declared by our known Laws to be an Empire governed by one supreme Head and King having the Dignity and Royal Estate of the Imperial Crown of the same Vnto whom saith the Statute a Body politick compact of all sorts and degrees of people divided in terms and by names of Spiritualty and Temporalty been bounden and owen to bear next to God all natural and humble Obedience See 24. Hen. 8. c. 12. Now in every true Monarchy and Empire the Supreme Majesty and Authority is in the Person of the King as in its proper Genter whom therefore all in their right wits must needs acknowledge with Tertullian à Deo secundum quicquid est à Deo consecutum solo Deo minorem Next under God over them having whatever he is from God and inferiour unto God only and by consequence to have on earth Nec superiorem nec parem neither superior nor equal for as that Father speaks pertinently Ea est Summi conditio ut nihil aliud adaequet nedum superet That is the nature of a Supreme and Chief to have no Competitor much less one above it self And what is more obvious to this purpose then the publick acknowledgements required of the Subjects of this Realm in those two famous Oaths the one of Supremacy the other of Allegiance As for that of Supremacy made first in the time of King Henry the Eighth because it is but short I will here insert it The Oath of Supremacy I A. B. do utterly testifie and declare in my Conscience that the King's Highness is the only Supreme Governour of this Realm and of all other his Highness Dominions and Countries as well in all Spiritual and Ecclesiastical things or causes as Temporal and that no Foreign Prince Person Prelate State or Potentate hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction Power Superiority Preheminence or Authority Ecclesiastical or Spiritual within this Realm and therefore I do utterly renounce and forsake all Foreign Jurisdictions Powers Superiorities and Authorities and do promise henceforth I shall bear faith and true Allegiance to the Kings Highness his Heirs and lawful Successors and to my power shall assist and defend all Jurisdictions Priviledges Preheminences and Authorities granted or belonging to the King's Highness his Heirs and Successors or united and annexed to the Imperial Crown of this Realm So help me God and by the Contents of this Book In which Oath he that runs may read that whoever takes it declares sincerely 1. That the King is the Supreme Governour of this Realm and all his other Dominions and that in all Causes 2. That he is the only Supreme Governour 3. That no Foreign Power hath or ought to have any Jurisdiction or Authority within this Realm 4. That he doth therefore utterly renounce and forsake the owning of or appealing unto any such 5. That he doth promise from henceforth not only Faith and true Allegiance to the King his Heirs and lawful Successors but to his power to assist and defend all the King's Prerogatives And Lastly That he doth Recognize the Crown of this Realm to be an Imperial Crown i. e. such which as to the coercive part is subject to no man Now for the farther illustration of this it is to be noted that Queen Elizabeth Queen Eliz. Injunct of Blessed Memory in her Injunctions to take away the scruples of some well meaning Subjects concerning the intendment of this Oath 1. denyes it to be the challenging Authority and Power of Ministry and Divine Service in the Church And 2. declares it to be no other than what was of antient time due to the Imperial Crown of this Realm that is as she proceeds under God to have the Sovereignty and rule over all manner of persons born within these her Realms Dominions and Countries of what Estate either Ecclesiastical or Temporal soever they be so as no other Foreign power shall or ought to have any Superiority over them Of the same nature and to the same effect is that which is recorded in the 37. Article of the Church of England agreed on Anno 1562. and established by Law Arti. 37. An. 1562. The Queens Majesty hath the chief Power in this Realm of England and other her Dominions unto whom the chief Government of all Estates of this Realm whether they be Ecclesiastical or Civil in all causes doth appertain and is not nor ought to be subject to any Foreign Jurisdiction Unto which this Explication is immediately annexed Where we attribute to the Queens Majesty the chief Government by which Titles we understand the mindes of some dangerous folks to be offended we give not our Princes the Ministring either of Gods Word or of the Sacraments the which thing the Injunctions also lately set forth by Elizabeth our Queen do most plainly testifie but that only Prerogative which we see to have been given alwayes to all godly Princes in Holy Scriptures by God himself that is That they should rule all Estates and Degrees committed to their charge by God whether they be Ecclesiastical or Temporal and restrain with the Civil Sword and stubborn and evil doers To all which I will only add that both in the Injunctions of Queen Elizabeth Queen Eliz. Injunct Can. 1. K James and the Constitutions and Canons of King James since allowed and ratified by King Charles the Martyr and our Gracious Sovereign now reigning over us All Ecclesiastical Persons having cure of Souls and all other Preachers and Readers of Divinity-Lectures are obliged to the uttermost of their wit knowledge and learning purely and sincerely wiâ—hout any colour or dissimulation to teach manifest open and declare four times every year at the least in their Sermons and other Collations and Lectures That all Vsurped and Foreign Power forasmuch as the same hath no establishment nor ground by the Law of God is for most just causes taken away and abolished and that therefore no manner of obedience and subjection within his Majesties Realms and Dominions is due unto any such Foreign Power but that the Kings Power within his Realms of England Scotland and Ireland and other his Dominions and Countries is the highest Power under God to whom all men as well Inhabitants as born within the same do by God's Laws owe all Loyalty and Obedience over and above all other Power and Potentates in the Earth The other Oath of Allegiance made at the Sessions of Parliament in the Reign of King James immediately after the Powder-Plot is over-long to be here recited And therefore I will only observe that the Sum of it is An hearty acknowledgement and declaration The sum of the Oath of Allegiance That our Sovereign Lord King Charles is lawful and rightful King of this Realm neither deposable by the Pope nor by any other and That we will constantly bear to him his Heirs or Successors that Faith and true Allegiance which becometh Subjects defending him and them to the utmost of our power against all Conspiracies and Attempts
of the Apostle Rom. 14.23 He that doubteth is damned if he eat because he eateth not of Faith for whatsoever is not of Faith is sin The Apostle speaks of one that is not satisfied about the abrogation of those Laws of God which made a difference between meats clean and unclean or which forbad the eating of things offered to Idols under the guilt of Idolatry This is St. Paul's doubter and of such an one he saith If he eat when he doubts that God hath forbidden him he is damned because he eats not of Faith i. e. he ventures upon an act which he knows not but he shall sin grievously in the doing of for whatsoever a man doth without this Faith i. e. without this perswasion of the lawfulness of it as hath been shewed in the first part of the fore-going discourse it is sin unto him The case he speaks of was very weighty On the one hand there was the supposal of the Law of God forbidding to eat and on the other hand nothing to weigh against it for no Authority had here interposed in the case And therefore for him to venture on the breach of a certain command of God as he fears without any other warrant then the gratisying of his appetite or complying with others cannot be other then a sin For to venture upon what we know not to be lawful is to declare a willingness to admit of what is unlawful to adventure on a sin When therefore it is determined that if there be only a doubt of the matter the command or law of Authority should be actively obeyed the meaning is that Authority is a sufficient reason to move us first to lay down the doubt to doubt no longer and then to betake our selves to obedience and thus we keep to our rule we are perswaded of the lawfulness of what we do in these circumstances He that will state the case aright when the Powers require what he doubteth of Must weigh the plain command of God to obey his Superiour in all lawful matters the vertue and goodness of obedience and the evil and scandal of disobedience impartially in the scale against the single doubt he retains on the other hand and if he do thus with a few grains of modesty and humility and distrust of his own private judgement in reverence unto that of publick Authority there is little question but he will soon be perswaded to an active obedience But many there be in our age who say They dare not do this or that which Authority injoyns because they doubt whether it be pleasing unto God or no but they never put the question on the other hand How am I assured but my disobedience unto Authority in this matter is my sin and certainly displeasing unto God How am I assured that the motives upon which I proceed will warrant my disobedience Is it as certain to me that God hath forbidden the thing commanded as I am sure he hath commanded me to obey in every thing lawful and if it be not so certain how can I acquit my self in chusing the weaker more uncertain and so unsafer side There are 't is true some Scripture expressions that I sometimes fancy to favour me but many wise and godly men are of opinion another meaning may be in them then I have supposed how therefore can I justifie my immodesty and rashness in leaning to my own understanding but upon very weighty and pressing motives Few there are that reason thus on the behalf of Authority and its injunctions against their private doubts and scruples but spend rather their whole time and zeal in strengthning their prejudices doubts and scruples against that Authority which ought to over-rule them I will shut up this point with the words of two Reverend Authors their very enemies being judges It is in the general more safe Bishop Sanderson de consc prael 6. page 229. saith one of them for a person to judge himself obliged to obedience where he is not then to judge himself not obliged where he is For seeing saith he that men through the innate pravity of their heart more often sin by too much boldness then by too much fear and we are all more ready then we should to give liberty to the flesh and shake off every yoke Unless we shall before-hand set down this firm resolution of minde that we ought to obey those Laws which are not evidently unjust the wisdom of the flesh back'd with the subtlety of the Serpent will be apt to suggest those excuses to us which may often hinder us herein from doing ovr duty And Bishop Vsher Obed. of Subj p. 138 139. Men of sound judgement saith the other have alwayes been of the minde that the Authority of such as God hath placed over us should be esteemed so inviolable that unless the thing by them commanded did certainly and evidently appear to be unlawful we ought to yield obedience thereto and not to suspend or defer the doing thereof upon every idle scruple that may come into our heads much less do otherwise then we are commanded because we imagine we have better reason to lead us otherwise But then Acts 4.19 5 29. Ipsos humanarum rerum gradus adverte Si aliquid jusserit curator faciendum non tamen si contra proconsul jubeat aut si consul aliquid jubeat aliud imperator Non utique contemnis potestatem sed eligis majori servire nec hinc debet minor irasci si major praelatus est St. Aug. de verbis Domini Sâ—rm 6. Valde perversum est profiteri te obedientem in quo nosceris superiorem propter inferiorem id est divinam propter humanam solvere obedientiam Epist 7. 4. If after due caution and impartial examidation of the case the Laws of Authority shall appear evidently to be cross and contrary to the Laws of God opposite to his commands and prohibitions it is our duty here as the Apostles speak rather to obey God then men And this is manifest from the consideration of the subordination of all powerâ— unto God God only is absolutely supreme and all else are ordained by him hold of and under him Now therefore as in the powers of humane Society the greater is still preferr'd before the less the Supreme before the Subordinate so must God aboue all and against all and as St. Bernard saith excellently 'T is a strange perverseness for any one to profess himself obedient in that wherein he is know to dissolve a superiour for an inferiour that is a divine for an humane obedience We ought not therefore to obey any power commanding us to believe or do what God hath forbidden us or forbidding us to believe and do what God hath commanded us for we are all of us first obliged to God for our being and preservation as his creatures and devoted unto God in a solemn Vow and Covenant as Christians God's power is greater over us and his interest greater in us and our dependence more upon God and our engagements first and more unto him Tu carcerem illo Gehennam minatur S. Aug. Our obedience unto him is necessary and indispensable and his punishment for disobedience is most dreadfully formidable Much more might be spoken to this effect namely to declare that the commands of any Authority which are plainly opposite unto God's cannot challenge an active obedience from us But then we must remember that there is another kinde of obedience which Divines usually call passive becomes our duty Where we cannot 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 obey actively without sin Titus 3.1 we must yet 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is keep the rank and order of good Subjects under the Principalities aad Powers appointed over us we may not oppose 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 resist or rebel but in all cases either do what is commanded us or patiently undergo what penalties are inflicted on us And 't is the patience proper to our Christian calling wherein we are to tread in the steps of the Blessed Jesus See 1 St. Pet. c. 2. Thus to suffer even in and for well doing committing our selves and our cases unto God who judgeth righteously Now the reasonableness of this passive subjection is apparent 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 c. Grot. in Mat. 26. c. ver 52. because without it there can be no end of Controversies Contentions and Injuries Somewhere we must needs stop Ne effraeni licentia detur locus We must reverence some as unaccountable to any but God himself whose errors and miscarriages therefore are to be reserved unto God's Judgement only unless we will open a door to an infinity of wickedness to all manner of licentiousness For if once it be permitted unto Subjects to revenge their conceived injuries upon Authority Omnia erunt tumultu plena Nulla legum nulla judiciorum Authoritas All places will be fill'd with tumult nor will there be any Authority left to Laws or Judgements because the grieved person he against whom the determination at any time proceeds will steer some other course and attempt by Arms and violence to assert and vindicate his cause We must therefore sit down satisfied with the old resolution 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Euripid quietly to suffer the mistakes and follies of our Rulers having indeed no power to redress them without a farther inconvenience without implunging our selves in the Devils Circle an endless round of confusion whilst we profess our selves subject unto Authority and yet at the same time subject that Authority to our selves THE END
Paul's injunctions in order to the Decency of Divine Worship for the man's being uncovered and the woman covered in prayer and prophesying and This too as a mystical sign of moral duty the man's superiority and the woman's subjection The place deserves to be perused at large 1 Cor. 11.3 to 16. in the eleventh Chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians from the third Verse to the sixteenth Verse but that would engage me into too long a discourse I will content my self therefore with the mention of the conclusion only of that matter which indeed alone may well supersede all other instances The Apostle having argued several wayes the decency of those particular rites that which he gives in the last place to silence all controversie about them is the custom of the Churches V. 16. But if any man seem to be contentious we have no such custom neither the churches of God He cuts off all farther disputation with these two axes as a learned man notes Apostolick institution Duabus securibus disputationes amputat Instituto Apostolico consuetudine ecclesiarum Quod per omnes Ecclesias receptum est disputando vel in controversiam vocare est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Grot. in loc and the custom of the Churches and intimates withall that they deserve the brand of contentious persons who presume so far as to make a controversie or dispute of what is received by all the Churches If any will contend in matters circumstantial and appertaining to the outward order of Gods worship such as the Apostle was speaking of here is their right and proper answer laid down wherein if they rest not satisfied they are to be looked upon as contentious persons And I may well add the words of a most reverend person farther upon this very text See Bishop Andrews excellent Sermon on this Text. 'T is Serm. 13. of the Resurrection It was but early day then yet had they their customs even then At the writing of this Epistle it was not at the most thirty years from Christ's ascension If that were time enough to make a custom now after these twenty times thirty years and hundreds to spare shall it not be a custom now by much better right A custom is susceptible of more and less the farther it goeth the longer it runneth the more strength it gathereth the more gray hairs it getteth the more a venerable it is for indeed the more a custom it is This was the Golden Rule Ad quam forte Ecclesiam veneris ejus morem serva si cuiquam non vis esse scandalo nec quenquam tibi Ego vero de hac sententia etiam atque etiam cogitans ita semper habui tanquam coelesti oraculo suscepetim St. Aug. Ep. 118. ad Januar. which St. Ambrose gave to St. Austin To keep the custom of every Church he came to in such matters for he instances in his own fasting on Saturday at Rome but not at Millain and St. Austin tells us that as often as he thought of this Rule which he did often he welcomed it no otherwise than as an heavenly oracle Now certainly that can be no Divine Principle which quite overthrows this Apostolick way of deciding all controversies about the points of ceremony and outward order in the Church as that manifestly doth which is under present consideration But I am not yet at an end of my particular induction CHAP. VI. III Of the Churches following the Apostles downward to this day 1 The Primitive Church wherein the instances are The observation of the great Festivals in memory of Christ's Birth Resurrection c. Standing at Prayer on all Lords days and every day between Easter and Whitsunday Fasting on Wednesday and Friday weekly and constantly before Easter The honourable and frequent use of the Cross receiving the Sacred Eucharist fasting 2 The Reformed Churches Their general Tenent of the power of National Churches to make laws in things neither commanded nor forbidden by God 3 The Independent Congregations wherein the instances are Singing David's Psalms translated by humane invention into rythm and meter and that too bare-headed wâ—ilst they hear the Sermon with the hat on Sprinkling Infants Taking the Communion sitting Their particular forms of Church-Covenant And the Catechist's Prudentials allowed of in Divine worship with his way of evading the obligation of some things granted by himself to have been commanded by Christ The mischievous consequences of this general principle of Non-conformity and Separation reflected on I Will instance Thirdly in the times following the Apostles the practise of all Reformed Churches yea the Independent Congregations not excepted and this Catechist's declaration in especial 1. For the Primitive Church following the Apostles I will only mention these Following The observation of the Great Festivals in remembrance of the Birth Resurrection and Ascension of our B. Saviour and the descent of the Holy Ghost The custom of Standing in Prayer on all Lords dayes and every day between Easter and Whitsunday in memory of Christ's resurrection Fasting upon Wednesday and Friday the dayes of our B. Saviour's Apprehension and Crucifixion and constantly before Easter the Lent-fast The frequent and honourable use of the ceremony or sign of the Cross And The Reverend receiving of the Sacred Eucharist fasting These are instances which cannot escape the notice of the Learned and particular testimonies and proofs from Antient VVriters are too many to be here produced Let the English Reader guess at the rest from what he may find demonstrated at large of the Custom of observing Easter in the Church by that admirable Prelate Bishop Andrews Serm. 13. of the Resurrection before recommended and for Christmas by Dr. Hammond Practical Catechism p. 203. c. 2. Next then for the practise of all Reformed Churches for to mention the Church of Rome would it is like be thought a prejudice unto the cause there need be produced nothing more than this general Tenent owned by them all That every National Christian Church hath power to make laws for her self in all such outward things as are not expresly either commanded or forbidden by the Word of God Which will be a matter of undoubted evidence to any that shall vouchsafe to examin their respective Confessions But if any desire particular instances he may find them collected to his hand in that useful Treatise published some few years since by Mr. Durel Minister of the French Church in the Savoy entituled A view of the Government and publick worship of God in the Reformed Churches beyond the Seas I pass on Thirdly To the Independent congregations and our Catechist's concessions by name For the Independent practice I observe Their singing of the Psalms of David translated by humane invention into Rythm and Meter and That too bare-headed whereas they hear the Sermon with the hat on Sprinkling of Infants at Baptism and receiving the H. Communion †See Part. 2. chap. 15. sitting And Their
in five senses 1. In an Army 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Officer or Captain of the host Numb 31.14 Judg. 9. 28. 2 Kings 11.15 2dly Among workmen the principal that were set over all others in the building of the Temple 2 Chron. 34.12 17. 3dly In the City the Ruler or Prince and especially of the Priests and Levites Nehem. 11. 9 10 14.22 4thly In the Ministry of the Temple Numb 3.32 Eleazar the son of Aaron who is call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Ruler of the Rulers of the Levites is stiled Numb 4.16 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bishop Eleazar or Overseer 5thly In the house of the Lord over which he that was set is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Kings 11.18 the Bishop over the house of the Lord. By all which it appears that agreeable to the notion of the word in the Old Testament it will also in the New denote prefecture or ruling power in the Church Come we then with the Catechist to the New Testament And first It is much that it should scape his notice that the office of the Apostles themselves the Apostolate which must needs be granted to include preheminence is call'd from this very word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts 1.20 a Bishoprick His Bishoprick let another take But secondly There needs no other conviction than what his own Instances will afford us where First He acknowledgeth that Bishops are the same that are elsewhere called Elders and makes that the ground of his argument which I shall now urge against him The name Bishop then apparently is not less fit to denote a preheminence than that of Elder because he owns them equally characteristical of the same persons Let us therefore consider somewhat more distinctly the account of that name and who are the persons pointed at by it in the New Testament The word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 among the Greeks See Dr. H. on Act. 12.30 and Phil. 1.1 is used both for Rulers and Old men and accordingly it is now in use among all nations Italians French Spaniards English to call their Rulers Seniors Mayors Aldermen c. which are literally the rendring of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Among the Hebrews the same is acknowledged that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 old men which with them that want degrees of comparison is all one with Elders and generally rendred 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 denoteth dignity and prefecture in the Old Testament So Eliezer the Steward of Abraham's house Gen. 15.2 who was placed over all his servants and goods is called Gen. 24.2 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Elder of his house and Ruler of all that he had So the Elders of Pharaoh's house and of all Egypt Gen. 50.7 are the Prefects and Administrators of the King's house and of all Egypt So the Elders of the Moabites are the Princes of Moab Numb 22.7 8. So when all dominion was founded in the priviledges that belonged to the first-born the Princes of the Families or Kindreds are call'd indifferently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Patriarchs and Elders Such were the Elders of Israel Exod. 3.16 18. and 4.29 the heads or rulers of the families or kindreds ch 6.14 rulers of the congregation ch 16.22 who are again call'd the Elders of Israel ch 17.5 6. and 18.12 and Elders of the Tribes Deut. 31.28 And when Moses appointed Judges for lighter causes Exod. 18.22 who should have power over thousands and hundreds and fifties and tens i. e. first over so many families after over greater or lesser cities these were by them call'd 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers and Judges and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers of the Synagogues and the like And so when the 70 Elders were taken in to assist Moses Numb 11.16 to whom the great Sanhedrim at Jerusalem succeeded it is evident that these were so call'd because they were Princes or Prefects or Rulers of the people before they were thus chosen by Moses And so the word Elder was not a denotation of one of the Sanhedrim any otherwise than as some of those that were in the Sanhedrim had formerly been Elders or Rulers of the people And accordingly of three sorts of men of which the Sanhedrim consisted but one is call'd Elders the other Scribes and Chief Priests By all which it appears how fitly this word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders being made use of by the Apostles and Writers of the New Testament is affixed to the Governours of the Christian church the several Bishops of several Cities answerable to the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rulers of thousands or Patriarchs which being first used among the Jews are in the christian church the ordinary title of Bishops And although this title of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Elders hath been also extended to a second order in the Church yet in the Scripture-times it belonged principally if not alone to Bishops there being little or no evidence that any of that second order were then instituted though soon after before the writing of Ignatius Epistles there were such instituted in all Churches When the Gospel was first preached by the Apostles and but few converted they ordained in every City and Region no more but a Bishop and one or more Deacons to attend him And accordingly when St. Paul gives directions to Timothy for the ordaining of Church-officers he names Bishops and Deacons but no second order between them 1 Tim. 3. and so to Titus And thus the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Eldership that laid hands on Timothy and made him Bishop may well be resolved to be the Bishops or Apostolical men who with St. Paul consecrated him 1 Tim. 4.14 2 Tim. 1.6 Thus St. Peter calls himself Peter the Elder 1 Pet. 5.1 and St. John the Elder John 2 Joh. 1. 3 Joh. 1. and Ignatius ep ad Philad calls the Apostles 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Presbyterie or Eldership of the Church Thus then though it be generally resolved that the word Bishop and Elder are equivalent in the Scripture yet is not this to be understood so that either and both of them signifies indifferently those whom we now call Presbyters but that they both signifie Bishops one setled in each Church by the Apostles So Act. 20. The Bishops there are not as the Catechist saith the Elders of the particular Church of Ephesus nor is there any such thing said of them verse 17. whereto he referrs us but rather of all Asia at least those that belonged to Ephesus as their Metropolis and therefore St. Paul tells them they had known how he had been with them all the time from the first day that he came into Asia verse 18. and St. Irenaeus saith l. 3. c. 14. In Mileto convocatis Episcopis Presbyteris ab Epheso proximis civitatibus The Bishops and Elders being assembled at Miletus from Ephesus and the next Cities And so in like manner