Five disputations of church-government and worship

CHAP. IV. It is Lawful for the Presbyters of a particular Church, to have a fixed President, during life.

§. 1. I Come now to the most Ancient fixed Bishop that the Church was acquainted with, except the mere Episcopus Gregis, the Overseer of the flock; and that is, A President of many Elders in one particular Church. The Diocesan Bishop was long after this: The first Bishops (if you will call them so) in the Church were the first mentioned Itinerant Bishops that were sent abroad to convert souls and gather Churches, and afterward took care to water and confirm them. The next sort of Bishops (and the first so called) were the fixed Pastors of particular Churches, that cannot be proved to have any superiority over Presbyters. The third ⟨p. 308⟩sort of Bishops (in time, and the first fixed Bishops that were superiors to other Pastors) were these Presidents of the Presbyteries of particular Churches. And these are they that now we have to speak of. And I shall prove that it is not unlawful to have such.

§. 1. I Come now to the most Ancient fixed Bishop that the Church was acquainted with, except the meer Episcopus Gregis, the Overseer of the flock; and that is, A President of many Elders in one particular Church. The Diocesan Bishop was long after this: The first Bishops (if you will call them so) in the Church were the first mentioned Itinerant Bishops that were sent abroad to convert souls and gather Churches, and afterward took care to water and confirm them. The next sort of Bishops (and the first so called) were the fixed Pastors of particular Churches, that cannot be proved to have any superiority over Presbyters. The third ⟨p. 308⟩sort of Bishops (in time, and the first fixed Bishops that were superiours to other Pastors) were these Presidents of the Presbyteries of particular Churches. And these are they that now we have to speak of. And I shall prove that it is not unlawful to have such.