Christian Messenger. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 17, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 9, 1888 Page: 2 of 8
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CHRISTIAN MESSENGER.
THE MESSENGE R. i gations under one bishop. This they j To many it seems but of little conse-
may have read in the history of diocesan quence to be tenacious of the name,
episcopacy, but not in the history of Why not then call the leaders priests?
primitive episcopacy. But some of ■ Why not then call them astrologers,
them are startled perhaps, on another soothsayers, or oneirocritiss, if the name
T. R. BURNETT, ) 'Ftittors
■C. M. WILMETH, | .....Editobs.
J. R. JONES, - - - Associate Editor.
W. F. BARCUS, - - - Office Editor.
WEDNESDAY. MAY 9, 1888.
RESTORATION OF THE
CIENT ORDER.
AN
REPRINT FROM A. CAMPBELL.
Some of the populars sneer at the
term bishop, as if the Spirit of God had
not chosen it to designate the only
legitimate “officer” in a Christian con-
gregation, who is, from office, to teach
and rule. They love Rabbi, Rabbi, or
Reverend and Right Reverend, too well
to lay them aside, or to exchange these
haughty titles for the apostolic and
humble- name of overseer or bishop.
And I see that some of the Baptists too,
who love the present order of things,
and contend for the traditions of the
fathers in the mass, in their editorial
labors, either capitalize, or italicize, or
by some out landish mark, erect a mon-
ument of admiration at every inscribing
of the name bishop. Yet their dear
“Confession of Faith” says P. 43.
“8. A particular church gathered and
completely organized according to the
mind of Christ., consists of officers and
members; and the officers appointed by
Christ to be chosen and set apart by
the church, so called and gathered, for
the peculiar administration of ordinan-
ces, and execution of power, or duty,
which he intrusts them with, or calls
them to, to be continued to the end of
the world, are bishops, or elders, and
deacons.
Some again, because of the impieties
of England and Rome in appropriating
this term to a man who wore a wig, and
a gown, and trappings, have considered
it very profane indeed, to call any man
a bishop who does not wear a wig and
kiss the pope’s toe. But to those who
have got an apostolic taste, the title or
name of office which Paul and Peter
adopted and designated as incompara-
consideration. They were not made
bishops according to law. Their dec-
laration of a special call to some work
entirely distinct from the bishop’s
work, was the ladder which reached
from the floor to the pulpit. And they
do not read that any were made bishops
in the hale and undegenerate days of
the Christian kingdom, because of their
having declared that they were inward-
ly moved by the Holy* Spirit to take up-
on them the office of bishop. In fine,
there is no occasion for being particular
or minute in finding out incongruities,
which may appear to some a good and
lawful reason why they should not be
so designated. But they can discover
no incongruity in being called minister,
preacher or divine; for every one that
makes public speeches or harangues on
religion, is so called by their contempo-
raries. The term reverend, too, is be-
come such common property, that the
preacher of the^lreams of Swedenborg,
or the leader of the dance of a Shaker
meeting is fully entitled to all its honors
and emoluments—equally heirs to its
privileges in this world and that which
is to come.. That some half dozen of
Baptist preachers have become shy of
the name bishop, for the reasons above
specified, is, indeed, a good symptom
in their case. It proves that their ac-
quaintance with the ancient order of
things is increasing, that they see a
discrepancy between the ancient order
and the present—between themselves
and the bishops instituted and appoint-
ed by the apostles.
As to our Presbyterian brethren^they
make little or no pretentions to the
name. They are wise enough to know
that it is unsuitable to their character;
but they would have some to think, that
their'minister and Paul’s bishop are one
and the same character.
'Our Methodist friends have not quite
forgotten the glory and majesty of the
Lord Archbishop of York:—for even
until this hour archepiscopacy has some
charms in their eyes. In other words,
a few of this brotherhood still like the
LONGINGS.
be indifferent ? Because, says one
those names are used to denote quite
different characters. For the same rea-
son , therefore, let the names which the
apostles adopted be used in their own
acceptation, and let those things,persons
and offices which the apostles said
nothing about, be named or styled as
the inventors please, but call not bitter
sweet, nor sweet bitter. Let us not call
the messenger of a congregation, an
elder. Let us not call a preacher, a
bishop. Let us not call a bishop, a
divine; nor a deacon, a ruling elder. In
a word, let us give to divine institutions
divine names, and to human institutions
human names.
Were Christian societies to constitute
* *
Christian bishops, and to designate
them by their proper title or name of
office, many important results would
exhibit themselves, amongst which,
none of the least would be the leveling
the haughty and supercilious preten-
sions of those who claim another office
t v
under this name, and designate them-
selves as the only persons to be so
viewed and denominated.
Another happy circumstance result-
ing from this course would be the dis-
countenancing and suppressing the pre-
Leaving Melissa, Collin county, I ran
on to Van Alstyne, where I got off the
train to go out in the country to Lone
Star, Weston and Celina. I came to
Lone Star first. Found the farmers
very busy with their farms—late spring
and much rain. Black mud has caused
# 4
many churches to fall behind with their
crops also. The Lone Star brethren are
of that class. Since the rains have pas-
sed away, they propose to come out of
their winter quarters and meet and wor-
ship as the Book directs. This is the
tentions and enthusiastic conceits of place where I held a good [meeting last
those who are imposing themselves up-
on society, under the pretense that they
are specially called and sent by the Ho-
ly Spirit of God to preach. If they are
sent to preach, let them go to preach—
but they can plead no right to officiate
bly preferable to the prescriptions of remains of diocesan episcopacy. They
Geneva or Westminster*. I have lately
heard that some Baptist teachers who
at first recognized the “divine right,” at
least of the name, and were desirous
of coming up to the ancient model in all
things, are now startled, if not consider-
ably shocked, when saluted “bishop
but the term reverend can be heard
without any nervous spasm. Perhaps
this may be accounted for on good prin
ciples; and, indeed, if so, it is the best
argument we can find for giving an ex
^elusive preference to the terms adopted
and fixed by the 8pirit of Revelation.
The reason why they are startled at the
title on this hypothesis, they see some
incongruity in its application to them
There is no incongruity arising from
their want of an academical* education,
from their being merely acquainted with
their mother tongue, from their not hav-
ing a doctorate or an honorary degree.
It is not on this account they are start-
led or affrighted at being called bishop.
But they never read in the New Testa-
ment of a bishop of two, three or four
seem to admire it, even-in its ruins. I
believe, however, such is the progress
of light amongst this zealous people,
that few, if any of their leaders, consid-
they are called to go and preach the
gospel to every creature, they dare4’not,
of cc urse, refuse to go; nor dare the^
assume a work in relation to which
they are not called, and to which no
man was ever otherwise called, than as
the brethren, under the direction of the
Holy Spirit, called him. For amongst
all the qualifications by which Paul
would have a bishop chosen—the mod-
ern special call is not to be found—I
again repeat, that the adoption of the
course divinely recommended, would,
in due time, suppress the impositions
practiced npon the unsuspicious, by a
class of raving, ranting mountebanks,
who are playing themselves off as a
kind of little half inspired ones, who
er there is a divine right for either their just give to the people what they pre-
bishops or form of church government,
other than “vox popvli, vox Dei.” Yet
still their “church government” has too
many heads, even when the horns are
broken off.
The good old high church bishops
are not within the sphere of comparison.
There is no point of contact; no one
side of the system that can be measured
by any one side of primitive episco
pacy.
Our Baptist brethren began in the
spirit, but ended in the flesh, on their
adopting a species of presbyterial inde-
pendency—licensing of preachers, and
then converting these preachers into
elders, with the exclusive right of ad-
ministering “sealing ordinances,” and
creating or finishing an order of its own
kind.
But the fact is, very generally, that
Jesus, Savior, Son of God,
How I long to see thy face,
Walk where angel’s feet have trod,
Sing of God’s redeeming grace.
Meet the loved ones, near and dear,
Clasp them in my arms once more,
Far beyond this life so drear,
Where our partings all are o’er.
Be with all the pure and just,
Done with sorrow, care and strife,
All the pain of mortal dust,
And enjoy eternal life.
But on earth thy will I’ll do;
Never from the pathway ream,
Help me, guide me, keep me true,
Till at last thou call’st me home. .
—Evangelist
DOTS BY THE WAY.
fall, with Bro. C. M. Drew as a co-labor-
er. He is now a member of this con-
gregation, and preaches here once a
month. He is a young man of good
education, and good address, and bids
fair to be a useful preacher. I stopped
as bishops under the call to preach. If here over Lord’s day, and met with the
< ongregations, of a bishop having the few 0f the leaders of religious assem-
pastoral care of a church in Rome, bi{ea seem to know, or are able to de-
and Corinth, and Ephesus in Philadel- cide, whether they should De called
phia, Pergamos, and Thyatira, at the . , ,, . . .
evangelists, preachers, elders, bishops,
same time. They mjght have read of
a pluralty of bishops in one congre-
gation, but never a pluralty of congre-,
or ambassadors ; but the term minister
or divine seems to embrace them all.
tend they have got from heaven ; and
say that so clear is their divine mission
and call, that eternal woe awaits them
if they preach not the gospel
The bishops of apostolic creation are
sometimes called elders—because they
were generally aged persons, and always
amongst the oldest converts in the com-
munity in which they officiated. But
the office is no where called the elder’s
office. There is nothing in the term
elder, which can designate the nature
of any office. But the term bishop im-
plies a good and ardous work.
While on the term elder, it may be
remarked, that there is no greater in-
congruity than to see a stripling of a
young man from twenty to thirty, styl-
ed elder ; and if the name does not suit
his years, it is a very strong reason in
favor of the conclusion that the office of
a bishop does not.
^The sale of liquor has been prohibit-
.
ed on the property owned by the North-
ern Pacific Railroad, by order of its
president, Robert Harris.
brethren in the evening, and preached
for them at night. The Baptists have
one day in the month, and this was their
day in the forenoon. I gathered up a
few subscribers for the Messbitobr. The
people are nearly all from Tennessee,
and nearly all take the Gospel Advo-
cate. They are solid on the old land-
marks, and are well postedjas to innova-
tions r and departures. Bro. Miller
loaned me his horse to ride nearly a
week in quest of subscribers for the
Messenger. His good wife says she
i8“a Messenger man all over”—that
it is not too hard for her, and if people
will just be true to the Bible, the editor
win never “quarrel” at them one bit.
She has learned that the Messenger
never quarrels at anything that is
scriptural.
From here I went over to Celina. The
congregation at this place is as good as
any I know in Texas. They are sound
and apostolic, and zealous for every
good work. They are firmly set against ■
all innovations, and yet ihey are fall ef
missionary spirit. They do not try to
be popular, except with the Lord. A
sound Bible preacher they love, and
they are ready to aid such in the good
work. They were very kind to nto. I
love them for their liberality, but not
so much for the gift as the spirit and
purpose and time in which it was given.
I preached for them from Thursday
till Lord’s day, and then went back to
Lone Star and heard Bro. Drew preach
on the Tabernacle. Bre Miller carried
me to Van Alstyne, and I took train for
Richardson, Dallas county, and thenoe
to Dallas, where I am at this writing. I
go from here to Simonds, Dallas coun-
ty, and talk up the paper among the
good people there. Every sound broth-
er in Texas should bestir himselt to
give this paper a wide circulation, and
increase its usefulness. There is so
much at stake that we cannot afford to
be idle.
M L. Wilson.
vi
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Burnett, Thomas R. & Wilmeth, C. M. Christian Messenger. (Dallas, Tex.), Vol. 14, No. 17, Ed. 1 Wednesday, May 9, 1888, newspaper, May 9, 1888; Dallas, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth921796/m1/2/: accessed June 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Bonham Public Library.