( IIC ) whick I only fay, that ifhedo but minutely differ from others, and not at all from the molt, I hopemy confutation of himwill not be impertinent as tothe refl. But if he lay thevery ftrefs of his caufe upon novel Expolitions of almoft every Text whichmentionethBifhops,Presbyters,Paftors,and quite crofs the way ofalmòft all (fave Peravius) that ever went before him.; then think whether that caufe ftandon fo firmground, as force perfwade, which needeth fuchnew foundations or ways of fupportat this Age, in thejudgementof fuch learned men as thefe. Fag. i 19, t zo, rz 1. He proveth that Diocefane Bithops are the onlyElders ofthe Church which .7amesadvifeththe lick to fend for : fuppofing the City Churches (e- venof?erufalem,)to beyetno bigger than that one Bithop and a Deacon(who yet was not this Vifiterof the fick)mightdoall the Minifterial work. Where I confcfs he quite outgoethme in extenuating theChurches in S. James's time. Ifthe Church of yerufalemhad feveia-Deacons, I will notbelive him(pardon the incivility)that they lead but one Presbyter. And (pardonme agreater boldnefs in faying) if he had tryed but as much as I have done what it is to doall the Paftoral work for oneParifh ofz or 3000Perfons in publick and private, he could not poflibiy have been of thisOpinion: Nor do I think it likely, that when it isa fingular Ferfon that ,tames bids fend for the Elders of the Church, but that it implyeth that the Church where hewas had more Elders thanone. I confers that if it had been fpoken ei- ther toPerfons, plurally, or ofChurches plurally, the phrafemight well have figni- fied the fingleElders of the feveral Churches : But to fay toeach tick man fingular- ly, Lethim fendfor theElders ofthe Church (fingularly) in common ufe of fpeech fig- uifieth that there weremanyEfiíers for that man to fend for in the Church. And whereas heasketh whethera tick man mutt fend for the Colledge of Presbyters ? I anfwer,that a Fickman maywell fend for thePreshyters orMinifters,either one after another, asthere is occalron ,or more thanone atonce ifneed require for his Refolo- tion. lfwe fay to a rick manin London, (fend for the Phyficians of the City, and let themadvife you, &c.) it fignifeth that the City bath more Phyfcians than one, and that hemay advife with one, ormore atonce, orper vices as he findeth Caufe : and noman would fpeak:fo tohim, ifLondonhad but one Phyfician, and Norwich ano- ther, and Tork.snother, &c. And when, p. 1 at. he fuppofeth th:. Ohjeaion, that theyhave amean opinion of vifiting the fìcfl, becaufe they fay, it is notthe Bithops work (whichhe well maketh it to be) methinks this fhould fuit with no Englifb Ears, who will quicklyunderitand, that they freakde falloof our Bithops, to whom a fickman may fend an hundred, or fifty, or twenty Miles, to delirehim to come prefently, and pray with him, ifhisdifèafe be a Phrenfie whichdepriveth himof his Wits, and all about himbe asmad : And theBithop with us may be Paid tovifit the lick of his Diocefs, as a man may be laid toweed a Field that plucketh up a weed or two where he gceth; or to build a City, becaufe he knockt upaNail or two in his own Houle. Pag. 120. It is obfervable which he faith [Indeed, if it were not (the.Bifhops workjo vifit thefiel);hawcould it be lytheBifhop, when other parts ofhis Office became his full Employment, eommited to the Presbyter. For, 1. he could not commit that to others, if hefrfl had it not in himfelf : And,z. This was the only Reafoa of ordaining inferiorOffi- cers in the Church, that partofthe Bifhops taslunigbt beperformedby them. Olaf. Eith:r he believed that the Office of a Subjee`t Presbyter (or Order as they cai.
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