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He has ordained. What the order was, may be best known from what was done by His Apostles; and they allowed none to minister this sacrament in the Church save those who had received ordination at the hands of bishops."

Here Pamphilus paused, as though he thought he had introduced subjects enough for a single interview. Rutilius was surprised to see for how many hours they had been together; and excused himself for trespassing so long upon his time. But his host pressed him to renew his visit.

"There is much which interests me in what you have suggested," said the young Roman, at parting; "and something further I should gladly hear. I have had Christian friends, and would willingly think well of their principles; but I must tell you that there is a private reason which must prevent me from ever joining your ranks, however I may be brought to approve in general of your conduct."

The other answered: 66 May your determination, my young friend, be guided by God's grace; for without it you cannot believe, and with it I will not doubt that you will believe unto salvation."

CHAPTER VIII.

Dialogue with Pamphilus. The Christian Deputy of Tyre.

There was an ancient house not far away,
Renown'd throughout the world for sacred lore
And pure unspotted life: so well, they say,
It govern'd was and guided evermore,
Through wisdom of a matron grave and hore,
Whose only joy was to relieve the needes
Of wretched souls, and help the helpless poor;
All night she spent in bidding of her beads,
And all the day in doin good and godly deeds.
Faery Queen.

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THE next morning, Rutilius was surprised by a visit from Pamphilus. "Are you come," he said, "to know what I think of your arguments yesterday?"

"Not so," said Pamphilus; "I would rather wait before I hear you decide respecting that which as yet you cannot fully understand. But business recalls me to my home at Cæsarea; and I cannot depart without making you acquainted with some one who may satisfy the inquiries which I think that our conversations will suggest."

66 Have you friends here, to whom you can introduce me?" said Rutilius.

"No personal friends," answered the other; "but you know that we Christians are all brethren. Besides, our great Master, whom, as I have told

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you, we believe to be ever with us, has a deputy in this city, by whom His presence is especially represented."

"How is this?" said the Roman. "I know that the emperor has a deputy in Syria; but I never heard of any other governor in these parts."

Pamphilus. "Know you not that Christ's Church is a kingdom, and that it must therefore have its officers in all lands? True, it is a kingdom not of this world-it does not interfere with worldly power; but a kingdom it is, as certainly as our boasted empire. At present our earthly governor is at Nicomedia, or wherever else he may please to dwell. The Ruler of that spiritual empire, of which we are subjects, is likewise in His capital,-a city not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. The deputies of the one are known by their lictors and their axes;can you not guess, Rutilius, who are the deputies of the other?"

Rutilius. "I suppose you mean the bishops, without whom, as you told me yesterday, your sacred rites cannot be ministered."

Pamphilus. "Exactly so. In this diocese, Methodius is Christ's deputy, though he owes obedience to Cyril, the bishop of Antioch, who occupies what we call the apostolical see, because thither all bishops of the province go for ordination to their apostolic office."

Rutilius. "And to whom does Cyril owe obedience?"

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Pamphilus pointed upward. "Christ has set His holy Apostles or chief bishops last of all;' and to Him only do they owe obedience."

"Then there are others like Cyril?" said Rutilius.

"In every province one," said Pamphilus. "There is Theonas at Alexandria for the adjoining country of Egypt; and others in the West, as at Carthage and Rome."

"You mean, then, that Methodius is deputy to the bishop of Antioch," said Rutilius, who felt interested by the laws of this singular kingdom, which had grown up in the heart of the Roman empire.

"Each bishop is the deputy of Christ," answered the Christian," and represents our Master's immediate presence. This is a primary law of our system, which we have received from the Apostles. The subordination of ranks among bishops is a rule of the Church, which has been introduced by ourselves, for the sake of greater order."

"Does it not lead to disputes among your spiritual princes?" said his young companion.

"It has not yet done so," said the other. "There is no place which has such an undisputed lead, that its bishop is likely to prevail over others. Had Jerusalem continued in its ancient splendour, perhaps it might have been thought to be still the place of our Master's immediate presence, and its bishop might have pretended to be chief. This may have

1 This sentiment is expressed by St. Jerome.

been one reason why that doomed city was not permitted to remain; and now, though its bishop is allowed to rank next to Thotecnus, the bishop of Cæsarea, yet it is not the chief even in its own narrow province."

"But there is the capital city?" said the Roman.

"You naturally think of Rome," said the other; "and, if we were to judge by a worldly standard, its wealth and power, and the notion which you Romans have so long possessed, that your city was fated to an eternal dominion, would go near to introduce division among us. But it is not thus that we Christians decide. We have already a country and a city, whose builder and maker is God. True, the Church of Rome has great influence in the West: its members are rich and liberal, and its clergy numerous. I was reading lately a letter which was written by Cornelius, who was its bishop about forty years ago. He was writing to Fabius at Antioch, who had the chief authority in those parts, in order to ask his assistance against an innovator named Novatus, who had set up as a rival against him, thus destroying the unity of Christ's kingdom; and he said, that at that time he had under him, in his several churches at Rome, forty-four priests, seven deacons, as many subdeacons, ninety-four persons in inferior orders, who attended in the various churches; and above 1500 widows and poor persons, who were sustained by the alms of the congregation."

"What would happen to your empire," asked the

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