Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-09-26
CHURCH GOVERNMENT.

L n0Lz SONeIHeu ~ " ft44l 81 SAtS 90
claimed by some opponents. The alb
solute correctness of that statenlent IS
evident from the history of the CHURCH.
| At the beginning OF our era the s'eli-
gious system preceding the Christian
church presented a very elaborate rit-
ualj with incense, altars, sacrif ices, etc.
IL was all typical, representing God
| as dwelling With man. reconciling, par
doning and Justifying those who sought
Ills presence In faith. This ritual res
auired /, special class consecrated and
| separated in many spocts. from the
common people, as ~ Va
Parallel with the ritualisticS service
there existed an institution called the
Synagogue. In the Synagogue we see a
cong CATION Of sftpan ALREADY reconciled
and pardoned. worshiping God and s.
sembed for instruction and dification.
In the Synagogue were readers and ex
|po,inders of the Scriptures. There We're
presiding officers and officers attend-
ing to the temporal needs of the con-
gregation. and there We're Judges main
taining the discipline. but there was no
hierarchy. 3!3;
The Christian church. in SO far as 1T
can be said to have had an earthly pa n
term was constructed upon the plan 9 4
the Synagogue. The latter may be re- re-,
sgarded as n school preparatory for the
MISREPRESENTATION. The Synagogue had
Its elders who attended to tho read
ling and instruction, 1t has Its cha
Fan, or bishop, and 1t had its "dea-;
cons" or almoners.
Lightfoot tells us that q Synagogue
had three officers whose duty it was to
Observation-Disclosures arising between mem
$bers. They were called rulers of the
2siyna gogue' because on them rested the
chief care of the constitution. Then there
vas the PUBLIC minister also II cal led the
ssangel of the church" His duty was to.
preside over the meeting point read
<crs and superintend the reading. He
was an 'episkopos or bishop. There
were also three deacons, s. on whom
rested the care OF the poor. These We're
also called Parnasirn, or pastors.
From this It will be seen how closely.
the Apostles followed the Synagogue in
the organization of the church. "A rch-.
bishop Whatcly, in his Kingdom of
Christ Delineated, = expresses the view
that whenever q Jewish Synagogue
existed which was brought the whole
or the chief part of it, to embrace the
gospel, tho Apostles did not there 50
much form a Christian church Cor con-
gregation, ekklesia) as make an exist
ing congregation Christian, by intro
gducing the Christian sacraments and
worship. i and establishing whatever
regulations were requisite for the new
ly adopted faith. That this was the
case in some places with a large Jew
ish population must be considered high
ly probable. since the Apostle James
{2;82) speaks of the nsynagogue' of
the Saints: If there come into your
assembly tsynagog being the
| word translated tassembIy.')
From this fact it is very plain that
the idea of a ,hierarchy,' as COM
monty understood, Is excluded from
the organization of the Church.. On
the day Of Pentecost hose who We're
baptized became one in everything.
They formed a family, a brotherhood,
dividing even their earthly posses
sions The officers of the church
were the servants Of the people. This
relation continued for some time.
Clement, in the epistle ascribed to
him speaks OF Elders ordained by the
Apostles, with the common assent
and appreciation Of the whole ole
church, And for centuries this COM
mon assent was the rule.
adually, however, the Christian
ministry was changed and assumed
new powers. Iightfoot5 traces this
change to pagan Influences entirely,
though its advocates sought to justify
lit by the Mosaic law. When the
church lost its firm hold on the truth
as impaired by the Apostles. it sought
a substitute In the establishment Of
worldly pomp and show. sacerd Q tai
ism became a feature Of the church
A hierarchy became possible only
when the apostasy has proceeded SO
far that the conditions We're favor
able. II iss II
Now, when the Prophet Joseph
anxious to learn the truth, inquired
Of the Lord as to which of the exist
ent churches had the truth, including
the true form of government. he was
given to understand that they. had
all conc astray, Accordingly he was
entrusted with the wonderful mission
of restoring tho church. with all its
powers. gifts, and institutions. Hence
the Church OF Jesus Christ Of Latter
day Saints is the church as it was be-
fore the apostasy took place. before
| the government became "hierarchal.' Z
| in imitation of imperial Rome. The
priesthood is almost co-extensive witt
the people, as It was in the primitive
church. There can, therefore, be ne
class or caste Of priests. The organ
ization has been called a theo-democ
racy, and 1t is as different as can b
from that form which has beer
| adopted by Rome and some imitator
of Rome.
1T is not ''hierarctal." in the sens
4 in which that word is commonl.
used, namely, as denoting imperialis
tic, absolute church rule. In tn
4 Church of Christ there is no NOR
room for q ..hierarchgn than there !
/ room for an oligarchy in the Republic