St. Paul alone in the second Epistle to the Corinthians, and in those to the Colossians, to the Philippians, and to Philemon", as possessed of higher authority, or more immediately connected with the persons addressed; deputed by him with power to examine the state of various Churches; and finally settled with a permanent rank at Ephesus'. The nature of Timothy's appointment at Ephesus will be more properly reserved for the section in which the distinction of orders is examined; and it is only necessary to subjoin the remark, that as he was himself ordained by a person divinely commissioned, he also was admonished in the first Epistle addressed to him, to lay hands suddenly upon no man'; and in the second, he was directed to commit the things, which he had heard of the Apostle among many witnesses, to faithful men, who should be able to teach others alsot. There is therefore one example of the conveyance of the ministerial power through four different channels, from the Father to the Son, from the Son to St. Paul, from St. Paul to Timothy, from Timothy to the elders whom he ordained: and in the Angel of the Church of Ephesus" may be found another instance of ecclesiastical authority consolidated in an individual over a Church, which at a much earlier period comprehended a plurality of elders*. As the fact is not disputed, it is not necessary to prove, that Titus was ordained by St. Paul, and regu P 2 Cor. i. 1. Col. i. 1. Philip. i. 1. Philem. 1. 1 Cor. iv. 17. xvi. 20. Philip. ii. 19. 1 Thess. iii. 2. i. 3. s 1 Tim. v. 22. 2 Tim. ii. 2. Acts xix. 22. r 1 Tim. u Rev. ii. 1. larly received the ministerial commission, though the Scriptures contain no account of the time, the place, or the manner of the ordination, nor of the degree of power which was in the first instance conferred upon him. The expression in the Salutation in the Epistle to him, "mine own Son after the common faith," seems to indicate his conversion, if not his ordination by St. Paul; and though his name does not occur in the title of any of the Epistles in connection with St. Paul's, as does that of Timothy, he appears to have been employed on the same services, and to have been deputed to the Churches with the same visitatorial authority as Timothy. As became the original office of a Deacon, he was entrusted with the conveyance of the collections raised among the Macedonian Churches for the relief of the Saints at Jerusalem; and when St. Paul was in Troas, he wanted the assistance of Titus his brother, and had no rest in his spirit, because he found him not; and under this disappointment took his leave of them, and departed into Macedonia". From his commission to visit the Churches of Corinth'; from the satisfaction which his report conveyed to St. Paul; from the confidence with which St. Paul had conferred with him concerning them"; and from the obedience of them all, from the fear and trembling with which they received him; it is reasonable to conclude that at this time he held an exalted situation in the ministry, or the refractory and disorderly teachers of Corinth would have objected his want of authority; an objection y Titus i. 4. z 2 Cor. viii. 6. viii. 16, 17. e 2 Cor. vii. 6, 7, 13. vii. 15. a b 2 Cor. 2 Cor. ii. 12, 13. d 2 Cor. vii. 14. * 2 Cor. which from his own experience St. Paul would have anticipated, and been desirous to obviate. In Crete he was certainly left with absolute and independent authority, to set in order the things that were wanting, and to ordain elders in every city', as St. Paul had enjoined him; he was also authorized to rebuke with all authority, and even to reject or excommunicate the irreclaimable heretich, The ordination of elders prescribed by St. Paul was no doubt administered in the same form, as had been observed in the ordination of Titus, who was to send others as he had himself been sent; and here is accordingly another instance of ministerial authority, conveyed through four generations, in the persons of the Christ, of St. Paul, of Titus, and of the elders whom he was left to ordain in Crete. The succession of the Christian ministry may be yet farther illustrated, by collecting the ordinations recorded in the Scriptures, without mentioning the persons, the ecclesiastical persons mentioned without distinction of their office, and the offices without reference to the persons executing them. It is recorded of Paul and Barnabas, that in their visitations of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, they ordained them elders in every church; and though the practice is not detailed, it must have been common in other places. There were the elders of Ephesus, whom the Holy Ghost had made Bishops over the flock; there were at Antioch certain prophets and teachers, as f Titus i. 5. 8 Titus ii. 15. Titus iii. 10. Acts Barnabas, Simeon that was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, and Saul'. There were also Judas or Barsabas, and Silas, who themselves also were prophets. There was Erastus, who was sent with Timothy into Macedonia, when both acted in the capacity of Deacons to St. Paul". There were the elders, whom St. Peter exhorts to feed the flock which was among them, and to take the oversight of it; they, who were to speak as the oracles of God; and the Deacons, who were to minister as of the ability which God giveth. There were the elders, for whom St. James directs the sick to send". Among the Romans were different degrees of ministry enumerated by St. Paul. There was the brother Sosthenes, who is united with St. Paul in addressing the Corinthians'; among whom were also Apollos, whose preaching the disorderly were disposed to prefer; those who prayed or prophesied, as prophets or spiritual persons in the congregation; those who discharged the eight offices of ministry, specified by St. Paul"; the household of Stephanas, who had addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints; and Fortunatus and Achaicus, who had refreshed the spirit of St. Paul, and supplied the deficiencies of the Corinthians, and whom they were required to acknowledge. There was also the brother whose praise is in the Gospel, and who was deputed with the constitutions from Corinth". There were those who taught in the 1 Acts xiii. 5. m Acts xv. 32. n Acts xix. 22. iv. 11. v. 1. P James v. 14. $ 1 Cor. iii. iv. xvi. 12. • 1 Pet. q Rom. xii. 6, 7, 8. * 1 Cor. i. 1. t 1 Cor. xi. 4. xii. 28. xiv. 29, 37. * 1 Cor. xii. 28. * 1 Cor. xvi. 15. y Ver. 17, 18... z 2 Cor. viii. 18. Churches of Galatia, to whom they that were taught were to communicate in all good things. The Ephesians were acquainted with a five-fold ministry", and to them was sent Tychicus, a beloved brother and faithful minister or deacon in the Lord. Among the Philippians were Bishops and Deacons"; Epaphroditus was their Apostle or messenger; and they were intimately acquainted with Clemens and other fellow labourers, whose names are written in the book of life. Among the Colossians were Epaphras their faithful deacon, and Onesimus a faithful and beloved brother; to them was sent together with Tychicus, Marcus the nephew of Barnabas, whom they had been enjoined to receive; mention is made of Aristarchus, and of Jesus called Justus; Epaphras is described as having a great zeal for them, for those in Laodicea, and those in Hierapolis; and they are instructed to remind Archippus to take heed, and fulfil the ministry, or deaconship, which he had received in the Lord. In the Epistles to the Thessalonians", the name of Silvanus occurs with that of Paul and Timothy, and they are enjoined to know them, who labour among them and are over them in the Lord, and to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. The Hebrews are exhorted to remember those who have the rule over them, who spoke unto them the word of the Lord, and to obey them who watch for their souls as those that must give an account; exhortations which imply a succession of ministers, of those "Galat. vi. 6. Ephes. iv. 11. Ephes. vi. 21. Philip. iv. 3. d Philip.. * Coloss. i 1 Thess. j. 1. • Philip. ii. 25, 30. iv. 18. |