u charin], and through whose instrumentality union with God can
alone be attained: the [Greek: apolutrosis] (I. 21.) is only conferred
through the mystagogue. Much of a similar nature is to be found, and we
can expressly say that the distinction between priestly mystagogues and
laymen was of fundamental importance in many Gnostic societies (see also
the writings of the Coptic Gnostics); it was different in the Marcionite
Church. Tertullian (de bapt. 17) was the first to call the bishop
"summus sacerdos," and the older opinion that he merely "played" with
the idea is untenable, and refuted by Pseudo-Cyprian, de aleat. 2
("sacerdotalis dignitas"). In his Antimontanist writings the former has
repeatedly repudiated any distinction in principle of a particular
priestly class among Christians, as well as the application of certain
injunctions to this order (de exhort. 7: "nonne et laici sacerdotes
sumus? ... adeo ubi ecclesiastici ordinis non est consessus, et offeis
et tinguis et sacerdos es tibi solus, sed ubi tres, ecclesia est, licet
laici."; de monog. 7). We may perhaps infer from his works that before
about the year 200, the name "priest" was not yet universally applied to
bishop and presbyters in Carthage (but see after this de praescr. 29, 41:
sacerdotalia munera; de pud. 1, 21; de monog. 12: disciplina sacerd.; de
exhort. 7: sacerdotalis ordo, ibid. 11 "et offeres pro duabus uxoribus,
et commendabis illas duas per sacerdotem de monogamia ordinatum;" de
virg. vel. 9: sacerdotale officium; Scorp. 7: sacerdos). The latest
writings of Tertullian show us indeed that the name and the conception
which it represents were already prevalent. Hippolytus (Philos. praef.:
[Greek: hon hemeis diadochoi tugchanontes tes te autes charitos
metechontes archierateias kai didaskalias], see also the Arabian canons)
expressly claimed high priesthood for the bishops, and Origen thought he
was justified in giving the name of "Priests and Levites" to those who
conducted public worship among Christians. This he indeed did with
reserve (see many passages, e.g., Hom. II. in Num., Vol. II. p. 278;
Hom. VI. in Lev., Vol. II. p. 211; Comment, in Joh., Vol. I. 3), but yet
to a far greater extent than Clement (see Bigg, l.c., p. 214 f.). In
Cyprian and the literature of the Greek Church in the immediately
following period we find the designation "priest" as the regular and
most customary name for the bishop and presbyters. Novatian (Jerome, de
vir. inl