Chap. 5. the. 8. Diuision.
Now, to consider how the Byshops which are now, differ from the Byshops, which were in times past, I must cal to thy remembrance (gentle reader) that which I haue spokē before, which was that then there was, as appeareth out of Cyprian, and Ierome and others, one Byshop in e∣uery* 1.1 parish or congregation: now one is ouer a thousand, then euery Byshop had a seueral Church where he preached and ministred the sacraments: now he hath none, then he ruled that one Church (as I shewed out of Ierome) in cōmon with the elders of the same: nowe he ruleth a thousand by himselfe, shutting out the ministers, to whome the rule and gouernment belongeth: then he ordeyned not any minister of the Church, except he were first chosen by the presbyterie, and approued by the people of that place wherevnto he was ordeyned: now he ordeyneth where there is no place voyde, and of his priuate authoritie, without eyther choyse or approbation of presbyterie or people. Then he excommunicated not, nor receyued the excommunicated, but by sentences of the eldership, and consent of the people, as shall appeare afterward: now he doth both. And thus you see that contrary to the word of God, he hath gotten into his owne hand, and pulled to himselfe both the preheminēce of the other ministers, and the liberties of the Church, which God by his word had giuen.
There is scarse one worde of all this true, and surely I muche maruell that you dare be so bolde so manifestlie to speake against your owne conscience & knowledge. I haue before sufficiently proued all that is here by you auouched, to be cleane con∣trary for the most part. It shall be therefore sufficient, as briefly now to answer, as you do propound. Demetrius was Byshop of all the dioces in Egypt and Alexandria.* 1.2 Euseb. lib. 6. cap. 1. Cyprian was Byshop of Carthage, Numidia, Mauritania, Cyprian lib. 4. epist. 8. Timothie being Byshop had the gouernment almost of the whole countrie of Asia, as Chrysostome declareth vpon the. 1. Tim. 5. and. 2. Tim. 4. Titus was Byshop of ye whole Ile of Creta, as the same Chrysost. testifyeth ad Tit. 1. I〈1 line〉〈1 line〉 aue before by sundry* 1.3 examples and testimonies, by diuers councels, and especially the councell of Nice, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the vanitie & vntruth of this that is here affirmed, that is, that there was one Byshop in euery parish and congregation: and the words of Cyprian and Ierome be cleane 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉rary: for they both make a difference betwene a Byshop, to whome the gouern∣ment of many pastors is committed, and a pastor that hath but one seuerall flocke or charge. For further vnderstanding whereof, I referre ye Reader to that, which is spo∣ken before.
The byshops haue now as seuerall churches to preache and minister the sacra∣ments in, as they had then. They haue no more authoritie in gouernment now, than they had at that time, nor so much: and yet if they had more authoritie than they ey∣ther haue now, or had then, I thinke it were more for the commoditie of the Church,