The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-05-26
unto death, and I will give thee I
crown Of life"


reader is not onesided bat in accor.
dance with commonly accepted facts,
we will endeavor 10 show from DR.
Philip Scbaf tie best known American
(though German born) authority on
Church history, and who has never
been accused Of leaning towards Epis.
copsoy. In bis History Of the ApoS-
tolic Church on the subject Of the An.
gels Of the seven Churches be writes
thus (Note. As Dr. Sehaf speaks Of
EpiJcopacy as msnarchical We would
call attention 10 the fact that as tile
bishops are chosen by both clergy and
people they are no more monarel:s
than our governors, and We will allow
that episcopAey Is monArchieal in the
same sense that our government Is
monarchieal in not admitting two or
more presidents to rule at the same
time.
(SchaFs Hist, Ap. Ch. Page. $50 J
'But even in the latter case tie i'm
partial inquirer must allow, that this
Phraseology Of the Aposcalypss already
looks towards the idea Of episcopacy in
its primitive form, that is, to q MON
ArchieAl concentration Of governmental
power in one person, bearing q patri-
ArchAl relation to the congregation,
and responsible in an eminent sense for
the spiritual condition Of the whole.
This view il confirmed by the fact,
that among tae immediate disciples Of
John we fad at least one-Polycarp-
who according to the unanimous tradi-
ton Of Irsnaeus (his own disciple, him
self q bishop Of Tertullian, Eusebius,
and Jerome, was by apostolieal appons-
ment, actually bishop Of Smyrna, one
Of the seven Churches Of the Appeal
ypse. Add to this the statement Of
Clement OF Alexandra, that john after
his return from Patmos appointed
bishops = the Epistles Of Ignatius, OF
the beginning of the second century,
which already distinguished the bishsp
from the Presbytery, as the head Of the
congregation, and In which the three
orders pyramidically culninats in reg
AlAr hierarchy, although without the
least trace yet Of primacy and final
ly, the fact that Asia Minor was the
very region where the rapid growth Of
heresies and the pressure Of outward
dangers urged towards the establish
ment Of firmly consolidated system Of
government AID We Assuredly have
much in favor Of the hypothesis so
learnedly aad ingenioHsly set forth
lately by d.. Roihe, that the germs of
EpiscoPacy are TO be found a. early as
the close Of the first century, and par
tieulArly in the sphere Of the later
labors Of Sc John. DIR. Thiarseh also
arrives at . similar result. But even
in this ease We still with the latter his
torian insist on an important distinct
ion between the "Angels" Of the book
Of Revelation and the later Diocesan
bishops. For aside from the very
limited extent Of their charges, as COM
pared with the large territory OF most
Greek, Roman Catholic and Anglican
bishops these angels stood beLOw the
Apostles aud their legates, aud we're
not yet invested with great power
(ParticulATy the right to confirm and
ordAin), which fell to the later bishops
after the death Of the Apostles. For
while they lived they were beyond all
question the holders and executives Of
the supreme authority in doctrine and
government, and administered erdina-
ton either in person or by their dele
gates. The latter is expressly affirmed
Of John, in the statement Of Clement
Alexandra above cited. The Angels
accordingly, if We are 10 understand
by them single individuals, must be
considered as forming the transition
from the presbytsrs Of the Apostolic
age to the bishops of the second CEN
tury.
'In addition to this, however, the
episcopal system was simultaneously
making its way also in other parts of
the Church, in Jerusalem, where James
held in all respects the position Of q
bishop, as in fact he is directly styled,
even by the oldest fathers, bishop OF
Jerusalem in Antioch and Rome,
whose first bishops are said to have
been appointed by the Apostles them.
selves, and are known to US by name on
the testimony of such men as Irenaeus,
Origen, Tertullian, Eusebius, and other
ancient documents. Indeed almost all
the evangelists or delegates of the
Apostles are in their later years placed
by tradition in particular episcopal
sees. Ii now We consider in fne that
in the second century the episcopal
system existed, as a historic fact, in
the whole Church, east and west, anc
was INCREASINGLY acknowledged, nay
universally regarded as at least in
directly of divine appointment, we eau
hardly escape the conclusion; that thil
form of government naturally grew
out Of the circumstances and wants oi
the Church at the end of the Apostolic
period, and could not have been 80
quickly and 80 generally introducsc
without the sanction, or at least TIT
acquiescenOe, of the surviving Apos
ties, especially of John, who laboreC
on the very threshhold of the ssconc
century, and left behind him q numbe
of venerable disciples At all events i
needs strong infusion of skepticisn
or of traditional prejudice to enable o n
in the face of these facts aud witnesses
to pronounce the episcopal governmen
of the ancient Church, sheer apostac
from the apostolic fern, and radios
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