The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-05-28
CHURCH GOVERNMENT.
4 Convincing Article Against Attach.
Ing Under Importance to NCn.Es.
ScntialS.
Drosc r,u3 Ry,iDp,. .

Editors Press and Banner:
In view OF recent driIrcraiccs IN this COM
mulity on the subject of Church government
Ii may not be unintcrcStinS 10 consider what
Is held on This subject By the great and good
men Of the Church, who have devoted much
. tilncanu thought to it. There is now, as for
merry II tendency IN some minds to attach III
undue Importance To matters non essential,
and Of comparatively little interest; while
tie wciglticr matters of religion arc passed
by, Justice, charity and the love Of God. To
7 hear some men talk, you might without cN-
:lniinatiOni conclude that their church pUlity
and standards OF doctrine were 81 clearly re-
rr;Ilru i'll the scriptures, that there could lc
no dissent from tlici: views. Nut when you
make the examination you are compelled 10
uiiicr from them.
Thrrcarc sonic things clearly revealed in
the ScriplurcS-"lhG vision Is so plain that he
that rcadcth may run" and in reference to
. these there is no dispute among the great
body Of Christians, there can BIZ none. To us
all there is: "unc Lord, OHc faith. one bap-
tiSm, one God and fa~tllcrofnll VIII" is above
all, and In Us all
cd, or in reference 10 which there is no rcvc-
lalion Il: all. and about which Christian lncn
may and do diilrr. Tho Form of Church gov
eminent, has been and is still All open qucs-
ton. No particular form being prescribed
by the inspired writer. The Church Is lc:: 10
its own discretion and the cIiscncicS of time
and place.
This position is supported by good author
lily.
bishop Emory says: The vcXed question
respecting the original farm of government
In the Christian Church, though not uniiii-
purlant, is certainly OF no such consequence
Us heated di:rutant* ON any side misicd by,
| party prcju!iccS or Incorporate zeal, would
make 1t. The declaration of 81. Paul, that,
the Kingdom Of God is not meat and drink,
but righl eotlsilcSS. peace ana JOY In tli.' Holy
Ghost" is applicable alike To everything OK
tcrial and circumstantiul. But 1t may be
said that the form Of polity Is not Il thing ca
tcrnai or circumstantial, but OF tho very rs-
ccnSc of q true Church.. No one has ever yet
Scripture which teaches this doctrine n
Thing most marvellous Indeed, If the doctrine
BE- TRUE.
Now, that no such thing can he proved tram
Sryil.Hrc, many OF the ableSt writers have
over and over admitted. Tie celebrated
Iodwrll. In the case Of nonjuring Bishops,
In the reign Of William III. comedies that nj.
The reasoning from which ncn conclude that
the Who'll" model Of ecclesiastical discipline
may he extracted from the New Testament
Is quite p~rcc:iriouS: thai there Is no passage
OF amy sacred writer which openly processes
this design; that there Is not Que which so
treats Of ecclesiastical government as If ne
the writer. or the Holy Spirit, had intended
To describe any form Of l0lity us being to re-
main everywhere and fOrrv. inviolatc. That
this Is so every one vino READS the Bible cali
see for himself.
liichHrL Watson, adopting the language OF
Bishop TOmline, says:
Asst has not pleased our Almighty. Father
to prescribe my particular form OF civil gov
III for the security OF temporal conf
forts To his rational creatures, so neither has
he prescribed amy particular firm OF ecclcSi-
nStical pOiity a>abSolutcly necessary 10 the
attainment of eternal happiness. Thus the
gospel only lays dow general principles, and
leaves the application OF them to men us free
agents.
Wesley says: As TO my own Judgment. ]
still believe the Episcopal form OF Church
government to be Scriptural and ApoStolical.
/ mean. we'll agreeing with the practice and
scribed in the Scriptures, do not believe.
This opinion, which once jcalouSly, cSpouS-
cd. I have been heartily ashamed OF ever
since ! read Bishop Sti!Iingtlccrs lrenicum.
! think he has unanswcrahly proved that
neither christ nor his apostles prescribed any
particmhr Jorm q, Church gcrcrnment;
DR.. woods, Of Andoycr, declares, J. am ihr
different places, or IN the same PLACE are nb-
so!utely bound in duty to adopt the very same
forms Of ecclesiastical order. The position
thus supported by good authority, Is sustain
DR.. Abel stevens, furnishes to our hand the
following:
l.. 1T is obvious that there can be no intrin-
sic importance In any one form or Clurcn
polly, rather than another. to justify It's cx-
elusive appointment without respect totlncs,
places, or circumstances Fundamental uOc.
tr!ncs and morals must from their essential
nature be positive, but not so tho mere cerc-
lnonial offices, and economical arrangements
Of the Church..
,. The positive authority of such "~offices'
and Arrangements would be Il formidable
interference with the "wcightier matters OF
the law in many instances. The history or
the Church tbuundS in examples OF ms re-
mark. IL has repeatedly been necessary, III
order to maintain the purity of doctrines ana
morals. for the subordinate clergy or the pep
pie to break away rom the control of au-
thOritics, declared TO be essential by the al.
vOcatcS Of Il positive ecclesiastical system.
Had not Wesley deviatcd from the govern
mcnt OF the Anglican Church in his ordina-
ton of an American Bishop, the Methodist
Church in America would have been rent in
to faction, and much evil hnvc cnsucd.
God has sanctioned that deviation by crown
ing IT. with his blessing, and following 1t Win
results uncQualcd In the contemporary Ills
tory OF the Church.
). The doctrine of divine right, IN matters
of Church polity. attaches to those matters
an Importance which Is contrary to the gc.
MUS of Christianity and Is Of pcrniclors
tendency. 1t is The foundation Of dcnolnina-
tiOnal pride and usrrpation, and of most
mortilying observation-disclosures toward all who
dissent from 1t. It's adlcrCntS arroSantly
consider themselves the exclusive Church of
Christ. 1t has led GA prcpOSterOus estimate
of mere ceremonies, and created controHcr-
sics, which. are Il disgrace to our times and
the rldiculc of sensible men.
In addition to these considerations we have
the decisive fact, that, the Holy Scriptures do
not contain Il single Injunction respecting the
form of Church government. Ihcy state INC
general principles Of moral discipline, but
they nowhere prescribe the forms and grada-
tons Of ecclesiastical Offices.
"To the law and to the testimony: If they
speak not according TO this WOrd, II is he
cause there is no light in thcm.' Isa: viii. ~.
II. j. S.
An Ohio cow last week broke n mans neck
nv n l;irl, nl11r That Witnessed fhI r;lStl-