apostles left a lift of fuch perfons behind them as fhould fuccced, when the others that they appointed died. The place is difficult and uncertain. The words are ή μεταξὺ ἐπινομὴν δεδώκασιν κ. I would refer my reader to Mr. Burton's notes upon it. However, this fenfe is one that fome of the critics give it, and which it may well bear. Ufher translates it, “ Ordinem præfcriptum:” and Hammond, « Seriem fucceffionis, catalogum.” The place being difficult, I will tranfcribe the whole paffage, and leave the conftruction to the reader: Καὶ ὁι ἀπόςολοι ἡμῶν ἔγνωσαν διὰ τὸ Κυρία ἡμῶν Ιησέ Χρισέ, ὅτι ἔρις ἔσαι ἐπὶ τῇ ὀνόμαζα τῆς ἐπισκοπῆς· διὰ ταύτην ἂν τὴν αἰτίαν, πρόγνωσιν εἰληφότες τελείαν, κατέςησαν τις προειρη μένες· καὶ μεταξὺ ἐπινομὴν δεδώκασιν, ὅπως ἐὰν κοι μηθῶσιν, διαδέξωνται ἕτεροι δεδοκιμασμένοι ἄνδρες τὴν λειτεργίαν αὐτῶν. Mr. Dodwell fays, that the ufage of ordaining the firft-fruits or earlieft converts to the miniftry continued to the time of Hadrian; after which, he adds, " not « ordo, not the time of perfons being converts, "but the merit was confidered 1." Where the elders of the firft fort failed, do doubt, but thefe were fixed, and "prefided « in the aflemblies of chriftians,” directing and managing the public worship, where there were extraordinary gifts of the Spirit (as the * § 44. 1 Dodw. Diff. on Iren. Diff. II. § xvii. first 66 first sort of elders had done before) as well as afterwards, when those gifts ceased. And thefe were called προῖςάμενοι ἐν Κυρίῳ, and the οἱ καλῶς προεςῶτες πρεσβύτεροι, “ the elders that "rule (or prefide) well:" efpecially, if they had the gift of the Spirit, that qualified them for ruling (or prefiding), as the elders in the apostles time feem to have had". St Paul adds, that "the elders that rule (or prefide) "well, fhould be counted worthy of double "honour (or ftipend) especially they who la"bour in the word and doctrine:" which feems to imply, that all elders ruled, or prefided; though all did not rule (or prefide) or teach well. So likewife St. Peter bids the elders "feed" (that is, teach)" the flock, taking the overfight thereof" (ruling, or prefiding) "not by constraint" (as a thing of course, and as what was expected from their ftanding in years, or christianity) "for filthy lucre" (or the ftipend that attended)" but of a ready mind." This diftinc 66 ❝ not tion of teaching and ruling elders feems to have lafted down to the days of Cyprian, where one may trace it plainly in these words of his, "Cum prefbyteris doctoribus docto"rem audientium conftituimus "." If there had not been in his time two forts of elders, one fort of which was teaching elders, he n See the First Effay. Theff. v. 12. Ep. xxix. would 66 would never have added "doctoribus" to prefbyteris." This is alfo very agreeable to what Tertullian fays afterwards, defcribing the worship of the Chriftians: "Coimus in "cœtum (id eft, ecclefiam) ut ad Deum, quafi manu facta precationibus orantes"ibidem etiam exhortationes, caftigationes, & "cenfuræ divinæ. Præfident probati qui 66 66 que feniores P." And thefe he calls elfewhere" præfidentes :" "Euchariftice facra"mentum, & tempore victus, & omnibus "mandatum eft a Domino, etiam antelucanis "cœtibus: nec ab aliorum manu quam præ"fidentium fumimus "." And perhaps these are "the elders that St. "Paul left Titus in Crete to ordain." Paul directs Titus to ordain fuch elders in every city as have faithful children, not accused "of riot or cruelty;" or, as he fays to Timothy of a bifhop (who was to be an elder), "one that ruleth well his own houfe, having "his children in fubjection with gravity;" which fhews plainly that the elders were men fomewhat advanced in years, who had children of fuch an age as to be capable of being orderly or riotous. This is the more probable, because Timothy not being an elder in any of these senses, St. Paul feems to excufe his lay 66 ing his hands on him, to impart gifts for the office of an evangelift, from prophecy that directed it"; and also to enjoin fo particularly that "no man fhould defpife his youth; and to caution the Corinthians against it * though ordinarily a novice in chriftianity, or one newly converted to chriftianity, was not even to be appointed a bishop, and therefore one would imagine much lefs an evangelist, which was an higher office in the church . And this perhaps too is the reafon why Paul infifts fo much on Timothy's" rebuking and reproving with gentlenefs, gravity, authority, and (particularly with) purity." Timothy was a very young man, and but just converted, when Paul would have him go forth with him as an evangelift, and prefently after made ufe of him in converting the Theffalonians a; if he did not make use of him in that work immediately in Galatia, Phrygia, Myfia, and the other cities of Macedonia, before he came to Theffalonica, as it is highly probable he did. And for this reafon it is that, after Paul directs Timothy, in the place I quoted before ", " not to re"buke an elder, but intreat him as a father; "the younger men as brethren; the elder 66 66 66 "women as mothers, and the younger women as fifters," that he adds, "with all purity:" because Timothy, being a young man, was to take particular care "to flee youthful lufts." If this be the true defcription of elders and apostles, it will naturally follow who were "the brethren:" all that believed, who were not elders or apoftles; or, if you please, all that believed, who had not feen Chrift while he was upon earth, and had not the Holy Ghoft alfo poured out upon them; that is, communicated without the laying on of hands. Thus thofe five hundred are called " brethren" by St. Paul, of whom Chrift had been "feen at once, after he was rifen from the "dead, the greater part of whom are fallen ́ 66 afleep;" the Holy Ghoft not having fallen upon them as to be fure all thofe alfo muft, who were converted to chriftianity after Christ's death and refurrection, though the Holy Ghoft fell down on them; which was the cafe of Saul, of Cornelius and his family, and of the great number of idolatrous Gentiles that were first converted to chriftianity at Antioch in Pifidiae. All thefe, who had not feen Christ, and had not alfo had the Holy Ghost immediately fallen down upon C 2 Tim. i. 22. 3 I Cor. xv. 6. them, 7 |