Church-history of the government of bishops and their councils abbreviated including the chief part…

Not that all these must needs always meet in the same place: but that usually they did so, or at due times at least, and were no more nor more distant than could so meet: Sometimes Persecution hindered them; sometimes the Room might be too small: Even Independent Churches among us sometimes meet in divers places: and one Parish hath divers Chapels for the aged and weak that are unfit for travel.

Not that all these must needs always meet in the same place: but that usually they did so, or at due times at least, and were no more nor more distant than could so meet: Sometimes Persecution hindred them; somtimes the Room might be too small: Even Independent Churches among us sometimes meet in divers places: and one Parish hath divers Chappels for the aged and weak that are unfit for travel.

§. 20. Scotus began the opinion (as Davenport, Fr. a Santa Clara intimateth) and Dion Petavius improved it, and Dr. Hammond hath largely asserted it, that the Apostles at first planted a single Bishop in each Church, with one or more Deacons, and that he had power in time to ordain Elders of a different Order, Species, or Office, and that the word Elder and Bishop and Pastor in Scripture never signify these subject Elders, but the Bishops only, and, saith he, there is no evidence that there were any of the subject sort of Presbyters in Scripture-times: Which concession is very kindly accepted by the Presbyterians; but they call for proof that ever these Bishops were authorised to make a new Species of Presbyters which were never made in Scripture-times? and indeed they vehemently deny it, and may well despair of such a proof.

§. 20. Scotus began the opinion (as Davenport, Fr. a Santa Clara intimateth) and Dion Petavius improved it, and Dr. Hammond hath largely asserted it, that the Apostles at first planted a single Bishop in each Church, with one or more Deacons, and that he had power in time to ordain Elders of a different Order, Species, or Office, and that the word Elder and Bishop and Pastor in Scripture never signifie these subject Elders, but the Bishops only, and, saith he, there is no evidence that there were any of the subject sort of Presbyters in Scripture-times: Which concession is very kindly accepted by the Presbyterians; but they call for proof that ever these Bishops were authorised to make a new Species of Presbyters which were never made in Scripture-times? and indeed they vehemently deny it, and may well despair of such a proof.