A27050:1400
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.
2. That the flock or Church is not to be denominated from a small or inconsiderable part of it, but from the main Body. Therefore he that is the Teacher but of one Congregation of a thousand, or many hundreds, or scores, is not to be therefore called, the Teacher of that Church or Flock, which consisteth of ⟨p. 92⟩so many Congregations: And so also for Worship and personal conduct, He is not a Priest to that flock, &c. Much less when he undertaketh not one Parish.
Obj. So you may say of one of the old City Churches, such as Alexandria where the Bishop preached but to one Congregation; or of our Parishes that have Chapels, where the Curate teacheth in the Chapels; or wherever there are many Presbyters to a Congregation: All do not preach, at least to all the people.
Obj. So you may say of one of the old City Churches, such as Alexandria where the Bishop preached but to one Congregation; or of our Parishes that have Chappels, where the Curate teacheth in the Chappels; or wherever there are many Presbyters to a Congregation: All do not preach, at least to all the people.
Ans. 1. I doubt not but Alexandria and all such places, should have had many Churches and Bishops, as the Christians grew too many to be in and under one.