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

§. 54. That which I take to be it self a Crime, is such as is aforementioned, which in its very constitution over-throweth the Office, Church, and Discipline, which Christ by himself and his Spirit, in his Apostles, instituted: such I take to be that Diocesan kind which hath only one Bishop over many score or hundred fixed Parochial Assemblies; by which, 1. Parishes are made by them no Churches, as having no Ruling Pastors that have the Power of Judging whom to Baptize, or admit to Communion or refuse, but only are Chapels, having preaching Gurates. 2. All the first Order of Bishops in single Churches are deposed, as if the Bishop of Antioch should have put down a 1000 Bishops about him, and made himself the sole Bishop of their Churches. 3. The Office of Presbyters is changed into semi-Presbyters. 4. Discipline is made impossible, as it is for one General without inferior Captains to Rule an Army: But of this before.

§. 54. That which I take to be it self a Crime, is such as is aforementioned, which in its very constitution over-throweth the Office, Church, and Discipline, which Christ by himself and his Spirit, in his Apostles, instituted: such I take to be that Diocesane kind which hath only one Bishop over many score or hundred fixed Parochial Assemblies; by which, 1. Parishes are made by them no Churches, as having no Ruling Pastors that have the Power of Judging whom to Baptize, or admit to Communion or refuse, but only are Chapels, having preaching Gurates. 2. All the first Order of Bishops in single Churches are deposed, as if the Bishop of Antioch should have put down a 1000 Bishops about him, and made himself the sole Bishop of their Churches. 3. The Office of Presbyters is changed into semi-Presbyters. 4. Discipline is made impossible, as it is for one General without inferiour Captains to Rule an Army: But of this before.

§. 55. Much more doth this become unlawful, 1. when deposing all the Presbyters from Government by the Keys of Discipline, they put the same Keys, even the Power of dec•etive Excommunication and Absolution into the hands of Laymen, called Chancellors, and set up Courts liker to the Civil than Ecclesiastical. 2. And when they oblige the Magistrate to execute their Decrees by the Sword, be they just or unjust, and to lay Men in Goals and ruin them, merely because they are Excommunicated by Bishops, or Chancellors, or Officials, or such others, and are not reconciled: