force lies against that cause.

It is evident from these extracts, that Bishop and President are used by this Father as words of the same import; that the officer thus denominated was the only one who had the power of administering Baptism; that the Bishop in Cyprian's days was chosen by the people of his charge, was ordained over a particular fock, and received his ordination in the presence of that flock. All these circumstances agree perfectly with the Presbyterian doctrine, that the Bishop is the Pastor of a single congregation ; but wear a most unnatural and improbable aspect when applied to a diocesan Bishop, having a number of flocks or congregations with their Pastors, under his care.

It is readily granted that Cyprian speaks of the church of Carthage as having several Presbyters or Elders as well as Deacons, and that he distinguishes between the Presbyters of that church and himself their Bishop. But how many of these were Ruling Elders, and how many were empowered to teach and administer Sacraments, as well as to rule; and in what respects he differed from the other Presbyters, whether only as a standing chairman or moderator

among them, as seems to be intimated by his calling them repeatedly his colleagues or co-presbyters, we are no where informed. All we know is, that writing to them in his exile, he requests them, during his absence, to perform his duties as well as their own; which looks as if Cyprian considered the Presbyters of his church as clothed with full power to perform all those acts which were in

cumbent on him as Bishop, and consequently as of the same order with himself.

Again ; when Cyprian speaks of the church as “ being built on the Bishops," and of all the acts of the church as being managed by them, Episcopalians hastily triumph, as if this were decided tes. timony in their favor. But their triumph is premature. Does Cyprian, in these passages, refer to diocesan or parochial Bishops ? To Prelates, who had the government of a diocese, containing a number of congregations and their ministers; or to Pastors of single flocks? The latter, from the whole strain of his Epistles, is evidently his meaning. He no where gives the least hint of having more than one congregation under his own care. He represents his whole church as ordinarily join ing together in the celebration of the Eucharist. He declares his resolution to do nothing without the counsel of his Elders, and the consent of his flock. He affirms that every church, when properly organized, consists of a Bishop, clergy, and the brotherhood. All these representations apply only to parochial, and by no means to diocesan Episcopacy. For if such officers belong to every church, or organized religious society, then we must conclude that by the clergy of each church, as distinguished from the Bishop, is meant those Elders who assisted the Pastor in the discharge of parochial duty, and some of whom, being in full orders, were qualified to preach and administer sacraments. But there is ne passage in the above cited extracts, which com

pletely establishes the position, that Cyprian considered Bishops and preaching Presbyters as of the same order. He recognizes the same kind of preeminence in Bishops over Presbyters, as Peter had over the other Apostles.

But of what nature was this superiority? He shall speak for himself. “The rest of the Apostles,” says he,

were the same " that Peter was, being endued with the same fel. “ lowship, both of honor and power ; but the begin

ning proceeds from unity, that the church may be “shown to be one." In other words, every Bishop is of the same order with those Presbyters who labor in the word and doctrine ; and only holds, in consequence of his being vested with a pastoral charge, the distinction of President or Chairman among them. That I do not mistake Cyprian's meaning, you will readily be persuaded, when I inform you that Mr. Doduell, that learned and able advocate for Episcopacy, expressly acknowledges, that Cyprian makes Peter the type of every Bishop, and the rest of the Apostles the type of every Presbyter.

Firmilian, Bishop of Cesarea, who was contemporary with Cyprian, in an Epistle addressed to the latter, has the following passage. Cyprian. Epist. 75. “ But the other heretics also, if they separate “ from the church, can have no power or grace, " since all power and grace are placed in the church, “ where Elders preside, in whom is vested the pow

of baptizing and imposition of hands, and or2 dination.” This passage needs no comment. It

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not only represents the right to baptize and the right to ordain as going together; but it also expressly ascribes both to the Elders who preside in the churches.

The testimony of ferome on this subject is remarkably explicit and decisive. This distinguished Father, who flourished about the year 380, and who was acknowledged by the whole Christian world to be one of the most pious and learned men of his day*, does not merely convey his opinion in indirect terms and occasional hints, as most of the preceding Fathers had done, but in the most express and formal manner. In his Commentary on Titus we find the following passage.

" Let us dic “ligently attend to the words of the Apostle, say

ing, That thou mayest or 'ain Elders in every city, " as I have appointed thee. Who discoursing in " what follows, what sort of Presbyter is to be or

dained, saith, If any one be blameless, the husband

of one wife, &c. afterwards adds, For a Bishop “ must be blameless, as the steward of God, &c. A “ Presbyter, therefore, is the same as a Bishop; " and before there were, by the devil's instinct,

parties in religion, and it was said among the people, I am of Paul, I of Apollos, and I of Ce

The celebrated Erasmus declared concerning Jerome, that “ he was, without controversy, the most learned of all “ Christians, the Prince of divines, and for eloquence that " he excelled Cicero.''

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"phas, the churches were governed by the com"mon council of Presbyters. But afterwards, "when every one thought that those whom he bap"tized were rather his than Christ's, it was deter“mined through the whole world, that one of the "Presbyters should be set above the rest, to whom "all care of the church should belong, that the "seeds of schism might be taken away. If any suppose that it is merely our opinion, and not that "of the Scriptures, that Bishop and Presbyter are "the same, and that one is the name of. age, the "other of office, let him read the words of the "Apostle to the Philippians, saying, Paul and Ti"mothy, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints