The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-02
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE,
DIR. Marines "Bishop- Again.

regulate than q hen. She never knows when
she is put right and she won't stay put have
one large dark hen that insists on climbing the
barn stairs. working her way over the hay,
creeping through narrow hall way, cross
ing large storeroom and flying through a
broken window to scratch my flower garden. /
pick her up and put her back in the big coop,
telling her she must keep on her own side Of the
fence, She rufles her feathers, squeaks mean
ders to the stairway. and flies through the same
window right down into nay garden again Now
1 am going to nail up the window.
If Dr. Marine had kept to Methodism he
would never have heard from me. The Church
of England is my sacred mother and when
DIR. Marine goes out Of the way to strike
her, he must not get angry if he finds himself
knocked down. 1 have lived here nearly twelve
years, and | never have said an unkind word of
the Methodists So far as they have been zeal
Gus workers and hearty singers / have often
publicly asked my people to take lessons from
them. DIR. Marine, a new champion comes
here, and, full of the wine of contamination, he
cries out; Here, yeu pretentious, eifrontuous
and ignorant little Episcopal Church, the big
Methodist is the original Protestant Episcopal
Church in America We are twelve TO your one
Get out of the way or we'll make you1 This is
the argument and the whole of it. There is not
one atom of courage or Justice in it--bigness
|
weight of a bully. In an old book in nay library
there is story about big giant who Boosted
that he would give his little adversarys flesh to
the fowls of the air A smooth stone struck him
between the eyes and killed him. David cut OFF
Goliaths head with the giants sword.
A little later that same David found
| 1t is Il ruinously bad policy to go boastingly
about numbering the Lords people. Some of
our best thinkers. along with the prophet
Isaiah, feel that the truth lies generally with
the remnant, and not with maioritieS. There
| are great many times more Roman Catholics
| than Methodsts. That may not be pleasant
fact for the average Methodist to contemplate;
but it certainly does not prove that the Pope is
the infalliable bishop of America. If the Meth
odists had stayed in the church. as Wesley did
himself and begged them to do, there would
be possibility of the fulhllment of De Tocque-
vilies prophecy, that Rome is to capture Amer
lea.
DR.. Marine says: 81 challenge Rev. f. a.
Bradley to show proof" from the Scriptures and
ecclesiastic history, that the first bishops
the apostles, and their functions were deyolved
upon them by Jesus Christ. and they exercised
them by divine right. Those the apostles chose
as their successors, to ordain elders in every
city, and set in order the affairs of the church.
exercised their functions of divine right"
Nothing could hs easier. In the 10th
chapter OF st, matthew we read
that Jesus Christ called His twelve disciples,
gave them power and sent them forth to
preach aud to work miracles In chapter tx. %,
Christ promises them that hereafter they shall
sit on twelve thrones" In St Luke xxi. 10. we
read that when he had instituted the lords
supper He told them this do in remembrance
of me" St Mark iii, a. "fie ordained twelve"
After His resurrection Christ said to them iSt
John Xxx. q, % 23l. las my father hath sent me
even so send | you And when He had said
this, He breathed on them, and saith unto them:
Receive We the Holy Ghost: vhosesoever sins ye
remit they are RENTED unto them; and. whose
| soever sins ye retain they are retained st
Matthew xviii, 49, 20 GO ye therefore and
teach all nations. baptizing them in the name
of the Father and Of the Son. and of the Holy
Ghost; teaching them to observe all things what
soever l have commanded you; and, 10, am
with you Away. even unto the end OF the world.
Amen st. Luke says tActs l. , B.: Christ
had given commandments unto the apostles
whom he had chosen; to whom also he showed
himself alive after his passion 10y many in
talllble proofs, being seen of then forty days,
and speaking of the things pertaining to the
kingdom of God These church instructions
given by Christ to His first bishops
during those great forty days after
He rose and before He assembled to heaven,
they proceeded to carry out They returned to
Jerusalem from Mt. Oiivet Judas. who had OBJ
tanned part of their ministry. had killed herself
The apostles set themselves, according to the di-
reetons Christ had given them and in His
name, and power. and authority to ordain Ma
thias; and he numbered with the eleven
apostles (Acts, i, 26.) In support of this act,
also. st. Peter quotes the prophecy in Psalms
Xix. p: His bish0pric let another take In
Acts ii, 4: They We're all filed with the
Holy Ghost These apostles. bishops. OverSeers,
| superintendent, were thus the Arst bishops
Their functions were certainly devolvcd upon
them by Jesus Christ The people had nothing
80 do with their ordination. by this divine
right and powcrfrom Jesus Christ they began at
once TO exercise their functions. They preached
and made disciples by holy baptism; the Lord
added to the church daily such as should be
saved; and they continued steadfastly in tho
apostles doctrine and fellowship, and in break
ing of bread aud in the prayers" tActs i'll As
soon as the necessity arose. facts VII they, the
twelve ordained deaeons by PRAYER and laying
on of hands St Paul's functions bishop
were just clearly devoiVed upon
him by Jesus Christ tAets tx
and i'll nothing ''behind the very chiefest
apostle" I'll Cor. /, 1: xii, IL. St. Paul claimed
before Agrippa that Jesus said 20 him: Il have
appeared thee for this purpose. TO make
thee minister (Acts XVI, 10 Exercising
this function by divine right st. Paul preached
to the gentles andestabisfed the church of Jesus
Christ, ordaining elders in every church. facts
xiv, % Timothy was one of these elders or
presbyters. st Paul calls him his sou, and bids
him abide in Ephesus, charging him to be strong
in the grace that is in Christ Jesus, and the
things that thou has heard OF me, the same com
nit to faithful men who shall be able to teach
others also. tiI Tim. ii, l and 2 He eXhorts
Timothy to make full proof of this ministry
which he as the first successor of St Paul, ex.
ercised by divine right i'll Ephesus In the
Bible DR.. Marine will find this note at the end
ot lile tytSttc ne aeOSIu cktHLt6 ulJO liHl-
otheus ordained the first bishop of the church of
the Ephesans was written from Rome, when
Paul was brought before Nero"
St Paul writes III the same way to his other
son. Titus: For this cause left l thee in Crete
that thou shouldst set in order the things that
are wanting. and ordain elders in every city, as
had appointed thee" He was to fulall mis-
ministry with all authority" Titus i, 5; ii, IA
The note at the end of this epistle reads: SIT
was written to Titus ordained the first bishop OF
the Church of the Cretisns' The Acts of tho
Apostles is the earliest book of ecclesiastical his
tory. The facts it gives are sufficient to prove
my points, and this is Bible testimony at the
same time The next writer is Clement the
| third bishop of Rome; 1.-THE of whom ST. Paul
says. CHS is in the book of life Phil iv 81
and his testimony is that the apostles appointed
persons and then gave directions in what manner