A26898:171
Church-history of the government of bishops and their councils abbreviated including the chief part…
Church-history of the government of bishops and their councils abbreviated including the chief part of the government of Christian princes and popes, and a true account of the most troubling controversies and heresies till the Reformation ... / by Richard Baxter ...
London: printed by B. Griffin for Thomas Simmons, 1680
Church-History OF BISHOPS And their COUNCILS ABRIDGED, &c. › Chapter 1
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
I confess there want not some that think that the Apostles had their several assigned Provinces, and that they left them to twelve Successors, and this is the foundation of Patriarchal or Provincial Churches, with such unproved Dreams: 1. We doubt not but that the Apostles wisely distributed their Labours: But we believe not that they divided the Countries into their several Dioceses, or Provinces: nor that two of them (e. g John and Paul, Peter and Paul, James and other Apostles) might ⟨p. 12⟩not and did not do the work of an Apostle in the same Country and City. Much less do we believe that one of them (e. g. James at Jerusalem, whether an Apostle or not I contend not) was a Bishop over the Apostles when they resided there.
I confess there want not some that think that the Apostles had their several assigned Provinces, and that they left them to twelve Successours, and this is the foundation of Patriarchal or Provincial Churches, with such unproved Dreams: 1. We doubt not but that the Apostles wisely distributed their Labours: But we believe not that they divided the Countreys into their several Dioceses, or Provinces: nor that two of them (e. g Iohn and Paul, Peter and Paul, Iames and other Apostles) might ⟨p. 12⟩not and did not do the work of an Apostle in the same Country and City. Much less do we believe that one of them (e. g. Iames at Ierusalem, whether an Apostle or not I contend not) was a Bishop over the Apostles when they resided there.
2. Nor do we believe that they left any such divided Provinces to their Successors: If they had, it's strange that we had not twelve or thirteen Patriarchal or Provincial Churches hence noted. Which were they, and how came they so soon to be forgotten and unknown? And why had we first but three Patriarchs, and one of those (Alexandria) accounting from no Apostle, but from S. Mark, and the other two reckoning from one and the same Apostle, save that Rome reckoned from two at once, Peter and Paul, when as one City must (say they) have but one Bishop?