( 13) Creete which was called Recatompolis, as having an hundred Cities, muft-needs thenhave fmall ones, and near together. 3. And it is a confeffed thing that the number ofConverts was not then fo great, as to make City Churches fo numerous near as our Parishes are. And if the confideration of all this together, will not convince any, that the Churches that had Bithops in Scripture times, confifted not of manyRated Af- femblies as afore defcribed, but of one only, and were not bigger than our. parifhes, let fuch enjoy their error fti41. CHAP. IV.. The fame proved by the Concefon of the molt Learned Defenders of Dioc.efane Prelacy.._ ¡Hough the Scripture Evidence be molt fàtisfaift`áry in it felt; yet iìi con- 1 troverfie it much eafeth the mind that doubteth, to find the Caufe fola ly and exprefly granted, by thofe that molt learnedly defend thofe confequents which it overthrows : And ifI do not bring plain Conceffions here, I will not deprecate the Readers indignation. a. Among all Chriftians, the Papifts are thelhigheft Prelatifts-; And among- r. Petaviw: all Papifts the Jefuits ; and among all' the . Jefuits Petavius, who hath us. written agáinft Salmaftus, &c. on this Subjed. Petaviut, Differt. Ecclefiaft., de Epifcop. dignit. & jurifd. p. 22. concludeth his firftChapter in which he had cited thechiefeft of the Fathers ; [Hailenus igitur ex antiquorum authoritate con-. pcitur primais temporibus, Ptesbyterorum & Epifeoporum non tantum appellations, fed etiam ordine:, in eafdem concxrrife perfonas, iidem sst efent utrique.] i. e. Hi= therto it is proved by the Authorityof the Ancients, that in the firff times, not only, the Names, but the Orders, of Presbyters and Bithops did conceerr into thefame per foss fo that both were the famemen.] And áffo,1 (hall thew the confequentsanon,_ And pag. 23, He thus-beginneth his third Chapter, as opening the onlyne- ceffary way to avoid the ScriptureArguments againft Epifcopacy, [ Si quit amnia ilia[criptur.t loca diligenter expendat, id necefario confequens ex illir ereffatu- et, eos ipfos, qui ibi Presbyteri'vóeantur, plus aliquid quam. fimplices . fuife presby-. terns,. atjufmodi hodieque [tent : nee dubitabit, geein Epifeopi fuerint üdem, non voca-- halo tantum, fed reetiam& poteffate. ],,:i. e...11fany one will diligently weigh all . thofeplaces -of Scripture, be will conclude that this is the necefaryconfequent óf them,' that thofe that arethere called Presbyters were fomewhat more than fimple Presbyters,, and fuch as now they are : and hewillnot doubt beet thefame men were- Bifhops, neat filly in name, beet in deed ;and inpoevcrJ
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