A26924:450
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated…
The English nonconformity as under King Charles II and King James II truly stated and argued by Richard Baxter ; who earnestly beseecheth rulers and clergy not to divide and destroy the land and cast their own souls on the dreadful guilt and punishment of national perjury ...
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1689
Chapter 27: Point XXIV. Of Publishing the 8th Canons Excommunications.
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.
L. But what is amiss in the Book of Ordination?
M. I am anon to tell you that. But if there were nothing amiss in it, yet the belief of its innocency is not necessary to Salvation.
L. But if every man have leave to accuse the Orders of the Church, what Order can be maintained?
M. 1. Leave modestly, to express dissent in a doubtful case may stand with Order. 2. If men do it disorderly, there be other Penalties besides ipso facto Excommunication: Every breach of the peace is not Rebellion, nor punished with Death. But I'll tell you briefly what may occasion good men to say that their Ordinations are sinful. 1. In that they thereby obtrude Pastors on the Churches upon the bare choice of a Patron, without or against the peoples wills. 2. In that they professedly ordain such as their Canon forbids to Preach or Expound any Doctrine. 3. In that they determine that Bishops, Priests and Deacons are three distinct Orders, which yet is an undetermined Controversy among even the Learnedst Papists. And must we damn, and cut off men for that which the very Papists leave at liberty? 4. In that they ordain men to an Office which Scripture maketh no mention of. Dr. Hammond saith, that it cannot be proved that there were any Presbyters subject to Bishops in Scripture times, nor any but Bishops: None that had not power of Ordination and the Keys; nor any Bishops of a multitude of Churches and Presbyters, both which are here ordained. 5. In that they Swear Obedience to Arch-bishops and their Sees; and make Priests Covenant Obedience to their Ordinaries, as aforesaid. If a godly man do as Bucer did to King Edward the Sixth, as you may see in his Scripta Anglic. and desire some of these faults to be amended, doth he deserve to be cast out as an impenitent wicked man for this? when they that will say, all's well that the Bishops do, may live quietly in open vice or ungodliness. As Dr. Stoughton saith, If you strike a Schismatic, and Christ find a Saint lye bleeding, and you be to answer for it, I would not be in your