[7]," not as in the case of the Deacons, with "the
meat that perisheth," but with "the Bread of God, which cometh down from
Heaven."

[Sidenote: Consecration of Bishops]

Of the Ordination of Bishops[8], apart from the Apostolate, we have no
mention in the Book of the Acts; but that the Apostles did ordain
successors to themselves, so far as their office was to be perpetual in
the Church, we have ample proofs in the Epistles of St. Paul to St.
Timothy and St. Titus. [Sidenote: Their functions.] To both these holy
men, Bishops or Overseers of the Church in Ephesus and Crete
respectively, St. Paul gives injunctions as to their duties, particularly
in ordaining Elders or Priests, the distinguishing work of a Bishop[9].

Section 3. _The First Council of the Church._

[Sidenote: A.D. 46-51.]

For a "long time" after the return of St. Paul and St. Barnabas to
Antioch, with the news that God had, through their {34} instrumentality,
"opened the Door of Faith to the Gentiles," the Church in that city seems
to have continued to flourish in peace and prosperity. [Sidenote:
Difficulties as to the observance of Jewish rites.] But difficulties with
regard to the observance or non-observance by the Gentile converts of the
rite of circumcision and other precepts of the Mosaic law, arose to
disturb this quiet.

[Sidenote: A.D. 52. Hebrew Jews go to Antioch.]

The Hellenist clergy in Antioch, less wedded to Judaism, had apparently
received into communion, without doubt or question, those amongst the
heathen around the city who had been added to the number of the faithful
by Holy Baptism; but when tidings of this freedom of communion reached
the more severely Hebrew Christians at Jerusalem, certain Hebrew Jews of
them hurried to Antioch, anxious to bring the converts there under the
yoke of the law. Though unauthorized in this mission by the rulers of
the Church in Jerusalem[10], they urged with such persistency the
necessity of circumcision for the salvation of all, that the opposition
of St. Paul and St. Barnabas only raised "no small dissension and
disputation," and it was agreed that the advice of the Apostles and
Presbyters at Jerusalem should be sought on this important question.
[Sidenote: St. Paul and St. Barnabas go to Jerusalem.] St. Paul and St.
Barnabas then, "and certain others with them" (amongst whom was Titus, an
uncircumcised Gentile convert[11]), went up to Jerusalem, where at this
time happened to be St.