again to Antioch, he was sent out by the command of the Holy Ghost, more eminently and peculiarly than formerly, for the conversion of the Gentiles; Acts xiii. 1--3. In this undertaking in the space of a year or two, he preached, and gathered churches (whereof express mention is made) at Salamis, Acts xiii. 5. in the isle of Paphos, ver. 6. at Perga in Pamphylia, ver. 13. at Antioch in Pisidia, ver. 14. at Iconium, chap. xiv. 1. at Lystra and Derbe, ver. 6. and at Perga, ver. 26. In all these places gathering some believers to Christ, whom, before they returned to Antioch, he visited all over the second time, and settled elders in the several congregations; chap. xiv. 21-23. In this journey and travel for the propagation of the gospel, he seems in all places to have been followed almost at the heels, by the professing Pharisees, who imposed the necessity of the observation of Mosaical ceremonies upon his new converts: for instantly upon his return to Antioch, where, during his absence, probably they had much prevailed, he falls into dispute with them; chap. xv. 1. and that he was not concerned in this controversy, only upon the account of the church of Antioch, himself informs us; Gal. ii. 4. affirming that the false brethren, which caused those disputes and dissensions, crept in to spy out his liberty, in his preaching the gospel among the Gentiles, ver. 2. that is, in the places before mentioned throughout a great part of Asia. For the appeasing of this difference, and the establishing of the souls of the disciples which were grievously perplexed, with the imposition of the Mosaical yoke, it is determined that the case should be resolved by the apostles; Acts xv. 2. Partly because of their authority in all the churches, wherein those who contended with Paul would be compelled to acquiesce, and partly because those Judaizing teachers, pretended the commission of the apostles for the doctrine they preached, as is evident from the disclaimure made by them, of any such commission or command; ver. 24. Upon Paul's return from the assembly at Jerusalem, wherein the great controversy about Jewish ceremonies was stated and determined, after he had in the first place delivered the decree, and apostolical salutation, by epistle to the church at Antioch, he goes with them also to the churches in Syria and Cilicia, expressed in the letter by name, as also to those in Pamphylia, Pisidia, Derbe, Lystra, Iconium, &c. chap. xvi.

1-4. and all the churches which he had gathered and planted in his travels through Asia, whereunto he was commanded by the Holy Ghost; Acts xiii. 1, 2. Things being thus stated, it necessarily follows, that the apostles had instituted diocesan and metropolitan bishops. For though the churches were so small, and thin, and few in number, that seven years after this, may we believe our doctor, the apostles had not instituted or appointed any elders or presbyters in them, viz. when Paul wrote his epistle to the Philippians, which was when he was prisoner in Rome, as appears, chap. i. 7. 13, 14. iv. 22. about the third year of Nero, yet that he had fully built and settled the hierarchical fabric contended for, who once dares question?

Audacia

Creditur a multis fiducia.

But if this will not do, yet Ignatius hits the nail on the head, and is ready at hand to make good, whatsoever the doctor will have him say, and his testimony takes up the sense of the two next following sections, whereof the first is as follows:

'Hinc dicti Ignatiani ratio constat in Epistola ad Romanos, ubi ille Antiochiæ episcopus se τῆς ἐν Συρίᾳ ἐκκλησίας Touέva, pastorem ecclesiæ quæ est in Syria appellet, cum ad Antiochiam, scil. ut ad metropolin suam tota Syria pertineret. Sic et author Epistolæ ad Antiochenos, ikkλnσią Jeaʊ παροικούσῃ ἐν Συρίᾳ τῇ ἐν ̓Αντιοχείᾳ, Eam inscribens totam, Syriam ejus rapoκíav esse concludit.'

But yet I fear the doctor will find he hath need of other weapons, and other manner of assistance, to make good the cause he hath undertaken. The words of Ignatius in that epistle to the Romans are, μνημονεύετε ἐν τῇ εὐχῇ ὑμῶν τῆς ἐν Συρία ἐκκλησίας ἥτις ἀντ ̓ ἐμοῦ ποιμένι χρῆται τῷ κυρίῳ. Because he recommends to them that particular church in Syria, which by his imprisonment was deprived of its pastor, therefore without doubt he was a metropolitical archbishop: Tityre, tu patula,' &c. But the doctor is resolved to carry his cause, and therefore being forsaken of all fair and honest means, from whence he might hope for assistance or success, he tries (as Saul the witch of Endor), the counterfeit, spurious title, of a counterfeit epistle to the Antiochians, to see if that will speak any comfortable words, for his relief or no.

And to make sure work, he causes this gentleman so to speak, as if he intended to make us believe that Syria was in Antioch, not Antioch in Syria, as in some remote parts of the world, they say they inquire whether London be in England, or England in London. What other sense can be made of the words as by the doctor transcribed? ¿kkλnoią Θεοῦ παροικούση ἐν Συρίᾳ τῇ ἐν ̓Αντιοχείᾳ. Το the church of God dwelling in Syria which is in Antioch: now if this be so, I shall confess it is possible we may be in more errors than one, and that we much want the learned doctor's assistance for our information; the words themselves as they are used by the worshipful writer of that epistle will scarce furnish us with this learned and rare notion: they are at length, Ιγνάτιος ὁ καὶ Θεοφόρος (for so he first opens his mouth with a lie), ἐκκλησίᾳ ἠλεημένη ὑπὸ θεοῦ, ἐκλελεγμένῃ ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ παροικούσῃ ἐν Συρίᾳ, καὶ πρώτη Χριστοῦ ἐπωνυμίαν λαβούσῃ τῇ ἐν Αντιοχείᾳ. What is here more expressed, than that the latter passage, in Antioch, is restrictive of what went and before was spoken of its residence in Syria, with reference to the name of Christians, first given to the disciples in that place, I know not: and therefore it is most certain, that the apostles instituted metropolitan archbishops ὅπερ ἔδει δεῖξαι

But to make all sure the learned doctor will not so give over: but, sect. 11. he adds, that the epigraph of the epistle to the Romans, grants him the whole case, that is, 'Ekkλŋolą ἥτις προκάθηται ἐν τόπῳ χωρίου Ρωμαίων, ex qua,” saith he, ecclesiæ Romanæ, ejusque episcopo super ecclesiis omnibus in urbicaria regione, aut provincia Romana contentis, præfecturam competiisse videmus.'

Although I have spent some time in the consideration of men's conjectures of those suburbicarian churches, that (as is pretended) are here pointed to, and the rise of the bishop of Rome's jurisdiction over those churches, in a correspondency to the civil government of the prefect of the city, yet so great a critic in the Greek tongue as Casaubon; Exerc. 16. ad An. 150. having professed that expression: ¿v Tóπų Xwpiov 'Pwμaiwv, to be barbarous' and unintelligible,' I shall not contend about it. For the presidency mentioned of the church in, or at Rome, that it was a presidency of jurisdiction, and not only an eminency of faith and holiness

that is intended, the doctor thinks it not incumbent on him to prove those with whom he hath to do, are of another mind: although by this time some alteration might be attempted, yea there was, as elsewhere shall be shewed: and so much for Ignatius's archiepiscopacy.

The example of Alexandria is urged in the next place, in these words:Idem de Alexandria, de qua Eusebius, Marcum, Εκκλησίας πρῶτον ἐπ ̓ αὐτῆς Αλεξανδρείας συστήσασθαι, Ecclesias (in plurali) primum in Alexandria instituisse. Has omnes ab eo sub nomine τῆς ἐν ̓Αλεξανδρείᾳ παροικίας, ad minio strandas suscepisse Annianum, Neronis anno octavo idem Eusebius affirmat: quibus patet primariam Alexandriæ et Patriarchalem cathedram fixam esse, ad quam reliquæ provinciæ illius ecclesiæ a Marco plantatæ, ut ad metropoliticam suam pertinebant.' Doubtless; for, 1.There is not any passage in any ancient author, more clearly discovering the uncertainty of many things in antiquity, than this pointed to by the doctor in Eusebius. For, first, the sending of Mark the evangelist into Egypt, and his preaching there at Alexandria what he had written in the gospel, is but a report. Men said so, but what ground they had for their saying so, he relates not. And yet we know what a foundation of many assertions by following writers, this rumour or report is made to be. 2. In the very next words the author affirms, and insists long upon it in the next chapter, that Philo's book, περὶ τοῦ βίου τῶν ̓Ασκητών, was written concerning the Christians converted by Mark's preaching at Alexandria, when it is notoriously known that it treateth of the Essenes, a sect among the Jews, amongst whose observances many things were vain, superstitious, and foolish; unworthy to be once applauded as the practice of any Christian in those days: that same Philo, as far as can be gathered, iving and dying in the Jewish religion, having been emoved by them with an apology to Rome in the days of igula. But, 3. suppose that Mark were at Alexandria, ached the gospel there, which is not improbable, and undry churches in that great and populous city of ntiles, and that as an evangelist the care of those s upon him, in a peculiar manner, nay, and add at after his death, as Jerome assures us, the elders yters of those churches, chose out one among

themselves to preside in their convocations and meetings. If, I say, all this be supposed, what will ensue? Why then it is manifest that there was fixed at Alexandria a patriarchal chair, and a metropolitical church, according to the appointment of Jesus Christ by his apostles. Si hoc non sit probationum satis, nescio quid sit satis.' If some few congregations live together in love, and communion, and the fellowship of the gospel in a city, he is stark blind that sees not that to be an archbishop's see. The reason is as clear as his in the Comedian, for the freedom of his wife. Sy. Utinam Phrygiam uxorem meam una mecum videam liberam.' Dem. Optimam mulierem quidem.'. Sy. Et quidem nepoti tuo, hujus filio, hodie primam mamman dedit hæc.' Dem. Hercle, vero, serio, siquidem primam dedit haud dubium quin emitti æquum siet.' Mic. Ob eam rem ?' Dem. Ob eam:' and there is an end of the contest. The doctor indeed hath sundry other sections added to these foregoing, which as they concern times more remote from those who first received the apostolical institutions, so I must ingenuously profess that I cannot see any thing, whereon to fasten a suspicion of a proof, so far as to call it into examination, and therefore I shall absolve the reader from the penalty of this digression.

The truth is, when I first named Ignatius for a witness in the cause I am pleading for, I little thought of that excursion which I have occasionally been drawn out unto. When first I cast an eye some few months since upon the dissertation of the learned doctor, in defence of episcopacy, and saw it so checkered with Greek and Latin, so full of quotations divine and human, I began to think, that he dealt with his adversaries, ́hastisque, clypeisque, et saxis grandibus,' that there would be no standing before his shower of arguments. But after a little serious perusal, I must take leave to say, that I was quickly of another mind, with the reason of which change of thoughts, could I once obtain the leisure of a few days or hours, I should quickly (God willing) acquaint them who are concerned in affairs of this nature. In the mean time if the reader will pardon me this digression, having given him an account of my thoughts concerning the epistles of Ignatius, I shall in a procedure upon my first intention bring forth some testimonies from him, 'et valeant quantum valere possunt.'.