Five disputations of church-government and worship

§. 17. Yea 2. It is plain by the testimony of Hierom before mentioned and other testimonies of antiquity, that in Alexandria, at least, this practice was used in the days of the Apostles themselves. ⟨p. 314⟩For they testify that from the days of Mark the Evangelist till the days of Heroclas and Dionysius, the Presbyters chose one from among them, and called him their Bishop. Now it is supposed by the best Chronologers that Mark was slain about the sixty third year of our Lord, and the tenth of Nero; and that Peter and Paul were put to death about the sixty sixth of our Lord, and thirteenth of Nero, and that John the Apostle died about the ninety eighth year of our Lord, and the first of Trajan, which was about thirty five years after the death of Mark. Now I would leave it to any mans impartial consideration, whether it be credible that the holy Apostles, and all the Evangelists or Assistants of them, then alive, would have suffered this innovation and corruption in the Church without a plain disowning it and reproving it: Would they silently see their newly established Order violated in their own days, and not so much as tell the Churches of the sin and danger? Or if they had indeed done this, would none regard it, nor remember i•, so much as to resist the sin? These things are incredible.

§. 17. Yea 2. It is plain by the testimony of Hierom before mentioned and other testimonies of antiquity, that in Alexandria, at least, this practice was used in the dayes of the Apostles themselves. ⟨p. 314⟩For they testifie that from the dayes of Mark the Evangelist till the days of Heroclas and Dionysius, the Presbyters chose one from among them, and called him their Bishop. Now it is supposed by the best Chronologers that Mark was slain about the sixty third year of our Lord, and the tenth of Nero; and that Peter and Paul were put to death about the sixty sixth of our Lord, and thirteenth of Nero, and that Iohn the Apostle died about the ninety eighth year of our Lord, and the first of Trajan, which was about thirty five years after the death of Mark. Now I would leave it to any mans impartial consideration, whether it be credible that the holy Apostles, and all the Evangelists or Assistants of them, then alive, would have suffered this innovation and corruption in the Church without a plain disowning it and reproving it: Would they silently see their newly established Order violated in their own dayes, and not so much as tell the Churches of the sin and danger? Or if they had indeed done this, would none regard it, nor remember i, so much as to resist the sin? These things are incredible.