Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5151 .B3 1659

- caufed' Nazianxeg ( who domplaineih fo much himfelf of the odiumor di(pleafure of bis fellow Bithops ) to profefs himfelf to be fo affefted, that he would avoid all Áffemblies of Bifhops, becaufe he had never Peen agood end of any Synod, and which did not rather increafe the evils than remove them ; and his rea- fon is not as B llarmine feigneth, only becaufe they were all Arrians ; but becaufe, The delire ofcontending, and of pre- heminency or principality, And their emulation, did overcome reafon, ( which Luther mentioning ib. pag. 225. wondered) that for thefe words he was not excommunicated as an arrant heretick) Who knoweth not, that knoweth any thing of Church hiflory, how the Church hash been torn in pieces in all ages except the tiro, by the diffention of the Bithops, till the Pope drew part of them to unite in him ? And who knoweth nor, that knoweth any thing of the prefent (late of the Chriflian world, into how many fractions it is broken at this day, and al- moll all through the Divifion of thefe Guides a If therefore we hall imagine that the Pallors of the Church could not be tainted with fo much ambition as to inlarge their own Dioceffes, and'' gather the new Chuches under themfelves, when they fhould have formed them into the fame order and freedom as were the firfl, we (hall Phut our eyesagainfl the moll full experience of theChrillian world : efi;ecially when the change was made by _degrees. 2. The fecond Reafon thatperfwadeth me to flick to the foie ,eafon a, praftifed Government inScripture times; and not to alter it up- on pretended Intentions of the Apoflles, is this : Nothing that intimatetb temerity, or mutability, is to be charged upon the Holy Ghofi bat to inftitute one frame or fpecies of Church -government for Scripturetimes, and to change it prefently into another fpecies toall fhacceeding ages, doth intimate temerity or mutability ; or at lead, is fo like it, that therefore without good proof it is not to be charged on the Holy Gholt. That they are two diflintt fpecies of Government is plain : one is the Government of a Particular Congregation, without any other Congregations or Elders under that Government : the other is the Governing of many Eldersand Churches by one fupereminent Prelate : and if thefe be not two differing forts of Government, then let the Prelates confefs that the Government which wewould continue K is

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