A27050:1110
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.
And that each of these City and Parish Churches had a Bishop of their own, is apparent in what followeth, [Can. 30. Benedictionem super plebem in Ecclesia fundere aut poenitentem in Ecclesia benedicere, Presbytero penitus non licebit; that is, [It shall not at all be lawful for a Presbyter to pronounce the Blessing on the people in the Church, or to bless a Penitent in the Church.] Now these being (or one at least) performed in every Church Assembly, when a Presbyter is forbidden to do them, it is implied that a Bishop was present to do it himself: and so that every communicating Assembly had a Bishop.
And it's said, Can. 31. Missas die Dominico secularibus totas audire speciali ordine praecipimus; ita ut ante benedictionem sacerdotis egredi populus non praesumat, quod si fecerit, ab Episcopo publice confundatur. So that there must be a daily pronunciation ⟨p. 37⟩of the Blessing each Lords day, and that not by the Presbyters but the Bishop, who must rebuke them that go out before it; which showeth that each Church had a Bishop.
And it's said, Can. 31. Missas die Dominico secularibus totas audire speciali ordine praecipimus; ita ut ante benedictionem sacerdotis egredi populus non praesumat, quod si fecerit, ab Episcopo publice confundatur. So that there must be a daily pronunciation ⟨p. 37⟩of the Blessing each Lords day, and that not by the Presbyters but the Bishop, who must rebuke them that go out before it; which sheweth that each Church had a Bishop.
And after, [Qui solemnitatum, id est Paschae & natalis domini vel Pentecostes festivitatibus, cum Episcopis interesse neglexerint, quum in civitatibus communionis vel benedictionis accipiendae causa positos see nose debeant, triennio communion priventur Ecclesiae.] By which it appeareth that in a City there were no more Christians or Church-members, than could congregate with the Bishop on the Festivals for Communion; when all the neglecters were to be deprived of the Communion for three years.