τυτέρον ἐκκλησιάζειν, that is, have a Church ofa very large Compafs, even in that remote and defolate Country, yet they told me I should enjoy more conftantly, at Colluthio, the Company of them I lov'd moft, and counted dearest to me in the World; for such as thofe * (they said ) would come and make their Abode there, infomuch that there would be Congregations of them in fundry Places up and down, as in so many Suburbs remotely fituated from the City, and this (says he) I found to be very true; that is, fuch a Concourfe of Chriftians did refort to him there, and fuch distinct Affemblies there were of them, during his Abode in that Place. And now, if these diftinct Congregations of Believers were under the Spiritual Jurifdiction and Government of Dionyfius alone, and were peculiarly his Church and his People, as the only Bishop or fupreme Ecclefiaftical Pastor over them, by whose Order and Direction alone Ministerial Offices could be perform'd to each of them, (as the Hiftorian's Account of that Place and Time does evidently prove him to be) and none but † Prefbyters and Deacons (as they are subordinately now taken) are mention'd in the whole Narration befides, fome accompanying him in his Troubles, fome wandring to and fro in Banishment, and fome particularly named with Marks of

* Αφίξον) ν καὶ ἀναπαύσονθ, καὶ ὡς ἐν προασείοις πορφοτέρω κειμένοις και μέρα έσον) συναγω[αι· καὶ ἔτως slo. Eufeb. ibid.

* Ηκολέθησε δέ μοι συμπρεσβύτερος το με Μάξιμος, και διάκονοι Φας G, καὶ Ευσέβια, και Χαιρήμων. Eufeb. 1. 7. c. 11. p. 210.

of Honour, for attending their Charge and Miniftry in the City, in the Heat of all the Perfecution; befides what Dionyfius might himself ordain, if the Neceffity of his Church requir'd it; then I think it needs no farther Proof, that this holy Confeffor, and Father of the Church, could have no fuch Notion of a particular Church in his Time, as our learned Author's Quotation (out of this very Narrative of his) has imputed to him.

And yet there is one remarkable Paffage more in the Sufferings of this holy Confeffor, that makes it much clearer ftill, if need fhould be. Take it in his own Account of himself, as Eufebius has transcribed it from him, in the fame Chapter with all that we have heard already. Germanus (an invidious Christian Bishop) had, it feems, reproach'd Dionyfius, as if he had fled and deferted his Church of Alexandria, without holding any religious Affemblies before he went off; which was indeed the pious Custom of the Churches then, as often as any Perfecution was visibly nigh at hand; to the end that Carechumens might be baptiz'd, the Eucharift adminiftred to the Faithful, and folemn Exhortations to Conftancy and Perfeverance left with them all, to prepare and fortify them against the Tryals which were immediately coming upon them. Now, How does the holy Bishop anfwer this Charge? He firft fhews that this early Apprehenfion and fudden Condemnation left no Time or Means for him to perform any one of thofe Minifterial Offices by himself in Perfon: But then immediately fubjoins, and

fays,

*

fays, that by God's Affiftance he was not wanting in a visible Affembly neither; but with all Diligence (fays he) I order'd thofe in the City to affemble, as if I had been perfonally prefent with them, being abfent indeed in the Body, (as it is faid) but prefent in the Spirit with them. Using the Apoftle's Phrafe, who fo govern'd and prefided over Churches at a Distance. Here is a folemn Affembly then of the Chriftians in Alexandria, call'd together at the Command of their abfent Bishop: And I prefume none will think they met on this Occafion, without celebrating fome Ordinances at leaft of religious Worship. Nay, I can't but fay, that unless most or all of those holy. Offices were perform'd there, which I juft now mention'd as cuftomary and necessary to be done in fuch a Juncture of Time as this was, the holy Confeffor had but flightly answer'd the Charge and Accufation it was his Business there to clear. But leaft of all could he have comforted himself, that by God's Affistance he had caufed fuch a considerable Part of his Cure to affemble there, if the Offices which fhould minifter all the Spiritual Help they then affembled for, were not difpenfed to them too. To apply this therefore to the Cafe in hand.

What manner of Church was this of Alexandria at this Time? The Bishop in Exile had feveral

ལ

* Αλλ' ἐδὲ τῆς αἰθητῆς ἡμᾶς με το Κυρίκ σωμα γωγῆς ἁπέση μας ἀλλὰ αποδαιότερον τὲς μὲν ἐν τῇ πόλει συνεκρότεν ὡς σιών· ἀπῶν μὴὺ τῷ σώματι, ὡς εἶπον, [ or, ὡς εἶπεν, as fome Copies have it ] παρών ἢ τῷ vdual. Eufeb. ib. p. 211.

veral Congregations of his Flock in and about the Place where his miferable Banishment had confin'd him: The Presbyters in his Abfence, and by his Order and Authority, hold a religigious Affembly in the City itself: One only Bihop all this while iffues out Precepts and Acts, as chief Pastor and Governor of thefe diftin&t and fo far diftant Congregations, and is by the general Language of the Catholick Church, and of the Authentick Hiftorians of that Time, entitled Bishop (without Partner or Competitor) of the Particular Church of Alexandria.

If this be confiftent with the Definition of fuch a Particular Church, as this Primitive Father was produced to bear witness to, and that in this very Narrative of his, where all that I have here offer'd is recorded by his own Hand, I am afraid fuch Enquiries into Antiquity will help but little to fettle a wavering Mind about the true Conftitution of the Church.

There is one Inftance more brought by our learned Author; to fhew that the Word Church was anciently taken in his Sense; and because 'tis a fhort one, I fhall not pafs it by, tho' 'tis more furprizing to me than both the others. 'Tis from Tertullian's Exhortat. ad Caftit. where that Father fays, Ubi tres, Ecclefia eft; Where three are together, there we have a Church: Now to ftop at a Comma, after four single Words, in any Quotation, where two Words more would bring him to a full Period, and explain the Author's Meaning too, is a little ftrange to me; for Tertullian's whole Sentence is only this, Ubi tres, Ecclefia eft, licet laici, that is, Where three are, there a Church is, though they be all but Lay

men:

men: And is it not strange to any Man, as well as me, that fuch an extraordinary Church as this, with but three Lay-men in it, fhould be brought to explain the Primitive Notion of a particular Church affociating together with their Paftors and Minifters for Participation of the Ordinances and Inftitutions of Chrift? And yet to this very Quotation our ingenious Enquirer immediately fubjoins; In this Senfe (lays he) we must understand the Church of Rome, of Smyrna, of Antioch, and in fhort, in any other fuch Place whatfoever.

There is an Obfervation in our inquifitive Author's 4th Notation of a Church, particularly calculated for the Ufe of his own Scheme, and therefore must briefly be confider'd: He obferves there, that he never met with the Word Church used in the Singular Number by any of the Fathers for a Collection of many particular Churches, except once only in † Cyprian, who mentions the Church of God in Africa and Numidia. Now there is fomething in Irenaus (quoted by himself too in the very next Leaf) which looks very like it; for all the Chriftian Churches which were gather'd from among the Gentiles, that learned Father expreffes by a Church, in the Singular Number, (the Expreffion you have in the Margin, as quoted to my Hand in the 7th Page of the Enquiry) and that implies a Collection of Churches fure beyond all Exception. But the Truth is, I am not a

ware

* Pag. 4.

+ Cyp. Ep. 71. § 4.

Ea que ex Gentibus eft Ecclefia. Iren. l. 4. c. 37.