A27050:492
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. 8. he openeth his conceit (which in time I shall show doth yield us the whole Cause) that every place of Scripture which mentioneth Bishops or Presbyters, meaneth Diocesan supereminent Bishops only. And first he proveth it of the Elders Bishops of Ephesus, Acts 20. because the whole flock is meant of all Asia: Fully proved, because Irenaeus said (as he thought) that the Bishops were convocate from Ephesus and the nearest Cities. But, 1. Irenaeus saith not [Bishops] only, but Bishops and Presbyters, conjoining them as two sorts, and not [Bishops or Presbyters] as the Doctor doth. 2. The nearest Cities, and all Asia, we take not for words of the same importance. 3. We take not your bare word for the validity of the Consequence, that because the Bishops of several Cities were there, therefore it is all Asia that is singularly called [Greek or Hebrew], the whole Flock, and not each Bishops Flock respectively; q. d. Each of you look to your several Flock. 4. We think if you calculate the time, Acts 20 and 21. and consider Paul's haste Acts 20. 16. that few impartial men will believe that Paul's Messengers (that were wont to go on foot) did so quickly go all over Asia, and so quickly get together all the Bishops of Asia to Miletum; unless they all resided at Ephesus, as our English Bishops do at London, and Governed their unknown people by a Lay-Chancellor. 5. And Irenaeus, ibid. p. 312. saith [Et omnia hujusmodi per solum Lucam cognovimus, we know all such things by Luke alone, pretending no other Tradition. And if it be in Luke it is yet to be thence proved. 6. But he pleadeth our Cause too strongly, by supposing that each City then had a Bishop without any subject half Presbyter, and so that no such Office was yet made.
Cap. 8. he openeth his conceit (which in time I shall shew doth yield us the whole Cause) that every place of Scripture which mentioneth Bishops or Presbyters, meaneth Diocesan supereminent Bishops only. And first he proveth it of the Elders Bishops of Ephesus, Acts 20. because the whole flock is meant of all Asia: Fully proved, because Irenaeus said (as he thought) that the Bishops were convocate from Ephesus and the nearest Cities. But, 1. Irenaeus saith not [Bishops] only, but Bishops and Presbyters, conjoining them as two sorts, and not [Bishops or Presbyters] as the Doctor doth. 2. The nearest Cities, and all Asia, we take not for words of the same importance. 3. We take not your bare word for the validity of the Consequence, that because the Bishops of several Cities were there, therefore it is all Asia that is singularly called , the whole Flock, and not each Bishops Flock respectively; q. d. Each of you look to your several Flock. 4. We think if you calculate the time,