deacons, viz. the Rev. Richard F. Cadle, and the Rev. Henry P. Powers, to priest's orders.

Within the same period, the Rev. Lewis P. Bayard has removed, to the diocese of New York; the Rev. Simon Wilmer to the diocese of Virginia; the Rev. Augustus Fitch, deacon, to the diocese of New York; the Rev. Daniel Higbie, to the diocese of Delaware; the Rev. George H Woodruff, (since deceased,) to the diocese of Pennsylvania; and the Rev. Abiel Carter, to Savannah, in Georgia.

The bishop has also, within that time, instituted the Rev. Richard F. Cadle, to the rectorship of St. John's church, Salem; the Rev. Jacob M. Douglass, to the rectorship of Trinity church, Swedesborough; and the Rev. Henry P. Powers, to the rectorship of Trinity church, Newark.

The Rev. John M Ward, has taken charge of St Peter's church, Spotswood, and St. Peter's Freehold; and the Rev. William L. Johnson, late of the diocese of New York, of St. Michael's church, Tren

ton.

Robert B. Croes, is at present the only candidate for holy orders. The number of baptisms reported to the last three diocesan conventions, is four hundred and twenty-three. The number of persons who have been confirmed, is two hundred and eleven. The communicants in the diocese amount to seven hundred and forty. Attention is generally paid to the canons and rubricks of the Church, and her authority is respected in the diocese.

The Sunday schools are flourishing, and promise much good. Very considerable benefit is derived from the missionary fund, which is gradually increasing. It has already been the means, under the Divine blessing, of preserving and rescuing several churches from impending ruin, and of fostering and improving the condition of others.

The fund of the corporation for the relief of widows and children of clergymen, is in a very prosperous state; upwards of $ 8000 of which

are now at interest.

The Episcopal Society of this diocese, for the promotion of Christian knowledge and piety, which was instituted principally for the distribution of bibles, prayer books, and tracts, has succeeded beyond calculation. Its support is derived chiefly from four or five congregations; yet it has been able, through the smiles of Providence, to distribute, and almost altogether gratuitously, upwards of two thousand prayer books, besides a large number of bibles, and more than five thousand tracts. Its permanent fund also exceeds $1000.

The congregations, with an occasional exception of one or two, are visited yearly by the bishop.

From all these circumstances, it is evident that the Church in this diocese is regularly improving, both in its temporal and spiritual concerns. May it, under the blessing of its divine Founder and Head, still proceed and become instrumental, in a higher degree, to the promotion of his glory, and the best interests of men.

(TO BE CONTINUed.)

We come now to consider what officers have been appointed in.

the Christian church.

Under the old dispensation there were the three orders of high priests, priests, and Levites. And though the priesthood was changed by our Lord, we have no account that he changed the number of orders, and of course may conclude that the same number was to. continue. And this conclusion is supported by Divine authority. When our Lord rose from the dead, and completed the organization of his church under its new form, he raised the apostles to the first office, and thus gave them power to ordain. "As my Father hath sent me, so send I you.' As he hath sent me to preach and ordain, so send I you to do the same. And he promised to be with them and their successors; 66 Lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." This transaction is evidently to be understood according to the opinion of Jerome, who lived in the fourth century.

"There

is no one, says he, "but what knows, that our Saviour did constitute bishops in the churches; for before he ascended into heaven, be laid his hands upon the apostles, and ordained them bishops." The apostles, being thus constituted, soon began the exercise of their office. Seven deacons were chosen at Jerusalem, and were ordained by prayer and the laying on of the apostles' hands. And these deacons. were authorized to preach and baptize, as may be seen in the case of Stephen and Philip, and as is plainly declared by succeeding Christian writers. Besides these, we soon read of elders or presbyters, as a distinct order of men. In the New Testament the officers. of the first order are generally called apostles; those of the second, prophets, evangelists, or elders; those of the third, teachers or deacons. The title of bishop is sometimes used by the inspired writers, but does not appear to be clearly appropriated to any particular office though after the apostolick age it was applied exclusively to the first order, and the title of apostle was discontinued. Of all the three orders St. Paul speaks to the Corinthians, "God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers." And he interrogates; "Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers?" When a church was formed at Antioch, it is said there. 14 GOSPEL ADVOCATE, VOL. IV.

were in it "certain prophets and teachers," men of the second and third orders; and as that church was frequently visited by the apostles, it enjoyed the ministration of all the three orders.

were

We are informed by ecclesiastical history, that when the apostles went forth from Jerusalem, to preach the gospel in other regions, they left James to be bishop of that place, with some elders or presbyters to assist him. And there were deacons also there at the same time, and occasionally some other of the apostles. On a certain occasion the disciples are said to come from Antioch "to consult with the apostles and elders." And when they arrived at Jerusalem, they "received by the apostles and elders" And the apostles and elders" decided the question laid before them, and wrote a letter to Antioch in the name of the apostles and elders and the whole church." When Paul returned from his mission among the Gentiles, he went in unto James, all the elders being present.' Thus in a short time after our Lord's ascension, we read of apostles and elders in the church at Jerusalem; James being their stationary bishop, and some deacons officiating under him.

66

The distinction of office may be observed, with more or less clearness. in the bistory of St. Paul's travels. When he and Barnabas went forth together, they took with them John, whose surname was Mark. Of this man, St. Paul speaks to Timothy, and says, "he was profitable to me for the ministry." And here let it be remarked, that in almost all cases, where the apostolick writers speak of minister or ministry the original word is deacon. This Mark, then, was a deacon travelling with the two apostles When Paul parted from Barnabas, he took with him Silas or Silvanus, who is called a prophet, and, of course, was of the second order. Timothy was afterwards admitted into their company, and was called a deacon. 1 Thess. fii. 2. So that here were an apostle, an elder, and a deacon; Paul, Silvanus, and Timotheus. In their name the two epistles to the Thessalonians were written; “ Paul, Silvanus, and Timotheus unto the church of the Thessalonians " And to the Corinthians the apostle says, "The Son of God was preached among you by us, even by me, and Silvanus, and Timotheus." These three persons and their offices are also distinguished in some other parts of their history.

In the epistles to Timothy and Titus this matter is exhibited in very plain terms. A note at the end of the epistle to Titus represents that he was "ordained the first bishop of the church of the Cretians." The apostle says, "I left thee in Crete to set in order the things that are wanting, and to ordain elders in every city." Thus there were to be elders in every city, and Titus was to ordain them all; which appears to indicate, that one elder could not ordain another. To Timothy the language is still more explicit. He is said to have been "ordained first bishop of the church of the Ephesians," having doubtless many elders and separate congregations under bis care. And he received his ordination "by the laying on of St. Paul's hands," "with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery." Perhaps the presbyters, to show their concurrence in the act,

laid on their hands with those of the apostle. Timothy had been a deacon, but was now ordained a bishop, to superintend the churches of Ephesus. There were two orders below him; but yet the directions concerning ordination and clerical discipline were given to him alone. "Lay hands suddenly on no man,;" as though he alone was to perform tha: work. "The things which thou hast heard of me, the

same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also." And again, "Receive not an accusation against an elder, but

before two or three witnesses." "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour" Thus he appears to have had jurisdiction over the elders in that quarter, not only to ordain, but to receive accusations, examine witnesses, rebuke, &c. They would not have been amenable to him, if they had not held a subordinate office. With respect to deacons, also, the apostle gives him directions. "The deacons must be grave, &c." "These things write I unto thee, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God," &c. Thus it appears, that the superintendence of the churches of Ephesus was committed to Timothy, and that there were elders and deacons under him. It is then evident from scripture, that in the apostolick age there were three distinct orders of ministers in the Christian church, and that the power of ordination was appropriated solely to the first order. So that the priesthood resembled what it was under the old dispensation, and the prophecy of Isaiah was accomplished, "I will declare my glory among the gentiles, and will take of them for priests and for Levites, saith the Lord "

But it has been objected, that the apostles have sometimes called themselves elders. It might be said also, that they have much more frequently called themselves deacons, and have even applied that title to our Lord Jesus Christ. (See Rom. xv. 8; Eph. iii 7; 1 Cor. iii. 5, &c. in the Greek) This, however, does not prove, but that they were something more than deacons or elders Every bishop possesses, not only the power of his own order, but also of all the orders below him. So that, if by way of condescension he chooses to call himself a deacon, or an elder, or a priest.there is no incorrectness in his language, nor any evidence that he is not a bishop or an apostle. The titles of apostle and elder are clearly distinguished in the New Testament; and though an apostle may without any impropriety call himself an elder or presbyter, yet a mere elder or presbyter has no right to assume the title of apostle.

That the writer has drawn the proper inference from the scripture authorities above quoted, will further appear, if we refer to eminent Christian writers, who lived soon after the apostles. It will not be here contended, that those writers were better judges of Christian doctrine, than intelligent readers at the present day. But though their opinion as judges will not be insisted on, yet their testimony as witnesses to a matter of fact must never be refused. They were certainly acquainted with the constitution and order of the Christian church; and they were as certainly men of integrity and truth, or they would not have given up their lives, as many of them did, in

defence of the faith. Who, then, will question the correctness of their statements, when they speak of facts that were clearly within their knowledge? Let us then listen to some of their testimony.

Ignatius was a disciple of St. John, and was ordained bishop of Antioch by St. Peter, and suffered for the faith but a few years after St. John's death. After he was sentenced to his martyrdom, he wrote a number of epistles to different churches, which are preserved to this day. In one addressed to the Magnesians, he speaks of Damas their most excellent bishop, and of Bassus and Apollonius their presbyters, and of Sotion their deacon. And he says, It will not become you to use your bishop too familiarly on account of his youth, but to yield all reverence to him, as I perceive that your holy presbyters do." "In another part of this epistle, he exhorts them to "do all things in a divine concord, their bishop, their presbyters, and their deacons all acting in their various stations." In an epistle to the Trallians, he uses much language to the same effect. "Do nothing without your bishop; be subject to your presbyters; and let the deacons be inoffensive towards all." In another paragraph, "Let all reverence the deacons, and the bishop, and the presbyters." Speaking afterwards against heresies and divisions, he says, "He that is within the altar is pure; but he that is without, that is, that does any thing without the bishop and presbyters and deacons, is not pure in his conscience." In writing to the Philadelphians, he addresses them as being "at unity with the bishop, and presbyters that are with him, and deacons appointed according to the mind of Christ Jesus." Again he says, "There is but one flesh of our Lord Jesus Christ, and one cup in the unity of his blood, one altar; as also there is one bishop, together with his presbytery, and the deacons my fellow servants." And again, "I cried, while I was among you, attend to the bishop, and to the presbytery, and to the deacons." To the Smyrneans he uses language to the same effect; " I salute your worthy bishop, and your venerable presbytery, and your deacons my fellow servants. Again he addresses them in an epistle to Polycarp their bishop, " My soul for theirs, who submit to their bishop, with their presbyters and deacons."

Irenæus was about fifty years later than Ignatius, and was instructed by Polycarp, who was a disciple of St. John. He says, "We can reckon those, whom the apostles appointed bishops in the churches, and who they were that succeeded them, down to our own times."

Clement, of Alexandria, wrote about the same time. In a sort of catechism which he published, after speaking of the duties of Christians in general, he says, "There are many other precepts which concern men in particular stations; some which relate to presbyters, others to bishops, and others to deacons." And he makes the same distinction of office in some other parts of his writings.

But a little more than a hundred years from St. John's death, flourished the great Origen, who was one of the most learned men in the primitive church. He teaches, that "Besides the duties common to all Christians, there is a duty peculiar to deacons, another to presby