St. Paul daily globe., 1896-03-25
THE HISTORIC EPIsCOPATE
LearnedIy Discussed by Rev. w. Il
Ten BrOeck.


One of the most interesting of the
course Of lectures on Church Unity"
which is being given under the auspi-
cies of the Church club, was delivered
by Rev. w. p. Ten Brock. at Christ
church last evening. The subject of
the discourse was THE Historic Epis-
copate." AS professor of ecclesiastical
history at Seabury Divinity school, OF
Faribault. Rev. Ten Brock has made
an exhaustive study of church mat
ters, the results of which he placed be-
fore his audience, in support Of the
claims of the Historic Episcopate" as
the corner stone of church unity.
Christ himself" said the speaker,
had commanded that the church have
but one ministry. The Master would
condemn the following Of different
shepherds, by His flock, were He on
earth at the present time, and as the
historic episcopate was of Divine ORR
gin, it was logically the basis of unity"
1t has often been claimed, the speaker
said, that EpiScopacy was presumptu-
Gus and uncharitable, but in his opin-
ion this was not according to fact.
PreSbyterians and other denominations
put forth just as strenuous claims for
their creeds and forms of church gov
ernment, and with far less ground for
substantiation, yet none would be
quicker to resent the charges of pre-
sumptuousness and lack of charity.
Presbyteranism sought to place the ban
upon bishops, an endeavor which was far from
being charitable 1t would take the supreme
power from the Masters hand and place it
within human agency. A body with such
aims, the lecturer declared should not charge
presumption on the part of others. John Cal
win had attempted to do away with Episcopacy,
but in vain. There had been those who had
accepted his views, but by the majority they
had been repudiated.
Episcopacy was not a usurpation 1t was
an institution whose claims were verified by
history and logical reasoning. 1t claimed the
ministry to emanate from the same Divine
source as the Bible and its broad acceptance
by the people of all times substantial
proof of its validity. Calvin had fathered a
revolution and in turn his teachings were to-
day being revolutionized, so that he himself
| would not recognize them. Episcopacy had, ii
was true, been afflicted at times by the impo-
| sit1on OF unworthy men, but this, DR.. Ten
! Brock held, should not mitigate against the
! church, but should be attributed to the action
! of scheming kings and popes 1t had been, in
| the opinion of the speaker, the grander course
! to remove the evil, rather than blot out the
church This had been done, and should re-
fleet great credit upon its followers. more
eminent body of men deserving o
more reverence than the Episcopal house Of
bishops could not be found to exist anywhere
| today as a result of the process. There wa:
little hope for the cause of unity at the hand:
of the Presbyterians, the speaker said, but
| nevertheless, they belonged in reality to the
| Episcopal church. presbyter was bishop
The distinction attempted was but mere
juggling of terms which had become ridicul
Gus. The broad grounds and general accept
ance of Episcopal form of government wa:
greatly in its favor. The world had been 1,50
years without Presbyterianism and today nine
tenths of the people passed it by to accept th
| Episcopal form.
''The historic Episcopate is already a bono
of unity the world over" said Rev. Tel
Brock. 'It had it's first representation in tn
| Jewish priesthood; it fulfilled in Christ
expanded in the apostles, and will ultimatel.
complete its mission of unifying Gods hol.
church.
Some ask, can we not have a unity of low
without the question of government entering
into the discussion To this l would say.
cannot be. Alliances and considerations fall
but governments endure forever. To ignor
the question of government would be both