A26911:271
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter…
The defence of the nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of the matter of their nonconformity against Mr. J. Cheney's answer called The conforming nonconformist, and The nonconforming conformist : to which is added the second part in answer to Mr. Cheney's Five undertakings / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Benjamin Alsop, 1680
A DEFENCE OF THE NON-CONFORMIST'S Plea for Peace, AGAINST Mr. J. CH… › Chapter 21
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. The Power of the Keys is so much of the essential comprehensive title of that Office, as that it is nullified when it is made common.
3. If this part may be done by the Lay-men or Magistrate, no man can give a reason why any of the rest may not, even not only to be the stated Teachers of the Church, and their Guides in Worship, but also Baptizing and administering the Lord's Supper. As it is more to be the Law-makers than the Criers, and the Judge, than the Marshal; so it is more to decree who shall have the Sacraments, than barely to deliver it them, which the Deacon may do. And so we shall have not only Lay-Baptizers, but Lay-Preachers, Lay-Administers of the Lord's Supper, or by contradiction, Lay-Priests.
3. If this part may be done by the Lay-men or Magistrate, no man can give a reason why any of the rest may not, even not only to be the stated Teachers of the Church, and their Guides in Worship, but also Baptizing and administring the Lord's Supper. As it is more to be the Law-makers than the Cryers, and the Judge, than the Marshal; so it is more to decree who shall have the Sacraments, than barely to deliver it them, which the Deacon may do. And so we shall have not only Lay-Baptizers, but Lay-Preachers, Lay-Administers of the Lord's Supper, or by contradiction, Lay-Priests.
4. You plead for Conformity, and may easily know that the Church of England abhorreth this Opinion.