Epiphanius Herefi 78. Paragraph. 7. who speaking of St. James our Lord's Brother, who was firft Bifhop of Hierufalem, he faith: * καθέδραν ἢ ἐπισκοπῆς, ᾧ πεπίςακε κύρια πρό vou dute em & yus www. He firft received the EpiScopal Chair, being the Perfon to whom Chrift first committed his Throne upon Earth. The Chair of every Bishop then is the Throne of Chrift, and therefore are the Bishops Chairs called Thrones by the Emperor Juftinian in the Code and Novels, as when he calls the See of Conftantinople the Throne of Epiphanius. Sir, you may fee more cited to this purpose, out of the Code, in pag. 119, 120. of a moft exact Book, entituled, Of the Subject of Church Power, written by the Learned Dr. Simon Louth, and printed in the Year 1685. against the Eraftians and Latitudinarians of the Age. But to return to the Title of Archons or Princes, I must add what St. Hierom writes in his Commentary upon Ifaiah, in the LX. Chap. and 17. v. as the Words are in the Greek Tranflation, I will give " thy Archons, or Princes in Peace, and thy Bishops in Righteoufnefs. Upon which Words, faith that Father, In quo Scripturæ fanite admiranda Majeftas, quod Principes futuros Ecclefia Epifcopos nominavit, quorum omnis Vifitatio in pace eft, & vocabulum dignitatis in Fuftitia. In which the admirable Majefty of the Scriptures appears in that he call'd the Bishops, who were to be in the Church Princes, whofe Vifitation is all in Peace. The Verfion of the Ancient Greek, and the Senfe in which St. Jerom explains it, was follow'd in the Primitive times, and fo understood as you will fee by the following Words out of St.Clement's Epiftle to the Corinthians, Chap. xlii. The Apostles preached the Gospel from the Lord Jefus Chrift, and Fefus Chrift from God. Chrift therefore was fent from God, and the Apostles from * τοὺς ἄρχοντας στο Oxford Edition in 12o 177.

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Chrift, and both their Miffions were in order from the Will of God; wherefore having receiv'd the Command, and being full of Affurance by the Refurrection of Fefus Chrift, and being confirmed by the Will of God, and the full Affurance of the Holy Ghoft; they went out to publish the good News of the Kingdom of God, which was to come. Therefore preaching in all Countries and Cities, they ordain'd their firft Converts Bishops, and Deacons of those, who were Believers, trying and proving them by the Holy Ghoft. And this not without Authority, for Bishops and Deacons were written of many Ages before, for the Scripture fomewhere faith, I will conftitute your Bifhops in Righteoufnefs, and your Deacons in Faith, The Scripture which this Father citeth is the Scripture of the Old Teftament; for he is the fame St. Clement whom St. Paul calls his Fellow Labourer; and who, when he wrote this Epiftle, or fhortly after, was Bishop of Rome. But there is no place of the Old Teftament but this of Ifaiah Ch. lx. v. 17. to which his Words can refer; which, as the Annotators on this Epiftle rightly obferve, he apply'd to the Church Chriftian, changing the Order of the Words, and reading the Original Word in the Hebrew and that in the Greek Verfion, which fignifies Peace, not without Reafon Faith. In the place above cited, you fee, St. Clement exprefly faith, that the Apoftles ordain'd or conftituted Bifhops: And fo faith Irenæus adverf. Har. Lib. III. cap. 3. The Tradition of the Apostles is evident in every Church to those who defire to know the Truth; for we can produce thofe who were ordain'd Bishops by the Apoftles, and their Succeffors to our own time, who neither taught nor knew any fuch thing. And Tertullian, de præfcript. Hæreticor. cap. 32. challenging Hereticks to appeal to the time of the Apoftles, writes thus: Let them publifh the Original of their Churches, and unfold the Succeffions of their Bishops

in Order from the beginning; fo that it may appear that the firft Bishop had one of the Apostles, or Apoftolick Men, who liv'd with the Apofiles, for his Predeceffor. For thus the Apoftolick Churches report, as that of Smyrna affirms Polycarp to be placed there by St. John, and that of Rome reports Clement to have been ordain'd by St. Peter. In like manner other Churches fhew them, whom being made Bishops by the Apoftles, they had Propagators of the Apoftolick Dotrine. And let the Hereticks fhew the like. And can you, Sir, when you confider that Bishops are appointed to fucceed the Apoftles, and like them to ftand in Chrift's Place, and exercife his Kingly, Priestly, and Prophetical Office over their Flocks, can you, when you confider this, think it novel, or improper, or uncouth, to call them Spiritual Princes, and their Diocefes Principalities? When they have every thing in their Office that can denominate a Prince. For what is a Prince, but the chief Ruler of a Society, that hath Authority over the reft to make Laws for it, to challenge the Obedience of all the Members, and all Ranks of Men in it, and Power to coerce them, if they will not obey? And now, Sir, I pray you attend to what follows, and then tell me, if the Office of a Bifhop contains not every thing that is in the Definition of a Chief, or a Prince. St. Ignatius, who was St. John's Difciple, writes of the Bishop in his Epiftle to the People of Smyrna, thus: All of you follow the Bishop, as Chrift follow'd the Father, and the Presbyters as the Apostles, and reverence the Deacons, as the Ordinance of God. This regards the Subjection, and Obedience of the Laity to the Bifhop and Presbyters; but what follows concerns the Subjection of the Clergy to the Bifhop. Let no Man do any thing in Church Matters without the Bishop, and let that be a valid Eucharift that is adminifter'd by the Bishop, or by one licens'd by him. For where the Bi

Shop

Shop is there let the Church be, as where Chrift is, there is the Catholick Church. Without the Bishop (ie. without the Bishop's Licenfe) it is neither lawful to baptize nor celebrate the * Love-Feaft, but that which he approves, that is pleafing to God, that whatsoever is done may be fecure and firm. Again, it is good to have regard to God, and the Bishop, and who honours the Bishop, Shall be honour'd of God; but he that doth things clandeftinely without the Bishop, doth Service to the Devil. In the interpolated Epiftle of this Martyr his Precepts are paraphrased in these Words, according to the Doctrine of the Catholick Church: Honour God, as the Creator, and Word of all things, and the Bishop, as the High Prieft reprefenting God; reprefenting God as a Prince, and Chrift, as a Prieft. After (or next to) God, you are to honour the (King) Emperor. For there is nothing more excellent than God, or like unto him, or in the whole Creation, nor is there any thing greater in the Church than a Bifhop, who is confecrated to God for the Salvation of the World; neither among Princes (or Magiftrates) is any like to an Emperor, (or King) who adminifters, and governs for the Peace, and Happiness of his Subjects. He that honours the Bishop fhall be honour ed of God, in like manner as he that difhonours the Bishop shall be punished by God. For if he that rifeth up against Emperors is justly thought worthy of Punishment, as violating the good Legal Order, and Conftitution, of how much more grievous Punishment do you think him worthy, who dares prefume to do any thing without the Bishop breaking the Unity, and confounding the good Order of the Church. For the Epifcopat is the top of all the

X

a

* i. e. The Holy Eucharift, which was then adminifter'd at the Conclufion of the Love-Feafts, 1 Cor. chap. ii.

* Βασιλέα.

2 Εν ἄρχεσιν

• Ἱερωσύνη often ufed, κατ' ἐξοχὴ for the Epifcopa! Dignity, as Sacerdos in Latin for a Bishop.

Honours

Honours among Men, which whofoever doth furioufly oppose, he difhonours not Man but God, and Chrift Jefus the First-born, who alone by Nature is the High-Priest of the Church to mediate for us with the Father. Let all things therefore be done by you in Chrift with orderly Subordination. Let the Laicks be fubject to the Deacons, the Deacons to the Pref byters, the Presbyters to the Bishop, the Bishop to Chrift, as Chrift is to the Father. So in the interpolated Epiftle to the Tralle fians, his Precept of the Peoples Obedience to the Bishop, and Presbyters, and Deacons is paraphrafed in thefe Words: For what elfe is the Bishop, but one that bath all Power and Authority above all Men, as much as a Man can have, that reprefents the Perfon of Jefus Chrift, and what is the Presbytery, but a holy Meeting, in which the Presbyters are the Counsellors, and Affeffors of the Bishop? And what are the Deacons, but Reprefentations of the Angelical Office, miniftring a boly, and unblameable Miniftry to the Bishop, as St. Stephen to James the Bleffed, and Timothy, and Linus to Paul, and Anacletus, and Clemens to Peter. In his Epiftle to Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna, faith he, Let nothing be done without thy Will (or Pleafure) nor do thou any thing but what is the Will of God; and then to the People, Take heed to the Bifhop that God may regard you; my Soul Shall answer for theirs to God, who obey the Bishop, Presbyters, and Deacons, and let me have my part with them to enjoy God. In his Epiltle to the Ephefians, you ought to regard the Bishop Onefimus as the Lord. For we ought to receive every one whom the Mafter of the House fends into his Houfe for the Government of it, as him that fent him; and therefore we ought to regard the Bishop as God. And God refifteth the proud, let it therefore be our Care and Study not to