The original passages are given by Schoettgen.53 So high and important was the office of this, and so nearly did it correspond with that of bishop or presbyter, that the name of the former might be applied to the latter.

"The signification of the term may also be learned from the Aramaean term, the . This officer of the synagogue, the x, was regarded as bringing before God the prayers of the people, which were considered as their spiritual offerings. It appears from the Jerusalem Talmud, that when one was invited to ascend the pulpit to offer public prayers, the language of the invitation was not 'Come and pray,' but 'Come hither, and present our offer

"The office of the did not, indeed, include the duty of a public teacher; for the office of public preaching was not established as a permanent institution, but had its origin within the period of the Christian dispensation.

"I have thus shown that the appellation, angel of the church, was used to designate the presiding officer of the Christian church, with particular reference to the miy,

of the synagogue. Still, as a name of an office, the angel of the church may have a meaning somewhat higher. Such a meaning it may have, with reference, retrospectively, to the of the Old Testament.55 So that the angel of the church may, at the same time, denote the bishop or presbyter chosen by this Christian community, to be the messenger, or servant, both of God and of the church. This call of the church is itself a vocatio divina, a divine calling; and, according to the New Testament view of the subject, unites the idea of both offices in the same person." Bengel, also, the most learned expositor of the book of

53 Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae ad Apoc. 1. p. 1089 seq.

54 Berachot, c. 4. f. 206.

Vorträge der Juden.

Comp. Zunz, Die gottesdienstlichen

55 Comp. Malachi 2: 7, and Haggai 1: 13.

Revelation, is of opinion, that the angel of the church corresponds to the, of the synagogue. "The Hebrews had, in their synagogue, a a deputatum ec

clesiae, who, in reading, in prayer, etc., led the congregation; and such a leader, also, had each of the seven churches of the Apocalypse."56

The result is, that the angel of the churches, whatever view we take of the origin of the term, was not the representative of an order or grade superior to presbyters, but was himself merely a presbyter; or, if you please, a bishop,provided you mean by it simply what the Scriptures always mean, the pastor of a church, the ordinary and only minister. The New Testament never recognizes more than one church in a city. This fact of itself precludes the supposition that the angel of the church could have been a diocesan having in the same city several churches under his authority.

II. It remains to consider the historical argument for the original equality and identity of bishops and presbyters.

This equality and identity was fully recognized in the early church, and continued to be acknowledged as an historical fact, even after the establishment of the hierarchy, down to the time of the Reformation. The historical argument comprised in this proposition may be resolved into several particulars, each of which serves to show that both the early fathers and later historians regarded presbyters and bishops as belonging originally to the same grade or order of the clergy, and as being equal in their rights and privileges.

1. Presbyters are designated by names and titles similar to those of bishops.

56 Erklärte Offenbarung, S. 216. For a further illustration of the opinions of the learned, the reader is referred to Campbell's Lectures on Eccl. Hist. pp. 82-88. Whately, Kingdom of Christ. pp. 246-250.

2. Presbyters, like bishops, are carefully distinguished from the deacons, the second order of the clergy; and in such a manner as to show that both presbyters and bishops are indiscriminately and equally the representatives of the first order.

3. Presbyters were understood to possess the right to ordain; and, generally, to perform all the functions of the Episcopal office.

4. Bishops, themselves, in their ministerial character, exercised only the jurisdiction, and performed merely the offices, of presbyters in the primitive churches.

5. The original equality of bishops and presbyters continued to be acknowledged, from the rise of the Episcopal hierarchy down to the time of the Reformation.

1. Presbyters are designated in the writings of the early fathers by names and titles similar to those of bishops.

When from the Scriptures we turn to the writings of these fathers, it is observable that they speak sometimes of bishops and sometimes of presbyters as the presiding officers of the church, and then again of both indiscriminately, as being one and the same in rank. To both they ascribe the same or similar names and titles, such as seniors, elders, chairmen, moderators, presidents, etc., all indicating identity of office, and equality in rank. Even when the first place is assigned to the bishop, he is only chief among equals, just as in a modern presbytery or association, one is promoted to the office of moderator, to which all are alike eligible.57

2. Presbyters, like bishops, are carefully distinguished from the deacons, the second order of the clergy and in such a manner as to show that both presbyters and bishops are indiscriminately and equally the representatives of the first

order.

57 We have brought together in parallel columns some of the names and titles which are ascribed to bishops and presbyters sever

Several of the earliest fathers distinctly recognize but two orders of the priesthood. Those of the first order are sometimes denominated presbyters, sometimes bishops, and then again bishops and presbyters indiscriminately. It is worthy of particular notice, that while bishops and presbyters are confounded one with another, they are uniformly distinguished from the deacons, the second order of the priesthood. Whatever be the title by which the clergy of the first order

ally. The intelligent reader will readily perceive the similarity of the titles given to both, and the identity of their significations.

TITLES OF BISHOPS.

̓Επίσκοποι, πρεσβύτεροι, πρόεδροι, προιστάμενοι, ἔφοροι ἄρχοντες ἐκκλησιῶν, προεστῶτες.

Praesides, praepositi; praesidentes, superattendentes, superintendentes, pastores, patres ecclesiae, vicarii, praesules, antistites, antistites sacrorum, seniores, etc.

TITLES OF PRESBYTERS.

Επίσκοποι,* πρεσβύτεροι, πρόεδροι, προεστῶτες, προςτάται ||

Praepositi, antistites, majores natu, seniores, seniores plebis, sacerdotes, etc.

These and several other titles are given in the author's Antiquities, pp. 70, 94; in Riddle, Christ. Antiq. pp. 161, 229; in Baumgarten, Erläuterungen, S. 75, 94; and in Rheinwald, S. 30, 45. Obviously the titles of both are synonymous, and are applied indiscriminately to both bishops and presbyters, to denote one and the same office. Riddle, Christ. Antiq. p. 230. Blondell justly remarks, that "the use of such terms creates no difficulty, and for the reason that, even after a distinction was made between bishops and presbyters in the second century by the decision of the churches, both continued to be distinguished indiscriminately by the same appellation."—Apologia pro Hieron. p. 92.

Riddle also allows " that the terms, ἐπίσκοπος and πρεσβύτερος, in the New Testament are synonymous, and denote one and the same office;" and cites several passages, to some of which reference is made above.

* Chrysost. Hom. 1. in Phil. I. p. 8. Hom. 2. in 1 Tim. 3. Theodoret, in Phil. 1: 1. 2: 25. Jerome, ad Tit. 1. and Ep. 83, 85.

Ø Greg. Naz. Orat. I. Basil, M. Regula Morali.

Chrysost. Hom. 11, in 1 Tim. 4. Comp. Rom. 12: 8.

are called, we are in no danger of mistaking them for the second.

Clement of Rome, who wrote about A. D. 96, is our first authority. His epistle addressed to the Corinthians, is the earliest and most authentic of all the writings of the apostolical fathers. It was held in such esteem by the early Christians, that it was publicly read in their religious assemblies, in the same manner as the apostolical epistles.58 And, by ecclesiastical writers generally, nothing that is not divine is admitted to be of higher authority. This revered father recognizes but two orders of the priesthood, bishops and deacons, ἐπισκόπους καὶ διακόνους. He gives not the least intimation of the existence of an individual diocesan bishop at Corinth; but uniformly speaks of the presbyters of that church, whom the Corinthians had rejected, as belonging to the highest order. "The apostles preaching in countries and cities, appointed the first fruits of their labors to be bishops and deacons, having proved them by the Spirit."59 These are the two orders of the ministry, as originally appointed by the apostles. "It were a grievous sin," he proceeds to say, "to reject those who have faithfully fulfilled the duties of their Episcopal office," and immediately adds, "blessed are those presbyters, who have finished their course and entered upon their reward,"60 i. e., blessed are those presbyters who have thus faithfully performed the duties of their Episcopal office; bishops and presbyters being used interchangeably as equally descriptive of the same order. This passage establishes the identity of bishops and presby

59 Euseb. Eccl. Hist. Lib. 3. c. 13.

59 Κατὰ χώρας οὖν καὶ πόλεις κηρύσσοντες καθίστανον τὰς ἀπαρχὰς αὐτῶν, δοκιμάσαντες τῷ πνεύματι, εἰς ἐπισκόπους καὶ διακόνους τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν. Εpist. ad Cor. § 42. p. 57.

60 Αμαρτία γὰρ οὐ μικρὰ ἡμῖν ἔσται, ἐὰν τοὺς ἀμέμπτως καί ὁσίως προσενέγκοντας τὰ δῶρα τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς ἀποβάλωμεν. Μακάριοι οἱ προοδοιπορήσαντες πρεσβύτεροι, οἵτινες ἔγκαρπον καὶ τελείαν ἔσχον τὴν ἀνάλυσιν.— Epist. ad Cor. § 44. p. 58.