Five disputations of church-government and worship

Sect. 27. Once more to them that yet will maintain that the Apostles modelled the Ecclesiastical form to the Civil, and that as a Law to the whole Church, we take it as their Concession, that then we owe no more obedience to the Archbishop of Canterbury, then to the Civil Magistrate of Canterbury, (and especially London sure is exempted from his superiority.) And I yet know not that any Civil Magistrate of Canterbury, or York, or London, or Worcester, hath any government in this Country, except the Sovereign Rulers at Westminster be meant. And I hope our Itinerant course of Judges, will prove the right (to the Objectors) of Itinerant Apostolical Overseers of the Churches, for settlement at least.

Sect. 27. Once more to them that yet will maintain that the Apostles modelled the Ecclesiastical form to the Civil, and that as a Law to the whole Church, we take it as their Concession, that then we ow no more obedience to the Archbishop of Canterbury, then to the Civil Magistrate of Canterbury, (and especially London sure is exempted from his superiority.) And I yet know not that any Civil Magistrate of Canterbury, or York, or London, or Worcester, hath any government in this Countrie, except the Soveraign Rulers at Westminster be meant. And I hope our Itinerant course of Iudges, will prove the right (to the Objectors) of Itinerant Apostolical Overseers of the Churches, for settlement at least.

Sect. 28. Object. But Parishes being not divided till long after the Apostles days, there might be then no ordinary Assemblies but in the City; and yet the whole ⟨p. 23⟩Territory adjacent be the Diocese.] Answ. Were there in the Territories persons enough to make many Assemblies, or only so few as might travel to, and join with the City Assembly? If the latter, it's it that I assert, as usual in the first age at least; If the former, then either all those in the Territories met for public Worship and Communion, or not: If not, they sinned against the Law of God that obliged them thereto as well as Citizens: If they did, then they must have either Bishop or Presbyter with them, for the due performance of that worship.