ized it as a perpetual ordinance for the future. Such an ordinance is in direct opposition to the spirit of that apostle. This change in the mode of administering the government of the Church, resulting from peculiar circumstances, may have been introduced as a salu- tary expedient, without implying any departure from the purity of the Christian spirit. When, however, the doctrine is, as it gradually gained currency in the third century — that the bishops are b}' divine right the head of the Church, and invested with the government of the same ; that they are the successors of the apos- tles, and b}' this succession inherit apostolical author- ity ; that they are the medium through which, in con- sequence of that ordination which they have received merely in an outward manner, the Holy Ghost, in all time to come, must be transmitted to the Church- when this becomes the doctriue of the Church, we cer- tainlj' must perceive in these assumptions a great cor- ruption of the Cliristian system. It is a carnal per- version of tlie true idea of the Christian Church. It is a falling back into the spirit of the Jewish religion. Instead of the Christian idea of a church, based on in- ward principles of communion, and extending itself bj' means of these, it presents us with the image of one j like that under the Old Testament, resting in outward ordinances, and seeking to promote the propagation of the kingdom of God by external rites. This entire perversion of the original view of the Christian Church was itself the origin of the whole system of the Roman Catholic religion, the germ from which sprung the popery of t!ie Daik Ages. We hold, indeed, no con- troversy with that class of Episcopalians who adhere to the Episcopal sj'stem as well adapted, in their opin- ion, to the exigencies of their Church. But the doc- trine of the absolute necessity of the Episcopal as the onljf valid form of government, and of the Episcopal succession of bishops above mentioned in order to a participation in the gifts of the Spirit, we must regard as something foreign to the true idea of the Christian Church. It is in direct conflict with the spirit of Pro- testantism, and is the origin, not of the true Catholi- cism of the apostle, but of that of the llomish Church. When, therefore. Episcopalians disown, as essentiallj'' deficient in their ecclesiastical organization, other Protestant churches whicli evidently have the spirit of Christ, it only remains for us to protest, in the strongest terms, against their setting up such a stand- ard for the Christian Church. Far be it from us, who began with Luther in the Spirit, that we should now desire to be made perfect by the flesh (Gal. iii, ?•)."
Bunsen gives the following view of the original char- acter of the Episcopacy: "The episcopate was origin- ally the independent position of a city clergyman, presiding over the congregation, with the neighboring villages, having a bodj' of elders attached to him. Where such a council can be formed there is a com- plete Church — a bishopric. The elders are teachers and administrators. If an individual happen to be engaged in either of these offices mose exclusively than the other, it makes no real alteration in his posi- tion, for the presbyters of the ancient Church filled both situations. Their office was literally an office, not a rank. The country clerg3nnen were most prob- abl}' members of the ecclesiastical council of the city church, as tlie bishops of the country towns certainlj' were memliers of the metropolitan presbyteiy" {Hip- pol//t/is and his Af/e, iii, 24G").
Professor P. D. Hitchcock {American Pres'nitcrian Rev!eu\ Jan. 1867) gives a luminous sketch of the ori- gin and growth of Episcopacy. Admitting that the Episcopal system was in full force in the Church be- fore the end of the third century, he shows clearly, nevertheless, that it was not of apostolical origin, but a later growth of ecclesiastical development, as fol- lows : (l.) The best Episcopal writers now admit that the Episcopal system is not to be found in the N. T. C2.) The earliest witness, outside of the N. T., is Clem-
EPISCOPACY
264
EPISCOPACY
ent of Tlome (about A.D. 100), in whose Epistle to (he Corinthhiit.'i tlie words bishop and presbyter are used interchangeably. Dr. Hitchcock analyzes the letters of Ignatius (f 115?) I'oth in the SjTiac version of his Epistles and in the shorter Greek version, giving ev- ery passage in which Episcopacy occurs. His con- clusions arc that, (1.) Admitting the substantial integ- rity of the texts, the strong infusion of Episcopacy in them "is best explained by supposing it to be a new thing, which Ignatius was doing, always and ever)'- ■vvhcrc, his utmost to recommend. As special pleading for a novelty, the Episcopal tone of the Ignatian epis- tles is easily understood. (2.) The Ignatian Episcopa- cy is not diocesan, but Congregational. Each of the churches addressed had its own bishop, presbyters, and deacons. (3.) The apostolic succession (in Igna- tius) is not Episcopal, but Pi-esbj'terian. The bishop is the representative of Christ, as Christ is of the Fa- ther ; the presb^'ters are representatives of the apos- tles, and the deacons of the precept or commandment of Clirist. In short, the Ignatian Episcopacy, instead of having the appearance of a settled polity, handed down from the apostles, has the appearance of being a new and grovv'ing institution, unlike what went be- fore as well as what was coming after" (^Amer. Presb. Review, Jan. 1867, p. 145). — The next witness is Ire- na;us ( j 202), who, according to Dr. Hitchcock, com- monly uses the words "bishop," "episcopal," "epis- copate" in the Ignatian Congregiitional sense; while in certain cited passages he uses " bishop" and " pres- byter" interchangeably, as Clement does. This "wa- vering terminology is indicative, not of aiwstolic tradi- tion, but of later genesis and growth, and tliat growth not yet completed." — Tertullian (f 240 ?) draws the line distinctly between clergy and laity, and discrim- inates clearly between bishops, priests, and deacons. In Cyprian (248-258), as has been remarked above. Episcopacy is fully matured. (See Church, ii, 328.)