A27050:150
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.
39. Thus was the Apostles Order by degrees subverted; and whereas they settled distinct Churches with their distinct Bishops, no Bishop having two Churches under him, (that had not also their proper Bishop) now One Church was made of many without many Bishops; sub-Presbyters first in the same Church being introduced, at last sub-Churches also were set up. And when they should have done as we do with Bees, let every new Swarm have a new Hive, and should have multiplied Bishops and Churches, homogeneal, as sufficient numbers of Converts came in, instead of this, the City Bishops kept all under them as if they had been still one Church (yet not as Archbishops that have Bishops under them) and kept their sub-Presbyters as their Curates to officiate in the several Churches that had all no Bishops but One.
39. Thus was the Apostles Order by degrees subverted; and whereas they settled distinct Churches with their distinct Bishops, no Bishop having two Churches under him, (that had not also their proper Bishop) now One Church was made of many without many Bishops; sub-Presbyters first in the same Church being introduced, at last sub-Churches also were set up. And when they should have done as we do with Bees, let every new Swarm have a new Hive, and should have multiplyed Bishops and Churches, homogeneal, as sufficient numbers of Converts came in, instead of this, the City Bishops kept all under them as if they had been still one Church (yet not as Archbishops that have Bishops under them) and kept their sub-Presbyters as their Curates to officiate in the several Churches that had all no Bishops but One.
40. The causes of this were apparently most of the same which are mentioned before for the making of sub-Presbyters: Especially, 1. The selfishness of the Bishops, who were loth to let go any of the people from under their superiority: Because it was more honour to rule many than one single Congregation; and he was a greater man that had many sub-Presbyters and whole Assemblies at his command, than he that had not: And also many afforded greater maintenance than a few. And 2. the same Reasons that made men at first set up one Presbyter as Bishop over the rest, to avoid Divisions, and to determine Arbitrations, did now seem strong to them, for the keeping up the Authority of the City Bishop over the sub-Assemblies round about them. 3. And Cities only having been possessed of Bishops for many Years if not Ages, before there were Christians enow to make up Country Churches, both the Bishops and the City Inhabitants, (easily overlooking the Reason of it) took this for their Prerogative, and did plead Prescription; As if Schools being