: Latin, [Advena, or Peregrinus fum] that is, (as the infpir'd Penmen, I fhew'd you before, always ufe it in the Holy Scriptures) I am a Stranger or Foreigner in any Place. But this is not all; he adds immediately, that this very Word is put in direct Opposition to xaloner, which, according to ancient Gloffes, (fays he) fignifies to dwell, or have an Habitation in any Place: And is this any thing more or lefs, than downright Oppofition to our learned Enquirer's peremptory Interpretation of it? And what this judicious Gloffary does thus affirm, he makes good by the unexceptionable Authorities of Philo Judeus, S. Bafil the Great,

Theodoret, and others, whofe particular Quotations you have here noted in the Margin, which make it clearer still.

I am fenfible, it may be alledg'd, that the Greek Prepofition, [wapa] when join'd in Compofition with another Word, (as it is here) does often fignify the fame as [juxta] with the Latins, that is, nigh, or near to any Place. And this I take to be the fole Motive indeed, that induc'd our learned Author to make this pofitive Construction of the Word. But let § Devarius (that accurate Critick in the Particles D 2

of

Philo Judæus de Sacrif. Abel

Cain. O TOIS

εγκυκλίοις μόνοις ἐπανέχων παροικά σοφίᾳ, ἐ κατοικεί. + Bafil. m. in Pf. 14. t. l. p. 149. H Taenia zi διαγωγὴ πρόσκαιρα.

Η Theodoret. in Pl. 119. p. 911. Παροικίαν καλεί, * ἐν τῇ ἀλλοτρία διαγωγήν.

§ Vide Matth. Devarii, lib. de Grec. Enig. particul. Edit. du Gard. A. D. 1657. Pag. 206,

of the Greek Tongue) be heard in this Cafe; and he will teach us, that we can't, with any Authority, attribute fuch a determinate Senfe to it: For his Note upon it is this, a (fays he) non folum rò fus, fed etiam rd nieg

fignificat; that is, the Prepofition a does not only fignify nigh, or near to, but also beyond, or from abroad, and without, according to the different Phrafe or Authors we may meet it in; which fufficiently juftifies the above-mention'd ancient Writer's using it (even in this very Word before us) in direct Oppofition to that of dwelling nigh one another in one and the fame Place.

But too much of this; for I ever took Criticism to be a flender Way of arguing in fo great a Subject as this is; only I found no Help for it here, the Determination was fo pofitive in the Cafe, and fuch smooth Infinuations advanc'd upon the Plaufibility of a fingle Word.

*

To pass then from Words to Things; that if the bare Name does not fatisfy, we may, at leaft, by fome following Obfervations of Matter of Fact, confent to his main Affertion, That a Bishop's Diocefe and a modern Parish were the fame, as in Namt, fo.in Thing: That is, let Scripture, Fathers, and History, fay what they will of the numerous Converfions wrought by the bleffed Apoftles themselves, by their infpir'd Fellow-Labourers and Succeffors in the Miniftry of the Gospel, either in Jerufalem, Judea, or throughout the Heathen World; yet the utmost Refult of all their Labours a

* Eng. p. 17.

mounted

mounted to no more, for 300 Years together, than just to fuch a competent Society of Believers, as could be enclos'd within the Walls of a fingle Oratory, in any of the largest Cities upon Earth, (including the adjacent Territories too.)

I wifh our learned Author had begun his Proof of this, where the Church itself began, and had thought Ferufalem (the Mother-Church of all) as worthy of his Notice as any of the reft, and Scripture Evidence as fit to be confider'd, as other Authorities he is pleas'd to ufe. But he has cautiously declin'd both one and t'other: For in his three first Chapters, wherein the whole Parochial Scheme is finish'd, we find but one flight Reference to Holy Writ, and that of no Importance to the Cafe, nor any Text fo much as nam'd at all; and amongst all the particular Churches he chofe to treat of, (which are pretty many) that of Jerufalem (which the whole College of Apoftles jointly founded, as it were a Model for the reft) is not fo much as nam'd. Was this for want of Matter, can we think, fuitable to the Subject of his Enquiry there? or rather, that the Stream of Evidence ran too strong against his whole Hypothefis in them both? Is it fo obvious to common Senfe, as not to deferve a little Notice, and plainer Explication of it, (in his Way) how the many Thoufands from time to time converted in Jerufalem alone, and the daily Increase of them, (as it is fpecify'd in the Texts here noted D 3

Chap. 1. Pag. 11.

in

in the Margin) *fhould commodiously, or indeed poffibly worship God in one and the fame Place together, fince they neither had the capacious Temple, (to be fure) or any other Place, that fhould be too much taken Notice of, to hold fuch a numerous, and indeed unconceivable Affembly in? And yet S. James,

(the Bishop of this Church himself) in a few Years after, calls thofe Thousands of converted Jews by the multiplyed Number of Myriads of them, Acts xxi. 20.

The infpir'd Penmen, who relate all this, had little Reason to record in Sacred Writ, or to amuse Posterity with the Number, Method, or Nature of the Churches, Oratories, or Meeting-Houfes, (call them what we please) wherein thofe Multitudes of bleffed Converts held Affemblies for the Offices and Mysteries of their new Religion, (tho' their Breaking Bread from Houfe to House, the Churches mention'd in private and particular Houfes there, are no imperfect Intimations of it, whatever other Interpretations may be forc'd upon them.)

But

*Acts i. 15. The Number of the Names together were about 120. Acts ii. 41. There were added to them about 3000 Souls. Ver. 47. The Lord added daily to the Church fuch as fhould be faved. Acts iv. 4. (Peter and John preaching afterwards upon healing of the Cripple) Many of them which heard, believed; and the Number of Men was about 5000. A&ts v. 14. Believers were the more added to the Lord both of Men and Women. Acts vi. 7. Still the Word of God increafed, and the Number of Difciples multiply'd in Jerufalem greatly; and a great Company of the Priefts were obedient to the Faith.

* Θεωρείς, αδελφέ, πόσαι μυριάδες εἰσὶν Ιεδαίων Η πεις ακότων Ats xxi. 20.

But, be that as it will, the Matter of Fact which They tell us, commands our Faith; and if common Sense and Reason can contract fuch Numbers into a fingle Congregation, all their other Writings, I'm afraid, will feel the dangerous Effect of fuch an extraordinary Sort of commenting upon them.

Tertullian fays more than all this still, and that of every Place in general too: * The Numbers of Christians, in his early Age, were well nigh the greater Part of every City, for fo he frankly tells the perfecuting Scapula, who was not to be jefted with. And again, to all the Roman Magiftrates, in his Apology, he glories in the Multitudes of his Profeffion, thus: We are of Yesterday, (fays he) yet every Place is fill'd with us, your Cities, the Islands, the Forts, your Corporations, the Councils, the Armies, the Tribes and Companies; yea, the Palace, Senate, and Courts of Justice; your Temples only have we left you free. Should we go off and separate from you, you'd ftand amaz'd at your own Defolation, be affrighted at the Stop and Deadness of Affairs amongst you; and you'd have more Enemies than D 4 Subjects

Tanta hominum multitudo, pars pæne major cujufq; civitatis. Tertul. ad Scap. c. 2. p. 86.

+ Hefterni fumus, & veftra omnia implevimus; urbes, infulas, caftella, municipia, conciliabula, caftra ipfa, tribus, decurias, palatium, fenatum, forum; fola vobis reliquimus templa. Tertul. Apol. p. 33. cap. 37. Si tanta vis hominum in aliquem orbis remoti finum abrupiffemus à vobis proculdubio expaviffetis ad folitudinem veftram, ad filentium rerum, & ftuporem quendam quafi mortui orbis. Id. ib.