Ammimmimmingi 162 The State of the frfi Churches, &c. they obferved among their Officers; of what fort they were , and what number, belongs not unto our prefent enquiry our concernment is only this, that they did pre- fide in the fame particular Church,and were none of them Billions of more Churches than one, or ofany Church that fhould confiff of a Colle&ion or Afiòciation of fuch par- ticular Churches as had no Bifhops properly fo called of their own. All there Epifiles, that is,the (even moi} effeemed,were written,as that of Clemens, unto the Bodies or whole fra- ternityof the Churches, unto whom they are dire&ed in diflintion from their Bitliops,Elders,and Deacons;except- ing only that unto Polycarpus, which is unto a Tingle per- fon.Llndsr that confideration,namely,oftheentire fraterni- ty in diffina --ion from their Officers , doth he addrefs unto them, and therein doth he afcribe and affign fuch Duties unto them, as could not beattended unto, nor performed but in the Affernbly of them all. Such is the dire&ion he gives unto theChurch of the Philadelphians, how and in what manner they fhould receive penitents returning unto the Church , that they might be encouraged into that Duty by their Benignity and Patience. And many things of the like nature doth he deal with them about. And this Affembling together irrthe fame place,narnely, of the whole Church, he doth frequently intimate and ex- prefs. Some intlances hereof we may repeat. Il PTe5 Pr; ßrá áeJPró V ern .ureptr6lixri á'.ß,a wvQri 9a µía 3 tors E5rAr KgzA Meet all of you together in the fameplace; let there be one Prayer in common of all. Epiff. ad Magnet. This direfion can be given unto no other but a particu- lar Church. And again to the Philadelphians; "Oa óTroi- &)v Zstv'exct c;;; w-fóßarru áxox&MTe. Where your Pallor therefollozvyou asfheep. And how they may do fo, is de- clared immediately afterwards ; Oappwv yeyupcc ru c ioQÉCo 67a,-
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