A27050:388
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. This is precarious. 1. The Apostle wrote it, that both Pastors and People might immediately read it, and did not intrust it as an unwritten tradition to one, to be delivered to the rest. 2. All the Pastors were to deliver or teach it to the People, and not one Bishop only. This therefore is no cogent Argument.
10. As for the Disputers for Episcopacy at the Isle of Wight, with King1 Charles, they manage Saravia's Argument (fetched from the Continuance of the Ordinary part of the Apostles Office) as he did before them (and many others) so well, that for my part I cannot confute them, but remain in doubt; and therefore have nothing to say against them. But that's nothing to our Case, whether every particular Organized Church should have a Bishop or the full Pastoral Office in it.
10. As for the Disputers for Episcopacy at the Isle of Wight, with King1 Charles, they manage Saravia's Argument (fetcht from the Continuance of the Ordinary part of the Apostles Office) as he did before them (and many others) so well, that for my part I cannot confute them, but remain in doubt; and therefore have nothing to say against them. But that's nothing to our Case, whether every particular Organized Church should have a Bishop or the full Pastoral Office in it.
- 1The Dispute at the Isle of Wight.
11. As to Joh. Forbes his Irenic. he maintaineth but such an Episcopacy1