A27050:121
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
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.
10. On this account also it is that Timothy is said to be Bishop of Ephesus, because he was left there for a time to settle that and other Churches of Asia near it, as an Assistant of the Apostles: And so Titus is called the Bishop of Crete, because he staid in that Island (which was said to have an hundred Cities) on this work, which belonged not to a particular Bishop, but to the more indefinite Ministry.
11. How many such fixed Bishops, Elders, Pastors, or Teachers, each particular Church must have, the Apostles never determined by a Law: But did de facto settle them according to the number of souls, and store of qualified persons: In some Churches it is possible there might be but one (with Deacons:) In others it is evident that there were many; as at Jerusalem, Corinth, &c.
12. The particular Churches which were the charge of these fixed Bishops or Elders were Societies of Christians conjoined for Personal Communion in God's Worship, and mutual assistance in holy living: And though for want of convenient room, or liberty, they did not always meet all in the same place, yet were they ordinarily no more than could meet in one place when they had liberty: and never more than could hold personal Communion, if not at once, yet at several times in public worship: (As it is now in those places where one part of the Family goeth to Church one part of the day, and another on the other part.) And those by-Meetings which any had that came not constantly to the public Assemblies, were but as our House-Meetings, or Chapel-Meetings, but never as another Church: Nor were their Churches more numerous than our Parishes, nor near so great.
12. The particular Churches which were the charge of these fixed Bishops or Elders were Societies of Christians conjoyned for Personal Communion in God's Worship, and mutual assistance in holy living: And though for want of convenient room, or liberty, they did not always meet all in the same place, yet were they ordinarily no more than could meet in one place when they had liberty: and never more than could hold personal Communion, if not at once, yet at several times in publick worship: (As it is now in those places where one part of the Family goeth to Church one part of the day, and another on the other part.) And those by-Meetings which any had that came not constantly to the publick Assemblies, were but as our House-Meetings, or Chapel-Meetings, but never as another Church: Nor were their Churches more numerous than our Parishes, nor near so great.