The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-12-18

LECTURES ON CHURCH HIsToRY.-In begin
ming his third lecture ON Church History, last
Sunday evening, Rev. Mr. Root remarked that
it would be natural for us to enter upon the
history of the Church with high anticipations,
expecting to read of marvellous growth and in
creasiDg success. Could not the omnipotence of
its Great Origin make the course and progress
ofHis Church through the ages and through the
nations one continued and glorious triumph to
the end of time? And yet moments refec-
ton reminds us that the church catholic has
been and still is only an aggregate of souls,
and its character as a whole must resemble
the average individual character of its mem
bership; and its life and growth is the same in
character with that of the individual christian
soul, and subject to the same discipline and
trials. Our Lord himself foretold the imper-
feet character of His church in His parallels;
but it was promised that it should be trium-
plant, as He had overcome the world. The
lecturer then went on to inquire to, what au-
thorties may we appeal in gathering tho facts
and events which make up the history of the
Church? First of all the New Testament
But that which is historical ends in point of
time with the life of st. John, the last of the
Apostles, who died in the year 9s. Next,
the writings of the Fathers, as they are called;
and these are numerous and full and with
these the statements, illusions and references
of cotemporaneous prolane history. The most
important part of Church history for us is that
which embraces the three first centuries; for
that period includes the development of the
Church into its fixed form, and is conce 1ed to
be the period of primitive purity. The histor-
ical portion of the New Testament is very
brief, but it is conclusive. The Epistles were
directed to churches which were established
by the Apostles and had made their own his
tory. After dwelling at some length upon the
fact that there was church that had run into
settled channels of faith and practice long be-
fore the several books of the New Testament
was written. producing the dates of their ORR
gin, the speaker said it was not until long after
the death of st. John that the New Testament
was aggregated into form as a part of the
Bible; and it may be said that while different
parts of it, the Epistles for instance, had in
fiuence upon particular churches, its accept
ance as an authority had nothing to do with
the establishment of either doctrine or usage
during the first century, and but little during
UnG StCOHu, VI iue CuIlSbidu 4uC 4NCW
Testament is not a full history of the Church
at its beginning and during the lives of the
Apostles. In the matter of doctrine, in regard
to all the articles of the Christian faith, the
Bible, especially the New Testament, is our
| only final authority.
Mr.. Root then, in considering the fact that
| we must call to orr aid cotemporaneous pro-
| fame authorities in studying the history of the
| Church, used the familiar illustration that we
| arrived at the true meaning of our political
| Constitution by studying the writings of the
early statesmen, and relying on the earlier de-
cisons of the Supreme Court. In the same
way the Church appeals to history to sustain
herself in her understanding and teaching Of
the faith once delivered to the Saints.
The subject of the lecture tomorrow eve
ming will be, What authorities may rightly be
consulted in studying Church history