The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1882-02-24
Tho Episcopal Church.
BY REV. RoBT. l.. STEVENS.

v.
!. is Il question Of vital interest :,
every believer in Chfisf, whsths
Christ and His apostles establishod ,
for1 Of Church government with an
unaltcrsbie ministry or not. If they
did, IL must bc nt once evident that tbs
Church eannOt NJ secure without IT,
Because thos9 who are 80 teach Divine
Tru.h mugt lsve Divine commission.
IL is rule Of common sense as we'll n
Of common practical that every we'll
directed effort be organized, and We
would naturally expect Christianity 70
bs 40 organized that is Efforts might
bc directed to the best advantage, and
not weakened by tho divisions now 40
unhappily apparent. II can be made
pISin, 10 those who desire 70 know
thc truth, that such a foru. Of govern
msnt has the Divine appointment.
Christ came 10 ostAtli4h spiritual
kingdom not a republic. "Rspent, fJr
the kingdom Of heaven is at hand" va,
the irst sentence Of His preaching.
This kingdom ~as to DO a moral power.
Ii was not TO drive men to do right, bat
TO teach them the love sf God as the
motive Of right action. It's real f1rcs
lay, not 10 making laws, but in reclaim
ing msn from errsr by the infusion Of
right principles Of action. They were
70 know tie trath and "the truth vas
to make them froe."
But all power has an outward and
visible sign. We know there is life
by the form it takes, and while Christ's
kingdom waI in the heart Of man il
was TO show itself in the Church. Ths
Church was 10 DO the visible sign Of
this moral power; she Was TO be tho
visible means whereby the truth was 70
spread; all lovers Of the truth were to
unite themselves TO her and band them
selves against tho powers Of evil. How
Christ intended His Church 10 be a
visible organized society is shown by
sush directions as these. "Tell it 70
the Church." LET not the Church bs
charged" "As that time there was a
great persecution against the Church
which vas at JeFusz!em," "Tidingl
OF these things came unto the ears of the
| Church Which was in Jerusalem "Bsins
brought Ola their va, hy the Church. "
We wo9ld rot think i: necessary to
refnr 10 ihiE idea Of 4 visible church
eat il is sometimes deu:ed thai the
Church ofChri.s i, visible body, sHd
consequently that it does not nosd
those outward signs O: order commoA
10 ordinary sociti-r
Tho word "Church' means IA
assembly OF msE: as now usei it meauA
the assembled or congrsgated BODY Of
believers in Christ. As loas az the
Church is composed of men il must oI
necessity DO visible as long as the msu
are visible.
la the Scriptures the Church on
earth il spoksa Of as visible. IL wrote
unto the Church, ".says St. jobs St Psnl
wrote his letters TO different Churches
in dinsrsat placss, Gnd Ihsy certainly
must have beeR visible organizations.
! Tho attempts tha. hzse bssn male T.
prove .he Chs:eh of CD Invisible have
only brought nrt more clearly the fsci
oF her ~ 'atsnc- in visibic form
All tie powers and dutios Of the
Church imply this. Tue power 10 IL
liict discipline, ami sxeomnuEiea;s ua-
worthy members is an outward act; the
ministry, sacrameats, prayers, praises
Aad thahkEgivings, have their visible
forms as we'll the inward grace moving
them.
Because the Church is visible body,
it does not necessarily imply that all
who belong 10 her will be saved a. thsy
may neglect their duties, and fail to
reach the Church triumPhana in heaven.
Only those who endure 10 the end
shall be saved. In the visible CharsA
evil may be mixed With the Gssd; aA4
So Christ likenS she kinglsm Of heaven,
10y which the Church on earth il
meant, to net enclosing fahsS bad
and good: to : Held in which tsrSs aAd
wheat grow tssether; 20 hos.e ruled
over BY faithful snd uniaithful servants.
The sad evils and disorders that may
prevail in Church aud ye: not cause
IL to forfeit the name to a Church OF
Christ, can be seen in tte second aad
.hird chapter of Revelation.
The Church being the kingdom Of
0sd upon earth is specially dear to
every one who loves Him. The prayer
"Thy kingdom Csas," shews that care
for Christ's law is second only to she
hallowinx of Coda name. It is pre-
test against anarchy aud disorder, Ead
an exSressioa Of earnest desire that the
ministers Of Christ shOald preach with
such power that meA might be rescued
from the dominion OF Satan, and come
under that OF Christ, under whose
government is the perfect law of libsrsr !;
true freedom eoasistins in obedience
to the revealed truth.
As every visible society must be
Organized aAd have It's properly aP.
pointed officers, what appears TO have
bsen the form OF sOvsrnmSnt when the
Chursh was nrst ostablishedi The
Christian Ohareh was organized before
any Of the New Testament Scriptures
were wriIt.n. This universally is ad-
misted. Most Of the books of the
New Testament were writtsn between
the years forty-hve and seventy. The
Church was ruled by the Apostles
through word of mouth, and the mem
bera are constantly exhorted TO hold to
the word preached to them. Thus
st. Jude exhorts the brethsrn to hold
to "the faith once delivered to th,
saints" ST. Paul tells tho ThessalonAan;
| q Thess. III. l5) to hold to the tradi-
tiens tney had been taught.