65 BIS 
afterwards foftened into bijhop ; bijichcp , Dut. and L. Ger- 
biflchojf, H. Ger. bijhop, Su.] A chief officer of the Chri- 
dian church, who has tire ciiarge of a diocefe. It is ori¬ 
ginally a Greek word, derived from the verb emotiotreu^ 
to infpeft or overfee ; and is accordingly fo rendered by 
our tranflators, Ablsxx. 17-28. Having fend for the elders 
(or governors) of the church, he faid to them. Take heed 
therefore to yourfelves and all the flock, over which the Holy 
Ghojl made you (bifhops or) overfeers. And in much the 
fame fenfe Homer ityles Hector the bifhop of Troy, as 
having the chief infpeftion, care, and defence, of that city,* 
Iliad, b. 24. 1 . 729. And from Philippians, i. 1. it fhouid 
feem, that in thofe days there were in fome churches 
more bilhops (or overfeers) than one ; as alfo that as yet 
the church had but two fated orders, Bishops and Dea¬ 
cons. Yet it is apparent from Rev. ii. 1. compared with 
Ignatius’s epidle to the Ephefians, that there was in that 
church one perfon, called by St. John the angel, and by 
Ignatius the bijhop, by way of eminence above all other 
bilhops or overfeers; and the fame diJlinElion has continued 
in the Ghriftian world ever fince. This is the 
in Judin Martyr ; the Prccpojitus in St. Cyprian ; the Sum¬ 
mits Sacerdos, or chief pried, in Tertullian ; and is fo 
called, as contradidinguidied from the prefbyters, “ who 
might baptize, but not without permiflion from the bi¬ 
fhop, ob ccclefice honoretn.” Tertull. de Bapt. A bidiop dif¬ 
fers from an archbidtop in the following particulars : that 
an archbidtop with bilhops confecrate a bifhop, as a bifhop 
with prieds ordain a pried ; that the archbidtop vidts a 
province, as the bifhop a diocefe ; that the archbidtop con¬ 
vokes a provincial fynod, as the bidtop a diocefan one; 
and that the archbidtop has canonical authority over all 
the bidtops of his province, as the bidtop over the prieds 
in his diocefe. See Archbishop. It is a long timeYince 
bifhops have been didinguidted from mere prieds or pref¬ 
byters ; but whether that didinftion be of divine or hu¬ 
man right, whether it was fettled in the apodolical age 
or introduced dnce, is much controverted. But whether 
the apodles fettled any thing of this kind themfelves, or 
whether they left the fpiritual economy in the hands of 
the prefbyters, or of thofe together with the people, it 
appears that in a little time the functions of the pried- 
hood were divided, and the prieds didinguiflied into de¬ 
grees ; the political part of religion being, according to 
fome, adigned principally to bifhops, and the evangelical 
to the prieds, See. Or, according to others, the func¬ 
tions of teaching and preaching were referved to the bi¬ 
fhop, and that of ordination fuperadded ; which was their 
principal didinftion, and the mark of their fovereignty 
in their diocefe. By the ancient difeipline, bidiops were 
to be married once, and not to put away their wives on 
pretence of religion ; but a fecond marriage was a dif- 
qualification for this order. If they lived chade, they 
were ranked as confeflors. Some bifhops, in the middle 
age, on account of their regalia or temporalities, were 
obliged to a military fervice called hojlis, by which they 
were to lead their vaffals into the field, and attend the 
king in his military expeditions. This Charlemagne ex- 
cufed, and even forbid : but the prohibition was little re¬ 
garded ; fince we find the thing often praftifed afterwards. 
The eleftion of bifhops was anciently placed in the cler¬ 
gy, and the people of the parifli, province, or diocefe ; 
but afterwards, princes and magidrates, patriarchs and 
popes, ufurped the power. The eleftion was to be within 
three months after the vacancy of the fee ; and the per¬ 
fon to be chofen out of the clergy of that church. For¬ 
merly the bifhop claimed a fhare in the eleftion of an 
archbifhop; but this was fet afide by the popes. In Eng¬ 
land, during the Saxon times, all ecclefiaftical dignities 
were conferred by the king in parliament. At length, 
however, after feveral conteds, efpeciully between arch¬ 
bifhop Anfelm and Henry I. in confequence of a grant of 
King John, recognized in Magna Charta, and edablifiied 
by flat. 25 Edw. III. flat. 6. bifhops were elefted by the 
chapters of monks or canons, fome fnadow of which dill 
HOP. 
remains in the prefent method of difpofing of bifiioprics; 
but by dat. 25 Hen. VI 11 . cap. 20. the right of nomination 
was redored to the crown. Ordinarily, at lead, three 
bifhops are required in the ceremony of confecrating a 
bifhop.; but in fome cafes a fingle one might fufhee. T. he 
Englifh fucceflion of Protedant bifhops (lands on this 
ground. In England, the king being certified of the 
death of a bifhop by the dean and chapter, and his leave 
requefted to elect another, the conge d’elire is lent to 
them, with a letter mifiive, nominating the perfon whom 
lie would have chofen. The election is to be within 
twelve days after the receipt of it, otherwife the king by 
letters patent appointsWhom he pleafes ; and the chapter, 
in cafe of refilling the perfon named by the king, incurs 
a praemunire. This was to avoid the power of the fee of 
Rome. After election, and its being accepted of the bi¬ 
fhop, the king grants a mandate under the great feal for 
confirmation ; which the bifhop configns to his vicar-ge¬ 
neral ; confiding modly in a folemn citation of fuch as 
have any objection to the bifiiop eleCt, a declaration of 
their contumacy in not appearing, and an adminidration 
of the oaths of allegiance and fupremacy, of fymony, and 
canonical obedience. Sentence being read by the vicar- 
general, the bifhop is indalled in the province of Canter¬ 
bury by the arch-deacon ; the faCt is recorded by a pub¬ 
lic notary ; and the bifhop is inveded with full powers to 
exercife all fpiritual jurifdiflions, though he cannot fue 
for his temporalities till after confecration. Then follows 
the confecration by the archbifhop or fome other bifhop 
appointed by lawful commidions, and two afiidant bifhops : 
the ceremony of which is much the fame as intheRomifh 
church, fave that, having put on the epifcopal robes, the 
archbidiop and bifhops lay their hands on the new prelate’s 
head, and confecrate him with a certain form of words. 
The procefs of the trandation of a bifiiop to another bi- 
diopric only differs in this, that there is no confecration. 
The age of a bifiiop is to be at lead thirty years ; and by 
the ancient difeipline, none were to be chofen but thofe 
who had pafl'ed through all the inferior orders ; but in 
fome cafes of neceflity this was difpenfed with, and dea¬ 
cons, nay laymen, were raifed perfaltum to the epifcopal 
dignity. 
The form of confecrating a bifiiop is different in dif¬ 
ferent churches. In the Greek church, the bifiiop eleft, 
being by the afiidant bifhops prefented for confecration, 
and the indrument of election put in his hand ; after fe¬ 
veral prayers (the fird called diaconicum) demanding con¬ 
fecration, makes profeffion of his faith ; after which he 
receives a benediftion. He is then interrogated as to the 
belief of the Trinity; to which lie anfwers by a long pro- 
fejflon of faith, and receives a fecond benediction. Lad- 
ly, he is afked what he thinks of the incarnation ; to which 
he anfwers in a third profejflon of faith-, which is followed 
by a third benedidtion : after which the confecrator gives 
him the padoral daff: then he is led up to the altar; 
where, after certain prayers, he receive th e pallium, if he 
be an archbifhop or patriarch ; he then receives the kifs 
of peace of his confecrator and two affidants ; and, fitting 
down, reads, prays, and gives the communion to his con¬ 
fecrator and others. In the Romifh church, the bifiiop 
eleft being prefented by the elder afiidant to the confecra¬ 
tor, takes the oath ; he is then examined as to his faith ; 
and, after feveral prayers, the New Tedament is drawn 
over -his head, and he receives the chrifm or undlion. 
The padoral daff, ring, and Gofpel, are then given him ; 
and, after communion, the mitre is put on his head ; each 
ceremony being accompanied with proper prayers, &c. 
■the confecration ends with Te Deum. Thefe lad men¬ 
tioned ceremonies are laid afide in the confecration of Eng- 
lifli bifhops. Neverthelefs, the book of confecration let 
forth in the time of Edward VI. and confirmed by aft of 
parliament, in which fome of them are enjoined, is de¬ 
clared to be the dandard for this purpofe by the thirty- 
fixth article. 
The funftion of a bifiiop in England may be confidered 
as 
