33 / 504
A
Preface
to the Reader.
firms plainly
that
thole Governours
were
the
Presbyters
of
the Church
:2fvq(faith he)
afar
dp2Eia
75
Co
Xersm
cirri;
e.Kxe
7W;
Wan
7,176 41,7.10
KcpaV9frov
C41(.70101
20/
SV
77
A
e;
,,
a
çane
*Is
,ç
w
pJ
ctetrn
Qs,
And in all places
throughout
the whole Epiflle,writing (
:aaab-
aJa7b
AEE
r
oiV.Kan%iftvaDV
)
to
that
particular
Chisrch
of Corinth,
the
Saints
dwelling there,wal-
king in the order
fellowJbip
of
the Ghofpel,
where he
Creates
ofthofe
things,he
(till intimates a
plurality of
Presbyters in
he
Church
(
as
there may
,
nay there
ought
to be
in everyfingle
congregation
,e411
i
zo.
28.
)
without thelean intimation
of
any fingular
¶Perfon,
promoted
upon
any
account whatever
above
his
fellowes.
So in
the
Advice given
to the perfons
who
occafioned
the
divifon
before
mentioned;
corer sciuvtor
lot
Xe<srs+pnvit4T.,
a
á
sÿ
g$Içaa-
p
h
t
Corinth
b
fuch
as
our
'Valour peakes
him
to
ave
ben
ihad
been
impofì
le
that
e
thus
paffed
by in
Clime.
But
the
Dollour
gives
you
a
double
anfwer
to
this
obfervation,with the
feveral parts
where-
of,!
doubt not but that
he makeshimfelfe
merry,if
he can fuppofe
that
any men are
fo
wedded
to
his
dilates,
as
CO
give
them entertainment:for indeed they are plainly
iocular. But
learned
men
muft
have leave fometimes
to
exercife
their
fancies
,
and to fport
themfelves
with their
own
imaginations.
r
i
hen ,
for the mention
that
is
made
of
many Presbyters
in
the Church
of
Corinth
,
to
whom
Clement
in
the
name
of
the Church
of
Rome,
exhorts
to
give
all
due
refpell,
honour,
obe-
dience.
He tells you
that
by
the
Church of Corinth,all
the
Churches
of
Admit are meant andin-
tended. The
Epiftle
is
directed only
7y
Wanda
B,á
orapcaa
&ox
K6Qaysor,without
the leaft intima-
Lion
of
any
other Church or Churches. The
difference
it
is
written about,was occalionedby
one
or
two
perfons in
that
Church only
:
it
is
that Church
alone
that
is
exhorted
to
order, and
due
fubjedion to their
Elders.
From the beginning
to
the end
of
the
Epifie,
there
is
not
one
word,
apex,
or
tittle
to
intimate
the defignation
erf
it, to
any Church,or
Churches
beyond
the
frngle Church
of
Corinth: or
that
they had any concernment
in
the
difference fpoken
to.
The
Eabrick
of
after Ages
lies fo
dole to
the
`Voelonr
s
imagination
;
that
there
is
no entrance
for the
true frame
of
the
Primitive
Church
of
Chrift
:
and therefore every
thing
muff be wre-
fled, and apportioned
to the
conceit
of
fuckan Epifcopacy
as
he
hath entertained
Whereas he
ought
to crop
off,both
head, &
harles
of
his
own imagination,and the Epifcopacy
of
the latter
dayes,which
he
too
dearly affeds,he choofeth rather
to
flretch,
&torture
the antient
goverment
of
the Church,that
it may
feem
to
anfwer
the
frame prefentiy contended
for.But let
us a
little
attend to the Donor's
learned
argument
;whereby he endeavours
to
make
good
his
afertion.
t
He
tels
you that
Corinth was
the chief
Citty
of
e"fchsia
t
the
cMcrrapolis
(in
a
political
fenle
and Acceptation
of
the .word
)
ofGreece,where
the
Pro-Conful
hadhis
Refidence
:
Difr.
5:cap:a.SeEl.3. Let us
grant this to our learned
DoElour,
leaft
we
fhould
find
nothing to
gra-
tify him
with
all
;
what then
will follow? hence
( faith
he)
it
will
follow (
Seel:
4:
) that
this
Eplf
le
which
was
Pent
£eclefta
wapotaiaa
Kópar.ov
non
ad
:mint
civitatis Eccle/am
,
fed
ad
o-
wes
totius Achaia
Chriflianos,
per
ftngulas civitates
e3'
regiones
,
fob
Epi
/copra
ant prafeflis
Juts
uái4,
collocates miffa
ex
flimetur
:
But pray
pallor
why fo
?
We poor
creatures who arc
not
fo
fharp lighted,
as
to difcernea Metropolitan Arch-
Bi/hop
at
Corinth,of whom all
the
Ei-
Jbops
in
Greece
were
dependant,nor
can find any
inflituted
Church
in
the Scripture
, or
in
Cle-
ment
,
of
one
denomination,
beyond
a tingle
Congregation
,
cannot but think
that
all
the
ftengrh of
this
Confellary
,
from
the infinuation
of
fuch
a
(late of
things,
in
the Church
of
God
is
nothing
but
a
pure
begging
of
the thing
in
Queftion
,
which will never be
granted
upon loch rearmes.
Yea
but he adds,
Seel:
5:
That Paul
wrote
hit
Epifile
not
only to the
Church ofCorinth
,
but'
alto
to
all
the Churches
of
Achaia;
therefore
Clement did
/a
alto
:
At
firft view
this
Argument
feemes
not
very conclufrve,
yea appeares indeed
very
ridiculous
:
the inforcement
of
it
which
enfues may
perhaps give new lifeand
vigour to it: How then
is
it
proved
that
Pan
/wrote not
only to the
Church
of
Corinth,but
to
all
them in Achaia alto? why faith he in
the
z
£pifiie:
r.
chap:
I.
v: it
is
fo
expref:
he
writes
éxnvnof27oi,
foot
7ñ óuar iv
pía a,Kcarìv
$
áyfoat
wwaroisL.
oro
iv
fa,
7r
.via.
Very good
i
It
is
indifputably evident
that Paul wrot
his
fecond
Epifi/e
to
the Church at Corinth, and
all
the raft
of
Achaia,
for
he exprefly affirmes
himfelfe
fo
to do,
and
for the
firfr
Epiftle
,
it
is
direded notonly to the
Church of Corinth
t
:
cap:
a.
verfe,bur
alto
74g
En
ai.rtAErolfTfs
too
Ttl
v
tlo
itto
o'lavi
XPaSOV
iv
mold
riocW;
that
is,faith
our Dolton,
in the
whole Region
of
Achaia. So
indeed
faies
the Dollars
great freind Grating, to whom
he
is
beholding for more then one rare
notion.
I fay
it not
inany way
of
any reproach
to
the Deflour
,
only I
cannot but think
,
his
careful warding
of
himfelfe
againfi the thoughts
.of
men