The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-03-24

will be sufficient to show this; by the
parting words of Sc Paul to the elders
! Of Epbesus, who came to bim at bis
bidding and received his final charge,
and Titus, commission T. ordain elders
and rebnke shaFll j. any neglect cf daty.
Acts Xxx. % Titus !. 5. 10.
The duties Of these Pr:sLyteis or
bishops were the raiipg, strengthening
and establishing, the ChurcIfs planted
and watcreJ by ,h- ApostIes. How.
ever gifted Cbu,ch may have been
the elders, ~ere not ordained by the
people. The Apostles do not seen 10
have ordained elders until they had
experience Of their capacity. Barna.
bas and Paul ia their frst missionary
journey, preached the Gospel to different
cities such az Lystra, Iconium, aad
Antioch, but did not appoint the spirit
nal guides Of the people until their 10
turn. ole departed with B4rnabas
TO Derbe, and when they had preached
the Gospel 70 that city and bad taught
many, they returned again to Lystrs,
and 10 Icenium, a1d Antioch, confirm
ing The souls Of the Disciples, and ex-
horting them TO continue in the faith.
And when they had ordained them
Elders every Church, and had prayed
with fasting, they commended them to
the Lord on whom they believed"
Tho qualifications Of an Elder or
Presbyter or Bishop, all three titles
referring to the samo Office are described
in Titus ! Titus was to ordain Elders
in every city according As s. Paul cam
missi0ned him. "If any be blameless,
the husband Of one wife, having fIithful
children, not acsured Of riot or unruly.
For n Bishop must bs bIamelegs
as tlls steward Of Cod In frat Tim i.
olhy III the same qualifications are set
forth. "A bishop must be blamelesE
One shat ruie;h we'll his own house,
bAving hi. children il guhiec;iOn With
al sr4sity; Tor il mzn knew net low
- rule IN. o~n h.usr, hos shall 20
.sss csrr of the Church II God"
The, ~ero Lo~eesr under 81. Tim
o.hy's direr:ion. We ruter 10 tEiz par
lieslAily heeGuse according 10 the Pres
byterian sckeIne, Bishops IS they call
them. being the highest order Of tie
Christian ministry, can &c eensured
only by tie Prezbytory. Ia ] Tim. V.
10. Timothy Is directed how to use his
powsr over tie Prcsbytsrs and Bishops
BE il born in mind that there is no such
distinction 10 be drawn as a preaching
Elder and ruling Elder, for then the
Presbyterian schsme would rest upon
the Sane basis rs coEgegatioEAlisrn
which ;hey have again and again dis
claimed. For whom the Presbyterian
Withdrew from the Church Of Eneland
they did 50 on the ground tLat Bish
ops aud Presbyters were the sAmr
orders Of the ministry, and trAt th.
powers exercised by Bishops wer,
usurped, and ut first they taught It's
Divine right Of Presbytery, Rs the ons
system authorized by the word Of Goi
The whole truth Of tie Church,
government rests in this one fact, that
over the Bishops and Prssby;ers rulea
an officer, calleJ IN Asos;le or Angel
or Bishop, 10 whom was commi;les
the power of orIaiaing and guiding ;hs
Churches la the different cities undei
his ch.r:e. Whil= tho Bishops oi
Elders coucnrrei with him in oTdain
ing, With him alone rested the right e
ord,in, and without his c9ncGrTenc,
no ordination was valid. Thus Tim
othy is guided 10y 81 Paul to rule owe
these Presbyter-bishops. Against a
Eldsr receive not an accusation but be
fose txo or thres witnesses. Then
that sin rehnke before ail, that other
also may fear. chargs thee belor
, God, and the Lord Jesus Christ an,
tho elect Angels, that thou chserv
. those thirg. without prsferring one :.
/. fore smother, doing nothing by part
r ality. Lay hands suddenly on no mar
o neither be psrtsksr Of other mon
: sius T; keep thyse'f pure"
t Surely such words are 10 persu
l. In authority over the Presbylers All
J. brethren as well, nnd this lower
Il over Elders "that rule we'll" and espe
. tally honorable Elders "who labor
a the worl aud doctrine" I Tim. V.
y The authority is Of such nature tn
s. he has an opportunity of shsWing pa
y tiality and so he is exhorted to gnsl
IF himself against it. The Apostles ell
e their deputies held this supervision
- the Church's affairs, to guard 4
K believer. agaius. false teachers. Tue
II depusiss were at first called Apostle
"a as Titus and others in III Cor. VI
%, (the G,eek for messengers bai
ls Apostles) but Sra@uOlly the title Biz
ls op was restricted 10 them alone, al
N hence arose tho apparent confusion
10 names, which has been made the excu
At fos denying The Apostolic powers cf t
le Bishops. Coupled with this has be
ID the accusation Of erroneous doctri
r. and practice, which will, Ia time,
of shown as false as tho charge that
he government of the Episcopal Church
he unscrip.ursl.
H. Iti commonly considered that
ct peried of about 80 years elapsed
re tween the time of the writing of
no Acts and the Book of Revelatic
ld Daring this time all the Apostles s
,e- ferred death except st. John. Look
a the Epistles to the seven Churches a
in see whether they favor the idea that
Church was Presbyterian or Congre
ry tional in reconstruction. Weknow Il
.S. the spread of Christianity in Asia v
tn very rapid and that in Ephesus it spe
les the trade Of the image makers of Dial
rs AS ST. Paul was on his way to Jeru
in lem, he sent for the Elders of I
os- Church and told them to take heed
.rs the flock over which the Holy Gh