A27050:297
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.
So that both Ordination and Jurisdiction belong to the Presbyters Office; though in the exercise of it they must be governed themselves. Is not this the very sum of Archbishop Usher's Model of Primitive Episcopacy, which we offered his Majesty and the Bishops at first, for Concord, and the Bishops would not once take it into their Consideration, nor so much as vouchsafe to talk of it, or bring it under any deliberation? When, alas, we poor undertrodden Persons, not only desired to be low our selves, but yielded to submit to all their heights, their Lordships, Parliament dignities, grandeur, and to let them alone with their (real) sole▪Ordination and Jurisdiction over us poor Presbyters, and to have taken as much care of the People as they would, so we could but have obtained any tolerable degree of Government to be settled in each particular Church, either in all the Presbyters or in one Bishop, and not have had all the particular Churches deprived of Bishops and all the Pastoral Jurisdiction.
So that both Ordination and Jurisdiction belong to the Presbyters Office; though in the exercise of it they must be governed themselves. Is not this the very sum of Archbishop Usher's Model of Primitive Episcopacy, which we offered his Majesty and the Bishops at first, for Concord, and the Bishops would not once take it into their Consideration, nor so much as vouchsafe to talk of it, or bring it under any deliberation? When, alas, we poor undertrodden Persons, not only desired to be low our selves, but yielded to submit to all their heights, their Lordships, Parliament dignities, grandure, and to let them alone with their (real) sole▪Ordination and Jurisdiction over us poor Presbyters, and to have taken as much care of the People as they would, so we could but have obtained any tolerable degree of Government to be setled in each particular Church, either in all the Presbyters or in one Bishop, and not have had all the particular Churches deprived of Bishops and all the Pastoral Jurisdiction.
But our great Controversy is handled by Bishop Downame in his second Book, wherein he laboureth to prove that the Bishops Church, or rather Charge, was not a Parish, but a Diocese. And first, page 4. he giveth us a scheme of the Scripture acception of the word [Church] as preparatory to his design: In which there are many Texts cited, not only without any show of proof, that they speak of what he affirmeth them to speak, but contrary to the plain scope of the places. And he tells us that the word [Church] is used in Scripture for the Church Militant Congregated in an Universal or Ecumenical Synod: And offereth us not one Text for instance,