A27035:474
A second true defence of the mere nonconformists against the untrue accusations, reasonings, and…A second true defence of the meer nonconformists against the untrue accusations, reasonings, and…
A second true defence of the mere nonconformists against the untrue accusations, reasonings, and history of Dr. Edward Stillingfleet ... clearly proving that it is (not sin but) duty 1. not wilfully to commit the many sins of conformity, 2. not sacrilegiously to forsake the preaching of the Gospel, 3. not to cease public worshipping of God, 4. to use needful pastoral helps for salvation ... / written by Richard Baxter ... ; with some notes on Mr. Joseph Glanviles Zealous and impartial Protestant, and Dr. L. Moulins character.A second true defence of the meer nonconformists against the untrue accusations, reasonings, and history of Dr. Edward Stillingfleet ... clearly proving that it is (not sin but) duty 1. not wilfully to commit the many sins of conformity, 2. not sacrilegiously to forsake the preaching of the Gospel, 3. not to cease publick worshipping of God, 4. to use needful pastoral helps for salvation ... / written by Richard Baxter ... ; with some notes on Mr. Joseph Glanviles Zealous and impartial Protestant, and Dr. L. Moulins character.
London: printed for Nevil Simons, 1681
AN ANSWER TO Dean STILINGFLEETS, &c. › Chapter 7: The Reply to his Third Part: The beginning.
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.
Sect. 10. If any man will but consider what I cited out of Greg. Nazianzen that saith Men unfit were so ambitious to be of the Clergy, that the Clergy was in many Churches almost as many as the Laity; And that Presbyters then were much like the Presbyterians Elders, save that they had the power of Word and Sacraments though they seldom exercised Preaching in Cities, but left that to the Bishop; and that the number of their Acoluthi, Exorcistae, Ostiarii, Lectores, Subdiaconi, Diaconi, &c. made up the great body of them. And the very Boys and Scholars that were bred up under them, yea or but for Church-singing, are sometimes joined to make up the number, see Isidor. de Offic. Eccl. L. 2. even all the Monks, are often numbered with them. And Victor cited by him seemeth to number twice the Infantuli so bred up with the great number of Readers, to the Carthage Clergy, I say he that considers all this, will not judge of the number of people or Churches by the number of the Clergy, as he would do now with us, where the great Parishes have but two or three Priests.
Sect. 10. If any man will but consider what I cited out of Greg. Nazianzen that saith Men unfit were so ambitious to be of the Clergy, that the Clergy was in many Churches almost as many as the Laity; And that Presbyters then were much like the Presbyterians Elders, save that they had the power of Word and Sacraments though they seldom exercised Preaching in Cities, but left that to the Bishop; and that the number of their Acoluthi, Exorcistae, Ostiarii, Lectores, Subdiaconi, Diaconi, &c. made up the great body of them. And the very Boys and Schollars that were bred up under them, yea or but for Church-singing, are sometimes joyned to make up the number, see Isidor. de Offic. Eccl. L. 2. even all the Monks, are often numbred with them. And Victor cited by him seemeth to number twice the Infantuli so bred up with the great number of Readers, to the Carthage Clergy, I say he that considers all this, will not judge of the number of people or Churches by the number of the Clergy, as he would do now with us, where the great Parishes have but two or three Priests.
Sect. 11. And as to the cause that I plead for, it is enough that I have proved that even when the name of Bishop was confined to the Episcopi Pastorum, yet the Presbyters had the power of the Keys, and were Episcopi Gregis, and exercised this power in their distant Country assemblies, though under the Bishop, and the Bishop was to exercise his with them as Assistants; so that the particular Churches were not really unchurched.