A26975:199
Of national churches their description, institution, use, preservation, danger, maladies and cure, partly applied…
Of national churches their description, institution, use, preservation, danger, maladies and cure, partly applied to England / written by Richard Baxter for promoting peace ... and for the fuller explication of the Treaty for Concord in 1660 and 1661, and of the Kings gracious declaration about ecclesiastical affairs ... and for further explication of his treatise of episcopacy ...
London: printed by T. Snowden for Thomas Parkhurst, 1691
Chapter 5: Of Pastors or the Bishops of National Churches, that they are to be of Three ranks.
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.
4. The fourth is proper to general Officers, to take a stated official care and oversight of many Churches as confined to no one. Others must Secondarily take a Brotherly care; But General Officers take a Fatherly Stated care of them as their province or charge. It would be tedious to cite all the texts that mention Pauls and Barnabas and such others care to preserve and edify the several Churches which they had planted. Paul staid at Ephesus some years to carry on this edifying settling work: so did John and other Apostles in their Provinces. This was not to play the Bishop in other mens Diocese, as it would be in a common Pastor if he should intrude without the particular Pastors consent; which yet a General Officer may do.
4. The fourth is proper to general Officers, to take a stated official care and oversight of many Churches as confined to no one. Others must Secondarily take a Brotherly care; But General Officers take a Fatherly Stated care of them as their province or charge. It would be tedious to cite all the texts that mention Pauls and Barnabas and such others care to preserve and edifie the several Churches which they had planted. Paul staid at Ephesus some years to carry on this edifying setling work: so did John and other Apostles in their Provinces. This was not to play the Bishop in other mens Diocess, as it would be in a common Pastor if he should intrude without the particular Pastors consent; which yet a General Officer may do.
5. The same I say of Censuring.
6. And of trying Causes officially in various Congregations. There is the same reason for these in all Ages as there was in the first.