A26965:837
The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things…
The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things in which they are misunderstood written to reconcile and pacify such as by mistaking them hinder love and concord / by Richard Baxter.The nonconformists plea for peace, or, An account of their judgment in certain things in which they are misunderstood written to reconcile and pacifie such as by mistaking them hinder love and concord / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Benj. Alsop, 1679
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.
3. And as to the last (and greatest) reason, that the Apostles have successors who must orderly exercise their Government; it is answered 1. The common doctrine of the Church was, that all Bishops are their Successors so far as they have successions; and every Church of one Altar had a Bishop in the days of Ignatius, and long after. 2. The Council of Carthage said, None of us calleth himself Bishop of Bishops. 3. But if any be set as the Bishop of many Bishops and Churches, so be it they use no violence, but govern volunteers as all the old Bishops did, and forbid them nothing commanded of God, nor command them any ⟨p. 297⟩thing which God forbiddeth, and destroy not the order, doctrine, worship or discipline of the lesser particular Churches, we have before said, that we shall submit to such.
3. And as to the last (and greatest) reason, that the Apostles have successors who must orderly exercise their Government; it is answered 1. The common doctrine of the Church was, that all Bishops are their Successors so far as they have successions; and every Church of one Altar had a Bishop in the daies of Ignatius, and long after. 2. The Council of Carthage said, None of us calleth himself Bishop of Bishops. 3. But if any be set as the Bishop of many Bishops and Churches, so be it they use no violence, but govern volunteers as all the old Bishops did, and sorbid them nothing commanded of God, nor command them any ⟨p. 297⟩thing which God forbiddeth, and destroy not the order, doctrine, worship or discipline of the lesser particular Churches, we have before said, that we shall submit to such.
§41. IV. As to the question, whether the Government settled by Christ in National Churches be (as to the Clergy from all parts, Monarchical) Aristocratical or Democratical, and who must have the summam potestatem? The disagreement of the persons that we have herein to do with, puts us into utter despair of any solution. And what good will it do us to believe that some must be obeyed, if we cannot be certain who it is.