t 99. Bifhop, that Is a faffor of one only Congrgation, that had no Pres. byter under him; but Deacons : and that no the tion is made by the Apo_ ¡ties of other Presbyters, § 6. And he gratified; us with Epiphanies his Reafons, § 4. E becaufe yet there was tot a multitude of Believers:] And that the Elders that Paul ipeaketh toTimothyofordaining and r:bolting, and thole that were worthy of double honour, were only hilhops that had no iùbject Presbyters. Whether they werefet over the Churches as Moles was over Ifrael, with a defign that they Ihould make fubordinate.Óflicers under them, I ¡hall enquire in due place. Cap. 20. He goeth over molt of the other Texts in the New Tefta -_ ment that mention Elders, (hewing that they mean fuch Bilhops and that even at Hierufalem, the Elders lilts r 5. were not our new half Priefts, but the Bishops of all the Churches of J'ndaa; and fo of others here again repeated by him. But it fticteeth, with me, that thefe Bilhops ha- ving no subject Presbyters, are found fo oft in the MetropolitaneCity, and fo oft in travel, and fooft manyhundred Miles from home, that I doubt it was but a fewChurches in the world that kept the Lords day, and affembled for publick Worfhip, or had any. Sacraments frequently, but livedas the Atheifts and impious contemners of Church-Communion nowdo; or elfe that with the Fanaticks we muff hold that Lay-men or Deacons did play the Mats in all ChurchOffices. Cap. 21. He vindicateth that one remaining Text, ram. 5. 54. which mentioneth Presbyters vifi: ing the fick, as meant onlyof Bishops, andnot of mongrel Priefts : And fo being fecured that thefe were never found in the Scripture times, and confequently no. Bifhop (except Archbiflaops). that had more worfhipping Churches than one, we muff look who pre- fumed to inftitute another Office. And here, 4 3. he perfwadeth us to be fo civil to Ignatius, as thankfully to acknowledge him the firftPatron of our Office-dignity ; intimating that thereis no earlier proof of the in- vention of this mongrel Office, than the Epiftlesof Ignatius. Cap. 22. He tells us that the word Presbyter is alfo taken for Bishops by Polycarp, Papias, Irenaas, Tertatllian, and Clemens Alexarid. fo that our caufe will be carriedbeyond Scripture times. But again finding fo many Bi- fhops with Polycàrp, I doubt he makethBithops toounweariedTravellers, and too great nonRefidents, and Gods Publick Worfhip too often inter- rupted by their abfence. Cap. 23, 24, 25, 26. He fpeaketh of Deacons, the word and Office, which we have now no bufinefs with, but to note that cap. 26. § 8. he is again at Epiphanias allowing aTingle Bifhop without Presbyters, but not without Deacons, becaufe he cannot be a Bifhopwithout Deacons, (which I believe not,, nor do our Prelates) but without fubjeft Presbyters he may (better than with them.) And § to. he excellently argueth from the Épiftle to Timothy, that Peeing Paul infirufieth him in all things belonging to the Church of God, r Tim. 3. 15. and yet never mentioneth thefe Medio- xumos Presbyteros, mongrel or middle Priefls, it is plain that the reafon is 0 2 becaufe
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