CHA P. III® Our judgment of the Hifiory of the ,Antieïrt Çhurçh-Gc-, vernment,. and of therife of the DiocefanPrelacy. '. IShall anon Phewmore fully, that there are two thingsefpecially in which we think the very Species of our DiocefanPrelacy to be al- tered from the antient Epifcopacy. One is in the Extent of their Office, as to their fubjett Charge, a Bithop infime fpeciei, of the Iowelt fpecies, having then but One Church, and now a Bifhop infimæ fpe- ciei having many hundred Churches made into one, or nullified tomake One. 2. In the.. Work, of their Office, which was then purely Spiritual or Paftoral, and is now mixt of Magiftratical and Minifterial, exercifed by mixed Officers in Courts much like to Civil Judicatures. TheHiftoryof their rife I fuppofe is this. i. Chrift made a difference among his Minifters himfelf, while he chofe twelveto be Apoftles, and fpecial Witneffès ofhis Doctrine, Life, and Ítefurrection, and Afcenfion, and to be the Founders of his Church, and the Publilhersof his Gofpel abroad the World. 2. As thefe Apoftles preached the Gofpel themfelves, and planted Churches, fo did many others as their helpers, partly the feventy fens by Chrift, and partly called by the Apoftles themfelves; And all thefe exercifed indefinitely a preparing Miniftry, before particular Churches were gathered abroad the World, and afterwards went on in gathering and calling more. ;. Betides this preparing unfixedMiniftration, the fame Apoftles alto MI214. placed, by the peoples content, particular fixed Minifters over all the fe- 23. Tit. r, veral Churches which they gathered. S 4. Thefe fixed Miriffers as fuck, they named indifferently, Bithops, Elders, Paftors andTeachers. Whereas thole of the fame Office in ge- neral yet unfixed, are called either by the General name ofChrifl's Mini- fiers, or Stewards ofhis Myfleries; And in regard of their fpecial works, fomewere called Apoftles, fome Prophets, and fome Evangelifts. 5. Thefe Apoftles though unfixed and havingan Indefinitecharge, yet went not all one way, butas God's Spirit and prudence guided them, they difperfed themfelves into feveral parts oftheWorld. 6. But as they did many of them fiat flay long at yerufdlem, fo af- terward in planting and felling Churches, they fometimes flayed leveral months or years in one place, and then went to another. And fo did the Evangelifts or Indefinite Affiftants whom they fent forth on the fame work. C 2 7. While
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