284 PRIMITIVE MODE OF ORDINATION. action commonly the clergy propounded and recommended a per- son or persons, and the people by their consent approve, or by their suffrages elect one,' a strict examinationof his life anddoctrine in- tervening ;the which order Tertullian briefly intimates in these words, " The presidentsof the church are certain elders well approved, who have obtained that honour not byprice, but by proof."' It may be inquired how a bishop then was ordained, in case his city was very remote from any other churches? Did they send for bishops from distant places to ordain him? or did the presbyters of the place lay their hands on him? or did he receive no other ordination than that he had before of presbyter? or did he abide no bishop till opportunity yielded bishops to ordain him? or did Providence order that there should be no such soli- tarychurches? The ancient commentator (in Eph. iv. 11), contempo- rary to St Ambrose, and bearing his name, conceived that upon de- cease of a bishop theelder of the presbyters succeeded into hisplace.' Whence had he this, out of his invention and conjecture, or from some tradition and history? Afterward, when the faithwas [so] diffused through manyprovinces that churches grew thick and close, the general practice was this: The neighbour bishops, being advertised of a vacancy or want of a bishop, convened at the place; then, in the congregation, the clergy of the place propounded a person, yielding their attestation to his fitness for the charge; which the people hearing, gave their suffrages, acceptinghim ifno weighty causewere objected against him, or refusing him if such cause appeared. Then, upon such recommendation and acceptance, the bishops present adjoined their approbation and con- sent; then, by their devotions and solemn laying on of their hands, they ordained or consecrated him to the function. Of this course, most commonly practised in his time, we have divers plain testimonies in St Cyprian, the best author extant con- cerning these matters of ancient discipline. He says, "From divine tradition and apostolical observation is to be observed and held, which is also held with us, and through almost all the provinces, that for duly celebrating ordinations, all the neighbourbishops should resort unto that people for whom a bishop is ordained, and a bishop should be chosen in the presenceof the people, who most fully know the life of each one, and have, from his conversation, a thorough in- sight into his practice,whichwe have seen done with you in the or- I Kai oIra óazrpcaVoAmoav orpárov, ,iroe Braxove'rrwcav, ¿o',o ero/ Ioraç.-I Tim. iii. lo. I Proesident probati quique seniores, honorem istum non pretio, sed testimonio adepti. Tertul., Apol. xxxix. Plena diligentia, exploratione sincera.Cypr., Ep. lxviii. 3 Primum presbyteri episcopi appellabantur, ut recedente uno sequens ei succederet, &c. Vid. Dist. lxvi. cap. 2. " At first presbyters were called bishops, that one de- parting, the next might succeed him."
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