A27050:468
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.
Cap. 7. As he robbed the Evangelists of the Power of the Keys, he would now rob all the mere Presbyters of it; and all (without show of Scripture proof) from such words of Canons or Ancients as say the Presbyters shall do nothing without the Bishops. 1. As if the Presbyters were no Rulers of the Flocks, because the Bishops are Rulers of the Presbyters? As if a Judge or a Justice were no Governor, because he is under the King? 2. O Cruel Bishops that will undertake to do that for the Souls of many hundred Parishes, which many hundred Ministers are too little for, that the Souls of men and their own together may be damned by the Omission of it! If the power of the Keys be appointed for mens Salvation, they perfidiously betray them that thrust out the many hundreds that should do it, pretending that it belongeth to one man among the many hundred that cannot do it. But of the Bishops great undertaking, I must say more anon.
Cap. 7. As he rob'd the Evangelists of the Power of the Keys, he would now rob all the meer Presbyters of it; and all (without shew of Scripture proof) from such words of Canons or Ancients as say the Presbyters shall do nothing without the Bishops. 1. As if the Presbyters were no Rulers of the Flocks, because the Bishops are Rulers of the Presbyters? As if a Judge or a Justice were no Governour, because he is under the King? 2. O Cruel Bishops that will undertake to do that for the Souls of many hundred Parishes, which many hundred Ministers are too little for, that the Souls of men and their own together may be damn'd by the Omission of it! If the power of the Keys be appointed for mens Salvation, they perfidiously betray them that thrust out the many hundreds that should do it, pretending that it belongeth to one man among the many hundred that cannot do it. But of the Bishops great undertaking, I must say more anon.
Cap. 8. Of the Chorepiscopi there is little that concerneth us, saving that he cometh near to grant us all that we desire, while that §. 15 he saith that Learned men believe that in the Church of one Region, of old there was but one Altar, so that lgnatius rightly conjoineth [Greek or Hebrew] and [Greek or Hebrew]: And all Schismatics were said to set up Altar against Altar. As Cypr. de Unit. Eccle. Ep. 40. 72, 73] This is the sum of all that we plead for. And §. 29. he mentioneth the Chorepiscopis as imitating the 70, when yet he had denied the 70, to have the power of the Keys, which he supposeth the Chorepiscopi to have under the Bishops. Of Clemens words in due place.