apostles, Clement received the episcopate ; "who (as Irenæus observes) saw, and heard, and conferred with the apostles themselves." Clement was followed by Euaristus; Euaristus, by Alexander; Alexander, by Sixtus; Sixtus, by Telesphorus ; Telesphorus, by Hyginus; Hyginus, by Pius; Pius, by Anicetus; Anicetus, by Soter; and Soter, by Eleutherius; who as Irenæus remarks, held, at the precise time when he was writing this account, the Roman episcopate, in the twelfth degree from the apostles.*

independence of the church, and refused to submit to the encroachments of the bishop of Rome, and his legate, Augustine the Monk; which must convince the reader, that popery, was an innovation, and not the faith of the first christian bishops, and converts, in this kingdom.

* Polycarp was ordained bishop of Smyrna, by St. John, and in the chronography of Johannes Malela Antio. chenus, (a manuscript in the public library at Oxford,) it is stated that at the beginning of the reign of Claudius Cæsar, about ten years after Christ's ascension, Euodius next after St. Peter, was ordained bishop of Antioch, the metropolis of Syria. This author adds, that in his time, the name of Christians, Acts xi. 20, began, Euodius preaching to them, and imposing that name upon them, who were before called Nazareans and Galileans.

Now exactly on the same principle, that Irenæus is an unexceptionable witness of the facts which occurred before his very eyes, Clement also is an unexceptionable witness of the facts, which occurred to his personal knowledge.* Let us hear the holy man deliver his evidence, in behalf of episcopacy, in his own words.

"It will behove us to take care, that looking into the depths of divine knowledge, we do all things in order, whatsoever our Lord hath commanded us to do, and particularly, that we perform our offerings and service to God, at their appointed seasons: for these he hath commanded to be done, not rashly and disorderly, but at certain determinate times and hours. Therefore he hath ordained, by his supreme will and authority, both where and by what persons they are to be performed; that so all things, being piously done unto all well-pleasing, may be acceptable to him. Hence it is, that they, who make their offerings at the appointed seasons, are happy and accepted, because, that obeying the com

Sce Faber's learned Treatise on Romanism.

mandments of the Lord, they are free from sin. And the same care must be had of the persons, that minister unto him. For the chief priest has his proper services; and to the priests their proper place is appointed : and to the Levites appertain their due ministrations: and the layman is confined within the bounds of what is commanded to laymen. Let every one of you, therefore, brethren, bless God in his proper station, with

good conscience, and with all gravity, not exceeding the rule of his service, that is appointed to him. The apostles have preached to us from our Lord Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ from God. Christ therefore was sent by God; the apostles by Christ. So both their offices were orderly fulfilled, according to the will of God. For having received their command, and being fully assured by the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and being convinced by the word of God, and the evidence of the Holy Spirit, they went abroad, publishing, that the kingdom of God was at hand. Thus preaching through countries and cities, and proving by the spirit, the first fruits of their conversion, they appointed bishops and ministers, over such as

should afterwards believe. And, in truth, what wonder is it, if they, to whom such a work was committed by God, in Christ, established such officers as we before mentioned; when even that blessed and faithful servant in all his house, Moses, set down in the holy scriptures, all things that were commanded him. For our apostles knew, by our Lord Jesus Christ, that contentions would arise, on account of the ministry. And, therefore, having a perfect foreknowledge of this, they appointed persons, as we have before said, and then gave direction how, when they should die, other chosen and approved men should succeed in their ministry. Wherefore, we cannot think, that those may justly be thrown out of their ministry, who were either appointed by them, or who were afterwards ordained, with the consent of the whole church."

It will be recollected, that I profess only to be concerned with evidence to facts. What then are the facts, for which Clement, the friend and cotemporary of the apostles, has undertaken to vouch? he vouches, if I mistake not, in

terms which cannot be misunderstood, for the divine institution, and the eternal obligation of that form of ecclesiastical polity, which, from its highest order, is usually denominated episcopal; he places the institution upon the same divine authority, as the matters ordained by Moses, according to the commandment which he received from heaven; he declares, that one great object of the institution was, the prevention of schism and disorder, it being the duty of each individual, to serve God in his own appointed station, while the episcopate, viewed collectively, serves as a general centre of union he specifies, that, as the apostles were ordained of Christ, so they, by his authority, ordained their successors; the same power afterward descending from generation to generation, down to the very end of time: and he intimates, as well knowing the mind of the inspired apostles, from direct personal communication with them, that it was unlawful to eject from their ministry (save, of course, when some unhappy and real necessity demanded their canonical deposition), officers, who had been consecrated either