A27050:165
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.
45. Yet was it for about 440 Years so far from these great Bishops to usurp the Sword, or any coercive or coactive power, on mens Bodies or Estates, that they unanimously held that the Magistrate himself was not to punish mens Bodies for Heresy or a false Religion. Till at last the bloody violence of the Circumcellian Donatists, did cause Augustine in this to change his mind, and think them meet for the Magistrates coercion.
45. Yet was it for about 440 Years so far from these great Bishops to usurp the Sword, or any coercive or coactive power, on mens Bodies or Estates, that they unanimously held that the Magistrate himself was not to punish mens Bodies for Heresie or a false Religion. Till at last the bloody violence of the Circumcellian Donatists, did cause Augustine in this to change his mind, and think them meet for the Magistrates coercion.
46. When Bishops grew carnal and ungodly, and more regarded the keeping up their Power, Parties and Opinions, than Charity, they began to distrust the Spiritual Weapons of their warfare; and instead of true vigilancy against errors, and confutation of them, by clear reason and a holy life, they fled to the Rulers to do it by the Sword. But though Ithacius and Idacius with their Synod of Bishops, excited Maximus to take this1 course against the Priscilianists; yet not only St. Martin did therefore to the death avoid their Synods and Communion, and petitioned the Emperor, for the Heretics peace; but even St. Ambrose also at Milan would have no Communion with those Bishops, that had done this thing.
46. When Bishops grew carnal and ungodly, and more regarded the keeping up their Power, Parties and Opinions, than Charity, they beganto distrust the Spiritual Weapons of their warfare; and instead of true vigilancy against errours, and confutation of them, by clear reason and a holy life, they fled to the Rulers to do it by the Sword. But though Ithacius and Idacius with their Synod of Bishops, excited Maximus to take this1