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

§. 34. I conceive that this Change of One Altar into a Diocesan Church of many Altars and Parishes was not well done, but is the thing that hath confounded the Christian World, and that they ought to have increased the number of Churches as the number of Christians did increase, as the Bees swarm into another Hive. My Reasons are, 1. Christ and the Holy Ghost in the Apostles having settled a Church Species and Order ⟨p. 13⟩(like that of the Synagogues, and not like that of the Temple,) no man ought to have changed that Form: Because they can prove no power to do it: and because it accuseth the Institution of Christ and the Holy Ghost of insufficiency or error, which must so soon be altered by them. Perfective addition, as an Infant groweth up to Manhood, we deny not. But who gave them power to abrogate the very Specices of the first Instituted Churches? That the Species is altered, is certainly proved by the different uses and Termini of the Relation. For a Church of the first Institution was a Society joined for personal Communion in Doctrine, Worship, and holy living: But a Diocese consisting of many score or hundred Parishes that never see or know or come near one another, are uncapable of any such present personal Communion, and have none but Mental, and by Officers or Delegates.

§. 34. I conceive that this Change of One Altar into a Diocesane Church of many Altars and Parishes was not well done, but is the thing that hath confounded the Christian World, and that they ought to have increased the number of Churches as the number of Christians did increase, as the Bees swarm into another Hive. My Reasons are, 1. Christ and the Holy Ghost in the Apostles having setled a Church Species and Order ⟨p. 13⟩(like that of the Synagogues, and not like that of the Temple,) no man ought to have changed that Form: Because they can prove no power to do it: and because it accuseth the Institution of Christ and the Holy Ghost of insufficiency or errour, which must so soon be altered by them. Perfective addition, as an Infant groweth up to Manhood, we deny not. But who gave them power to abrogate the very Specices of the first Instituted Churches? That the Species is altered, is certainly proved by the different uses and Termini of the Relation. For a Church of the first Institution was a Society joyned for personal Communion in Doctrine, Worship, and holy living: But a Diocess consisting of many score or hundred Parishes that never see or know or come near one another, are uncapable of any such present personal Communion, and have none but Mental, and by Officers or Delegates.