The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-03-17

they exercised the powers OF CasIss
(Natt, XIX. %. XVIII. 19).
let rs glance at the way they used
shis authority after Christ's Ascension.
We find hardly any act Of power per-
formed by our Lord while upon earth,
which was not in scms degree exercis-
cd by the Apostles. After the
Saviour's baptism in TIE Jordan He be-
gan 10 preach and his disciples baptized
A. lie directed. SO after the day Of
Pentecost the 4 psssles begin to preach
and baptize, and their converts continue
stesdfast in the Apostolic doctrine.
| Oar fesr Saviour however left such q
complete system Of teaching that 40
Gew duties could be added but when
any explanation Of His Eesning was
wanted they exponndsd it, aud their
explanations wero eTefy=bers accept
cd. Besides this ihey decreed what
ever was necessary toward. she peace
Of the Church, or the order or d-csI'cy
Of divine worsbip. Wo should onIy
expect Incidental references to tbA Ia
the history Of the Acts because there
was no question 80 to their authority,
am most of the troubles In ths Churches
were not Of sufficient important to call
for general notice. In Acts XIV we
have one instance of the manner in
which fercely debated question wz4
settled by cenucil held st Jerusalem,
presided over by james, who was the
iirst Bishop Of Jerusalem, and who gave
the decision Of the Church. St. Paul
shows how he exsrci4ed his Apostolic
authority IL ths Tn, 9th, llth and
l4;h chapters of first Corinthians.
"And to the married esnnand, yet
act I, but the Lord but 70 tEe lest
speak I, not the Lord" lie promised
- do more wheu he coIaes 70 them
again "and the rest will set IN order
when come :" "Ana - ordain ] in
ali tho ChnrcEes." To tie Tsezzslon-
iAns he says "W'hsye confidence tkas
ye beth do, and will DO TIC things we
cnnniard YOU" When we ~ere With
,ur, ~e commanded you, that If any
would 10: work neither should be eat.
item that are such We command, tha.
with quietnsss they work snd eat their
our bread" III Thes. III.)
He often reminds his disciples that
Christ had given bin this authority
and power for the ediGeation Of the
Church, that by it lie veuil avsnge all
diEsLsdieBee, and be communicated
the iucestuops CoriBtbisn By virtue Of
&. Il verify as absent In body, but
presens in spirit, have jHdssd already
as though i were n esen., la. Euch an
one be deliver 70 satan, aai that he II.
put away from among yOn." Il Ger.
V. 81. Some OF thsse Corinthians dis
elaine bis power aal by doing so
show that the Apostle claimed the
right to direct them.
While the Apostles thus rulei the
Church their names indicated tie dif-
ferent functions Of their ministry. They
had the same titles at various times s,.-
piled TO cur Lord. They we're called
presbyters, bishops. dsacoEs or ninis-
ters, teachers, prophets, and svaDgel-
lists. Bat as we noticed sboHt the
names applied to our Savior, these
titles did not dstrsct from their ofBce
"a rulers Of the Church. Il Peter ). /.
Acts l. 20. Tim. > Z. Acts /. %,
XIII. l. Rev. XXII'9. l Ger. TX.
l6j
We have alluded thus fully to the
4 ,.cssslic powers, because they lave a
most important bearing Ipon the pow
ers entrusted to the Church after their
deee.Xc. There il nos word TO in
timate that their Office was not t. Goa
linue. The early Church beloved tb.t
this ofiico was continued In ths Bishop,
a Aame as-first applied iEdiScrImina,e-
ly - the Elders or Presbytess, as well
- The Apostles and Christ y ho Is ''the
Shepherd and Buhnp of car souls"
Reviewing tLen the distinctions be-
tween the Apostles pri~ilsdges and
those of the other brethren we End.
lst Il was not thoir especial honor
70 have been with Christ all tue tine
TOR others we're with Hin as much or
even more while they were absent On
their duties, for Matthias was chosen
from those ''msn which have companied
with us all tie time that the Lord Jesus
went in and cut among us" Acts l
sD.
2nd. Nor wors they on'y srdains
of Christ, for so were the seventy
Luke Y.
3rd. Nor were they only to 20 10
all the wo-ld for We read shat tho
"eleven an them that were with than"
received tas commission to evangelize
tbs world (Luke XIV SO. 80.
4th. Nor were they snly inspired
of God SO were Mark and Luks.
9th. Others as well as they, plant
sd Churches aud worked signs and
miracles, so did Stephen, and Philip.
Acts Wis, VIII g..
Over and above oil these things and
with them, they had authority and
jurisdiction over all, and thess they
gave to their successors:
lst. rhe powers tf ordination and
confirmation which were ast exercised
by those who had the right to baatize
and preach. Acts VI. 6, VIII. IL,
Is, XIX 6.
2nd. OF commanding. l Ttess.
" IL.
3rd. OF countermanding. Acts
Is. "a. | Tim. III u.
4:h OF censunng or excommunica-
tion, as in Coriuth. ~. 81. Matt
| XVTTI Io yohp XX d
These are the powers afterwards
exercised by the Bishops, and not BY.
all Bishsps and rresbyters bat those
selected by the Apostles to succeed
them as Titus to whom st. Pau says,
''For this cause I left thee in Crete