The morning star and Catholic messenger., 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, 60 o7ernmeat of the Chris
tian fold, or discipline. In stripping the
Church of divine authority Protestantism
has denied to it the exercise of both these
functions.
A Church which has no divine right to
govern, but does 30 simply by the consent
of it's members, is in that respect human
institution, just like debating society. If,
therefore, such 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 Protestant
/ Church is merely accidental and not ne
cessary part of it. Strictly, then, the
| Church can exiet without the organization.
If Church can exist without organiza-
tion, this is already, in point of essence, an
abrogation of Church organization 4; 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 Protestantism, 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
| 10 20 ahnrn
its simulated authority, is step in the pro
gress of decay.
Protestant tism has seen fit 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
r heresy there is a technical disclaimer OF
4 every pretense to such authority. At the
q same time there is noticeable clear dispo-
U sition to hoodwink the people and make
. them believe that there is a sort of oc
- cult authority in their " Church" The
" ministers aud " bishops" assume grav
N airs of being "set apart" and would lik
,e to impress the laity with tie idea that the
lie have some kind of authority by virtue Q
! their calling. They know perfectly vel
that this is all stuff, that they have no sue
authority by any such right, but are a
he leaders by coDsent of those over whom the
to assume airs of superiority.
tic This hereditary assumption has bee
ed handed down to the present generatlo
e. from the original arch bypocrites who to-
to the mantle of authority from the Churt
en and decked themselves with its shred
I'D Still, in the course of time there has be-
isn a material change in the extent TO wbi
'N' the assumption was at first pushed. I
laity has been gradually comprehend
us and asserting ts legitimate position. Lol
ion has been doing its work.
nst. One of the most recent manifestations
the this kind is the persistent effort now bel
'SH' made in the Methods. Church to limit
." power of its bishops. recent article
,.r the n. Y. Herald gives the present sta
" OF the movement as follows:
Rev. One party in the church, large but sti
minority, asks that the annual COT fereu
shall have the right to ssy bow many distr
, on they will have and 40 shall be their presid
ana majority, don't want any change, Tne distr
81 are fixed by the bishops in annual c
Sol fercnces and the elders appointed by Il
vice also. The General ConfcreUce found itself
able 10 change this form because of the cor
tuuonal rules of the Methodist Episct
., hurch. 1t therefore sent proposition TO
eighty.uine annual conferences to change
Will restrictive rule If threefouths of the con
Bap- ences vote for the change then two thirds
, ~ the next General Conference must do the 8
- ere it can become law. Drs. Cummings,
the Wis and Curry, representing the reformers,
the ing the hopelessness of their cause, have ist
II be an ADDRESS 10 one'r oreenren lu 'r1 ne nm
d., OF to vote solidly against it until by corres
f the dence, the sentiment of the itinerancy cy sha
,onld brought to the reform point. They think
= Episcopacy has too much power already,
g arc the bishops in their address to the Ger
'er, o Conference conoede, says this committee,
,m to appointments to the presiding eldership
infer IN tIa reo,Iar 100000 and for their
Vim the appointee personal accommodation