CHAPTER II. ON THE PRESBYTERATE. IN treating of the presbyterate, I shall consider first its institution and its powers during the earliest ages of the church; secondly, the introduction of the parochial system; and thirdly, the changes in general discipline and the offices of the priesthood which thence arose. I. The sacred order of presbyters or elders (sometimes styled bishops in holy scripture,) was properly instituted by the apostles after the ascension, though the powers with which they invested it, had been previously given to themselves by Christ at the institution of the holy eucharist, "Do this in remembrance of me";" and before his ascension: "Whosesoever sins ye remit, &c. ;" and therefore the apostles were also presbyters, as St. Peter styles himself: "The presbyters which are among you I exhort, who am also a presbyter;" and also St. John: "the presbyter unto the elect lady," "the presbyter unto the well-beloved Gaius e." b 2. We know not the exact period at which the a Luke xxii. 19. John xx. 23. d 2 John 1. C 1 Pet. v. 1. apostles first ordained presbyters. We do not read of their existence before A. D. 43, when the disciples of Antioch sent their collections to "the presbyters," in Judæa'. The term is here probably to be taken in the ordinary sense at least we find about A. D. 48, "the presbyters" of Jerusalem are spoken of as distinct from the apostles, and before this, Paul and Barnabas had "ordained presbyters in every church" they re-visited". About A. D. 56, Paul sent for "the presbyters of the church" of Ephesus; and we afterwards read of bishops or presbyters at Philippi': and the directions to Timothy and Titus for their ordination in every city; the exhortation of St. Peter to "the presbyters1;" and of St. James, "is any one sick among you, let him send for the presbyters of the church ":" suffice to prove the general ordination of presbyters by the apostles. 3. It is nowhere directly taught in scripture that this order is of divine institution; but we are entitled to infer that it is so on this principle, that whatever offices were instituted by the apostles for the ordinary government of the church, were instituted under the direction of the Holy Ghost; and that presbyters (and afterwards bishops) as well as deacons, were intended for the ordinary ministry of the church, we reasonably infer from their institution in every church, and their continuance at all times in the catholic church. Accordingly we find St. Paul saying to the presbyters of Ephesus, "take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the HOLY GHOST hath made you bishops, to feed the church of God "." 4. There were several presbyters in each church from the beginning; at least in all churches where there were a considerable number of the faithful. The presbyters of Jerusalem, Ephesus, Philippi, are spoken of in the plural number in Scripture. This was continued after the institution of the episcopal office. S. Ignatius often speaks of a plurality of presbyters in particular churches. S. Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, addresses the Philippians, "Polycarp and the presbyters that are with him, to the church of God at Philippi P." In the middle of the third century there were at Rome, under Cornelius, forty-four presbyters, and at the same time there were many presbyters at Carthage under Cyprian. 5. The office of presbyters, like that of bishops, consisted in "feeding the church of God," and overseeing it'; exhorting and convincing the gainsayers by sound doctrine. Being invested with the power of teaching, they also possessed authority in controversies. The church of Antioch sent to Jerusalem to consult the apostles and "presbyters" on the question of circumcision and we find afterwards that heretics were sometimes condemned by the judgment of presbyters, as well as bishops, in councils. They possessed in their degree the power of remitting or retaining sins by absolution, and by spiritual censures. They must, "Acts xx. 28. • Ignatii Epist. ad Ephes. Magnes. Trall. Philadelph. Smyr. Polycarp. P Polycarp. Epist. ad Phil. Routh, Opuscula Script. Eccl. t. i. p. 9. even at the beginning, have had the power of baptizing and celebrating the eucharist, of performing other rites, and of offering up public prayers in the absence of the apostles, or by their permission; and the institution of bishops in every church by the apostles only restrained the ordinary exercise of these powers. We know in particular from St. James, that presbyters had authority to visit the sick and offer prayers, anointing them with oil for the recovery of their health. From the time of the apostles, the office of public teaching in the church, and of administering the sacraments, was always performed by the bishop, unless in cases of great necessity". The power of spiritual jurisdiction in each church, of regulating its affairs generally, and especially its discipline, was shared by the bishop with the presbyters, who also instructed and admonished the people in private. The presbyters sat on seats or thrones at the east end of the church, and the bishop on a higher throne in the midst of them. In some churches they laid their hands with the bishop on the head of those who were ordained presbyters, and in others administered confirmation". Thus the fourth century, Vet. et Nov. Eccl. Discipl. Part I. lib. ii. c. 23, s. 10. 13; also in the time of Charlemagne, Ibid. c. 24, s. 5; and up to the thirteenth century, c. 26, s. 6, 7. Jo. de Athon in his Comment. (about 1290), on the Legatine Constitutions of Otho and Othobon, says, a "Rector curatus" may excommunicate. (Const. Otho, Quanto Scripturarum ver. etiam a prælatis; Const. Othob. Ad tutelam ver. excommunicatione ligatus.) Lyndwood in the fifteenth century, says, "Simplices tamen curati presbyterate was always esteemed a most high dignity or degree in the church, and it was not much inferior to the episcopate in most respects. II. We next proceed to consider the changes which introduced the parochial system now generally prevalent in the church ". The churches founded by the apostles were always in cities of some magnitude, where several presbyters were requisite for the guidance of a numerous people. It remained for the church to adapt their system to the change of circumstances, when the inhabitants of villages and of the rural districts around each city also became christian. Hence arose the institution of rural presbyters and lesser parishes, included within the greater parish or diocese. As the apostles had originally placed churches under the superintendence of presbyters, over whom they themselves exercised jurisdiction; so the bishop of each city ordained presbyters for the rural districts, over whom he exercised superintendence. Such rural presbyters are mentioned by Epiphanius as existing in Mesopotamia in the middle of the third century; and Dionysius of Alexandria, about the same time, alludes to them in Egypt; as Athanasius does in the following century, in speaking of Ischyras. (Apol. 2.) The councils of Eliberis (c. 77) and Neocæsarea (c. 15), at the beginning of the fourth century, also mention them. Bingham observes, that these lesser parishes had their origin, not at one time or by any general decree, but as the exigencies of every diocese required it. In the fourth century, rural presbyters were commonly instituted; and they were See Thomassinus, Vet. et Nov. Eccl. Discipl. Part I. lib. ii. c. 21-28; Bingham, Antiquities, book ix. c. 8. |