BISHOP. 



543 



Bi<hop. Angels of the Churches, were the bishops of these 

 churches. The language, they r.ay, is taken from 

 that in common use among the Jews when speaking 

 of the synagogue ; a circumstance which, in their 

 opinion, gives additional strength to the argument : 

 For if the angel of the synagogue was the individual 

 who presided over the synagogue, it follows, by ana- 

 logy, that the angel of the church was the individual 

 who presided over the church, that is, the bishop. 

 It is allowed, however, by some of the Episcopalian 

 writers, that the argument derived from the mode in 

 which the Asiatic churches are addressed, is corro- 

 borative merely : Tiny admit, that by the angel of 

 the church may be understood, either the pastor of 

 that church, or the bishop under whose government 

 it was ; but they contend, that Episcopacy being es- 

 tablished on other considerations, the mode of ad- 

 dressing the Asiatic churches gives to these consi- 

 derations a weight or force which render? them alto- 

 gether irresistible. 



In addition to the arguments already mentioned, 

 the patrons of the hierarchy assert, that the autho- 

 rity of the early father. on their side ; an 

 authority the more to be valued, because, from the 

 times in which they lived, they must have had the 

 best opportunity of knowing the true characters of 

 the primitive institution. At the head of the fathers, 

 to whom they allude, stands Ignatius. According 

 to Chrysostom, he was the fr< i : familiar 

 associate of the apostles, and received episcopal or- 

 dination from them by the imposition of hands. In 

 an epistle to the Magncsians, ascribed to this emi- 

 nent person, he distinctly refers to three orders of 

 functionaries existing in the same church : mention- 

 ing Damas as bishop of Magnesia, Bassus and Apol- 

 lonius as presbyters, and Totian as deacon. In his 

 Epistle to the Philadclphians, a similar enumeration 

 is given : " Attend," says he, " to the bishop, to 

 the presbytery, and to the deacons." A passage 

 from his Epistle to the Trallians is yet more empha- 

 tic and conclusive : " Be ye subject," he says, " to 

 the bishop as to Jesus Christ, to the presbyters as the 

 apostles of Jesus Christ, and to the deacons a.; mini- 

 sters of the mysteries of Jesus Christ ;" and he add3, 

 with an anxk-ty and earnestness not to be expect- 

 ed in so early a writer upon such a subject, these 

 remaikable words, " without these there is no e 

 church, or congregation of holy men." To 

 tame purpose the authority of Clement, bishop of 

 Alexandria, who also lived in the second century, is 

 adduced : He, too, speaks of the three orders of func- 

 tionarics existing in the church, and mentions sevcru". 

 persons who had arrived at the episcopal dignity, 

 through the intermediate gradations of presbyter and 

 deacon. To the testimonies i f and Ce- 

 ment, the Episcopalians add those of Tertulllan, of 

 . Origen, and Jerome, and boldly and clamorously af- 

 firm, that the voice of all antiquity is in favour of 

 model for which they contend. 

 'Such is a short, and, we trust, an impartial account 

 of the arguments by which the Presbyterians and Epis- 

 copalians endeavour to support their respective tenets ; 

 nnd so much have the authors on both aides been per- 

 vaded that their opinions arc well founded, that they 

 have maintained, on the one hand, the divine rfaht of 



Presbytery, and, on the other, the divine right of 

 Episcopacy. There are, however, at present, in this 

 kingdom, men of education and judgment, who think, 

 that both parties have proceeded too far, and claimed 

 too much. They see, that there is no form of eccle- 

 siastical polity established, by specific precept, in the 

 inspired writings, and are willing to admit, that even 

 the practice of the apostles in this respect was not 

 the consequence either of distinct information received 

 from the Author of our religion, or of immediate in- 

 spiration from above ; but that it was, as in the choice 

 of the deacons, the result of the circumstances in 

 which they were placed. According to these persons, 

 any form of ecclesiastical government, which shall se- 

 cure the intelligence and diligence of the clergy, and 

 the regular instruction of the people, may be consci- 

 entiously adopted. Nor is this opinion at all peculiar 

 to the time in which we live. It appears to have 

 been that of the celebrated Mr Locke. " A church," 

 says this distinguished philosopher, " I take to be p. 

 society of men, joining themselves together of their. 

 own accord, in order to the public worship of God, 

 in such a manner as they judge acceptable to him, 

 and effectual to the salvation of their souls." (Letter 

 on Toleration, p. 40.) And having stated the objec 

 tion, that no society can be regarded as a true church 

 unless it shall have in it a presbyter, or bishop, de- 

 riving his authority from the apostles, he continues, 

 " To those who make this objection, I answer, let 

 them shew me the edict by which Christ has imposed 

 that law on his church : And let not any man think 

 me impertinent, if, in a thing of this consequence, I 

 require that the terms of that edict be very express 

 and positive ; for the promise he has made us, that 

 tofiereper two or three arc gathered together in his 

 name, he tvill he in the midst of them, seems to imply 

 the contrary,." (Ibid. p. 44, 45.) In conformity 

 will, these sentiments, many learned doctors of the 

 English church have admitted, that Episcopacy was 

 to be supported, not so much as a divine institution, 

 or established by. apostolical authority, but because it 

 was the mode of church-government best adapted to 

 pic of England, and acknowledged by the 

 custom and ordinances of that kingdom. This is said 

 to have been the opinion of Cranmer and others 

 among the reformers, as well as that of Brydges, 

 Whitgift, and even of Hooker himself. Archbishop 

 et are likewise said to have mair.tain- 

 See Stilh'ngfleet's Irenieon, c. 8-. ; 

 -, Hut. of Reform, i. Ap. p. 321. ; and Vindic. 

 qftTie Church of Scot. p. 8S6. 



The right of electing bishops is vested, if not bv 

 law, at least by the practice of the English church, 

 in die kJbg. Immediately after the demise of any 

 prelate, notice of that circumstance is given to the 

 crown by the clean and chapter of his cathedral ; 

 who, at the sane time, request permission to supply, 

 by their choice, the vacancy which has taken place. 

 His majesty then issues what is called a corig? d'elirc, 

 accompanied by a missive, or recommendation of some 

 individual to the benefice. This recommendation has 

 the full effect of a command ; for the dean and chap- 

 ter have not the privilege of rejection. Should ther 

 decline electing, and persist in declining for the space 

 of twelve days, they incur the severe penalties of a 



Bishop* 



