212 UNIVERSAL ERUDITION. 



V. That we may not confound all thofe ob- 

 jefts which the ftudy of the general hiftory of the 

 Chriftian church, from its origin to the prefent 

 time, prelents to us, but preierve pcrfpicuity in 

 our ideas of thefe matters, it feems convenient to 

 make a fhort analyfis of them, by ranging them 

 in the following order: we mould therefore make, 



VI. (i.) The neceflary obfervations on the 

 firft eftablifhment of bifhops, and on certain cuf- 

 toms of the primitive church. The word bi- 

 fhop comes from the Greek ETno-xoVof, and fig- 

 nifies an overfeer or infpe&or: by which is meant 

 a prieft, ecclefiaftic or facred prelate, who has 

 the fpiritual conduct of a diocefe, province or 

 country. He receives his charge by ordination. 

 We find that there were in the primitive church, 

 immediately after the death of Chrift, fuch fort 

 of fupervifors or bifhops for each particular 

 church, whom St. John in his Apocalypfe names, 

 in a figurative ftyle, Angels, as the Angel of 

 Smyrna, the Angel of Laodicea, &c. But thefc 

 bifhops had little refemblance to thofe of our 

 time: they certainly bore neither mitre nor crofs; 

 they did not enjoy the revenues of a prince, nor 

 roll in luxurious pleafures : they lived in the 

 greateft fimplicity, inftrufted, preached, and pre- 

 ferved order among their flocks, without pomp, 

 and without ambition. This part of ecclefiafti- 

 cal hiftory fhews alfo, what were the deacons, dea- 

 conefies, and other religious ; the prefbytery of 

 bifhops, or the college compofed of priefts 'and 



deacons j 



