In this omitted part is contained the very substance of the controversy, viz. that the Apostles left the Bishops "their succes sors, delivering (to them) their own place of government.'

138. In the next page, Dr. Miller gives, as a quotation from the same book of Irenæus, the words stated in the 55th section of this essay. By comparing the quotation from Dr. Miller, in the 136th section in connexion with that in the 55th section, with the translation in the 130th section, it will be found that the two passages are intimately connected.

139. Dr. Miller has however not only omitted the connecting sentences between these two passages, but he has interposed between them, several quotations from the 4th and 5th books of IreThe effect is to break the thread of the argument.

næus.

140. Irenæus asserts that he could enumerate those who were appointed by the Apostles Bishops in the churches, and their successors to his time, whom the Apostles left AS THEIR SUCCESSORS, DELIVERING TO THEM THEIR OWN PLACE OF GOVERNORS. But seeing that it would be too long to enumerate the successions OF ALL THE CHURCHES, he confines himself to pointing out the tradition in the Church at Rome. Then follows the reason for this, which Dr. Miller has omitted; "For, with this church, on account of its great er pre-eminence, it is necessary that every Church should agree; that is, those which are in all respects faithful." &c. Irenæus then goes on to say, "The blessed Apostles, therefore, founding. and instructing the Church, (viz. at Rome) delivered to Linus the Bishoprick to govern the Church," &c. (See top of p. 72 of this essay.)

141. So much for the connexion between these two passages.It is necessary to make a remark or two upon the passage itself, (contained in the 55th section.)

On comparing the translation given above (130) with Dr. Miller's, (55) it will be observed that in his quotation the words, To GOVERN THE CHURCH, are not to be found, in the passage stating that the Episcopate or Bishoprick was delivered by the Apostles to Linus.

After the statement that Anacletus and Clement succeeded Linus, several sentences are omitted, not however very material as relates to the question before us, and the quotation is resumed at the commencement of the Italic lines in section 130: "To this Clement," &c. In Dr. Miller's translation the word ORDINATION is left out.

The passage in Irenæus runs thus, By this ordination and succes, sion, &c.-Dr. Miller has it, By this succession that tradition &c. is come to us.

That the reader may have an opportunity of judging for himself of this matter, the whole 3rd chapter of the 3rd book of Irenæus will be annexed to these pages, in the Latin.

142. Dr. Miller also quotes several other passages from Irenæus, in which the word Presbyter occurs, and he endeavours to show thereby that Bishop and Presbyter are one, immediately in the face of the fact that there were always numerous presbyters in Rome, and never more than one Bishop.

143. He quotes these words: "We ought therefore to adhere to those presbyters who keep the Apostle's doctrine, and together with the presbyterial succession do show forth sound speech. Such Presbyters the Church nourishes; and of such the Prophet says--I will give them Princes in peace, and Bishops in righteousness."— (Book iv, Chapter xliv.)

144. In this passage Irenæus is speaking of iniquitous presbyters, and says, "From all such we ought to depart: but we ought to adhere to those who keep the doctrine of the Apostles, as we have before said, and with the law or discipline* of a presbyter, show forth sound speech and a conversation without offence, for the information and correction of the rest." Then follows a long passage giving an account of the conduct of Moses, Samuel, and Paul in the performance of the duties imposed upon them severally: and immediately afterwards follow the words constituting the last sen tence of Dr. Miller's quotation, "Such Presbyters" &c. From which it is evident that Moses, Samuel, and Paul are referred to, and that Irenæus uses the term presbyter or elder, in a very general way. There is certainly nothing in the passage that bears definitely on the question at issue: and nothing would be gained by taking the passage precisely as Dr. Miller has it. For the whole amount of it, as it stands, is, To such presbyters (as with the discipline of a presbyter, show forth sound speech &c.) I will give

The passage runs thus in Irenæus: "Adhærere vero his qui et Apostolorum, sicut prædiximus, doctrinam custodiunt, et cum presbyteri ordine sermonem sanum,' "&c. It is manifest that the words, presbyteri ordine, do not signify presbyterial succession, as Dr. Miller has made it. To bear this signification there should be an adjective to agree with ordine, or the noun should be in the plural, presbyterorum. As it stands, it can only mean something belonging to a presbyter. We frequently meet with the expression successiones episcoporum, not episcopi: so if this passage meant presbyterial succession or a succession of presbyters, the word used, would have been presbyterorum, not presbyteri.

Princes in peace and Bishops in righteousness. Certainly it would not appear from this form of expression, that the Presbyter was the Bishop.

145. He likewise quotes the following passage: "Obey those Presbyters (the word is obaudire, we ought to hear those presbyters) in the Church who have the succession, as we have shown, from the Apostles; who with the succession of the Episcopate, received the gift of truth, according to the good pleasure of the Father." (Ireneus, book iv, chap. xliii.)

146. That Irenæus was here speaking of Bishops is concluded from the word episcopate, and from the reference to what he had said before. The marginal reference at this place is to book i, cap. iii: where he shows that the Church received the doctrine and faith, and although scattered over the whole world, diligently guarded it, and, as if having one soul, and one heart, in perfect concert preached, and taught, and handed down these things, as if possessing but one mouth. "And neither can he, of those who govern the churches, (qui præsunt Ecclesiis) who is very able in speech, say any other things than these." Neither of the words, Bishop or Presbyter, are mentioned; but the two considerations show that Irenæus sometimes uses the word Presbyter in speaking of those who govern the churches; qui præsunt Ecclesiis. There are three other passages in which he does the same.

147. It is evident, however that he uses the word, Presbyter, in that sense in which the Apostles were sometimes called Elders; according to the declaration of Hilary, "The Bishop is the chief; though every Bishop is a Presbyter, yet every Presbyter is not a Bishop." [See section 56, p. 47.] This is evident because Irenæus elsewhere speaks, in the plainest manner, of the Church being governed by the Bishop, BY ONE BISHOP AT A TIME, and mentions the names of twelve in succession, who singly governed the Church, each in his day, (including the very persons named in the passage quoted by Dr. Miller as Presbyters, and whom he represents as ordinary presbyters,) at the very time that there were in Rome many thousands of Christians and numerous presbyters. To say that Irenæus means by the word Presbyter, in the passage quoted by Dr. Miller, the ordinary Presbyter, or the Presbyter in the common acceptation of the word, would make him contradict himself: because these did not govern the Church, in the sense in which the word (præsunt) is used. It could not have been said

of any one of the ordinary presbyters at Rome in the time of Linus, Anacletus, or Clement, Præest Ecclesiæ Romæ; he governs the Church at Rome: But of Linus to whom the Apostles delivered the Bishoprick to govern the Church, it could have been said: and so likewise of Anacletus who succeeded Linus; and of Clement also, who in the third place from the Apostles obtained the Bishoprick. (130.)

In one of the very letters quoted by Dr. Miller there is a most explicit passage on this subject. In the letter to Victor, Bishop of Rome who succeeded Eleutherius, Irenæus says, "Atque cum beatus Polycarpus, Aniceto Episcopatum administrante, Romam adventaret;" that is, "But when the Blessed Polycarp went to Rome, Anicetus governing the Bishoprick," &c. In the 3rd chapter of the 3rd book the same circumstance is mentioned, viz. Polycarp's visit to Rome under Anicetus. (See page 73.)

148. While remarking on this quotation from Irenæus, (145) it will not be amiss to give the reader the sentence immediately following it. To convey the meaning fully, both sentences are given in connexion. "Wherefore we ought to hear those presbyters who are in the Church, those who have their succession from the Apostles, as we have shown, who, with the succession of the episcopate, have received the sure gift of the truth, according to the decree of the Father: But the rest who depart from the principal succession, in whatever place they are collected, to suspect, either as heretics and of evil designs, or as schismatics, and puffed up, and thinking well of themselves, or again as hypocrites, doing this for the sake of lucre, and of vain-glory." And again in the same chapter; "Those who tear and divide the unity of the Church, receive from God the same punishment as Jeroboam." (Irenæus, Book iv, chap. xliii.) See Epistle to Philadelphians, sec. 3, 8: to Smyrneans,

sect. 9.

66

149. One statement respecting Irenæus made by Dr. Miller it is necessary to notice. He says, Irenæus, we are told, was Bishop of the church of Lyons in France. While he held this station he was sent by the Church of which he was Pastor, on some special ecclesiastical business to Rome. On this mission he carried with him a letter from the Presbytery of his church, directed to Eleutherius, Bishop of Rome, in which he is called a presbyter, and in which they stile him their brother and colleague." (Miller's Letters, p. 154.)

150. This is a misstatement of facts, from which, notwithstanding, no benefit is to be derived. Dr. Miller has given no authority for the statement; and if he could establish it, he would make a difficulty which he would find not easy to solve. For, no presbyter, the pastor of a church, has a presbytery or council of presbyters in his church, who are his brothers and colleagues.

151. The fact is, that when this letter was written, Irenæus was not Bishop of Lyons. He was then a Presbyter, and therefore the presbyters of that church could with propriety call him brother and colleague: in proof of which take the extract from Jerome in sect. 128, (at the bottom of the page) and the following passage from Eusebius He says, speaking of the sufferings of the Christians, "This account of things the churches of Lyons and Vienne, communicated in an epistle to the churches of Asia and Phrygia; and likewise to Eleutherius, Bishop, in a letter which they sent by Irenæus, then one of their Presbyters, with a special recommendation of the person who carried it." (Bowden's Letters 1. 169.)

152. The unsoundness of the argument used by Dr. Miller, (that the occasional application of the title of presbyter or elder to the Bishop, shows that the person using it considered them as one and the same officer in the Church,) is shown in a striking light by the fact, that it has been done by those who have expressed themselves in the most decided manner respecting the superiority of the Bishop over the presbyter.

153. Thus Dr. Miller quotes the following from Cyprian, whom he very properly calls "the venerable Bishop of Carthage." "The people should not flatter themselves that they are free from fault, when they communicate with a sinful priest, and give their consent to the presidency of a wicked Bishop," &c. (p. 174.) The quotation is long and remarkably clear upon the subject, of which more perhaps may be quoted hereafter. The object at this time is to show the fallacy of concluding that a person who sometimes calls a Bish op a priest, or a presbyter, must intend that they are the same. No Bishop surely would deny that he was a priest. Cyprian surely would not, and yet he does not hesitate to assert the superior authority of that order of priests called Bishops. He uses the following language: "What greater and better thing can I wish for, than to see the flock of Christ illuminated by the honour of your confession? For as it is the duty of all the brethren to rejoice on this account, so particularly the Bishop's portion of the common joy is