5TU D!OCES£ OF • REGISTRAR'S COLLECTION. ©he Sermon DELIVERED" AT THE ©ONSEG^ACTION OF I^ey. B. ftjAmsoN, D. D., AS BISHOP OF EAST CAROLINA WILMINGTON, N. C, April 17, 1884. BY THE Kt, Rev. T. B. LYMAN, D. D., BISHOP OF NORTH CAROLINA. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/continuityperpet01lyma The Continuity and Perpetuity of the Episcopal Office. THE SERMON DELIVERED IN S. James 1 Church, Wilmington, Hpril 17. 1884, AT THE CONSECRATION OF REV, ALFRED AUGUSTIN WATSON, D. D, As Bishop of East Carolina, BY THE RT, REV. THEODORE BENEDICT LYMAN, D, D, Bishop of North Carolina. Published by request of the Bishops and other Clergy present at the Consecration, and of the Vestry of S. James' Parish. BISHOPS AND OTHER CLERGY Present at the Consecration, Aijril 17th, 1884. Rt. Rev William Mercer Green, D. D , LL. D., of Mississippi. Rt. Rev. Henry Adams Neely, D. D., Maine Rt. Rev. William Bell White Howe, D. D., . . South Carolina. Rt. Rev. Theodore Benedict Lyman, D. D., . North Carolina. Rt. Rev. George Franklin Seymour, D. D., LL. D., Springfield. Rt. Rev. Alfred Magill Randolph, D. D., Virginia. Rev. D V. M. Johnson, D. I) Brooklyn, L. I. Rev. J. G. Armstrong, D. D., Richmond, Ya. Rev. A. Toomer Porter, D. D., Charleston, S. C Rev. E. N. Joyner, Rock Hill, S C. Rev. A. S. Smith, D. D., Ringwood, N. C. Rev. R. B. Sutton, D. D., Kittrell. N. C. Rev. J. E. C. Smedes, D. D., Raleigh, IN. C. Rev. W. R. Wetmore, Lincolnton, N. C. Rev. Bennett Smedes, Raleigh, N. C. Rev. M. M. Marshall, D. D Raleigh, N. C Rev. Edward Wootten, Statesville, N. C Rev. E. R. Rich Raleigh, N. C. Rev. Jos. Blount Cheshire, Jr., Charlotte, N. C Rev. Wm. Walker, Pittsboro, N. C. Rev. Charles C. Quin Wadesboro, N C. Rev. N. C. Hughes Chocowinity, N. C. Rev. Jos. C. Huske, D D., Fayetteville, N. C. Rev. Thomas M. Ambler, Wilmington, N. C. Rev. James Carmichael, D. D., Wilmington, N. C. Rev. Israel Harding, Kinston, N. C. Rev. Nathaniel Harding Washington, N. C. Rev. Robert B. Drane, Edenton, N. C. Rev. V. W. Shields, Newbern, N C. Rev T. B. Haughton, Williamston, N C. Rev. < harles O. Brady, Wilmington, N. C Rev. N E. Price, Greenville, N. C. Rev. A. DeR. Meares, Wilmington, N. C. Rev. H. P. McDuffey, Fayetteville, N. C. SERMON. Acts i : 20. — "His Bishoprick let another take." $jn |HESE words, in their original application, point us to the sad breach which was made in the ranks of the Apostles by the perfidy and defection of Judas. And they show, also, that the office which he bore was not one which was linked solely to tho^e who originally shared it, but that it was meant to be continued and perpetuated. The term Bishoprick which is here applied to the responsible position which Judas was called to fill signifies an office of oversight and su- pervision. And as, in this connection, it is expressly employed as synonymous with Apostleship, so it more fully defines the nature of that office. Now, the Christian Ministry, in all its parts, implies more or less of oversight : There is the care and the supervision which is exercised by those who minister to single congregations, and to whom the cure of souls is com- mitted. And then, again, there is that higher respon- sibility which is devolved upon those who are called 4 to the general supervision and government of the Church; who are made, in a more special manner, the guardians of the faith; and whose it is also to admit men to the ranks of the sacred ministry, and to exer- cise a godly discipline. Now, I think no one can carefully rjad the New Testament without seeing that the spe- cial training and instruction which was given by our Lord to the twelve Apostles was intended to prepare and qualify them for this higher position. This was the Bishoprick which belonged to the twelve whom Jesus called. Ail this seems to be very generally ad- mitted, but with many there is a serious doubt as to whether this office was meant to be continued. They are inclined to regard it as altogether an extraordinary office, which was linked inseparably to the first Apos- tles. But the history which stands connected with the text shows, I think, how very erroneous is any such supposition. When Judas, through the temptation of Satan, was led to abandon the high office and distin- guished privileges which he was permitted to share, another was at once chosen to take the office which was thus abandoned and forfeited. "His Bishoprick let another take." Nor was it a part of our Lord's plan, as some have supposed, to confine this high office simply to 5 twelve persons, so that it would only be necessary, as one by one they passed away, to fill up the ranks thus successively vacated. St. Paul, who was called only a little later, was surely summoned to the same- office. He says, most explicitly, that he was not a whit behind ti e very chiefest Apostles. And this entire equality, which St. Paul thus claims, was fully and freely accorded to him by all the Apostles. Barnabas, too, who, for a while, was closely associated with St. Paul, is also spoken of as an Apostle, and did certainly fulfil all the duties which the other Apostles discharged. And when he entered upon a separate- field of labour from St. Paul there is no indication that he was clothed with any less power, or any less au- thority. True it is, the exercise of this office was not limited, as it afterwards was, to a specific district. And the reason of this is plainly apparent. The whole world was one wast missionary field, which the Lord had committed jointly to his Apostles. "Go. ye," saith He, "into all the world, and make disciples of all nations." A division into separate and definite districts was an aftergrowth, just as it is now, in extended mis- sionary territories. And it required no little time to train up and properly instruct a body of men who should, when thus qualified, be called to these higher duties of general oversight and government. If we 6 watch the successive steps, in the progress and exten- sion of the Church, we shall see very clearly how all this was overruled and directed. When St. Paul had laid the foundations of the Christian Church in Ephe- sus, and ordained a number of Presbyters, to whom he committed che care of the several congregations in that populous district, and when other duties and en- gagements made it necessary for him to withdraw from that personal care and oversight, which he had all along exercised, he sent Timothy to stand in his place, and perform there all the duties which he had hitherto discharged. Now, what those duties were, and how very different in character from those which devolved upon the ordinary Pastors, we may see very clearly by contrasting the instructions given by St. Paul to these Pastors, with the exhortations and in- structions which he gave to Timothy. In the 20th chapter of the Book of the Acts we have a detailed account of the meeting of these Presbyters with St. Paul at Miletus, and there he gives them a comprehen- sive and earnest farewell charge, enjoining upon them the faithful performance of their varied pastoral duties. But when, a little later, this same Apostle sent Timo- thy to Ephesus, we find him clothing this earnest and carefully instructed disciple of his, with the full care and government and discipline of the whole Church in 7 that district To the Pastors, whom he addressed at Miletus, he says not one word about the qualifications of those who are to be admitted to the ministry — not one word about any part which they are to take in such ordinations ; nor does he enjoin upon them any exercise of discipline. But when Timothy goes by ap- pointment to the same city, how full and complete are the instructions which the Apostle gives in the two Epistles which he sends to him, on all these most important particulars. Very clear it is that Timothy had committed to him an office of government, of su- pervision, of discipline, and of widely extended au- thority. The whole Ephesian Church was placed under his direction, and the supervision which, at the first, St. Paul had exercised over it, is now devolved upon Timothy. And the same order of things which we thus find in Ephesus, is seen also in Crete. The Church had gained no little strength and influence there, and as St. Paul could no longer retain the supervision and direction of its affairs, so now he leaves Titus who had been his co-worker, to occupy his place, and discharge the like responsible and important du- ties. "For this cause," saith he, 'left I thee in Crete, that thou mightest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders or presbyters in even- 8 city." And then, as in the case of Timothy, he pro- ceeds to point out the varied qualifications which he is to seek, in those who are to be admitted by him to the ranks of the sacred ministry. The whole govern- ment and direction of the Church is placed under his control, and he is encouraged to use the authority thus committed to him, for the protection and defense of the pure faith ol the Gospel, and in the stern rebuke of all who depart from that faith. False teachers he is exhorted to "rebuke sharply, that they may be sound in the faith." Surely here is a Bishoprick, as clearly defined as language can express it. Nor let any sup- pose that these examples, in Ephesus and Crete, were in any respect peculiar and extraordinary. On the contrary, we find just this office of supervision and au- thority in all districts where the Christian Church was established. The seven Churches of Asia, which are specifically mentioned in the Revelation of St. John, had each its Angel or Apostle. These are words of nearly the same meaning, and both alike signify one scut, and thus call our attention to the Divine Com- mission with which they were each invested. Now these Angels or Apostles, because they were clothed with power and authority to guide and to govern, so were they each held responsible for the spiritual con- dition of the Churches under their care. 9 Nothing seems clearer, then, from the plain teach- ings of the New Testament, than that from the very beginning, in all places where the Christian Church was established, there were found those who were clothed with special authcrity as Chief Pastors, and recognized Rulers in the Kingdom of God. The minute arrangement of separate and independent Dio- ceses, grew up, step by step, under the guidance of the first Apostles, as Christianity extended its sway more widely, and in proportion as their own personal care and guidance became no longer possible. For a time, the original Apostles were as I have already in- timated, more like Missionary Bishops, exercising their office over a very widely extended territory, where they often went as the very first teachers of the Gospel. But, as their faithful labours were abundantly rewarded, and multitudes of people were gathered into the fold of Christ ; when men were raised up who were sufficiently instructed and qualified to be invested with the higher responsibilities of Chief Pastors, then it was that separate and independent Dioceses, each with its own Head, were gradually built up and estab- lished. In every part of the world, where the Chris- tian Church gained a successful lodgment, we find it always organized tinder the guidance of a superior officer, whose position was recognized as of Divine Appoint- IO meat and whose authority was everywhere acknowl- edged. True it is that, even in the days of the Apostles, there were found here and there those, who were jealous of this authority, and sought to resist it. Men like Diotrephes, "who loved to have the pre-eminence," were ready to stir up strife, and contend even with those whom Christ Himself had commissioned, as Rulers in His Kingdom. Hut the stern rebukes which were given to such men, the bold denunciation of oth- ers "who said they were Apostles and were not," only marked, the more plainly, that true and real authority which had been lodged in the Church, for edification and not for destruction. These sad strifes and con- tentions, the fruits of man's sinful nature, are carefully recorded in the Word of God, for our warning and in- struction. We find very clear indications of this re- bellious spirit in the old, as well as in the new dispen- sation. What contests had Moses and Aaron with those who boldly and profanely resisted the Authority, with which God had invested them, and how sorely were they punished for this sinful opposition ! And the like contests reappeared in the Christian Church, when men showed themselves unwilling to submit to what Christ had ordained and established. But that organization and polity which was so uniform in the 1 1 beginning, and which was everywhere constituted under the immediate guidance of the Apostles, was openly recognized as of Divine Appointment, and as its influence extended wherever the sound of the Gos- pel was heard, so it became a part of the universal law, in the One Kingdom of God. Now there are many in our time, who are most im- patient of all reference to questions of this sort. They persist in regarding them as matters bearing only upon Church Government, and the)' wonder why sensible men should bewillingto lay so much stress upon what seems to them of so little importance. But the grand error lies in regarding this as a mere question of Church Govern- ment. // rather has to do with the very organization of the CJutreJi of God : with the means and agencies which Christ has established for the guardianship and protec- tion of the faith ; for perpetuating a Divinely Authorized Ministry ; and for the maintenance of godly discipline. Surely, my brethren, if Our Lord Jesus Christ, has made clear and definite arrangements for the guidanee and extension of His Kingdom here on Earth, what is it but the highest presumption for any of us to find fault with His plan, and seek to make some substitution of our own. We read that during the forty days which intervened between Our Lord's resurrection from the dead, and 12 His triumphant Ascension into Heaven, He manifested Himself from time to time, to His chosen Apostles, and "spoke to them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." He sought thus more carefully to instruct them as to the proper organization of that kingdom, and the fitting methods for its successful exten- sion. And afterward, in fulfilment of His promise. He sent down upon them His illuminating Spirit, to bt ever with them, and in them ; to "guide them into all truth" ; to,"bring all things to their remembrance, whatsoever He had said to them," to be an inward source of strength, of courage and support, and thus more fully to qualify them for the discharge of those responsible duties, which He had laid upon them. And when thus strengthened, animated and directed by this inward spiritual power, how true that declara- tion of the Saviour, "It is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaketh in you." And hence whatsoever was ordered and appointed by them, came with the high sanction and authority of God. Theirs it was under this Heavenly guidance, to lay deep the foundations, — to guide and direct all things which had to do with the development and extension, of the King- dom of God. Century after century passed by, without any mate- rial alteration of what was thus considerately estab- 13 lished. Everywhere, by universal consent, there was found in all the Churches, scattered through the world, a Presiding Officer, whose office was not temporary but permanent ; to whom the care and oversight, the guidance and direction of the Church was com- mitted ; who stood and was recognized as the special representative of Christ ; as one of the Chief Shepherds of his flock. We all know how, in process of time, the attempt was made, and with too much success, to break down this Divinely appointed equality among those who thus shared a common office. We are well acquainted with the successive steps by which the Bishop of Rome sought to gain a pre-eminence over all other Bishops, and extend more widely his authority, until it finally culminated in his claim to be, in a special sense. Christ's Vicar on EartJi ; the in fallible Head of the whole Church of God ; the One Supreme Bishop, from whom all others derive only a delegated authority / Thanks be to God that all these arrogant and impi- ous claims have long since been boldly rebuked and resisted, and our privilege it is to be in full commun- ion with, yea to derive our corporate existence from one of those Ancient Churches, which more than three hundred years ago, shook off the shackles by which the Bishop of Rome was seeking to hold her in sub- jection, and openly proclaimed and asserted//^' esssen- tial equality of all Bishops in the one Kingdom of God. Christ alone we acknowledge as Supreme Head and King, in that Kingdom which, here on Earth, He has established. But. my dear brethren, because proud and extrava- gant claims have been set up ; because the Apostolic Office has been magnified into a kind of spiritual roy- alty, we should act most unwisely to infer that, there- fore, the office itself should be given up and abandoned. What is so clearly an office of Divine institution, and with which Christ has promised his presence to the end of the world, it is surely our duty thankfully to accept, and faithful!}* to perpetuate ; only in this, as in all other particulars, we must strive to make His Ap- pointments harmonize with the original ideal. To-day, the Holy Church of God stands just as much in need of those who bear rule in His Kingdom, as they were needed in the beginning. And it is because this great truth has been lost sight of, and this Di- vinely appointed office has been, in so many quarters, surrendered, that we find such widespread contradic- tions and oppositions, among those who profess to be followers of the same Master. When the order of things which Christ has established is set aside, and men follow their own tastes, and their own favorite ' 5 theories, what may be. reasonably iookcd tor, but the utmost confusion on the one hand, and on the other, the most grievous departures from the truth as it is in Jesus. With the loss of the divine organization, there eomes sooner or later, the grievous loss of the fun- damental teachings of Christianity. The sad spectacle which is presented, here in our own land, of more than one hundred different and discordant sects, all osten- sibly ranged under the banner of Christ, yet holding no organic connection with each other, this is the natural and legitimate outgrowth of the rejection of that sim- ple organization of Christ s Kingdom, which was so plainly set forth and established by the first Apos- tles. Now, as these divisions go on increasing and multiplying, and extending more and more widely their disintegrating influence, what a waste of energy — what confusion and strife — what jealousy and sus- picion — what bitter hostility and antagonism, must be the necessary result, and how great the consequent hindrance to the growth and extension of all true re- ligion. And when these varied and antagonistic forces seek to carry the Gospel into heathen lands, oh ! what are the doubts which must be enkindled, — what the un- belief which must be strengthened, when such fearful contradictions nre witnessed among those who profess i6 allegiance to one and the same Lord. How little does such a spectacle as this, harmonize with the. spirit of our Saviour's earnest prayer — "that they all, may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they also ma}' be one in us, that the world, may believe that thou hast sent me." That true organic unity, which Christ so fervently prayed for, we must not be tempted to regard as an idle vision, which can never be realized. Any such view can only spring from lack of faith in the power of Christ. And the first step to its realiza- tion must surely be seen, in the cultivation by us all of a spirit of true humility, — the abandonment of pride and arrogance and self-will ; and the faithful accept- ance, in all meekness, of the Gospel system, as it was originally established, and of that holy "faith, which once for all was delivered to the Saints." To those venerable Churches which have grafted new and strange doctrines upon the primitive and Apostolic faith, to those later organizations, which have been content to depart from the original constitution, and polity of the Church as well as from many of its holy teachings, to all alike who have in any way wandered from the ancient landmarks, we say in the expressive- language of the Prophet, "Stand ye in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls." 17 All personal tastes, and personal preferences, must bend to that which is Ancient, and Primitive and Catholic. All variations and alterations and imagina- ry improvements, must give place to that one organist I system which in the beginning was everywhere the santi . and which Our Divine Lord surely meant should be per- petuated to the end of the world. The Apostolic office — the holy Bishoprick, which was designed to be the centre of unity, the bond of Christian brotherhood, that office may not be lightly undervalued, or carelessly thrust aside. When Judas by transgression fell, how speedily did his fellow Apostles proclaim the continuity and perpe- tuity of his holy office, as they unitedly declared, "His Bishoprick let another take." Now, my dear brethren, in advocating the principles which I have thus sought to exhibit, the idea will at once suggest itself, that we, who hold these views, are claiming for ourselves the sole possession of the truth, and demanding that all men should meekly submit themselves to our guidance and direction. And it is not strange that those who so interpret our teachings, should regard them as arrogant and presumptuous. Now just here it is that we are grievously misun- derstood. We do not claim for ourselves any infalli- bility, yea more, we are willing to confess that, in 1 8 many particulars, we fail to illustrate the spirit and the principles of the Church of the earliest days. But those principles and that spirit we would ever seek to hold up before our own eyes, and before the eyes of all men, as the one fixed standard to which we should ever be striving to conform. Private opinions and private judgment, when exercised in open disregard of the authorized teachings of the first and purest ages, can only lead to the most grievous errors, and the most dangerous delusions. Nothing is more needed on every side, than the diligent and careful study of the historic faith, on the one ha /id, and the historic Church on the other. We must be ready to look well to the foundations upon which we are building, and see to it that they rest securely upon the Eternal Rock of Ages. God's truth we must be ready to follow, wher- ever it may lead us. And to those religious bodies around us, whose organization has been established in entire independence of the Apostolic office, we would humbly address the earnest inquiry whether, on this account they are not suffering a serious loss, yea more, whether the blessed unity of God's household has not, thereby, been chiefly disturbed. This sacred, Apostolic office which, in our esteem, is the very root and life of all Church order and au- thority, we are met here to day to pass on to another 19 who, as we believe, has been called of God to its high and holy functions. As all along the ages, we find a continuous line of successors in this office of super- vision and government, so would we recognize the high privilege of a joyful acceptance of what we believe has been thus wisely and Divinely ordained. This venerable Diocese of North Carolina has been judged too large and laborious a field, to remain any longer under the care aud supervision of one single Head. And the separation of a portion of its territory into a new and independent Diocese, having been sanctioned and ratified by the General Convention of the Church, we come now to place over this separate- part, one well known and well tried, who as its Chief Shepherd, may guide and direct its affairs. Upon you, my Reverend Brother, thus called by the unanimous voice of the Diocese, and with the approval of the whole Church to this high and holy office, upon you this solemn responsibility is now to be devolved. And we meet here to-day, to invest you with a share in this Apostolic Bishoprick. How weighty are the cares, how varied and engrossing the duties which this office imposes. Even the heart of the great St. Paul was deeply touched, when he dared to think of what was involved in it. And what seemed most heavily to press upon his loving heart, he unfolds to us in those 20 touching words, "Besides that which cometh upon me daily, the cave of all the Churches " And there is noth- ing but the thought of Christ's love for us, and our own responsive love for Him, which can uphold and strengthen us, under these weighty and ceaseless bur- dens. And, without that love, the Episcopal office can only be a hard and irksome toil. In the power of that holy love, how faithfully did the first Apostles fulfil their great commission. Labour and sacrifice trials and sufferings, cares and anxieties were all made sweet by the power of holy love. Ah! yes, it is the love of Christ in the heart, and the thought of His tender sympathizing love for us, that will ever exert a cheering and comforting influence, amid all the cares and trials of our holy office. And the blessed truth of God which we are called onto unfold and illustrate, we may speak only in this spirit of love. Harshness, and arrogance, and severity, and bitterness, are surely not the agencies by which His truth can be advanced. These are clear indications of an unchastened spirit. These are weapons out of the armoury of this world, and belong not to" the kingdom of Christ. Go forth then, my dear brother, in the Spirit of your Heavenly Master, and yours it shall be to find the abundance of encouragement and comfort and conso- lation. I need not tell you, what you know so well 2 I already, that your lot will be cast among a kindly, lov- ing and sympathizing people. It is, indeed, one of the saddest crosses of my life to be separated from the dear people of East Carolina. The ten years in which I have been going in and out among them, have knit them to me in the bonds of the tenderest affection. No Bishop ever labored among a more warm-hearted, gen- e.ousand affectionate people. Their sympathy and good will — their zealous co-operation, their confiding regard you can fully count on. And Oh ! what is there, besides the grace of God, which can so sustain, encourage and comfort, as this sympathy of loving hearts. May these sacred bonds, in your case, be only daily strengthened. May the varied desolate places, in this fair district, soon rejoice and blossom as the rose. And may it be your solace and comfort to find, on every side of you, the abundant tokens of God's richest blessing, and the steady advance of that king- dom which is righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. And may we all, to day, join earnestly, with heart and voice, in the triumphant aspiration, of the Psalmist "Peace be within thy walls, and plente- ousness within thy palaces." "O ever pray for Salem's peace ; For they shall prosp'rous be, Thou holy city of our God, Who bear true love to thee." (goNSBGi^ATioN Services : Opening Collects and Commandments . . . Bishop of Maine Epistle Bishop of Springfield Gospel Bishop of Maine Creed Bishop of Springfield Hymn J02. Sermon Bishop of North Carolina Hymn 270. Presentation of the Bishop Elect by the Bishop of South Caro- lina and Ass't Bishop of Virginia. Certificate of Election and Canonical Testimonial — Rev. Na- thaniel Harding, Sec'y of Diocesan Convention. Certificate of Consent of Standing Committees — President of Standing Committee. Certificate of Consent of the Bishops . . . Rev. N. C. Hughes. Promise of Conformity — The Bishop Elect. Litany Bishop of South Carolina Interrogatories Bishop of Mississippi Investiture The Attending Presbyters CONSECRATION— By the Presiding Bishop, assisted by the other Bishops present. Hymn 424, and Signing Letters of Consecration. Reading of Letter of Consecration — Rev. Jos. C. Huske,.D. D., Deputy Registrar. Hymn 202. OFFICE OF THE HOLY COMMUNION. Offertory and Prayer for Christ's Ch. Militant — Bishop of Maine The Exhortations and the Confession — Ass't Bishop of Virginia The Absolution, the Comfortable Words, The Prayer of Hum- ble Access, the Consecration of the Elements — Presiding Bishop. Communion Hymn 207. Distribution of the Elements. Post Communion Bishop of North Carolina Concluding Prayer and Benediction Presiding Bishop Recessional Hymn 425. W. L. De Rosset, Jr's., Water-Power Presses, Wilmington, N. C.