XVI.
Ministers should not pretend Precedency one over the other.
S. Jerom informs us in in his Commentaries upon the Epistle to Titus, and in his Letter to Evagrius, That at the beginning of Christianity, the Churches were Go∣vern'd by the joynt advice of the Priests, or Elders, and this form of Government lasted, until that by the instinct of the Devil, there arose Parties in Religion, saith the same St. Jerom; for then recourse must be had to Ele∣ction; so that to avoid Schisms and Divisions, one of the Company was chose, to whom Election gave the pre∣cedency to all the rest; whereas before, it was the time of promotion, as is testified by the Deacon Hillary, in his Commentaries upon the 4th Chapter of the Epistle to the Ephesians, amongst the Works of St. Ambrose; for he saith, That at first, the Priests were called Bishops, and that the one being Dead, the other Succeeded; that is to say, That it was granted to the Ancientest Priest in promo∣tion, to bear the first rank or place; this primacy, being a primacy of Order, and not of Power and Authority over others, the only primacy forbidden by our Disci∣pline; in effect, the first admitted, held the first place in the Pesbytery, just as the Dean amongst Councellors of Parliament, or as the Dean of Prebends in a Chapter.