(140 caufe, in thrufiinghimfelf into the Church of Chryfòftòm to {fir up his hearers toforfake him ? Kieran had a finger in the fame caufe : His quarrels with Mohan Hierofol. with Rufus, his abufive bitternefs againti Vigilantius, &c. are well known. The multitudes ofCanons for preferving the grandeur of Pa- triarchs, and Metropolitanes, and Prelates, on one fide, and for keeping fmall Cities without Bithops, nevilefcat Women Epifcop , and for'refiraining Pride, Pelf-exaltation, enlargement of Diocefe, encroachment on each other, on the other fide, do all [hew the difeafes thatneeded fuch a Cure, orthat had fuch avent. In a word the Bithops never ceafed contending, partly for their fe- veral opinionsand errours ; andpartly for preeminenceand rule, till they had brought it to that pars as we fee it at this day, between Rome and Can'tanti nople, and the moti of the Chrifiian world. From all which it is moll appa- rent that Pride and Contention were cured but in part in the Paflorsof the Churches : And that the remaining part was fo firong andoperative, as ma- keth it too credible that there were ill caufes enow for enlarging of Diocefes and getting many Churches into one mans power, and furring- up a new Order ofhalf- fubpresbyters ; And that the event offuch a change is no proof that it was the Intent ef the ,Apoftles, that this change fhould bemadewhen they weredead; no more than you can prove that all this turbulent pride and ftrife was intended by them. Ifany fay, that it is notprobable that fo loon after the Apoflles all the Churches would,confpire in fuck an error : I anfwer, If all thefe things before mentioned were not done, or if matter of known fa& may be denied as improbable, then that objeûion bath fome fence. Towhich I.add, 8. I have proved that this change was not made at once, but by flow degrees : No nor made fo loon as is pretended, nor fo univerfally, but in long time, except at Alexandria. and, Rome; It was long before the Churches knew it; g. And°i thinknone wiltdenybut other things were taken upas the Tradi- tions of the Apofiles, and all the Churches cufiomes, which yet are nowre- jéEìecl as no fuch thing. To fayno more of Eafter and the. Millennium, there were five ceremonies which were accounted the Churches univerfal cufiomes, and traditions, and none was to>omit, viz. not kneeling in adoration on the Lords days, Adoring towards the Eati, the White Garment, the Milk and Honey and the Chrifm to the Baptized : But were there fuch ? - Socrates, So- zomen, and Nicephorus tell us great Reafons to believe that ( whatever: fume fay )- the timeof Faller., the Fall of Lent, and many other obrervances, and among others-the largencfsor fmallnefs ofDiocefes, were no Laws of God or the Apotties, but ufages voluntarily and diverily taken up, in feveral places, in whichno Chritlians thould condemn each other, but allowa liberty of dif Lent and difference, without breach of Charityor peace. ro. Moreover it is a clearproof that the Apotilts intended-no fuch change, in that they left noRule, Infirufiionsor.Direéiioras for it, nor for the calling of the new fort of Presbyters, nor for their.performance of their places. &het
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