If it were certain that the futurity of believing mentioned by Clemens had relation to the Constitution of Bishops, and not to the Apostles Preaching only, yet Clemens saith not that there were yet no Believers or no Churches where they were constituted Bishops: Where there were but a few Believers, the Apostles placed Bishops and Deacons over those few, who should receive others into the same Society (till it was full and no further) who should after believe. It is an abuse of Clemens to say, it was [to Churches yet not born] when he hath no such word! As if it could not be for future Believers, unless at present there were no Believers. And it is an abuse of him to feign him to assert that the Apostles did every where as soon as they had once Converted one Man, presently make that new Baptized Novice a Bishop before they Converted any more, saving perhaps one or two to be his Deacons: Or that they used to make Deacons (or Bishops either) to Churches future, that were yet no Churches: When as the Scripture telleth the contrary most expressly, that the Church at Jerusalem, was before the Deacons, Act. 7. That they ordained Elders in every Church, Act. 14. 23. and not in no Church, as he implieth: And Tit. 1. 5. every City is equivalent to every Church, for it was not in every Infidel City that had no Christians: Which beyond all modest contradiction is proved by the Rules given to Timothy and Titus for the Ordination of Bishops and Deacons: Who were to be approved chosen persons, that had ruled their own Houses well, not Novices, apt to teach, well reported of those without (which supposeth some to be within) Tim. 3. 14, 15. These things I write unto thee, that thou mayest know how to behave thy self in the House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, a Pillar and Basis of the truth.] The first that were converted did not always prove the fittest to be Bishops; perhaps they might be Women or weakly gui•ted: To feign that the Apostles did that every where, which none ⟨p. 103⟩can prove that ever they did once (to make a Bishop and Deacons of the two or three first Novice-converts before there were any more Converted, and to make Bishops and Deacons before there were any Christians to constitute Churches, merely for future Churches,) this is not Clemens act, whoever else will own it.
If it were certain that the futurity of believing mentioned by Clemens had relation to the Constitution of Bishops, and not to the Apostles Preaching only, yet Clemens saith not that there were yet no Believers or no Churches where they were constituted Bishops: Where there were but a few Believers, the Apostles placed Bishops and Deacons over those few, who should receive others into the same Society (till it was full and no further) who should after believe. It is an abuse of Clemens to say, it was [to Churches yet not born] when he hath no such word! As if it could not be for future Believers, unless at present there were no Believers. And it is an abuse of him to seign him to assert that the Apostles did every where as soon as they had once Converted one Man, presently make that new Baptized Novice a Bishop before they Converted any more, saving perhaps one or two to be his Deacons: Or that they used to make Deacons (or Bishops either) to Churches future, that were yet no Churches: When as the Scripture telleth the contrary most expresly, that the Church at Jerusalem, was before the Deacons, Act. 7. That they ordained Elders in every Church, Act. 14. 23. and not in no Church, as he implyeth: And Tit. 1. 5. every City is equivalent to every Church, for it was not in every Infidel City that had no Christians: Which beyond all modest contradiction is proved by the Rules given to Timothy and Titus for the Ordination of Bishops and Deacons: Who were to be approved chosen persons, that had ruled their own Houses well, not Novices, apt to teach, well reported of those without (which supposeth some to be within) Tim. 3. 14, 15. These things I write unto thee, that thou mayest know how to behave thy self in the House of God, which is the Church of the Living God, a Pillar and Basis of the truth.] The first that were converted did not always prove the fittest to be Bishops; perhaps they might be Women or weakly gui•ted: To feign that the Apostles did that every where, which none ⟨p. 103⟩can prove that ever they did once (to make a Bishop and Deacons of the two or three first Novice-converts before there were any more Converted, and to make Bishops and Deacons before there were any Christians to constitute Churches, meerly for future Churches,) this is not Clemens act, whoever else will own it.
