A27050:1068
A treatise of episcopacy confuting by Scripture, reason, and the churches testimony that sort…
A treatise of episcopacy confuting by Scripture, reason, and the churches testimony that sort of diocesan churches, prelacy and government, which casteth out the primitive church-species, episcopacy, ministry and discipline and confoundeth the Christian world by corruption, usurpation, schism and persecution : meditated in the year 1640, when the et cætera oath was imposed : written 1671 and cast by : published 1680 by the importunity of our superiors, who demand the reasons of our nonconformity / by Richard Baxter.A treatise of episcopacy confuting by Scripture, reason, and the churches testimony that sort of diocesan churches, prelacy and government, which casteth out the primitive church-species, episcopacy, ministry and discipline and confoundeth the Christian world by corruption, usurpation, schism and persecution : meditated in the year 1640, when the et cætera oath was imposed : written 1671 and cast by : published 1680 by the importunity of our superiours, who demand the reasons of our nonconformity / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for Nevil Simmons, 1681
Part 2 › Chapter 5: The same proved by the full Testimony of Antiquity.
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.
IV. Justin Martyr's Testimony is trite, but most plain, and not to be evaded. [Greek or Hebrew] &c. Postea fratrum praeposito panis & poculum offertur—Postquam praepositus gratias egit totusque populus fausta omnia acclamavit; qui inter nos Diaconi vocantur dant unicuique partem panis & calicis diluti, super quos facta est gratiarum actio, atque etiam deferre sinunt absentibus—Die solis urbanorum ac rusticanorum coetus fiunt, ubi Apostolorum prophetarumque literae quoad fieri potest praeleguntur: Cessant• Lectore Praepositus verba facit adhortatoria—Posthaec consurgunt omnes & preces off•rimus: quibus finitis profertur panis, vinum & aqua: Tum praepofitus quantum potest preces offert, & gratiarum actions: Plebs vero Amen accin•t. Inde consecrata distribuuntur singulis, & absentibus mittuntur per Diaconos: ⟨p. 29⟩Ditiores si libeat pro sua quisque voluntate conferunt: Collecta deponuntur apud praepositum: Is subvenit pupillis, viduis, & propter morbum aliamve necessitatem egentibus, vinctis quoque & peregrinis, & in summa curator fit omnium inopum. Thus Justin Apolog. 2. Where he describeth the Church State and Worship which we desire, as plainly as we can speak our selves. Note here, 1. That whether the Country-men and Citizens had several Churches or met in one City Church, it showeth that they were but single Congregations. For every Church had a present Bishop: (For Doctor Hammond maintaineth that by the Praepositus here is meant the Bishop, and so do others of them.) 2. This Bishop performed the Offices of the day, every Lord's day, praying, preaching and administering the Lord's Supper, &c. 3. All the Alms of the Church was committed to the Bishop at present, (and therefore he had not many hundred or any other Churches under him where Presbyters did all receive the Alms.) 4. He was the common Curator of all the Poor, Orphans, Sick, &c. which could not be for more than one of our Parishes: (And let the Bishops take as big a Church as they will do all this for, and spare not.) 5. And the Deacons bringing the consecrated Bread and Wine to the absent in token of Communion with the same Church and Bishop, showeth that there were not under him many other absent Congregations, that had no other Bishop of their own: Nor did the Deacon carry it to such Congregations through the Diocese. In a word, here is a full description of a Congregational Church and Bishop.