A27050:490
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.
While Ignatius his being Bishop of [a Church in Syria] shall prove him the Bishop of all Syria; and [the Church of God dwelling in Syria in Antiochia] shall be equivalent with [the Church in Antiochia governing all Syria] I shall not undertake to hinder such men from proving any thing that they would have believed.
His Cap. 6. of the promiscuous use of the Names of Bishop and Presbyter, and Cap. 7. that prepareth the stating of the Controversy, need no answer, but to say, that we deny not but where a single Presbyter was, he had himself the power of Governing that Church; but where there were many, though all had the full Office severally, they were bound to use it in Concord. And whether one amongst them shall have a precedency or guidance of the rest, we think (as Dr. Stillingfleet hath proved) to be a matter alterable by humane prudence, according to the various condition of the Churches: And if any take both such Bishops and Archbishops ⟨p. 95⟩to be Jure Divine, with Dr. Hammond, it will be somewhat to his Cause, but nothing to ours.
His Cap. 6. of the promiscuous use of the Names of Bishop and Presbyter, and Cap. 7. that prepareth the stating of the Controversie, need no answer, but to say, that we deny not but where a single Presbyter was, he had himself the power of Governing that Church; but where there were many, though all had the full Office severally, they were bound to use it in Concord. And whether one amongst them shall have a precedency or guidance of the rest, we think (as Dr. Stillingfleet hath proved) to be a matter alterable by humane prudence, according to the various condition of the Churches: And if any take both such Bishops and Archbishops ⟨p. 95⟩to be Jure Divine, with Dr. Hammond, it will be somewhat to his Cause, but nothing to ours.