Baxter - BV669 B3 1681

( ItoB ), Còngreation,a Dsocefate, w. Cty nothing againfthim:.: A Diocefan in our fenfe is fuch as we rive tinier, that have made one Church of many hundred or a thoufand. But Reader be not abufed by swords, whin it is vilble Countreys that we talk of. As every 1.14nrket-Town, or Corporation is sm.te a City in the old fenfe, ío the Diocefs of Lincoln (which I live in) at this reckoning hatit-. three or fourfeore Diocelfes in it, and the D:ocefs ofNorwich about 59 Dioceffes in r, &c. That is filch Cities with the interjacentVillages. P* 73. He faith When they add tbefe -"Itself were Congregatitna11 not Diocefan," they were every of them Angels of a Church in a. City , having authority over -the Regions adjacent an dpertaining to that City, and fa as CH 11 k C H and C ON GR E- GATION ARE ALL ONE, AS IN ORDINARY USE IN ALL L AN'GU AGES THEY ARE: Thus were Congregational and Dio- cefan affo. What follew; ofthepaucity ofBelievers, in thegreatefi Cities, and.. their meet- ing in one place, is willinglygranted"by.us. I muadefire the Reader toremember all this, When we come to. "ufe it in due place. Andyou may modeftly fmile to obflrve how by this and. the foregoing . words, the Dr. forgetfully hathcaft out all the EnglifhDiocefdns : While he mak eth it needful that the Cities be Ecclelaftically fubordinaceas they are Civilly, and makethit the verydefinition ofa Diocefan Btlhop, tobe a Bifhop.of a City with the Cóuntry' or Suburbs belonging, toit: But in Eítglandno lefftr Cities (ordinarily at-leak), nor Corporation -Towns are at ällSubjea to -the great Cities: "Nor are anyConfiderablepart of the Countrey Subjet to them-, nor do the Liberties of Ci- ties, or Corporations, reach far from-theWalls, or Towns. So that by this Rule the-Bifhap'of-Lsndan, Tark, Norwich, and Bri low would have indeed large Cities -with narrow liberties.: But the refs would have Diocefrs little bigger than we còtildtllbWto'confcionableFaithful Papers. fütitlife ydtaddethmore, p. 74: he will do more for our carafe than thePresbyteri. 4fis thet-nfel.res, who in theirdifputes agaiirft' the Independents fay that erufalenn ilìail more Chriftians belonging to the Church than could conveniently meet in one 'pace ; But,faith theDr. [This is contraryto the Evidence of the Text, which faith. 'e prefly , v. 44. that all the Believers were ,;"? 7ó ''U'ra meeting in one and the fame -place: The like maybefaidof the other places, Aft. 4. } . and5 t 4. For certainly as yet thoughthe member of believers increafed, yet they were not difiributed into frveral-Con- grëgations: Witt you yet have more ? p :8o, S i. 'When- the London Minifters fay that [the Bèlievers ofone City mad? but one Cane-ch, in the Apofi?les days] he anfwereth [This 'obfervation'I`acknowledge to haveperfelt truth in it,- and not to--be confutable,in any part : And therefore, infleadofrejefting,TJhali`imbrace it,andfrom thenceconclude that there isno -meaner of incongruity in aJfl ningofone &yli`op to one Church, endfo one Bifhop in the Church ofJ rnfalem,beoaufe it is a"Chierch,net Churches,B E I NG EO RE C ED TO A C- K'NOWL.EDGE THAT WHERE TIERE WERE MORE C'HU'R`CH'ES, TH"ER'E "W'ER'E MORE BISHOPS.]Iamalmoftin déabt by this w! Wier the Dr. were not againft the EnglijhPrelacy,and he and I were -net of a mind,efpecially remembring that he laid nothing dgainftmy, difpurations of. 'Church Governme:tt written againú'.himCelf, when I lived near him,. Obferve, Rea- der

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