New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-07
RELIGIOUS DISCUSSION.
EPISCoPACY THE APOSTOLIC REGIMEN OF
TIE CHURCH

Al HE CtJRCH.
II TIE PoLITY or THE CHURCH NOT DERIVED YRn,s
n THE NEW TBsTAMENT-A THING DIyIsELY Va.
II TABLIsHED TO BIZ DISCONTINUED ONLY BY
II DIVINE AUTHoRITY-THE QUESTION or TACrUAL
H APOSTOLIC SUCCESSION
II TO The Editor Of The Tribune
II SIR: L beg leave through your columns to
II say something IN reply 10 the communication OF
H Presbyterian ia recent number Of THE TRIBUNE. in
II which he asserts, as every honest Presbyterian must
II assert, that EpiseoDacy IA not OF divine authority
Il admire the bodness and fearessness OF the caims
\ made in this communication. II has the air OF having
been written by man who is certain OF his belief
This is worth something. Everybody respects the man
who In the first place knows what he believes and n
the second place believes 1t with all his might Poop
\ who believe something the hope OF the worl
Because have a respect for the man. whoever he m.
be-. venture In all kindness call his attention 70
some consequences of his statements quote the
h following paragraph:
IT'S Just at this point that Presbyteransto cite
only single one OF the n0n-EpiscOpal cOmmuni0ns
meet the Issue with all confidence and, making
peal To Holy SCRIPTURE reject the entire claim OF special
ana exclusive validity IN the EpisoOpae. Going 10 the
New Testament for our poy, DO for doctrine.
We confidently Challenge the scholarship OF the 70
establish tine proposition that Diocesan Epscopacy.
with the three ministerial orders which IL embodles Is
the dSlnelyapponted method OF ruling the Church Of
Christ IL has not been prOved-it cannot be proved
and this fact, atested by such authorities Whste
Ai9ld and jacob must oil course, c0nAgn The claim "
exclusive orders TO the common category OF uns1
rantei assumptions.
ia reference 20 this have two things 20 say 1hs
6rst Ia this The Cbursh vas established bcf
tho New Testament was written rfcrvfore
whatever poty 1t had. 1t did not der1"
from the New Testament: but the Presbyterisns
profess derive theirs from the New Testament IheJ
therefore not the Apostolic Church. This Is cOnso-
quence No l. The second thing Is this: All Presbyter
ans will probably agree TO this wel-known principle 10
theology that whatever has been once diviney estab
shei in the Church. can be discontinued only by divine
authority. Thus, circumcision aud tho ritual obsery-
OF the Mosaic law were authontativeT dscontn'
ned by first Council Of the Church convened at Jeru
The Apostles had plenary authority IN the case
and their edict law. They disaowed circumcision.
and IL gradually ceased out Of the Church Infsnt mem
berhp was established in the Church by the Abrahamo
covenant which ia yet force W all parts OF 1t that
have not fulfilled. Circumcision being fulned IL
the person OF Christ, the promised seed ali VINO arc III
Christ are parakers OF His circumcision so that no"
only necessary by baptism TO put on CHRIST wren "o
become partakers OF covenant. st. iPsui shows ~
that the passing away Of the law could not take VIM
the covenant which was 40 years before the law
so much TO illustrate the principle, principle be-
leye stOuty maintained by Presbyterians Let US no"
to the New Testament Your correspondent, TO whom
have the honor OF addressing this communication must
certainly admt there three kinds Of ministers
mentioned in the Testament who were declared u
have been ordained. The Apostolic College was filled
by the ordination Of Matthias. want which arose Ia
the primitive Church ws met by the ordination Oh
seven deacOns And st. Paul ordained elders In all thu
churches These three kinds Of ministers constituted
as many orders because they were ordained To separate
functions ether kindsJmentiOned as prophets and
teachers were not separately ordained TO those funo
tons but might members Of any Of the three orders
Just mentioned so far the gospel history ID recordeh
in the New Testament, these three orders remained to
the last There not an intimation anywhere given
that any OF them was ever dlscOnu1ueu.
Now for consequence No. 2. The Presbyterians have
discontinued at of these orders the apostolate
In NewtTestament times required apOstohc auth0tlV
TO discontinued divine ordinance. Therefore the Pfes
byterians hayeassumed apostolic authority in order ~
get rid of apostles They have doue that which only an
Let them now do as St Paul did Let them either prove
their apostolic authority or let them gun h R tn
tinatOn in the Testament that two OF the three OF
one OF the orders OF she ministry was discontinued
But in the earliest ages the Church We ana these hics
orders actually established everywhere thsOugnou Ino
world wherever Christianity had been planted Thn
fact. which all parties admit Is rather haro nu' io
Presbyterans to crack. ...
The additional mentioned at the outset that tho
Church established before the New Testament was
written, sufficiently explains the perfectly natural s,s
laws down any rules for making churches Churcnm4
ers sea, and quarrel with one another ana nsys
started every conceivable variety OF p0ity proiosseup
on the basis OF the New Testament until the wOtid IA
been filed with amazement ana unDeei hsJeSsng .ns
one potY described already IN existence they hsvo
the key for the Interpretation OF the Iac auu naAe
wild work Of their church making. -,
shall close what have 70 say with the enunclauon
OF a truth that has always been understood IN Tue
Church from the Apostles days this present.
ruth perfectly oomprehended by all theologians That
truth thisthat the Church Is not founded uPon.tne
New Testament, is It's poty derived from the sew
testament The foundation OF the Church is that OF
the apostles and prophets Jesus Christ Himself being
tho chief CORNERSTONE: A church founded upon Ine
New Testament would be an unscrptural church. The
Church OF the Scriptures No far az IL differs from the Oa
Testament Church. is founded not upon tho Scriptures
or upon scripture doctrine. Ont upon 1r tn.
apostles and prophets and Christ Himself Thu
saith the Scripture. The Church has the same
foundation that the Scriptures have T0at foundation
1t was either written by the Apostles sanctioned BY
them when written We obey the Church because it was
tsbshed by Them because this has been the unbroken
testimony OF the Church IN all ages. Those who would
Divine order st. Paul declares that the Church is the
pillar and ground Of the truth" The scriptures wers
ScTintnres II is only by the testimony OF the
Church that VIC know what scripture Is ~ 9s
SCRIPTURE 1t Is also good b inform us what was he
ancient order At the very time when the canon ..
SCRIPTURE was settled, the Church was Episcopal lno
OF the acceptance Of the books or scripture
by the ancient Church was the ground upon whon tae
canon was settled. The acceptance Of the EpscOpae
was as universal that OF the inspired writings anu
more certain because many books OF scfipt9rs ns'
while the EpiscOpate had never been QUESTIONED even
by heretics The apostolic order OF Tue Sh9rcI snn
before the world to-day better estaOilsneu 'u"" S"'
| canon OF Scripture itself .. -. r..t,o
The writer says also that II the necessity and ,.5
OF tactua apOsolicai succession are once clearly S'S
shed would be dlficultito evade the iolIe
Roman Catholic claim 10 tne ony true 80 ne Cbnrch
OF England derived FROM deposed anu eAcosnd hv
Gated bishops whose powers, haSnS pega . hive been
rendered null and void The opponents OF Ep.SsSon
have great deal to say about tacIual sueces'ypp
and the term seems be used by way OF reproaeh nu
! nasmuch As the only succession Is by ordlnatlou a.
there IL no ordination without laying on OF hands NOW
could il be anything else but "tactua Let the LIgsW
teraDs explain how ordination may 10 ptrIOrmod
she laying on Of hands PoiSrs . The
| parallel drawn by the writer between between and
Reformation m Ie 0h proceeds upon the sappO
stion that the authority OF the Pope was Ics, ~
English Church cast of the Papal supremacy a,,'