Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministry rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated,…Sacrilegious desertion of the holy ministery rebuked, and tolerated preaching of the gospel vindicated,…

1. When it is once thought that the Major Vote must carry it, an Ithacian Synod, will tyrannize; and every weak self-conceited man, that hath nothing of sense to say against you will charge nine Learned judicious grave Divines with Insolency, if they will not be governed by ten that are unlearned or injudicious self-esteemers. Voting is not for government, but for Concord; And not to be used, (lest it seem an appearance or introduction of usurpation,) except in cases where mere Concord is your work.

1. When it is once thought that the Major Vote must carry it, an Ithacian Synod, will tyrannize; and every weak self-conceited man, that hath nothing of sence to say against you will charge nine Learned judicious grave Divines with Insolency, if they will not be governed by ten that are unlearned or injudicious self-esteemers. Voteing is not for government, but for Concord; And not to be used, (lest it seem an appearance or introduction of usurpation,) except in cases where meer Concord is your work.

2. But nothing hath more plagued the Church than the Pride and Arrogancy of some of the Pastors, that think they are wronged if they may not Rule. Think not that this Spirit is only in Papists or Diocesans; Pride is the heart of the old man, and born in all; And doleful experience telleth how it surviveth in too many Antiprelatical Ministers, of humbling principles, and unhumbled souls. Do we not know that the Pride of some among ⟨p. 114⟩our selves, that must be All, and do all, till they have undone all, is the very thing, that hath silenced so many Ministers, and brought us to the state that we are now in? There are some men that must only be heard in all debates, and seldom hear; who are angry if they be gainsaid; who think that nimble Tongues, or popular Interest, or grey hairs, must pass for uncontrolled reason. And they study to make parties, and set up their own Dictates, by passion or indirect contrivances: They can seldom debate a cause, but their spleen swelleth against those that say not as they say, but contradict them, and they secretly back-bite them to blast their names! They note those that follow them, and those that oppose them, and make two parties of them. And all cometh from the common sin of man-kind, An unhumbled overconfident understanding.