Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5151 .B3 1659

( 69 ) pt.oper Governour , nor any fuchGovernour (fixed) that had more Churches thenone. Reafon 4. Thecontrary opinionfeigneth the Apof}Ies to. haveal- Reafoi 4 lotted to each Bi/hop'afpace of groundfor his Diocefs, and to have meafuredChurches by fetchfpacet, and notby the number offouls° But this is unproved,& abfurd. t.Unproved,?ror there is no place in Scripture that giveth the Bithop chargeofall that (pace of ground, or ofall the Chriftians that (hall be in that (pace during his time. Indeed theypaced a Bifhop in each City, when there was buta Church in each City : But they never laid, there (hall be but one Church ma City,or but one Br(hop in a City ; much lets in all the Country region.2.And <its abfurd : For its the num- ber of fouls that a Church mutt be meafured by , andnot a fpace° of ground, (fo they do but co- habits :) For if in the fame' (pace of Ground,there fbould be twenty or an hundred times as many Chrifians, it would make the number fo great as would''' be uncapable ofperfonal communion, and of obtaining( hitch Ends. Ifa Schoolmafter have a School in the chiefCity or Town of this County , and there come as many from many miles corn- pals as one School can hold, and there be no more there 1 fo long all that fpace may belong tohis School, not for thefprce'' fake, but the number ofSchollars : For if there be afterward'an' hnndred times as many in that (pace to be taught, they muff let' up more Schools, and it were no wife part in the old School -- matter tomaintain that all thatCountry pertainv h to his School, becaufe that it was fo when there were fewer; Su that to mea- lure our the matter of Churches by fpace of ground and`" not by number of fouls, is plainly againft the Reafon of the' Relation. Reafon ,5. The oppo/ed opinion doth imply that God more re- `Reafarc gardeth-Cines then Country Villages , or that Churches are to be' meafured according to the number and',reatnefs of Cities rather then according to the number of fouls. For they (uppofe that every City fhould havea Bithop if therebe but twenty or four- ty,or anhundred Chriftians in it but if there' be five hur.dred' Country Parifhes, thathave Tome of themmany thoufand fouls' inE them , thefe fall have no Bifhops of theirown', but be all ruled by the Bifhop°of the City. Now hov unreafonnble this ás methinks fhould not be hardto difcern. For, I. What is a 1.. City

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