The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things…

§ 38. And as to the doubt [whether it began after 300 years to be a prudential duty or at least most desirable] when we hear what is said on both sides we think it not easy to judge, either how much in such a case Christ hath left to humane prudence, nor which way the scales of prudence herein will ordinarily turn. On one side it is said 1. That it is absurd that there should be no appeals for injured persons to a superior power; 2. And that the dissensions of the Church else will be remediless, and all will be broken into heresies and sects; 3. And that Apostolical men of a higher rank than mere Presbyters will else have no convenient opportunity to exercise their Governing power, if it be not tied to fixed seats.

§ 38. And as to the doubt [whether it began after 300 years to be a prudential duty or at least most desirable] when we hear what is said on both sides we think it not easie to judge, either how much in such a case Christ hath left to humane prudence, nor which way the scales of prudence herein will ordinarily turn. On one side it is said 1. That it is absurd that there should be no appeals for injured persons to a superiour power; 2. And that the dissensions of the Church else will be remediless, and all will be broken into heresies and sects; 3. And that Apostolical men of a higher rank than meer Presbyters will else have no convenient opportunity to excercise their Governing power, if it be not tyed to fixed seats.

§ 39. On the other side they plead; 1. That it is safer for the Church to have Religion in the power of many Bishops or Pastors, than that one High Priest or Patriarch should have power to corrupt it, or silence the faithful preachers, or persecute the people when ever he proveth a bad man: Yea they say it must be rare if he be not bad, seeing it is certain that the most proud and worldly men (which are the worst) will be the most earnest seekers of rich and honourable places; and he that seeketh will usually find. 2. They say Christ directly forbade this to his Apostles Luk. 22. That which they strove for was it that he forbade them: But that which they strove for was who should be the chief or greatest (and not who should tyrannize) 3. They say that all Church history assureth us that there have been more Schisms and scandalous contentions about the great superior Bishoprics far, than any of the rest: It is a doleful thing to read the history of the Churches of Alexandria, Antioch, Constantinople, and Rome: Gregory Nazianzen giveth it as the reason, why the contention at Caesarea was so lamentable, because it was so high an Archbishopric. The whole Christian world hath been scandalized, torn and distracted by the strife of Bishops of and for the highest seats. Their famous General Councils which we justly honour for their function and that which they did well, were shamefully militant: even the first and most honoured Council at Nice, was with great difficulty kept in Peace by the personal presence, wisdom and authority of Constantine, preaching peace to the preachers of peace, burning their libels of mutual accusation,