Wilson's little book, which led me to reflect, that surely as there were Angels, (whether it might mean guardians, or heavenly messengers, or missionary Bishops, as we might say,) of the seven Churches in Asia,—so Timothy might have been called the Angel of the Ephesian Church; and Titus, of the Church of Crete; and the same in other cases. And it came into my thoughts, that, perhaps, after St. John's decease, whether out of humility, or because, (the Churches being settled,) the ministers need no longer be missionaries, the title of Apostles or Angels was laid aside, and that of Bishops limited to the highest of the three orders.
Thus I seemed to myself every where to have traced the three-fold order, down from the beginning of the Gospel; the authority and distinction peculiar to each being preserved, a difference in name only taking place.
| Thus at first they were | Apostles, Elders, Deacons. |
| After the decease of some of the Apostles, or at least, while St John was yet living | Angels, Bishops, Deacons. |
| At some period, after St. John's decease | Bishops, Priests, Deacons. |
"I do not see how, what you have said, can be contradicted," I replied.
"But," he proceeded, "there is one thing I must, Sir, confess to you, and it is this;—that I have often said to myself, what a comfort it would be, if it had pleased God to preserve to us some few writings of the good men who lived close after the Apostles, that so we might have known their opinion on matters of this kind: and we might have known, too, by what names they distinguished the different orders of Ministers, one from another. For, surely, what they would think most proper in such cases, must be safest of all rules for us to follow; unless, (which is a thing not to be supposed,) their rules should be contrary to those of the Apostles, as set down in Scripture. So, Sir, I have often thought, if any such writings could be found, what a precious treasure they would be."
"What," said I, "Richard, did you never hear of those who are called the Apostolic Fathers: Clement, Polycarp, Ignatius?"
"I believe I have heard of them," he answered; "but I observed, that you, Sir, and other Clergymen, scarcely ever notice them in your Sermons; and the man I mentioned just now told
