A treatise of episcopacy confuting by Scripture, reason, and the churches testimony that sort…

Ans. It is enough indeed to make a Church of another species, such as I before named, either the Catholic Church through out the world, or a Church composed of many particular Churches (if it may be called a Church): Because their Communion is not to be Local or present, nor to the ends of a particular Church; but only intrinsical in Faith and Love, and extrinsical by Delegates or Mediators. But this is not enough to the being of a Church of the first order which now we speak of, which should have a Bishop of their own, and is not composed of many united Churches. For else the Church of a Patriarch or a Primate, or an Arch-Bishop or Metropolitan, should be a Church of the first order, and have no Church or Bishop under it. For such a Church is united in one Governor. (To say nothing of the Papal Church, which yet pretendeth not to depose all Bishops.) Therefore the unity of the Governor ⟨p. 129⟩will not suffice of it self to make one Primary Church; though it may make one Compounded or General Church containing many Churches and Bishops. 2. And the nature of the thing telleth us, that as the People, have their Duties and Privileges as well as the Pastors, so the people must be united among themselves, by some common Relation, containing Power of and Obligation to that duty, and capacity of that privilege: Which is past all doubt among knowing men. Therefore an uncapable body cannot be made one Primary Church, by the unity of a Prelate. 3. But as we distinguish of a Church single and compounded of many, particular and General, Primary and Secondary, (all which terms I use to be clearly understood), so do we also of Bishops or Pastors: which are particular Bishops of one Church, or General Bishops of many Churches. Of the first sort we confess all that is said positively, that is, that one such Bishop maketh one Church. Because the very nature of his office, as shall be after showed, doth suppose a capable society. It being his office in presence personally to conduct them; which a General distant Bishop cannot do, so that indeed, one Present Pastor (or more) of a flock by Christianity and Vicinity capable, and by consent united with him and one another for presential Communion in public worship and holy conversation, are the constitutive parts by which a Primary Church is essentiated and must be defined.

Ans. It is enough indeed to make a Church of another species, such as I before named, either the Catholick Church through out the world, or a Church composed of many particular Churches (if it may be called a Church): Because their Communion is not to be Local or present, nor to the ends of a particular Church; but only intrinsical in Faith and Love, and extrinsical by Delegates or Mediators. But this is not enough to the being of a Church of the first order which now we speak of, which should have a Bishop of their own, and is not composed of many united Churches. For else the Church of a Patriark or a Primate, or an Arch-Bishop or Metropolitane, should be a Church of the first order, and have no Church or Bishop under it. For such a Church is united in one Governour. (To say nothing of the Papal Church, which yet pretendeth not to depose all Bishops.) Therefore the unity of the Governour