A27050:152
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.
And the Pagan Commonwealth ⟨p. 19⟩and Christian Church, within the Roman Empire, (and the neighbouring parts that were influenced by them) had a great resemblance.
41. But that which most notably set up this exsort swelling and degenerate1 Prelacy, was the mistaken zeal of Constantine, together with his Policy, and the ambition of Christians and Bishops that were gratified by it. For, 1. As Constantine perceived that it was the Christians that were his surest strength, and when the Heathen Soldiers turned from one Emperor to another, as they were tempted, he knew that if he only did own the Christians they would unanimously own him, and be constant to him; so also his Judgment and Zeal for Christianity did concur with his Interest and Policy: And as all the Secular and Military Rulers depended on him for honour and power, throughout the Roman world, he thought it not seemly to give the chief Christians who were the Bishops, less honour than he did to the Heathens, and to common men: Nor did he think meet to deny to the Christian Churches such privileges, as might somewhat set them higher than his other subjects. 2. And the Bishops and Christians coming from under long scorn and contempt, and coming newly from under the cruel Persecution of Diocletian, and affrighted anew by Maxentius, and Licenius, they were not only glad to be now honoured and advanced, but greatly lifted up with such a sudden wondrous change, as to be brought from scorn and cruel torments, to be set up above all others: As we should have been, had we been in their case, and it's like should no more have feared the ill consequents of too much exaltation than they did. 3. And the Christian people thought that the exaltation of their Bishops was the honour and exaltation of their Religion it self, as well as of their persons.
41. But that which most notably set up this exsort swelling and degenerate1