The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-04
SOUTH BAPTIST CHURCH.

Early Church HistOry-The Origin OF Cor
ruptions-The Ambition Of the Priest.
hOod-The Overthrow OF the Independ-
encc OF the Church-The Establishment
of MISREPRESENTATION Patriarchs
and the Popc-Second Of Course OF Lee.
lures by the Rev. DIR. John Bowling.
The second OF DR.. Dowlings course of lectures on
"The Early History Of the church." was delivered
last evening at the South Baptist church in West
Twenty fifth street. In despite OF the inclemency
OF the weather, q very respectable congregation
was in attendance
THE SERMON.
The reverend gentleman selected his text from
James, ILL.,, 5-"Behod how great matter little
fire kindeth!r He said he should endeavor, in the
present lecture to trace the progress of the early
corruptions Of Christianity during the two three
centuries after the apostles, from the very small
beginnings Of error (of which ne spoke in his first
lecture, and the successive steps towards cccle-
siastical domination up 10 the time of the supposed
conversion OF the Emperor Constantine, soon after
the commencement OF the fourth century OF the
Christian era AS the fame kindled by single
spark, unless arrested at the beginning, soon
bursts forth into disastrous and wide-reaching
connagration, the very first sparks OF eccle-
siastical error, whether governmental ritual or
doctrina unless checked at the start will, by their
widespread influence and far-reachng ruin force
from US the exclamation, "Behold how great
matter little 1re kndeihn
IN expatiating on the first step in ecclesiastical
corruption, as referred to in his previous lecture
namely, the interference with the olcial purity or
equality OF the Christian ministry, he said
the manner IN which the change was
brought about whereby the title OF Bishop
was wrested from the pastors, to whom it
originally belonged and applied exclusively TO those
sought q
thus related by Gieseer one of the most accurate
OF modern ecclesiastical historians. After the death
OF the apostles and the pupils OF the apostles, to
| whom the
GENERAL DIRECTION OF TIE CHURCHES
/ had been conceded, some one among the presby.
! tiers OF each church was suffered to take the lead
| IN affairs. I'm the same way" adds Gescler, "the
title OF Eptscopos Bishop was appropriated to the
! first Presbyter." The power and jurisdiction OF
these bishops was not long confined TO their orgl.
| mel narrow limits. The bishops who lived in the
/ cities erected new churches in the neighboring
towns and villages, and these, remaining under
their instruction and direction, grew mpefceptiby
! into eccleslas,ical provinces which the Greeks
! aiterward calico dioceses and thus by slow
! degrees introduced the distinction OF orders
| In the ministry. From this time onward We see an
! occasional departure from the style OF the New
| Testament which desgnates the officers OF the
| Church as bishops and deacons and we begin to
| read OF bishops, presbyters and deacons. The
speaker referred 10 Ignatus, one OF the early
Fathers, who wrote in the beginning OF the second
century aud is considered the earliest authority
for this distinction, saying That the words at
trbuted 10 him bear internal evidence Ol spurious
character. These words are - pleoge my soul
for theirs who are subject to bishops presbyters
ana deacOns.r In considering them IN connection
with the we.kDown meek and humble character
OF Ignatius, they are rendered still more doubtful
from the fact that irenens 9 later writer OF the
as applied to the same person. But, admitting
that the dlstinc tion then existed II only proves