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

authority descended--who not onlv
preached and baptized, but also ordained
Preshyters (Acts xiv: 23), and Deacons
(Acts vi: g.? Were there not Elders, or
Presbyters, or Gf you prefer it) Bishops,
ties to preach and baptize, and (Acts Xxx:
%; l Peter v: y to feed and "tend
the Church of Cod" but who never or
dained? And were there not Deacons.
who received authority also from the
same source to preach and baptize, but
whose work had to be supplemented by
"the laying on of the Apostles hands
(Acts viii: 12-1D? You say "the dea-
con is minister; diaconate means min
istry; it need not necessarily be min
lstry of the word" But were not all the
above, the Deacon included, ministers
OF the word? Is the Presbyterian Dea-
con, however, " a minister of the word
II so, then the Presbyterian has ta0o or
ders of ministers of the word, and the
theory of parity or of p1inaus inter pares
is overthrown: if not, then the Presby-
terrain Deacon is not the New Testament
| Deacon.
But you quit the New Testament and
appeal to the fathers. Well, to the faith
ers let us 60. You say,-"The Episco-
pate did undoubtedly spring up in the
primitive Church at very early date
not diocesan or prelatic episcopacy"
By the way, 1 should like you to tell me,
at or about what date diocesan or pre-
latte episcopacy in your judgment did
spring up. Was it about the middle of
the second, or of the third, or of the
fourth century? You will admit think,
that at least at the last date it was fully
formed and widely spread. Now if Pres
byterianlsm was the first form, you have
even on this admission some strange
things to account for. l. Where are "the
records" of any Presbytery during those
years-of the election of Moderators, of
the Presbyterial ordinations of pastors,
OF elders, or of deacons, etc., 2. Where
do we find protests by his fellow presby-
tiers against the usurpation on the part
rot one of their number of such prelatic
authority and functions? The Presby-
terlans of those days were not of the
same brave and uncompromising spirit of
those of more recent times if, regarding
"prelacy" in the same light as do the
latter, they did not thunder loud and
clear against such usurpation, and if they
did not secede or exscind on finding their
efforts to conserve and propagate truth
within and through the existing organism
fruitless. But of neither protest nor Sc
cession, or exscinsion have we any record.
Have We? 3. 1t is surely strong pre-
sumptive argument against the divinity
of the origin of teaching and remedial
organism that it actually lost its exist
ence as an organism in two or three hun
dred years. 1t surely did not possess
much power of self-perpetuation 1T
surely did not give very strongly proba-
tory evidence that to it belonged the
blessed assurance" Lo, I am with you
Away, even to the end of the world !" or,
The gates of Hades shall not prevail
against it.
But meet the assertion of the second
part of your sentence that 1 have quoted
with respectful yet positive denial.
maintain that the organization of the
Church on her first appearance in post
Apostolic times aOas Diocesan Episcopal.
Wherever the Church was organized it
was on the distinctly Diocesan type, with
one Bishop as the head and with Pres
byters of greater or less numbers. "The
Apostles in first planting and establish
ing the Church, wherever they found
civil magistracy settled in any place,
there they endeavored to settle an eccle-
slastlcal one, consisting Of Senate or
Presbytery, common council of Pres
byters, and one chief President above the
rest, commonly called the zroestos, or
the apostle, or bishop, or angel of the
Church" See B5rag Amti. TX. Conse-
quently Eusebius has given us success
slonal list of the Bishops of the Dioceses
OF Jerusalem, Antioch, Rome, and Alex
andria, with that of others of Dioceses Of
less Importance; and his history extends
from the days of the Apostles down to
A. d., 324, just one year before the as
sembling of the Council of Nice. In adj
dition to all this the form of Church gov
eminent described by the Apostolic faith
ers 0ithout an exception was that of the
three orders of Bishop, Presbyter, and
Deacon-all ministers of the word +;
the highest authority being exercised by
and flowing from the Bishop, as in more
strictly Apostolic times it was vested in
the Apostle. | can ask space to make
only few quotations though the num-
Der that might be made would argue con-
clusively the importance which those
fathers attached to this doctrine. Gle
ment of Rome "a n oil 1O0N ,~.ool-;no