Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-04-26
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
W'ftten far the Fayetteville Observer.
A Novelty that is NOT a Novelty.


MO- w.
In the NV Testament, the word
Bishop" which means an 'overseer,
is applied to the second order of the
ministry interchangably with the
word "presbyter." Very soon after
the death Of the frs. apostles, this
title Bishop was applied to the
order of the apostles, or tie highest
grade of the ministry leaving che orig
inal title Of apostle to designateth
who we're eye witnesses of Christ S
resurrection. Within ten yesrs after
the death of st. John. who died A.
D. 100, the three orders of the min.
istry we're designated Bishops,
Priests, and DeaeOns. Ignatius who
was disciple Of ST. John, and who
was made Bishop of Antioch, by
apostles then living, and who sealed
bis faith 10 the blood Of martyrdom,
in less than ten years after the death
Of st John, thus speaks: "attend to
the Bishop and to the Presbytery
and to the Deacon. Wakes Ig,
PIP. 21S, 2l9, 227.
The church rapidly spread in
Asia, Africa and Europe ST.
Thomas, it is said. travelled as far
east as India. St. Mark preached in
Egypt, and founded the church at
Alexandria. ST. Peter, carried the
gospel to various parts ofsAsia, and
may have visited Rome. St. Paul
not only preached the gospel in
Greece and Rome and Spain, hu. it
is believed he planted the standard
of the cross III the Island Of Britain.
During be first three centuries the
church grew rapidly. and continued
comparatively pure wherever found,
and b. whatever people embraced, it
had the word, the sacraments, and
the thrce-fold ministry, with It's COM
mission, claiming to have the seal of
the Apostles. By these divine Gre
dentials it was everywhere recog-
nized and submitted 10 as ''tbe church
of the living God-the pillar and
ground Of the truth" Such were
the distinctive features of this king
dom that no one who was looking
for It, could possibly mistake ii; and
ON considerable body Of men had as
yet the presumption to put asunder
what Chris, had joined together
After the conversion Of the En-
peror Constantine, in the fourth GEN.
tury, the church began to receive
the smiles Of the world. and the
patronage of the State, and then it
begap to decline in goodness.
Thus far the church had its own
bishops, and these were essentially
independent of each other. The
churches in Asia, Africa, Gaul, Spain,
and Britain were Of au equality, and
all of them were independent of
Rome. The Bishop Of Rome met
other bishops Of the church in coun-
ellis, without having or claiming any
superiority. 1t was not until the
seuenh century that the Bishop Of
Rome, having stcalthily assumed
powers that did not belong to him,
was ackno wledged by the Western
churches as supreme, and not even
then without sharp opposition. The
papal supremacy WAS there, and has
ever since been rejected by the Greek
and Oriental churches. Ilenceforth
there was great division in the
christian church. Asia and the cas-.
iof Europe including Greece, and the
northeastern part Of Africa were on
the one side, and known as the GREEK
CHURCH; and Europe from Austria
westward, was on the other side. and
known as the LATIN CHURCH.
The Church of England was found
ed, probably, in the Apostolic Age,
and, it is said, by the labors Of st.
Paul. In common with other church.
es 1t maintained its ind pendence of
the Church of Rome for more than
five centuries. 1t had The word, the
sacraments, and the three fold minis
try: Bishops, Priests, aud Deaeons.
1t denied the succession, not from
the Church Of Rome, but from the
apostles, through the Bishops of fries
and Lyons, and the .4siatie Bishops.
The British Church thus continued,
until the time of the Saxon invasion.
After that event, the Romish Church
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