( 42) More Teftimonies of Councils added to the former Chap. 5. r 'Ponde Review, finding tome confiderable Evidences from Councils be- ' fore omitted, Tome [hall be here added. a. The RomanClergy called a Council at Rome, Bin. pag. 158. &c. faith, that in the Interregnum they had the chargeof the Univerfal Church: andCy- preanwrote to them as the Governors of the Church of Rome, when theyhad been a year or two without a Bifhop. And their Anions were not null. eypr. 1. r. 2 A Carthage Council withCyprian condemn even a dead man called ViElor, 4.66. becaufe by his Will he left one Fauftinus a Presbyter the Guardian of his Sons, and fo called himoff his Sacred Work to mindSecular things. Did this favour of Bithop's SecularPower, Magifiracy or Domination ? 3. How came the Carthage Councils to have fo many hundreds in fonar- row a room or fpace ofLand, but that every au1is Corporation or big Town had a Bithop ? Anno 3o8. at a Carthage Council the very Donatifis had two hundred and feventy Bithops. And at Arles two hundred Bithops heard the Donatifis Caufe. 4. The Laodicean Council decreed, Can. 46. that the Baptized fhould learn the Creed, and on Friday repeat it tothe Bithops or Presbyters : ] which im- plieth that aBithop was prefent with every Church. And Cap. 57. It is ordained that thenceforth [ Bifhop,r fhould not be ordained in fmall Villages and Hamlets, but Viftters fhould be appointed them : But fach (Biifhops) as hadheretofore been there ordainedfhould do nothing without the Confci ence of the City Bifhop.] Which implieth, r. That every bigTown had a Bi- [hop. 2. And Villages before. 5. Epiphanius, Her: 68. pag. 717. mac. faith , That Peter feparated from Meletiusin the fame room, and as Meletius went to the Mines, he made new Bithops, and gathered newChurches 4 fo that in feveral Cities there were two (Bi- (hops and Churches :) Which implieth that they were Congregations for Per- fonal Communion. 6. TheNicene Council, cap. 8. allowethRural Bithops then in ufe, (whom Petavius proveth to have been trueBithops.) 7. Greg. Nazianz. pag. 528. &c. theweth how Churches were enlargedand changed when the firife began between Mea &Tim, Antiqua &Nova, Nobilior & Ignobilior, MultitudineOpulentior ant 7énuior. 8. After Lucifer Calaritanus ordained I'aulinus, Antioch had long two Bi [hops, half being his Flock,' and half cleaving.to Meletius. g. Nazianzen had in the great City of Conffantinople but one of the fmaIl Churches, (the Arians having the greater) till ljheodofoes gavehim the greater ot And thofeHearers he was Bithop over.
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