A26865:878
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… › Postscript › Section
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.
2. And if the Bishop cannot null the esse of our Calling, than the operation is not at his Will: For 1. the Esse is nothing but the Potestas operandi cum obligatione. 2. Else it were left to the Will of Bishops whether Christ should have any Ministers and Worship, and whether the Gospel should be preached, or Souls be saved.
3. But if it be only the Time, place and order of our Ministration that is left to Bishops, they have no power to forbid the necessary preaching of the Gospel, on pretence of ordering it: To order operation, is not to prohibit it: He doth not order my studies, writing, travel, building, who biddeth me study, write, travel, build no more.
4. As the Bishops of Spain at Trent defended the Divine right of their office against the Pope, so must we ours against the Prelates. Christ hath instituted the office of Presbyters himself; which is more generally agreed on among Christians, than that he hath instituted our Prelacy: But if Dr. Hammond's opinion hold true, that there were no subject▪ Presbyters in Scripture times, we shall think it hard to prove that there ought to be any now: And then all Ministers must be of one order.
4. As the Bishops of Spain at Trent defended the Divine right of their office against the Pope, so must we ours against the Prelates. Christ hath instituted the office of Presbyters himself; which is more generally agreed on among Christians, than that he hath instituted our Prelacy: But if Dr. Hammond's opinion hold true, that there were no subject▪ Presbyters in Scripturetimes, we shall think it hard to prove that there ought to be any now: And then all Ministers must be of one order.