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represented as an order known and established, and recognized by a separate Church, though there is no account of their ordination, or of the institution of their office, unless their identity with the Seventy be admitted. That more names of the Seventy or Presbyters are not extant, and that the origin of their ministry is not more distinctly marked, will not appear a reasonable exception to the argument, when it is recollected, how little mention is made of many even of the Apostles; that the nomination and divine preference of Matthias comprise the sum and substance of his history; and that of the seven Deacons, Stephen and Philip are the only two of whom we have any memorial. In vindication of this want of scriptural information concerning the Apostolical ministries, it must be remembered, that the Apostles were themselves acquainted with their origin; that the Churches gladly acknowledged the authority of those whom the Apostles sent, and were perhaps instructed concerning them in private conferences, or in the traditional ordinances, to which frequent allusion is made.

With the title of Prophets or Presbyters, appropriated to the second order, that of Bishops, in its scriptural signification, is synonimous. This opinion, which is recommended by the most respectable authority, and on the most mature conviction of its truth, will facilitate the inquiry into the constitution, and illustrate the consistency and harmony of the triple order, of the Apostolic Church. The term Bishop, and the corresponding term in the original in its several inflexions, occurs but seldom in the

Scriptures; and in its primary sense, denoting a superintendant, an inspector, a superior or overseer, is appropriated by the Apostles to such as have the oversight of the flock of Christ. It is first used in relation to the Ephesian elders, who were the overseers, the Bishops of the Church, επισκοπους. Their number is indefinite, but certainly plural, acting as Presbyters over the several Churches in the neighbourhood; they were probably ordained, as they had been earnestly instructed for three years by St. Paul, whose authority they acknowledged, and on whose summons they now attended his visitation, and received his final charge. To them he addressed an Epistle; he stationed Timothy among them with apostolical authority; and the last mention of them is when John addressed the letter to the angel of the Church of Ephesus. In the same manner, possessing in his own person the apostolical or supreme authority, he salutes the Church at Philippi, with the Bishops and Deacons, with the two subordinate orders of the ministry acting in inferior capacities under him. St. Peter, though he accommodates himself to the Presbyters, as their fellow-presbyter, yet in the fulness of the apostolical authority exhorts these Presbyters to feed the flock which was among them, overseeing it', ETTIσXOжOUVTES, possessing over it episcopal power, which they were not to abuse. St. Peter also applies to Judas the words of the Psalmist, His bishopric let another take"; but Judas never attained the highest degree of the Christian ministry, which during his life belonged exclusively to Christ, and not to the s Phil. i. 1. t 1 Peter

q Acts xx. 28.

r Rev. ii. 1.

Apostles, who together with Judas were entitled to the Bishopric, or inspecting office, only in their subordinate capacity. St. Paul, in his Epistle to Timothy, whom he had invested with apostolical power at Ephesus, and to Titus, to whom he had committed the same charge in Crete, advising them how to conduct themselves in the Church of God, states the qualifications required in a Bishop*; and the meaning is determined by the purpose for which Titus was left in Crete, to ordain Elders in every city: nor were they to be novices, persons newly converted to the faith, lest being lifted up with pride, they might fall into the snare of the devil'; but persons who had been instructed in the truth with care and attention, and severely tried and approved; persons on whom the hand was not laid suddenly; a caution which the Apostle recommended by his own practice, in not ordaining ministers at the first conversion of a country, except, as at Ephesus, he remained there a sufficient time to attain a competent knowledge and experience of their character. In all these passages, Bishops and Elders are synonimous terms: and it appears, that Paul and Peter, Timothy and Titus, possessing superior or apostolical power in the Church, did rule, and were authorized to ordain, Bishops or Presbyters, who held but secondary and local power in the Churches to which they were severally appointed. The use of the term Bishop in succeeding times, to denote the superior order, may have been an act of reverence and compliment to the Apostles, whose peculiar title men not properly Apostolic may have thought themselves unworthy to assume: and it is the less necessary to refute

* 1 Tim. iii. 2. Titus i. 7. y Titus i. 3.

z 1 Tim. iii. 6.

the opinion, that the word Bishops, in its scriptural and ecclesiastical use, denote one and the same degree of ministry, because it is not even alleged, and it can never be proved, that the scriptural Bishop ever possessed the powers, or performed the acts of government, judgment, or ordination, which properly distinguish the Apostle and the modern Bishop from the Presbyter. The mere question of names and titles is, however, not material or important; and it may be conceded, that they are used by the sacred writers indiscriminately and without precision. Our Lord himself is called Apostle and High Priest; Bishop and Pastor; and Minister or Deacon . The decision of the controversy rests not on the meaning of ambiguous or equivocal words, but on the evidence of facts, and the unequal distribution of ecclesiastical power.

The office of Prophets, Presbyters, or Bishops, was subordinate to that of the Apostles, in whose deliberations they concurred, though it may be without power of originating any measure themselves, or possessing a definitive voice; and in conjunction with whom they laid hands on persons ordained. Their principal office however appears to have been, to officiate in their respective congregations ; to pray and to preach, and perhaps to interpret the words of others, who spoke in an unknown tongue; to exhort and to convince the gainsayers by the soundness of their doctrine ; and to pray for such sick persons as should

d Acts

1 Peter ii. 25. c Matt. xx. 28.
f 1 Cor. xiv. 16, 24, 26-29.

a Heb. iii. 1.
e 1 Tim. iv. 14.

xv. 6.

send for them, to anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord, and to pronounce forgiveness of the sins which they had committed ".

There is no danger of confounding the order of Deacons, Evangelists, Teachers, or Helps, which are synonimous designations of the same office, of which the institution is expressly recorded', and to which the third rank in the Christian ministry is assigned by the Apostle, with that of Presbyters, whose origin is less distinct, or that of the Apostles, by whom they were ordained. It has been conjectured, that the young men, who carried Ananias and Sapphira to their burial', were of this order, and were the Deacons of the Church of Jerusalem, whose partiality in the distribution of alms provoked the murmurs of the Grecians; and if this conjecture be admitted, the younger man", whom Timothy was to rebuke as a brother, and whom Peter required to submit to the elders, will appear to be designated by their office rather than by their age. The expression is used by our Lord in recommending humility to his disciples, of whom he enjoins him that would be great or chief, to be as the younger, or as a minister or deacono; in which capacity, while they held the third degree in the Christian ministry, the Seventy acted under Christ the Governor.

The specific end of their institution was to superintend the distribution of alms P; and it is expressly

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