Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-05-10

Inc SacrameutS DE uuly miulSteIed,l
according to Christ's ordinances in
all those things, that are of necessity
requisite to the same," 1l9th article
in the Prayer Book there is 1.-The
church Of the living God, the pillar
and ground of the truth" BY what
ever name it may be known, or
whoever may be its members, that
organization is the church Of Christ,
as distinguished from the devices Of
men.
Is it asked how We may be sure
Of ministry of "unbroken success.
ion" from The Apostles, holding and
handing down their commission from
Christ? / answer just as you ans
wer that this Bible has come down
to us "a true copy" of the original
manuscript written by the inspired
pen of the apostles. This Holy
Bible, and the ministerial commission
have been transmitted by the same
hands. They have both been guar
ded by that vigilance Of the church
lin all ages, which warrants the con-
fidence that is now, and ever has
been, entertained by the faithful
every where, in the authenticity Of
that book, which we call the Bible
| 1t has been law Of the church, from
the apostolic age, that the ministerial
commission cans ONLY 0me from
Christ through the apostles in an un-
broken succession. So important
did the church consider, that she
made rule, that at every consecra-
ton of Bishop, there should be
at least three Bishops present, and
Joining in the laying on Of hands, SO
that ifin the course of time, break
should occur in any single line, (Which
has never yet been shown.) there are
others which still hold good. The
burden Of proof lies upon those who.
denying this apostolic succession
assert that there hiss been break. to
show where aud ,chen this break took
place.
1t is sometimes said, that in main.
tanning our theory of the ministry,
we violate the Divine Law Of charity.
Christian charity has nothing to co
with historical facts. The apostolic
commission is purely matter OF
fact. We say, that man must re-
GIVE the minist erial commission
from the grea! head of the church,
through the hands of successor
of the apostles, whose authority to
ordain ministers has come down, 10
unbroken succession, from the apos-
ties, and that this. being the divine
mode of constituting and perpetua-
ting the christian ministry, be who
has such commission, is a lawfully
ordained minister in the church of
Christ. Il We believe this and con-
sistently carry it out without i'm.
pugning the motives Of those who
differ from US, We surely cannot be
rightfnlly charged with violating the
christian law of love.
Many persons seem to have very
indistinet if not very confused notions
as to what constitutes a minister
Permit me to ask how much truth it
takes to make a minister and bow
much error it takes TO unmake him?
At APPOINT Of the upward scale of
orthodoxy does bis ministerial COM
mission come into being. and mhat
degree of the downward scale of
heterodoxy. does it go out of being?
Who is to be the judge of this? Where
the standard? Who to graduate the
standard? If every christian man is
to do this for himself, then il is every
cbristian mans prerogative, TO make
and unnlake ministers A his own
will and pleasure. Who is competeet
to 60 through this country and say,
according to This rule, this man is a
minister Of the Lord and has the
authority Of the living God TO preach
the gospel of bis Son and that
preacher is not a christian minister,
and has no authority to preach and
baptize? There must be different
mode of determining the question.
That mode We believe to be the rule |
of the apostolic succession, which
obtained every where for fifteen hum
dred years, and which obtains very
generally now. EpIscoPAs.
Fatal WHlsKEY DUEL On Mon
day last, German and an Irishman,
at Muskegon, Michigan, obtained