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

That in England there are 26 or 27 Bishoprics: of which two are Archbishops: In all these set together there was when Speed numbered them, nine thousand seven hundred twenty five Parish Churches, but now many more. In the Diocese that I live in (Lincoln) there is above a 1000 or 1100. In very many of these Parishes, besides the Parish-Churches, there are Chapels, that have Curates, in some Parishes one Chapel, in some two, in some three, if not more. In these Parishes the number of Inhabitants is various, as they are greater or lesser: The greatest about London, such as Stepney, Giles-Cripplegate, Sepulchres, Martins, &c. have some about 50000 persons, (some say much more) some about 30000, some about 20000, &c. But ordinarily in Cities and Market-Towns through the Country, the number is about 2000, or 3000, or 4000, or 5000 at the most, except Plymouth, and some few great Parishes that have far more. And in Villages, in some 2000, in some 1000, in some small ones 500, or 300, or in some very small ones fewer. There are in England 641 Market-Towns (saith Speed) which are of the greater sort of Parishes, and such as in old times were called Cities, though now a few have got that title; at least a great number of them are equal, and some much greater and richer than some that now are named Cities. The Diocese that I live in is about six-score Miles in length. By all this you may conjecture how many hundred thousand souls are in some Dioceses, and at what a distance from each other: and what personal Communion ⟨p. 6⟩it is that they are capable of: I my self who have travelled over most of England never saw the face or heard the name of one Person (I think) of many thousands in the Diocese that I live in: Nor have we any other Communion with the rest of the Diocese (even with above a thousand Parishes in it) than we have with the People of any other Church or Diocese in the land about us, save that One Bishop and his Chancellor and other Officers, are over us all.

That in England there are 26 or 27 Bishopricks: of which two are Archbishops: In all these set together there was when Speed numbred them, nine thousand seven hundred twenty five Parish Churches, but now many more. In the Diocess that I live in (Lincoln) there is above a 1000 or 1100. In very many of these Parishes, besides the Parish-Churches, there are Chapels, that have Curates, in some Parishes one Chapel, in some two, in some three, if not more. In these Parishes the number of Inhabitants is various, as they are greater or lesser: The greatest about London, such as Stepny, Giles-Cripplegate, Sepulchres, Martins, &c. have some about 50000 persons, (some say much more) some about 30000, some about 20000, &c. But ordinarily in Cities and Market-Towns through the Country, the number is about 2000, or 3000, or 4000, or 5000 at the most, except Plimouth, and some few great Parishes that have far more. And in Villages, in some 2000, in some 1000, in some small ones 500, or 300, or in some very small ones fewer. There are in England 641 Market-Towns (saith Speed) which are of the greater sort of Parishes, and such as in old times were called Cities, though now a few have got that title; at least a great number of them are equal, and some much greater and richer than some that now are named Cities. The Diocess that I live in is about six-score Miles in length. By all this you may conjecture how many hundred thousand souls are in some Diocesses, and at what a distance from each other: and what personal Communion