Five disputations of church-government and worship

1. That all that is said on that side, doth not prove certainly that that one Church at Jerusalem was the eighth part so big as Giles Cripple-gate Parish, or the fifth part so big as Stepney or Sepulchres, nor near so big as Plymouth or some other Country Parishes. 2. That it is past doubt that the magnitude of that Body of Believers then at Jerusalem, was partly accidental, and the members cannot at all be proved settled cohabitants, nor that Church as in its first unordered Mass be the proved to be the fittest pattern for imitation.¹ 3. That Christ hath not punctually determined how many members shall be in a particular Church. 4. But the ends (being personal holy communion) are the Rule by which humane prudence must determine it. 5. That its fitter one Church instance give way to many in point of our imitation, then of many to that one, caeteris paribus. 6. That its known among us that ⟨p. 82⟩more then are proved to have been members of that Church, may hear one man preach at the same time. I have none of the loudest voices, and yet when I have preached to a Congregation judged by judicious men to be at least ten thousand, those farthest off said they could well hear (as I was certainly informed.) 7. That its certain by many passages historical in scripture that men did then speak to greater multitudes, and were heard at far greater distance then now they can orderly be: which I conjecture was because their voices were louder, as in most dryer bodies (which dryer Countries have) is commonly seen, when moister bodies have of•er hoarser voices; and other reasons might concur. 8. That it is confessed or yielded that the Church at Jerusalem might all hear at once, though not all receive the Lords Supper together. And if so, then they were no more then might at once have personal communion in some holy Ordinances, and that the Teachers might at once make known their minds to. 9. And then the reason of receiving the Supper in several places seems to be but because they had not a room so fit to receive all in, as to hear in. And so we have now in many Parishes Assemblies subordinate to the chief Assembly: For divers families at once may meet at one house, and divers at another, for repetition, prayer or other duties; and some may be at Chapels of ease that cannot come to the full assembly.