A27050:349
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.
Ans. Our Question is, Whether they were single Churches as before defined, or only One Diocesan Church made up of many such single Churches: 1. If by Presbyteries be meant many Presbyters, a College, or Consessus, I deny the Consequence; because every Church that had Government had not such a Presbytery; But one Bishop or Pastor did serve for some of the lesser Churches, and yet that one had Governing power. 2. I deny the Major: It was single Churches that had then many Elders set over them. 3. Reader, it seemeth to me no small disparagement to the Diocesan Cause, that the grand Patrons of it so extremely differ among themselves. Dr. Hammond holdeth that in all the Scripture times, no one Church had any Presbyters at all, save only one single Bishop. This Bishop Downame seemeth to hold, that every Governed Church had a Presbytery. And [no one] and [every one] extremely differ: Yet either of them would have censure him that had gain-said them.
Ans. Our Question is, Whether they were single Churches as before defined, or only One Diocesan Church made up of many such single Churches: 1. If by Presbyteries be meant many Presbyters, a College, or Consessus, I deny the Consequence; because every Church that had Government had not such a Presbytery; But one Bishop or Pastor did serve for some of the lesser Churches, and yet that one had Governing power. 2. I deny the Major: It was single Churches that had then many Elders set over them. 3. Reader, it seemeth to me no small disparagement to the Diocesan Cause, that the grand Patrons of it so extreamly differ among themselves. Dr. Hammond holdeth that in all the Scripture times, no one Church had any Presbyters at all, save only one single Bishop. This Bishop Downame seemeth to hold, that every Governed Church had a Presbytery. And [no one] and [every one] extreamly differ: Yet either of them would have censure him that had gain-sayed them.
His proof of the Antecedent is this. [They who were appointed to whole Cities and Countries to labour so far as they were able the conversion of all that belonged to God, were appointed to Dioceses, not to Parishes: But, &c.
His proof of the Antecedent is this. [They who were appointed to whole Cities and Countries to labour so far as they were able the conversion of all that belonged to God, were appointed to Diocesses, not to Parishes: But, &c.