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The author cites 1 Tim. 4:14 and 1 Tim. 5:22 as proof that apostolic authority was transferred to Timothy.

Actually, what it proves is that pastors (Gk:presbuteros/episkopos), and never priests (Gk: hiereus, or sacerdos in Latin) were ordained, while the only record any apostolic successors (like for James: Acts 12:1,2) was for Judas in order to maintain the original 12. (Rv. 21:14) Nor were any apostolic successors elected by voting, versus casting lots (no politics). (Acts 1:15ff)

The Divine Authority of the Church? The Protestant's Dilemma asks the following question:

Since Christ established a visible Church in the first century and gave it rightful authority, the burden of proof falls on Protestants to demonstrate that he revoked this authority universally from the Church at some point in time. What event can they point to that caused Christ to take away his authority, and which Church leaders were involved in it? Where is the historical evidence for the claim?

That is simple. Christ never established any Church with a perpetual magisterial infallibility, and which, as with clergy being a separate sacerdotal class of believers distinctively titled priests, and the infallible supreme pope, was part of the progressive deformation of Rome.

Thus the visible church abused authority, while only the body of Christ, which is the one true church, consists 100% of true believers. However, enough Truth remained that some faith could be preserved, and as with corrupt civil rulers, God left them in office, and to which general obedience was enjoined as long as one remained in that church, as it was of slaves to unjust, or ill-tempered masters, (1Pt. 2:18) and as to those who sat in the seat of Moses. (Mt. 23:2)

However, as in all cases of obedience to man in Scripture, this was conditional upon conformity with the revealed will of God, and never in contradiction to it. Thus God blessed such souls as the midwives who disobeyed Pharaoh's order of infanticide, (Ex. 1;16-21) and the apostles. (Acts 4:19)

Likewise those who were in the Eastern Orthodox were to submit to them.

Thus the degree of authority DR imagines the NT church was given did not exist to be passed on, while general submission to any powers that be remained.

However, even slaves are to seek freedom, (1Cor. 7:21) and "promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south," But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another, (Psalms 75:5,6) and the time came after Rome had shown not only how fractious it could become due to rivalry, not love for Truth, but also how immoral , then God dealt a decisive major blow to the church in once again raising up men from with the est. magisterium to reprove it. Which is how God often preserved faith, and which is how even the church began.

Better is a poor and a wise child than an old and foolish king, who will no more be admonished, (Ecclesiastes 4:13) and as Rome remained recalcitrant a young rejected church began, if with difficulty and imperfectly formed, but having to go to Christ outside the institutionalized camp, and which would lead to the greatest increase in souls being added to the kingdom of God. Including multitudes being rescued from Rome which became more like the gates of Hell for multitudes.