The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-03-24
The Episcopal Church.
BY REV. RoBT. l.. STEVENS.
TX

ginning the whole weight Of the
Church's affairs lay upon Ito Apostles.
We read in the frat chapters Of Acts
how they taught, distributed the SAsrs.
nsnt, the money contributed, and also
how they ordained and pronounced
judicial sentence. Their converts "con-
tinued stsadfastly 10 the Apoatle's doc
trine. aud follewsbip, and ia breaking
Of bread and in prayers"
"As many as had lon is or house. sold
thom, and brought the prices Of the
things that were sold and laid them
down st tho Apostles feet" when
Ananias and Sappbira heard their lie
condemned they fell down dead, (Acts
H. AZ. ~ 35 VI, V5)
When the Greeks complained chat
their widows were neglected in the
daily ministration, tho Apostles took
steps to enlarge the ministry. The
daily ministration did not simply refer
TO money and food, but probably refers
TO the distribution Of tho Sacrament
a. we'll. For this was celebrated daily
in some places a. we infer from Acts
~. 10. and times Of the Communion
was carried to the sick and weak who
were unable to attend the pGblic eele.
bration. II is important To bear in
iaind that tho dcacons Office was Of a
spiritual nature, because some sects
have deacon's who have only temporal
charges, and are no. regarded az an
order in the ministry.
OF the Apostolic deacons whose or
dination is recorded IN the sixth Of
Acts, two are mentioned AS hapiiyinx,
preaching aud working miracles.
Stephen fall OF faith aud power did
great wonders aud miracles among the
people" Thp"n ~ho Gs,ia.aysi Li.
preaching, "wrte i,st Ap.U 20 Icsi.I ths
~isdom snd spiut by shi.h Ae spsks. d"
Philip ths deae1n Nsut .Ra ts Sintar
il aud preached t., si.d baptized tie
: S,mAritaas. Aets vii We kuo~
that Tits WAS not Phlliy The Apostle
because lhs fIa. worse Of this chspter
tells Us that the Apsstles rcInsined ut
Jerusalem while the rest Of tho Church
was scattered by persecution.
> This chapter also Informs us that The
deacons could not confirm their coz.
vertF, bus that the Apostles reserved the
right Of laying on Of hands" or Con-
tirma.ion, - theTnselyes. Now when
The Apostles which were in Jerusalem
i heard that Samaria bad received the
q ~orA Of God, they sent unto them
Pete, aud John, who when they were
come down, prayed for them, tha. they
: might receive the Hsly Ghost. Then
T. laiI they their hands on them and they
: received the uoly Ghost" ihat in
fsrior ministers could ssptize Eut no.
a confirm appears also from Acts Xix
), 6. ST.. Pani himself only bap-
, tilsd on rare occasions; be says tha,
4 he was ssnt TO preach aud not to bap
tie. We cad that when the Ephesian,
bsiioved, They were baptized in the
; name of the I.3id Jesus" "And when
Paul had laid his hands upon .hsm
! the Holy Ghost ceme on ihem." Ths
spiritual na.dre of the descou's Office i,
q further shoEn In !. Tim Ill Il whsr.
;. The deacon must be one ~ho can raj,
D well and ministsr we'll According Z
Il this Apostolic appointment, the dsaconl
= Of tie Episcopal Church, can Gaptiz,
aud preach, bnt cannot confrm Eo
celebrate the Sacramsn', though the,
assist in iis distribution.
When persecution scattered tn,
brethren in Jerusalem, they went every
;. : whers preaching the word. They be
came evangslistS; thus We find Phili
ono Of tho seven deaeons called a
evangelist (XXI s. they becams
means Of spreading knowledge Of tn
70 Gospel, and prepared Tho way IL
" Apostolic appointments. No where
y we find traoo Of the converts organs
= ing aud constituting Church withou
y Apostolic supervision. In this forms
tion p,riod regularly constituted min;
al try begins to show itself. They mu
& be blind indeed TO the work of II
w blesaed Spirit, who think that if such
r, ministry ~ero necessary fer ihe anti
es Of the Church thor, that il is unnece
IS, sary now. The object was to build u
- the converts in the higher mysteries
the faith, without which they We
.ly liable to be led astray. Though Il
,ir lover orders of the ministry could wor
ol miracles, the higher orders were III
30 necessary, and by what Reasoning ca
on they bs dispensed with nowl
lly The object of the super, ision of Il
Ter Chulch by the higher grades Of Il
ministry was for unity. And bow c.
~. unity lie better preserved than 10y Il
.ss Apostolic rlau4 Il is written th
,ce Christ gave somo Apostles; aId son
10. prophets; and some, evan9elists, al
DO. some, pastors and teachers; for the pe
ill fecting of the saints, for the work
ole the ministry, for the sdifying Of I
body Of Christ; till we all come in {
ME unity Of the faith, and of the know
nd edge of the Son of God, unto psrfe
: = man, unto the measure Of the stats
g. Of the fulness of Christ; that we bo
e. moro children, tossed to and fr0, a
'ob csrried about with every wind of d,
nj trine, by the slight of men, and c1
ming craftinsss whereby they be
wait to deceive" (Ephs l. 9. ll.)
&c, We learn the order of the minist
ID again from | Corinthians XII
er- Where it is mentioned "that God hs
'lse set some in the Church, first Apost
's1' sscondarily, prophets, thirdly, tsache
wh For the continuance of the ministry
len this three fold order we find the Ap
"V ties instituting an order of Presbyt
oi or elders as we'll as the order of deaoo
These are every where represented
low superior to the deacons, aud are
rec times called bishops as we'll. ]
and Apostles assosiated tbesa with In.