions of great import. which | will not
undertake to decide, But / wish 10, state
10 you, in the present letter, how some
things bearing on the questions strike me,
and then will submit the decision of them
to yourself, To this, surely you will make
no objection. "a. r,r.+. b. s.-r.. s.-.,
The externalorgauizatiou of your church
is obvious y not that taught by Cbristand
his Apostles. AS to this matter, every
thing in theiBibles simple. The kingdom
of Christ issnot of outward observation
its seat is in the hearts and affections of
men--its elements are righteousness, and
peace, and JOY in the Holy Ghost The
great object Of the Apostles and first preach
ers ofthe doctrines of Christ was to win
men Ito the belief and TO the practice oflhe
truth. When men believe the truth, they
were baptized, and were thus introduced
into the communion of the saints; and not
word is said about popes, patriarchs,
cardinals, metropolians, prelateS, ofthe
duty Of implicit obedience TO their autl.ori-
ty. There is government enjoined, but
tits as free and as simple as one can well
conceive;whilst yours is as despotic, and
as absurdly pompous as one can well imag
inc. AS your external organization snot
taught,in the Bible, where did you getit?
The answer to this question 10 my mind
is plain. AS the early Church advanced
in numbers, influence, and wealth, it grad
ually losttlIe martyr spirit of its founders.
Its ministers became corrupt, secular, and
ambitious. BY degrees, bishops, from an
office, became an order. As Rome was
tho metropolis of the world, and il was
thereEthat the greatest number of martyrs
had shed their blood, the pishop of the me-
tropolitan city soon became preeminent a.
mohg his brethren. Now the State sought
the influence of the church to assist in
maintaining its authority; and the church
sought the influence of the State to assist in
building up its ghostly dominion. Each
yielded to the request of theother The
church rapidly extended; and the ambi-
tion of priests conceived the idea OF gov
erning it after the model of the state
Rome must be the centre Of ecclesiastical
as of civil power. The State had its Ce-
sar,--the church must have its pope
Caesar had his governors of provinces,-
the pope must have his partriarchs. The
governors had their subordinates and these
fgain theirs, down to the very lowest office;
so that the patriarchs had their arch
bishops; these their bishops; and these
their priests; and so.down tothe very low
est office in the church. As in the State
all civil authority, cmanated from Caesar,
and all disputes were finally referable to
him; SO in the church all ecclesiastical au-
thority emanated from the pope, and he
was made the final Judge ofall disputes. -
Here, sir, is the origin Of your ecclesias,
tical government. And did the limits of
a letter permit, could run out this paral-
lei into some details which even TO YOU
would be striking and confounding. Your
ecclesiastical organization has. Just the
same divine warrant that that of Mahome
danism, or Hindooism has,-nGod permits
it. The Roman Empire has passed away;
ages ago its mangIed limbs were strewn
overst6e earth. Butin that ecclesiastical
organization called Popery, we have the
living model of that form of government
by which the Caesars bound the nations of
the earth to their thrones; aud by which
theywere enabled TO crush, at theexuemes
of the world, every effort to break the, yoke
ofservitude. .e,yH Ea' ,Nell 9.T @
4 How far all this bears upon the ques
ton, whether yours is church of Christ,
Isubmitto your candid dccision.i When
weighing this matter, Iwould entreatyou
not to ieopardize your standing as a schol-
ar and as a man OF sense, by any reference
to, "Thou art Peter, and upon this rock |
build my church" Leavelthat thing to
the boysfrom' Maynooth, with long coats
and short brains. u'3, J SEQ sr! p.~
= The forms and method Of your public
worship are obviously notthosc taughtus
in the. Bible. enter your chtrch, Saint
'Patrick's, to worship Godh 1 am ircquir-
ed to sprinkle myself with Holy Water,
and to make on mysefthe sign. .ofthe cross,
Aud why or for what purpose? That !
may be defended from uncleau' spirits |
look around me, and see forest of can
dies burning upon the alter. And for what
purpose? where is this commanded? |
see people counting their beads and pray
I'M before pictures.ad Whereis this taught?
Now comes out apriest in his robes en-
broidered with crosses. Did Peter Or