The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1876-09-24
Progress Of Decay.

authority of the Church. Now, the autho-
rity of the Church includes two totally dis
tinct fields; one, the Interpretation of Holy
Writ the other, go 7ernment of the Chris
tian fold, or discipline. In stripping the
Church of divine authority Professionalism
has denied to it the exercise of both these
functions.
A Church which has no divine right to
govern, but does 80 simply by the consent
Of its members, is in that respect human
Institution, just like a debating society. If,
therefore, such a Church retains any organ
ization whatever, it is by human authority
only. But whatever is of human authority
only, is not part of an institution founded
by Christ, viz: the Church. Therefore,
the organization found in a Protestant
Church is merely accidental and not a ne
cessary part of it. Strictly, then, the
Church can exist without the organization
If a Church can exist without organza
ton, this is already, in point of essence, an
abrogation of Church organization but by
our original proposition we meant to ex-
press more. We mean that the principle
will work out it's manifestation in practice.
That is: if Proteetantsm, as Church, dis
claims divine authority in it's organized ca
pacity, it will eventually and logically be
left without organization. Every individual
will be Church to himself
This process of disintegration from an
organic to an atomic or individual form is
what we call decay, and every movement
by which the human government Of any
Protestant sect is to some extent shorn of
it's simulated authority, is a step in the pro
gress of decay.
Professionalism has seen At to organize,
using it's discretion. in a multiplicity of
ways. In some forms it has bishops; not
80 in others. Then we find preachers, par
sons, ministers, deacons and elders. In the
Church of England the hierarchy appears to
claim openly kind of authority by divine
right, but in all other branches of the great
heresy there is technical disclaimer of
every pretense to such authority. At the
same time there is noticeable clear dispo
sition to hoodwink the people and make
them believe that there is a sort of oc-
cult authority in their Church" The
" ministers" and bishops" assume grave
are of being " set apart" and would like
to impress the laity with the idea that they
have some kind of authority by virtue of
their calling. They know perfectly well
that this is all stuff, thatthey have no such
authority by any such right, but are all
leaders by consent of those over whom they
assume airs of superiority.
This hereditary assumption has been
| handed down to the present generation
from the original arch-hypocrites who tore
the mantle of authority from the Church
aud dccked themselves with its shreds
! Still, in the course of time there has beer
a material change in-the extent to which
the assumption was at first pushed. TIL,
| laity has been gradually comprehendint
and asserting its legitimate position. Logi,
has been doing it's work.
One of the most recent manifestations o
this kind is the persistent effort DOW beinI
made in the Methodist Church to Limit til
power of it's bishops. A recent article il
q the n. y. Herald gives the present statu
of the movement as follows:
One party in the church, large, but still
minority, asks that the annual conference
shall have the right to say how many district
they will have and W no snail be their presidin
elders. The other party, comprising a sma
majority, don't wautany change. The district
are now liked by the bishops in annual cor
fereaces and the elders are appointed by theI
3 also. The General Conference fouad itself III
able to charge this form because of the const
tuuoual ruieS of the Methodist Epscopa
Church. 1t therefore sent a proposition to tb
, eiGhty.niDe annual conferences to change th
l restrictive rule. If three-fouths of the confer
= ences vote for the change then two thirds c
the next General Conference must do the sam
ere it can become a law. Drs. Cummings, j oil
Wis and Curry, representing the reformers, see
J ing the hopelessness of their cause have issue
q an address TO their brethren in the minstr
. to lay the present proposition on the table c
to vote solidly against it until, by correspor
e dence, the sentiment of the itinersncy shall b
brought to the reform point. They think th
= Episcopacy has too much power already, an
the bishops in their address to the Geners
8 Conference, concede, says this committee tina
O appointments TO the presiding eldership ar
sometimes made of men who are not called fo
in the regular passionate, and for their ow
l. the appointed personal accommodation. Th
} committee and the minority which they T,
/ present. ask that the districts shall he great
enlarged in slRs, 80 to reduce expense @