The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-03-03

ing an oversight over tho whole life o.
the Church amidst those seatterings oI
the chaif."
Moshoim speaking Of the same
period, while Tho Apostle John was
yet alive, says. "3uch WAS the cons.i.
tn,ion Of the Christian Church in it%
infancy, When It's as>emtlics were
neither numerous nor splendid. Three
or four Presbytera, men of remarkable
piety and wisdom, ruled these small
congregations in perfect harmony nor
did they stand in need Of any Presi.
dent or superior 10 maintain concord
and order where 10 dissensiong were
knog. Bat the number Of the Presby-
terS and Dcacons increasing With that
Of the Churches, and tho sacred work
Of tho miniEtry growing more and
more painful aud weighty, by a num-
her Of additional duties, these new cir.
cumstAnces required now regulations.
il was then judged necessary that one
man OF distinguished gravity and vic
dom shoul9 preside in the council of
Presbyters, ia order to distribute sm0no
his colleagues th~ir several tasks, and
10 be n eentre II ,lnioa 10 Ne rcAoIe
society. This person was a. frst STYLED
the angel Of the Church to which he
belonged, but was afterwards distin.
guished by the namo Of bishop, or in
spcctor I; a name borrowed from the
Greek language. and expressing tho
principal part Of the Episcopal function,
which was TO inspect and superintend
the affairs Of the Church. II is highly
probable that the Chruch Of Jerusalem,
grown considerably numerous, and de.
prived Of the ministry Of the Apostles,
who were gone 20 instruct otLe-
nations, was the first which chOoze q
Presiden. "r Bi-hor. and 4 il 40 less
probable iha, tic other Churches fol-
io~od hy i-.rr.s such a res ectable
example" III +, ps II Chsp. 2
Ci~-eler he-rs ab1nt tho 4yms
p. '.s-n"uy: 'Bu: although the ccm-
"7n'f' di.l n..t - ,arata itsrlf Troia th4
r"'Gi "a e.! tie Jewr, VT iLev v-r<
in' r" r...los .4t,nsets-i together b. IT,
'e-s'.. .'ir"e'i..n which saer rsiIgiyHE
i'ri'ncs IA s",i.y took sLd sy tksn
pa,'.ii&r h>p,s. Tlus there assse Ly
degrees regularly c1ns,i ut,d society
among tha brethren. For this tbS
jewish synagogue presented itself a.
the mosI n-,ursl model. A. irsI the
Apostles themselves performed tks
dsiies or tho society, but by degrees
special officers were appointed" Far
thsr on he hs says, "Amsng Paufs
disciples the most distinguished were
Slss (Acls -. 40) who was afterwards
With Peter Il Potter V. l2): Timothy y
who commissioned by PAsl, abode for a
long time at Ephesus, in order to ar
range the affIirs Of the Church in thai
pace: Titus Who had been left for
tho same purpose in Crete (boih con-
sidsrsd ia later times as the fr1t bishops
If these Churchss) aud Luke" And
afterwards (Girs. Vol l. 81 SEC }
"Of :he Apostles we ind at this time
only Philip in IiieropOlis and John il
EPhsNgs. While the latter superialen-
tel the Churches of A-is Iinor, and
laid the foundation Of = reculiar de-
Tc."lincnt uf d5rtrinr, hy iu,truclius
aide disciples AMI 10y b:s writings, the
Churches of other countries lost that
snperintsndenc, y Lich they had hiihsI-
10 enjoyed, by th, death Of the Apostles
aud their immediate disciples. The
need " uGity required Something TO
compensate for this los; it was pre-
sensod in the Episcopat0 which had
been Sdumbraied for 70 considerable
time in ,he mother Church of Jerusa.
lem, 10y the posi- ion Of Jamos and bis
SUCCESSORS. This example W&s iuita-
tod especially in the neighborin1
Churches, at Antioch in particular. Il
is true that in the mors remo'u
Churches the chief Preshyters, as pre.i
dents Of tie college of Presbytsrs 0c;u
p;ed similar position; but they bae
not eeen as yet elevated abSve thc
other PreSbYteTs by independent privi
lsges peculiar TO themselves. ISnS
thus, through the fundamentally Of hi
Epstlss, recommended Episcspscy
universally, asa condition Of uniiy
and thus the first PrssbyterS soon gsr
orally moved up the higher step a
bishops" although they retained be
sides, for long time, the title or Pres
bytors."
Ifanv OF my readers have move
studied the early history of the Chnrcl
and are not familiar with the bss
authorities on this subjsct let then
ask their pastors, whether the histor
ians above quoted, are not the bss
authorities known, and they can satlsf
themselves as to the correctness OF 'th
above quotations. To an unPrejudics
reader the conclusion is evsrwhelmin
that, before TIE death Of the last Apsstl
John, the Church everywhere had 1t
presidents or oversesrs, to whom tn
oversight Of the elders was committed
The eldsrs at this time were not me
charged with the temporal affairs of tn
Church alone, but were the spiritus
guides Of the people. Episceral:ans
well az all Christians are agreed tha
the words Elder and Bishop wer
synom, nous at this time, that is ths
an Elder was Bishop: but one Of thss
Elders or Bishops presided over tn
rest and eventually was called tn
Bishop of the Church; in the bosk {
Revelation this presiding Elder
called the angel of tho Church.
New in the Episcopal Church th
question is not CONCERNING the nam
bus the office of this presiding Eide
Was he frst among equals or did b
deive his Office not only from th
choice of the ether brsthern but b
appointment from the Apsstlssl B