Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1860-05-10
THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
Written for the Fayetteville Observer.
A Novelty thai is NOT a Novelty,
NO. VII

At this time there we're but few
members Of the Episcopal church In
the colonies. Nevertheless, several
parishes were organized in New
New York and Virginia.
In Massachusetts, churcbmen felt
the fire of persecution. which Puri-
tan hands had lighted on the shores
of the new world.
Episcopal clergymen we're sent
over from England, and chiefly main
tanned by missionary societies in the
English Church. The parishes here
we're, uomiually, under the care Of
the Bishop Of London. When the
colonies declared their independence
of the mother country. then there
was necessary a5rogation of the
ecclesiastical relations, which the
Episcopal church here sustained to
the Church Of England.
In 1884, the Rev. Seabury was
elected to the Office of Bishop by the
clergy of Connecticut. and was con-
secrated by certain Bishops of Scot
land. Rev. White of Pennsylvania,
Rev. Provost of New York, Rev.
Madison, of Virginia, were conse-
cuted Bishops in England, the first
two in 1877, the latter in 1890.
The organization Of the Episcopal
church in the United States was
thus very soon completed. And here
we're the Word, the Sacraments and
the Ministry, in the three orders Of
Bishops, Priests and DeacOns, in an
unbroken succession from the Apos.
ties. This divine commission has
thus come down to us, from Christ.
1t has to-day the same freshness
and authority it had when St. Paul
ordained Titus with power to oIdaiD
others in like manner.
The Bishops Of the Armenian
Church can trace their ecclesiastical
lineage through archbishop Sheldon,
up through the old English, Italian,
and Irish Episcopate to the Apos.
tolic age. Thus the Protestant
Episcopal church in the United
States claims to be a branch OF "the
church of the living God, the pillar
and ground Of the trnth.'
All will admit that the Church oil
Christ is an entty-it is some where,
and must be known by something
Where is it, and what are the signs
of it! In answer, it is to be found
wherever the word, the ministry and
the sacraments are found. However
it may be with others for whom We
do not speak, We claim these three
The Church of Christ which "He
bought with bis blood" which be
has promised to be with to the end
of the world, is not just what wicked
or even pious men choose TO make
it:-OLe thing in one place and
totally a different thing in another
place. There are men who reject the
Bible deny the word Of God. Are
they the church? O!hers reject the
sacraments, recognize no covenant,
and SO repudiate the seal Of it. Are
they the church? There are some
men who scout the divinity Of Christ,
laugh at his miracles, and talk Of the
coming Of better men than he; are
they the church? Others disbelieve
in any ministry, others pretend to
have revelation of their own, supe-
rior to the Bible the followers of
MahSmmed, Swedenborg. Anne Lee,
Smith. &C., with revelations as con-
Trajectory to each other as they are
all contradictory to the Bible; can
these claim to be the church? .
Can it be that the Saviour, who
knew what is in the human heart,
and who fnresaw 10 what eccentric
forms mans depraved fall would
develop ITSELF shonlG place bis
church in the world as the exclusiive
lRstrumentality for the salvation Of
men, without any infallible marks by
which it might be distinguished from
all things human, and deviish?--I
Such an idea is preposteroos. The
world is as wicked, as rebellious, as
curious, as fond Of novelty and
change as 10 the days Ct Moses and
he Prophets, and the time of Christ
md his apostles. The marks of the
Jewish church were such in that
wicked and adulterous generation,
hat nobody was in danger Of con-
ounding that church with any other