(85) Cities, had tatted of the fweetnefs of the bait which lay in the Afcription of a Preheminence unto them, they began openly to claim it unto themfelves, and to ufurp Autho- rity over other Churches, Confirming their oun Ufurpation by Canons andRules, until a fewof them in the Council of Nice began to divide the Chrit'tian world among them felves, as ifit had been ken Conquered by them. Hence pro - ceeded thofe fhameful contefts that were among the greater Prelates about their Preheminency ; and hence arofe that Pretenceof the Bithops of Rome, unto no lefs a Right of Rule and Dominion overall Chriftian Churches, than the City , had over all the Nations and Cities of the Empire, which being carried on by all forts ofevil Artifices, as by downright Forgeries, fhamelefs Intruuons of themfelves, impudent laying hold of all Advantages unto their own exaltation, prevailed at, length unto the utter ruine ofall Church Order and worfhip. There is no fober HiJlory of the rife and growth by feveral Degrees of any City, Commonwealth or Empire, that is filled with fo many Inflances of ambitious Peeking of Preheminence, as our Church ftories are. By this Imagination were the generality of the Prelates in thofe dayes, induced to introduce and fettle a Govern- ment in, and among the Churches of Chrif , ant ering unto the Civil Government cf the Roman Empire. As the Civil Government was calf into National or 2:'iocefar, or Provincial,in lets or greater Divifions, each of which hrd its Capital Cia, the place of the Refidence of the chief Grit Goveraour; fo they deíigned to frame an Image of it in the Church, afcribing an alike Dignity and Power unto the Prelates of thofe Cities, and a Jurifdi&ion extending irfelf unto Nations, Dioceffes, and Provinces, Hereby thefear Congregations, or Parochial Churches, being weakened in procefs of time, in their Gifts, and imereft, were fwallow- ed up in the Pow er of the others, and became onlÿ incon- liiderable.
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