thefeChappels were turned into CommunicatingChurches : But fo as that at firll the Bifhop's.Presbyters(who lived fometimes in the fameHoufe with him, and always near him in the fame City, and were his Colleagues) did preach and officiate to them indifferently, that is, he whom the Bilhop Pent ; and af- ter that a particular Presbyter was afligned to teach a particular Congregation; yet fo, as that more of the Bifhop's Presbyters commonly had no filch Con- gregations, but the moil of them í1i11 attended the Bithopin his Church, and fate with him on each hand- in a high raifed Seat, and whilft he did ufually preach and adminifter the Sacrament, they didbut attend him and do nothing, or but fome by afTitling As : as Lay-Elders do in the Presbyterian Churches principally employed in perfonal overfight, and in joyning. in Government with'the Bithop. And thofe fame Presbyters who had Congregations, joyned with the ref( in their Weekly Work, and made up the Confeff-us or College of Presbyters. 3. And next that (and in fome places at the fame time) Com- municating Congregations were gathered in the Country Villages, fo far off the City, as that it was found meet to leave a Presbyter Refident among them ; but under the Government of the City Bifhop and Presbytery, of whom he was one when he came among them. And all this while the Churches were but like our. greater Parifhes which have divers Chappels, where there is liberty of Communicating. 4. After this when the Countries were more.converted; there were more Country Parifh-Congregations fet up ; till they .attained the form of a Presbyterian Church, differingonly. in the Bithop ; that is, a certain number of the Neighbour CountryParifhes inone .Confifiory (but with a did governall there Parifhes as oneChurch ; that is, It was many 1e r- Jlripping Churches (as fix, eight, or ten, or twelve,) joyning to make up one. governed Church. -But at the fame time many Palters and People being con- vincedof the Church-form which they had before been under, and of their ownnecellity and privileges, did require the fame Order among themfelves as was in City Churches, and tb had their proper Bilhops, who were called Choy repáfcopi, or Country Bithops. But there Country- Bithops living among' the poorer and fmaller number ofChriftians,.had not fo many Presbyters to attend them as the City-Bilhops had:So that fome Country Congregationshad Bithops and fotrje had none. And the Churches being chiefly governed by. the:Synods, who met for obliging Concord, . to avoid Divifions, thefe Synods being made up of the City- Bithops at firft, theythere carried it by Vote to make all the . . Country-Bilhops under them, and refponfible to them t Which they the ra- ther and the eager contented to, becaufe many obfcure and unworthy Fellows did infinuate into the efleem ofthe Country-Chrifians, who had no Whops . near them to advife them better ; and fo became the Corrupters. ofDoexine, and the Mailers of Seesand Heretics. By this tithe one partof the Country Churches had Bilhops of their own,., and the other. had none, but only Presbyters;under the City-Bill-tops and tPref- hytery. But yet it was but few Neighbour- Parifhes, like our Market-Towt;s and the Villages between thetas that were thus under the City- Bithop.. For every fucli Town was then called a.Cty in the larget fenfe asit.fignifieth Oppádurr,,,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=