i. The Episcopate, The Fount of Ministry¶
The bishops, as successors of the apostles, sum up all the offices of the Christian ministry. In the episcopate lies the germ of the three orders of the ministry;—bishops, priests, and deacons. A bishop can do all that a priest or a deacon can do. Thus, the whole work of the Christian ministry might, if need be, be performed by the one order of bishops only. But the bishops give out, or delegate, certain of their powers to others, who are named priests and deacons. This giving out of power is termed ordination. The priesthood exercises a considerable portion of the episcopal office, but only a portion; the diaconate, or order of deacons, exercises a still smaller portion. Priests and deacons in acting for the bishop act for Christ, whom the bishop represents.
In ordination the bishop separates certain of the laity to become clergy, and bestows upon them authority to minister as his representatives. The bishops, and the bishops only, have power to perpetuate the ministry in its various grades. They do this by handing on the authority received from Christ through the apostolic succession. It is on this ground that the Church holds that no one can act as a minister of Christ, either lawfully or validly, without ordination by a bishop.
As Hooker says,—“Whereas presbyters (i.e., priests) by such power as they have received for administration of the sacraments, are able only to beget children unto God; bishops, having power to ordain, do by virtue thereof create fathers to the people of God.”[1]