04 The State of the fzrfi Churches, &c. he afcribes the peace and tranquillity of the 4ntiochians unto the Prayers of the Philadelphians. For my part,I judge he intends not the proper Bithop of either place; but Come Elder which they were to choole as a Meffenger to fend to Antioch, to athft them in their prefect condi- tion. For in thole days there were perlons chofen by the Churches to be fent abroad to aftt other Churches on the like occations s Thefe were called 'Agtgvìwt 'Exanoawr, 2 Cor. 8.23. the efpecial Apojiles of the Churches; as serf. 19 . it is Paid ofLuke that he was Xergo rovnOeis .imuó 41' ciix\.itoiwv , chofen and appointed by the Churches for the fervice there mentioned. Such was this Bithop, whowas fent on Gods Errand, to afíìtt the Churchby his Advice and Connie!, as unto the continuanceof their Affemblies unto the glory of God , though at prefent their Bithop was taken from them. In that Epiftle unto theEphejaans, he lets themknow that he rejoyced at their ^rolunTA6-Kx, their numerosss Multitude, whom he perfwades and ur- geth unto a common concurrence inPrayer with their Bi- fhop. Ei yS 4ós s6LTipa eyaóJ 'va ÂiTlw Xetç v 034, xuzois s`súvcy, aTtJw 1.4N601, iiTe zip ó3rtaxó2rs 1771:071; erns cacxAnaixs ejali aúu9 cep . AndifthePrayers ofone or two befoeffetlual, that they bring Chrift among them, howmuch more will the contenting Prayer of the. Bithop and the whole Church together ? So he again explains his mind towards the end of the Epittie ; 7zildKnTe v TuxvóTEep CrUVÉMcZt öTav yS auve9675 Sri aó úlrró vnc&V, sc,Su- eicsvzcy cu hváru.HSva ouau,va. Doyour diligence to meet to- gether frequentÿ ; for when youfrequently meet together in the fame place , the powers of Sathan are deflroyed. And many other exprefíions of the like nature occur in thole Epifdes. We are no way at prefent concerned in the controverfie about that diftincîion ofBifhopsand Pref- byters, which the Writer of thole Epiftles doth of ert ; this
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