A27050:1384
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.
II. Where the specifying Ends differ, there the Species of Relations differ. But in the Churches and the Bishops in question the specifying Ends differ: Ergo &c.
I will first manifest the truth of the Minor (for the Major is unquestionable) of Churches, and next of Bishops.
1. The ends of a particular Church as described by us are these: 1. Communion sensible and external; 2. And that local or presential; 3. And that personal by all the body of the Church; 4. And that in the same Individual acts of Gods public worship. 5. In watching over, or helping each other towards Heaven, by provoking each other to love and to good works, and if a brother offend to tell him of his fault; to comfort each other, and to live together in holiness, love and peace. 6. To be related to the same Pastors, as those that are their Ordinary Teachers, Governors and Guides in public worship, as labouring amongst them and being ensamples to the flock. 7. To hold a distant Communion with the neighbour associated concordant Churches, ⟨p. 89⟩and particularly with those nearest them of the first order of Composition; of which association this particular Church is a part, for Communion of Churches as they are themselves a Society for Communion of Individual Christians in a single Church.
1. The ends of a particular Church as described by us are these: 1. Communion sensible and external; 2. And that local or presential; 3. And that personal by all the body of the Church; 4. And that in the same Individual acts of Gods publick worship. 5. In watching over, or helping each other towards Heaven, by provoking each other to love and to good works, and if a brother offend to tell him of his fault; to comfort each other, and to live together in holiness, love and peace. 6. To be related to the same Pastors, as those that are their Ordinary Teachers, Governours and Guides in publick worship, as labouring amongst them and being ensamples to the flock. 7. To hold a distant Communion with the neighbour associated concordant Churches,