The Ministry and Worship of the Protestant Episcopal Church (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1850 Excerpt: ... THE MINISTRY OF THE CHUECH. " Prove All Things, Hold Fast That Which Is Good."--1st. Thess. v: 21. In our last discourse upon these words, we stated that the question, who are the legitimate successors of the Apostles, rested upon the determination of another question, as to parity or imparity in the ministry. If there is but one grade, if all ministers are entrusted with equal and similar authority, then must each individual minister succeed in the place of the Apostles, and be alike empowered to ordain. If there are different orders in the ministerial office, then must there be a gradation ef rights and powers, and if the Apostles filled the highest place in.the ministry, then those who succeed to this place are alone their legitimate " successors; and if the Apostles, among other rights, reserved to themselves that of ordination, then those who succeed to their place are alone vested with that authority. We endeavored to show, and we think established conclusively the fact, that there are three orders of ministers recognized in holy scripture; that this was the case while Christ was upon earth. Christ himself having been consecrated to the ministry and occupying the highest; the Apostles in the second grade, and the seventy disciples in the' lowest. We noticed, also, that after Christ's ascension, the Apostles continued the like number of orders; viz., Apostles, Elders or Presbyters and Deacons. We showed that Timothy and Titus succeeded to the Apostolic office, and that to them was committed the charge of the Presbyters and Deacons in Ephesus and Crete; that as the successors of the Apostles, they were constituted Supreme Rulers in these churches, with exclusive authority in their respective Dioceses over both Presbyters and Deacons, to exercise discipl...