( 86 ) lorsCourt, to be Excommunicated firft, andafter imprifonedwhile they live, if theydo not what the Chancellor bids them. O what is mans un- derftanding! when a Carnal interefthath there clothedit felf with a Sa- cred name. Cap. 3. He telleth us of the Powerof the Keys commited to the Apo- ftles, and by them to the Bifhops, as their Succeffors : But whether all the Bïfhops Ordained by them, and living with them, (and force dying before them it's like) were their Succefors, and whether all true Paftors were not fuch Bifhops as had the Power of the Keys; and whether by thofe Keys be meant the Government of the Flocks, or alto of the Go- vernors themfelves, and of what extent the Churches under each Bifhop was, and towhat endandufe, are the things in CZeftion, whichhe here faith nothing to. Cap. 4. He proveth by ftroug affirmation, that the Apoftles were by Chrift's laft Commiffion, Mat. a8.19, ao. tobe the Bifhops of their feve- ral affigned certain Provinces. But confidence goeth not for proof with :us. He tellsus of the nameof Epifcopacy, AEis r. 2.9. We never quelti- oned, whether the Apoftles had the Overfightofthe Church; but we hold, r. That the World was the firft ()Nedof their Office, from whence they were togather Churches. a. Thatthe Place, Courfe, or Circuit of their Travels and Miniftry, was notof any Divine Inftitution, but left to their prudent choice, by the Common Rules of Nature (doingall things in Or- der, and to Edifying) and fometime direfted in their motions by the pre.. fent infpiration of theHoly Ghoft. 3. That more thanone Apoftle was oft in the fame Cities and Countries, none claiming it as his peculiar Pro- vince, nor denying the right of others tobe there. And where onewas this Year, another was the next. 4. That when an ApoftIe planted a Church inanyCity, and fettledBifhops over the People, they themfelves were called by manyofthe Ancients, the firft Bifhops of thofeCities ; in which fence, one Man had many Bifhopricks. 5. That the Apoftleswere Itinerant unfixed Bifhops, and not fixed Bifhops, fuck as they themfelves confined to any one limitedChurch or Province. Nor can it be proved out of all Antiquity, that any oneof al lthe Apoftles, was confined to any one limited Province, much Iefs what that Province was ; but only that their Ability, Opportunity, Time and Prudence Iiri ited every Man, and dire- ttedhim asthe End required. 6. And that if the Apoftles had fixed them felvesin particular limited Provinces, they had difobeyed their CommilT_ on, which was, togo Preach the Gospel toall the World. And no Man did ever yet fo dote, as to pretend that they divided the wholeWorld into twelve Provinces, and there fixed themfelves : And fuch twelve Pro- vinces as they had been capable ofoverfeeing, would havebeen but a lit.. tleof the World: And it was but a little part, comparatively, that they Preacht theGospel to : Molt Kingdoms of the World they never taw : And chore which they carne into, were fo great and many, that they Preached but to afew of the People. Yetthis was not their culpable Omifiion, be- caufe
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