A26975:78
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
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.
On one side a double mischief hath been by this ignorance introduced. First, That of Popery, which first profaneth the Sacred Office of Kings and Magistrates, feigning them to be but a sort of secular Animals, that have the care only of mens Bodies and trading and worldly Affairs, and not of Souls, or of mens everlasting Safety; as if this belonged only to Priests; whereby they make Kings to be as much baser than Priests, as the Body is viler than the Soul, and teach the Subjects accordingly to dishonour and contemn them.
On one side a double mischief hath been by this ignorance introduced. First, That of Popery, which first prophaneth the Sacred Office of Kings and Magistrates, feigning them to be but a sort of secular Animals, that have the care only of mens Bodies and trading and worldly Affairs, and not of Souls, or of mens everlasting Safety; as if this belonged only to Priests; whereby they make Kings to be as much baser than Priests, as the Body is viler than the Soul, and teach the Subjects accordingly to dishonour and contemn them.
2. And while they confine Princes to the bounds of their own Dominions, they pretend that the whole World must have one Church Sovereign, either Monarchical, Aristocratical, or mixed; which yet Humane Nature is utterly uncapable of; so that truly Popery is founded on the degrading of Princes and States, and overthrowing true National Church-bounds, to set up an absurdly pretended Universal Sovereignty instead of it, under Sacerdotal Heads.
2. And while they confine Princes to the bounds of their own Dominions, they pretend that the whole World must have one Church Soveraign, either Monarchical, Aristocratical, or mixt; which yet Humane Nature is utterly uncapable of; so that truly Popery is founded on the degrading of Princes and States, and overthrowing true National Church-bounds, to set up an absurdly pretended Universal Soveraignty instead of it, under Sacerdotal Heads.