ordaining Presbyteries to govern the Churches which they had planted in Cities, the heads whereof were Bishops after their departure. And this feemeth to be the reason why the feats of Cathedrall Churches are wont to be Cities. And by this means Italy is fo full of Bishopricks, because it is fo full of Cities.

CHAP. VII.

Presbyters govern with the Apostles in Scriptures. Nothing done in the Church without their advife. Why both ranks are called Sacerdotes, Presbyteri, Antiftites, and the like.

H

Aving hitherto juftified the ground whereupon we go, and fhewed that Bishops came after the Apostles to be heads of Presbyteries, in confequence hereunto it must now be averred, that the government of Churches

Churches paffed in common by Bi-. fhops and Presbyters, as from the beginning the Presbyters governed with the Apostles themselves. If in that great action of the Councel at Jerufalem the Elders of that Church bore their part with the Apoftles, what cause have we to think they did leffe when they were difperfed, S. James alone remaining there? If they concurred with S. James in his advise to S. Paul about a matter of greatest weight, how to deal with those of the Circumcifion that believed, fhalf we imagine they did not do the like with his fucceffours? IfS. Peter call the Presbyters of the Churches to which he writeth his fellow-Elders, it is to the purpose to put them in mind of their fhare in that office which he chargeth himself with. If the Apostle of the Gentiles charge the Elders of the Church of Ephefus, Acts xx. 18. with their part of that E 3

care

care of Chrifts flock after his depar ture, which he for his time had performed over them, fhall we think them eased of it because Timothy came to be Bishop there? Rather let me conceive this to be the cause why Timothie's inftructions are addreffed in the fingular number to him alone, without mention of his Presbyters, because they were to receive their charge by themselves about the fame time: So farre is it from me to think that his Presbyters were not to concurte in affifting that courfe of government wherein he alone is dire&ted by the Apostle to proceed. And if we can go no further in proving this point out of Scripture, the reafon muft be, because (as appeareth by that which hath been faid) the Scriptures for the most part fpeak of that time when Bishops yet were not, but the Apostles themfelves. To which purpose nevertheleffe there will be

ftill fomething to be faid out of the Scriptures, in the particulars which we fhall furvey. In the mean time let us take notice of a few paffages, among many more, out of Ecclefiafticall writers, to argue the generall whereof we speak. Ignatius, Epift. ad Trall. Τί δὲ πρεσβυτέριον,faith he, αλλ ̓ ἢ σύτημα ἱερὸν, σύμβολοι και συνεδρευ]αὶ το ἐπισκόπε ;We can not understand righter what the Presbytery meaneth, then out of these words, a Colledge or bench of Affeffours to the BiShop in facred matters. The Commentaries under S. Ambrofe his name upon 1. Tim. v. 1. fpeak home to this purpofe; Nam apud omnes utique gentes honorabilis eft fenectus:unde & Synage. ga, & postea Ecclefia, Seniores habuit, fine querum confilio nihil agebatur in Ecclefia. This is as much as can be demanded, when we heare that nothing was done in the Church, to wit by the Bishop, without the advice of his Presbyters. The fame is affirmed

by S. Hierome upon Titus i. 5. Antequam Diaboli instinctu ftudia in religione fierent, & diceretur in populis, Ego fum Pauli, ego Apollo, ego Cepha, communi confilio Ecclefia gubernabantur. In that S. Hierome thinketh there were no Bishops till Churches were forced to that courfe to avoid fchifmes, it hath been fhewed he is not in the right: But in that he affirmeth that at firft Churches were governed by common advise, we may well heare him fpeak in fo good company of witneffes, Laft of all, S. Cyprian having faid once for all, Epift. 6. Quando à primordio Epifcopatus mei nihil ftatuerim fine confilio veftro Presbyterorum & Diaconorum] & fine confenfu plebis mea, privatâ fententia gerere, how well he obferved it, is yet to be feen in the paffage of divers bufineffes related in his Epiftles. Out of which the like is to be conceived of the Presbyters of

Rome,