A27050:1475
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.
III. Tertullian de poenit. to cast himself down at the feet of the Presbyters; which implieth that they had the power of the keys for Absolution: And those whom he calleth [Seniors] Apolog. managed the Discipline, and that not in a Chancellors Court, but in the same Congregations where and when they Assembled for public worship. If any will say that Bishops are here included, I will not deny it; But if they will say that when he nameth the Seniors and Presbyters without distinction, that he excludeth all save the Bishop alone, I shall not believe that Tertullian speaketh so un-intelligibly. Unless they will follow Dr. Hammond and believe (as I do not) that there was yet but One Presbyter, who was the Bishop in a Church, or in most Churches: which de facto would be for us.
III. Tertullian de poenit. to cast himself down at the feet of the Presbyters; which implyeth that they had the power of the keys for Absolution: And those whom he calleth [Seniores] Apolog. managed the Discipline, and that not in a Chancellors Court, but in the same Congregations where and when they Assembled for publick worship. If any will say that Bishops are here included, I will not deny it; But if they will say that when he nameth the Seniors and Presbyters without distinction, that he excludeth all save the Bishop alone, I shall not believe that Tertullian speaketh so un-intelligibly. Unless they will follow Dr. Hammond and believe (as I do not) that there was yet but One Presbyter, who was the Bishop in a Church, or in most Churches: which de facto would be for us.
IV. The Testimonies of Clem. Roman. Ignat. Justin Martyr, may be gathered out of the words forecited. Hierom's Testimony in this case is so plain and full, and trite in every writing (Epist ad Evagr. & passim, making them the Apostles Successors, and the same with the Bishops, except only in ordination) that I will not trouble you with reciting it.