The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1881-07-27

Dul, says IL Armstrong, Tue apOStleS
were the diocesan bishops of those days.
Then the world was governed at that
time by twelve bishops, and, as soon as
the apostles die, we find Immediately not
IL, but 1900; there was bishop "a pre-
siding elder) in every town. Why so few
in the year 60, and such shoal in the
year 80? If there were 1000 diocesan
bishops short time after the death of
the apostles, is it not likely that we
should find some trace of such dignita-
ry, and some name for such dignitary
in the New Testament?
8. DR.. Armstrong desires us to. tell him
when, in our opinion, diocesan or pre-
latte Episcopacy sprung up?" We answer,
About the middle of the 4th century,
Christianity had then become the State
Religion of the Roman Empire, and the
Church was then divided on the model OF
the Empire, in which there already ex-
listed civil division called diocese. We
find about this time an exarch or patri-
arch in each OF the thirteen dioceses OF
the empire, and metropolitan in every
province.
WHERE ARE THE PRESBYTERIAN RECORDS
4. But DIR. Armstrong urges: "Where
are the records of any Presbytery during
the first three hundred years." We
might ask where are the records of any
Episcopal Convocation prior to A. D
800?
But there are records of Presbyteries
during the period referred to, although
they have of course been rarely preserved.
The first instance is in Luke xxi Co.,
Another is in Acts xxi: 5. This, how.
ever, was in the. Jewish Church. The
first unequivoacl instance in the Christian
Church is in Tim iv: IA, where limo
thy is referred to as ordained by the
laying on of the hands of the Presbyte.
ry." We are disposed to regard Acts
xiii: 1-3, as another instance. Here
Paul and Barnabas were regularly set
apart or ordained by certain prominent
men, probably the elders of the Church,
at Antioch. There was no apostle pres
ent, and no diocesan bishop. AS ano-
Their example, we refer to the extract
from Firmilian quoted in Cyprian, Epist
rs; p. 49, Another instance occurs in
the fragments of Hippolytus (about A
D. 200), where it is mentioned that GER
tain Noetus, charged with hele sy, was
summoned by the Presbytery before them,
and that they condemned him, and cast
him out of the church" These are few
instances But there are no records y
of provincial Councils or Synods until
A. D. $50.
THE PRESUMPTION FROM THE RISE OF
EPIsCoPACY.
5. DR.. A. further argues that it is a
presumption against Presbyterianism that
it should have lost its existence as an or
ganism in two or three hundred years.
But in few hundred more what DR.
Armstrong calls Episcopacy lost ITS ex-
istence as an organism, and was swallow
ed up by the Papacy. Does that prove
it false? The apostle tells us in 2 Thes.,
that "the mystery of iniquity doth al
ready work" 1t was at work in the
very lifetime of the apostles. The Church
rapidly became corrupt. Hippolytus, in
the ninth book of his Philosophoumena
reproaches the Roman clergy of his time
CA. D. 200) with unchastity. Fifty or
sixty years later, the bishop Paul of An
tioch was deposed on almost incredible
charges; and about A. D. $50 Origen
complains that there are overseers OF
Gods people who seek to Guido the pomp
of the heather potentates, and who would
surround themselves, like the emperors,
with body-guard, and make themselves
terrible and inaccessible to the poor
Why, we have baptismal regeneration,
the cross in baptism, amounting candidates
for baptism with oil, trine immersion, ce-
libacy, " sacred virgins Of the church, >
the development CT the worship Of mar
tyrs and relics, by the close of the second
century And few centuries later, we
have the Church Of Rome. DR.. Arm
strong and the Churchman had forgotten