p.'523. faith he, [" Thufeems. be.ft to 4g1·ee with " the Abfolutenefs of Particular Ch~-trchcs, before they " had by compaEf united themfolv~.r under Metropo* , '' litanes- and Exarchs into Provincial and Diocefan " Churches.-.And thu feellts to have been fitted for ''the frequent Perfecutions,of thofe earlier Ages, when " every Chutch w.u able to fecure its own Sueceflion by "it.t own power withoue depending on the certain oppor• " tunitie~ . of the meeting of the Bifl?ops of the whrJle " Province. And the alteration of tni; praElice, the "p}ving the Bifhops of the PrOvince an inter·eft in the "Ch(Jice of every particult~r Co!leagvte, feems not to " have been fo muth for want of power in the particu– " tar Churches to do it, .u for the fecurity of Com– " ,paa.r; that ' they might be certain of fuch a Col– '' .leag11e M woulJ ,obferve them.- And he thinks '' [it probable that it W~Js in imitation of the '' Philofophers Succef!ions, that thefe Ecclefiaflical– '' SucceJ!ions were framed.- And. when the Philofo.. '' phers fa-iled to nominate their own Succcf{ors, then ."the Elellion was in the Schools.] An[. What could be{aid more gently by fuch a man ? r. Then the firfi Churches were like Philofophers Schools ; very good ; not many fcore or hundred Schools as the firfi and lealt Order. 2. The Government of Churches was much like , ·that of Philofophers in their Schools. ~. Bifl10ps (and much more Presbyters) might be made then without Bitbops, by the Election and Confecra· tion of Presbyters. 4· This was the old way in time of Ptrfecution. 5. This alteration was not for want of Power ia the Particular Churches, &c. 6. But it was made to fecure ·· Obfervancc in the Colleagu~s. 7· AndChurth s~~q~eflions framed in imitati9n of ~hilofophers~ · .• w"' tl • /
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