A27050:1077
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.
The Case is so plain in Cyprian that Pamelius himself is forced thus to confess [Non negamus veterem Electionis Episcoporum ritum, quo plebe praesente, immo & suffragiis plebis eligi solent. Nam in Africa illum observatum constat ex electione Eradii successoris D. Augustini de quo extat Epistola ejus 120. In Graecia aetate Chrysostomi ex lib. 3. de Sacerdot. In Hispaniis ex hoc Cypriani loco, & Isidor. lib. de Officiis. In Galliis ex Epist. Celestini, p. 2. Romae, exiis quae supra diximus Epist. ad Antoniam. Ubique etiam alibi ex Epist. Leonis 87. Et perdurasse eam consuetudinem ad Gregor. 1. usque ex ejus Epistolis; Immo ad tempora usqu• Caroli & Ludovici Imperat. ex 1. lib. Capitulorum eorundem satis constat; Verum1 Plebi sola suffragia concessa, non electio quae per subscriptionem fieri solet.—Hoc enim potissimum tunc agebatur, ut invito plebi non daretur Episcopus.—
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From hence now the quantity of their Churches may easily be gathered. 1. The people must be present. 2. And this must be All the people, the whole Laity of the Church. 3. They give their testimony of the life of the ordained. 4. They are supposed all to know his conversation. 5. This is the common custom of the Churches, in Africa and all other Countries.
Now I leave it to the consideration of sober minds how many Churches, or Congregations could do all this? Whether it was many hundred Churches that never saw the person, nor one another, that were to meet in one Church or place, to do all this? Or rather the Inhabitants of a Vicinity, using to assemble for Communion, when even our Greater Parishes now are more than can thus meet and do all this?