es were onely
Presidents of the Assembly to call them together for such Election, and
to pronounce them Elected, and to give them the benediction, which now
is called Consecration. And for this cause they that were Presidents
of the Assemblies, as (in the absence of the Apostles) the Elders were,
were called proestotes, and in Latin Antistities; which words signifie
the Principall Person of the Assembly, whose office was to number the
Votes, and to declare thereby who was chosen; and where the Votes were
equall, to decide the matter in question, by adding his own; which is
the Office of a President in Councell. And (because all the Churches
had their Presbyters ordained in the same manner,) where the word is
Constitute, (as Titus 1.5.) "ina katasteses kata polin presbuterous,"
"For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest constitute
Elders in every City," we are to understand the same thing; namely, that
hee should call the faithfull together, and ordain them Presbyters by
plurality of suffrages. It had been a strange thing, if in a Town, where
men perhaps had never seen any Magistrate otherwise chosen then by an
Assembly, those of the Town becomming Christians, should so much as have
thought on any other way of Election of their Teachers, and Guides, that
is to say, of their Presbyters, (otherwise called Bishops,) then this of
plurality of suffrages, intimated by S. Paul (Acts 14.23.) in the word
Cheirotonesantes: Nor was there ever any choosing of Bishops, (before
the Emperors found it necessary to regulate them in order to the keeping
of the peace amongst them,) but by the Assemblies of the Christians in
every severall Town.

The same is also confirmed by the continuall practise even to this day,
in the Election of the Bishops of Rome. For if the Bishop of any place,
had the right of choosing another, to the succession of the Pastorall
Office, in any City, at such time as he went from thence, to plant the
same in another place; much more had he had the Right, to appoint his
successour in that place, in which he last resided and dyed: And we find
not, that ever any Bishop of Rome appointed his successor. For they were
a long time chosen by the People, as we may see by the sedition raised
about the Election, between Damascus, and Ursinicus; which Ammianus
Marcellinus saith was so great, that Juventius the Praefect, unable to
keep the peace between them, was forced to goe out of the City; and that
there were