but he supposes a higher order existed; and accounts Epaphroditus to have been the apostle of the Philippians. But Paul denominates him only their messenger to bring him supplies. Titus he places over Crete, and Timothy over the churches of Asia; and thinks the same rules which were given to presbyters, were applicable to those of such superior rank, who afterwards took the name bishop exclusively, and left the title apostle to those who were "truly" such. But this unsupported conjecture of a primitive ordinary office, superior to presbyters in every church, of which no one has ever shown a syllable of proof, badly accords with what he has said on Titus, first chapter, of the "custom" that there should be one bishop, and a plurality of presbyters in each city.

The introduction of episcopacy in India, shown in each of these histories, is substantially the same. Meropius, a Tyrian philosopher, following the recent example of Metrodorus, went with his two nephews, Edesius and Frumentius, into India in pursuit of knowledge. Having explored the country, they thought to return in a vessel. Landing in a port of India for refreshments, they were seized, the philosopher slain, and the youths made captives. They served the king till his demise, and remained with the queen during the minority of his son. Frumentius sought out Roman traders there, with whom, and some natives, he worshiped. Emancipated, they returned together unto the Roman borders, when Edesius went home to Tyre, Frumentius to Alexandria, unto Athanasius. He showed him the prospect in India, was ordained bishop, and, returning by sea, successfully planted the gospel in India. In the first apology of Athanasius to Constantius, he complains that the emperor had written to Atzanias and Sazamas, the governors of Auxumis, to send Frumentius, whom Athanasius had or

ii Socrates, lib. i. c. 19. Sozomen, lib. ii. c. 24. Theod. Hist. Eccles. lib. i. c. 23.

dained, to George, bishop of Alexandria, to be tried, or instructed; and requires that the people and clergy should become Arians, and if any disobey, they must be put to death. If this be the same Frumentius, Abyssinia was the India in this history, for Auxumis is a city eastward from the head of the Nile, and towards the sea. But there are reasons against that supposition. Admitting that a colony of the Indi settled in Africa, and were still called by that name; yet the country to the south-east of Persia at the period of those writers was, and still is, India.kk Also, the youths appear to have gone from Tyre unto, and returned from, India by land. Neither of the historians mention Auxumis, or appear to have thought of Abyssinia. They allege, there was a king in India not subject to the Romans, but the letter of Constantius is addressed to two governors, and requires them to act in a style suitable to their being his subjects, conferring upon them the dignity of Roman citizens. Socrates speaks of the India to which Bartholomew came, and evidently had on his mind the account given by Eusebius," who says, that Pantænus had visited the place to which Bartholomew went, and had found a Hebrew copy of Matthew's gospel there; nevertheless, Socrates asserts that the Christian religion did not enlighten them before the time of Constantine. Also, Sozomen testifies, that the priesthood had this its beginning in India.mm The two first of these historians discriminate between a nearer and an ulterior India, and evidently confine these occurrences to the nearer; also, according to Socrates, Meropius visited the same region of the Indies, which Metrodorus had then lately traversed. But Metrodorus was, on his return, robbed, or feigned himself to have been robbed, by Sapor, king of the Persians, which act Constantine

kk Athanasii Opera. p. 20.

11 Euseb. Hist. Eccles. lib. v. c. 20.

mm ήμεν δη παρα Ίνδοις ιερωσύνη 1217ην εσχεν αρχην. ii. c. 24.

Sozom, lib.

resented and made it a matter of accusation, which continued such in the reigns of Constantine and Julian.nn The return of Metrodorus from India must therefore, have been through Persia; and the route of the young men being the same, the India, here mentioned, certainly lay in the East, and was not Abyssinia. These and other reasons seem conclusive, that the accounts are of two Frumentius's, and if so, then the period of the commencement of episcopacy in India, is fixed to have been in the fourth century; when episcopacy, as established by the canons of the council of Nice, was prevalent every where.

nn

66

Expeditionem parans in Persas-ad ultionem præteritorum vehementer elatus est."-Scil. Julianus Ammian Marcell. lib. xxxii. c. 12. Non Julianum, sed Constantium ardores Parthicos succendisse cum Metrodori mendaciis avidius acquiiscit.-Idem. lib. xxv. c. 4.

2 s

SECTION XXI.

Leo succeeded Sixtus; his claim of Roman superiority because they possessed the ashes of Peter; and might expect his favor still. Leo attempted as civil authority failed to view the ecclesiastical power founded upon divine right, and having argued Peter's higher commission, supposed his apostolical authority still to remain, and to be devolved on the bishop of Rome. But the first councils established the dignity and authority of the sees by those of the cities in which they were. To secure the canons of the council of Nice against the repeal attempted in later councils, he supposed them inspired. His claim of appellative jurisdiction rejected by the bishops of Africa. Actuated by pride and intolerance, his high talents and popularity gave him great advantages in establishing the papal throne, which it was his chief aim to accomplish by every means, wrong and right. Although he failed in the East and Africa, yet he succeeded in bringing the heathen invaders of the Empire in Europe all under the spiritual power of the bishop of Rome.

LEO, denominated the Great, after having exercised the office of archdeacon of Rome during the term of twenty years, was elected successor to Sixtus the third, A. D. 440. His works are in the finest style of Latin; of the Greek his knowledge was defective. " Possessing unusual qualifications in point of knowledge, influence, experience and eloquence, he evinced by his uniform conduct a disposition to extend the papal jurisdiction, equally by courtly address or daring enterprise, truth or falsehood, right or wrong, to the

utmost extreme.

Having claimed and held an unscriptural superiority to the presbyters of Rome, and thereby the closest in

a-injungo-ut universa facias-in Latinum translata, ut in nulla partè actionum (scil: concilii Chalcedonensis) dubitare possimus. Leon: ep. 90.

b Etius, ab officio archidiaconatus per speciem provectionis (scil.

timacy with the pontificate, through a term of twelve years prior to the elevation of Sixtus, his talents being also occasionally had in requisition by the Emperor, in promotion of the public weal, he must have concurred in the craft and violence displayed by that bishop in retaining the diocess of Illyricum, contrary to a canon of the council of Ephesus of 441.o

Because Rome was declining, the empire divided into two, and the enemies of both increasing in numbers, power, and military skill, it was attempted by Leo to render the claim of ecclesiastical precedence more permanent, by founding it on sacred authority. The superior dignity of the Roman see was therefore alleged to have arisen from a higher commission given to the Apostle Peter, whose bones, left in that metropolis, perpetuated the right of supreme authority, whatsoever might be the diversity of the merits of the bishops in the seat itself. Peter being ever an apostle, and still having by an ubiquity of presence the pastoral care of the whole church, has a more special regard for his favorite church where his body sleeps, and intercedes for them by his prayers in heaven.d And therefore the representative of Peter has precedence of all bishops in the church universal. Such dialectical skill had not been attained by the bishops of the first general council of Nice, for they confirmed by their canons the jurisdiction of the bishops of Alexan

ad presbyteratum) amovetur. Leon. op. 133. Qui primus fuerit ministrorum et à Pontificis latere non recedit, injuriam putat si presbyter ordinetur. Hieron. ez. 48.

c Council Ephes. can. vii.

d-cui ter dixit "pasce oves meas:" quod nunc procul dubio facit, & mandatum Domini pius pastor exequitur, confirmans nos cohortationibus suis, et pro nobis orare non cessans. Leon. op. p. 4. Si autem hanc pietatis suæ curam omni populo Dei, sicut credendum est, ubique prætendit, quanto magis nobis alumnis suis opem suam dignatur impendere, apud quos, in sacro beatæ dormitionis thoro requiescit. Ibidem. Etsi enim diversa nonnunquam sint merita præsulum, tamen jura permanent sedium. Idem. P, 137. e-cunctis ecclesiæ rectoribus Petri forma praeponitur. Leon. opp. 3.