in ancient ecclesiastical usage as distinguished from a city, was a place having no magistrates of its own and no laws except such as form a part of the government and laws of the city on which it is dependent. Some villages, however, were set apart as dioceses and had bishops appointed over them. In the early Church, the chorepiscopi were appointed to superintend the work in the villages. See Bingham, Christ. Antiq. bk. 2, ch. 14; bk. 9 ch. 2.