when he went only to fee Peter, but because James reiided there to take care of his Charge? * How came St. James to give a final Determination to the agreement of the Apostles and Elders in the Council at Jerufalem, and that their Refolutions fhould be drawn up in his Words rather than in the Words of St. Peter the chief of the Apostles, but that this Respect was paid to him, because they then affembled in his District? I might produce other passages of the Scripture to fhew that St. James kept a conftant Refidence at Jerufalem, which none of the other Apoftles did, and no other Reafon can be given but what Ecclefiaftical Hiftory affigns for it, that the Church there was put under his particular Care and Infpection, and that he was the proper Bishop of it.

Why does St. James direct his Epistle to the Twelve Tribes fcattered abroad, but only because he looked upon all thofe Chriftians who had been converted from fudaifm, yet still thought it their Duty to come to Jerufalem to Worship, to be under his Care as the Bishop of that Place, to which they yearly reforted from the feveral Countries through which they were dif perfed.

And as St. James had ferufalem and the Region about it for his Diftrict or Diocefs, fo the other Apofties had certain places for their Diftricts alfo. Thus St. Peter had the Care of the Jewish Chriftians, whom he calls (a) the Strangers fcattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Afia and Bithynia. I fay, the Jewish Chriftians, because, as I have fhewed, James, Peter and John, undertook the Care of the Circumcifion, and Paul and Barnabas of the Uncircumcifion. And the Apostle Barnabas feems

feems (upon his feparation from St. Paul) to

have settled himself in (b) Cyprus, (c) his own (6) A&s 15.39. Native Country. St. Paul had the particular (c) Acts 4. 36, Care of many Churches which he founded, and was their proper Bishop himself, 'till he faw it fit to commit the Care of fome of them to others. And this Care which he had of the Churches which he Converted, was a plain Epifcopal Care, fuch as our Bishops now challenge, that is, a Right to govern both the Presbyters and Churches within his Diftrict according to Christ's Ordinance exclufive of any Superior or Coordinate Power. That he exercifed this Power over Presbyters is manifest from his (d) fen- (d) Acts 20. 17. ding for the Elders of Ephefus to come to him at Miletus, and giving them a charge to perform their Duties faithfully, as our Bishops do in their Vifitations. And that he judged himself to have no Superior or Equal in Spiritual Matters within his own District, (e) the measure of (e) 2 Cor. 10. 136the Rule which God had diftributed to him, as he calls it himself, is no lefs manifeft from what

he writes to the Corinthians, (f) where he fays (f) 1 Cor 4.15. to them, tho' ye have ten thousand Inftructors in Chrift, yet have ye not many Fathers: For in Chrift Jefus I have begotten you, through the Gofpel. Wherefore I beseech you be ye followers of me. Again, fays he, (g) Am I not an Apoftle ? If I am (g) 1 Cor. 9 i1 not fo to others, yet doubtless I am to you. He alfo threatens thofe who came into the Church of Corinth, and made Schifms there by collecting Congregations, who did not acknowledge his Authority, (b) faying, I will come to you shortly, (h) 1 Cor.4 19. if the Lord will, and will know, not the Speech of them which are puffed up, but the Power. Now let us confider thefe Paffages, St. Paul here plainly calls himself the Father and the Apostle of

the

the Church of Corinth, not only in a more particular manner than any body elfe could be, but exclufive of all others, you have not many Fathers, fays he, I am your Father, I am your Apostle, and as to those who were puffed up, and would not own his Authority, but pretended to preach there by virtue of a Power derived from other Apoftles, and not from him, he fays, That he fhall not trouble himself to examine what Doctrine they have preached, whether true or falfe; but by what Authority they took upon them to Preach within his Diocefs or District: I will know, fays he, not the fpeech of them that are puffed up, but the Power. The Power therefore, which the Apostles exercifed in their feveral Churches or Diftricts was plainly the fame Epifcopal Power which the Bishops of the Chriftian Church have claimed and exercifed ever fince as Succeffors to them. To what purpofe is the Journey this fame Apoftle St. Paul takes to visit the Churches wherein he had ordained Presbyters before? (4) Acts 15. 36. (a) Let us return, faith he, to Barnabas, and vifit our Brethren in all Cities where we preached the Word of the Lord, and fee how they do. Is not this exactly agreeable to our prefent Epifcopal Vifitations, when the Bishop himself goes from Town to Town over his whole Diocefs to en-. quire how his Clergy and People behave themfelves? That is, how they do, how they live, how they discharge their feveral Duties to each other. Do we not fee that St. Paul charges himfelf with the Oversight of all thofe Churches he had converted, and wherein he had ordained Presbyters, as is manifeft from his own Words? (b)/Befides those things which are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the Care of

b) 2 Cor. 11.28.

all

all the Churches? And to my Apprehenfion, almost all his Epiftles are nothing else but fo many Acts of this Spiritual Government in Chief, which the Apostle referved to himself in the Churches of his own planting.

But as the Apostles began to wear out, or otherwife as their Occafions gave them not leave to attend in Perfon upon the Churches they had planted, and for a time taken the chief Spiritual Care of, Reafon required, if but in Correfpondence to the State of Government that had hitherto rested in fome Apostle, and the Presbyteries of particular Churches, there fhould be inftituted fome Heads of these Companies of Presbyters who might fupply the Apostles Place, and preferve Unity in the feveral Churches, which otherwise might be in danger of falling into as many Schifms or Factions as there were Presbyters; and accordingly they did appoint fuch an Head to whom the Name of Bifhop has been fince appropriated. For it is evident (a) from the an- (a) Vid. Bevecienteft Accountswe have of Ecclefiaftical Af- ridge, ad can. Apoft. 2. fairs, and from the Scriptures themselves, that when the Apoftles had for fome time exercifed this Epifcopal Authority by themfelves, which I have been treating of, because the number of the Faithful daily encreased, and they themselves were not to live always, left the Church fhould be deftitute of this Authority at their Deaths, they invested others with this Power whom they fet over particular Churches, that they might ordain Elders, and govern the Flock committed to their Charge within their feveral Precincts. For the Apoftles Commiffion reaching to all Parts of the World, and they being commanded to

Mat. 28. 19, &

make Mar. 16. 15.

all

Heb. 13.7, 17.

Acts 20. 28.

all Nations Difciples, to go in to all the World and to preach the Gospel to every Creature, could not be long fixed in any one Place: Yet it was neceffary that Paftors and Teachers fhould be fettled among all Believers, who might continue to inftruct and teach 'em, to offer up Prayers for 'em in the publick Affemblies, and to administer the Sacrament to 'em. Here

Acts 14. 23. upon they Ordained them Elders in every Church: These were Rulers of the Church wherein they were placed, and the People were commanded to obey 'em. But tho' they were Rulers yet their Authority extended not over the whole Church, but only that Flock over which the Holy Ghoft had made them Overfeers or Bishops. They were fixed to a particular Place, and the Spiritual Government of all Perfons within thofe Limits was committed to 'em. And in this Division into parti'cular Districts (which was prudential at the Apostles Difcretion) the general Division of the Empire was obferved. It was necessary that particular Churches fhould be circumfcribed within certain Bounds, but it was indifferent where thofe Boundaries fhould be fixed. The Apostles therefore took the Limits already laid out for them, and accordingly fetled Churches, and either Ordained themfelves, or appointed others to Ordain Elders in every City, or City by City, as Dr. Hammond renders it. And herein they thought it expedient strictly to obferve the Imperial Divifion, fo that the Council of Chalcedon decreed, that if the Emperor fhould change the condition of a City by his Authority, the Order of the Parish Churches fhould follow the Civil Conftitu tion. Thus the Power, and Authority of thefe Elders

Tit. 1. s.

Can 17.