1] Thus, Firmilian speaks of "seniores et _praepositi_," and of the
Church "ubi _praesident_ majores natu."--_Cyprian_, Opera, p. 302 and
304.

[590:2] Justin Martyr, Opera, p. 99.

[590:3] In the days of Origen the episcopal office was not unfrequently
coveted for its wealth. Origen, Opera, iii. p. 501. See also Cyprian,
Epist. lxiv. p. 240.

[591:1] Comment, in Matt., Opera, iii. p. 723.

[591:2] See Period II. sec. i. chap. v. p. 354.

[592:1] Euseb. vi. 43.

[592:2] Tertullian, "Praescrip. Haeret." c. 41. This office, even in the
fourth century, was often committed to mere children--a sad proof that
the importance of reading the Word effectively was not duly appreciated.

[592:3] Origen makes mention of them, Opera, ii. p. 453; and Firmilian,
Cyprian, Epist. 1xxv. p. 306.

[592:4] Cyprian, Epist. lii. p. 150.

[592:5] As in the case of Fabian of Rome. Euseb. vi. 29.

[593:1] Bingham, i. 356, 359.

[593:2] Cyprian, Epist. lv. pp. 177, 178; xl. pp. 119, 120.

[593:3] Epist. xxxiii. p. 105.

[594:1] Epist. xxiv. pp. 79, 80.

[594:2] Epist. xxxiv. pp. 107, 108.

[594:3] Epist. xxxv. p. 111.

[595:1] Bishops and presbyters appear to have continued to ordain
bishops in the time of Origen. His "Commentaries on Matthew," written
according to his Benedictine editor in A.D. 245 (see Delarue's "Origen,"
iii. Praef.), speak of _bishops and presbyters_ "committing whole
churches to unfit persons and _constituting incompetent
governors_."--_Opera_, iii. p. 753.

[595:2] It would appear that the five presbyters who opposed Cyprian
constituted the majority of the presbytery. Cyprian, Epist. xl. pp. 119,
120. See also Sage's "Vindication of the Principles of the Cyprianic
Age," p. 348.

[595:3] Euseb. vi. 29.

[596:1] Cyprian, Epist. xxxi. pp. 99, 100.

[596:2] Cyprian, Epist. iv. p. 31.

[596:3] Cyprian, Epist. xxxiii. p. 106, xxxiv. p. 107, lviii. p. 207,
lxxi. p. 271, lxxvii. p. 327. Euseb. vii. 5.

[596:4] Thus we find him going so far as to complain that his presbyters
"with contempt and dishonour of the bishop arrogate sole authority to
themselves."--_Epist._ ix. p. 48.

[596:5] Epist. xlix. p. 143. See Neander's "General History," i. 307,
and Burton's "Lectures on the Ecc. Hist, of the First Three Centuries,"
ii. 331. Burton repudiates the attempts of Bingham and others to explain
away this proceeding.

[597:1] They are called so for the first time in the Council of Ancyra.
They had before alw