A26975:210
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.
§ 19. And I am fully confirmed when I find that the Apostles themselves settled a General sort of Ministers in Superiority and General Work to succeed them. As Christ himself by his Spirit made Barnabas an Apostle, so he gave to his Church also Evangelists who were General helpers of the Apostles, and were put in a state of Disparity and Superiority. Sill as and Mark, and Luke, and Apollos, and many more are named. The texts that mention the General Office and Superior power of Timothy and Titus are so well known and oft cited, that it's needless to repeat them. The charge of settling and overseeing many Churches (as in Crete) and of caution in Imposition of Hands, receiving accusations, rebuking sharply, ruling them well, ordaining Bishops and Deacons: and much more the like.
§ 19. And I am fully confirmed when I find that the Apostles themselves setled a General sort of Ministers in Superiority and General Work to succeed them. As Christ himself by his Spirit made Barnabas an Apostle, so he gave to his Church also Evangelists who were General helpers of the Apostles, and were put in a state of Disparity and Superiority. Sil as and Mark, and Luke, and Apollos, and many more are named. The texts that mention the General Office and Superior power of Timothy and Titus are so well known and oft cited, that it's needless to repeat them. The charge of setling and overseeing many Churches (as in Crete) and of caution in Imposition of Hands, receiving accusations, rebuking sharply, ruling them well, ordaining Bishops and Deacons: and much more the like.
I never thought Saravia and the Kings Arguments in the Isle of Wight well answered. Mr. Prins and the common answer is, that these were not Bishops, but Evangelists. I grant it, but that confirmeth me. For the name Bishop was then ordinarily appropriated to fixed particular Church Elders: But our question is not de nomine but de re, an Apostle & Evangelist were above such Bishops. Call them Apostles (as Dr. Hammond proveth that the Fathers oft call them) or call them Evangelists, or Arch Bishops or General Bishops or Diocesans or Provincial Bishops, it is not the name that is our Controversy. It proveth that the Apostles did settle a sort of General Overseers to gather and take care of many inferior Bishops and Churches, to succeed them in the ordinary part of their Office.