The way of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The way of churches…The vvay of the churches of Christ in New-England, or, The vvay of churches…

which plainly intimateth, the Church formerly had such, but then hath them not, they are obsolete, and accordingly consulting with them is obsolete also. 2. It is plain these Elders are opposite to Doctors or Teachers, or (if you will so construe them) learned men, and therefore these Elders were neither Doctors nor Teachers, nor Learned men. But to appropriate the name of Doctors or Teachers, or Learned men to Bishops only, were too great an arrogancy in Bishops, and too great an injury to the learned Pastors and Teachers in every age, till Antichrist his darkness overwhelmed all in ignorance, as well Bishops as Pastors. 3. It may be marvelled, why those learned opposites, that make this exception should understand Ambrose to attribute it to the idleness of the Teachers, that for their own ease they gave over meddling in matters appertaining to government, when as rather it was the Bishops and their parties idleness, that they gave over labouring in Word and Doctrine, and their pride, that they engrossed all rule and government into their own hands; and therefore, when they say, they cannot see how the excluding of Seniors, and the taking of the whole burden of government upon themselves, could by Ambrose be imputed as a matter of sloth and idleness, either in the Pastors or Bishops; surely, if men do not willingly shut their eyes, they may see, and daily experience maketh it palpably evident, that they who are most idle in teaching, are most busy and proud in government; so that the Doctorum desidia, aut magis superbia, which Ambrose maketh to be the two causes why Seniors in the Church, and consulting with them, were then both of them grown out of use, need no Comment to expound the same, but the perpetual practice of those persons, who have from the former ages, to this very day, usurped all Church-government into their own hands.

which plainly intimateth, the Church formerly had such, but then hath them not, they are obsolete, and accordingly consulting with them is obsolete also. 2. It is plain these Elders are opposite to Doctors or Teachers, or (if you will so construe them) learned men, and therefore these Elders were neither Doctors nor Teachers, nor Learned men. But to appropriate the name of Doctors or Teachers, or Learned men to Bishops only, were too great an arrogancy in Bishops, and too great an injury to the learned Pastors and Teachers in every age, till Antichrist his darknesse overwhelmed all in ignorance, as well Bishops as Pastors. 3. It may be marvelled, why those learned opposites, that make this exception should understand Ambrose to attribute it to the idlenesse of the Teachers, that for their own ease they gave over meddling in matters appertaining to government, when as rather it was the Bishops and their parties idlenesse, that they gave over labouring in Word and Doctrine, and their pride, that they ingrossed all rule and government into their own hands; and therefore, when they say, they cannot see how the excluding of Seniors, and the taking of the whole burthen of government upon themselves, could by Ambrose be imputed as a matter of sloth and idlenesse, either in the Pastors or Bishops; surely, if men do not willingly shut their eyes, they may see, and daily experience maketh it palpably evident, that they who are most idle in teaching, are most busie and proud in government; so that the Doctorum desidia, aut magis superbia, which Ambrose maketh to be the two causes why Seniors in the Church, and consulting with them, were then both of them grown out of use, need no Comment to expound the same, but the perpetuall practice of those persons, who have from the former ages, to this very day, usurped all Church-government into their own hands.