472 ORDERS. [Boor II. The apostolic fathers, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Clement, represent the churches of their day as governed by a single bishop, or pastor, and a presbytery of elders and deacons. It was not lawful for the presby- tery to do any thing in the church without the authority of the bishop, or ruling presbyter; and the bishop, or pastor, could do nothing with- out the consent and counsel of his presbytery. Many quotations might be given to prove this, without leaving the least room for doubt. Such lordly pretensions and power of jurisdiction as are exercised by the Roman prelates were utterly unknown to the churches over whom the apostohc Ignatius, Polycarp, and Clement presided. According to Cyprian, (epist. v, c. 18,) the bishop and p]Mabyters formerly governed the church. Presbyters too are said sometimes to be ?u�c?or? of the apostles. Epiphanius, Her. 42. The following fwm Ambr08iaster is worthy of notice: "In the be- ginning it was conceded to all to preach, to baptize, to explahl the Scripture :--a?erward, office8 were appointed, so that none of the clerl{y would dare to fill an office which he knew was not intrusted or con- ceded to him."* From this we learn, that much of the distinction of offices in the church is new, and therefore not of divine right. He says, on 1 Tim. iii, Episcopi et presb)*teri una est ordinatio: "The ordination of a bishop and presbyter is the same." He also says, "In Egypt presbyters ordain when a bishop is not present.*'? Speaking of the distinction between bishops and presbyters he says, "For each is a priest, but the bishop is chief; it is necessary that every bishop should be a presbyter, not every presbyter a bishop.":? ,H,e then adds, "He is a bishop who is first among the trresbyters. --- I'imothy, because no one was placed over him, was Sishop."�e speaks as follows, on Eph. iv: "At first presbyters were called bishops, so that when one died another succeeded him.--Because the succeeding presbyters began to be found unworthy to occupy the pri- macy, the custom was changed, so that not rank, 5ut merit, obtained the place of a bishop, who was chosen by the judooment of many presby- ters."ll Jerome, in his comment on Titus i, writes as follows: "The same, therefore, is a presbyter and bishop. Formerly, by the instinct of the devil, contentions arose in religion, and it was said by the people, I am of' Paul, I of Apollos, and I of Cephas; churches were governed by the common cotmcil of presbyters. But after each supposed those whom he baptized to be his own, and not Christ's, it was decreed
- Inter initia omnibus concessum est evan?elizare, baptizare, Scr/pturas explanaro.--
Pustea officia sunt ordinata, ut nullud de Clew anderst prmsumere o?cium, quod sci- ret non sibi crediturn vel concemsum.--Calp. ?, Elgst. adEphe,. t Presbyter/in .?.4?ypto consif?nan. t l cum preseLm non est episcopus. ? Uterque enim 88cordos; seal episcopus primus est, necessum est ut omoi? ep'mco- pus presbyter a/t, non omnis presbyter episcopns.mldeot, in 1 Tim. iii. ? Hic �piscopus eat, qui interpresbyteros primus est.mTimothsens quia ante 8e Idium non babebat, episcoDus erat.--ldem, ut supra. IJ Primurn presbyteri epiocopi vocabantur, ut recedehie uric, 8equeas ei succederet.? (?u/a craperunt sequentes presbyter/indigui inveniri ad pr/matus tonearias, immutata cot ratio, ita ut non jam ordo, sed meriturn crearat episcopum, mullsrum sacerdot?un judicio constitutum.--/dem, in Eph. iv. I? the reader willconsult Bailly, tom. v, page 506, he will find several quotations from Ambrosiaslet to the same import. t
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