Fragment on early Church government Isaac Newton c. 294 words Newton Project Brighton 2012 Newton Project, Sussex University

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 c. 1710s-1720s, in English, c. 280 words, 1 p. 1 p.

in English

 SL255Passage on early Christian sects [SL255.9] SL255.10, Location Unknown Location Unknown SL255.10 SL255.10

The whole of SL255 was bought at the 1936 Sotheby sale by Emmanuel Fabius for £13.10s. This portion was offered as section 7 of Lot 511 at the 2004 New York Sotheby sale but not sold. It was sold to an unknown buyer for £7,200 at the 16 November 2005 Christie's auction in London.

 c. 1710s-1720s England English Isaac Newton ReligionDoctrine Tagged transcription by Shannon Higgins Revised by Shannon Higgins Checked by John Young Catalogue information compiled by John Young Final-checked by John Young Proofed by Robert Iliffe
VI.

In the first ages of the Christian religion the Christians of every city were governed by a Council of Presbyters or Elders & the President of the Council was the Bishop of the City. And the Bishop of one city medled not with the affairs of another except by admonitory Letters. Nor did the Bishops of several cities meddle to meet together in Councils before the reign of the Emperor Commodus. But about that time by For they could not meet without the leave of the Roman governours of Provinces. But about that time they began to meet in Provincial Councils; first in Asia in opposition to the Cataphrygian heresy, & soon after in other places & upon other occasions. And the Bishop of the head city or Metropolis of the Roman Roman Province was usually made President of the Council. And hence came the authority of Metropolitan Bishops above that of the other Bishops of yethe Province. Hence also it was that the Bishop of Rome in Cyprians days called himself the Bishop of Bishops. And as soon as the Empire became Christian the Roman Emperors began to called General Councills of the out of all the Provinces of the Empire & by prescribing to them what points they should consider & influencing them by their interest & power they set up what party they pleased & thereby the Greek Empire became the king who he became the king who [in matters of religion] did according to his will & [in legislature] exalted & magnified himself above every God, & at length in the seventh general Council established the worship of Mahuzzims the Images & souls of dead men, & of their images here called Mahuzzims.

Eusebius in his Ecclesiastical history –