( 3"g3) Divirions, or dangerof them, domake it as h;eceffary, or conve- nient, now as then. We fee to our flume, that in molì or ma- nyCongregations, Minifters that are equalor neer to an equa- lity in parts and place, can hardly agree and live in Peaces but they are jealous ofone another, and envying each others elleem and intereft ( Though ;I confefs this is fo odious a vice, that its an abominable fhamefullthing,that any Miniflerof Chrifl fhould be tainted with it:but fo it is,we cannot hide it.)And therefore it is our ordinary courfe to have fuch a difparity of age, andparts, and interells,thatone may have the preheminence,and tome tu1e,, and the rea be ruled by him. g. 16. 8. Lally, the Antiquity and fpeedy Univerfality of this courfe, is a firong argument to make men moderate in the point. For r. It teemed.' a moll improbable thing that all the Churches, orfo many, thould tofuddenly take up this Prefidency, Prelacy, or Difparity without fcruple or refiflance,ifit had been againfl the Apoliles minds. For it cannot be imagined that all diefe Churches that were planted by the Apöftles, or Apoitolical men, and had teen them and converfed with them, fhould be either utterly ignorant oftheir .minds, in fuch a matter ofpub- like pra&ice, or elfe fhould be all fo carelefs of obeying their new receiveddotrine, as prefently and unanimoufly to content to a change, or endure it without refflance. Would no Church or no perfoes in the world, contend for the retentionof the Apo- ftolical inaitutions'? Would no Cha'ch hold their own , and bear witnefs againl the corruption and innovations of therea? would noperfons fay, [ yougo about to alter theframe ofGovern - ment newly planted among us by the Holy Ghoff ; It was not thus in the dales ofPeter,or Paul,or John; and thereforewe willhave no change.] This Teems to me a thing incredible, that the whole Church íheuld all at once almoll fo fuddenly and filently yieldto fuch a changeofGovernment. And I donot think that any man can bring one teflimony from all the volumes of Antiquity to prove that ever Church or perfon refilled or difclaimed fuch a change, in the times when it muff be made; ifever it was made, t hat is, in the firft or fecond ages. g, r7.Yea 2.It is plain by theceflimony ofHierom before men= tioned and other teflimonies of antiquity, that in 4lexrndria, at tuft, this praâice was ufed in the daycs of the Apofiles them S f (elves,
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