6 in want.

" in the hands of the President, and he helps the

orphans and widows, those that are in want by

reason of sickness, or any other cause ; those " that are in bonds, and that come strangers

from " abroad. He is the kind guardian of all that are

We all assemble on Sunday, because “God, dispelling the darkness and informing the “ first matter, created the world, and also because,

upon that day, Jesus Christ our Saviour rose from " the dead.” Apol. 1. p. 95-97.

It is generally agreed, by Episcopal writers as well as others, that the officer several times mentioned in these extracts from Justin Martyr, viz. the President, was the Bishop of the church, whose public service is described. Now as this venerable Father is obviously describing the manner in which each particular congregation conducted its worship in his day, it follows that, in the time of Justin, every congregation had its Bishop; or, in other words, that this was a title applied in primitive times to the ordinary Pastors of particular churches.

The testimony of Clemens Alexandrinus, who flourished at the close of the second century, is likewise in favor of our doctrine concerning the Christian ministry. Clement was a Presbyter of the church in Alexandria, and a prodigy of learning in his day. The following extracts from his writings will enable you to judge in what light he ought to be considered as a witness on this subject.

Pædagog. lib. 1. “We who have rule over the churches, are Shepherds or Pastors, after the

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"image of the Good Shepherd." Ibid. lib. iii. In proof of the impropriety of women wearing foreign hair, among other arguments, he uses this, "On whom, or what will the Presbyter impose his "hand? To whom or what will he give his blessct ing? Not to the woman who is adorned, but to "strange locks of hair, and through them to an"other's head." Ibid. "Many other commands,

appertaining to select persons, are written in the "sacred books; some to Presbyters, some to Bish66 ops, some to Deacons, and some to widows."

Stromat. lib. i. "Just so in the church, the Presbyters are intrusted with the dignified ministry; "the Deacons with the subordinate." Ibid. lib. iii. Having cited the apostolic directions concerning marriage, in 1 Tim. v. 14. &c. he adds, " But he "must be the husband of one wife only, whether "he be a Presbyter, or Deacon, or layman, if he "would use matrimony without reprehension." Again" What can they say to these things "who inveigh against marriage? Since the Apos"tle enjoins, that the Bishop to be set over the "church be one who rules his own house well." Ibid. lib. vi. “This man is in reality a Presbyter, " and a true Deacon of the purpose of God-not "ordained of men, nor because a Presbyter, there"fore esteemed a righteous man; but because a 66 righteous man, therefore now reckoned in the "Presbytery; and though here upon earth he hath "not been honored with the chief seat, yet he "shall sit down among the four and twenty thrones,

"judging the people, as John says in the Revela“tion." Again, Ibid. “Now in the church here, "the progressions of Bishops, Presbyters, Deacons "I deem to be imitations of the evangelical glory, "and of that dispensation which the Scriptures tell us they look for, who, following the steps of the Apostles, have lived according to the Gospel in "the perfection of righteousness. These men, the "Apostle writes, being taken up into the clouds, “shall first minister as Deacons, then be admitted "to a rank in the Presbytery, according to the "progression in glory: for glory differeth from

glory, until they grow up to a perfect man." Again" Of that service of God about which men 46 are conversant, one is that which makes them "better; the other ministerial. In like manner in "the church, the Presbyters retain the form of that "kind which makes men better; and the Deacons "that which is ministerial. In both these minis"tries, the angels serve God in the dispensation "of earthly things." Again, in his book, Quis dives salvandus sit, he has the following singular passage: “Hear a fable, and yet not a fable, but

a true story reported of John the Apostle, deli"vered to us, and kept in memory. After the"death of the tyrant, when he (John) had return"ed to Ephesus, out of the isle of Patmos, being "desired, he went to the neighboring nations, "where he appointed Bishops, where he set in or"der whole cities, and where he chose by lot unto "the ecclesiastical function, of those who had

“been pointed out by the Spirit as by name. When “ he was come to a certain city, not far distant, the

name of which some mention, and among other " things had refreshed the brethren; beholding a

young man of a portly body, a gracious coun“tenance, and fervent mind, he looked upon the

Bishop, who was set over all, and said, I com"mit this young man to thy custody, in presence “ of the church, and Christ bearing me witness. “ When he had received the charge, and promised “ the performance of all things relative to it, John

again urged, and made protestation of the same “thing; and afterwards departed to Ephesus. And “ the Presbyter, taking the young man, brought “him to his own house, nourished, comforted, “ and cherished him; and at length baptized him.”

From these extracts you will perceive, that Clement, though a Presbyter of the church of Alexandria, speaks of himself as one of its Governors, and claims the title of a “ Shepherd or Pastor, after the image of the Good Shepherd," a title which the greater part of Episcopal writers acknowledge to have been given in the primitive church to the highest order of ministers. He represents the Presbyters as intrusted with the dignified ministry, and the Deacons with the subordinate, without sug. gesting any thing of a more dignified order. He applies the apostolic direction in 1 Tim. ii. 4. in one place to Bishops and in another to Presbyters, which would have no pertinency if he did not refer in both cases to the same order of ministers. He

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compares the grades of church officers with the orders of angels ; but we read only of angels and archangels. It is observable also, that the person to whom John committed the young man, is in one place called a Bishop, and immediately afterwards a Presbyter, which we cannot suppose would have been done, had the superiority of order for which prelatists contend, been known in his day. It is further supposed by some, that when Clement speaks of imposition of hands on the heads of those females who wore false hair, he alludes to the rite of Confirmation. If this be so, which is extremely doubtful, it is the first hint we have, in all antiquity, of this rite being practised; but, unfortunately for the Episcopal cause, the imposition of hands here mentioned, is ascribed to Presbyters. “On whom or what will the Presbyter impose his hand?" From these circumstances, we may confidently infer, that Clement knew nothing of an order of Bishops, distinct from and superior to Presbyters, and that the purity of the apostolic age was not, when he wrote, in this respect, materially corrupted.

It is readily granted, that this Father once speaks of “ Bishops, Presbyters, and Deacons," and once more, inverting the order, of “

Presbyters, Bish. ops, and Deacons." He also represents these as

" progressions which imitate the angelic glory," and refers to the “ chief seat in the Presbytery." But none of these modes of expression afford the least countenance to the Episcopal doctrine. He no where tells us that there was any difference of