multitude of Christians in these regions, to govern whom were appointed very many bishops, far more numerous, indeed, and nearer together, than in some other parts of the Christian world. For in these parts it was customary to appoint bishops not only in great cities, but in villages, or villas, and in small cities (in vicis aut villis et in modicis civitatibus); which was guarded against by the 57th canon of the Council of Laodicea, and the 7th canon of that of Sardica. But that rule obtained, not in Africa, where it is on record that bishops were ordained not only in great cities, but in all the towns (in cunctis oppidis), and not unfrequently in villages and military stations (in vicis et castellis); which multitude of bishops' sees, that had sprung up, even from the very first rise of the African churches, was increased by the emulation of the Catholics and Donatists.' 119 "Such are the statements of one of the learned historians, one whose judgment is universally respected. Such, too, must be the convictions of every one who makes himself acquainted with the surviving documents of the African churches. Let any one turn over the pages of the Minutes of the Conference (gesta collationis) between the Catholics and Donatists at Carthage, in A. D. 411, at which 565 bishops were present, and he must come to the conclusion that Mons. Du Pin has told the truth. "So strong is the evidence from this quarter, that Bingham is constrained to admit, that 'during the time of the schism of the Donatists, many new bishoprics were erected in very small towns in Africa; as appears from the acts of the Collation of Carthage, where the Catholics and Donatists mutually charge each other with the practice; that they divided single bishoprics sometimes into three or 119 Du Pin's Sacred Geography of Africa, prefixed to his edition of "The Seven Books of St. Optatus, bishop of Mileve in Africa," on the schism of the Donatists, published at Paris, A. D. 1700, p. 57. four; and made bishops in country towns and villages, to augment the numbers of their parties.' 120 "It will be observed, that this practice was pursued as well by the Orthodox as their opponents. Wherever a few people could be gathered together, they organized them into a church, and placed a bishop over them. And when that church became very numerous they divided it again (except in the great cities), just as we are accustomed to do at the present day. There was nothing in the idea of a church, or of a bishop, that forbade this practice. Nay, it was provided for by an ecclesiastical law of the province. The fifth canon of the second council of Carthage (A. D. 390) provides, that if, in the course of time, as religion prospers, any people of God should be so multiplied as to desire to have a rector of their own, they should have a bishop, in case they obtained the consent of him to whose authority the diocese was subject.' 6 "Du Pin says, 'We have drawn out of ancient documents the names of six hundred and ninety bishoprics in Africa.' 121 He annexes a catalogue of their names, and refers in every instance to the document or documents 120 Bingham's Antiq. of Christ. Church, B. 2, c. 12, § 3. 121 Geog. Sac. Africae, p. 59. Shoene says, Geschichtsforschungen, Vol. III, 335, that in the time of Augustine there were nine hundred bishops in Africa. The number is evidently made out in the following manner. Augustine, in his minutes of the first day's conference between the. Catholics and Donatists, says, that of the Catholics, 286 answered to their names, 20 subscribed not, 120 were absent, detained by reason of their age, infirmity, or other causes; and that 60 of their bishoprics were vacant, making a total of 426 bishops and 486 bishoprics. Of the Donatists, 279 were present, many more than 120 were absent, and many of their bishoprics were vacant.-Opera, Tom. 9, p. 374, F. 375, 376, A. Antwerp, 1700. Augustine also states, that the Maximinianists were condemned by a council of 310 of the Donatists. Contra Parmenian, Lib. 1, Tom. 9, c. 18, p. 15, B. Contra Crescon. Don., Lib. 3, c. 52, p. 315, E. Lib. 4, c. 7, p. 331, D. The Donatists, moreover, themselves boasted that they had more than 400 bishops in Africa. Post. Coll., c. 24, p. 411, D. In addition to all these, the Maximinianists afford another legion of bishops in this where they are found. With reason, therefore, he says, 'there is not one of these that has not at some time a bishop, as may be gathered from ecclesiastical documents.'” 122 (f) The charge of a primitive bishop is known in many instances not to have equalled that of a modern presbyter or pastor. Bishops were found in villages and military stations in Africa, as we have just seen. Ischyrus was made bishop of a very small village, containing but few inhabitants.123 Paul, one of the famous council of Nice, was only bishop of a fort, qgoigov, near the river Euphrates.124 Eulogius and Barses, monks of Edessa, had each no city, but only a monastery for a diocese; or rather it was merely an honorary title, an empty name, without any charge connected with it.125 Others, again, were bishops of cities where there were no Christians whatever, but some few in the country round about.126 The council of Sardica, c. 7, and of Laodicea, c. 57, in the fourth century, denounced the custom of ordaining bishops "in villages and small cities, lest the authority of a bishop should be brought into contempt." But a hundred years later, the custom still prevailed to a considerable ex same province, 100 or more of whom condemned Priminianus. Contra Crescon. Don., Lib. 4, c. 6, p. 331, D. Post. Coll., c. 30. We are now prepared to make up the roll of African bishops. Catholics, 426, Donatists, 400, Maximinianists, 100. Total, 926,-to say nothing of vacant sees. In such astonishing profusion are these dioceses, these Episcopal sees, scattered broad-cast over the single province of Africa. 122 New York Evangelist, Vol. XIV, p. 182. 1843. 123 Κώμη βραχυτάτη, καὶ ὀλίγων ἀνθρώπων.—Athans. Apol., 2, T. 1, p. 200. 124 Theodoret, Eccl. Hist., Lib. 1, c. 6. 125. Οι καὶ ἐπισκόπω ἄμφω ὕστερον ἐγενέθην, ου πόλεως τινὸς ἀλλὰ τιμῆς ἕνεκεν . . . χειροτονηθέντες ἐν τῆις ιδίοις μοναστη giois-Sozomen, Eccl. Hist., Lib. 6, c. 34, p. 691. 126 Shoene, Geschichtsforschungen, III, p. 336. tent. Even Gregory, one of the most learned and eloquent men of his age, worthy to have been "a professor of eloquence," after having studied in Caesarea, in Alexandria, and at Athens, was, in the last half of the fourth century, bishop, first of Zazime, "a dismal" place; and afterwards of Nazianzum, nólews sutelous, vilis oppidi, an inferior place.127 Even in the middle of the fifth century, diocesan Episcopacy was but partially established. In some countries, "there were bishops over many cities," but in others, they were still "consecrated in villages," xóuais. 128 But I need not enlarge. If any one wishes for further information on this point, he has only to refer to Clarkson on Primitive Episcopacy, an antiquated work, evincing a remarkable familiarity with the records of antiquity, from which a collection of facts, innumerable almost, has been brought together, all tending to show that the bishop of the primitive church had a charge no greater than any curate, or presbyter, or parish minister. Grant then to prelacy all her claims. Run back her unbroken succession up to these days of primitive simplicity, and she leads you up, not to an Episcopal palace, but to the cottage, the cell, it may be, of an obscure curate. The modern bishop has only deceived himself with a name. While he reads of ancient bishops, he idly dreams of Episcopal powers and prerogatives unknown in the church until the days of Constantine the Great. It is a sophism, often played off with effect, deceiving the simple and the wise, to surround an ancient and venerable name with modern associations. So delusive are our comparisons of that which is unknown with what is known; so deceptive our judgment of the past by the present. Tityrus, the poet's simple swain, foolishly thought Rome herself just such another as his own Mantua, where 127 Socrates, Eccl. Hist., Lib. 4, c. 26, p. 242. the shepherds were wont to drive out their tender lambs. So he had seen whelps, like dogs; so kids, like goats. Thus he was wont to compare great things with small. But what was his surprise to see that imperial city rearing her head as high above others as the cypress rises above the limber shrubs.129 He had deceived himself by his false comparisons. The same deception one practises upon himself by bringing a modern into comparison with a primitive bishop. But, on examination, the delusion vanishes. The far-spreading domains of the diocesan, which had charmed his fancy, shrink into a little hamlet; the proud Episcopal palace becomes a poor parsonage; and the lofty prelate, a humble presbyter, the pastor of a little flock. The bearings of this view of the subject upon prelacy are obvious. 1. It annuls the virtue of Episcopal ordination. The relations of the foregoing view to the validity of Episcopal ordination exclusively, are clearly set forth in the following passage from Clarkson, himself an Episcopalian: "Hereby, also, some mistakes about Episcopal ordinations, of ill consequence, may be rectified. A bishop, in the best ages of Christianity, was no other than the pastor of a single church. A pastor of a single congregation is now as truly a bishop. They were duly ordained in those ages, who were set apart for the work of the ministry by the pastor of a single church, with the concurrence of some assistants. Why they should not be esteemed to be duly ordained, who are accordingly set apart by a pastor of a 129 Urbem quam dicunt Romane, Moeliboee, putavi Stultus, ego huic nostrae similem, qua saepe solemus Sic canibus catulos similes, sic matribus haedos Noram; sic parvis componere magna solebam. Verùm haec tantùm alias inter caput extulit urbes, Quantùm lenta solent inter viburna cupressi.-Virgil, Buc. 1. |