sition the Professor lays down, namely, that the whole flock assembled together with their Bishop and Presbyters in the same place; from which premisses, the conclusion is meant to be drawn, that a Bishop's charge did not originally extend beyond a single congregation; they certainly prove too much for in such case they prove, that all the Christians, dispersed throughout the wide extent of the Roman empire, assembled together in one place on days of public worship, and made but one congregation. To put the glaring absurdity of such a conclusion out of sight, the Enquirer into "the Constitution of the Primitive Church" has prudently omitted the words “ πανίων καλα πολεις η αγρες μενονίων,” which determine the application of the passage to the general practice of Christians throughout the Roman empire; with the view of accommodating it to the particular case he had to establish, relative to the confined nature of the Bishop's charge; thereby affixing a sense to the words of the Apologist, totally different from that which the Apologist himself designed them to convey. And in this notorious misrepresen

sentation

tation of Justin Martyr's meaning, Professor Campbell appears to have followed the Enquirer's example.

But the Professor should moreover have known, that the propriety of the translation, on which his argument in this case is built, is at least of a very questionable kind.

The learned Grotius translates this same phrase, ETI TO Rulo, Acts iii. 1,-" circa idem tempus, about the same time."-Beza's Paraphrase on the same phrase occurring in Acts ii. 44. is this: "The common assemblies of the Church, with their mutual agreement in the same doctrine, and the great unanimity of their hearts were signified by it."" All that believed, (says Dr. Wells in his Paraphrase on the same passage,) were wont to assemble together in the several places where they lived, to perform divine worship."

In the Greek translation of Ps. xxxiv. 3. what the Septuagint render s ro aulo, Aquila translates Opolupadov, that is, "with one mind and one heart."-The same phrase is to be met with again in Acts iv, 26. where it is said of the kings of the earth and of the

the rulers, that they were gathered together; συνήχθησαν επί το αυτο OUVYXONGRY ERI To ulo."But the word von justifies the above translation, without the addition of ex To aulo. By the addition therefore of that phrase in this place, may be understood, that they were met together, not in the same place, but with the same mind, or for the same purpose. · The whole passage then taken together would have been more fully and significantly rendered thus ;"The kings of the earth and the rulers conspired together;" &c.

for it is not to be supposed, that the kings of the earth and the rulers, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were met together in one assembly on this occasion. Nor can this phrase, in the use Justin Martyr made of it, as it has been above observed, be understood in the sense annexed to it by the Professor, without a similar absurdity of bringing all Christians throughout the cities and countries of the Roman empire together on holy days, for the purpose of public worship.

How conclusive the argument must be, which proceeds on the arbitrary interpretation of a single phrase, in itself of an

indefinite

indefinite nature, which has been differently understood by different writers, and which, in the case before us, absolutely militates against the meaning of the original author, to whom the appeal is here made, the reader shall be left to determine.

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But in order to "evince beyond all possible doubt, (to make use of the Professor's strong language on this occasion,) that the Bishop's cure was originally confined to a single Church or Congregation;" P. 210.—The Professor proceeds to state with confidence the language of Ignatius, as intended to confirm that idea: where the holy Martyr says to the Philadel phians ; “ Εν θυσιαςήριον, ως εις Επίσκοπος. "There is but one Altar, as there is but one Bishop."-" The illustration (says the Professor) of one Bishop, puts it beyond question, what sort of unity St. Ignatius ascribes to the Altar, "one Altar as one Bishop;" i. e. one identical thing in both cases: with the view of proving, that all antiquity is unanimous in assigning to one Bishop no more than one и Congregation, and one waponia or Parish. For this reason, though it was a proper Episco

Episcopacy, in respect of the disparity of the Ministers, it was a parochial Episcopacy in respect to the extent of the charge." P. 209.

The reflection which the Professor has cast on those who differ from him in opinion, with respect to the meaning intended to be conveyed by the above-cited language of Ignatius, in pages 211, 212, is not more unworthy the Professor's character, than my notice. I proceed therefore, without comment, to the point to be ascertained.

The Reader has already seen what strength the word epoxie, and the phrase ETI To aulo, as interpreted by the Professor, have contributed to the foundation on which he builds on this occasion. He may now judge whether the language of Ignatius is calculated to furnish him with sounder materials.

The idea annexed to Ignatius's words, Ev dvoracion, &c. by the Professor, is, that "as there can be in one diocese but one individual Bishop, there can be in one diocese but one individual altar." &c. Page 212. Hence from the expressions to be found