A33359:208
Diocesan churches not yet discovered in the primitive times
Diocesan churches not yet discovered in the primitive times, or, A defence of the answer to Dr. Stillingfleets allegations out of antiquity for such churches against the exceptions offered in the preface to a late treatise called A vindication of the primitive church, where what is further produced out of Scripture and ancient authors for diocesan churches is also discussed.Diocesan churches not yet discovered in the primitive times, or, A defence of the answer to Dr. Stillingfleets allegations out of antiquity for such churches against the exceptions offered in the preface to a late treatise called A vindication of the primitive church, where what is further produced out of Scripture and antient authors for diocesan churches is also discussed.
London: printed for Thomas Parkhurst, 1682
Diocesan Churches not yet discovered in the Primitive times.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The other is that those of Mareotes must be supposed to receive the faith almost as early as Alexandria.
How true this is we may understand by Dionysius Bishop of Alexandria towards the latter end of the third Age, who declares that then Mareotes was [Greek or Hebrew]n, it was so far from having any true Christians in it, that it had none of our Author's old Christians, i. e. virtuous, good meno. Nor is it likely that the faith was there generally received till many years after; and therefore not almost so early as Alexandria, unless the distance of above 200 years will consist with his almost. For Alexandria received the Faith by the preaching of Mark, who arrived there, says Eusebius, in the 2d. of Claudiusp, others in the 3d. of Caligulaq. But in the time of Dionysius it doth not appear that Mareotes had so many Christians, as Bishop Ischyras his Church there consisted of, though those were but seven, [Greek or Hebrew]r. But enough of Alexandria, though our Author is far from bringing enough to prove it even in the 4th. age a Diocesan Church. He may be excused for doing his utmost to this purpose, considering the consequence of it, for if this Church was not now so numerous as to be Diocesan, it will be in vain to expect a discovery of any such Churches in the whole Christian World in those times; for this is acknowledged to be the greatest City and Church in the Roman Empire next to Rome. So that there cannot be so fair a pretence for any other inferior to this, such as Jerusalem, Carthage, Antioch, &c. much less for ordinary Cities, which were 10 times less considerable than some of the former, as may be collected from what Chrysostom says of one of them [Greek or Hebrew], that it was able to maintain the poor of ten Cities