uld be cast out of the
Church, was accordingly adopted; and it was hoped that in due time peace
would be restored to the spiritual commonwealth.

About the same period arrangements were made in some places for changing
the mode of advancement to the presidential chair, so that, in no case,
an elder suspected of error could have a chance of promotion. [532:1] An
immense majority of the presbyters were yet orthodox; and by being
permitted to depart, as often as they pleased, from the ancient order of
succession, and to nominate any of themselves to the episcopate, they
could always secure the appointment of an individual representing their
own sentiments. In some of the larger Churches, where their number was
considerable, they appear to have usually selected three or four
candidates; and then to have permitted the lot to make the ultimate
decision. [532:2] But the ecclesiastical revolution could not stop here.
Jealousy quickly appeared among the presbyters; and, during the
excitement of elections, the more popular candidates would not long be
willing to limit the voting to the presbytery. The people chose their
presbyters and deacons, and now that the office of moderator possessed
substantial power, and differed so much from what it was originally, why
should not all the members of the Church be allowed to exercise their
legitimate influence? Such a claim could not be well resisted. Thus it
was that the bishops were ultimately chosen by popular suffrage. [533:1]

Some have imagined that they have discovered inconsistency in the
statements of Jerome relative to prelacy. They allege, in proof, that
whilst he describes the Church as governed, until the rise of "parties
in religion," by the common council of the presbyters, he also speaks of
bishops as in existence from the days of the apostles. "At Alexandria,"
says he, "from Mark the Evangelist, [by whom the Church there is said to
have been founded] to Heraclas and Dionysius the bishops, [who
flourished in the third century] the presbyters always named as bishop
one chosen from among themselves and placed along with them [533:2] in a
higher position." [533:3] It must appear, however, on due consideration,
that here there is no inconsistency whatever. In the Epistle where this
passage occurs Jerome is asserting the ancient dignity of presbyters,
and shewing that they originally possessed prerogatives of which they
had more recently been deprived. In proof of this he refers