VII. Touching the next point, how bishops together with presbyters have used to govern the churches which were under them: it is by Zonaras somewhat plainly and at large declared, that the bishop had his seat on high in the church above the residue which were present; that a number of presbyters did always there assist him; and that in the oversight of the people those presbyters were after a sort the bishop’s coadjutors1. The bishops [bishop?] and presbyters who together with him governed the Church, are for the most part by Ignatius jointly mentioned. In the epistle to them of Trallis2, he saith of presbyters that they are σύμβουλοι καὶ συνέδρευται του̑ ἐπισκόπου, “counsellors and assistants of the bishop;” and concludeth in the end, “He that should disobey these were a plain atheist, and an irreligious person, and one that did set Christ himself and his own ordinances at nought.” Which order making presbyters or priests the bishop’s assistants doth not import that they were of equal authority with him, but rather so adjoined that they also were subject, as hath been proved. In the writings of St. Cyprian3 nothing is more usual than to make mention of the college of presbyters subject unto the bishop, although in handling the common affairs of the Church they assisted him. But of all other places which open the ancient order of episcopal presbyters the most clear is that epistle of Cyprian unto Cornelius4, concerning certain Novatian heretics received again upon their conversion into the unity of the Church5. “After that Urbanus and Sidonius, confessors, had come and signified unto our presbyters, that Maximus a confessor and presbyter did together with them desire to return into the Church, it seemed meet to hear from their own mouths and confessions that which by message they had delivered. When they were come, and had been called to account by the presbyters touching those things they had committed, their answer was, that they had been deceived, and did request that such things as there they were charged with might be forgotten. It being brought unto me what was done, I took order that the presbytery might be assembled. There were also present five bishops, that upon settled advice it might be with consent of all determined what should be done about their persons.” Thus far St. Cyprian. Wherein it may be peradventure demanded, whether he and other bishops did thus proceed with advice of their presbyters in all such public affairs of the Church, as being thereunto bound by ecclesiastical canons, or else that they voluntarily so did, because they judged it in discretion as then most convenient. Surely the words of Cyprian are plain, that of his own accord he chose this way of proceeding, “6Unto that,” saith he, “which Donatus, and Fortunatus, and Novatus, and Gordius, our com-presbyters, have written, I could by myself alone make no answer, forasmuch as at the very first entrance into my bishoprick I resolutely determined not to do any thing of mine own private judgment, without your counsel and the people’s consent.” The reason whereof he rendereth in the same epistle, saying7, “When by the grace of God myself shall come unto you,” (for St. Cyprian was now in exile,) “of things which either have been or must be done we will consider, sicut honor mutuus poscit, as the law of courtesy which one doth owe to another of us requireth.” And at this very mark doth St. Jerome evermore aim in telling bishops that presbyters were at the first their equals, that in some churches for a long time no bishop was made but only such as the presbyters did choose out amongst themselves, and therefore no cause why the bishop should disdain to consult with them, and in weighty affairs of the Church to use their advice. Sometime to countenance their own actions, or to repress the boldness of proud and insolent spirits, that which bishops had in themselves sufficient authority and power to have done, notwithstanding they would not do alone, but craved therein the aid and assistance of other bishops, as in the case of those Novatian heretics, before alleged, Cyprian himself did. And in Cyprian we find of others the like practice. Rogatian a bishop, having been used contumeliously by a deacon of his own church, wrote thereof his complaint unto Cyprian and other bishops. In which case their answer was8, “That although in his own cause he did of humility rather shew his grievance, than himself take revenge, which by the vigour of his apostolical office and the authority of his chair he might have presently done, without any further delay;” yet if the party should do again as before, their judgments were, “fungaris circa eum potestate honoris tui, et eum vel deponas vel abstineas;”—“use on him that power which the honour of thy place giveth thee, either to depose him or exclude him from access unto holy things.”
The bishop for his assistance and ease had under him, to guide and direct deacons in their charge, his archdeacon, so termed in respect of care over deacons, albeit himself were not deacon but presbyter. For the guidance of presbyters in their function the bishop had likewise under him one of the selfsame order with them, but above them in authority, one whom the ancients termed usually an arch-presbyter9, we at this day name him dean. For most certain truth it is that churches cathedral and the bishops of them are as glasses, wherein the face and very countenance of apostolical antiquity remaineth even as yet to be seen, notwithstanding the alterations which tract of time and the course of the world hath brought. For defence and maintenance of them we are most earnestly bound to strive, even as the Jews were for their temple and the high priest of God therein: the overthrow and ruin of the one, if ever the sacrilegious avarice of Atheists should prevail so far, which God of his infinite mercy forbid, ought no otherwise to move us than the people of God were moved, when having beheld the sack and combustion of his sanctuary in most lamentable manner flaming before their eyes, they uttered from the bottom of their grieved spirits those voices of doleful supplication10, “Exsurge Domine et miserearis Sion; Servi tui diligunt lapides ejus, pulveris ejus miseret eos.”
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Footnotes
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Ὥσπερ σύμπονοι δοθέντες τῳ̑ ἐπισκόπῳ. Zonaras, 1029-1118. in Can. Apost. [Can. 58. ap. Beveridge, Synod. i. 38. καὶ τὸ ὄνομα δὲ του̑ ἐπισκόπου εἰς νη̑ψιν αὐτὸν διεγείρει· σκοπὸς γὰρ ὠνόμασται· τὸν δὲ σκοπὸν ἐγρηγορέναι δει̑, ἀλλ’ οὐ ῥαθυμει̑ν· διὰ του̑το τοι̑ς ἐπισκόποις ἐν τῳ̑ θυσιαστηρίῳ καθέδρα ἐϕ’ ὕψους ἵδρυται, δηλου̑ντος του̑ πράγματος, οἱ̑ον εἰ̑ναι του̑τον, καὶ ὅτι δει̑ τὸν ὑπ’ αὐτὸν λαὸν ὁρᾳ̑ν ἀϕ’ ὕψους, καὶ ἐπισκοπει̑ν ἀκριβέστερον· καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι συνιστάναι ἐκει̑ τῳ̑ ἐπισκόπῳ καὶ συγκαθη̑σθαι ἐτάχθησαν, ἵνα καὶ οὑ̑τοι διὰ τη̑ς ἀϕ’ ὕψους καθέδρας ἐνάγωνται εἰς τὸ ἐϕορᾳ̑ν τὸν λαὸν, καὶ καταρτίζειν αὐτὸν, ὥσπερ σύμπονοι δοθέντες τῳ̑ ἐπισκόπῳ.] ↩
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[Cap. 7. τί δὲ πρεσβυτερίον, ἀλλ’ ἢ σύστημα ἱερὸν, σύμβουλοι καὶ συνεδρευταὶ του̑ ἐπισκόπου; … ὁ τοίνυν τούτων παρακούων, ἄθεος πάμπαν εἴη ἂν, καὶ δυσσεβής, καὶ ἀθετω̑ν Χριστὸν, καὶ τὴν αὐτου̑ διάταξιν σμικρύνων. ap. Coteler. ii. 63.] ↩
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“Cum episcopo presbyteri sacerdotali honore conjuncti.” Ep. 28. [qu. 68? p. 118. ed. Baluzii. “Nec hoc in episcoporum tantum et sacerdotum, sed et in diaconorum ordinationibus observasse apostolos animadvertimus … nequis ad altaris ministerium vel ad sacerdotalem locum indignus obreperet.”] “Ego et compresbyteri nostri qui nobis adsidebant.” Ep. 27. [66. p. 114.] ↩
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[It should be “Cornelius unto Cyprian.”] ↩
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[Ep. 46. p. 60. ed. Baluz. “Posteaquam Urbanus et Sidonius confessores ad compresbyteros nostros venerunt, affirmantes Maximum confessorem et presbyterum secum pariter cupere in ecclesiam redire, … . ex ipsorum ore et confessione ista quæ per legationem mandaverant placuit audiri. Qui cum venissent, et a presbyteris quæ gesserant exigerentur… . circumventos se esse affirmaverunt, … . qui cum hæc et cætera eis fuissent exprobrata, ut abolerentur et de memoria tollerentur deprecati sunt. Omni igitur actu ad me perlato, placuit contrahi presbyterium. Adfuerunt etiam episcopi quinque, … ut firmato consilio quid circa personam eorum observari deberet consensu omnium statueretur.”] ↩
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Cypr. Ep. 93. [5. p. 11. “Ad id quod scripserunt mihi compresbyteri nostri Donatus et Fortunatus, Novatus, et Gordius, solus rescribere nihil potui, quando a primordio episcopatus mei statuerim nihil sine consilio vestro et sine consensu plebis mea privatim sententia gerere.”] ↩
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[Ibid. “Sed cum ad vos per Dei gratiam venero, tunc de iis quæ vel gesta sunt vel gerenda, sicut honor mutuus poscit, in commune tractabimus.”] ↩
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Cypr. Ep. [65. al. 3. c. 1. vid. supr. c. vi. § 7. p. 172, note 2.] ↩
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Such a one was that Peter whom Cassiodore writing the life of Chrysostom doth call the archpresbyter of the church of Alexandria under Theophilus at that time bishop. [Hist. Eccles. Tripartit. lib. x. cap. 10.] ↩
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Psalm cii. 13, 14. ↩