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$ 7. OF PRESBYTERS—THEIR EQUALITY AND IDENTITY WITH

BISHOPS.

Bishops and presbyters are regarded by some as having been, from the beginning, distinct orders of the clergy. Others maintain that they were originally the same; and that the bishop was only the foreman or chairman of a body of presbyters or clergymen. Of these conflicting views, the former is entertained by those who contend that the bishops were constituted by the apostles themselves a distinct and superior order of the clergy. The latter, by those who deny the divine origin of episcopacy.

The controversy on this subject has arisen chiefly from the equivocal import of the term лßúgos which, in the peculiar phraseology of the church, denotes both a superior and a teacher. The first mentioned signification earliest prevailed. The Euro, presbyters or elders of the christian church correspond to the D, elders of the Jews. Both denote precedence in office, not seniority in age. But as seniority of age and precedence in office are very naturally united in the same person, and in the christian church ever have been united, so also in the New Testament there are examples of the union of both in the same person. The apostles style themselves elders and fellow laborers, πρεσβύτερους and συμπρεσβύτερους, with evident reference to this twofold relation. The passage in 1 Tim. 5: 17, is peculiarly pertinent in this connection. Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor; especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. In other passages these elders are styled shepherds and teachers.

It is equally evident also that both bishops, enloxoлoι, and elders, лQEσßútgоi, are of similar import both in the Scriptures and ecclesiastical writings of the first centuries of the christian era. In the Scriptures in the following passages: Acts 17: 28. Phil. 1: 1. 1 Tim. 3: 1. Tit. 1: 5, 7. comp. Acts 15: 2, 4, 6, 22, 23. 1 Cor. 12: 28— 30. Eph. 4: 11, etc. The following passages are sufficient to illustrate the usage of early ecclesiastical writers. Chrysostom says that the elders or presbyters were formerly called bishops and deacons of Christ, and that the bishops were called elders. Oi пgroßτεροι τὸ παλαιὸν ἐκαλοῦντο ἐπίσκοποι καὶ διάκονοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, καὶ οἱ ἐπίσκοποι (ἐκαλοῦντο) πρεσβύτεροι Theodoret styles both the elders

and the bishops, watchmen, alleging that, at that time, they were called by both names, αμφότερα γὰρ εἶχον καὶ ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν τὰ ovóμata. In another passage he also says, that those who were called bishops evidently held the rank of presbyters, elders, we riva δῆλον ὅτι ὑπὸ τοῦτον ἐτέλουν οἱ ἐν τῷ προοιμίῳ κληθέντες ἐπίσκοποι, τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου δηλονότι τὴν τάξιν πληροῦντες. The famous Irenaeus, bishop of Lyons, in his official letter to the Roman bishop Victor, enumerates all the bishops who preceded Victor at Rome, and styles them presbyters who formerly presided over that apostolic church at Rome.

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"Jerome, one of the most learned of the Latin fathers, who had before him all the testimonies and arguments of earlier writers, has placed this matter in its true light with peculiar distinctness. In his annotation on the first chapter of the Epistle to Titus, he gives the following account of the nature and origin of the episcopal office :— A presbyter is the same as a bishop. And until, by the instigation of the devil, there arose divisions in religion, and it was said among the people, "I am of Paul, and I of Apollos, and I of Cephas," churches were governed by a common council of the presbyters. But afterwards, when every one regarded those whom he baptized as belonging to himself rather than to Christ, it was everywhere decreed that one person, elected from the presbyters, should be placed over the others; to whom the care of the whole church might belong, and thus the seeds of division might be taken away. Should any one suppose that this opinion, that a bishop and presbyter is the same, and that one is the denomination of age, and the other of office,-is not sanctioned by the Scriptures, but is only a private fancy of my own, let him read over again the apostle's words to the Philippians, "Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi with the bishops and deacons; grace be unto you and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ," etc. Philippi is a single city of Macedonia; and certainly, of those who are now styled bishops there could not have been several at one time in the same city. But, because at that time they called the same persons bishops whom they styled also presbyters, therefore the apostle spoke indifferently of bishops as of presbyters.' The writer then refers to the fact, that St. Paul, having sent for the presbyters (in the plural) of the single city of Ephesus only, afterwards called the same persons

bishops. (Acts xx.) To this fact he calls particular attention; and then observes that, in the Epistle to the Hebrews also, we find the care of the church divided equally amongst many; 'Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves; for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account; that they may do it with joy, and not with grief, for that is [un]profitable for you.''And Peter,' continues Jerome,' who received his name from the firmness of his faith, says, in his Epistle, "The presbyters who are among you I exhort, who am also a presbyter, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed; feed the flock of God which is among you, [he omits the words, taking the oversight thereof, Eлiσxолоuvτes, i. e, superintending it,] not by constraint, but willingly." These things we have brought forward to show that, with the ancients, presbyters were the same as bishops. But in order that the roots of dissension might be plucked up, a usage gradually took place that the whole care should devolve upon one. Therefore, as the presbyters know that it is by the custom of the church that they are subject to him who is placed over them, so let the bishops know that they are above presbyters rather by custom than by the truth of our Lord's appointment, and that they ought to rule the church in common, herein imitating Moses,' etc.*

* Idem est presbyter, qui et episcopus; et antequam diaboli instinctu studia in religione fierent, et diceretur in populis, Ego sum Pauli, ego Apollo, ego autem Cephae, communi presbyterorum consilio ecclesiae gubernabantur. Postquam vero unusquisque eos, quos baptizaverat, suos putabat esse, non Christi, in toto orbe decretum est, ut unus de presbyteris electus superponeretur caeteris, ad quem omnis ecclesiae cura pertineret, et schismatum semina tollerentur. Putet aliquis non Scripturarum, sed nostram, esse sententiam, episcopum et presbyterum unum esse, et aliud aetatis, aliud esse nomen officii: relegat Apostoli ad Philippenses verba dicentis, " Paulus et Timotheus servi Jesu Christi, omnibus sanctis in Christo Jesu qui sunt Philippis, cum episcopis et diaconis, gratia vobis et pax,”—et reliqua. Philippi una est urbs Macedoniae, et certe in una civitate plures, ut nuncupatur, episcopi esse non poterant. Sed quia eosdem episcopos illo tempore quos et presbyteros appellabant, propterea indifferenter de episcopis quasi de presbyteris est locutus. Adhuc hoc alicui videatur ambiguum, nisi altero testimonio comprobetur. In Actibus Apostolorum scriptum est, quod cum venisset Apostolus Miletum, miserit Ephesum, et vocaverit presbyteros ecclesiae ejusdem, quibus postea inter caetera sit locutus, "Attendite vobis, et omni gregi in quo vos Spiritus Sanctus posuit episcopos, pascere ecclesiam

"The same views are maintained by this father in his Epistle to Evagrius, with the additional mention of the fact, that from the first foundation of the church of Alexandria down to the days of Heraclas and Dionysius, the presbyters of that church made (or, as we should say, consecrated) their bishops. The passage, which is quoted at some length in the note, is very important. Having referred to several passages of the Acts and Epistles in proof of an assertion which he had made, to the effect that bishop and presbyter were at first the same, he proceeds to say that' afterwards, when one was elected, and set over the others, this was designed as a remedy against schism. *** For at Alexandria, from the evangelist Mark down to the bishops Heraclas and Dionysius, the presbyters always gave the name of bishop to one whom they elected from themselves, and placed in a higher degree; in the same way as an army may create its general, or as deacons may elect one of their own body, whom they know to be assiduous in the discharge of duty, and call him archdeacon. For what does a bishop perform, except ordination, which a presbyter may not do,' etc.* The fact which Jerome

Domini, quam acquisivit per sanguinem suum." Et hoc diligentius observate, quo modo unius civitatis Ephesi presbyteros vocans, postea eosdem episcopos dixerit. Si quis vult recipere eam epistolam, quae sub nomine Pauli ad Hebraeos scripta est, et ibi aequaliter inter plures ecclesiae cura dividitur, Siquidem ad plebem scribit," Parete principibus vestris, et subjecti estote; ipsi enim sunt qui vigilant pro animabus vestris, quasi rationem reddentes, ne suspirantes hoc faciant: siquidem hoc utile (sic) vobis est." Et Petrus, qui ex fidei firmitate nomen accepit, in epistola sua loquiter dicens, "Presbyteros ergo in vobis obsecro compresbyter, et testis Christi passionum, qui et ejus gloriae, quae in futero revelandus est, socius sum, pascite eum qui in vobis est gregem Domini, non quasi cum necessitate, sed voluntarie." Haec propterea, ut ostenderemus apud veteres eosdem fuisse presbyteros quos et episcopos; paulatim vero, ut dissensionum plantaria evellerentur, ad unum omnem sollicitudinem esse delatam. Sicut ergo presbyteri sciunt se ex ecclesiae consuetudine ei qui sibi praepositus fuerit esse subjectos, ita episcopi noverint se magis consuetudine quam dispositionis dominicae veritate presbyteris esse majores, et in commune debere ecclesiam regere, imitantes Moysen; qui cum haberet in potestate solus praeesse populo Israel, septuaginta elegit, cum quibus populum judicaret.-HIERON. Comment. in Tit. i.'

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* Quod autem postea unus electus est qui caeteris praeponereter, in schismatis remedium factum est: ne unusquisque ad se trahens Christi ecclesiam rumperet. Nam et Alexandriae a Marco evangelista usque ad Hera

here states respecting the appointment and ordination of bishops in the church of Alexandria by presbyters alone for the space of more than two centuries, is attested also by Eutychius, patriarch of Alexandria. And the opinion of Jerome respecting the original equality, or rather identity, of presbyter and bishop, is in perfect accordance with the language of a still earlier writer, Tertullian. De Bap. c. 17.”* The identity of bishops and presbyters is further evident from the circumstance that they both received the same honorary titles, goεστῶτες, προστάται, πρόεδροι, prepositi, antistes, equivalent to presidents, moderators, chairmen or presiding officers. Presbyters were also denominated σύνθρονοι and οἱ τοῦ θρόνου, partners of the throne. A distinction is sometimes made between those of the first, and of the second throne; in which case the latter evidently designates presbyters. But it is still plain that, in such instances, the preeminence ascribed to the bishop is only that of primus inter pares-chief among equals.

Even the most zealous advocates of the Episcopal system in the Greek, Roman, and English church are constrained to recognize and admit the identity of the terms ἐπίσκοπος and πρεσβύτερος according to the usus loquendi of the ancient church. They are constrained

clam et Dionysium episcopos, presbyteri semper unum ex se electum, in excelsiori gradu collocatum, episcopum nominabant: quo modo si exercitus imperatorem faciat; aut diaconi eligant de se, quem industrium noverint, et archidiaconum vocent. Quid enim facit, excepta ordinatione, episcopus, quod presbyter non faciat? Nec altera Romanae urbis ecclesia, altera totius orbis existimanda est. Et Galliae, et Britanniae, et Africa, et Persis, et Oriens, et India, et omnes barbarae nationes unum Christum adorant, unam observant regulam veritatis. Si auctoritas quaeritur, orbis major est urbe. Ubicunque fuerit episcopus, sive Romae, sive Eugubii, sive Constantinopoli, sive Rhegii, sive Alexandriae, sive Tanis, ejusdem meriti, ejusdem et sacerdotii. Potentia divitiarum, et paupertatis humilitas, vel sublimiorem, vel inferiorem, episcopum non facit. Caeterum omnes apostolorum successores sunt. ... Presbyter et episcopus aliud aetatis, aliud dignitatis, est nomen. Unde et ad Titum, et ad Timotheum de ordinatione episcopi et diaconi dicitur; de presbyteris omnino reticetur; quia in episcopo et presbyter continetur. . . Et, ut sciamus traditiones apostolicas sumetas de veteri Testamento; quod Aaron et filii ejus (one order, namely, priests, corresponding to bishops or presbyters), atque Levitae (another order, corresponding to deacons), in templo fuerunt, hoc sibi episcopi et presbyteri, et diaconi, vindicent in ecclesia.—HIERON. Ep. ad Eragrium, 85.'

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Riddle, pp. 186-196.

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