8 The Preface. to be fuppófed that Diotrephes was alone in his Delire of Preheminence, nor in the irregular a&ings of his unduly affumed Authority. However we have one (lgnal In.5lance in him, ofthe Deviation that was in the Church with him, from the Rule of its Original Conftitution. For he pre- vailed fo far therein, as by his own fingle Epifcopal Power to reje& the Authority ofthe. Apoftles, and to cail themout ofthe Church, who complyed not with his humour. How effe&ually the fame Ambition wrought afterwards, in many others poffefling the fame Placein their Churches with Dio- trephes, is fizfficiently evident in all Eccleflallical I i ones. It is far from being the only Inftance of the Corruption of Church Order and Rule, by the Influenceof this Ambition, yet it is one that is pregnant, which isgiven usby imbrofe, for faith he, Eccleria ut Synagoga, Seniores babuit, quorum fine con,cilio nihil agebatur in Eccle[ia; quod qua negligentia ob- f leverit nefcio, nihforte doïlorurn de(cidia, aut magicfuperbia, darnfoli volunt aliquid videri. In a, ad Timoth. cap. 5. It Teems therewasfome alteration in Church Rule and Order in his Time, whole Beginning and Progrefs hecould not well difcover and trace, but knew well enough, that fo it was then come to pais. And ifhe who lived fo near the Times whereinfilch fiterationswere made, could not yet difcover their firft Infinuation, nor their fubtieProgrefs, it is unrea- fonable to exa& a {tri& account ofus in things ofthe fame nature, who live fo many Ages after their firft Introdu&ion. But this he judgeth, that it was the `Pride or ,Afrnbition of the DoElors ofthe Church, which introduced that Alteration in its Order. Whereas therefore we fee in the Event, that all Deviations from the Original Conftitution of Churches, all Alterations in their Rule and Order, did iffue in a com- pliance with the .Ambition ofChurch Rulers, as it did in the Papal Church; and this Ambition was fignally noted as one ofthe firft depraved Inclinations of Mind that wrought m
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