The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness…

§. 16. To devise new species of Churches without Gods authority and impose them on the world (yea in his name) and call all dissenters schismatics, is a far worse Usurpation than to make and impose new Ceremonies or Liturgies.

§. 16. To devise new species of Churches without Gods authority and impose them on the world (yea in his name) and call all dissenters schismaticks, is a far worse Usurpation than to make and impose new Ceremonies or Liturgies.

§. 17. Dr. Hammond (Dissert, cont. Blond. & Annot. in Act. 11. & pass.) affirmeth that it cannot be proved that the order of subject Presbyters was existent in Scripture times; and consequently holdeth that Bishops had but single Congregations (as Ignatius speaketh with One Altar). Now if Diocesans, Metropolitans, Provincials, Patriarchs, or Pope as constitutive of Church-species were made after, either these new Churches were made by the Bishops of Parochial Churches, or by those that were No Bishops or Pastors of any Churches at all (For the Apostles were dead, and no institution of these but Scriptural can be truly proved. And other Churches besides the Catholic and Parochial, or single, (distinct from a compound of Churches) there were then none.) For the lower to make the higher Churches, is that which they will not grant, who grant not that Presbyters may propagate their own species; and deny that power ascendeth ab inferioribus. And that men of no Church, made all these new Church-species is no honour to them.

§. 17. Dr. Hammond (Dissert, cont. Blond. & Annot. in Act. 11. & pass.) affirmeth that it cannot be proved that the order of subject Presbyters was existent in Scripture times; and consequently holdeth that Bishops had but single Congregations (as Ignatius speaketh with One Altar). Now if Diocesans, Metropolitans, Provincials, Patriarchs, or Pope as constitutive of Church-species were made after, either these new Churches were made by the Bishops of Parochial Churches, or by those that were No Bishops or Pastors of any Churches at all (For the Apostles were dead, and no institution of these but Scriptural can be truly proved. And other Churches besides the Catholick and Parochial, or single, (distinct from a compound of Churches) there were then none.) For the lower to make the higher Churches, is that which they will not grant, who grant not that Presbyters may propagate their own species; and deny that power ascendeth ab inferioribus. And that men of no Church, made all these new Church-species is no honour to them.