10 Church-Hifiory of Bifhops and Whereas formerly they alfembled in feveral places.] Thus plainly Athanafius. 1 do not hence gather that every Man, Woman, and Childwas prefent: In our Parilh Churches that hold the Alterably, force are there,. and ufually force flay athome and comeby turns : But it feemeth henceplain that even. in Alexandria the Chriftians were no more than that the main Body of them at great Solemnities could meet and hear in one Afï'embly. Which. inmanyof our Parifhes they cannot do. §.29, Add to this, that Athanafius tells them that his Predecef br Alex- . sender did as much as he had done, on fuch occafions affemblingtheir whole: Multitude in one Church before it was dedicated, pag. 53z. §. 3o. I adda further Argument from the City it feif, asoffered me aifo while I was writing this, by a learned Friendin his own Words. ThisCitywas, by Strabo's defeription of it, like a Souldiers Coat,whofe length at either fidee was almofl thirtyfurlongs, its breadth ateither end feven or eight.. Furlongs, Geogr. li. 17. p. 546. So the whole compafa will be left than ten Miles. Athird orfourth part of this was taken up with publick. Buildings, Temples, and Royal Palaces, ibid. Thus is two miles and a half, or three and a quarter taken up. I take this to be that Region of the City which Epiphanius calls epsxioo (where he tells us was the famous Library ofPtolomy Philadelphus) andfpea{rs.. ofit in' his time as deflitute ofInhabitants, de ponder. & menfter. n. 9, p. 166.. Agreat part of the Citywas affigned to the Jews. So.Strabo indefinitely, as Jo- fephus quotes him, Antiqu. Jud'.1. 14. C. 12. Others tell as more punilually that theirfhare was two of thefive Divifions (VJhers Annals Lat. p. 859.), Though many of them had theirhabitations in the other Divifions, yet they, had' two fifth parts intire to'themfelves : And this is d fuppofe the Tine id`us which. Jofephusfaith the Steccefföurs; ofAlexanderfet apart for them, Bell. Jud. 1. 2... c. 21. Thus wefeehowfixor foveamiles of the ten are d fpofed of. Thegreatefi part of the Citizens (as at Rome andother Cities) in the beginning of thefourth. Agewere Heathens. Elfe Antonius had wronged their City, who in Athanatins. tome is brought in thus, exclaimingby Jerome, Ilit. Paul. p. 243. Civitas me- retrix in"quam ,totiusorbis Dsemonia confluxêre; _ &c. A charge thus form- ed fuppofeth the. prevailing Party to be guilty. But let us fuppofe them equal . and their proportion half ofthe fiveor four miles remaining. Let the refí bedi vided between theOrthodox, and the Arians,, and Novatians, andother forts. And ifwe bejull, a largepart willfall to the (hare of Horeticks, and. Setlaries,:. For (not to mentionothers) the Novatians hadfeveral Churches and a BJhop there, till Cyrils time, Vid. Socrat. Hift. 1. 7. C. 7.; The Arians were a great part ofchafe thatprofeffed Chriflianity, Sozom. Hift. li. I. c. 14. And ifwe may judg of the Followers by the Leaders, no left than half : For whereas there were nineteen 'Presbyters and Deacons in that Church (Theodor. -Hi¢. li. 4.: c. 2ä.) (Twelve was the number of their Presbyters by their. ancient Conflitti- tion, and feven oftheir Deacons as appears by Eutychius, here and at Rome, and elfewhere) fixPresbyters withArius, andfive Deaconsfell offfrom the Catholicks,., Sozom. Hilt. li. I. c. 14.. But let the Arians be much fewer, yet will not the proportion ofthe Catbolicb; .8éfhops parc in this City be more than that of a fmali! Tnwu4,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=