( 96 ) now inhind. Strome. li. 7. in the beginning, he mentioneth theChurch and its officers,which hedivideth only into two forts, Prefbyters and Deacons. But I will name no more particular per- lons, but come to fome intimations ofthe point before us from cuftomes or Pra&ices of the Churchand theCanons of Coun- cils. And it feems to me that the dividing ofParifhes fo long after ( or of Titles as they arecalled ) cloth plainly tell us that about thofe times it was that particular Policies! Church did FA con- tain many fatedCongregations. And though it be uncertain when this began ( Mr. Therndikf as we heard before,conjedur- eth , about Cyprixat dayes ) yet we know that it was !Ong after the ApoIlles, and that it was {halve to lefs populous places long after it was introducedat Ronvand Alexameiria,where thenum- ber ofChriflians,& toomuch ambition of the Bifhop,occafioned the multiplicationof Congregations under hitn,and, fo hebecame a Bifhopof many Churches ( named as one ) who formely was Bifhop but of a fingle Church. For if there had been enough, one hundred or fiftyor twentyor ten years before, to have made many Parifhesor tinted Airemblies for communion in worfhip, then no doubt but the light ofNaturewould havedireded them tohavemade fome flared di vifionsbefore ; For they mull needs know that God was not the God of Confufionbut of order in all the Churches : And they had the fame teafons, before as af- ter : And perfecution could not be the hindrance any more at firIl-then at Ian: For it was under perfecuting Ernperours when Parifhes or Titles were chninguifhed, and fo it might, notwi. h- flandirg perfecutions have been done as well at firfl as at Ian, if there had been the fame reafon. Jr feems therefore very plain to me that it way the inereafe of Converts that caufed this divifi- on of Titles, and that in panting of Churches by the Apnfiles, and during their time, and much after, tht Chtrehts confined ofno more then our Parifhes, wo being moll inhabitants ofthe Cities had their meetings there for full communion though they might have other fubordinate meetings as wehave now in mens houCes for RepeatingSermons and Prayer. And 'as Me. Thornellke out of N nists tells-us of 361. Bifiiopricks in Jedgaplanted by Patrick., fo otherAuthors tell =
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