Hierarchy

sacred government, sometimes used to denote the internal government of a Church, sometimes the dominion of the Church over the State. In the former sense hierarchy arose with the establishment of the Christian Church as an independent society. Though elders, called presbyters, stood at the head of the earliest congregations of Christians, their constitution was democratic, each of the members having a part in all the concerns the a ociation. The govern- _ment of the congregations was gradually transferred into the hands of. their officers, as was natural when the congregations had become societies of great extent. In the 2d century the -bishops acquired a superiority over the presbyters, and became the supreme officers of the congregations, - although the presbyters retained some ‘share in the government. The bishops in the capitals of the provinces, who were called metropolitans, soon acquired a superiority. over the «provincial bishops and exercised a supervision over them. They were themselves subject to the bishops of. the principal cities of the Roman em- “pire, Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem, who received the title of patriarchs; and thus a complete aristocratic constitution was formed, which continued in the Greek church, while, in the Latin, the aristocracy was transformed into a monarchy. The Roman bishop acquired the primaey over the others, and the * E. 76. a opinion having become prevalent that the apostle Peter bad founded the Roman Church and that its bishop was his succe or, his — oy constantly increased, and he gradually became a monarchical head of Western Christen dom. This attribute of the papacy is no longer acknowledged even in countries most strongly Roman Catholic, and for many years past has not even been a erted Pd the popes, who have confined their claims to temporal power to the part of Italy formerly known as “States of the Church.” The term emery is stil] in common use to denote the pie and ministering body in the Church according to its several gradations. Strictly it can be applied only to those churches which are ruled by bishops, such as the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Church, which alse holds the theory of a_ hierarchical cradation of rank and authority. Both the Churches named comprise the three orders of bishops, priests, and deacons. Those Luther an communities which still retain the title of bishops, concede so little of independent jurisdiction to the office, that the gradations in the ministry can scarcely be regarded as having a strict hierachical character. Hierarchy is also used to denote a division of the angels, prevalent in the Middle Ages. Hiero I., King of Syracuse in Sicily, brother and succe or of Gelon. On his acce ion to the throne of Syracuse, Gelon conferred on Hiero the government of Gela, his native place, and on his death left him 478 B. c., a scepter which he had _ rendered legitimate by his virtues. Hiero’s reign was marked by a peculiar splendor on account of his generous encouragement of learning. His court became the rendezvous of the most distinguished men of his time. According to Adlian and Pindar, few princes were to be compared with him. He was several times victor in the Grecian games. Pindar has celebrated his victories: several odes of this poet are filled with his praises.