l"4) they planted none inVillages. z. Nor have they a word of proof that each Church contained all Chrifiians in the Cities, with all the interjacent Villages. 3, Much lefs that they mull contain all fuch, when all the Countries were converted , and the Chriftians were enow for many Churches. .4. Nor can they ever prove that the Apofiles planting Churches only inCities, was intended as a Law, to refirain men from planting them any where elfe; Any more than their not Converting the Villagesor the generalityof theCities, will prove that they muff not be converted by any other : Or than that their letting up no Chriflian Magifirates, or converting no Princes, will prove that there muff be no fuch thing. Whoever extended the obligation of Apoflolical example to fuch Negatives, as todo nothing which they did not ? 5. The rea- fon is moil apparent why they preached firft in Cities, becaufe there is no fuch fithingas in the Sea ; Theyhad there the frequentefi fullefiaudi- Tories: And fò they planted their ftrflChurches there, becaufe they had moll converts there. And it is known that Judea (a barren mountai- 'nousCounty of it felt) had beenfo harref ed with Wars, that there was little fafety and quiet expeEled in Countrey Villages ; and the Roman Empire had been freefrom thefame.plague by fuch"fhort intervals, that as many people as could,got into the Cities:(for allthat knowby experience what War is,do know the miferyofpoor Country people who are at eve- ry wicked Soldiers mercy.) It was therefore among poor foattered la- bourers, ahard thing to get a confiderable auditory : which maketh Mr. Eliot.r and his helpers work goon fo heavily anlorg the fcattered A- ,mericans, who have no Cities or.great Towns, becaufe they can rarely fpeak to any confiderable numbers. Now to gather from hence either that Villages muff have no Churches or no Bithops, is an impiety next to aconcluding thattheymuff not be affembled, taught, or worfhipGod. 3. The'reafoos are vain andnull, which are pretended for fucha mo- dellingof Churches to the formof the civilGovernment, and thuscon- ning them to Cities. For, r. There is no need that oneBifhop be the Governour of another at all ; 2. And therefore no need that the Bithop of a Metropolis govern theBithopof a teller City, or he, theBithopof a Village. T. God hathnot givenoneBifhop power over another, as meer Bithops . As Cyprian faith, in his Carth. Council, nine of us are llif ap, of Eifhops, but Colleagues. Dr, Hammondhimfelf faith, that theBifhops are t heApoflles Succeffors,and theA pofiles were equal in powerand Indepen- dent, Annot. in i Tim.3.c. p ?3z. JefitsCbrifl difenfing them (all thepar- ticularChurches of the whole world by himfélf and adminiffring them feveral- ly, not by any one Oeconomus, bootby thefeveral Bifhops as inferiourbeads ofunity to the féveralbodiesfo conffituted by thefeveral elpojtles in theirplantations, each of them having «vToroµíx afeveraldiffinEl commiffionfrom Chri/I immediately, andfubordinate to none but thefupreme donororplenipotentiary.] Indeed if it be not Bilbops, but Archbifhops orBifhops of Eifhops whichare the Apo.. AlesSusceffors,inorder©,vemihe&ifhops as they arelitppofed:to beover the Priefls..
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