The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-01-29

Taft~ We CptSc0pde CHMrcH StdHH5 "a Me
present doy to ottcr Protestant churches
1t is now held by an overwhelming ma.
jority 10 the Episcopal church that there car
be but one form Of Ghurch polity--that or
dlration by Bishops, deriving their authori
ty by tactnal succession, is an unbrokco
line, from the Apostles, is essential to a val
i'd ministry. aud that witilou. such ordioa-
ton there eau be no true church and nc
lawful administration Of the sacraments.
Now l have faithfully sought to bring
| this theory to the test of scripture, at three
several periods of my ministry, each time
deyotiug weeks and mouths to the careful
examination and com ,arison Of all the pas
So ees in the Acts Of the Apostles and in the
Epistles which seemed to bear upon the
question, and the result is the clear convic-
ton that no such claim is authorized by the
word Of God. The Mosaic dispensation. for
obvious reasons, vas designed Of God to
possess one unvaryiog form through all the
ages OF ia destined continuance. There
| fore, when it was to be inaugurated, God
called Moses up into Mt. Sinai, gave him
the minutest directions concerning every
particular Of it, even showing him pattern
Of the Tabernacle aud Of all the instruments
70 be used in the service thereof, and SOL
emuly charge him See that thou make
all things according to the pattern showed
to thee iu the mount" Had our Saviour
designed His church to be constructed on
any such principles or to be Of one prescrib-
ed aud invarlable form, then surel-. when
He gave His last charge 70 His Aposties,
lie would have showed them pattern Of
the Christian Church or given them explic-
it instructions as 10 its intebded form Or
it lie had left to His Apostles. acting under
Divine Inspiration, to establish forever such
form, then surely they would lave drawn
the plan aad written out the q, tails and left
them on record md in the absence of any
such definite plan and Instructions, either
from Him to Ills Apostles, or from His in
spired A postles to the Church, we must con-
cIude that no such iuvarlable form Of gov
ernment is of Divine authority, or essentls
to the being OF church. For if establish
ed since the day of the Apostles it mus
have been either by u failible or an infalli
Bile churcn If by fallible church, it has
90 rightful authority and cannot be bindin.
for all time to come and in all paces--if b.
an iufaible church. there has never beer
but one branch of the Christian church
which claimed to be infalible, and those WIZ
hold that tlere can be bat one form q
Church government have no higher author.
ity for that dogma, than for any other dog
ma of the Church Of Rome
Il have also looked at this theory in thu
light OF existing facts in the Christian world
Ii the theory be true, if an exclusive Epis
copal ministry in the Christian church be OF
Divine origin and authority, then the non
episcopally ordained ministers Of the various
Oh ur:hes of the Reformation are committing
10 our day, as many OF the advocates Of r
piscopacy do not hesitate to a!ege. the sin o
Korah, Dsthan and ADRIAN, in the days 0
Moses. Blu. if so, where is the evidence o
it? L. it, in the devout, biameless, consis
} tent, christian lives they lead Is it in tht
blessing of God upon their labors, and thu
power and success Of their ministry? Is i
in the souls who, by Gods grace, through
their instrumentality are turned from tn
} power Of Satan unto God aud find pardo'
: and peace aud life and salvatoo at the foo
, of the Cross of Christ? Are these the mark
and tokens of Gods dispeasure-of God
iud Acknowledgements bold. daring presume
{ ,uous sin? In other words and to put tn,
question 10 the very form in which our Sa
.iour put it to the Pharsees, who were deny
ing the Baptism of John because he had no
} ask ed Them for authority to baptiz. tho
ministry of these servants of Christ, is i
, from Heaven or of men ?" Dare any chris
, tian man say, 1t. is not from Heaven au'
dare we set up standard of our own b
which we tisowu those whom God hath own
, ed, aud condemn those whom God hath &C
cepted, and separate ourselves from all fel
, lowship on earth with those with whom W
shall be glad enough to take our places il
Heaven
Aud yet the Episcopal Church in thi
country and in our dag has practically plan
ted herself on this high ground aud assume
7 this imperious attitude towards the grea
bulk of Protestant Christians. Il is tru
. that her standards Of doctrine remain uu
changed, and the XIX and XIII Arti
: eles of the Prayer book still testify to he
t original Protestant stand On this question :
: But the other has become the prcvailn
! sentiment 10 the Church and is fast beconl
) ing embodied IN the Common law of tn
Church. So far has positive legislatlo
} gone in this direction, If we accept the CUT
+ rent Interpretation of certain canons, tina
J 90 minister OF the Episcopal Church ca
t now, by any one official act. recoguizs an
0 other Protestant Church, as true church
or the minister of Any other church as law
7 full ministers Of Christ. AS the Churc
5 Journal of recent date boastin ely states II
sit may be an opinion, tolerated in the churc
that the Apostolical SUGGEST, a is not neces
. sary to valid ministry. 1t is an opinion
e however which the Church absolutely 70,
. bids every parish, every Convention, ever
7 Deacon, Priest or Bishop, from acting on.
Or as the Hartto,d Chairman at tine sam
date puts it, yet more poin'edly and arr.
: gantly .sAny man has right to bcliev
: Free-trade is better than protection, eve
though he is living under Il protec'oui>
e government; but if he carry his free-trad
: opinions into practise. he is a smuysler,
. aud so the editor believes and glories in b.
: lieving. hat the Episcopal Church has our
lawed all non-episccpal ministers, and view
t any minister of her own who would ofhcia
e ly recognize them as au ecclesiastical snug
: gler' This may be the law Of the Church
: cannot positively deny it. This certainl
D is the spirit of the recent legislation in tn
t Church. But thank God, it is not tn