A26892:6562
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.
10. It seemeth to me that the first distribution of Churches in the Roman Empire, into Patriarchal, Primates, Metropolitical, Provincial, Diocesan, were only the determination of ••ch adjuncts or extrinsic things, partly by the Emperors, and partly by Churches Consent upon the Emperors permission: And so that these new Church Governments were partly Magistratical, or by power derived from the Emperors, and partly mere Agreements or Contracts by degrees degenerating into Governments: And so the new forms and names are all but accidental, of adjuncts of the true Christian Churches. And though I cannot prove it unlawful to make such adjunctive or extrinsic constitutions, forms and names, considering the Matter simply it self, yet by accident these accidents have proved such to the true Churches, as the accident of sickness is to the body, and have been the causes of the Divisions, Wars, Rebellions, Ruins and Confusions of the Christian world: 1. As they have served the covetousness and ambition of carnal men: 2. And have enabled them to oppress simplicity and sincerity: 3. And because Princes have not exercised their own power themselves, nor committed it to Lay-Officers, but to Church-men: 4. Whereby the extrinsic Government hath so degenerated, and obscured the Intrinsic and been confounded with it, that both going under the equivocal name of ⟨p. 834⟩Ecclesiastical Government, few Churches have had the happiness to see them practically distinct:1 Nay, few Divines do clearly in their Controversies, distinguish them: (Though Marsilius Patavinus and some few more have formerly given them very fair light, yet hath it been but slenderly improved.)
10. It seemeth to me that the first distribution of Churches in the Roman Empire, into Patriarchal, Primates, Metropolitical, Provincial, Diocesan, were only the determination of ••ch adjuncts or extrinsick things, partly by the Emperours, and partly by Churches Consent upon the Emperours permission: And so that these new Church Governments were partly Magistratical, or by power derived from the Emperours, and partly meer Agreements or Contracts by degrees degenerating into Governments: And so the new forms and names are all but accidental, of adjuncts of the true Christian Churches. And though I cannot prove it unlawful to make such adjunctive or extrinsick constitutions, forms and names, considering the Matter simply it self, yet by accident these accidents have proved such to the true Churches, as the accident of sickness is to the body, and have been the causes of the Divisions, Wars, Rebellions, Ruines and Confusions of the Christian world: 1. As they have served the covetousness and ambition of carnal men: 2. And have enabled them to oppress simplicity and sincerity: 3. And because Princes have not exercised their own power themselves, nor committed it to Lay-Officers, but to Church-men: 4. Whereby the extrinsick Government hath so degenerated, and obscured the Intrinsick and been confounded with it, that both going under the equivocal name of