ground to hope for the blessing of < iod upon t heir spir- itual labors ; because if we admit tin- contrary, we must also admit that the inspired writers, instead of properly regulating the Church, betrayed it into error by omit- ting to make a distinction closely allied with the essence of religion. What is this but to say that it is safer to follow the erring direction of frail mortals than to fol- low the admonitions of those who. it is universally al- lowed, were inspired by the Holy Spirit, or commis- sioned by him to be the instructors of the world? It is to be observed, however, that although bishops and presbyters were the same when the epistles ofthe New Testament were written, it would be going too far to contend that no departure from this should ever take place; because, to justify such a position, it would be requisite that a positive injunction should have been given thai equality must at all times be carefully pre- served. There is, however, no such injunction. Unlike the Old Testament, which specified everything, even the mosl minute, in relation to the priest hood, the New only refers in general terms, and very seldom, to the ministry; and the reason probably is. that, being in- tended tor all nations, it left Christians at liberty to make such modifications in the ecclesiastical constitu- tion as in their peculiar situation appeared best adapted for religious edification. The simple test to be applied to the varying or varied forms of Church government is that indicated by our Lord himself: " By their fruits ye shall know them." Wherever tin' regulations re- specting the ministry are such as to divert it from the purposes for which it was destined, to separate those w ho form it from t he flock of < 'hrist. to relax their dili- gence in teaching, and to destroy the connection be- tween them and their people, so as to render their ex- ertions of little or of no use, then' we find a Church not apostolical. l!ut wherever the blessed fruits of Gospel teaching are in abundance produced, w here the people and l lie ministers are cordially united, and where every
regulation is calculated to give efficacy to the labors of those who have entered into the vineyard, we have an apostolical Church, or. to speak more properly, a Church of Christ built upon a rock, because devoted to the be- neficent objects for which our Saviour came into the world (Watson, Theol. hut. s. \ . Presbyterians).
Schaff, in hi> Hist. ofthe i 'hristian Church (i,418 sq. |, adduces. in favor ofthe view w hich denies the apostolic origin of tie- episcopate .as a separate office or order, the following fads: " i. The undeniable identity of presby- ters and bishops in the New Testament, conceded even
by the hi si interpreters among the Church fathers, by Jerome. Chrysostom, and Theodoret. '-'. Later, in the 2d century, the two terms are still used in like manner for the same office. The Roman bishop Clement, in his first
epistle lo tin- Corinthians, Bays that the apostles, in the
newly f< led churches, appointed the first-fruits ofthe
faith, i.e. the firsl convert*, l-moicoirovc rai Suite > ,,,;■. He her. its the wpVjfivTtpoi, as Paul does iu Phil. i.
1, for the simple reason that tiny are in his view iden- tical with t— igkottoi; while, conversely, iu eh. lvii, he enjoins subjection to presbyters, without mentioning bishops. Clement of Alexandria distinguishes, it is true, the deaconate, the presbyterate, and the episco- pate; but he supposes only a twofold official character, thai of presbyters and thai of deacons — a view which
found advocates so late as the Middle Ages, even in pope Urban II. A.D. 1091. Lastly, [renseus, towards the
do f the 2d century, though himself a bishop, makes
only a relative difference between ■/ iscopi and presby- teri: speaks of successions of the one in tie- -a me sense as of the other: term- the office of the latter episcopOr tvs; and calls the bishops of Rome irpttrfii rtpou Some- times, it is true, he appears to use the term rro. a in a more general Bense, for the old men. the fathers. 1 Jut. in any case, his language shows that the distinction between the two offices was at that time still relative and indefinite. 3. The express testimony of the learned Jerome is that the churches originally, before- divisions arose through the instigation of Satan, were governed by the common council of the presbyters, and nol till a later period was one ofthe presbyters placed a I the head to watch over the Church and suppress schisms. He
traces the difference ofthe office simply to ecclesiastical
custom as distinct from divine institution. 4. The cus- tom of the Church of Alexandria was, from the evangel- ist Mark down to the middle ofthe 3d century, that the twelve presbj ters elected one of their number president and called him bishop. This fact rests on the authority of Jerome, and is confirmed independently by the An- nuls ofthe Alexandrian patriarch Eutychius ofthe 10th century."
Killen. in his Ancient Church, asserts : "Though the senior presbyter presided in the meetings of hi- breth- ren,and was soon known by the name of bishop, it does not appear that he originally pos-es-ed any superior authority. He held his place for life: but a- be was sinking under the weight of years when he succeeded to it, he could not venture to anticipate an extended career of official distinction. In all matters relating either to discipline or the general interests of the broth- erhood, he was expected to carry out the decisions of the eldership; so that, under his presidential rule, the Church was still substantially governed by "the com- mon council of the presbyters.' The allegation that presbyterial government existed in all its integrity to- wards the end ofthe I'd century does not resl on tin- foundation of obscure intimations or doubtful infi rences. It can be established by direct and conclusive testimo- ny. Evidence has already been adduced to show that the senior presbyter of Smyrna continued to preside until the elav s of IreiKeus. and there is also documentary proof that meanwhile he possessed no autocratical au- thority. The supreme power was slid vested in the council ofthe elders. This point is attested by Ilip- polyt'us, who was now just entering on his ecclesiastical career, and w bo. in one of his works, a fragment of which has been preserved, describes the maimer in which the rulers ofthe Church dealt with the heretic Noetus. I'lii- tran-aclion probably occurred about A.D. 190." It shows that the pn-b\ ters then . xercised epis- copal functions, even to excommunication.