Episcopacy is the regime of church government by bishops (Lat. episcopus), a form common to Roman Catholic, Orthodox and some Protestant churches, but opposed by those Protestants such as Calvinists, mainly on the grounds that it could not be justified from scripture.
Where episcopacy was the settled rule, or, for that matter, where it was not, doctrinal issues did not arise. It became an issue, however, in denominations where certain groups felt that the Reformation had not gone far enough, particularly in Anglicanism.
The origin and development of episcopacy in the Christian Church, and the functions and attributes of bishops,in the various churches, are dealt with elsewhere (see CHURCH HISTORY and BISHOP).
Febronius, indeed, was in favor of a frank recognition of this national basis of ecclesiastical organization, and saw in Episcopacy the best means of reuniting the dissidents to the CatholicChurch, which was to consist, as it were, of a free federation of episcopal churches under the presidency of the bishop of Rome.
Methodist episcopacy is therefore based on the denial of any special potestas ord-inis in the degree of bishop, and is fundamentally distinct from that of the Catholic Churchusing this term in its narrow sense as applied to the ancient churches of the East and West.
In episcopacy the control of church affairs is almost entirely withdrawn from the people; in congregationalism it is almost entirely exercised by the people; in Presbyterianism it rests with a council composed of duly appointed office-bearers chosen by the people.
The ecclesiastical unit in episcopacy is a diocese, comprising many churches and ruled by a prelate; in congregationalisni it is a single church, self-governed and entirely independent of all others; in Presbyterianism it is a presbytery or council composed of ministers and elders representing all the churches within a specified district.
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