( 5 6) that wasgreater, nor neer fogreat asoneof, thefe Pariales. No not the Church at 7errsfalene it felfofwhich fo much is Paid : No not ifyou admit all the number of moveable Converts and So. journours tohave beenof that particular Church,which yet eon- not be proved tohave been fo.I know BithopDorman; cloth with . great indignation Difpute that Diocefs were before Parithes, and that it was more then one Congregation that was .con. tained in thofe Dìocetles ; We will not contend about the name Diocefs and Parifh , which by the Ancients were fometime tiled promifcuoufly for the fame thing : But as to the thing fignified by them, I fay that what ever you call it, a Dio- eels, or a Parifh, there were not near fo many fouls as in Tome Englifh Parifhes ; nor take one with another ther Churches commonly were no more Numerous then our Parifhes, nor fo numerous. ADiocefs thenand a Parifh were the fame thing, and both the.fame as our particular Churches now are ; that is, the Ecclefaa prima, or Soceities of Chriflians combined under _Church-Rulers,for holyCommunion inWorfhip and Difcipline, And there were no otherwife many Congregations in one Church then as our Chapples of eafe , or a fewmeeting in a private houle becaufeof rainy weather,aremany Congregations in one Parifh. The foretold Learned and Godly, ( though angry) BifhopDowname, faithDef li.z. cap.'. page 6. that [ In- deedat thevery full Converfion ofCities, the wholeNumber of the people converted, being fome not much gre-ter then the Num. ber of the Presbyter,, placedamong them, were able to make but a fmall Corogregat en.]Call that Church then a Diocefs or a Parifh, .1 care not towe come near an agreement, about the proporre onof Members that the definition be not overthrown, and rs` ends of it made impoflible by the diftance,number ..2nd anac- quaintednefs of the members that cannot have any- / Iwrch com- munion immediately'onewith another. If rberebe no commu- nion, how is it a Church ? Nay or if thcfe be no fuch commu- nion.as confifts in ;mutual anïftance and conjun&ion in Wor- fhip, andholding familiarity allo in our converfation ( which the excommunicated are excluded from ,) And ifa communie on there be, it is either Irnenediate by themembers themfelves Aflembled,or elfe bit Media: ely by their Officers or Delegates. If it be only by the latter Mediately then it is not the .Ec- clefsee
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