A26975:225
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.
§ 25. And it is left to Prudence how many subordinate Pastors and Churches there, shall each oversee, so they overthrow not the said subordinate Officers and Churches.
§ 26. And it is left to Prudence what secular Lands or Riches they shall have (called Glebe.) And what secular honour they shall have. As to be Barons and Lords, or to sit in Parliaments, though Reason saith that Laws about Religion and the Church affairs, should not be made without the advice of them who are so greatly entrusted with Religion; And yet that their Riches should be such as may not be too strong a Temptation to Sensuality, Worldliness, Pride and Tyrannizing over their Brethren.
§ 26. And it is left to Prudence what secular Lands or Riches they shall have (called Glebe.) And what secular honour they shall have. As to be Barons and Lords, or to sit in Parliaments, though Reason saith that Laws about Religion and the Church affairs, should not be made without the advice of them who are so greatly intrusted with Religion; And yet that their Riches should be such as may not be too strong a Temptation to Sensuality, Worldliness, Pride and Tyrannizing over their Brethren.
§ 27. There are three ranks of Bishops: Two if not all three of Divine Institution; And when any one of the three would suppress the other two, they are corrupted into a sinful Tyranny.