A Weapon-Salve for the Churchs Wounds, Religious treatise 1 · Part 2 · Chapter 7

A Weapon-Salve for the Churchs Wounds · Religious treatise 1 · Part 2 · Chapter 7

p. 346CHAP. VII.

The Churches Polity in the ages after the Apostles considered: Evidences thence that no certain unalterable Form of Church-Government was delivered to them. 1. Because Church-Power did in large as the Churches did. Whether any Metropolitan Churches established by the Apostles. Seven Churches of Asia, whether Metropolitical. Philippi no Metropolis either in Civil or Eccl…siastical sense. Several degrees of inlargemext of Churches. Churches first the Christians in whole Cities, proved by several arguments, the Eulogiae an evidence of it. Churches extended into the neighbour Territories by the preaching there of City Presbyters; thence comes the subordination between then Churches by degrees inlarged to Diocesses; from thence to Provinces. The Original of Metropolitans and Patriarchs. 2. No certain Form used in all Churches. Some Churches without Bishops, Scots, Goths. Some with but one Bishop in their whole Countrey. Scythian, Aethiopian Churches how governed. Many Cities without Bishops. Diocesses much altered. Bishops discontinued in several Churches for many years. 3. Confor…eing Ecclesiastical Government to the civil in the extent of Diocesses. The suburbicarian Churches what. Bishops answerable to the civil Governours. Churches power rises from the greatness of Cities. 4. Validity of Ordination by Presbyters in places where Bishops were. The case of Ischyras discussed; instances given of Ordination by Presbyters not pronounced null. 5. The Churches prudence in managing its affairs, by the several Canons, Provincial Synods, Codex Canonum.

HAving largely considered the actions of Christ, and§. 1. the practice of the Apostles, so far as they are conceived to have reference to the determining the certain form of Government in the Church; our next stage is, according to our propounded method, to examine what light the practice of the Church in the ages succeeding the Apostles will cast upon the controversie we are upon. For although, according to the principles established and …aid down by us, there p. 347can be nothing setled as an universal Law for the Church but what we find in Scriptures: yet because the general practice of the Church is conceived to be of …o great use for understanding what the Apostles intentions, as well as actions were, we shall chearfully pass over this Rubicon, because not with an intent to increase divisions, but to find out some further evidence of a way to compose them. Our Inquiry then is, Whether the primitive Church did conceive its self obliged to observe unalterably one individual form of Government, as delivered down to them either by a Law of Christ, or an universal constitution of the Apostles; or else did only settle and order things for Church-government, according as it judged them tend most to the peace and settlement of the Church, without any antecedent obligation, as necessarily binding to observe onelyonly one course. This latter I shall endeavour to make out to have been the onelyonly Rule and Law which the primitive Church observed as to Church-government, viz. the tendency of its constitutions to the peace and unity of the Church; and not any binding Law or practice of Christ or his Apostles. For the demonstrating of which, I have made choyce of such arguments as most immediately te…d to the proving of it. For, If the power of the Church and its officers did encrease meerly from the inlargement of the bounds of Churches, if no one certain form were observed in all Churches, but great varieties as to Officers and Diocesses; if the course used in setling the power of the chief Officers of the Church was from agreement with the civil government, if notwithstanding the superiority of Bishops, the ordination of Presbyters was owned as valid; if in all other things concernning the Churches Polity, the Churches prudence was looked on as a sufficient ground to establish things; then we may with reason conciude, that nothing can be inferred from the practice of the primitive Church▪ Demonstrative of any one fixed form of Church-government delivered from the Apostles …o them. Having thus by a l…ght foreign drawn ou… the several lines of the pourtraiture of the Polity of the antient Church, we now proceed to fill them up, though not with that life which it deserves, yet so far as the model of this Discourse will permit. Our first argument then is from the p. 348rise of the extent of the power of Church-Governours, which I assert not to have been from any order of the Apostles, but from the gradual encrease of the Churches committed to their charge. This will be best done by the observation of the growth of Churches, and how proportionably the power of the Governours did increase with it. As to that, there …re four observable steps or periods, as so many ages of growth in the primitive Churches. First, when Churches and Cities were of the same extent. Secondly, when Churches took in the adjoyning Terri…ories with the Villages belonging to the Cities. Thirdly, when several Cities with their Villages did associate for Church-Government in the same Province. Fourthly, when several provinces did associate for Government in the Roman Empire. Of these in their order.

The first period of Church government observable in the§. 2. primitive Church, was, when Churches were the same with Christians in whole Cities. For the clearing of this, I shall first shew, that the primitive constitution of Churches was in a society of Christians in the same City. Secondly, I shall consider the form and manner of Government then observed among them. Thirdly, consider what relation the several Churches in Cities had to one another. First, That the Primitive Churches were Christians of whole Cities. It is but a late and novel acception of the word Church, whereby it is taken for stated, fixed congregations for publike Worship, and doubtless the original of it is only from the distinction of Churches in greater Cities into their several foreign or publike places for meeting, whence the Scotch Kirk, and our English Church; so that from calling the place Church, they proceed to call the persons there meeting by that name; and thence some think the name of Church so appropriated to such a society of Christians as may meet at such a place, that they make it a matter of Religion not to call those places Churches, from whence originally the very name, as we use it, was derived. But this may be pardoned among other the religio…s weaknesses of well meaning, but lesse knowing people. A Church in its primary sense, as it answers to the Greek foreign, applyed to Christians, is a society of Christians living together in one City, whether p. 349meeting together in many Congregations, or one, is not at all material; because they were not called a Church as meeting together in one place, but as they were a Society of Christians inhabiting together in such a City: not but that I think a society of Christians might be called a Church, where-ever they were, whether in a City or Countrey, but because the first and chief mention we meet with in Scripture of Churches, is of such as did dwell together in the same Cities; as is evident from many pregnant places of Scripture to this purpose. As Acts 14. 23. compared with Titus 1. 5. foreign, in one place, is the same with foreign in the other. Ordaining Elders in every Church, and ordaining Elders in every City; which implyes, that by Churches then were meant the body of Christians residing in the Cities: over which the Apostles ordained Elders to rule them. So Acts 16. 4. 5. As they went through the Cities, &c. and so were the Churches established in the faith. The Churches here were the Christians of those Cities which they went through. So Acts 20. 17. He sent to Ephesus and called the Elders of the Church. If by the Elders we mean, as all those do we now deal with, the Elders of Ephesus, then it is here evident, that the Elders of the Church and of the City are all one; but what is more observable, ver. 28. he calls the Church of that City, foreign. Take heed to your selves, and to the flock over which God hath made you overse…rs, to feed the Church of God. Where several things are observable to our purpose; first, that the body of Christians in Ephesus is called foreign and foreign, the flock of the Church, and not the several flocks and Churches, over which God hath made you Bishops. Secondly, That all these spoken to were such as had a pastoral charge of this one flock; Paul calls them foreign, and chargeth them foreign, to do the work of a Pastor towards it. So that either there must be several Pastors taking the pastoral charge of one Congregation, which is not very suitable with the principles of those I now dispute against; or else many congregations in one City are all called but one Church, and p. 350one flock, which is the thing I plead for. And therefore it is an observation of good use to the purpose in hand, that the New Test…ment speaking of the Churches in a Province, alwayes speakes of them in the plural number, as the Churches of Iudaea, Gal. 1. 22, 1 Thes. 2▪ 14. The Churches of Sama…i… and Galilee, Acts 9. 31. The Churches of Syria and C…icia, Acts 15. 41. The Churches of Galatia, 1 Cor. 16. 1. Gal, 1. 1, 2. The Churches of Asia, Rom. 16. 16. Rev. 1. 11. But when it speaks of any particular City, then it is alwayes used in the Singular number, as the Church at Jerusalem, Acts 8. 1.—15 4, 22. The Church at Antioch, Acts 11. 26—13. 1. The Church at Corinth, 1 Cor. 1. 2. 2 Cor. 1. 1… and so of all the seven Churches of Asia, the Church of Ephesus, Smyrna, &c. So that we cannot find in Scripture the least footstep of any difference between a Church and the Christians of such a City; whereas had the notion of a Church been restrained to a particular congregation, doubtlesse we should have found some difference as to the Scriptures speaking of the several places. For it is scarce imaginable that in all those Cities spoken of (as for example Ephesus, where Paul was for above two years together) that there should be no more converts then would make one Congregation. Accordingly in the times immediately after the Apostles, the same language and custom continued still. So Clement inscribes his Epistle, foreign, The Church of God which is at Rome, to the Church of God which is at Corinth. So by that it is plain that all the Believers at that time in Rome, made up but one Church, as likewise did they at Corinth. S… Polycarp in the Epistle written by him from the Church at Smyrna to the Church at Phylomilium, foreign; and so in his EpistleEuseb. l. 4. cap. 1… … Ignat. ep p. 13. to the Philippians, foreign. Polycarp and the Elders with him to the Church which is at Philippi. Origen compares the Church of God at Athens, Corinth, Alexandria, and o…her places, with the people of those several Cities; and so theC. Celsum. l. 3 p. 128. &c. Churches Senate with the peoples, and the Churches foreign (that is his word) chief Ruler, with the Maior of those p. 351Cities, implying thereby that as there was one civil Society in such places to make a City, so there was a Society of Christians incorporated together to make a Church. So that a Church setled with a full power belonging to it, and exerc sing all acts of Church-discipline within its self, was antiently the same with the Society of Christians in a City. Not but that the name Church is attributed sometimes to Families, in which sense Tertullian speaks, Ubi duo aut tres sunt, ibi Ecclesia est, Exhort. ad. cust.licet Laici: And may on the same account be attributed to a small place, such as many imagine the Church of Cenchrea to be, it being a port to Corinth on the Sinus Sarònicus; but Stephanus Byzantinus calls it foreign. Suidas Steph. de Urbibus.saith no more of it then that it is foreign. Strabo and Pausanias only speak of the scituation of it, as one of the po…ts of Corinth, lying in the way from Tegaea to Argos; nor isStrabo Geog…. l. 8. Paus. Corinth. p. 44. 45. Plin. hist. l. 4. c. 4. any more said of it by Pliny, then that it answers to Lechaeum, the port on the other side upon the Sinus Corinthiacus. Ubbo Emmius in his description of old Greece, calls both of them oppidula duo cum duobus praeclaris portubus in ora utriusq, maris, but withall adds that they were duo urbis emporia, the two Marts of Corinth; therefore in probability, becauseEmmius de Graec. Vet. li 2. of the great Merchandise of that City, they were much frequented. Cenchrea was about twelve furlongs distance from Corinth; Where Pareus conjectures the place of the meeting of the Church of Corinth was, because of the troubles theyPareus in Rom. 16. 1.Rom 16:1 met with in the City, and therefore they retired thither for greater conveniency and privacy: which conjecture will appear not to be altogether improbable, when we consider the furious opposition made by the Iews against the Christians at Corinth, Acts 18. 12. and withall, how usual it was both for Jews and Christians to have their place of meeting at a distance from the City. As Acts 16. 13. They went out from Philippi to the River side, where there was a Proseucha, or a place of V. He…ns. E…er…it. sac…. l. 5. cap 10.prayer, where the Iews of Philippi accustomed to meet. According to this interpretation the Church at Cenchrea is nothing else but the Church of Corinth there assembling: as the Reformed Church at Paris hath their meeting place at Charenton, which might be called the Church of Charenton from their publick Assemblies there, but the Church of p. 352Paris from the Residence of the chief Officers and people in that City. So the Church of Corinth might be called the Church at Cenchrea upon the same account, there being no evidence at all of any setled Government there at Cenchrea distinct from that at Corinth. So that this place which is the only one brought against that position I have laid down hath no force at all against it. I conclude then, that Churches and Cities were originally of equal extent, and that the formal constitution of a Church lyes not in their capacity of assembling in one place, but acting as a society of Christians imbodyed together in one City, having Officers and Rulers among themselves, equally respecting the whole number of Believers: Which leads to the second thing, the way and manner then used for the modelling the government of these Churches, Which may be considered in a double period of time, either before several Congregations in Churches were setled, or after those we now call Parishes, were divided. First, before distinct Congregations were setled; and this as far as I can find, was not only during the Apostles times, but for a competent time after, generally during the persecution of Churches. For we must distinguish between such a number of Believers as could not conveniently assemble in one place, and the distributing of Believers into their several distinct congregations. I cannot see any reason but to think that in the great Churches of Ierusalem, Antioch, Ephesus, and the like, there were more Believers then could well meet together, considering the state of those times; but that they were then distributed into their several foreign or Centuries (as the Athenians, and Romans divided their people) i. e. into several worshipping congregations with peculiar Officers, I see no reason at all for it. They had no such conveniences then of setling several congregations under their particular Pastors: but all the Christians in a City looked upon themselves as one body, and met together as occasion served them, where either the chief of the Governours of the Church, the foreign in Iustin Martyrs language, did perform the solemn part of divine Worship, or some other of the Elders that were present with them. Is it not strange for men to dream of set-times, and Canonical hours, and publike places of assemblies at that time, when p. 353their chief times of meeting were in the night, or very earlyEp 95. l. 10. in the morning, which Pliny. calls conventus antelucanus, whence they were called latebrosa & lucifugax natio; andTertut. de Cor. Mil…ti… ad Uxo…. l. 2. c. 4. V. Vossium in Pl…n. cp. p. 45. V. Gersom. Bucer. de …. Eccl. p. 2 …0. … &c. V. Iustel. Not. in Cod. Can Eccles. n. p 200. & Blo…del Ap. s. 3. de Basil. origine p. …16. p. 243 p. 131. ed. Cl. Samas. were fain to make use of wax-lights: (which from that custome the Papists continue still in their Tapers alwayes burning upon the Altar; from what reason I know not, unless to shew the darkness of error and superstition which that Church lyes under still) and the places of the Christians meetings were generally either some private rooms, or some grotts or Cryptae, Vaults under ground where they might be least discerned or taken notice of; or in the Coemeteria, the Martyrum memoriae, as they called them, where their common assemblies were. Thence Pontius Paulinus, speaking of the Edict of Valerian against the Christians, Iussum est ut nulla conciliabula faciant, neque coemeteria ingrediantur. Indeed, when they had any publick liberty granted them, they were so mindful of their duties of publick profession of the Faith, as to make use of publick places for the worship of God, as appears by Lampridius in the life of Alexander S…verus Quum Christiani quendam locum qui publicus fuerat occupassent, contrà popinarii dicerent, sibi cum deberi; rescripsit, melius esse ut quom…docunque illic Deus colatur, quam popinariis dedatur. But in times of persecution it is most improbable that there should be any fixed Congregations and places, when the Christians were so much hunted after, and inquired for, as appears by the former Epistle of Pliny, and the known Rescript Apol. c. 2.of Trajan upon it, so much exagitated by Tertullian. They did meet often it is certain, ad confaederandum disciplinam, at which meetings Tertullian tells us, Praesident probati quique seniores, which he elsewhere explains by Consessus ordi…is, the bench of officers in the Church, which did in common consult for the good of the Church, without any Cantonizing the Christians into severall distinct and fixed Congregations. But after that believers were much increased, and any peace or liberty obtained, they then began to contrive the distribution of the work among the several Officers of the Church, and to settle the several bounds over which every Presbyter was to take his charge; but yet so, as that every Presbyter retained a double aspect of his Office▪ the one particular to his charge; the other generall respecting the Church p. 354in common. For it is but a weak conceit to imagine that after the setling of Congregations, every one had a distinct presbytery to rule it, which we find not any obseure footsteps of in any of the ancient Churches; but there was still one Ecclesiastical Senate which ruled all the several Congregations of those Cities in common, of which the several Presbyters of the Congregations were members, and in which the Bishop acted as the President of the Senate, for the better governing the affairs of the Church. And thus we find Cornelius at Rome sitting there cum florentissimo Clero: thus Cyprian at Carthage, E…igr. ep. s. 21.one who pleads as much as any for obedience to Bishops, and yet none more evident for the presence and joint concurrence and assistance of the Clergy at all Church debates; whose resolution from his first entrance into his B…shoprick, was, to do all things communi concilio Clericorum, with the Common-CouncilEp. 6. 10. 18, 24, 33, 34, 28. 32. of the Clergy; and sayes, they were cum Episcopo sacerdotali honore conjuncti. Victor at Rome decreed Easter to be kept on the Lords day, collatione facta cum Presbyteris & Diaconibus (according to the Latine of that age) as Damasus Ep. 58. Apud. Bin. To. 1. Conc. p. 91.the supposed Authour of the lives of the Popes tells us. In the proceedings against Novatus at Rome, we have a clear Testimony of the concurrence of Presbyters: where a great Synod was called, as E…sebius expresseth it, of sixty Bishops, butEccles. hist. l. 6. cap. 43. more Presbyters▪ and Deacons: and what is more full to our purpose, not onelyonly the several Presbyters of the City, but the Country Pastours (foreign) did likew…se give their advice about that business. At this time Cornelius tells us there were forty six Presbyters in that one City of Rome, who concurred with him in condemning Novatus. Eccles. hist. l. 7. cap. 30.So at Antioch in the case of Paulus Samosatenus we find a Synod gathered, consisting of Bishops, Presbyters and Deacons, and in their name the Synodal Epistle is penned and directed to the same in all the Catholick Church; At the Council of Eliberis in Spain, were present but ninteen Bishops and twenty six Presbyters. The case between Sylvanus Apud. Nun. sub Zenoph. Consul.Bishop of Cirta in Africk, and Nundinaris the Deacon, was referred by Purpuriu… to the Clergy to decide it, For the presence of Presbyters at Synods, instances are brought foreign by Blondel in his Apology. And that they concurredP. 200. p. 355in governing the Church, and not onelyonly by their Counsel but Authority, appears from the general Sense of the Church of God, even when Episcopacy was at the highest: Nazianzen speaking of the Office of Presbyters, foreign,Orat. p. 3. he knew not whether to call it, Ministry or Superintendency, and those who are made Presbyters foreign, from being ruled, they ascend to be rulers themselves, And their power by him, is in severalP. 34… 37, 41. P. 29, 42. In 1 Tim. hom. 11. places▪ called foreign. they are called by him, foreign. Chrysostome gives this as the reason of Pauls passing over from Bishops to Deacons without naming Presbyters, foreign. Because there is no great matter of difference between a Bishop and Presbyters, for these likewise have the instruction and charge of the Church committed to them; which words Theophylact, Chrysostomes Eccho, repeats after him,Conc. Aquis. c. 5. 1. which the Council of Aquen thus expresseth, Presbyterorum verô qui praesunt Ecclesi… Christi ministerium esse videtur, ut in doctrina praesint populis & in Officio praedicandi, nec in aliquo desides inv…nti appareant. Clemens Alexandrinus before all these, speaking of himself and his fellow-Presbyters, foreign. We are Pastors, Paedag. l. 1. cap. 6.and Rulers of the Churches. And that proper Acts of Discipline were performed by them, appears both by the Epistles of the Roman Clergy about their preserving Discipline to Cyprian, and likewise by the Act of that Clergy in excluding Marcion from communion with them. So the PresbytersEpiph haer. 4…. of the Church of Ephesus excommunicated Noetus; for after they had cited him before them, and found him obstinate in his Heresie, foreign, they put both him and his DisciplesId. h…res. 57. c. 1. out of the Church together. Thus we see what the manner of Government in the Church was now: The Bishop sitting as the foreign in the Sanhedrin, and the Presbyters foreign, as Ignatius expresseth it, acting as the Common-Council of the Church to the Bishop; the Bishop being as the foreign, answering to the foreign, and the Presbytery as the p. 356foreign, answering to the foreign C. Celsum. l. 3. p. 129.as Origen compares them. Whereby he fully describes the form of Government in his time in the Church, which was by an Ecclesiastical Senate, and a President in it, ruling the Society of Christians in every City. So that the Presbytery of a great City joyning together for Government, were never accounted a Provincial Assembly, but onelyonly the Senate for Government of the Church in the whole City. The erecting Presbyteries for every particular congregation in a City, is a stranger to the ancient constitution of Churches, and hath given the greatest rise to the Independency of particular congregations. For if every particular congregation be furnished with a Government within its self, then men are apt presently to think that there is no necessity of subordination of it to any higher Church-power. Whereas, if that p…imitive constitution of Churches be held, that they are Societies of Christians under an Ecclesiastical Senate in a City▪ then it is evident that the congregations must truck…e under the great body, as receiving their government by, and their Officers from that Senate of the Church, which superintends, and orders the affairs of that whole Body of Christians residing in such a place. And this crumbling of Churchpower into every congregation is a thing absolutely disowned by the greatest, and most learned Patrons of Presbytery beyond the Seas as may be seen both in Calvin, B…za, Salmasius, Blondel, Gersome, Bucer and others. It is much disputed when the first division of Parochiall Congregations in Cities began; Platina attributes it to Evaristus, and so doth Damasus, Hic Titulos in Urbe Roma divisit Presbyteris. He divided the several Parish Churches to the Presbyters; these were called then Tituli: Baronius gives a double reasonA. Dom. … 12. n. 4, 5, 6. of the name; either from goods belonging to the Princes Exc…equer, which have some sign imprinted, upon them that it may be known whose they are; So, saith he, the sign of the Cross was put upon the Churches to make it known that they were devoted to Gods Service; or else they are called Tituli, because the severall Presbyters did receive their Titles from them; but, by the Leave of the great Cardinal, another Reason may be given of the name more proper then p. 357either of these. It hath been observed by Learned men, that the generall meetings of the Christians were in the Coemeteria or Dormitories of Christians; So they called the Sepulchres then, which were great and capacious Vaults fit to receive many people in them; two chief grounds of the Christians meeting in those places: the first was their own security, because the Heathens looked on it as a matter of Religion—manes temerare sepultos, to disturb the ashes of the dead; but the chief Reason was to encourage themselves to suffe… Martyrdom by the examples of those who had gone before them, and lay buried there; thence they were called Martyrum memoriae, because they did call to mind their actions and constancy in the Faith. Now from these Coemeteria was afterwards the original of Churches (whence persons most reverenced for Piety, were wont still to be buried in Churches, not for any Holiness of the place, but because in such places the Martyrs lay buried) the Churches being raised over the Vaults wherein the Martyra lay intombed. Now Churches being raised from these Coemeteries, which were called memoriae Martyrum, that they might still retain somwhat intimating their former use, were called Tituli. Forin Ezek 39. 15.Ezek 39:15 Titulus, as Santius observes, is signum aliquod aut monumentum quod docet ibi latere aliquid aut accidisse, cujus nolumus perire memoriam; thence Statues are called Tituli. So Gen. 35. 20. Erexit Iacob Titulum super Sepulchrum, as the Vulgar Latine renders it: and Gen. 28. 18. Surgens ergo Iacob mane tulit lapidem quem su…posuerat capiti suo, & erexit in titulum. So Absalom 2 Sam. 18. 18. erexit sibi Titulum. So that what was erected to maintain and preserve the memory of any thing, was called Titulus; and thence the Churches being built upon the Coemiteries of the Martyrs, were on that account called Tituli, because intended for the preservation of their memories. This account of the Original of the name I leave to the judgement of Learned men; but to proceed. I confess, it seems not probable to me that these Tituli were so soon divided as the time of Evaristus, who lived in the time of Trajan when the persecution was hot against the Christians; but Damasus seems not to believe himself; for in the life of Dionysius, …e saith, Hic Presbyteris ecclesias divisit, p. 358coemeteria, paroecias, & dioeceses instituit; but most probably it began assoon as the Churches enjoyed any ease and peace, it being so necessary for the convenient meeting of such a multitude of Christians as there was then. In the life of Marcellus about fourty years after Dionysius, we read of twenty five Titles in the Church of Rome; of which number what use is made for interpreting the number 666. may be seen in Mr. Potters ingenuous Tract on that Subject. But when afterwards these Titles were much increased, those Presbyters that were placed in the ancient Titles which were the chief among them, were called Cardinales Presbyteri, V. O… phrium▪ de Episcop. ti…ul. & Div. Cardinalium.which were then looked on as chief of the Clergy, and therefore were the chief members of the Council of Presbyters to the Bishop. So that at this day, the Conclave at Rome and the Pope's Consistory is an evident Argument in this great degeneracy of it, of the Primitive constitution of the Government of the Church there, by a Bishop acting with his Colledge of Presbyters. Neither was this proper to Rome alone, but to all other great Cities, which when the number of Presbyters was grown so great, that they could not conveniently meet, and joyn with the Bishop, for ordering the Government of the Church, there were some as the chief of them chosen out from the rest, to be as the Bishops Council, and these in many places, as at Milan, Ravenna, Naples, &c. were called Cardinales Presbyteri, as well as at Rome; which were abrogated by Pius Quintus 1568▪ but the memory of them is preserved still in Cathedral Churches, in the Chapter there, where the Dean was nothing else but the Archipresbyt…r, and both Dean and Prebendaries were to be assistant to the Bishop in the regulating the Church-affairs belonging to the Citie, while the Churches were contained therein. So much shall suffice for the model of Government in the Churches, while they were contained within the same precincts with the City its self.

We come in the third place to consider what relation these§▪ 3. Churches in greater Cities had one to another, and to the lesser Cities which were under them. And here the grand question to be discussed is this. Whether the Churches in greater Cities by Apostolical institution, had the Government Ecclesiastical, p. 359not▪ only of the lesser Villages under them, but likewise of all lesser Cities under the civil Jurisdiction of the Metropolis. The affirmative is of late asserted by some persons of great renown and learning. The first I find maintaining this Hypothesis▪ of the divine right of Metropolitans, is Fregevilaeus Gantius one of the Reformed Church of France, who hathPalma Christiana cap. 4. spent a whole Chapter in his Palma Christian… to that purpose, and hath made use of the same Arguments which have been since improved by all the advantages which the learning of a Reverend Dr… could add to them. But because this principle manifestly destroyes the main foundation of this discourse, it is here requisite to examine the grounds on which it stands, that thereby it may be fully cleared whether the subordination of less Churches to greater, did onelyonly arise from the mutual association of Churches among themselves, or from Apostolical appointment and institution. The two pillars which the divine right of Metropolitans is built upon, are these. First, that the Cities spoken of in the New Testament, in which Churches are planted, were Metropoles in the civil Sense. Secondly, that the Apostles did so far follow the model of the civil Government as to plant Metropolitan Churches in those Cities. If either of these prove infirm, the Fabrick erected upon them, must needs fall; and I doubt not but to make it appear that both of them are. I begin with the first. The notion of a Metropolis is confessed to be this, A City wherein the Courts of a civill Judicature were kept by the Roman Governours, under whose Jurisdiction the whole Province was contained. The Cities chiefly insisted on, are the seven Cities of the Lydian Asia, and Philippi which is called foreign. As for the Cities of the Proconsular Asia, although the bounds and limits of it are not so clear as certainly to know whether all these Cities were comprehended under it or no, Strabo telling us that Phrygia, Lydia, Caria andGeogr…l. 13 Mysia, are foreign, very hard to be distinguished from one another; it being true of all four which was said of Mysia and Phrygia,

foreign

foreign

p. 360The Phrygian and Mysian Borders are distinct; but it i… is hard to find them out▪ For Laodicea is by Ptolomy referred to Caria; Strabo and many others, place it in Phrygia, onelyonly Stephanus Bizantinus placeth it in Lydia; but granting all that is produced by the late most excellent Primate of Armagh in his Learned Discourse of the Proconsular Asia, to prove all these seven Cities to be in the bounds of this Lydian Asia; yet it is far from being evident that all these Cities were Metropoles in the Civil Sense. For Strabo tells us, That … Georg l. 13 p. 432 …d. Is. Ca…a…b.the Romans did not divide these places by Nations; …but according to the Dioc…sses wherein they kept their Courts, and exercised Judicature. These Cities wherein the Courts of Judicature were kept, were the Metropoles, and no other. Of five of them, Laodicea, Smyrna, Sardis, Ephesus andNat. hist. l. 5. c. 29. & 30. Pergamus, Pliny saith, that the Conventus, the Civil Courts, were kept in them: and they had Jurisdiction over the other places by him mentioned; but for the other two, Thyatira and Philadelphia, Philadelphia is expresly mentioned as one of those Cities which was under the jurisdictio Sardiana; so far was it from being a Metropoles of its self; and Thyatira mentioned as one of the ordinary Cities, without any addition of Honour at all to it. And for Philadelphia, it was so …ar unlikely to be a Metropolis, that Strabo tells us it was foreign; very subject to Earth-quakes, and therefore had very few inhabitants; those that …, live most part in the fields, where they have foreign a very rich soil: but Strabo for all that, wonders at the boldness of the men that durst to venture their lives there; and most of all admires what was in those mens heads who first built a City there. Is it then any wayes probable that this should be chosen for a Metropolis, in such an abundance of fair and rich Cities as lay thereabout? But a Salvo is found out for Plinyes not mentioning them as Metropoles, because the addition of these two mother Cities, seemeth to have been made when Vespasian added those many new Provinces to the old Government which Su…tonius speaks of; but this Salvo doth notSueton. in V…syas c 8. reach the sore: For first, Pliny wrote his natural History, not in the beginning, but toward the latter end of the Empire of Flavius Vespasianus, when Titus had been six times Consul p. 361…s he himself saith in his Preface; therefore if there had been any such change, Pliny would have mentioned it. Secondly, the Provinces added by Vespasian, are expresly set down by Su… …oniu… ▪ viz. Achaia, Lysia▪ Rhodus, Byzantium, Samos, Thracia, Cilivia▪ Comagena, not the least mention of the Lydian or Proco…sular Asia, or any alteration made in the Metropolis there. But yet there is a further attempt made to make Philadelphia a Metropolis, which is from a subscription of Eustathius in the Council of Constantinople sub Menna, Act 5. who calls himself the Bishop of the Metropolis of Philadelphia; but what validity there is in such a subscription in the time of the fifth Century to prove a Metropolis in the first, l…t any one judge that doth but consider how common … thing it was to alter Metropoles, especially after the new disposition of the Roman Empire by Constantin…: But if we do stand to the Notiti… to determine this controversie, which are certainly more to be valued then a single subscription, the Metropolitanship of these Cities of the Lydian Asia will be irrecoverably overthrown. For in the old Notitia, taken out of the Vatican MS. and set forth with the rest by Caro… Sancto-Paulo in his Appendix to his Geographia sacra, Ephesus is made the Metropolis of the Province of Asia, Sardis of Lydia, Laodicea of Phrygia Capatiana, as it is there written for Pacatiana, but Pergamus placed in the Province of Caesarla Cappadocia, Philadelphia under Sardis, with Thyatyra▪ In the Notitia attributed to Hier…cl…s under the Metropolis of Ephesus is placed Smyrna and Pergamu…, under Sardi…, Thyatyra and Philadelphia, so likewise in the Notitia of the French Kings Library. So that neither in the Civil no… Ecclesiastical sense can we find these seven Cities to be all Metropoles. We therefore observe St. Pauls course, and leaving Asia, we come into Macedonia, where we are told, that Philippi was the Metropolis of Macedonia: I know not whether with greater incongruity to the Civil or Ecclesiastical sense: in …oth which I doubt not but to make it appear, that Philippi was not the Metropolis of Macedonia, and therefore the Bishops there mentioned could not be the Bishops of the several Cities under the jurisdiction of Philippi, but must be understoodPhil. …. …. of the Bishops resident in that City. We begin with p. 362it in the Civil sense▪ which is the foundation of the other. It is confessed not to have been a Metropolis during its being called foreign and foreign, it being by Pausanias called foreign.Elia…. I…. P. 182. By Theophylact out of an old Geographer (as it is supposed) it is said to be foreign; and is it not very improbable that soDio l. 47. small a City, as it is acknowledged to be by Dio and others, should be the Metropolis of Macedonia, where were at leastS. 4 c. 11. L …. c. 2. one hundred and fifty Cities, as Pliny and Pomponius Mela tell us; by bo…h whom Philippi is pl…ced in Thracia, and not in Macedonia, But two arguments are brought to prove Philippi to have been a Metropolis; the first is from St. Luke, calling it foreign, Acts 16. 12. The first City of that Part of Macedonia: but rendred by the learned Doctor, the prime City of the province of Macedonia; but it would be worth knowing where foreign in all the Notitiae of the Roman Empire was translated a Province; and it is evident that Luke calls it the first City, not ratione dignitatis, but ratione …, in regard of its scituation, and not its dignity. So Camerarius understands Luke, hanc esse primam coloniam pa… tis seu Plagae Macedonicae; nimirum a Thracia vicinia iter in Macedoniam ordiens. It is the first City of that part of Macedonia, when one goes from Thracia into it. And▪ so it appearsLib. 47. p. 397. by Dio, describing the scituation of Philippi, that it was the next town to Neapolis, only the Mountain Symbolon comeing between them, and Neapolis being upon the shore, and Philippi built up in the plain near the Mountain Pangaeus, where Brutus and Cassius incamped themselves: its being then the first City of entrance into Macedonia, proves no more that it was the Metropolis of Macodonia, then that Calice is of France, or Dover of England. But it is further pleaded, that Philippi was a Colonie, and therefore it is most probable that the seat of the Roman Judicature was there. But to this I answer, first, that Philippi was not the only Colonie in Macedonia; for Pliny reckons up Cassandria, Paria▪ and others: for whichP…er…. l. 2. c. 37. we must understand that Macedonia was long since made a Province by Paulus: and in the division of the Roman Provinces by Augustus, Strabo reckons it with Illyricum among p. 363the Provinces belonging to the Roman people and Senate, and so likewise doth Dio. But it appears by Suetonius, that Tiberius Geog…. l 17. hist. l. 53. V. Claudii cap. 25.(according to the custom of the Roman Emperours in the danger of War in the Provinces,) took it into his own hands, but it was re…urned by Claudius to the Senat… again, together with Achaia: thence Dio speaking of Macedonia H…st. l. 57▪in the time of Tiberius, saith, it was governed foreign, that is, by those who were foreign; the praefecti Casaris, such as were sent by the Emperour to be his Presidents in the provinces, the foreign were the Proconsuli, who were chosen by lot after their Consulship into the several Provinces▪ and therefore Dio expresseth Claudius his returning Macedonia into the Senates hands by foreign, he put it to the choyce of the Senate again. Now Macedonia having been thus long a Province o… the Roman Empire, what probability is there, because Philippi was a Colonie, therefore it must be the Metropolis of Macedonia? Secondly, We find not the least evidence either in Scripture or elsewhere▪ that the Proconsul of Macedonia had his residence at Philippi, yea, we have some evidence against it out of Scripture▪ Acts 16, 20, 22. foreign, and brought them to the Magistrates▪ if there had been the Tribunal of a Proconsul here, we should certainly have had it ment…oned, as Gallio Proconsul of Achaia is mentioned in a like case at Corinth, Acts 18. 12. Two sorts of Magistrates are here expressed:V. Pan…ir. de Magist. Municipal. cap. 8. the foreign, which seem to be the Rulers of the City, the foreign, to be the Duumviri of the Colonie, or else the Deputies of the Proconsul residing there▪ but I incline rather to the former, foreign, being only a Duumvir▪ butExerc. sacr. l. 5. c. 10. foreign is a Praetor▪ as Heinsius observes from the Glossary of H. Stephen. For every Colonie had a Duumvirate to rule it, answering to the Consuls and Praetors at Rome. But all this might have been spared, when we consider how evident it is that Thessalonica was the Metropolis of Macedonia, as appears by Antipater in the Greek Epigram.

foreignAntholog. l. 1.

foreign

p. 364And the Praefectus pr…torio Illy…ici had …dence a… Th…ssalonica, as Theodore… tells us, foreign, &c▪ foreign.Hist. eccles. l. 5. c. 17. V. Berter▪ Pithan. Dial. cap. …. l. 2. c 12. Th…ssalonica was a great populous City, where the Leiutenant of Illyricum did reside▪ and so in probability did the Vi…arius Macedonia. It is called the Metropolis of Macedonia likewise by Socr…s, and in the Ecclesiastical sense it is so called by Aetius the Bishop thereof in the Council of Sardica… and Carolus à Sancto Paulo, thinks it was not onlyConc. Sard. cop. 16. the Metropolis of the Province of Macedonia, but of the whole Diocè…s (which in the East was much larger then the Province)▪ I suppose he means that which answered to theGeogr. sacr. l. 8. s. 14. V…carius Macedoniae. And thence in the Councils of Ephesus and Chalcedon, the subscription of the Bishop of Th…ssalonic… wa… next to the Patriarchs. But for Philippi the same Author acknowledgeth it not to have been a Metropolitan Church in the first six Centuries; but, after that Macedonia was divided into prima and secunda (which was after the div…sion of it in the Empire into prima and salutaris) then Philippi came to have the honorary Title of a Metropolitan: although in Hierocles his Notitia, Philippi is placed as the twenty first City under the Metropoles of Th…ssalonica. So much to evidence the weakness of the first pillar, viz. that these Cities were Metropoles in the civil sense: and this being taken away, the other falls of its self; for if the Apostles did model the Ecclesiastical Government according to the Civil, then Metropolitan Churches were planted only in Metropolitan Cities, and these being cleared not to have been the latter, it is evident they were not the former. But however, let us see what evidence is brought of such a subordination of all other Churches to the Metropolitans, by the institution of the Apostles. The only evidence produced out of Scripture for such a subordination and dependance of the Churches of lesser Cities upon the greater, is from Act… 16. 1, 4 compared with Acts 15. 23. the argument runs thus: The question was started at Antioch, Acts 14. 26. with Acts 15. 2. from thence they sent to Ierusalem for a resolution: the decree of the Council there concerns not only A…tioch, but Syria and Cilicia, which were under the Jurisdiction of Antioch: and therefore Metropolitan p. 365Church …e jure divino. I am afraid the argument would sc…ow its self in the dress of a Syllogism. Thus it runs; If upon the occasion of the question at Antioch, the decree of the Apostles made at Ierusalem, concern all the Churches of Syria, and Cilicia, then all these Churches had a dependance upon the Metropolis of Antioch, but the an…ecedent is true, therefore the consequent. Let us see how the argument will do in another …orm. If upon the occasion of the question at Antioch, the decree of the Apostles concerned all the Churches of Christians conversing with Jews; then all these Churches had dependance upon the Church of Antioch; But, &c. How thankfull would the Papists have been, if onelyonly Rome had been put instead of Antioch… and then the conclusion had been true, what ever the premises were. But in good earnest, doth the Churches of Syria and Cilicia being bound by this Decree, prove their subordination to Antioch, or to the Apostles? Were they bound because Antioch was their Metropolis, or because they were the Apostles who resolved the question? but were not the Churches of Phrygia, and Galatia, bound to observe these decrees as well as others? For of these it is said, that the Apostles went through the Cities of them, delivering the decrees to keep, as it is expressed▪ Acts 16. 4. compared with the 6. verse. Or do the decrees of the Apostles concern only those to whom they are inscribed, and upon whose occasion they are penned? Then by the same reason Pauls Epistles being written many of them upon occasions, as that to the Corinthians being directed to the Metropolis of Corinth, doth only concern the Church of that City, and those of Achaia that were subject to the jurisdiction of the City; and so for the rest of the Epistles. A fair way to make the Word of God of no effect to us; because for sooth, we live not in obedience to those Metropoles to which the Epistles were directed! From whence we are told, how many things we may understand by this notion of Metropolitans: Especially why Ignatius superscribes his Epistle to the Romans, foreign, to the Church which pre…ides in the place of the Roman region, or the suburbicari…n Provinces. But let us see whether p. 366this place may not be understood better without the help of this notion. Casaubon calls it locutionem barbar…m; Exercit. 16. n. 150 Exercit. in ep. Ignat. a… …om. c. 2.Vedelius is more favourable to it, and thinks si non elegans saltem vi…ii libera est, and explains it by the suburbicarian Provinces: and makes the sense of it to be foreign, in the place which is the Roman region, and parallels it with the foreign, Luke 9. 10. Bellarmine thinks he hath …ound the Popes universal power in his foreign, but methinks the foreign, should hardly be rendred Orbis universus, unless Bellarmine were no more skil'd in Greek, then Casaubon thinks he was, whom he calls in the p…ace forecited, hominem Graecarum literarum prorsus foreign. The most ingenuous conjecture concerning this place, is that of our learned Mr. Thorndike. The word Laws of the Ch…r. cap. 18. p. 164.foreign, saith he, is here used as many times besides, speaking of those places which a man would neither call Cities nor Towns, as Acts 27 2. foreign, being to sail by the places of Asia; foreign, it is plain it signifies the countrey; foreign, then must necessarily signifie here the Vaticane lying in the Fields as a suburb to Rome, and being the place where St. Peter was buried, and where the Iews of Rome then dw…lt, as we learn by Philo, legatione ad Caium, out of whom he produceth a large place to that purpose, and so makes this the Church of the Jewish Christians, the Vaticane being then the Iewry of Rome; but there being no clear evidence of any such distinction of Churches there, and as little reason why Ignatius should write to the Church of the Jewish Christians, and not to the Church of the Gentile Christians, I therefore embrace his sense of the foreign for the Vatican, but explain it in another way, viz. as we have already shewed, that the chief places of meeting for the Christians in Gentile▪Rome, was in the Coemeteries of the Martyrs; now these Coemeteria were all of them without the City; and the Coemeteria where Peter, Linus, Cletus, and some other of the Primitive Martyrs lay interr'd in the Vatican, beyond the River Tiber. So Damasus in the life of Cletus, Qui etiam sepultus est juxta corpus B. Petri in Vaticano. The Church then in the p…ace of the region of the Romans, is the Christian-Church p. 367of Rome, assembling chiefly in the Coemeteries of the Vatican, or any other of those Vaults which were in the Fields at a good distance from the City. But yet there is one argument more for Metropolitans▪ and that is from the importance of the word foreign, which is taken to signifie both the City and Countrey; and so the inscription of Clemens his Epistle is explained, foreign, i. e. the Church of God dwelling about Rome, to the Church dwelling about Corinth, whereby is supposed to be comprehended the whole Territories, which (being these were Metropoles) takes in the whole Province. And so Polycarp, foreign, But all this ariseth from a mistake of the signification of the word foreign, which signifies not so much accolere as incolere: and therefore the old Latin Version renders it, Eccl…siae Dei quae est Philippis, foreign, one that removes from one City to sojourn in another. And the ground of attributing that name to the Christian Churches, was either because that many of the first Christians being Jews, they did truly foreign, being as strangers out of their own countrey, or else among the Christians, because by reason of their continual persecutions, they were still put in mind of their flitting uncertain conditionPhil. 3. …0▪Phil 3 in the World, their foreign, countrey, citizenship being in Heaven. Of this the Apostles often tell them: from hence i… came to signifie the Society of such Christians so living together; which as it encreased, so the notion of the word foreign encreased, and so went from the City into the countrey, and came not from the countrey into the City; for, if foreign should be taken for accolere, then it necessarily follows, that foreign cannot signifie the Church of Rome, and the Territories belonging to it, but the Church adjacent to Rome, distinct from the Citie, and the Church in it. For in that sense foreign is opposed to living in the City, and so foreign are distinct from the Citizens, as in Thucydides and others; but, I believe no instance can possibly be produced wherein foreign, taken in that sense, doth comprehend in it both City and Country. But being taken in the former sense, it was first applyed to the whole Church p. 368of the City: but when the Church of the City did spread it self into the Countrey, then the word foreign comprehended the Christians, both in City and Countrey adjoyning to it.

Which leads me to the second step of Christian Churches,§. 4. when Churches took in the Villages and Territories adjoyning to the Cities: For which we must understand, that the ground of the subordination of the Villages and Territories about, did primarily arise from hence, that the Gospel was spread abroad from the several Cities into the Countreys about. The Apostles themselves preachedmost, as we read in Scripture, in the Cities, because of the great resort of people thither; there they planted Churches, and setled the Government of them in an Ecclesiastical Senate, which not only took care for the government of Churches already constituted, but for the gathering more. Now the persons who were employed in the conversion of the adjacent Territories, being of the Clergy of the City, the persons by them converted were adjoyned to the Church of the City; and all the affairs of those lesser Churches were at first determined by the Governours of the City; Afterwards when these Churches encreased, and had peculiar Officers set over them by the Senate of the City-church, although these did rule and govern their flock, yet it alwayes was with a subordination to, and dependance upon the government of the City-church. So that by this means, he that was President of the Senate in the City, did likewise superintend all the Churches planted in the adjoyning Territories, which was the original of that which the Greeks call foreign; the Latins, the Diocess of the Bishop. The Church where the Bishop was peculiarly resident with the Clergy, was called Matrix Ecclesia, and Cathedra principali…, …Cod. Eccles. Afric. c. 33. can. 71.as the several Parishes which at first were divided according to the several regions of the City, were called Tituli, and those planted in the Territories about the City, called Paroeciae, when they were applyed to the Presbyters; but when to the Bishop, it noted a Diocess: those that were planted in these country-parishes, were called foreign, by the Greeks, and by the Latins, Presbyteri regionarii, conregionales, forastici, ruri… agrorum Presbyteri, from p. 369whom the foreign were distinct, as evidently appears by the thirteenth Canon of the Council of Neocaesarea▪ where the countrey Presbyters are forbidden to administer the Lords Supper in the presence of the Bishop on the Presbyters of the City; but the Chorepiscopi were allowed to do it. Salmasiu… thinks these foreign were so called, as foreign the Episcopi Apparatu… pr. 240. de primat. c. 1 p. 10. c. 11. p. 164.villani, such as were only Presbyters, and were set over the Churches in Villages: but though they were originally Presbyters, yet they were …aised to some higher authority over the rest of the Presbyters, and the original of them seems to be, that when Churches were so much multiplyed in the Countreys adjacent to the Cities, that the Bishop in his own person could not be present to oversee the actions and carriages of the several Presbyters of the countrey Churches, then they ordained some of the fittest in their several Dioceses to super intend the several Presbyters lying remore from the City; from which office of theirs they were called foreign: because they did foreign, go about, and visit the several Churches. This is the account given of them by Beza and Blondel, as well as others. All thoseBeza de M…is▪ gr…d. c. 24. …londel. Ap p. 94. several places that were converted to the saith by the assistance of the Presbyters of the City, did all make but one Church with the City. Whereof we have this twofold evidence▪ First, from the Eulogi… which were at first parcels of the bread consecrated for the Lords Supper, which were sent by the Deacons or Ac…luthi to those that were absent, in token of their communion in the same Church. Iustin Martyr is the first who acquaints us with this custome of theApol. 22 p. 97. Church; After, saith he, the President of the Assembly hath consecrated the bread and wine, the Deacons stand ready to distribute it to every one person, foreign, and carry it to those that are absent. Damascus attributes the beginning of this custome to Miltiades Bishop of Rome. Hic fecit ut Oblationes consecrat… per Ecclesias ex consecratione Episcopi Cap. 5▪dirigerentur: quod declaratur fermentum. So Innocentius ad Decentium; De fermento verò quod die Dominica per titulos mittimus, &c. ut se à nostra communione maxime illa die non judicent separa…os… Whereby it appears to have been the custome of Rome and other places to send from the Cathedral p. 370Church, the bread consecrated to the several parish-Churches, to note their joint-communion in the faith of the Gospel. Neither was it sent only to the several tituli in the City, but to the Villages round about, as appears by the Question propounded by D…centius; although at Rome it seems they sent it only to the Churches within the City, as appears by the answer of Innocentius: but Albaspinus takes it forObservat. l. 1. c 8. granted, as a general custome upon some set-dayes to send these Eulogi… through the whole Diocess. Nam cum per vicos & agros sparsi & diffus…, ex …adem non p…ssint sumere communione, cuperentque s…mper union is Christian…, & Christi corporis speciem quam p…ssint maximam r…tinere, sol…nissimis di…bus & festivis ex matrice per parochias, bene dictus mit…ebatur panis, ex …ujus p…rceptione communitas quae inter omnes fideles …jusdem D…oecesis intercedere debet, intelligebatur & repraesentabatur. Surely then the Diocesses were not very large; i… all the several parishes could communicate on the same day with what was sent from the Cathedral Church. Afterwards they sent not part of the bread of the Lords-supper, but some otherV. Casaub. Exercit: 16. s. 33. Salmas. App p. 243 in Analogy to that, to denote their mutual contesseration in the saith and communion in the same Church▪ Secondly, It appears that still they were of the same Church, by the presence of the Clergy of the Countrey, or the choyce of the Bishop of the City, and at Ordinations and in Councils. SoEp. ad Honor. à Presbi…. Rom. at the choyce of Boniface, Relictis singuli titulis suis Presbyteri omnes aderunt qui voluntatem suam▪ hoc est D…i judicium, proloquantur: whereby it is evident that all the Clergy had their voyces in the choyce of the Bishop. And therefore Pope L…o requires these things as necessary to the ordination of a Bishop, Subscriptio clericorum, Honoratorum testimonium. Ordinis consensus & plebis: and in the same chapter speakingEp. 90. of the choyce of the Bishop, he saith it was done subscribentibus plus minus septuagint… Presbyteris. And therefore it is observed, that all the Clergy con…urred to the choyce even of the Bishop of Rome, till after the time of that Hildebrand called Greg. 7. in whose time Popery came to Age: thenceCypr. ep. 52. Casaubon calls it Haeresin Hildebrandinam. Cornelius Bishop of Rome was chosen Clericoram pene omnium testimonio; and in the Council at Rome under Sylv…ster it is decreed, that none p. 371of the Clergy should be ordained, nisi cum tota adunata Ecclesia. Con 3. c. …: & 5. Con. 2. c. 10, 11.Many instances are brought from the Councils of Carthage to the same purpose, which I pass over as commonly known. It was accounted the matter of an accusation against Chrysostom by his enemies, foreign,Ph…ti… Co… 59▪ n. 15. that he ordained without the Council and assistance of his Clergy. The p…esence of the Clergy at Councils hath been already shewed. Thus we see how, when the Church of the City was enlarged into the Countrey, the power of the Governours of the Churches in the City was extended with it.

The next step observable in the Churches encrease, was,§. 5. when several of these Churches lying together in one Province did associate one with another. The Primitive Church had a great eye to the preserving unity among all the members of it, and thence they kept so strict a correspondency among the several Bishops in the Commercium Formatarum (the formula of writing, which to prevent deceit, may be seen in Iustellus his Notes on the Codex Canonum Ecclesiae Africanae) and for a maintainingPag. 127. of nearer correspondency among the Bishops themselves of a Province, it was agreed among themselves for the better carrying on of their common work, to call a Provincial Synod twice every year to debate all causes of concernment there among themselves, and to agree upon such wayes as might most conduce to the advancing the common interest of Christianity. Of these Tertullian speaks; Aguntur praecept… per Gracias illas certis in locis Concilia ex universis Eccles…is, per quae & altiora quae que in communi tractantur, & ipsa De jejuni… advers. Psych.repraesentatio nominis Christiani magna v…neratione celebratur. Of these the thirty eighth Canon Apostolical (as it is called) expresly speaks, (which Canons, though not of authority sufficient to ground any right upon, may yet be allowed the place of a Testimony of the practice of the Primitive Church, especially towards the third Century) foreign.Can. Ap…st. cap. 38. Twice a year a Synod of Bishops was to be kept for discussing matters of faith, and resolving matters of practice. To the p. 372same purpose the Council of▪ Antioch, A. D. 343▪ foreign.Ca… 20 in▪ Cod. C…. 99. To these Councils; the Presbyters and Deacons came, as appears by that Canon of the Council of Antioch; and in the seventh Canon of the Nicene Council by Alphon us Pisanus the same custome is dec…eed▪ but no such thing occurrs in the Codex Canonum, either of Tilius or Iustellus his Edition▪ and the Arabick edi… of that Council is conceived to have been compiled above four hundred years after the Council set. But however, we see evidence enough of this practice of celebrating Provincial Synods twice a year; now in the assembling of these Bishops together for mutual counsel in their affairs, there was a necessity of some order to be observed. There was no difference as to the power of the Bishops themselves, who had all equal authority in their several Churches, and none over one another. For, Episcopatus unus …st cujus … singulis in solidum pars tenetur, Do veritate Ecceles.as Cyprian speaks; and as Ierome, Ubicunq, Episcopus fuerit, sive Romae, sive Eugubii, sive Constantinopoli, sive R…egii, sive Alexandriae, sive Tanis, ejusdem est meriti▪ ejusdem est & Sacerdotii. Ep. ad Evagrun.Potentia divitiarum & paupertatis humilitas, vel sublimiorem vel inferiorem Episcopum non facit: Caterum omnes Apostolorum successores sunt. There being then no difference between them, no man calling himself Episcopum Episcoporum, as Cyprian elsewhere speaks, some other way must be found out to preserve order among them, and to moderate the affairs of the Councils; and therefore it was determined in the Council of Antioch, that he that was the Bishop of the Metropolis, should have the honour of Metropolitan among the Bishops, foreign,Can. 17. because of the great confluence of people to that City, therefore he should have the pr…heminence above the rest. We see how far they are from attributing any Divine Right to Metropolitaus; and therefore the rights of Metropolitans are called by the sixth Canon of the Nicene Council, foreign, which had been a dishonourable introduction for the p. 373Metropolitan Rights, had they thought them grounded upon Apostolical institution. Nothing more evident in antiquity then the honour of Metropolitans depending upon their Sees; thence when any Cities were raised by the Emperour to the honour of Metropoles, their Bishop became a Metropolitan, as is most evident in Iustiniana prima, and for it▪ there are Canons in the Councils decreeing it; but of this more afterwards. The chief Bishop of Africa was only called primae sedis Episcop… ▪ thence we have a Canon in the Codex Ecclesiae African… ▪ foreign.Can. 39. That the Bishop of the chief See, should not be called the Exarch of the Priests, or chief Priest, or any thing of like nature, but only the Bishop of the chief seat. Therefore it hath been well observed that the African Churches did retain longest the Primitive simplicity and humility among them; and when the voyce was said to be heard in the Church upon the flowing in of riches, Hodie venenum effusum est in Ecclesiam, by the working of which poyson the spirits of the Prelates began to swell with pride and ambition (as is too evident in Church History) only Africa escaped the infection most, and resisted the tyrannical incroachments of the Roman Bishop, with the greatest magnanimity and courage, as may be seen by the excellent Epistle of the Council of Carthage, to Boniface Bishop of Rome Pag. 341▪in the Codex Ecclesiae Africanae. So tha… however Africa hath been alwayes fruitfull of Monsters; yet in that ambitious age it had no other wonder but only this, that it should escape so free from that typhus saecularis (as they then called it) that monstrous itch of pride and ambition. From whence we may well rise to the last step of the power of the Church, which was after the Empire grew Christian, and many Provinces did associate together, then the honour and power of Patriarchs came upon the stage. And now began the whole Christian world to be the Cock▪pitt, wherein the two great Prelates of Rome and Constantinople strive with their greatest force for mastery of one another, and the whole world with them, as may be seen in the actions of Paschasinus the Roman Legat in the Council of Chalcedon. From whence forward p. 374the great Levi…than by his tumbling in the waves, endeavoured to get the Dominion of all into his hands: but God hath at last put a hook into his nostrils, and raised up the great instruments of Reformation, who like the Sword▪ fish have so pierced into his bowels, that by his tumbling he may only hasten his approaching ruine, and give the Church every day more hopes of seeing its self freed from the tyranny of an U…urped power. By this Scheme and draught now of the increase of the Churches power, nothing can be more evident, then that it rise not from any divine institution, but only from positive & Ecclesiastical Laws, made according to the several states and conditions wherein the Church was; which as it gradually grew up, so wa… the power of the Church by mutual consent fitted to the state of the Church in its several ages. Which was the fi…st argument, that the Primitive Church did not conceive its self bound to observe any one unalterable form of Government. This being the chief, the rest that follow, will sooner be dispatched.

The second is from the great varieties as to Government§. 6. which were in several Churches. What comes from divine right, is observed unalterably in one uniform & constant tenour: but what we find so much diversified according to several places, we may have ground to look on only as an Ecclesiastical constitution, which was followed by every Church as it judged convenient. Now as to Church Government we may find some Churches without Bishops for a long time, some but with one Bishop in a whole Nation, many Cities without any, where Bishops were common; many Churches discontinue Bishops for a great while where they had been; no certain rule observed for modelling their D…ocesses where they were still continued. Will not all these things make it seem very improbable that it should be an Apostolical institution, that no Church should be without a Bishop? First, then some whole Nations seem to have been without any Bishops at all, if we may believe their own Historians. So if we may believe the great Antiquaries of the Church of Scotland, that Church was governed by their Culdei as they called their Presbyters, without any Bishop over them, for a long time. Iohannes Maior speaks of their instruction in the faith, per Sacerdotes p. 375& Monachos sine Episcopis Scoti in fide eruditi, but leastDe gestis Scot. lib. 2. cap 2. that should be interpreted only of the…r conversion, Iohannes Fordònus is clear and full to their government, from the time of their conversion about A. D▪ 263. to the coming of Palladius A. D. 430. that they were only governed by PresbytersScot. chron. l. 3. cap. 1. and Monks. Ante Palladii adventum habebant Scoti fidei D…ctores ac Sacramentorum Ministratores Presbyteros solunmodo, vel Monachos ritum sequentes Ecclesiae Primitivae. V. B…ondel. Apol. s 3. pag. 314.So much mistaken was that learned man, who saith, That neither Beda nor any other affirms that the Scots were formerly ruled by a Presbyterie, or so much as that they had any Presbyter among them. Neither is it any wayes sufficient to say, that these Presbyters did derive their authority from some Bishops: for however we see here a Church governed without such, or if they had any, they were only chosen from their Culdei, much after the custom of the Church of Alexandria, as Hector Boethiu… doth imply. And if we believeScot. hist. lib. 6. Eclog. l. 2. cap. 5. Philostorgius, the Gothick Churches were planted and governed by Presbyters for above seventy years▪ for so long it was from their first conversion to the time of Ulphilas whom▪ he makes their first Bishop. And great probability there is, that where Churches were planted by Presbyters, as the Church of France by Andochius and Benignus, that afterwards upon the encrease of Churches, and Presbyters to rule them, they did from among themselves choose one to be as the Bishop over them, as Pothinus was at Lyons. For we nowhere read in those early plantations of Churches, that where there were Presbyters already, they sent to other Churches to derive Episcop…l ordination from them. Now for whole Nations having but one Bishop, we have the testimony of Sozomen, that in Scythia which by the Romans was called Masia inferior, Hist. Eccl. l 7. cap. 19.Sir 50:7foreign. Although there were many Cities they had but one Bishop. The like Godignus De rebus Abassin. b… 1. c. 321.relates of the Ab…ssine Churches, Though their Territories be of vast extent, there is but only one Bishop in all those Dominions, who is the Bishop of Abuna. And where Bishops were most common, it is evident they looked not on it as an Apostolical rule for every City to have a Bishop, which it must have if it was an Apostolical institution for the Church to follow p. 376the civil Government. Theodoret mentions 800 ChurchesEp. 113. under his charge, in whose Di…cess Ptolomy placeth many other Cities of note besides Cirus, as Ariseria, Regia, Ruba, G…gr. l. 5. c…p▪ 15Heraclea, &c. In the Province of Tripoly he reckons nine Cities which had but five Bishops, as appears by the Notitia Ecclesiae Africanae▪ In Thracia every Bishop had several Cities under h…m. The Bishop of Heraclea that and Panion▪, the Bishop of Byze had it and Arcadiapolis; of Coela hadEphes. synod. 1. ad sia. Act. 7.Acts 7 it and Callipolis; Sabsadia had it and Aphrodisias. It is needless to produce more instances of this nature either ancient or modern, they being so common and obvious. But further, we find Bishops discontinued for a long time in the greatest Churches. For if there be no Church without a Bishop, where was the Church of Rome when from the Martyrdome of Fabian, and the banishment of Lucius the Church was governed only by the Clergy?Cyprian ep. 3. 26, 30, 31. So the Church of Carthage when Cyprian was banished; the Church of the East, when Meletius of Antioeh, Eusebius Samosatenus, Pelagius of Laodicea, and the rest of the Orthodox Bishops were banished for ten years space, and Flavianus and Diodorus, two Presbyters ruled the Church of Antioch Theodoret l. 4. c. 22.the mean while, The Church of Carthage was twenty four years without a Bishop in the time of Hunerik, King of the Vandals; and when it was offered them thatV…ctor l. 2. de pers. Vand. they might have a Bishop upon admitting the Arrians to a free exercise of their Religion among them, their answer was upon those terms, Ecclesia Episcopum non delictatur habere; In can. 57. Laod.and Balsamon speaking of the Christian Churches in the East, determines it neither safe nor necessary in their present state to have Bishops set up over them. And lastly for their Diocesses, it is evident there was no certain Rule for modelling them. In some places they were far less then in others.Thorndike right of the Ch…r. p. 62. De rebus Eccl siast. Generally in the primitive and Eastern Churches they were very small and little, as far more convenient for the end of them in the government of the Churches under the Bishops charge: it being observed out of Walafridus Strabo by a learned man, Fertur in Orientis partibus per singulas urbes & praefecturas singulas esse Episcoporum gubernationes. In Africk, if we look but into the writings of Augustine, we may find p. 377hundreds of Bishops resorting to one Council. In Ireland alone, Saint Patrick is said by Ninius at the first Plantation ofLib. 7. c. 19 Christianity to have founded 365. Bishopricks. So Sozomen te…ls us, that among the Arabians, and Cyprians, Novatians Montanists, foreign, the very Villages had Bishops among them.

The next evidence that the Church did not look upon it§. 7. self as by a Divine Law to observe any one model of Government, is, the conforming the Ecclesiasticall Government to the Civil. For, if the Obligation arose from a Law of GOD; that must not be altered according to civil co…stitutions, which are variable according to the different state and conditions of things. If then the Apostles did settle things by a standing Law in their own times, how comes the model of Church-Government to alter with the civil Form? Now that the Church did generally follow the civil Government, is freely acknowledged and insisted on by Learned Persons of all sides; especially after the division of the Roman Empire by Constantine the Great. The full making out ofBerteri, Pithan foreign Diatribae. Salmas. ep. ad Am. Eucharisti▪ adver. Sirmond, De pri…. Pan. Iac. Gotho…. Conjectur. Vindiciae Conjectur. Blondel de la primau…e en la …glise, &c. which is a work too large to be here undertaken, and hath been done to very good purpose already, by Berterius, Salmasius, Gothofred, Blondel and others, in their Learned discourses of the suburbicarian Provinces. Which whether by them we understand that which did correspond to the Praefecture of the Provost of Rome, which was within a hundred miles compass of the City of Rome, or that which answered to the Vicarius Urbis, whose jurisdiction was over the ten Provinces distinct from Italy, properly so called, whose Metropolis was Milan; or, which is most probable, the Metropolitan Province answering to the jurisdiction of the Praefectus Urbis, and the Patriarchate of the Roman Bishop to the Vicarius Urbis; which way soever we take it, we see, it answered to the Civil Government. I shall not here enter that debate, but onelyonlyDiscourse of the Patriarchal Government of the ancient Chur▪ 9. 1. briefly at present set down the Scheme of both Civil and Ecclesiastical Government, as it is represented by our Learned Breerwood. The whole Empire of Rome was divided into XIII. Dioceses, whereof …even belonged to the East Empire, and six (beside the Praefecture of the City of Rome) to the West. Those thirteen Dioceses, together with p. 378that Praefecture contained among them 120. Provinces, or thereabout; so that to every Diocess belonged the administration of sundry Provinces: Lastly, every Province contained many Cities within their Territories. The Cities had for their Rulers, those inferiour Judges, which in the Law are called Defensores Civitatum; and their seats were the Cities themselves; to which all the Towns and Villages in their several Territories were to resort for Justice. The Provinces had for theirs either Proconsuls, or Consulares, or Praesides, or Correctores; four sundry appellations, but almost all of equal authority; and their Seats were the chiefest Cities or Metropoles of the Provinces: of which in every Province there was one, to which all inferiour Cities for Judgement in matters of importance did resort. Lastly, the Dioceses had for theirs the Lieutenants called Vicarii, and their Seats were the Metropoles or Principal Cities of the Diocess, whence the Edicts of the Emperour or other▪Lawes were publ…shed, and sent abroad into all the Provinces of the Diocess, and where the Praetorium and chief Tribunal for Judgement was placed to de…ermiue Appeals, and minister Justice (as might be occasion) to all the Provinces belonging to that Jurisdiction. And this was the Disposition of the Roman Governour.—And truly it is wonderful (saith that Lear…ed Authour) how nearly and exactly the Church in her Government did imitate this Civil Ordination of the Roman Magistrates. For first, in every City, as there was a Defensor Civitatis for secular Government, so was there placed a Bishop for Spiritual Regiment (in every City of the East, and in every City of the West, almost a several Bishop) whose Jurisdiction extended but to the City, and the places within the Territory. For which cause the Jurisdiction of a Bishop was anciently called foreign, signifying not (as many ignorant Novelists think) a Parish, as now the word is taken, that is, the places or habitations near a Church, but the Towns and Villages near a City: all which, together with the City, the Bishop had in charge. Secondly, in every Province, as there was a President, so there was an Arch-Bishop, and because his Seat was the principal City of the Province, he was commonly known by the name of Metropolitan. Lastly, in every Diocess, as p. 379there was a Lievtenant-General, so was there a Primate seated also in the principal City of the Diocess as the Lieutenant was, to whom the last determining of Appeals from all the Provinces in differences of the Clergy, and the soveraign care of all the Diocess for sundry points of Spiritual Government did belong. By this you may see that there were XI. Primates besides the three Patriarchs; for of the XIII. Dioceses (besides the Praefecture of the City of Rome, which was administred by the Patriarch of Rome) that of Egypt was governed by the Patriarch of Alexandria, and that of the Orient by the Patriarch of Antiochia, and all the rest by the Primates: between whom and the Patriarchs was no difference of Jurisdiction and power, but onelyonly of some Honour which accrued to them by the Dignity of their Sees; as is clearly expressed in the third Canon of the Council of Constantinople, foreign,In Cod. C…n. 166. whereby Constantinople is advanded to the honorary Title of a Patriarch next to Rome, because it was New Rome. Whereby it is evident that the Honour belonging to the Bishop of old Rome did arise from its being the Imperial City. The Honour of the Bishop rising, as Austin saith, that of the Deacons of Rome did,Quest. ex ut…o que Test. q. 101. propter magnificentiam urbis Romanae quae caput esse videour omnium civitatum. Hereby we now fully see what the Original was of the power of Arch-Bishops, Metropolitans, and Patriarchs, in the Church, viz. the contemperating the Ecclesiastical-Government to the civil.

The next Evidence that the Church did not look upon its§. 8. self as bound by a Divine Law, to a certain Form of Government, but did order things itself in order to Peace and Unity, is, that after Episcopal Government was setled in the Church, yet Ordination by Presbyters was looked on as valid. For which these instances may suffice. About the year 390. Iohannes Cassianus reports that one Abbot Daniel in…eriourCollat. 4. c. 1. to none of those who lived in the Desart of Scetis, was made a Deacon, à B. Pa…hnutio solitudinis ejusdem Presbytero: In tantum enim virtutibus ipsius adgaudebat, ut quem vitae meritis sibi & gratiâ parem noverat, coaequare sibi etiam Sacerdotti Honore festinaret. Siquidem nequaquam ferens in inferiore p. 380eum ministerio diutius immorari, optans que sibi…et success…rem dignissimum providere, superstes eum Presbyterii honore provexit▪ What more plain and evident then that here a Presbyter ordained a Presbyter, which we now here read was pronounced null by Theophilus then Bishop of Alexandria, or any others that at time? It is a known instance, that in the ordination of Pelagius first Bishop of Rome, there were only two Bishops concurred, and one Presbyter: whereas according to the fourth Canon of the Nicene Council▪ three Bishops are absolutely required for Ordina…ion … Bishop; either …hen Pelagius was no Canonical Bishop, and so the point of successionAnast Bil. vit. Pelag. Prim. thereby fails in the Church of Rome: or else a Presbyter hath the same intrinsecal power of Ordination which a Bishop hath, but it is onelyonly restrained by Ecclesiastical Lawes. In the time of Eustathius Bishop of Antioch, which was done A. D. 328, as Iacobus Goth…redus proves, till the time of the ordinationDissert. in Philost. l. 2. cap. 7. of Paulinus A. D. 362. which was for thirty four years space, when the Church was governed by Paulinus and his Colleagues withdrawing from the publick Assemblies; it will be hard to say by whom the Ordinations were performed all this while, unless by Paulinus and his Collegues. In the year 452. it appears by Leo in his Epistle to Rusticus Narbonensis, that some Presbyters took upon them to ordain as Bishops;Ep. 9…. c. 1. about which he was consulted by Rusticus what was to be done in that Case with those so ordained: Leo his resolution of that Case is observable, Siqui autem Clerici ab ist is pseudo-Episcopis in iis Ecclesiis ordinati sunt, quae ad pr… prios Episcopos pertinebant, & ordinatio …orum cum consensn & judicio praesidentium facta est, potest rata haberi, ita ut in ipsis Ecclesiis perseverent. Those Clergy men who were ordained by such as took upon them the Office of Bishops, in Churches belonging to proper Bishops, if the Ordination were performed by the consent of the Bishops, it may be looked on as valid, and those Presbyters remain in their Office in the Church. So that by the consent ex post facto of the true Bishops those Presbyters thus ordained, were looked on as Lawful Presbyte…s, which could not be, unless their ordainers had an intrinsecal power of Ordination; which was onelyonly restrained by the Laws of the Church; for if they have no power of Ordination, p. 381it is impossible they should confer any thing by their O…d…nation. If to this it be answered, that the validity of their Ordination did depend upon the consent of the Bishops, and that Presbyters may ordain, if delegated thereto by Bishops, as Paulinus might ordain on that account at Antioch. It is easily answered, that this very power of doing it by delegation, doth imply an intrinsecal power in themselves of doing it. For i… Presbyters be forbidden ordaining others by Scriptures, then they can neither do it in their own persons, nor by delegation from others. F… Q…od alicui suo nomine …on lices, nec …: An… … Rule o… Cyprian mustReg. juris 67. hold true, Non aliquid c…i … largiri potest humana indulgentia, ubi interc…dit & leg… tribuit Divina …r…scriptio. Ep…st. 8.There can be no dispensing with Divine Lawes; which must be, if that may be delegated to other persons, which was required of men in the Office wherein they are. And if Presbyters have power of conferring nothing by their Ordination, how can an after-consent of Bishops make that Act of theirs valid, for conserring Right and Power by it? It appears then, that this Power was restrained by the Lawes of the Church, for preserving U…ity in its self; but yet so, that in case of necessity what was done by Presbyters, was not looked on as invalid. But against this the case of Ischyras, ordained, as it is said, a Presbyter by Collutbus, and pronounced null by the Council of Alexandria, is commonly pleaded. But there is no great difficulty in answering it. For first, the pronouncing such an Ordination null, doth not evidence that they looked on the power of Ordination as belonging of Divine right onelyonly to Bishops; for we find by many instances, that acting in a bare contempt of Ecclesiastical Canons was sufficient to degrade any from being Presbyters. Secondly, V. Blondel. Ap. p. 325.If Ischyras had been ordained by a Bishop, there were c…rcumstances enough to induce the Council to pronounce it null. First, as done out of the Diocess, in which case Ordinations are nulled by Concil. Arel. cap. 13. Secondly, done by open and pronounced Schismaticks. Thirdly, done sine titulo foreign, and …o nulled by the Canons then. Thirdly, Colluthns did not act as a Presbyter in ordaining, but as a Bishop of the Meletian party in Cynus, as the Clergy of Mareotis speaking p. 382of Ischyras his ordination, foreign, by Collytbus a Presbyter, making shew of being a Bishop; and is supposed to have been ordained a Bishop by Meletius. More concerning this may be seen inApol S. 3. à 317. ad 327. Blondel, who fully clears all the particulars here menti…e…. So that notwithstanding this Instance, nothing appears, but that the power of Ordination was restrained only by Ecclesiastical Law….

The last thing to prove that the Church did act upon prudence§. 9. in Church-Government, is from the many restraints in other cases made by the Church, for restraint of that Liberty which was allowed by Divine Laws. He must be a stranger to the ancient Canons, and Constitutions of the Church, that takes not notice of such restraints made by Canons, as in reference to observation of several Rites and Customes in the Churches, determined by the Provincial Synods of the several Churches; for which purpose their Provincial Synods were still kept up in the Eastern Church, as appears by the Testimony of Firmilian in his Epistle to Cyprian: Qua ex causa Ep 75.necessariò apud nos fit, ut per singulos annos Seniores & Praepositi in unum conveniamus, ad disponenda ea quae curae nostrae commissa sunt: Ut si quae graviora sunt communi consilio dirigantur▪ lapsis quoque fratribus, &c. medela quaeratur: non quasi à nobis remissionem peccatorum consequ…nt…r; sed …t per nos ad intelligentiam delictorum suorum convertantur, & Domino pleniùs satisfacere cogantur. The several orders about the Discipline of the Church were det…rmined in these Synods; as to which, he that would find a command in Scripture for their orde…s about the Catechumeni, and Lapsi, will take pains to no purpose, the Church ordering things it self for the better Regulating the several Churches they were placed over. A demonstrative Argument, that these things came not from Divine command, is, from the great diversi…y of these customesHist. lib. 7. cap. 19. in several places: of which besides Socrates, Sozomen largely speaks, and may easily be gathered from the History of the several Churches. When the Church began to enjoy easeV. Iustel. praef…. in Cod. Canonum Uni…ers. Eccl. and liberty, and thereby had opportunity of enjoying greater conveniency for Councils; we find what was detrrmined by those Councils, were entred into a Codex Canonum for that p. 383purpose, which was observed next to the Scriptures; not from any Obligation of the things themselves, but from the conduceablene…s of those things (as they judged them) to the preserving the Peace and Unity of the Church.