A26975:230
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.
III. And that a Superior sort of Successors to the Apostles and Evangelists were of Divine Institution I have proved before.
§ 28. The appropriating the name of BISHOPS to this General rank, here called the Diocesans, contrary to Scripture and Truth, hath proved a mischievous snare for Deceit and Tyranny. For hereby first our Innovators have denied the Parish Incumbents to be true Pastors; secondly, And the Parish Churches to be true Political Churches for want of proper Bishops or Pastors, but only parts of the Diocesan Church; As if that were infimae specei. 3. By this they have made the ignorant Laity believe that those ordained by the Proestotes, the parochial President Bishops, are ordained by no Bishops at all, and so must be reordained. And 4. they are become the grand Enemies of Episcopacy, putting down many hundred Bishops to set up one alone. And yet perfrictâ fronte have called such as are for more, Antiepiscopal and themselves the Episcopal party. Just as if one Schoolmaster or Physician, should put down many hundred that he may be the only Schoolmaster and Physician, or one Judge put down all the Justices and Mayors, and then impudently say that they are against Physicians, Schoolmasters and Justices, and he only is for them.
§ 28. The appropriating the name of BISHOPS to this General rank, here called the Diocesanes, contrary to Scripture and Truth, hath proved a mischievous snare for Deceit and Tyranny. For hereby first our Innovators have denied the Parish Incumbents to be true Pastors; secondly, And the Parish Churches to be true Political Churches for want of proper Bishops or Pastors, but only parts of the Diocesan Church; As if that were infimae specei. 3. By this they have made the ignorant Laity believe that those ordained by the Proestotes, the parochial President Bishops, are ordained by no Bishops at all, and so must be reordained. And 4. they are become the grand Enemies of Episcopacy, putting down many hundred Bishops to set up one alone. And yet perfrictâ fronte have called such as are for more, Antiepiscopal and themselves the Episcopal party. Just as if one Schoolmaster or Physition, should put down many hundred that he may be the only Schoolmaster and Physition, or one Judge put down all the Justices and Mayors, and then impudently say that they are against Physitions, Schoolmasters and Justices, and he only is for them.