tinguish them from the clergy, who were in the public office and employment of the church. St. Chrysostom" and Theodoret " say the word idiwrns is so used by St. Paul himself, I Cor. xiv. 16, which we translate "unlearned;" but they say it signifies no more than a layman, or one in a private capacity, whether learned or unlearned, who is not a public minister of the church. And so Origen also uses the name idurai, not for persons unlearned, but for laymen, who had power, as well as other Christians, to cast out devils in the name of Christ." And Synesius opposes the names ἰδιῶται and ἱερεις to one another, making 20 the one to denote those who ministered in the sacred service of the church, and the other, those who had no such office, but served God only in a private capacity, as laymen. Whence also, speaking of some clergymen who deserved to be degraded, he says" they were to be treated publicly by all, og ávrikpuç idiūrai, as mere private men, that is, no longer as clergymen, but laymen. Whence we may collect, that this was a common name for all such as had no public office or ministry in the church.

Sect. 7.

perly called clerici.

On the other hand, all persons who What persons pro had any public employment in the church were called by the common name of clerici; which name at first was given only to the three superior orders of bishops, priests, and deacons, because there were then no other orders in the church. But in the third century many inferior orders were appointed, as subservient to the deacon's office, such as sub-deacons, acolythists, readers, &c. And then those also had the common name of clerici too, having no further concern with secular affairs, but wholly attending the service of the church. St. Cyprian always gives these the name of clerici; as, where he speaks of Optatus a sub-deacon, and Saturus a reader, he styles them both clerici. The ordinations of such he calls ordinationes clerica. And hence the letters which he had occasion to send to foreign parts by their hands had the name of literæ clericæ." Lucian the martyr, and Cyprian's contemporary, speaks in the same style concerning exorcists and readers.

22

27

Sect. 8. The name clerici sometimes appro

orders.

The council of Nice itself 26 gives the appellation of kλñpoc to others besides bishops, presbyters, and deacons. And the third council of Carthage made a canon on purpose to confirm the title to them. Yea, the same council" seems rather to appropriate the name clerici to the inferior orders, by way of distinction priate to the inferior from the superior, first naming bishops, presbyters, and deacons, and then the clerici, or clerks; that is, the inferior orders. And the same is done by St. Ambrose," and Hilary under his name, more expressly, who speak of the clerici as distinct from the deacons. As also Epiphanius," who, speaking of those that lapsed in Egypt in the Diocletian persecution, he says, some of them were soldiers, some clerks of divers orders, some presbyters, and some deacons. Where the clerici are spoken of as distinct from presbyters and deacons. And so in the council of Laodicea, and many other places.

30

Sect. 10. All the clergy called canonici.

There is another name for the clergy, very commonly to be met with in the ancient councils, which is that of canonici, a name derived from the Greek word kavov, which signifies, among other things, the roll or catalogue of every church, wherein the names of all the ecclesiastics were written, and which was as it were the rule of knowing to what church they belonged. In this sense the word kavov is often used by the council of Nice. The council of Antioch calls it

üyoç kavov, the sacred roll; the Apostolical Canons,

28 Con. Carth. 3. c. 15. Placuit ut episcopi, et presbyteri, et diaconi, vel clerici non sint conductores.

29 Ambr. de Dignit. Sacerd. c. 3. Aliud est quod ab episcopo requirit Deus, aliud quod a presbytero, et aliud quod a diacono, et aliud quod a clerico, et aliud quod a laico. so Pseud.-Ambr. in Eph. iv. Nunc neque diaconi in populo prædicant, neque clerici vel laici baptizant. 31 Epiphan. Hær. 68. Melet.

32 Con. Laodic. can. 20.

κατάλογος ἱερατικός," the catalogue of the clergy. Which is the same that Sidonius Apollinaris calls albus; and the council of Agde," by the name of matricula; and St. Austin," tabula clericorum. Now because the names of all the clergy were enrolled in this catalogue, or canon, they were hence called canonici. As in St. Cyril," kavovikov яaрsoía signifies the presence of the clergy. And kavoviKò aλrai, in the council of Laodicea," signifies such of the clergy as were ordered to sing in the church. And so generally in the councils of Nice" and Antioch, oi v T Kavón, is put to denote the clergy of the church. And upon the same account all others, whose names were set down in the church's books, to entitle them to receive maintenance from the church, were called by the same name, canonici, such as the monks, virgins, widows, &c. whom St. Basil" speaks of under this name, as Balsamon and Zonaras understand him.

37 Can. Apostol. c. 13, 14, 15, 50, &c.

88 Sidon. lib. 6. Ep. 8. Nomen lectorum albus nuper excepit.

39 Con. Agathens. can. 2. Rescripti in matricula gradum suum dignitatemque suscipiant.

40 Aug. Hom. 50. de Diversis, t. 10. p. 525. Delebo eum de tabula clericorum.

and ἱερατικόν, or τάξις ἱερατικὴ, the holy order, &c. ; and shall but take notice of one more, which rarely occurs any where but in Gregory Nazianzen, who gives the clergy, especially the superior clergy, the name of τάξις του βήματος, the order of the sanetuary. Which name was given them from their privilege of entering into that part of the church where the altar stood, which (as we shall see when we come to speak of churches) was called ẞñμa or ispartion, the sanctuary. Hither none might come but the clergy, who were therefore called the order of the sanctuary. Whence, in the same author," τῷ βήματι προσάγειν, signifies to give a man ordination, or make him a clergyman. And ỏ áæò ẞýμaToç, is one of. the sacred order," or one of the clergy.

Cyril. Præf. Catech. n. 3.

42 Con. Laodic, can. 15.

43 Con. Antioch, can. 2 et 6. Con. Nic. can. 16 et 17. "Basil. Ep. Canonic. c. 6.

45 Naz. Orat. 20. in Laud. Basil. p. 336.

46 Id. Orat. 19. de Fun. Patr.

47 Naz. Orat. 19. p. 310 et 311. Orat. 20. p. 351.

Sect. 1.

WE have hitherto considered the cler

What the ancients gy in general, as distinct from the laity, and come now to examine by

mean by different erders of bishops and presbyters.

what names or offices they were distinguished from one another. And here the most ancient distinction that occurs, is that of the superior clergy into the three distinct orders of bishops, presbyters, and deacons. That there were no other orders in the church but these three at first, will be evidenced in its proper place, when I come to give an account of the first rise and original of the inferior orders; and that deacons were always a sacred and standing order, will be proved likewise when I speak particularly of them. Here then it remains, that our inquiry be made only into the distinction betwixt the orders of bishops and presbyters. And this, so far as concerns matter of fact and the practice of the church, (which is the thing I have undertaken to give an account of,) will be most fairly and fully resolved, by considering only these three things: 1. That the ancient writers of the church always speak of these as distinct orders. 2. That they derive the original of bishops from Divine authority and apostolical constitution. 3. That they give us particular accounts and catalogues of such bishops as were first settled and consecrated, in the new-founded churches, by the hands of the apostles.

But before I proceed to the proof of these things, I must premise one particular, to avoid all ambiguity; that I take the word order in that sense as the ancients use it, and not as many of the schoolmen do, who, for reasons of their own, distinguish between order and jurisdiction, and make bishops and pres

Hieron. cont. Jovin. lib. 2. p. 89. In Veteri Testamento et in Novo alium ordinem pontifex tenet, alium sacerdotes, alium Levitæ.

Id. Ep. ad Rustic. t. 1. p. 46. Singuli ecclesiarum episcopi, singuli archipresbyteri, singuli archidiaconi, et omnis ordo ecclesiasticus suis rectoribus nititur.

Id. ad Fabiol. de 42. Mansion. Israel. t. 3. p. 44. Ipsos secundi ordinis intelligimus præceptores, Luca evangelista testante, duodecim fuisse apostolos, et septuaginta discipulos minoris gradus.

4 Ep. 27. ad Eustoch. Aderant Hierosolymarum et ali

C

byters to be one and the same order, only differing in power and jurisdiction. This distinction was unknown to the ancients; among whom the words, order, degree, office, power, and jurisdiction, when they speak of the superiority of bishops above presbyters, mean but one and the same thing, viz. the power of the supreme governors of the church, conferred upon them in their ordination, over presbyters, who are to do nothing but in subordination to them. St. Jerom, who will be allowed to speak the sense of the ancients, makes no difference in these words, ordo, gradus, officium, but uses them promiscuously, to signify the power and jurisdiction of bishops above presbyters and the whole church, which is, properly speaking, the very essence of their order. Therefore sometimes he calls them different orders, as in his book against Jovinian,' where he says, that both in the Old and New Testament the high priests are one order, the priests another, and the Levites another. So in his Epistles to Rusticus, and Fabiola, where he joins ordo and gradus together. In other places he uses the word gradus only. As in his Epistle to Eustochium,' he calls presbyters priests of the inferior degree; and in his Epistle to Heliodore," deacons the third degree; and in his Comment upon Micah, bishops, priests, and deacons, the degrees in the church. At other times he expresses his meaning by the word offices. As where he says,' that bishop, presbyter, and deacon, are not names of men's merits, but of their offices. So that it is all one, according to St. Jerom, whether we say the order, or the degree, or the office, or the power and jurisdiction of a bishop: for all these are intended

arum urbium episcopi, et sacerdotum inferioris gradus, et Levitarum innumerabilis multitudo.

5 Ep. 1. ad Heliodor. Non minorem in tertio gradu adhibuit diligentiam, &c.

• Com. in Mic. vii. p. 162. Non hoc dico, quod istiusmodi gradibus in ecclesia non debeatis esse subjecti.

7 Cont. Jovin. lib. 1. p. 41. Episcopus, presbyter, et diaconus non sunt meritorum nomina, sed officiorum.Si diaconus sanctior episcopo suo fuerit, non ex eo quod inferior gradu est, apud Christum deterior est.

to express the same thing, viz. the authority of bishops over their presbyters and the whole church. And in this sense I use the word order, in this discourse, to express the opinion of the ancients, concerning the different powers of bishops and presbyters in the church.

Sect. 2.

The order of bishops always owned to be superior to that of presbyters.

Now that there was such a distinction always observed in the church, is evident, 1st, From the testimony of the most ancient writers, who speak of bishops, presbyters, and deacons, as distinct degrees in the church, and the two latter as subordinate to the first. The testimonies of Ignatius to this purpose are so full and evident, that nothing was ever pretended to be said against them, save only that they are not the genuine remains of that ancient author; which has been so often considered and replied to by learned men," that there is no pretence left to favour such an imagination. The citations are too numerous to be here inserted at large, and therefore I shall only give the reader a specimen in one single testimony, by which he may judge of all the rest. In his Epistle to the Magnesians, he exhorts them to do all things in unity, under the bishop presiding in the place of God, and the presbyters in the place of the apostolical senate, and the deacons to whom is committed the ministry and service of Jesus Christ.

10

The author of the Acts of the Martyrdom of Ignatius," lately published from an ancient Greek copy, speaks exactly in the same manner of these three orders, when he says, that as Ignatius was on his journey to Rome, all the cities and churches of Asia sent to salute him by their bishops, presbyters, and deacons. Not long after these authors lived Pius, bishop of Rome, whose authority I cite, because Blondel" allows it to be genuine. This author, in his epistle to Justus of Vienna, gives him the title of bishop," and speaks of presbyters and deacons under him. In the beginning of the next age we have the testimonies of Clemens Alexandrinus, Origen, and Tertullian, all agreeing in the same thing, that there were then in their own times the different orders of bishops and presbyters in the

Ignat. Ep. ad Ephes. n. 2, 3, 4. Ep. ad Philad. n. 4, 7, 10. Ep. ad Smyrn. n. 8 et 12. Ep. ad Trall. n. 2, 7, 12, 13. Ep. ad Polycarp. n. 6.

Pearson, Vind. Ignat. Usser. de Epist. Ignat. Voss. Epist. ad Rivet. Coteler. Præf. et Not. in Ignat. Bull, Defens. Fid. Nic. sect. 3. n. 6. p. 290, &c.

10 Ignat. Ep. ad Magnes. n. 6.

"Martyr. Ignat. ap. Grabe Spicil. Sæcul. 2. t. 1. p. 12. 12 Blondel. Apol. p. 18.

13 Pius. Ep. 2. ad Just. Vien. Tu vero apud senatoriam Viennam.- Colobio episcoporum vestitus, &c. Presbyteri et diaconi te observent.

14 Clem. Alex. Strom. lib. 6. p. 667. 'Evтauða KaTà τὴν ἐκκλησίαν προκοπαὶ ἐπισκόπων, πρεσβυτέρων, διαKóvwv, &c. Id. Pædag. lib. 3. c. 12. p. 261.

15 Origen. Hom. 2. in Num. Hom. 2. in Cantic. Hom. 6. in

15

church. There are here, in the church, says Clemens," the different degrees or progressions of bishops, presbyters, and deacons, in imitation of the angelical glory. Origen takes notice of this distinction above ten times " in his works, which those that please may read at large in Bishop Pearson. I shall only recite two passages, one out of his Homilies upon St. Luke, written whilst he was a layman, where he says," that digamy excludes men from all ecclesiastical dignities; for one that is twice married can neither be made bishop, presbyter, nor deacon. Here he calls them different dignities; in the other place" he calls them different degrees, saying, Every one shall be punished according to his degree: if the supreme governor of the church offends, he shall have the greater punishment. A layman will deserve mercy in comparison of a deacon, and a deacon in comparison of a presbyter. So that bishops, in his opinion, were then a degree above presbyters and deacons. Tertullian frequently" mentions the same distinction, but more especially in his book de Baptismo, where he says," The right of baptizing belongs to the chief priest, who is the bishop; and after him, to presbyters and deacons, yet not without the authority of the bishop, for the honour of the church, in the preservation of which consists the church's peace.

Sect. 3. The order of

cal institution.

These allegations are sufficient evidences, as to matter of fact, and the practice of the church in the three first ages, that there was then an order of chief priests, or bishops, superior to presbyters, settled and allowed in the Christian church. If we proceed a little further into this inquiry, and examine from what bishops of apostolioriginal this appointment came, whether from ecclesiastical or apostolical institution; which is another question concerning matter of fact, that will in some measure determine the right also; the same authors, with the unanimous consent of all others, declare, that it was no human invention, but an original settlement of the apostles themselves, which they made by Divine appointment. The order of bishops, says Tertullian," when it is traced up to its original, will be found to have

Esai. Hom. 5 et 16. in Ezek. Com. in Matt. xix. et xxi. De Orat. ap. Pearson. Vindic. Ignat. par. 1. c. 11. p. 320.

16 Orig. Hom. 17. in Luc. Ab ecclesiasticis dignitatibus non solum fornicatio sed et nuptiæ repellunt. Neque enim episcopus, nec presbyter, nec diaconus, nec vidua possunt esse digami.

17 Orig. Hom. 5. in Ezek. Pro modo graduum unusquisque torquebitur, &c.

18 Tertul. de Monogam. c. 11. De Fuga, c. 11. De Præscript. c. 41.

19 Tertul. de Bapt. c. 17. Dandi quidem jus habet summus sacerdos, qui est episcopus: dehinc presbyteri et diaconi, non tamen sine episcopi auctoritate, propter ecclesia honorem; quo salvo salva pax est.

20 Tertul. adv. Marcion. lib. 4. c. 5. Ordo episcoporum ad originem recensus, in Joannem stabit auctorem.

And

St. John för one of its authors. This agrees exactly with what Clemens Alexandrinus" has recorded of him, that when he was settled at Ephesus, he went about the neighbouring regions, ordaining bishops, and setting apart such men for the clergy as were signified to him by the Holy Ghost. These were those Asiatic bishops that St. Jerom speaks of, who says, that at their request St. John wrote his Gospel against the heresies of Ebion and Cerinthus. Whence it follows, that, according to this account, the order of bishops was settled before the canon of Scripture was concluded. Whence Clemens of Alexandria" further observes, that there are many precepts in Scripture appertaining to particular sorts of persons, some to presbyters, some to deacons, and some to bishops also. Irenæus declares himself of the same opinion, that there were bishops as well as presbyters in the apostles' days. For the assembly of Miletus, he says," was composed of bishops and presbyters, that were of Ephesus and the neighbouring cities of Asia. therefore, agreeably to that hypothesis, he always derives the succession of bishops and their original from the apostles. As where he says," that Hyginus, bishop of Rome, was the ninth in order of episco-❘ pal succession from the apostles.". And in another place," giving an exact catalogue of the twelve bishops of Rome that governed successively in that see to his own time, he says of Linus, the first of them, that he was ordained bishop immediately by the apostles, upon the first foundation of the church; and of Eleutherius, the last of them, that he was the twelfth bishop from the apostles. Tertullian 28 insists much upon the same argument, and makes a challenge to all sorts of heretics upon it: Let them show us the original of their churches, and give us a catalogue of their bishops in an exact succession from first to last, whereby it may appear, that their first bishop had either some apostle, or some apostolical man, living in the time of the apostles, for his author or immediate predecessor. For thus it

Clem. Alex. Quis dives salvetur. ap. Combefis. Auctar. Novissim. p. 185. et ap. Euseb. lib. 3. c. 23.

22 Hieron. Catal. Scriptor. Eccles. in Joanne. Novissimus omnium scripsit evangelium, rogatus ab Asia episcopis. Clem. Alex. Pædag. lib. 3. c. 12. p. 264.

Iren. lib. 3. c. 14. In Mileto convocatis episcopis et presbyteris, qui erant ab Epheso et a reliquis proximis civitatibus.

Id. lib. 1. c. 28. Hyginus nonum locum episcopatus per successionem ab apostolis habuit.

Euseb. lib. 4. c. 11, cites the same out of Irenæus.

Iren. lib. 3. c. 3. Fundantes et instruentes beati apostoli ecclesiam, Lino episcopatum administrandæ ecclesiæ tradiderunt. Cited also by Euseb. lib. 5. c. 6.

Tertul. de Præscript. c. 32. Edant origines ecclesiarum suarum: evolvant ordinem episcoporum suorum, ita per successiones ab initio decurrentem, ut primus ille episcopus aliquem ex apostolis, vel apostolicis viris, qui tamen cum apostolis perseveraverint, habuerit auctorem et antecessorem.

is that apostolical churches make their reckoning. The church of Smyrna counts up to Polycarp, or dained by St. John; the church of Rome, to Clemens, ordained by St. Peter; and so all other churches in like manner exhibit their first bishops ordained by the apostles, by whom the apostolical seed was propagated and conveyed to others. This implies that the apostles, as they founded churches, settled bishops in them; and that this might be proved from the records and archives of every church, the most of which were probably then remaining, when Tertullian made this challenge to all heretics, and appealed to these original records in behalf of the catholic church.

30

To begin with the church of Rome: we have already heard Irenæus and Tertullian declaring, that the apostles ordained a bishop there. And the same is asserted by St. Chrysostom," and Eusebius, and Ruffin," and St. Jerom," and Optatus," and Epiphanius," and St. Austin; who says," If the order of the bishops succeeding one another be of any consideration, we take the surest and soundest way, who begin to number from St. Peter: for Linus succeeded Peter; and Clemens, Linus; and Anacletus, Clemens, &c.

It is true, there is a little difference in the account which these authors give of the succession; for some reckon Linus first, then Anacletus, then Clemens : others begin with Clemens, and reckon him the first in order from St. Peter. But this is easily recon

Hoc enim modo ecclesiæ apostolicæ census suos deferunt: sicut Smyrnæorum ecclesia Polycarpum ab Joanne conlocatum refert sicut Romanorum Clementem a Petro ordinatum edit: proinde utique et cæteræ exhibent, quos ab apostolis in episcopatum constitutos, apostolici seminis traduces habent. See also c. 36. ibid. Polycrat. Epist. ap. Euseb. lib. 5. c. 24. Cyprian. Ep. 52. al. 55. ad Antonian. p. 104. Cum Fabiani locus, id est, locus Petri, et gradus cathedræ sacerdotalis vacaret. Id. Ep. 27. al. 33. ed. Oxon. 29 Chrys. Hom. 10. in 2 Tim.

30 Euseb. lib. 3. c. 4.

31 Ruffin. ap. Hieron. Apol. 2. p. 219. 32 Hieron. Catal. Script. in Clemen.

33 Optat. lib. 2. p. 48.

34 Epiph. Hær. 27.

35 Aug. Ep. 165. Si ordo episcoporum sibi succedentium considerandus est; quanto certius et vere salubriter ab ipso Petro numeramus?--Petro enim successit Linus, Lino Clemens, Clementi Anacletus, &c.