41 / 504
A
Preface
to the Reader.
as an Apoflolical
inflitution;.
Now
becaufe
I
fuppofe
the
Do&ourwill
not
alert,
nor
Both in-
tend
a civil
dependance,and
fubordination
of
Cities,
as
fuch,among them
felves,nor will
a
de-
pendance
as
to
Counfel,advice,
afliflance,
and
the
like fupplies which
in
their mutual Come
munion
,
the letter Churches might
receive
from the greater and
more
eminent
ferve
his
turne:
but
an ecclefeaflical
dependence
and fubordinatton,fuch
as
whereby many
particular
Churches,
with Inferiour
Officers
refiding
in
them
,
and
withthem,
depended
on,
and were
in
fabjedtion
unto
force one perfon
of
a
fuperiour
order
,
commonly refiding
in
force
emi-
nent City
,
and many
of
thefeGovernours
of
a
fuperiour
order
in
the greater
Cities were in
fuch
fubordination unto
force one
of
high
degree
,
termed a
cMetrops1itan, and all this by
A-
paflolical
inflitútion is
that
which he aymeth
at,which
being amofi gallant adventure,in
a
ow-
king
generation
,
we
íhall doubtlefs
find
him
quitting
himfelfe
like a
man in his undertaking:
z
Then
he
tells
you that
the queflion about
Mofaical
Rites and
necef
ty
of
their obfervation,
Was
referred
to
`f
erufwlem by the
tingle ;Church
of
Antioch.
But how does
the Doélour
make
good
this firfi fiep ,
whichyet
if
he
could,would do him
no
good at all
?It
is
crue,that
Paul
was
now come
to
Antioch,
ch:14,
2.6:
alfo
that
he
was brought
on
his
Way by
the
Church, chap:
a
S.3:but yet
that
the Brethrenwho
were
taught the
Doan:.e
conrefied
about,v. t:were only
of
the
Church
of
Antioch
( whenit
is
moot
certaine from the Epiftles
of
Paul
to the Galatians;
Celeffans,
Romanes,
&
others,that
great diflurbance
was
railed
farce
'and
wide,inall
theChur-
ches
of
the
Genrilea
obout
this controverfy )
nothing
is
offered.
It
feems
indeed
that their
difputes grew to the grearefi height
at v4ntioch,
whether Brethren from
other
parts
and
Churches did alto
come,
whilefl Barnabaeand
Paul
abode
there,
but
that that
Engle Church
referred
thedetermining
of
that controverfy, to
them at
f
erufulem, exclufrvely
to
others
,
the
Valour
proves
not.
And
it
is
molt
evident,from
the returne
of
the An(wer
fent by
the
Apo
files from
f
erufalem, v:
23:
that the
referencewas from
all
the
Churches
of
the gentiles
,
yea
and
all
the fcattered brethren,perhaps
as
yet
not
brought into Church Order
,
not
only at An-
tioch
,
but
allo
throughout
Sjria
and Cilicia.
,It
is
then granted what he nextobferves,
viz:
that
in
the
Anfwer
returned
from
}erufalem, with them at
Antioch,
rhofe
in Syria
and Cilicio;
are joyned; the reafon
of
it
beingmanifeft , namely
their trouble aboutthe
fame
Controverfy
being
no
lets
then theirs
at
Antioch.
It
is
alto granted
,
that
as
Paul
Kit
through
the
Cities,
that
he delivered them
the
decrees to keep
,
that
were
ordained, by the
Apoftles
and Elders,
cl:
16.4: and
that not onlyto the
Churches
of
Syria and-Cilicia, which he
left,
c:
z
5.41: but
alto
to
thofe
throughout
Phrygia,and
the
Regions
of
Galatia
v:
6.
What
now followes
out
of
all-
this
?
what
?
but that
s4ntioch by eApofloliralinflitution
was
the
Metropolitan
See
of
all
the
Churches of
Syria andCilicia,
Good
Dotllour
do
not
be
angry,buc tell
us
how this
may be
pro.
ved.
Why
doubtlefs it
was fo: as Antioch
belonged
to
the
Metropolitan Church
atf
erufalem,as
he told
us
out
of
Philo
(who
was excellently
acquainted with Apofiolical
inflitutions.)
What
yerufalem was
to the wholeChurch,and Nation
of
the
Jewes
,
whileft
the
name
of God
was,
fixed there, we
know;
Bur
what
was
the
primitive
eflate
of
the Churches
of
Jefus
Chrifi made
of
yetxes
and
Gentiles,
tyed neither
to City,or Mountaine,I
muff be
pardoned,if
I
cannot
find
the Dollour
making any tender
of
manifefling
or
declaring.
The
reafons
of
referring this
controverfy
unto
a
determination
at
7erufalem
,
the
Holy
Ghofl
acquaints
us
with,
Alas 19:
z,
That
we have no need
of
this Metro-political
figment
,
to informe
us
in
it.And
now;
if
we
will
not,
notonly
fubmit
to
Diocefan
Bifhops:
but alío
reverence
the
grave Metro-Politans ,
(lan-
ding upon inch
cleare
Apoflolical inflieution
;
It
is
fit
that
all
the
world fhould
count
us
.
the
arranteft
Schifmaticks
that
ever lived
fince Pape Boniface his
time.
The
fumme
then
of
this doubty Argument for the
eAApo
flolicelinflieution of Metropolitans
(
that none
might
ever
more dare
to
call
°Dioce/ians
into quefiion hereafter)
Is
this;
Paul
who
wasconverted
about the,
3
or 4th
yeare
of
Caligula,5,or
6
yeares after
the
Afcention
ofChrift,having withgreat
fuccefs.
for
3
yeares preached
the
Gofpel,went up
to
jerufalem
with Barsabas
,
upon the Perfecution
rais'd
againft
him at
pamafcusA
&
:9 zz:whencereturningto
his
work,he
went
fir[#
to
Tarfus,,
A&. 9.
30:
thence
to
Antioch:
where he abode
one
whole
yeare.Aet:
t
1.25,z6: &
was
then
Pent
to
Jerufalem
with the
colleélions
for
the
saints
about
the
4th
year
of
Claudius,Ver.3o:thence
returning
againe
to
Antioch
,
he
was Pent
out
by
the command
of
the Holy
Ghofi
more emi-
nently,&peculiarly,then formerly,for
the
couvertion
of
the
gentiles,A(1:13.1,2,3:in
this
under-
taking in
the
faace
of
ayeare, or
two,
he preached,&gathered
Churches(whereof
exprefs
mentis
on
is
made)at Salamir,A&
13.9:
in
the
Ifle efPaphosv.6
:at Perga
in Pamphilia 13:
at
Antioch
in
Pif:di,,
a4.
atIconiumchap:
t4,
a
:at
Lyffra and Derbe,v
:6:andatTerga,z6
:in
all
thefe places
gathering
force Believers
to Chrill,whom
before
they returned to
Antioch he vifited all
over,
the
fecond
time,and retied
Elder,
in
the
fevered
congregatious,chap:14.2r,22,z3:
in this
jour-
E
ny