166 SCRIPTURAL EQUALITY OF BISHOPS. monly styled a bishop the highest priest, and episcopacy the top of ecclesiastical orders.' " The chief priest," says Tertullian, " that is, the bishop, has the right of giving baptism. "' "Although," says St Ambrose, " the presbyters also do it, yet the beginning of the ministry is from the highest priest."3 Optatus calls bishops " the tops and princes of all."' " The divine order of bishops," says Dionysius, " is the first of divine orders; the same being also the extreme and last of them; for into it all the frame of our hierarchy is resolved and accom- plished."' This language is common even among popes themselves, comply- ing with the speech then current; for, " Presbyters," says Pope Inno- cent I., "although they are priests, yet have they not the summit of high priesthood."6 "No man," says Pope Zosimus I., "against the precepts of the fathers, should presume to aspire to the highest priesthood of the church."' " It is decreed," says Pope Leo. I., " that the chorepiscopi, or presbyters, who figure the sons of Aaron, shall not presume to snatch that which the princes of the priests, whom Moses and Aaron did typify, are commanded to do."' Note, by the way, that seeing, ac- cording to this pope's mind, after St Jerome, Moses and Aaron in 1 Avrò r, Kupíau MazAisYras áxaxouAiav vrpaypaárav rois pair ivvoxávro,s rie r77c í<ip 4pa- úvfj4 [veipaapoty, &c.Const. Apost. viii. 46. 2 Dandi quidem jus habet summus sacerdos, qui est episcopus. Tert. de Rapt., cap. xvii. 3 Licet enim et presbyteri faciant, tarnen exordium ministerii est a summo sacer- dote.Ambr. de Saar. iii. 1. Suscepisti gubernacula summi sacerdotii. Id., Ep. v. 4 Apiceset principes omnium sacerdotes. Opt. i. Ecclesite salus in summi sacer- dotis dignitate pendet.Hier. contr. Lucif. iv. " The safety of the church depends upon the dignity of thehigh priest." Ego dignus summo sacerdotio decernebar.Id., Ep. xcix. ad Anil, Inepiscopo omnes ordines sunt, quia primus sacerdos est; hoc est, princeps sacerdotum, et propheta et evangelista, et cetera adimplenda officia ecclesiæ in ministerio fidelium.Ambr. in Eph. iv. 11. " In the bishop there are all orders, because he is the first priest ; that is, the prince of priests, and prophet, and evangelist, and all other offices of the church, to be fulfilled in the ministry of the faithful" 5 'H & ío ròïv $spapxmv rá ,s, &c., supr. Pontifex princeps sacerdotum est, quasi via sequentium ; ipse et summus sacerdos, ipse et pontifex maximus nuncupatur. Isid. Hisp., spud Grat. Dist. xxi. cap. 1. 6 Nam presbyteri, licet sint sacerdotes, pontificatus tarnen apicem non habent. P. Irene. I., Ep. i. ad Decent. dum facile imponuntur manus, dum negligenter summus sacerdos eligitur. Id., Ep. xii. ad Aurek 7 Ne quis contra patrum prrecepta ... ad summum ecclesiæ sacerdotium aspirare praesumeret. P. Zos. I., Ep. i. adResych. Ideoque id quod tantum facere principibus sacerdotum jussum est, quorum typum Moses et Aaron tenuerunt, omnino decretum est, ut chorepiscopi vel presbyteri, qui filiorum Aaron gestant figuram, arriperenon prsesumant. P. Leo, Ep. lxxxviii. Ponti- ficatus apicem non habent. Ibid. Vid. Ep. lxxxiv. cap. 5; S. Hier. adEvagr. Ut scia- mus traditions apostolicas sumptas de Veteri Testamento, Quod Aaron et filii ejus atque Levitm in templo fuerunt, hoc sibi episcopi, presbyteri et diaconi vindicant in ecclesia. Or. xix. p. 809.
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