New-York tribune., 1873-12-13

persons were ordained priests III 'ie case vi Ill
the individuals mentioned except @"i"so, naa "o
occasion 70 touch on their early history except WIN he
utmost breyity; aud when staten 'ha' ""So
a pastor at Garns, 1 supposed 'h". o'o', "
ordinary cultivation would understand that no had not
,,o ,no, occe without ordination. To the ain OF call
, c..,mor aud his associates FOUNDERS OF the
ANGLICAN Church." must plead guilty. since was so
indscree suppose that my readers supply he
term Protestant" and understand me W oe speaking Oh
the Anglican body In its separation from Rome Dr.
Thomson thinks that have strangely - missed the
meaning" OF the fact that schoasteish 'auSht tha'
Rishops and Priests were order and then he pro-
~, vc as the first ground the scholastic opinion
the very origin that had assigned Ior IT,
Rut these are trivial points What proposition OF mine
does DR. Thompson deny Does he mean 10 assert that
Cranmer and his associates and Jewel ana his asso-
ciates believed that Bishops were necessary 10 the con-
stitution OF a Churchi Apparently not; ana yet he
dwes on the fact that the first generation OF preachers
I'm tina Protestant churches mostly ordained III the
po,no, Catholic Church-as II the question about the
nooasstv of Episcopal ordination not practical
one .Tber orders" he says. "were all alike to begin
with" Were not hundreds OF new preachers going
forth from Wttenberg, and afterward from denevaf
But apart from this fact the difficulty IN the way OF all
such pleas as your correspondent makes on ths point
that the English Reformers do express themselves ex'
pcitly on these questions They declare their opinions
o the constitution of the Lutheran churches. and OF
the churches of Geneva, Zurich, Holland France and
other Protestant countries and they make Their cons
tuition barrier in the way OF paferha recognition ana
church fellowship have not been so needless to
confoupd personal friendship with ecclesiastical fell
lowship but apart from the evidence IN tho case
the personal intimacy of the English and the foreign
diynes involves under the circumstances convincing
nroof of such ecclesiastical fellowship Your correspond
ent criticses my statement OF the opinion OF Jewel.
II he will turn to the seventh book OF Hookers Eccesi
astical Poity will find reference to Jewels belief
I'm the origin of Bishops. Hooker speaks of that opinion
(Which many have thought good to follow aud which
myself did sometimes judge great deal more probable
than now do merely that after the Apostles were de-
ceased churches did agree among themselves
walton Of peace and order, to make presbyter in
each city chief over the rest" In the margin Hooker
refers TO Jewel among those who hed this theory and
to his reply to Harding. II Is probable that Hooker
knew the opinions OF h rovered master and the proper
Interpretation of the reply TO Harding quite well
anybody at the present day.
The insinuaton. by whomsoever made that the recog
milton of foreign Protestant churches and OF their
ministry by the Bishops and divnes Of the Church OF
England was owing to the excitement disorder Of
the times or to the immature form OF the poty OF the
various Protestant bodies IL in violation OF historical
truth The contest with the Roman Catholics caused all
the questions connected with ordination to bc!freey and
fully discussed This recognition was far from being
confined TO first three Protestant reigns There is
no more revered the preates OF the seven
teenth century than that Of Bishop Hail. the author OF
"The Contemplations" In his Apology against
Brownists" Qol ed p. 1885, Bishop Hall says rever-
ence from my soul $50 doth our Church,
their dear sister, those worthy foreign churches
which have chosen and followed those forms OF
outward nlgovernment that are every way fttest
for their own condition" In another place. after refer
ring to the recognition Of the English Church by the
foreignj dvnes aud TO the fact that Laski the
allowed Bishop of first Reformed strangers in this
land that is pastor of of the foreign churches In
EnglandBshop Hall "These sisters have learned
differ and yet TO love aud reverence each other and
in these cases enjoy their forms without pre-
scription Of necessity or censure Hall, as Is well
known was employed by Laud, at later time. to de-
fend Episcopacy against the Puritans; and Laud was
dissatisfied with the concessions which at that day
he proposed make in favor Of the foreign churches
II would be interesting TO trace the riso and
progress OF the sacerdota theory of Episcopacy
in the English Church. and show how 1t gradually
suppanted in the minds of large part OF that church,
the old governmental theory which held by the Re-
formers and in the 18th century by such men USHER
and stilngneet. But the hospitable TRIBUNE
would hardly find room for full treatment Of this
theme EpiscOpacy was first advocated In the English
Church as tolerable expcdent, a. very ancient, and
by some the most ancient form OF polity Then 1t
came TO be defended decidedly the FORM and the
only legitimate where circumstances will permit IL
to be adopted. This is the doctrine OF Hooker. Then
followed in the era of Laud the High Church sacer
doal theory. These facts notorious;
they are familiar to students OF English
history. They conceded by writer's OF che
Anglican Church OF the highest repute for knowledge
and impartiality.
Why not frankly and honestly admit them, as Keble
does instead of resorng to various and ineongruous
methods OF eyadDg themi 1t was the contest with the
Purtans that developed among their opponents the jure
dirno doctrine. The Purians first set up this exclusive
claim for their system. The leading antagonists OF
the Purlns, for long period, fought them by assert
ing that there particular form OF poty prescribed
cation. They took substantially the ground which
assumed in his Irenicum." Even Hooker
makes room for the foreign churches and POUNDS his
whole discussion the distinction between eternal and
positive laws. He distinctly afirms lin VII, Kebe's
Ed. VOL Ill., p 1861 that the Church, for urgent cause,
by general consent is competent 10 take government
away from the hands of her bishops. BY degrees de-
tenders OF Episcopacy initiated their opponents and
serted for their own system jpre dirnO sanction and
an exclusive right. Tho Purtan- thrown tue de
fensye generally retreated to the old position OF their
adversares. and conended that form OF polty Is
binding on Christians forever. In this long combat
Hamlet and Laertes have exchanged rapiersan event
that not unrequently occurs in political aud theological
warfare
Your correspondent calls for the proof recognition
by concar or formal syDodal action OF the Church OF
ENGLAND o. any orders but episcopal, In view OF the
the ayowed opinions of her-I had almost said
founders-ReforIners and noblest divines one may
well inquire whether the burden OF proof Is not on the
other side. BY what concilar syDOda action have
the orders OF other Protestant Churches been |
disereditedl It may be said that minriers who have
not been ordained by bishops reordaned when they
pass over TO the Episcopal Church But this proceedin
may perhaps be defended by some on tho |
Low Church ground taken by Archbishop Leighton
when he was ordained second time "a |
presbyter VIZ that ordination Is merely ceremony of
induction TO the ministry aud service OF particular
church and may, therefore, he repeated. These are
questlons, however with which have nothing 10 do
trust tnat shall not be thought to have taken part I'm
TINS discussion IN your columns from any IMPULSE of
secran feeling. or from any sentiment OF b0stItv In
inc Episcopal Church. Such imputaton would do |
me great injustice III the tone OF my book fas TO sat
lsy your correspondent only express nv sincere
regret although may be permitted add that the |
approval which has received from
SCHOLARS OF ms Church, abroad well at home and on
tne SCORE Oh mpartalltY. alsn. has aftnrded