XVI. Socrates, 1. i. e. 8. tells us that Spiridzon was at the fame time a Bi- fhop and a Shepherd.] And whether his Parifh was one Church or many hun- dred you may eafily judge, when fo holy a Man could fpare time all the Week to keep his Cheep. XVII. When Conflans the Emperor affrighted Conflantiur to reflore Athana fiur, Conflantiur craved ofAtbanafiur that the Arrians in Alexandria might have one Church to themfelves : Atbanafins told him, It was in his power to com- mand and execute ; but cravedalto a requell of him, whichwas that in all Ci- ties there might alto be one Church granted for them that communicated not with theArrians : But the Eaflern Arrian Bishops hearing that, put off thede- cifion of both the Requefis.] By which a willing perfon may conjecture at the quantity of theEpifcopal Churches in thofe times. XVIII. Even in Ambrofe's days the great Church ofMilan was no greater than could meet in one Temple to chufe a Bithop : And Ambrofe was chofen by them. Socrat.l. 4. c. 25. And Baroniur, in VitaAmbrofii ex Paulino, faith, (pag. 9.) [ ',Ltdfoli- tus Brat circa Baptizandor folus Emplece, quinque poflea Epifcopi tempore quo deceit vix Emplerent.] What then was all the reel of his work ? and how many Churches could he thus overfee ? And the Arrians, for whom the Emperor made all that flir with Ambrof, were fo fewin Milan, that when the Emperor would have had one Church for them, and couldnot get it by fair means or force, Ambrofe thus jcfleth at the Emprefs and the Arrian Gother ; ,uibus ut olimplauflrum fides erat, ita none planjtrum Eeeleftá eft ; Pziocunguefemina ilia procefferit, fecum fetos omnes cxtus vehit.] Her Coach is their Church ; and which way foever the goeth, Ehe car- rieth all her Congregations with her. Ambrof. de Offic. To. ¢. c. I. fheweth that teaching his Church is the Bi- fhop's Office : And de initiandir, c. 2. p.163. To. 4. he faith to the baptized perfon, [Vidífli Ellie (in Sacrario) Levitano, vidifli Sacerdotem, vidiffi fummum Sacerdotem.] In which he intimateth that the Bithop (as the Chief Priefl ) was prefent in the Church with his Presbyters at Baptizings. Whichtheweth that theyhad not a multitude ofChurches without Bishops. And de Sacram. 1. a. e. I. how the Bithop himfelf muff touchwith Oyl the Noflrils of all that were baptized, with other Ceremonies after mentioned, (heweth that he was ufually prefent at every Baptifm. And de Sacram.1. 3. c. I. he giveth the reafon why he did wash the Feet of all that were baptized, and the Church ofRome did not, Vide ne forte propter multitudinem declinarit.] [Perhaps they decline it becaufe of the multitude.] But all the Diocefs of Milan (as a Bithoprick, not as an Arch-Bithoprick) had no fuch multitudes, but that betides all his other work, Ambrofe could have time to walls the feet of every one that was baptized. G 2 And
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