Reliquiæ Baxterianæ, or, Mr. Richard Baxters narrative of the most memorable passages of his…

§ 320. 6. The sixth Charge is, That instead of the ancient Bishops, a later sort of Bishops is introduced, of a distinct Species from all the ancient Bishops: for then there were none but mere Bishops of particular Churches, and the Archbishops, Metropolitans, and Patriarchs that had the general oversight of these. But ours are of neither of these sorts: They are not Bishops of particular worshipping Churches that have one Altar; but have hundreds of such: Nor are they Archbishops; for they have no Bishops under them: But they are just such as the Archbishops or Metropolitans in those days would have been, if they had put down all the Bishops that were under them, and taken all the Charge of Government on themselves, leaving only Teaching Priests with the People: Even as the Papists feign Gregory to have meant, when he so vehemently denied the Title of Universal Bishop, as putting down the Inferior Bishops: Now any Man that thinketh the Species of Episcopacy described by Ignatius, and used in the Primitive times, to be of Divine, or Apostolical Institution, must needs think that a Species which having deposed them all, doth stand up in their stead, is utterly unlawful. And therefore this Argument against Diocesans is not managed by the Presbyterians as such, but by those that are for the Primitive Episcopacy.

§ 320. 6. The sixth Charge is, That instead of the ancient Bishops, a later sort of Bishops is introduced, of a distinct Species from all the ancient Bishops: for then there were none but meer Bishops of particular Churches, and the Archbishops, Metropolitans, and Patriarchs that had the general oversight of these. But ours are of neither of these sorts: They are not Bishops of particular worshipping Churches that have one Altar; but have hundreds of such: Nor are they Archbishops; for they have no Bishops under them: But they are just such as the Archbishops or Metropolitans in those days would have been, if they had put down all the Bishops that were under them, and taken all the Charge of Government on themselves, leaving only Teaching Priests with the People: Even as the Papists feign Gregory to have meant, when he so vehemently denied the Title of Universal Bishop, as putting down the Inferiour Bishops: Now any Man that thinketh the Species of Episcopacy described by Ignatius, and used in the Primitive times, to be of Divine, or Apostolical Institution, must needs think that a Species which having deposed them all, doth stand up in their stead, is utterly unlawful. And therefore this Argument against Diocesans is not managed by the Presbyterians as such, but by those that are for the Primitive Episcopacy.