A26865:295
An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II.…
An apology for the nonconformists ministry containing I. the reasons of their preaching, II. an answer to the accusations urged as reasons for the silencing of about 2000 by Bishop Morley ..., III. reasons proving it the duty and interest of the bishops and conformists to endeavour earnestly their restoration : with a postscript upon oral debates with Mr. H. Dodwell, against his reasons for their silence ... : written in 1668 and 1669, for the most of it, and now published as an addition to the defence against Dr. Stillingfleet, and as an account to the silencers of the reasons of our practice / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for T. Parkhurst and D. Newman, 1681
AN APOLOGY FOR THE SILENCED MINISTERS, Especially for their not cea… › Part › Objection 8
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Are Presbyterians so intolerable a sort of people? Or will the bare opinion, that singular Churches have all Church-power of Christs institution among themselves, while they submit to the Civil Government, prove men otherwise sober, to be unsufferable? You know Dr. Hammond and other Episcopal Divines do assert an Independency of Diocesan Churches (which he saith de facto in Scripture-times had no Presbyters but one Bishop and his few Deacons.) And you know Dr. Stillingfleet (of whose judgment Bishop Reinolds and many Conformists have profest themselves to be) maintaineth that no one form of Church-Government is of Divine Right and Institution. And if so, then the Independents and Presbyterians refuse none that is of Divine Institution.
3. Are Presbyterians so intollerable a sort of people? Or will the bare opinion, that singular Churches have all Church-power of Christs institution among themselves, while they submit to the Civil Government, prove men otherwise sober, to be unsufferable? You know Dr. Hammord and other Episcopal Divines do assert an Independency of Diocesan Churches (which he saith de facto in Scripture-times had no Presbyters but one Bishop and his few Deacons.) And you know Dr. Stillingfleet (of whose judgment Bishop Reinolds and many Conformists have profest themselves to be) maintaineth that no one form of Church-Government is of Divine Right and Institution. And if so, then the Independents and Presbyterians refuse none that is of Divine Institution.
4. But are you sure that you mistake not, to the injury of the sufferers? I can tell the world and you, that I knew but one Presbyterian Minister in all Worcestershire; and that one was not of our Association; nor any one Independent associated with us, (though there were three worthy Ministers in the County so esteemed) there was not one of the Associated Ministry that was so much as reputed Presbyterian or Independent (but Episcopal, some were, that now conform); much less Anabaptists, or of any other Sect; but held the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and loved a Christian as a Christian, and were for the uniting of all the Churches that are sound in the faith, and in the things necessary to Church-Communion, even upon the ancient Primitive terms.