Section 296
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ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 265 shadowy and empty imposition of hands, to confer the episcopate upon him, and which, though hy no means suited to him, he claims by fraud and treachery. One of these, not long after, returned to his church, mourning and confessing his error, with whom also we communed as a layman, as all the people present interceded for him, and we sent successors lo the other bishops ordaining them in the place where they were. This assertor of the gospel then did not know that there should be but one bishop in a catholic church.* (ev xoQohtKYi sxxhyGia.) In which, however, he \vell knew, (for how could he be ignorant ?) that there were forty-six presbyters, seven deacons, seven sub-deacons, forty-two acoluthi (clerks,) exorcists, readers, and janitors, in all fifty-two : widows, with the afflicted and needy, more than fifteen hundred; all which the goodness and love of God doth support and nourish. But neither this great number, so necessary in the church, nor those that by the providence of God were wealthy and opulent, to gether with the innumerable multitude of the people, were able to recall him and turn him from such a desperate and presump tuous course." And, again, after these, he subjoins the following : " Now let us also tell by what means and conduct he had the assurance to claim the episcopate. Whether, indeed, it was because he was engaged in the church from the beginning, and endured many conflicts for her, and encountered many and great dangers in the * The word catholic, in its Greek etymology, means universal, as we have some times explained it in this translation. It is applied to the Christian, as a universal church, partly to distinguish it from the ancient church of the Jews, which was limited, partial, and particular in its duration, subjects, and country. The Chris tian is also called a universal or catholic church, because it must in regard to doctrine hold quo d semper, quod ubique, quod ab omnibus. In this latter view, which it should be well observed is the original application, it is synonymous with orthodox. This is evident, from the fact that our author applies it to different churches in other parts of his history. And in the present instance the expression is general, a catholic church. It is in a sense allied to this also, that we are, no doubt, to un derstand the title of our general (catholic} epistles, in the New Testament. They are catholic, because as consonant to the doctrines of the church in all respects, they have been also universally received. In this sense, the term is also synonymous with canonical. 2L