Elders was confined within the compass of that particular City and its Territories, where they were ordained to Minister, and all within those Limits were under their Care and Jurifdiction. They were indeed Bishops, and Presbyters of the Univerfal Church (For the true Church is but one and the fame in all parts of the World) but for the fake of Decency, and Order, and that each Pastor might know his own peculiar Flock, it was necessary that the Catholick Church fhould be divided into particular Churches. And it is obfervable that where the Scriptures fpeak of the Churches of a Province, the Plural Number is used, as the Churches of Judea, Samaria, Syria, Cilicia, &c. But where they speak of a City, they use the Singular Number, as the Church of Jerufalem, Corinth, Ephefus, &c. Yet it is evident that there were many Presbyters and Congregations in one City, as has been proved by Dr. Maurice, in his Treatife of Diocefan Epifcopacy, and Dr. Stilling fleet in his Unreasonableness of Separation, and by the Prefbyterians too, in their Writings against the Independents. The fame will alfo appear plain to any one who confiders that at one time in the City of Jerufalem, and that not long after the Defcent of the Holy Ghoft there were Five A&s 4·4. Thousand Believers, and that after this † Be-t Aas 5. 14. lievers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of Men and Women. Now let any reafonable Perfon judge if all these could be of one Congregation, especially when it is fcarce poffible that they could have any publick Place for the Exercise of their Religion, where the chief Rulers were fuch Enemies to the Faith: Yet 'tis certain they were esteemed but * One Acts 15.4 Church. Church. And therefore even according to the Scriptures, Church and Congregation are not convertible Terms as our Diffenters would pretend. Amongst the Elders fet over particular Churches, there was one Chief or Prefident, who had an Authority over the reft, and a Power to Ordain, Rule, and Cenfure 'em. Thus Evodius prefided at Antioch, Linus or Clemens at Rome, and to omit many others, Titus at Crete, and Timothy at Ephefus, where they were fixed by fome of the Apostles, and Exercised this Power of Ordaining, and Governing. That Titus Exercised this Power at Crete, not only the Ancient Fathers have afferted, as Eufebius, Theodoret, Ambrofe, ferom, and others, but it is plain and evident from the infallible Teftimony of St. Paul himself, (a) For this Caufe, (fays he, writing to Titus) left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldeft fet in Order the Things that are wanting, and ordain Elders in every City, as I had appointed thee. That Timothy also had the fame Authority, befides the like Teftimony of the Fathers, the fame St. Paul Teaches, by telling him why he left him in that place, and how he ought to exercise that power which he received, (1) 1 Tim. 1. 3. (b) by the laying on of the Hands of the Presbytery. (4) Tit. 1. 5: and 5.19 22. For this caufe fays he) left I thee at Ephefus, that reason why these two Apoftolical Men were left by St. Paul, the one at Crete, and the other at Ephefus for (c) that purpose: For it is cer- (c) A&. 20. 17. tain there were Elders in the Church of Ephefus, before Timothy was left there, and probably in Crete, before Titus was fetled in that place, for it was St. Pauls cuftom to Ordain (d) (4) Act. 14. 23. Presbyters in every Church: And if these could have Ordained others as the number of Converts increased, it was certainly needless to fet any Perfon over 'em to perform that Office. And that Timothy and Titus had not this power committed to 'em as Evangelifts, which our Adverfaries pretend, is molt certain, because Evangelifts as fuch had not that Power: For then meer Deacons might have Ordained and Governed Priests, for fuch was (e) Philip the Evangelift. And 'tis moft cer- (e) Compare tain that he pretended not to any fuch Act. 21. 8. with Anthority. For when in the profecuting. A 8.5.&. his Office of an Evangelift (whofe Duty it was to convert Unbelievers) he had converted a great many at Samaria, and Baptized 'em, he pretended not to confirm 'em by the laying on of Hands, or to fettle any Church Offices amongst 'em, but gave notice of what he had done to the Apostles, and they fent two of their own Order for this purpose. Wherefore tho' it fhould be admitted that Timothy and Titus were both Evangelifts, which yet cannot be proved, this alone, if they were not Bishops alfo, as the Evangelifts commonly were, could give them no Authority to Ordain Presbyters, or govern particular Churches, as the one did. Ephefus, and the other Crete. But they (as the late Right Reverend (f) Bishop of Worcester (f) Dut. & Riglas very well remarks) who go about to Unbishop of Paroch Timo Clergy. p. rt. A& 6. S. Beverid. ad. can. Ap 2: Phil 1. Timothy, and Titus may as well Unfcripture the Epiftles that were written to them, and make them only fome occafional Writings, as they make Timothy and Titus to have been fome particular and occafional Officers. But the Chriftian Church preferving thefe Epiftles as of conftant and perpétual ufe, did thereby fuppofe the fame kind of Office to continue, for the fake whereof thefe excellent Epiftles were written: And we have no greater affurance that thefe Epiftles were written by St. Paul, than we have that there were Bishops to fucceed the Apo ftles in the Care and Government of Churches. (g) Timothy and Titus then had that Authority in the Church which our Bishops now Challenge: Wherefore St. Paul writing to the Philippians joyns Timothy with himself as a Perfon of the fame Order and Degree. Paul and Timotheus, the fervants of Jefus Chrift, to all the Saints in Chrift Jefus which are at Philippi with the Bishops and Deacons. In this Verfe we have these three Orders mentioned which continue ftill in the Church of England. Paul and Timothy of the first Order, that is the Order of Bishops as they are now called, and the other two Orders in the last Words; the Middle Order which is now called of Priests or Fresbyters being then alfo called Bishops, as has been obferved, thofe whom we now call Bifhops being then called (b) Angels or (i) Apofiles. The Bishops being Succeffors to the Rom. 16. 7. Apoftles, and their Heirs ex Affe in all things Effential to their Office. As to fuch things as were meerly perfonal in them, as an imme diate Call and Ordination by Chrift himself, Infalli bility, Tongues and Miracles, these are what our Bishops never pretended to, for they were extraordinary Gifts and Graces, but not Effen (b) Rev. 1. 20. & 2. I. tial tial to the Apoftolical Office fo as to be convertible with it. Because thefe Qualifications were in diverse other Minifters of the Church who were no Apoftles, as will appear plainly to any that fhall read the Twelfth and Fourteenth Chapters of the First Epistle to the Corinthians. Befides thefe could not poffibly be efteemed any Parts of the Apoftolical Office, being but mere Gifts beftowed on 'em the bet ter to enable them to perform that Office! So that we have nothing left which was peculiar to the Apostles, and not communicated by them to Presbyters, Paftors, or Teachers, but the Power of Ordination, Confirmation, and Furisdiction: The Bishops therefore being endued. with this Power, were in that first Age of Christianity called Apoftles: So fays Theodoret (as (k) Dr. Hammond has obferved) those which (k): Annot. ad. were after called Bishops, were in thofe firft Times Rom. lit. b. called Apoftles: So Clemens Romanus is by Clemens Alexandrius called Clemens the Apostle. And Ignatius by St. Chryfoftom is called Apoftie and Bishop. So likewife Epaphroditus is called in the Epiftle to the Philippians, he having Epifcopal Authority committed to him in that Church (1) Ifuppofe it neceffary, fays St. Paul, Phil. 2. 25. to fend unto you Epaphroditus, my Brother and Companion in Labour, and Fellow-Souldier, but your Apoftle. In our Tranflation indeed it is rendred Meffenger, but it feems to be without good Reafon fo Tranflated, for the Original is Apoftle. And had Epaphroditus been no more then a Meffenger fent to Rome from Philiopi with Money to fupply St. Paul's Wants whilft he was there in Prifon,, we cannot fuppofe he would have called him not only Brother, but Companion in Labour and Fellow-Souldier. He is F |