The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-23


70 add 10 the sacred record Of the deia Susfo un
We are sorry TO say that the facts presented
by the learned and eloquent prelatc. 80 lar
from sustain ng the conclusion here drawn. d.
rcctly contradict it, According to his own
story. the early Church was neither united In
form. unanimous in doctrine, etadiast IN
worship. nor earnest in faith There 49, we
know. n popular belief To the contrary; but II
has no other foundation than the disposition oil
human nature 10 cXali the past at the expense
OF the present. TO which men oil sound Judgment
should not yield
For example. tho fact that the faith Of tho
Church had 10 be- formulated by authority into
precise and carefully considered crecds. ne the
Bishop relates. proves that dissent and contro-
vcrsy had then assumed dangerous proper
lions. There IL no need of statutes against
crime which Is never committed ana II mo
early Church had boon as unanimous as the
Bishop INSERTS IL to have been the convocation
Of the Council Of Nice would not have been re-
CURED He descants upon the strength OF tho
Arian schsm and the bloody conflicts between
its adhcrcnts aud those Of orthodoxy. so thnt
his commentator of the fratcrnal unity thus
manifested sounds more like sarcasm than
honest praise. Tho truth is. TINT even before
the Saviours death. the apostles were ut VA
rance among themselves they had fierce dis
putcs with Paul. and even the mild-tcmpered
author Of the Apocalypse mathematics tho
hcrctcs OF his day. The number of Christian
sects mentioned in the early records Is almost
countless. and It needed the strong hand Of tho
Roman Empire 10 impose upon them the out
ward appearance Of submission. Some OF them
dcned even this mighty power. and for ccntu-
RIGS maintained their separation and their in
depend, nee.
Against tho purity ot the early Church We
have equally conclusive evidrn @. The Apostle
Paul. in writing 10 the Corinthinn Christians.
charges them with fornication and incest.
litigious contention. and drunken orgies ut the
Holy supper. FN9 out Of tao seven Churches
OF Asia. mentioned in the Apocalypse. arc re-
preached " tn grievous sins and shortcomings.
James. addressing the Church at large. rcbukcs
it, members for auarrcsome moss. for unduly
respecting rich men and dcspising the poor.
and FOR protesting faith which they belcd by
their doe Is. AMI. as soon as Christianity was
adopted as the state religion. the Church be-
came the theatre Of intrlgues. bribery. and cor
rup;ion which 1t is sickening to road Of Blsh-
oprics were sold. sins compounded for with
money. and the powers OF the Church welded
by notorious prohgstes.
Bishop Kip seems to be highly cnamored Of
the stringent discipline exercised by the Church
in the period Of which hc is treating. Ho de-
srrbcs with junction the wrctchcd fate of the
sinner II had tx communicated. wandering over
the face OF thB civilized earth. and everywhere
fading the door of fellowship shut in h is face
| He gives instances Of men high in oiilce COM
PEELED by the Church to submit 10 her com
mands. and laments that in these dcgenerate
| days the Church j. surrounded by jealous and
| is'orlnnt communities. each ready to welcome
| prcseytc Will ho himself, Us he lakes refuge
| in their fold. feels that he still bears the name
II "a. 80.
derirs the censures which should have hum
/ bled him into pcnitcn'c.' Following out this
train of thought. he exelaIms:
WHY l. 1t that the Church in former AGES did ~ nuch
ie. men mr ~. h. ~ :, a. ,' o ht
and ts rcio ihrrc was unity Of action Nov IT, cnri,
are dssuityri aud feeble when put iorti ~ discounted
aailnaung an Wherever there was Individual VIII
bore Tie Christian Aame be felt ho wa, No SOLITARY o'n-
haiant H. was actin; in copcert with his hrrthrrn
ihr"9-h the wide world ami tl, hr,uans ON d. we.'
joed together IA every advantage aned by Ill, tros-
Evidently. when these words were penned the
writer had forgotten tho violence which the
Christian empcrors employed to crush ont
idolatry and heresy. and the triumphs which
Christians won by force Of arms over herctics
aud pagans in Germany. France. Britain. and
Scandinavia. Moshem says truly All these
wariko nations measured the excellence Of n
religion hy the military successes 81 its ad-
h'i'hA~ anu 'Nl'''lIfil lNt IL lilt p'ri
the professors Il which were tho most victo-
rious over their enemies. While. therefore,
they saw the Romans possessing u creator en-
prc than other nations. they viewed Christ. the
god of the Romans. as the most worthy Of their
homage Clovis having boon baptized after n
victory over the All"manni at Zupirk which he
| construed a. the an.worto his vow 10 that effect
turned his arms against the Aran Nisicoths
and defeated them with great slaughter. Char
! lomagne. by like means. compelled tho SaNOns
70 embrace Christianity. In Britain. war ragcd
| Tor many years between the Saxon Christians
and tn" British pagans. and the fierce zoal
the Nors" King Olaf against tho adhcrents oi
the ancient faith has been commemoratcd in
song as well n in history The hapny results
which Bishop Kip 40 much admres aro 10 be
accounted for MT by the Symmetrical unity OF
the Apostolic Church. but by the judioious EN-
| ploymcnt Of carna weapons. II was the literal
and not the metaphori'a soldier of the Cross"
against which the barbarans found II in vain
! a. contend.
The ideal Church. therefore the disappearance
OF which this Episcopal Bishop dcplores. and
which he would iain have renewed among III.
IL ono in which multitude II warning sccts
were rcpres@ d 10y tho civil power in which all
the frauds nnd intrigue known to worldly poll
! tics ran riot. and whose extension was due to
| victories won W ia" sword. Tor our part, We
/ prefer the Ch arch ~ il Is