no one will now deny that a bishop is also a priest, yet no one will pretend that every priest is a bishop. The mere name signifies little, so long as the authority of the three distinct orders is clearly understood, and each one is kept within those bounds marked out by the Great Head of the church himself.*

* For a more satisfactory elucidation of this important subject we subjoin the following sound remarks of Bishop Hall :

"A prophet, we know, is a foreteller of future things; an evangelist, in the natural sense of the word, is he that preaches the glad tidings of the gospel; an apostle, one of Christ's twelve great messengers to the world; a bishop, an overseer of the church; a presbyter, some grave, ancient churchman; a deacon, a servant or minister of the church: yet all these, in scripture, are so promiscuously used, that a preacher is more than once termed a prophet; an evangelist, an apostle; an apostle, a bishop; an apostle, a presbyter; a presbyter, an apostle, as Romans xvi. 7; a prcsbyter, a bishop;* and, lastly, an evangelist and bishop, a deacon or minister; for all these met in Timothy, alone, who, being bishop of Ephesus, is, with one breath, charged to do the work of an evangelist, and to fulfil his ministry; 2 Tim. iv. 5.

It could not be otherwise likely, but from this community of names, there would follow some confusion of apprehensions: for, since names were intended for distinction of things, where names are the same, how can the notions be distinguished?

But, howsoever it pleased the Spirit of God, in the first hatching of the evangelical church, to make use of these indistinct expressions: yet, all this while, the offices were several; known by their several characters and employments: so, as the function, and work of an apostle was one; viz. to plant the church, and to ordain the governors of it: of a bishop, another; to wit, to manage the government of his designed circuit, and to ordain presbyters and deacons of a presbyter, another; namely, to assist the bishop, and to watch over his several charge of a deacon, another; besides his sacred services, to order the stock of the church, and to take care of the poor: yet all these agreed in one common service, 1 Pet. v. 1.

* 1 Cor. xiv.

Acts i. 20. 2 John, i.

1 Tim. iv. 6.

CHAPTER IV.

TESTIMONY OF THE FATHERS.

The preface to our ordination service says, "It is evident unto all men, diligently reading holy scripture and ancient authors, that from the apostles' time there have been three orders of ministers in Christ's church,bishops, priests, and deacons." We have already shown from "holy scripture," that these three distinct orders existed in the church in the apostles' time; and we now proceed to show from "ancient authors," that they were also "had in reverend estimation," during the

which was the propagation of the gospel, and the founding of God's church.

And, soon after, the very terms were contradistinguished; both by the substance of their charge, and by the property of their titles: insomuch as blessed Ignatiùs, that holy martyr, who lived many years within the times of the apostles, in every of his epistles, as we shall see in the sequel, makes express mention of three distinct orders of government, bishops, presbyters, deacons.

Now we take Episcopacy, as it is thus punctually differenced, in an eminence from the two inferior orders of presbyter and deacon; so as to define it, Episcopacy is no other than a holy order of church governors, appointed for the administration of the church ;' or, more fully thus; Episcopacy is an eminent order of sacred function, appointed by the Holy Ghost, in the Evangelical Church, for the governing and overseeing thereof; and, for that purpose, besides the administration of the word and sacraments, endued with power of imposition of hands and perpetuity of jurisdiction. And, for you, my dearly beloved brethren, at home; for Christ's sake, for the church's sake, for your souls' sake, be exhorted to hold fast to this holy institution of your blessed Saviour and his unerring apostles; AND BLESS GOD FOR EPISCOPACY."

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ages immediately following that of the apostles. In doing this we shall confine our attention to a few of the earliest christian Fathers, whose testimony on this subject must be unexceptionable. Considering the question without prejudice or predilection," says a writer in one of the English journals, "we may safely assume, as the true state of the case, that the primitive Fathers were men eminent for their piety and zeal, but occasionally deficient in learning and judgment; that they may be relied upon in general for their statements of facts, but not always for the constructions which they put upon them; that they are faithful reporters of the opinions of the christian church, but not always the most judicious interpreters of scripture. Whatever opinion may be entertained of the style or good sense of the early writers of the christian church, this, at least, must be admitted ;-That they are credible witnesses as to what was the apostoli cal doctrine and discipline,—that having heard and conversed with the apostles, or with their nearest followers, they were better able to judge of the intent and meaning of many parts of their writings than we can be. That having been selected by the apostles themselves, as in the instances of Clement and Polycarp, to preside over certain churches, they were necessarily faithful guardians and teachers of the true apostolical faith. It follows then, that their writings, and those of their immediate disciples, are the best sources to which we can apply, in order to ascertain the original constitution of the church, its doctrines and practice. It is undoubtedly true, as our church expresses it, that the scriptures contain all things that are necessary to salvation;' that the

doctrines of christianity are, in the first instance, to be sought for in the New Testament. But it was to be expected, in the natural order of things, that, after the decease of the apostles, questions would arise in the church, as to the precise meaning of some of their expressions, and the nature of some of their institutions, which none would be so competent to resolve as those, who had been their immediate disciples and followers. We are bound therefore to regard with peculiar respect all that we can ascertain to be said or written by them, and not to condemn precipitately any of their opinions which may happen to differ from our own."*

To begin with Clement, Bishop of Rome, whom St. Paul so highly commends, and calls his "fellow-labourer," and who, living and conversing with the apostles, must have had a perfect knowledge of the christian ministry, as established by them. His first Epistle to the Corinthians was written within forty years after our Lord's death, and during the life-time of at least one of the apostles. He speaks of the distinct orders of the ministry, of their divine institutions, and of the apostolical succession. "The apostles," he says, "have preached to us from our Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ from God. Christ therefore was sent by God, the apostles by Christ; so both were orderly sent, according to the will of God. And thus preaching through countries and cities, they appointed the first fruits of their conversions, to be bishops and ministers over such as should afterwards believe, having first proved them by the Spirit.

* Quart. Rev. vol. xiii. p. 183. + Phil. iv. 3.

Nor was this any new thing; seeing that long before it was written concerning bishops and deacons."* Speaking of the succession, he tells the Corinthians,-" Our apostles knew by our Lord Jesus Christ, that there should contentions arise on account of the ministry. And therefore having a perfect fore-knowledge of this, they appointed persons, as we have before said, and then gave direction, how when they should die, other chosen and approved men should succeed in their ministry."+ Such is the testimony of the earliest ecclesiastical writer, whose works have come down to us.

Ignatius, the next in order of time, a disciple of St. John, and made bishop of Antioch by the apostles then living, wrote several epistles, in all of which he exhorts the inferior ministers,-priests and deacons,-to be in subjection to their bishop. He suffered martyrdom in less than ten years after the death of St. John: and having been intimately acquainted with the holy apostles, he could not have been ignorant of the doctrine and discipline of the church of their time. In his Epistle to the Ephesians he speaks of Onesimus, their "excellent bishop," and earnestly presses the duty of being obedient unto him;-"For even Jesus Christ, our inseparable life, is sent by the will of the Father; as the bishops, appointed unto the utmost bounds of the earth, are by the will of Jesus Christ. Let us take heed, therefore, that we do not set ourselves against the bishop, that we may

* Ep. to Cor. Sec. 42.

† idem, Sec. 44. + Abp. Wake's Apos. Fath. p. 52, 60.

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