The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1867-12-07

tors will never see the day when that
can be accomplished.
In the fourth place, the words
fully one hundred Of the Bishops
and clergy and lajty Of the Episcopal
Church marc ed into the meeting"
sounds graudly enough, but they are
not the most suitable words for con-
veying the truth and facts in the case.
There were tour a. Bishops out Of
forty four (4D, and, | believe, the
only ones that could possibly be in
duced to appear n such a question
able transaction. IF there were fully
one hundred in all, then the number
of clergy could not have been great,and
probably the most of them were Rec
tors Of parishes in Philadelphia and
vicinity, bat the total of clergy in the
United States is 2.530. With respect
t. the laity, probably the most Of
them were also from Philadelphia, and
how many, both Of clergy and laity,
went from curiosity to the Presbyte
rian Council, we do not know. and
when we reflect that there are 161, 224
communicates, representing, in the
United States, a church attendance
and interest of, at least, So, I20 souls,
the delegation was not so grand after,
all. But when it comes out that 1t
was no delegation; that this Society
has nothing 10 do with any Conven-
ton. Diocesan or General, / don't
see what all this fuss is about.
In the fifth place, Bishop Nell
vain could not have used the Ian
guage attributed to him by the o.
server. Because. if he did, he stated
what he knew was false when he ut
tered it. There was no such commit
rec ever appointed for any such pur-
pose. There is no record of any
such thing on the pages of the jour
nal of any convention, and | greatly
prefer to think the Observer In error,
to believing that one Of our Bishops
would deliberately and knowingly
state an untruth.
Nor conld Bishop Lee have said
what is attributed to him. Because
when he was elevated to his high and
holy Office, he promised before the
Holy Ghost, with all faithful all l.
gence, TO Danish and drive away from
the Church all erroneous and strange
doctrine, contrary 10 Gods Wmd
and both privately and openly to call
upon and encourage others to the
same. Now says the Prayer
book, to which he gave in>I
his adherence when he took upon
him the Ministry Of the Church, (see
preface before the form and manner
of making Deacons) 1t is evident
unto all men diligently reading Holy
Scripture and ancient authors, that
from the Apostles time there have
been three orders of Ministers 10
Christ Church, Bishops, Priests and
Deacons." | prefer vastly to consider
the Observer mistaken to believing
that Bishop of the Church would
so falsify his solemn vows, as that
paper represents Bishop Lee to have
done.
Lastly, the caption of the article
before US is Z" Presbyterio-E Episcopal"
Fraternization extraordinary of Epis-
copalians and Presbyterians. It is,
because these men, on both sides,
were Presbytertdns and Episc0pdhi0ns,
that is, have lost the idea of the
Church as a Divine institution, with
a Divine ministry, Divine sacraments.
& a faith once delivered to the saints"
and given Of God; because they re-
cognized themselves as members of
sects, and not of the Church; Of hu-
man institutions where order and sys-
tenn are of men, and may by men be
pulled down, and another structure
reared by the same hands-it is be-
cause Of this that the lamentable
spectacle has lately been present
ed in Philadelphia of men willing
to extemporise union of straw. and
a structure of sand, on the ruins of
faith, and the sacrifice of principle |
There can be no oneness of the |
Church except on the basis of the |
primitive faith and Apostolic prac-
tice, and Nonce Presbyterianism felt |
this, and she has good and true men |
that believe it to-day, and preach and |
live up to what their Confession of |
Faith says, chap. xxx. The Lord |
Jesus, as King and Head of His |
Church, hath therein appointed gov
eminent in the hands of Church off
GERS" That "to these officers the keys
of the Kingdom of Heaven are com |
mitted, by virtue whereof they |
have power, respectively, to re- |
tain and remit sins; to shut |
that kingdom against the impenitent, |
by the word and censures; and to |
open it unto penitent sinners, By the |
Of the Gospel, and by abso- |
luton from censures as occasion shall |
require" She has, [ believe, thou
sands of faithful members and scores
of ministers, who still are true to |
their principles, whose cheeks, with |
mine, blushed with very shame, at |
that dishonorable Ito call it by no |
worse name,) farce, in Philadelphia |
| know some such, and honor them |