A26892:5577
A Christian Directory
A Christian directory, or, A sum of practical theology and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortify every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.A Christian directory, or, A summ of practical theologie and cases of conscience directing Christians how to use their knowledge and faith, how to improve all helps and means, and to perform all duties, how to overcome temptations, and to escape or mortifie every sin : in four parts ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by Robert White for Nevill Simmons, 1673
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
§. 29. 4. If any shall unlawfully constitute a new Political Church-form, by making new constitutive Officers to be its Visible Head, which Christ never appointed, we are not to hold communion with the Church in its devised form or Polity: though we may hold Communion with the members of it considered as Christians and members of the Universal Church. Mark well, that I do not say that every new devised Officer disobligeth us from such communion, but such as I describe; which I shall fuller open.
§. 29. 4. If any shall unlawfully constitute a new Political Church-form, by making new constitutive Officers to be its Visible Head, which Christ never appointed, we are not to hold communion with the Church in its devised form or Polity: though we may hold Communion with the members of it considered as Christians and members of the Universal Church. Mark well, that I do not say that every new devised Officer disobligeth us from such communion, but such as I describe; which I shall sullyer open.
§ 30. Quest. May not men place new Officers in the Church: and new forms of Government which1 God never instituted? or is there any form and Officers of Divine institution?
- 1Quest. Whether any form of Church-Government be of Divine appointment: and whether man may appoint any other?
Answ. Though I answered this before, I shall here briefly answer it again; 1. There are some sorts of Officers that are essential to the Polity, or Church-form, and some that are only needful to the wellbeing of it, and some that are only Accidental: 2. There is a Church-form of Gods own institution, and there is a superadded humane Polity, or form: There are two sort of Churches, or Church-forms of Gods own institution. The first is the Universal Church considered Politically as Headed by Jesus Christ: This is so of Divine appointment, as that it is an Article of our Creed. Here if any man devise and superinduce another Head of the Universal Church, which God never appointed, though he pretend to hold his Sovereignty from Christ and under him, it is Treason against the sovereignty of Christ, as setting up an Universal Government or Sovereign in his Church without his authority and consent. Thus the Pope is the Usurping Head of a Rebellion against Christ, and in that sense by Protestants called Antichrist: And he is guilty of the Rebellion that subscribeth to, or owneth his Usurpation, or sweareth to him as his Governor, though he promise to obey him but in licitis & honestis: Because it is not lawful or honest to consent to a Usurpers Government. If a Usurper should traitorously without the Kings consent, proclaim himself Vice-King of Ireland or Scotland, and falsely say that he hath the Kings Authority, when the King disclaimeth him, he that should voluntarily swear obedience to him in things lawful and honest, doth voluntarily own his Usurpation and Treason. And its not the lawfulness and honesty of the matter which will warrant us to own the Usurpation of the Commander. And Secondly, There is another subordinate Church-form of Christs institution: that is,