2 S The Preface. fomewhat of the Dignity of fttch an Officer, and a Re- femblance of the continuance of his Prefence among them. And this I fuppofe fell out early in the Churches, though without Ground or Warrant. And the Princi- pal Parlors ofother Churches, which had not anygreat Number of Elders in them, yet quickly affumed unto themfelves, the Dignitywhich the others had attained. MinMartyr in the Account he gives of the Church, its Order, Rule, Worfhip, and Difcipline in his Days, mentions one ungular Perfön in one Church, whom he c:dls ne9isws, whoprefided in all theAffairs ofthe Church, and himfelf adminiflred all the f cred Ordinances every Lords Day, unto the whole Body of the Church ga- thered and met, out of the City and the Villages about. This was the `13illhop ; and ifany one defired this Office, he de(Ind a good work, as theApoftle fpeaks. Whatever Acceffìons were niade unto the Church, there ne9ti5rvns, which were either the fi^.l-i converted to the Faith, or the fr ordained Presbyters, or obtained their Prehemi- nence, non pretio, fedTefimonio, as Tertnllian fpeaks, up- on theaccount of their Eminency in Gifts and Holinefs, were yet quickly fenfible of their own Dignity and `Prelation, and by all means fought the enlargement of it, fiappofing that it belonged unto the Hoiiour and Or- der ofthe Church it felf. Under this State of things, the Churches encreafing every day in Number and Wealth, growing infenfibly more and more (indies magis snagif; decrefcente difcipli-. na) intoa form, and ftate exceeding thebounds oftheir Original Inflitution, and becoming unweildy as unto the Purfuit of their Ends unto mutual Edification, it is not hard.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=