subordinate clergy. So, then, the word episcopus,' is fixed at first, and that by derivation, and example of Scripture, and fair congruity of reason. SECTION XXV. Calling the Bishop, and Him only, the Pastor of the Church. BUT the church used other appellatives for bishops, which it is very requisite to specify, that we may understand divers authorities of the fathers, using those words in appropriation to bishops, which of late have been given to presbyters, ever since they have begun to set presbyters in the room of bishops. And first, bishops were called 'pastors' in antiquity, in imitation of their being called so in Scripture. Eusebius, writing the story of St. Ignatius, "Denique cùm Smyrnam venisset, ubi Polycarpus erat, scribit inde unam epistolam ad Ephesios, eorumque pastorem," that is, Onesimus; for so follows," in quâ meminit Onesimi." Now that Onesimus was their bishop, himself witnesses in the epistle here mentioned, τὴν πολυπάθειαν ὑμῶν ἐν ὀνόματι Θεοῦ ἀπείληφα ἐν Ονησίμῳ τῷ ἐπ' ἀγάπῃ ἀδιηγητῷ, ὑμῶν δὲ ἐπισκόπῳ, &c. Onesimus was their bishop, and therefore their pastor; and in his epistle ad Antiochenos,' himself makes mention of Evodius, τοῦ ἀξιομακαρίστου ποιμένος ὑμῶν, “ your most blessed and worthy pastor." When Paulus Samosatenus first broached his heresy against the Divinity of our blessed Saviour, presently a council was called, where St. Denis, bishop of Alexandria, could not be present: "Cæteri verò ecclesiarum pastores, diversis è locis et urbibus, convenerunt Antiochiam. In quibus insignes et cæteris præcellentes erant Firmilianus à Cæsarea Cappadocia, Gregorius, et Athenodorus fratres, et Helenus Sardensis ecclesiæ episcopus: sed et Maximus Bostrensis episcopus dignus eorum consortio cohærebat." a Lib. iii. Hist. c. 36. b Epist. ad Ephes. These bishops, Firmilianus, and Helenus, and Maximus, were the pastors; and not only so, but presbyters were not called pastors, for he proceeds," sed et presbyteri quamplurimi, et diaconi ad supradictam urbem convenerunt." So that these were not under the general appellative of pastors. And the council of Sardis, making provision for the manner of election of a bishop to a widow-church, when the people is urgent for the speedy institution of a bishop, if any of the comprovincials be wanting, he must be certified by the primate, ὅτι ἀξιοῖ τὰ πλήθη ποιμένα αὐτοῖς δοθῆναι, “ that the multitude require a pastor to be given unto them." The same expression is also in the epistle of Julius, bishop of Rome, to the presbyters, deacons, and people of Alexandria, in behalf of their bishop, Athanasius; "Suscipite itaque, fratres carissimi, cum omni Divinâ gratiâ pastorem vestrum ac præsulem tanquam vere lavάove." And a little after, "et gaudete fruentes orationibus, qui pastorem vestrum esuritis et sititis," &c. The same is often used in St. Hilary and St. Gregory Nazianzen, where bishops are called 'pastores magni,'' great shepherds,' or 'pastors.' When Eusebius, the bishop of Samosata, was banished, "universi lachrymis prosecuti sunt ereptionem pastoris sui," saith Theodoret: "They wept for the loss of their pastor." And Eulogius, a presbyter of Edessa, when he was arguing with the prefect in behalf of Christianity, "Et pastorem (inquit) habemus, et nutus illius sequimur;""We have a pastor," (a bishop certainly, for himself was a priest,)" and his commands we follow." But I need not specify any more particular instances; I touched upon it before. He that shall consider, that to bishops the regiment of the whole church was concredited at the first, and the presbyters were but his assistants in cities and villages, and were admitted in partem sollicitudinis', first casually and cursorily, and then, by station and fixed residence, when parishes were divided and endowed, will easily see, that this word pastor' must needs be appropriated to bishops, to whom, according to the conjunctive expression of St. Peter, and the practice of infant Christendom, ionometv and waiver was intrusted, first solely, then in communication with others, but always principally. d Can. 6. f Lib. iv. c. 14. e Hist. Tripart. lib. iv. c. 29. But now of late, especially in those places where the bishops are exauctorated, and no where else that I know, but amongst those men that have complying designs, the word 'pastor' is given to parish priests, against the manner and usage of ancient Christendom; and though priests may be called pastors in a limited, subordinate sense, and by way of participation (just as they may be called angels, when the bishop is the angel, and so pastors when the bishop is the pastor, and so they are called 'pastores ovium,' in St. Cyprian",) but never are they called 'pastores' simply, or pastores ecclesiæ,' for above six hundred years in the church, and I think eight hundred more. And, therefore, it was good counsel which St. Paul gave, to avoid Vocum novitates,' because there is never any affectation of new words, contrary to the ancient voice of Christendom, but there is some design in the thing too, to make an innovation: and of this we have had long warning, in the new use of the word pastor.' 6 SECTION XXVI. And Doctor. Ir bishops were the pastors, then doctors' also; it was the observation which St. Augustin made out of Ephes. iv., as I quoted him even now, "For God hath given some apostles, some prophets-some pastors and doctors." So the church hath learned to speak. In the Greeks' council of Carthage it was decreed, that places which never had a bishop of their own, should not now have xany idov, “a doctor of their own;" that is, a bishop; but still be subject to the bishop of the diocese to whom formerly they gave obedience; and the title of the chapter is, that the parts of the diocese without the bishop's consent, ἐπίσκοπον ἕτερον μὴ δέχεσθαι, "must not have another bishop." He who in the title is called bishop,' in the chapter is called the doctor.' And thus also, Epiphanius, speaking of bishops, calleth them warigas, nai didaonáλous," fathers and doctorsa," "Gratia 6 66 enim ecclesiæ laus doctoris est," saith St. Ambrose, speaking of the eminence of the bishop over the presbyters and subordinate clergy. The same also is to be seen in St. Austin', Sedulius, and divers others. I deny not but it is in this appellative as in divers of the rest, that the presbyters may, in subordination, be also called doctors; for every presbyter must be didaxrixos, " apt to teach";" but yet this is expressed as a requisite in the particular office of a bishop, and no where expressly of a presbyter, that I can find in Scripture; but yet because, in all churches, it was by license of the bishop, that presbyters did preach, if at all, and in some churches the bishop only did it, particularly of Alexandria,— (Μόνος ὁ τῆς πόλεως ἐπίσκοπος διδάσκει, saith Sozomen 4,) therefore it was, that the presbyter, in the language of the church, was not, but the bishop was often, called doctor of the church. 6 SECTION XXVII. And Pontifex. THE next word which the primitive church did use, as proper to express the offices and eminence of bishops, is 'pontifex,' and pontificatus' for episcopacy.' "Sed à Domino edocti consequentiam rerum, episcopis pontificatûs munera assignavimus," said the apostles, as St. Clement reports". Pontificale wérakov St. John the apostle wore in his forehead, as an ensign of his apostleship, a gold plate or medal, when he was "in pontificalibus," "in his pontifical or apostolical habit," saith Eusebius". "De dispensationibus ecclesiarum antiqua sanctio tenuit et definitio sanctorum patrum in Nicæâ convenientium et si pontifices voluerint, ut cum eis vicini propter utilitatem celebrent ordinationes:" said the fathers of the council of Constantinople. "Quâ tempestate in urbe Româ Clemens quoque, tertius post Paulum et Petrum, pontificatum tenebat," saith Eusebius, according to the translation of Ruffinus. " Apud Antiochiam vero Theophilus b Epist. 59. c 1 Tim. viii. a Lib. viii. c. ult. Apost. Constitut. c Lib. ix. c. 14. Hist. Tripart, VOL. VII." d Lib. vii. c. 19. b Lib. iii. Hist. c. 31. d Lib. iii. c. 21. K per idem tempus, sextus ab apostolis, ecclesiæ pontificatum tenebat;" saith the same Eusebius. And there is a famous story of Alexander, bishop of Cappadocia, that when Narcissus, bishop of Jerusalem, was invalid and unfit for government, by reason of his extreme age, he was designed by a particular revelation and a voice from heaven; “ Suscipite episcopum, qui vobis à Deo destinatus est:" "Receive your bishop, whom God hath appointed for you;" but it was when Narcissus "jam senio fessus pontificatûs ministerio sufficere non possit," saith the story!. Eulogius, the confessor, discoursing with the prefect, that wished him to comply with the emperor, asked him : Numquid ille unà cum imperio etiam pontificatum est consequutus?" "He hath an empire, but hath he also a bishoprick?" • Pontificatus' is the word. But St. Dionysius is very exact in the distinction of clerical offices, and particularly gives this account of the present: "Est igitur pontificatus ordo, qui præditus vi perficiente munera hierarchiæ quæ perficiunt," &c. And a little after, "Sacerdotum autem ordo subjectus pontificum ordini," &c. To which agrees St. Isidore", in his Etymologies: "Ideo autem et presbyteri sacerdotes vocantur, quia sacrum dant sicut et episcopi, qui licet sacerdotes sint, tamen pontificatûs apicem non habent, quia nec chrismate frontem signant, nec Paracletum Spiritum dant, quod solis deberi episcopis lectio 'Actuum Apostolicorum' demonstrat;" and in the same chapter, " Pontifex princeps sacerdotum est.” One word more there is often used in antiquity for bishops, and that is sacerdos. "Sacerdotum autem bipartitus est ordo," say St. Clement and Anacletus; for they are majores' and minores.' The majores, bishops,' the 'minores, presbyters;' for so it is in the apostolical constitutions attributed to St. Clement: "Episcopis quidem assignavimus et attribuimus quæ ad principatum sacerdotii pertinent, presbyteris verò quæ ad sacerdotium.” And in St. Cyprian'," Presbyteri cum episcopis sacerdotali honore conjuncti." But although in such distinction and subordination, and in concretion, a presbyter is sometimes called 'sacerdos,' yet in antiquity 'sacerdotium ecclesiæ' does ever e Lib. iv. c. 20. h Lib. vii. 12. i And sacerdos ecclesiæ.' g Eccles. Hierarch. Lib. viii. c. 46. 1 Lib. iii. Ep. 1. |