The Claims of Episocpacy Refuted, in a Review of (a Collection of Essays on Episcopacy, Which Appeared in the Albany Centinel) with an Intr. and Appendix by J. Blackburn

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.1838 Excerpt: ... the imposition of the hands of the presbytery should concur with the prophetical designation, or Timothy had remained a layman. The presbyters did thus concur; they did lay their hands on Timothy, and he received his office. Now, as the prophecy made no part of his ordination, it follows that he was ordained by the presbytery. If the gift which was in him by the imposition of Paul's hands was his ministerial commission, that apostle had no share in it which was not common to every member of the presbytery; or else his declaration, that Timothy was ordained by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery, would not be true. Nor is there any thing in his expression which might not be used by every one of his colleagues, and with peculiar propriety by himself, if, as it is not improbable, he presided at Timothy's ordination. To exhibit this subject in another light, we propose a few questions, which some of the advocates for prelacy would do no disservice to their cause by answering in such a manner as to remove the scruples they must naturally occasion. 1. Did Paul alone ordain Timothy? or was his ordination the joint act of the presbytery? If the latter, we have a complete scriptural example of presbyterial ordination. If the former, so that the presbytery, by the imposition of their hands, merely testified their assent, then, 2. Were the persons who thus imposed hands on Timothy simple presbyters, or were they apostles or prelates? If the latter, then, 3. How came Paul to appropriate to himself a power which belonged to every one of them in as full right as it could possibly belong to him? How came they to surrender this their power into the hands of an individual? "And how could the imposition of Paul's hands bestow the ministerial gift, whi...