ulation, recognizing the claims of seniority was proposed, its
advocates were, no doubt, prepared to recommend it by arguments which
possessed at least considerable plausibility. The Scriptures frequently
inculcate respect for age, and when the apostle says--"Likewise, ye
younger, submit yourselves unto the elder," [507:3] he seems, from the
connexion in which the words occur, to refer specially to the deportment
of junior ministers. [507:4] In the lists of the Twelve to be found in
the New Testament the name of Peter appears _first_; [507:5] and if, as
is believed, he was more advanced in years than any of his brethren,
[507:6] it is easy to understand why this precedence has been given to
him; for, in all likelihood, he usually acted as president of the
apostolic presbytery. Even the construction of corporate bodies in the
Roman Empire might have suggested the arrangement; for it is well known
that, in the senates of the cities out of Italy, the oldest decurion,
under the title _principalis_, acted as president. [508:1] Did we,
therefore, even want the direct evidence already quoted, we might have
inferred, on other grounds, that, at an early date, the senior member
generally presided wherever an eldership was erected.

As a point of such interest relating to the constitution of the ancient
Church should be carefully elucidated, it may be necessary to fortify
the statement of Hilary by some additional evidence. It is not to be
supposed that this candid and judicious commentator ventured, without
due authority, to describe the original order of succession in the
presidential chair; and he had, no doubt, access to sources of
information which have long ceased to be available; but the credit of
the fact for which he vouches does not rest upon the unsustained support
of his solitary attestation. Whilst his averment is recommended by
internal marks of probability, and whilst it is countenanced by several
scriptural intimations, it is also corroborated by a large amount of
varied and independent testimony. We shall now exhibit some of the most
striking portions of the confirmatory proof.

I. The language applied in ancient documents to the primitive presidents
of the Churches illustrates the accuracy of this venerable commentator.
In one of the earliest extant notices of these ecclesiastical
functionaries, a bishop is designated "the old man." [508:2] The age of
the individual who is thus distinguished was not a matter of a