Church Courts And Church Discipline PDF Download

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1843 edition. Excerpt: ... and no Episcopalian will question the declaration so confidently made by St. Ignatius, that this power was lodged with the Bishops of the Church. To them was intrusted separation from or admission to the Christian Communion; they kept the roll of the faithful, and could diminish or augment it. Thus we read of Marcion, as ejected from the Church's Communion by his father, the Bishop of Sinope, and other instances could be produced in early time were their accumulation needful. This rule of the Bishops is called by St. Cyprian " the sublime and divine power of governing the Church," and their right of ejecting men from its Communion he calls, " that spiritual sword, whereby they slay the proud and contumacious."f The same principle appears in all the writings of that age. The Council of Laodicea calls their authority an "Empire," and the 47th Canon so called of the Apostles enjoins the deposition of a Clergyman who unjustly accuses his Bishop, because it is written, "Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people." In like manner does Origen mention "Senators and rulers over God's Church," and St. Chrysostom, in his Homily (xv.) on the 7th Chapter of the 2nd Epistle to the Corinthians, enters at large into the nature of their power. "There are two kinds of authority, by one whereof men rule over people and cities, and sustain the framework of civil society. To this St. Paul referred when he said, 'Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers, for there is no power but of God, the powers that be are ordained Cyprian Ep. ad Cornel, lix. j Id. iv. of God.' But there is a second power higher than the political one, of which St. Paul said, ' Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves, for they watch for your souls as...