Diocesan churches not yet discovered in the primitive times

But this is devised to disentangle themselves, and salve the deviations and irregularities of later times, not that there is any ground for it in Antiquity. For the highest act of that external power of jurisdiction, is Excommunication; and if this was in the Presbyters power of old, no other act of that power will, or can ⟨p. 112⟩in reason be denied them; but this the ancients ascribe to them; So Jerome, ⁿMihi ante Presbyterum sedere non licet, illi si peccavero licet me tradere satanae ad interritum carnis, ut spiritus salvus sit. Chrysostom threatened some of his Auditory, while he was a Presbyter, to Excommunicate them, [Greek or Hebrew], ^oto wave all of like nature insisted on by others; Justinian in the 6th Age signifies plainly, that not only Bishops, but Presbyters▪ might Excommunicate Offenders, in his Constitutions he forbids Bishops and Presbyters to exclude any from Communion, till such cause was declared, for which the Canons appointed it to be done, [Greek or Hebrew], &c. and will have the sentence of Excommunication rescinded, which was passed by Bishops or Presbyters without cause. ^pIn the Code both Bishops and Clergy are forbid to Excommunicate in certain cases, and then mentions the cases for which they must not, [Greek or Hebrew], although they had been accustomed to it.^q

But this is devised to disentangle themselves, and salve the deviations and irregularities of later times, not that there is any ground for it in Antiquity. For the highest act of that external power of jurisdiction, is Excommunication; and if this was in the Presbyters power of old, no other act of that power will, or can ⟨p. 112⟩in reason be denied them; but this the antients ascribe to them; So Jerome, ⁿMihi ante Presbyterum sedere non licet, illi si peccavero licet me tradere satanae ad interritum carnis, ut spiritus salvus sit. Chrysostome threatned some of his Auditory, while he was a Presbyter, to Excommunicate them, ,