dinations of all the bishops within his province. He held synods, and directed all ecclesiastical affairs within his province.

After this, primates and patriarchs sprang up with an authority superior to the metropolitan: but of these it is unnecessary to enquire.

The next office to that of bishops was that of presbyters, to whom it belonged to preach to the people, to administer baptism, consecrate the Eucharist, and to be assistant to the bishop in public ministrations, and in dispatching the affairs of the church. The presbyters, in every great city, were a kind of ecclesiastical senate, under the care and presidency of the bishop.

After these, came deacons, their duty appears from their primitive election ;* the apostles setting them apart to serve or minister to the tables; that is, to attend upon and take care of those daily provisions that were made for poor indigent christians; but, certainly, it implies their peculiar attendance at the Lord's table. Hence it was part of the deacon's office to take care of the poor, and to distribute the monies given for their relief; and to attend upon the celebration of the Eucharist, which, being consecrated by the bishop or presbyter, the deacon delivered the sacramental elements to the people: besides this, they were wont also to preach and to baptize; and were employed in many parts of the public service, especially in guiding and directing the people.

*Acts vi.

E

The

number of them in any one place was usually restrained to seven, being the number originally instituted by the apostles. As the presbyters were to the bishop, so the deacons were to the presbyters, to be assistant to them, and to give them all due respect and reverence. Out of the body of these deacons, there was usually one chosen to overlook the rest— the archdeacon, an office supposed to be of antiquity in the church, and of great authority in after times, being generally styled the eye of the bishop, to inspect all parts and places of the diocese.

Several other officers of the ancient church are mentioned in early writers, but as they are decidedly servile, though respectable, they will not come within our consideration; they consisted of the following orders, whose names bespeak their offices:-Subdeacons; acolyths (followers or attendants); exorcists (who prayed over possessed persons, but never used charms, or unchristian forms and rites); readers; ostiarii (door-keepers), &c. These were set apart by the solemn rites of prayer and imposition of hands: but there was a considerable distinction between the superior and inferior orders; there was a double im· position of hands in setting apart ecclesiastical officers -the one, by consecration, which was the way of ordaining bishops, priests, and deacons; the other, by way of blessing; hands being laid upon them only, as in the absolution of penitents, by way of solemn benediction, as in the case of sub-deacons and deaconesses, &c. All orders under bishops were ordained by the bishop, and the bishop himself by all

the bishops of that province, who used to meet for that purpose; in cases of necessity, two, instead of three, with the consent of the absent, were allowed to officiate, to be confirmed by the metropolitan. For the ordination of priests and deacons, &c. one bishop might suffice; as no more than one was required, so no more than one was necessary; the power of conferring order being, even by those who otherwise have had no great kindness for episcopacy, acknowledged an unquestionable right of the episcopal office.

At all ordinations, especially of superior officers, the people of the place were always present, and ratified the action with their approbation and consent.* The manner of the lives of those set apart for ordination were strictly examined.+ None were suffered to leap into the ecclesiastical orders in those days, but by the usual steps, and waiting the appointed time. "They did not commence divines and bishops in a day," (at once becoming holy in character, and learned in divinity,) as Nazienzen elegantly says.‡ The ages of ordinations, according to the apostolic canon, were a bishop, above fifty years of age; a presbyter, thirty; a deacon, twenty-five.

I take no notice of monks, hermits, &c., because, though they were under a kind of ccclesiastical relation, yet, they were not usually in holy orders, and were of no early standing in the church. Deaconesses were employed in many offices of religion. Their

* Cyp. Ep. 68. Constit. App. lib. viii. c. 4. + Basil Nicene Counc. Can. 9.

+ Orat. 1.

original was very early, equal with the infancy of the church.-Rom. c. xvi. v. 1. They were either widows above sixty years of age; or virgins, who were educated for this purpose; and, having given testimony of a chaste and sober conversation, were admitted at forty. They were assistants to females at the time of baptism; were sometimes employed in the instruction of ignorant women in the principles of christianity; attended upon women that were sick, and were engaged in other offices of humanity.

cases.

Bishops and ministers were then looked upon as the common parents of christians, whom, as such, they honoured and obeyed, and to whom they repaired for counsel and direction in all-important "When Chrysostom was driven into banishment by the Empress, the people, as he went along, burst into tears, and cried out, It was better the sun should not shine, than that John Chrysostom should not preach; and when he was recalled, the people universally met him, and conducted him to his church with all expressions of reverence and veneration.”* So sacred and venerable did they then account the persons and concerns of those who ministered in the affairs of divine worship!

REFLECTION.

The sanctity of the persons who ministered in the christian church, implied the sanctity of the doctrines which they were commissioned to deliver; and, as

both originated in the word of God, promulgated by the blessed author of our religion and his apostles, through the influence of the Spirit, no body of men can possibly assemble under the christian dispensation, as a true christian church, without these indispensable marks of the validity of their professions. The truth of the doctrines of the gospel is the only sound foundation: implicit obedience to its precepts, the characteristic proof of belief. Had no minister, or order of ministers, been necessary, our Lord would not have said to his disciples, "Go ye into all the world and preach :" and if his meaning had been restricted to themselves, he would not have said, "Lo! I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." But no where in the New Testament, nor any where during the three first centuries, nor indeed for several hundred years afterwards, even in the most ignorant and depressed ages of the church, were we ever directed to a church without regularly appointed ministers, much less to one of self-constituted preachers.

CHAPTER IX.

Of their usual Worship, both private and public.

THUS far have we remarked the piety of those ancient times, with respect to those necessary circumstances which relate to the worship of God. We