Erasmus of Arcadia explained

Type:	Bishop
Erasmus Έρασμος
Bishop of Arcadia
Church:	Greek Orthodox Church
Archdiocese:	Metropolis of Smyrna
Diocese:	Diocese of Arcadia
Term:	1700s
Birth Place:	Crete

Erasmus of Arcadia (Greek: Έρασμος της Αρκαδίας), also known as Gerasimos Avlonites (Greek: Γεράσιμος Αυλωνίτης), was a Greek Orthodox bishop of the Diocese of Arcadia in Crete, operating under the Metropolitan of Smyrna.

Erasmus' monastery, located south of Rethymon in central Crete, was a centre of resistance to foreign domination by the Turkish régime.^[1] As such, the bishop was driven into exile around 1739. He is regarded as the founder of the first Greek Orthodox congregation in Amsterdam.

Some Methodists believe that the Greek bishop, while visiting London in 1763,^[2] consecrated John Wesley as a bishop^{[3] [4]} and ordained several Methodist lay preachers (including John Jones and Thomas Bryant) as priests.^{[5] [6] [7]} However, Wesley could not openly announce his episcopal consecration without incurring the penalty of the Præmunire Act.^[8] In light of Erasmus's alleged episcopal consecration of Wesley, some believe that Methodists can assert participation in apostolic succession as understood in the traditional sense,^[9] because John Wesley ordained and sent forth every Methodist preacher in his day, who preached and baptized and ordained, and because every Methodist preacher who has ever been ordained as a Methodist has allegedly been ordained in this direct succession from Erasmus.^[10] Nevertheless, some people (notably, Augustus Toplady) doubt or condemn Erasmus's consecration of Wesley.^{[11] [12]} According to The Greek Orthodox Theological Review, Bishop Erasmus of the Diocese of Aracadia also ordained other famous clergymen, including Samson Staniforth, Thomas Bryant, Alexander Mather, among other men, as presbyters:^{[13] [14] [15]}

The eastern prelate was also well respected in London, by men who had known Erasmus in the Ottoman Empire.^{[16] [17]} Greek Orthodox Christians in Amsterdam attribute Erasmus with establishing Orthodoxy there.^[18]

External links

• John Wesley & Gerasimos Avlonites: Two Paintings, authored by Craig Adams

Notes and References

1. Book: Authority and Order: John Wesley and his Preachers. 2005. Ashgate Publishing. 9780754654544. Sackett asserted that Gerasimos Avlonites of Arkadia would have been a resident of the monastery south of Rethymon in central Crete. This place was a centre of resistance to foreign domination so he had probably been driven into exile around 1739 by the oppressive Turkish régime. The Greeks in Amsterdam, rather than denounce him as an imposture, acknowledged him as founding the first Greek Church there. He was not an ignorant man, but a renowned scholar, having participated in the publication of a serious work in London and Amsterdam.. 2007-12-31.
2. Book: The life and times of the Rev. John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, Volume 2. 1876. Regent College Publishing. Just at this juncture, Erasmus a bishop of the Greek church, visited London.. 2007-12-31.
3. Book: Wesleyan-Methodist magazine: being a continuation of the Arminian or Methodist magazine first publ. by John Wesley. 1836. Wesleyan Methodist Magazine. Mr. Wesley thus became a Bishop, and consecrated Dr. Coke, who united himself with ... who gave it under his own hand that Erasmus was Bishop of Arcadia, .... 2007-12-31.
4. Book: English Spirituality in the Age of Wesley. November 2000. Regent College Publishing. 9781573831642. By 1763, Wesley was desperate to obtain ordination for some of his lay preachers and when bishop after bishop refused, he took the dubious expedient -against the council of all his close friends and associates-of asking one Easmus, who claimed to be bishop of Arcadia in Crete, to do the job. Erasmus knew no English, but agreed.. 2007-12-31.
5. Web site: Early Methodism in Newfoundland. 2007-12-31. Memorial University of Newfoundland. During Wesley's absence from London in 1764, several Methodist lay preachers were ordained by the Greek emigr‚ from Amsterdam..
6. Book: The Churchman, Volume 40. 1879. University of Michigan. Erasmus was the Bishop of Arcadia, in Crete. In 1763, he visited London. Wesley found his credentials unexceptionable, and Dr. Jones, one of the preachers whom he had ordained, obtained testimonials concerning him from Symrna.. 2007-12-31.
7. Web site: Ted A.. Campbell. 2015. The Transgressions of Gerasimos Avlonites. 15 July 2018. Perkins School of Theology. en. The ordination of Laurence Coughlan, to which Wesley referred, occurred after Wesley’s departure from London on March 12, 1764, and correspondence from the summer of that year indicates that at some point in that spring, probably prior to March 28, Gerasimos had ordained Thomas Bryant, another preacher in connection with John Wesley..
8. Book: The historic episcopate: a study of Anglican claims and Methodist orders. 1896. Eaton & Mains. Dr. Peters was present at the interview, and went with and introduced Dr. Seabury to Mr. Wesley, who was so far satisfied that he would have been willingly consecrated by him in Mr. Wesley would have signed his letter of orders as bishop, which Mr. Wesley could not do without incurring the penalty of the Præmunire Act.. 2007-12-31.
9. Book: Separated Brethren: A Review of Protestant, Anglican, Eastern Orthodox & Other Religions in the United States. 2002. Our Sunday Visitor. 9781931709057. Today the World Methodist Council represents twenty-nine million members of some sixty churches that trace their heritage to Wesley and his brother Charles.. 2007-12-31.
10. Book: SWhy two Episcopal Methodist churches in the United States?: A brief history answering this question for the benefit of Epworth leaguers and other young Methodists. 1901. Publishing House of the M.E. Church, South. And since he himself ordained and sent forth every Methodist preacher in his day, who preached and baptized and ordained (except such as, like himself, had been ordained by a bishop of the established Church), and since every Methodist preacher who has ever been ordained as a Methodist was ordained in this direct "succession" from Wesley, then have we all the direct merits coming from apostolic succession, if any such there be.. 2007-12-31.
11. Web site: Article V - Was Wesley Ordained a Bishop by Erasmus?. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20060903091451/http://wesley.nnu.edu/wesleyan_theology/mreview/1870/A_%201878_%20Was%20Wesley%20Ordained%20Bishop%20by%20Erasmus_%2088-111.htm. 2006-09-03. 2007-12-31. Sprinkle Publications.
12. Web site: Toplady: Letter - Relative to his Pretended Abridgement of Zanchius on Predestination. https://web.archive.org/web/20070621175821/http://www.btinternet.com/~alan.s.flint/toplady/wesley.htm. 2007-06-21. 2007-12-31. Northwest Nazarene University.
13. Book: The Greek Orthodox theological review, Volumes 1-2. 1954. Hellenic College and Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology. Erasmus obliged and ordained John Jones, Samson Staniforth, Thomas Bryant, Alexander Mather, and others.. 2007-12-31.
14. Book: The True Latter-Day-Saints' herald, Volume 22. 1875. Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It would further appear from Mr. Tyerman's "Life and Times of Wesley," that, Mr. Wesley procured the ordination of John Jones, by Erasmus, Bishop of Arcadia, in Crete. Samson Staniforth and Thomas Bryant, were also so ordained:. 2007-12-31.
15. Book: A heart set free: the life of Charles Wesley. Crossway Books. The bishop also ordained two other lay preachers, Sampson Staniforth and Thomas Bryant. 2007-12-31.
16. Book: The life and times of the Rev. John Wesley, founder of the Methodists, Volume 2. By his direction, Jones wrote to the patriarch of Smyrna on the subject and received an answer, stating that Erasmus was bishop of Arcadia in Crete. To this was added the testimony of several gentlemen who had met the eastern prelate in Turkey. Wesley says, "he had abundant unexceptionable credentials as to his episcopal character.". Hodder & Stoughton. 2007-12-31.
17. Book: The Churchman, Volume 40. English Churchman. Erasmus was the Bishop of Arcadia, in Crete. In 1763 he visited London. Wesley found his credentials unexceptionable, and Dr. Jones, one of the preachers who he ordained, obtained testimonials concerning him from Smyrna. There were also various gentlemen in London who had known him well in Turkey.. 2007-12-31.
18. Book: Authority and Order: John Wesley and his Preachers. Tyerman has told that John Jones wrote to the patriarch of Smyrna and received confirmation that Erasmus was indeed Bishop of Arcadia, in Crete. The Greeks in Amsterdam, rather than denounce him as an imposture, acknowledged him as founding the first Greek Church there. He was not an ignorant man, but a renowned scholar, having participated in the publication of a serious work in London and Amsterdam.. Ashgate Publishing. 2007-12-31.