Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-05-17
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH,
Wutseat dr tAe Fayetteville Observer.
A Novelty that is NOT a Novelty,


MO- VII.
(Our last though so much pro.
lopged, was rather closed in the
midst Of the subject, but it was una
voidable.)
Is it objected that this is an exclu-
sive claim on the part Of a compar-
atively small minority of christen.
dom? To this let it be answered,
that for fifteen hundred years from
The apostles there iUas no other min.
istry in the Christian Church.
Wherever the church existed there
we're these three orders: Bishops,
Priests and Deacons, claiming to
come from the apostles. But it may
b asked: Whatrelation does Episco.
pscy bear to other forms ofministrya:
the present time2' In reply we would
say, that if it we're IN We minority
il point Of numbers, that fact could
BIZ no possibility affect its claim to
apostolic authority. The popular
MI in particular locality cannot
chaDge the principles Of truth
PTinciples are not like politicians,
made and unmade by majority Of
voices. There are in the world at
this time not Mr from two hundred
Millions Of people who bear the
the christian name. OF this num-
bercne hundred and eighty millions
acknowledge the authority Of the
spo>folis ministry of Bishops, Priests
and Deacons. 1t then appears that
foo1.fifths of christendom retain the
ministry as the apostles established
it, pnd as the whole church retained
ii lof fifteen hundred years. 1t may
be Injected that such a view Of thu
ministry is an acknowledgment that
the Romish and Greek communions
have The apostolic ministry and are
therefore churchessdf Christ. w
aver hat they are christian churches
holding more or less Of error. Blu,
their errors do not vitiate their or
ders. Their abuse of the ministerial
commission does not annibilate thai
commission. As has been said, tn.
Scribek and Pharisees were so COZ
rupt IN doctrine and life, that th,
Saviour likened them "to whitet
sepulohres full Of all uncleanness,
and yet, in his day, they sat il
Moses seat, and by his com mant
his disciples we're required to recog
nize their divine commission, while
they were to be careful to avoid tb,
contamination OF their evil example
Baalsm Was a wicked man, but I
trusP Prophet. Nun XXlIto XIV
aqd XXI: 16.) The sons Of Eli
bad as they we're ceased. not to b.
Priests. q Sam: II chap. ~
/. Itmay be asked if our P1otestan
Priesthood is not indebted for its ex
istence to q reformation brought
about by Henry the VII to CRAFTY
his ov6 wicked passions? Suppose
ne admit all this, what them
"Henry Vas an agent in effectine
this great work; still the workman il
not the Eork. The Temple o.
Solomon MS constructed with cedars
of Lebanon hewn by workmen o.
heather Ire. John did not please
God, but 81 reformation did. Neb.
uohadnexxet aud Ahasneus were
idolatroue ut their edicts for Gods
service wel religious. The Temple
in which ON Lord was presented,
had been stpaired by the impious
and cruel Acrad who sought the
Lords liz So in the matter Of
the reforms on, the character Of the
agency did Ut affect the integrity
Of the work itself. There are not
few We might say for want Of prop.
or iDformatioA who regard the Epis-
copal church. but q slight remove
from the Honan Catholic church.
While otbels perhape little less
bigosed Coz 1scend to confess, that
while ours i something Of an i'm.
provement ~ the papal commun-
ion, yet wee the legitimate off
spring Of us mistress of abomina-
TONS, and y the lineaments Of
the scarlet Their in our counte-
nances quite = distinctly, to have
any doubt x onr pedigree, In re-
ply permit ne only to say, that oars
is a Protsstpnt ehurch in the most
comprehensive 1ense Of that term.
It did pot q ate from the paSl
communion. is no offspring ..
Rome. ASH en previously shown
the English d eh had an existence
five hundred before the Roman
Catholic mige' aries visited the