fo, if there were twenty other Congregations belonging to it, in the fame Union and Communion with it, as if it were the only one that the whole Diocese had. But, to be plainer in the Cafe, and bring it home to our own Times, fhould fuch a Cafe, as Natalis's was, happen in any Christian Church at this Day, and the Bifhop be found at his Devotions with any of his Clergy about him, (as in his own Cathedral 'tis fcarcely to be known when he can be found without them, and in the Primitive Church, where the Orders of them they call'd the Clergy were many more than now, to be fure they never were) and fhould the penitent Supplicant. kneel before them all, and, in a full Congregation of the People, ask the Pardon of the Church; might not an English Hiftorian (do'we think) fay, that this humble Penitent fell down at the Feet of the Bishop, Clergy, and People, and yet the Bishop have confiderably more of both Kinds within his Diocefe and Jurifdiction, than were perfonally prefent at this particular Solemnity? Surely one would think he might : And yet not a tittle more than this is faid in the Penitent Natalis's Cafe, for there is not fo much as the useful Phrafe, of all the Clergy, or all the People, offer'd us to help us out here, which in many of our Enquirer's foregoing Quotations he laid fo great a Strefs upon, tho' the Conftrution was far from being juft and reasonable there.

To strengthen this Inftance of Natalis's Cafe, there are five Reasons more offer'd us, but every one of them Repetitions of what had been

faid

faid before. For here we are twice told again, that all the Brethren met together in the Church to choose a Bishop when the See was vacant; which I have exprefly fhewn to be affirm'd of Elections in the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Centuries, when all the World knows the Dioceses had Congregations enow in each of them. Two other Reasons are, that all met to concur in fending Salutations and Letters to other Churches, and to hear fuch read. And lastly, that the Church of Rome had fo peculiarly but one Altar, that the fecond, which Novatian erected, was called a Prophane Altar. For each of which Reasons, I only refer the Reader to what has been faid of them before, who (I believe) will be forry with me to fee fuch Arguments rely'd upon in fo important a Caufe; and fo often repeated, to appear many.

In the mean time, the Church of Rome is far better represented to us by Cornelius (the truly Apoftolical Bishop of it) in the Third Century; who tells us, there were then no less than forty fix Presbyters in it; which, if compared with the Number of Affemblies in each City, the Erecting new and larger Chriftian Churches in them all, mention'd by Eufebius within the fame Century, (Eccl. Hift. 1. 8. c. 1.) fairly implying that they had old and fmaller ones even before them; we need not be at a Lofs to conceive what fort of Services those numerous Presbyters were engaged in: For 'twas to minifter, no doubt of it, in many of thofe particular Oratories they

were

*Enquiry, P. 32, 33

were then poffefs'd of; as you will the easier agree to, if you confider what Cornelius farther fays of it, that befides thofe forty fix Presbyters, they had feven Deacons, feven Sub-Deacons, forty two Acolyths; Exorcifts, Readers, and Doorkeepers fifty two; (all neceffary (fays he) to the Service of the Church) befides Widows, Impotent, and Poor above fifteen hundred, living on the Alms of the Church; and anfwerable to all this, a vast innumerable Multitude of People in it, as the Holy Bishop's Words exprefly are.

This is fo authentick an Account of that Primitive Church of Rome, as I believe the most zealons Advocates for the Congregational Way will not pretend to call in Question; but how they can reconcile it to their own Scheme, I leave to themselves.

I enlarge not here, on the tranfcendent Liberality of this fingle Church, by which S they Supported many other Churches in every City, Cas Dionyfius of Corinth bears witness for them) relieving their Poor, and maintaining their Chriftian Slaves that were condemn'd to the Mines. Nay, the other Dionyfius of Alexandria

affirms,

* Πρεσβυτέρες τεσαράκοντα ἐξ, διακόνες ἑπτὰ, ὑποδιακόνες ἑπτὰ, ἀκολύθος δύο καὶ τεσαράκοντα, εξορ κιτὰς ἢ καὶ ἀναγνώσας ἅμα πυλωροῖς δύο καὶ πεντήκοντα χώρας στον θλιβομλίοις ὑπὸ τὰς χιλίας πεντακοσίας, ὃς πάντας ἡ τὸ δεσπότε χάρις και φιλανθροπία διατρέφει τοσο το πλῆθΘ κ ἀναγκαῖον ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ πληθύων ἀριθμὸς μὲ μεγίς» καὶ ἀναριθμήτε λαδ. Eufeb. Hift. Eccl. 1. 6. c. 43.

~,

§ Εκκλησίαις πολλοῖς ταῖς καὶ πᾶσαν πόλιν ἐφόδια πέμπειν, ἐν μετάλλοις ἢ ἀδελφοῖς ὑπάρχεσιν ἐπιχο payavras. Eufeb. Eccl. Hift. 1. 4. c. 23.

affirms, That the whole Country of Arabia and all the Provinces of Syria were abundantly reliev'd by the Church of Rome alone. Compute then the Numerous Clergy, the Lift of Widows, of the Afflicted and Poor, which we have just now seen this fingle Church continually maintain'd at home; and if not many Rich, not many Noble were called, one would be even forc'd to think, that Legions, at least, of a middle Fortune must be in it, to raise fuch extraordinary Contributions as these.

Nor will I infift on the positive Account the judicious Mr. Mede gives us of particular Churches, or Titles, (as they were then call'd) that were founded in this Church of Rome in the Second Century, tho' he quotes the very Names and Qualities of them that founded them. Enough has been faid (I hope) to vindicate this Imperial City from the hard Imputation of yielding no better Fruits of the Great Apoftles, Saints and Martyrs Blood, that was shed in it, than what amounted to a fingle Congregational Church for three hundred Years together.

Carthage fhares with Rome in this; and as fhe was Rival once in Glory, fhe must be as little in her Christian Converts now: The great t Tertullian magnify'd indeed that Native City of his, and well nigh defy'd the perfecuting Go

vernors

|| Αἱ μέν τοι Συρίαι ὅλαι, καὶ ἡ ̓Αραβία οἷς ἐπαρκετε ἑκάσοε. 1b. 1. 7. 6. 5.

* See Mede's Works, Book 2. P. 327. Edit. 4. in 1677. + Tertull. ad Scapul. c. 2. p. 86. Edit. Rigalt. 2. Lutet. 1641.

vernors with glorying in the numerous Multitudes of Believers there; but all (it seems) were a meer parochial Congregation: This is fomewhat strange, especially to those who know the glorious Figure the Church of Carthage made, and the mighty Influence it had in all Affairs of the Christian World, in the Cyprianick Age. Yet let us hear the Evidence that is given for it; for that's but just and reasonable.

The firft Reason offer'd is this, because the Bishop of that Diocefe could know every one therein. Now, I'll but state the Cafe of this Quotation, and you'll quickly fee the Determination in it S. Cyprian was now in Banishment, he writes to two African Bishops, (Caldonius and Herculanus) and with them to Rogatian and Numidicus, (two of his own Presbyters) that they fhould take Care to relieve the Neceffities of the Poor, out of the Contribution of the Brethren; and if any of them would work at their own Trades, and yet could not fully provide for their Families, they fhould allow them fomething towards it; and in doing this, he directs them to inform themselves carefully of the different

P.

+ Enquiry. p. 34. Ut omnes optime noffem. Cypr. Ep. 38. § 1. or in Oxon. Edit. Ep. 41.

Cumque ego vos pro me vicarios miferim, ut expungeretis neceffitates fratrum noftrorum fumptibus, fi qui etiam vellent fuas artes exercere, additamento, quantum fatis effet, defideria eorum juvaretis; fimul etiam & ætates eorum, & conditiones, & merita difcerneretis; ut jam nunc Ego, cui cura incumbit, omnes optime noffem, & dignos quoque & humiles & mites ad Ecclefiafticæ adminiftrationis officia permoverem. Cyp. Ep. 41. ut fupra.