The State of the ftrft Churches, &c. 1 17 and frequently afterwards, as any one may fee i? the la te Collections of the antimt Canon!. I venly beheve, nor can the contrary be proved, but that thefeChorepifcopi at firfl: were as abfolute and compleat in the Office ofEpif · c{)pttcy, as. any ofthe Biiliops of the greater Cities,having their name or denomination from the places of thtir Re · fidence ; 'EW"lO"X.rtml i$ ~p.u, and not for an intimation of . any inferiority in them unto other City- Bifhops. But fo · it carne topafs , that through their poverty and r:Pant of lnterefl, their Minifrry being confined unto a [mal! CoHn~ try·Parijh, & perhaps through a comparative meannefs of their Gifts or Abilities, the City·Bifhop claimed a Superi-. or'ity over them ., and made Canons about their Power , the bounding and exerci.fiog of it , in Dependance on thernfelves. Fo~ a while they were efreemed a degree a- . bove meer Prubyteri, who accompanyed or attended the. Bijhop of the City-Church in his Adminifrrations; and a degree beneath the Bifhop himfelf, in a pofrure never de- . figned. by Chrift nor his ApoU!es. Wherefore in procefs . of time, the name and thing were utterly lofr, and all the . Co.untry-ChHrcheswere brought into an abfolote fubjecri-. on unto the CiiJ·ChHrch ; fomething being allowed unto . them for Worfhip,nothingfor Rule and Difcipline;where-. by the firfr fl:ate of churcheJ in their Original Infl:itution. , facredly preferved in the firO: Centuries, was 1ti!erly loft , an.ddemolijhed. I fha!l add but one Argument more, to evince the true.<. fiate and nature of Evangelic4l churches herein, namely, that they were onlyparticular Congregatiom; and that is,, ·taken from the Duties and Powers afcribed in ,the Scri· .. pture unto churche.~, and the Membersor ent)t'e Brother- . hood of them. It was obferved before, that the EpijUe.r of the Apofrles were written all of them unto the Body (Jfthe . .C.hHrches, in coi:madiftinctionunto their Elders~ Bifi10ps, or, /
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