deprived fome from their miniftry, who behaved themselves unreprovable amongst you.

Sect. 40. "To the High-prieft his proper offices were appointed; the Priefts had their proper order, and the Levites their peculiar fervices, or deaconfhips; and the laymen what was proper for laymen.

This, as before fhewn, St. Clement applied to the distribution of orders in the Chriftian Church, Bifhops, Priefts, and Deacons. And the office of the Levites is here called by the word Aidxovos, i. e. the office of Deacons.

A. D. 71. St. Ignatius, a glorious martyr of Chrift, was conftituted by the Apostles Bishop of Antioch, and did thereby think that he fucceeded them (as all other Bishops do) in their full apoftolical office: thence he falutes the church of the Trallians in the fulness of the apoftolical character; and in his epiftle he fays to them,

"Be fubject to your Bishops as to the Lord

"And to the Prefbyters, as to the Apoftles of Chrift-Likewife the Deacons alfo, being minifters of the mysteries of Chrift, ought to please in all things-Without these there is no church of the elect-He is without who does any thing without the Bishop, and Prefbyters, and Deacons; and fuch one is defiled in his confcience."

In his epiftle to the Magnefians he tells them, "That they ought not to defpife their Bishop for his youth, but to pay him all manner of reverence, according to the commandment of God the Father; and as I know that your holy Prefbyters do—

Therefore as Chrift did nothing without the Father, so neither do ye, whether Prefbyter, Deacon, or laick, any thing without the Bishop.

"Some indeed call him Bishop, yet do all things without him; but these seem not to me to have a good conscience, but rather to be hypocrites and fcorners.

"I exhort you to do all things in the fame mind of God, the Bishop prefiding in the place of God, and the Presbyters in room of the college of the Apostles; and the Deacons, moft beloved to me, who are entrusted with the miniftry of Jesus Chrift."

He directs his epiftle to the church at Philadelphia, “to those who were in unity with their Bishop and Prefbyters and Deacons."

And fays to them in his epiftle, "That as many as are of Chrift, these are with the Bishop; and those who shall repent, and return to unity of the church, being made worthy of Jefus Chrift, fhall partake of eternal falvation in the kingdom of Chrift.

My brethren, be not deceived; if any fhall follow him that makes a fchifm, he shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

"I exhort you to partake of the one eucharift; for there is one body of the Lord Jefus, and one blood of his, which was shed for us; and one cup-and one altar; fo there is one Bishop with his Prefbytery, and the Deacons, my fellow fervants.

"Give heed to the Bishop, and to the Prefbytery, and to the Deacons Without the Bishop do nothing."

In his epiftle to the Smyrnæans, he fays, "Flee divifions as the beginning of evils: all of you follow your Bishops, as Jefus Chrift the Father; and the Prefbyters as the Apoftles; and reverence the Deacons as the inftitution of God. Let no man do any thing of what appertains to the church without the Bishop: let that facrament be judged effectual and firm which is difpenfed by the Bifhop, or him to whom the Bishop has committed it. Wherever the Bishop is, there let the people be; as where Chrift is, there the heavenly oft is gathered together. It is not lawful without the Bishop either to baptize or celebrate the offices; but what he approves of, according to the good pleasure of God, that is firm and fafe, and fo we do every thing fecurely.

" I falute your most worthy Bishop, your venerable Presbytery, and the Deacons my fellow fervants."

In his epiftle to St. Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna and Martyr, who, together with himself, was difciple to St. John the Apostle and Evangelist, he gives thefe directions.

"If any can remain in chastity, to the glory of the body of the Lord, let him remain without boasting; if he boasts, he perishes; and if he pretends to know more than the Bishop, he is corrupted. It is the duty both of men and women that marry to be joined together by the approbation of the Bishop, that the marriage may be in the Lord, and not according to our own lufts. Let all things be done to the glory of God.

"Give heed to your Bishop, that God may hearken unto you: my fou! for theirs, who subject themselves under the obedience of their Bishop, Prefbyters, and Deacons; and let me take my lot with them in the Lord."

And he fays to Bishop Polycarp, "Let nothing be done without thy fentence and approbation.'

A. D. 180. St. Irenæus, Bishop of Lyons, in France, who was difciple of St. Polycarp; he flourished about the year of Chrift

180.

Adverf. Heraf. 1. 3. c. 3. "We can reckon thofe Bishops who have been conftituted by the Apostles, and their fucceffors, all the way to our times. And if the Apoftles knew hidden mysteries, they would certainly have delivered them chiefly to thofe to whom they committed the churches themselves, and whom they left their own fucceffors, and in the faine place of government as themselves. We have the fucceffions of the Bishops to whom the apoftolic church in every place was committed. All these (heretics) are much later than the Bishops, to whom the Apoftles did deliver the churches.

L. 4. c. 6. "The true knowledge is the doctrine of the Apostles, and the ancient state of the church throughout the whole world, and the character of the body of Chrift according to the fucceffion of the Bishops, to whom they committed the church that is in every place, and which has defcended even

unto us.

Tertullian, A. D. 203. c. 32. of the prescription of keretics, c. 34. "Let them produce the original of their churches; let them fhew the order of their Bishops, that by their fucceffion, deduced from the beginning, we may fee whether their first Bishop had any of the Apoftles or apoftolical men, who did likewife perfevere with the Apoftles, for his founder and predeceffor: for thus the apoftolical churches do derive their fucceffion; as the church of Smyrna from Polycarp, whom John (the Apostle) placed there; the church of Rome from Clement, who was in like manner ordained by Peter: and fo the other churches can produce those constituted in their bishoprics by the Apoftles.'

C. 36. Reckon over the apoftolical churches, where the very chairs of the Apostles do yet prefide in their own places; at Corinth, Philippi, Ephefus, Theffalonica, &c."

Of baptifm, c. 17. "The High-priest, who is the Bishop, has the power of conferring baptifm, and under him the Pref byters and Deacons; but not without the authority of the Bishop."

A. D. 220. Origenis Comment. in Matt. Rothomagi, 1688, Gr. Lat. p. 255. names the diftin&t order of Bishop, Prefbyter, and Deacon. "Such a Bishop, (fays he, speaking of one who fought vain glory, &c.) doth not defire a good work-and the fame is to be faid of Prefbyters and Deacons-The Bishops and Prefbyters who have the chief place among the people-The Bifhop is called prince in the churches. And speaking of the irreligious clergy, he directs it to them, whether Bishops, Prefbyters, or Deacons."

Saint Cyprian, Archbishop of Carthage, A. D. 240. Edit. Oxon. Epift. xxxiii. Lapfis. "Our Lord, whose commands we ought to reverence and obey, being about to conftitute the epifcopal honour, and the frame of his church, faid to Peter, "Thou art Peter," &c. From thence the order of Bishops and conftitution of the church does defcend, by the line of fucceffion, through all times and ages, that the church fhould be built upon the Bithops It is eftablished by the divine law that every act of the church should be governed by the Bishop."

Ep. xlv. Cornelio. "We ought chiefly (my brother) to endeavour to keep that unity which was enjoined by our Lord and his Apoftles to us their fucceffors to be carefully observed by us."

Ep. iii. Rogatiano. "The Deacons ought to remember that it was the Lord who chose the Apostles, that is, the Bishops.'

Ep. lxvi. Florentio. Chrift faid to the Apostles, and by that to all Bishops or governors of his church, who fucceed the Apostles, by vicarious ordination, and are in their stead, "He that heareth you, heareth me.",

Ibid." For from hence do fchifms and herefies arise, and have arifen, while the Bishop, who is one, and governor of the church, by a proud prefumption is defpifed; and that man who is honoured as worthy by God, is accounted unworthy by man."

Epift. lix. Cornelio." Nor are herefies sprung up, or schisins arifen from any other fountain than from hence, that obedience is not paid to the Priest of God, and that there is not one Priest at a time in the church, and one judge for the time in the place of Chrift to whom if the whole fraternity did obey, according to the divine œconomy, none would dare to move any thing against the facerdotal college. It is neceffary that the Bishops fhould exert their authority with full vigour. But if it is fo, that we are afraid of the boldness of the most profligate, and that which these wicked

:

men cannot compass by the methods of truth and equity, if they can accomplish by their rafhnefs and defpair, then is there an end of the epifcopal authority, and of their sublime and divine power in governing of the church. Nor can we remain Chriftians any longer, if it is come to this, that we should be afraid of the threats and fnares of the wicked.

"The adverfary of Chrift, and enemy of his church, for this end ftrikes at the Bishop or Ruler of the church with all his malice, that the governor being taken away, he might ravage the more violently and cruelly upon the shipwreck of the church.

"Is honour then given to God, when the divine majesty and cenfure is fo defpifed, that these facrilegious perfons fay, Do not think of the wrath of God, be not afraid of his judgment, do not knock at the door of the church; but without any repentance or confeffion of their crime, defpifing the authority of their Bishops, and trampling it under their feet, a false peace is preached to be had from the Prefbyters," viz. in their taking upon them to admit thofe that were fallen into communion, or the peace of the church, without the allowance of the Bishop.

"They imitate the coming of Antichrift now approaching.".

Ep. lxxx. Succeffio. "Valerian (the Emperor) wrote to the fenate, that the Bishops, and the Prefbyters, and the Deacons fhould be profecuted."

Firmilianus Cypriano. Ep. Ixxv, p. 225. "The power of remitting fins was given to the Apostles, and to the Bishops, who have fucceeded them by a vicarious ordination."

Ep. xvi, p. 36, Cyprianus Prefbyteris et Diaconibus. “What danger ought we to fear from the difpleasure of God, when fome Prefbyters, neither mindful of the Gofpel, nor of their own station in the church, neither regarding the future judgment of God, nor the Bishop who is fet over them, which was never done under our predeceffors, with the contempt and neglect of their Bishop, do arrogate all unto themselves? I could bear with the contempt of our epifcopal authority, but there is now no room left for dif fembling, &c."

A. D. 365. Optatus Milevitanus, Bishop of Mileve, or Mela, in Numidia in Africa.

L. 2. Contra Parmenianum, "The church has her feveral members, Bishops, Prefbyters, Deacons, and the company of the faithful.