NO FOUNDATION FOR THIS PAPALASSUMPTION. 283 derived from ambition and avarice, subsisting upon usurpation, up- held by violence. This will appear from a survey of ancient rules and practices con- cerning this matter. The first constitution after our Lord's decease of an ecclesiastical person was that of Matthias into the vacant apostolate or bishopric of Judas;' wherein, upon St Peter's motion, all the disciples pre- sent, by consent, presented two,' out of which God himself elected one,' by determining the lot to fall upon Matthias: so that this de- signation being partly human, partly divine, so far as it was human, it went by free election of the whole fraternity, and St Peter, beside generally suggesting the matter to be done, assumed nothingpeculiar to himself. The next constitution we meet with is that of deacons, to assist the apostles and elders in discharge of inferior offices; wherein the apostles committed the designation of the persons to the "multi- tude of the disciples," who elected them and presented them to the apostles, who by prayer and laying on of hands ordained them.' Nor had St Peter in this action any particular stroke. As to the constitution of bishops, in the first apostolical times, the course was this: The apostles, and apostolical persons (who were au- thorized by the apostles to act with their power and in their stead), in churches founded by them, constituted bishops, such as divine inspiration or their grace of discretion guided them to.° So did St John in Asia, "setting those apart for the clergy whom the Spirit had marked out"' This was not done without the consent of theChristian people, as Clemens Romanus tells us inhis excellent epistle to the Corinthians.' But he does not acquaint us, although he was himself bishop of Rome, that the pope had any thing to do in such constitutions or in confirmations of them. " The whole church," says he, " con- senting;"why does he not add, for his own sake, "and the pope confirming?" In the next times, when those extraordinary persons and faculties had expired, when usually the churches planted were in situation somewhat incoherent and remote from each other, upon a vacancy the clergy and people of each church elected its bishop; in which .Evrrozoa'ñv aúrov xáCar 7TSpo;. Acts 1. 20. 2 Ka; Verge 23. 8 'AvaErE,av ÓV TOÚTWr 14;, óúa viva. Verse 24. 4 Tó vrll' ; TWV psaAnTwv zai iE,Ea.iavme. Acts Ti. 2, 5. ' Kai zaraor,og; xamá vróxry orpsoßuTipau;, áu; iyw car ówraEáptnv. Til. i. 5. aarp'out vrrsulsámwv. -1 Cor. xii. 10. 8 KxñpW Iva ys zanpr%+av TGIV úoró TO; vrvsúftama; cn¡.Earvapirov. Eus. iii. 23. Toú; oúv %ama,csai ma; v,r' i%srVWV, m pasragú ú!Q' iripav ia.a.cyípcav dvapo -'v, OE/VEVOaxn- oáon; ixxxncía; vrsion;.Clem. EP P. 57.
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