14.

nification by Letters would not answer all the Oc-1 Tim, 1. cafions of thofe Churches he had planted, he 3.13. did not refign all Authority into the Hands of. 4. 12. every particular Prefbytery, but fent l'erfons Tit. 1. 5. : not only endowed with extraordinary Gifts, but 2.15. with Apoftolical Power, to ordain Elders, to preach the Gofpel, to end Difputes, to cenfure the Irregular, whether of the Clergy or People; and by all Means to provide for the Welfare of thofe Churches committed to them. Of this Kind were Barnabas, Timothy, Titus, Crefcens, Epaphroditus, and Softhenes: Thefe governed thofe Churches, over which they were appointed, by full Apoftolical Power, which was tranfmitted to their Succeffors.

Hieron.

com. ad.

Q. But doth not St. Jerome give another Account of the Original of Epifcopacy, and affirm Titum, that the Church was at first governed by a Common cap. 1. 7. Council or College of Prefbyters, till, Divifions reigning by Reafon of Parity, it was decreed over all the World, that one from among the Prefbyters should be chofen out of the reft, and be called more peculiarly the Bishop; to whom the Care of the whole Church should appertain, that all Seeds and Occafions of Schifm might be taken away? Which univerfal Decree is fuppofed to be made about the Year 140.

A. The Reasons that St. Jerome gives, are certainly very much for the Advantage of Epifcopal Government. But allowing this Teftimony to bear the Senfe the Adverfaries of Epifcopacy put upon it; we must confider that St. Jerome flourished in the latter End of the Fourth Century; and confequently is not fo competent an Evidence of this Matter of Fact, as thofe are who lived in the Apoftles Days, and in the M m 4 Time

Time of their Succeffors; yet however he expreffed himself, when he refented the Treatment of the Bishop of Jerufalem, who exercifed his Jurifdiction over him farther than he thought it might be justly extended; or when he endeavoured to curb the Infolence of the Deacons, who began to advance themselves above the Prefbyters; in other Places he talks after a different Rate, and makes Bishops to be Succeffors to the Apostles, as well as the rest of the most Hieron. in eminent Fathers had done before him, and Pfalm. & even when he speaks moft for a Parity, makes ad Evag. Ordination peculiar to the Bishop: Quid enim

facit, excepta Ordinatione, Epifcopus, quod Prefbyter non faciat? Epift. ad Evag. Befides, if any fuch Decree had been made in the Apostles Time, it would have been an Apoftolic Inftitution; and we might have expected to have found fome Mention of it in the Scriptures; if afterwards, as is fuppofed about 140, primitive Antiquity would have given us fome Account of fuch an important Alteration; the contrary of which we find in all the Writers of that Age. Neither fo can St. Jerome be reconciled to himself, who reckons feveral Bishops long before that Time, in his Catalogue of Ecclefiaftical Writers.

Q. What farther fhews the Improbability of the fudden Change and Innovation that is fuggefted?

A. That univerfal Agreement that appeared among all the Chriftian Churches in this Matter, there being not one fingle Church produced in which Epifcopal Government did not prevail; and this at a Time when no General Council could meet to enjoin it, nor any Civil Governor was concerned

concerned to promote it; and when by Reason of the Heat of Perfecution, and the Distance of Churches one from another, the Commerce and Intercourfe between them was fo little or nothing, that it was next to impoffible to form a joint Confpiracy to eftablish it. Befides, all People were obliged to know those who had the Rule over them, becaufe the Scriptures engage them to pay to fuch the Duty of Submiffion and Obedience; fo that they could not have acquiefced in this Innovation, without great Hazard to their Souls; neither is it likely that the Prefbyters would fo quietly have fubmitted to this ufurped Authority, if to the natural Love of Freedom they could have joined the Argument of pofitive Apoftolical Inftitution. Nay, even the Perfons thus advanced, could have no Motive or Temptation to be ambitious of it; for as this great Charge increased their Labour and their Care, fo the firft Chriftian Bishops were expofed to the fharpeft Fury of their Perfecutors, and when any Storm was raised against the Church, they bore the Violence of it. And Men are not generally fo fond of Trouble, or fo apt to court Danger, as to act against their Duty in order to bear the one, or expose themfelves to the other.

Q. How doth it appear that Ordination is the peculiar Privilege of a Bishop?

A. Because in the holy Scriptures of the New Tefiament, we find no Commiffions granted, no Orders conferred, no Church-Officers deputed to the Exercife of fpiritual Powers, but by thofe who had Epifcopal Authority, who were fuperior to ordinary Prefbyters. Our Saviour, after his Refurrection, gave his Apo

stles

21.

14. 23.

22.

2.

John 20. files their Commiffion to be the fupreme Governors of this vifible Church; and they, being invefted with this Power, ordained Deacons with Acts 6.6. Prayer and Impofition of Hands. The firft Ordination of Prefbyters we read of, was performed by two Apoftles, Paul and Barnabas, both cloathed with Epifcopal Authority in an eminent Degree. Timothy, as has been obferved, was 1 Tim. 5. fettled by St. Paul Bishop of Ephcfus to this 2 Tim. 2. very Purpose. The fame Thing is evident concerning Titus, who was left in Crete to ordain Tit. 1. 5. Prefbyters in every City. And doubtless the Seven Angels, whereby is meant the Bishops of Chapters the feven Churches mentioned in the Revelation, 1, 2, 3. had the fame Power, becaufe chargeable with the Male-adminiftration in their respective Churches; which fuppofes that Ordination could not be performed without them. For how could Bishops be answerable for the Practices of thofe who had not their Commiffion from them, and were not fubject to them? The genuine Writings. of the ancienteft Fathers of the Catholick Church, who fucceeded the Apoftles, appropriate this Privilege to Bishops; and the Advocates of the contrary Opinion own freely themfelves, Salmafius, that as foon as the two Orders of Bishops and Prefbyters were diminished, the Power of Ordination belonged to the Bishop. A Conceffion that must give up the Caufe, fince fufficient Evidence appears, that Epifcopacy is of Apoftolical Inftitution.

Blondel,

Daillé.

1 Tim. 4.

14.

Q. But doth not the laying on the Hands of the Prefbytery imply, that Prefbyters have the Power of Ordination?

A. Suppofing the Greek Word, which we tranflate Prefbytery, did unquestionably fignify a

So

Society of Prefbyters, how will it appear it was a Society of ordinary Prefbyters, which is denied by St. Chryfoftom, and other eminent Fathers, for this Reafon, that Timothy being a Bifhop, it was never heard or read, that Prefbyters could ordain a Bishop? But fuppofing they were ordinary Prefbyters, it will not follow it was purely a Prefbyterian Ordination; be-2 Tim. 1. caufe it is manifeft, that St. Paul was prefent6. and laid on his Hands when Timothy was ordained, which makes it a fair Pattern of Ordination by a Bishop, with the Affiftance of his Prefbyters; it being unqueftionable, that St. Paul was fuperior both in Order and Power to ordinary Prefbyters. And what makes it farther clear, is the Force of the different Greek Prepofitions used by St. Paul in this Matter; for a fmall Skill in that Language will inform us, that in producing Effects, or, which is the fame 2 Tim. 1. Thing, the Communication of Powers, the first, 6. 4. I Tim. 4 by, denotes the principal, and the other, with, 14. Μελά. only the affistant Caufes: But if the Word we Inftit. lib. tranflate Prefbytery, as Calvin and divers of the 4.c.3.§16. Ancients understood it, fignifies not a College of Euf. lib.6. Prefbyters, but the Office of a Prefbyter; what Epiph. fhould hinder but that the Text may be thus Hær. 64. read, Neglect not the Gift of the Prefbyterate, or 2. the Office of a Prefbyter, which is in thee, and Hieron. which was given thee by Prophecy, with the laying adv.Error. on of Hands.

c. 43:

ad Pamm.

Joan. Hier.' Q What Privilege befides Ordination is peculiar to the Character of a Bishop?

A. The folemn Rite of Confirmation, appropriated to the Governors of the Church by all the primitive Records of Chriftianity; wherein the Bishop, by laying on of Hands, and by fervent

and