According to the other or Presbyterian theory of bishops, the origin and general history of the institution are thus sketched. In the earliest churches, no traces of a hierarchy, it is affirmed, are to be found. The superintendents or directors appointed over the first churches by the apostles. or chosen by the members of the congregations, were unquestionably styled indifferently presbyters or bishops—the former title being borrowed from the Jewish synagogue, the superintendent or director of which was called the elder (Gr. pre.qbyter); the latter (eideropos) being familiar to the heathen con verts es the title of a civil office corresponding in function to Rod of a Christian pastor. But this original equality did not last long. As new churches multiplied, those formed round the original church, though each having its own bishop or presbyter, remained in confederacy; and in the meetings of the pastors to regulate the common affairs, one must of necessity preside, most likely determined by age. superior piety, or other quali fication. From this simple circumstance, as is indicated by Clemens Alexandrinus in the beginning of the 3d c.. sprang the habit of looking upon one of the bishops as supe rior to the others; and this superiority, at first personal and accidental, soon came naturally to he regarded as attached to the B. of a particular congregation. In his case the word B. came to signify an overseer of pastors rather than an overseer of people. The monarchical form of state government favored this tendency, and con verted the president of a presbytery into the privileged superintendent of his brother pastors. The assumption was resisted by the presbyters at first, but from the mid dle of the 5th c., episcopacy, or the domination of bishops, continued to gale the upper hand over presbyterianism, or equality of all pastors.
In the 3d c. bishops appear still dependent on the advice of their presbyter.. and the consent of the people, and shared with the former the office of teaelminm; and the cure of souls. As yet their exclusive privileges r^ functions were limited to confirmation, ordination of ministers, consecration of sacred things, settlement of secular differences among Christians, and management of the revenues of the church. But the tendency to subordination and unity did not rest here. Among the bish ops, at first all espial, those of the larger and more important cities began gradually to acquire a superiority over those of inferior cities. When Christianity was made the religion of the Roman empire. the bishops became more and more monarchical, and put themselves on the footing of ecclesiastical princes. The chief cities of the larger civil provinces rose to be seats of extensive dioceses, the bishops of these assuming the distinctive titles of patriarch, metropolitan., papa—titles of courtesy that had long been applied to all bishops; while the less important provinces, with their capitals anti bishops, became subordinate. Among these provincial bishops, agaiu, three, from obvious causes, acquired a prominence that cast all the rest into the back;rroutul narne:/, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Rome. The beginnings of the ascendency' of t Roman B. are discernible as early as the end of the 2d century. While ancient Rome sought her secular dominion more in the s. and e., modern ecclesiastical Rome turned herself chiefly to the nations of the w. and n.; and round the 13. of Rome has
grown a power—the Roman Catholic church—not less int:ion:int than that of imperial Rome.
In the Roman Catholic church, the episcopal office is the foundation of the whole system. Christ's apostles are held to have transferred their functions to tits episcopacy as a body. Every B., therefore, exercises within his own diocese, first, the juts nvigill tcrii—Le., the right of maintaining and propagating the orthodox faith; and second, the ordinis, or regulation of the sacred and mysterious rites of the priestly:office. sonic of which are transferred to the inferior clergy, ni jam, emadtania. while others remain privileges of the bishop (jury propria). Atnong episcopal prerogatives, in addition to tit's() already mentioned as assigned to them in the 3..1 and 4th c., are anointing of kings, consecration of abbots, preparation of the chrism, etc. They have also the management of the church-property in their resp2ctive dioceses. and the oversight of all ecclesiastical institutions. Election to the office of B. rests generally with the pres byters of the diocese assembled in chapter, with the sanclon of the secular power and of the pope. This is the case in Prussia. Where the sovereign is a Catholic, the appointment is mostly made by him. but subject to papal approbation. At conseera tim, which requires the presence of three bishops, the new B. takes an oath to the sovereign and to the pope, and sign; the artistes of belief, on which he receives the episcopal insignia—the miter (q.v.); crosier (q.v.) or staff ; a gold ring, emblematic of his marriage to the church; the cross upon the breast; the dalmatica (q.v.), tunic, pals lium (q.v.), and peculiar gloves and chaussure; and being enthroned, as formal installa tion into office, he then pronounces the blessing on time assembled people. In the dis charge of his office, the 13. has a number of subordinate assistants; sometimes, in case of age or weakness, a coadjutor, but ordinarily deans, archdeacons. etc. (q.v.) In the Greek church, the office of B. is essentially the same, though less influential. Greek bishops, however, are always chosen from the monkish orders, and generally from the arehimandrites—i.e., abbots or priors.
As Protestantism met with its chief resistance from the bishops. and, besides, laid the chief stress on doctrine rather than on church order, the episcopal order. in most of the reformed churches, either disappeared or sank into comparative ittsigmtficaltce. Of time continental Protestant churches. episcopacy has kept the foremost hold in Sweden and Norway. The Scandinavian bishops acceded to the reformation in 1531 only on compulsion from Gustavus Vasa, who confirmed them in their revenues and preroga tives. The B. of Upsala is primate, and has the prerogative of crowning the king. con it,:emting the other bishops. etc. The bishops are 'mined by the king out of three pro posed by the chapters. They preside in consistories, hold synods. visit the churches. examine and ordain ministers, consecrate churches, and watch over purity of doctrine and the property of the church. They have seats in parliament, and wear the pallium. miter, crosier, and cross. There are only six bishops in Sweden and Norway, with an additional B. of the order of the seraphim.