Five disputations of church-government and worship

And he adds the saying of Balaeus, (Scriptor. Britanic. centur. 14. cap. 6.) [A Caelestino illum missum ait Johannes Balaeus, ut Sacerdotalem ordinem, inter Scotos Romano ritu institueret. Habebant (inquit) antea Scoti suos Episcopos ac Ministros, ex verbi Divini Ministerio plebium suffragiis electos, prout Asianorum more fieri apud Britannos videbant: Sed haec Romanis, ut magis ceremoniosis atque Asianorum osoribus, non placebant] By these passages it is easy to conjecture whether they were Bishops of a County, or Bishops of a Parish that were there in those days. For my part I heartily wish that Ireland had three hundred sixty ⟨p. 98⟩five good Bishops and Churches at this day, even when the whole Nation profess themselves to be Christians, (which then they did not.)

And he adds the saying of Balaeus, (Scriptor. Britanic. centur. 14. cap. 6.) [A Caelestino illum missum ait Johannes Balaeus, ut Sacerdotalem ordinem, inter Scotos Romano ritu institueret. Habebant (inquit) antea Scoti suos Episcopos ac Ministros, ex verbi Divini Ministerio plebium suffragiis electos, prout Asianorum more fieri apud Britannos videbant: Sed haec Romanis, ut magis ceremoniosis atque Asianorum osoribus, non placebant] By these passages it is easie to conjecture whether they were Bishops of a County, or Bishops of a Parish that were there in those daies. For my part I heartily wish that Ireland had three hundred sixty ⟨p. 98⟩five good Bishops and Churches at this day, even when the whole Nation profess themselves to be Christians, (which then they did not.)

To this purpose runs the 14. Canon Concilii Agath. (and if it were so then, much more long before) [Si quis etiam extra Parochias in quibus legitimus est ordinariusque conventus oratorium habere voluerit reliquis festivitatibus, ut ibi Missam audiat, propter fatigationem familiae, justa ordination permittimus. Pascha vero, Natali Domini, Epiphania, Ascensione domini, Pentecoste, & Natali Sancti Johannis Baptistae, & siqui maxim dies in festivitatibus habentur, non nisi in Civitatibus, aut Parochiis audiant] Here it appeareth that there was but one legitimus ordinariusque conventus in a Parish; though they tolerated an Oratory or Chapel of ease. And that a Parish here is taken for a Diocese, or such a Church as had proper to it self a Bishop and Presbytery, as it is probable from the ordinary use of the word by Eusebius and other ancients in that sense, so also from what is further said in the following Canons of this Council: And so the word Parish here may be expository of the word City, or else denote a Rural Bishopric. For Can. 30. saith [Benedictionem super plebem in Ecclesiâ fundere aut paenitentem in Ecclesia benedicere presbytero penitus non licebit.] And if a Presbyter may not bless the people or the penitent, (when the blessing of the people was part of the work in every Solemn Assembly for Church communion) then it is manifest that a Bishop must be present in every such Assembly to do that part which the Presbyter might not do: and consequently there were no more such Assemblies then there were Bishops. And to prove this more fully mark the very next Canon of that Council, viz. the 31. [Missas die dominico secularibus totas audire speciali ordine praecipimus, ita ut ante benedictionem Sacerdotis egredi populus non praesumat. Quod si fecerint, ab Episcopo publicè confundatur] So that its plain that on every Lords day all the people (for here is no distinction or limitation) were to be present in the public worship to the end, and the Bishop to pronounce the blessing (whoever preached) and openly to rebuke any that should go out before it. From whence it is evident that all such Church Assemblies for communion every Lords day were to have a Bishop present with them to do part of the work: and therefore there