A27050:496
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.
But he setteth Epiphanius his words against Aerius against them all▪ Even that Epiphanius who ordained in the Bishop of Jerusalem's Diocese to his displeasure, and that combined with that Theophilus Alexand. (of whom Socrates writeth such horrid and unchristian practices) to root out Chrysostom, and raise a flame in the Church of Constantinople; who liker a mad man than a sober Bishop, came from Cyprus not only into the City, but the Church where Chrysostom used to officiate, to inflame his people, and declaim against, and censure their Bishop, to whom he was an inferior; and that parted with him in a wrathful Prognostic, and dyed by the way home: And yet even this one man saith nothing to his advantage, but that the Apostles placed Bishops only with Deacons in some Churches that had not fit men to make Presbyters of: which we not only grant, but doubt whether ever they made any but Bishops, (though in great Cities there were many of them.)
But he setteth Epiphanius his words against Aerius against them all▪ Even that Epiphanius who ordained in the Bishop of Jerusalem's Diocess to his displeasure, and that combined with that Theophilus Alexand. (of whom Socrates writeth such horrid and unchristian practices) to root out Chrysostom, and raise a flame in the Church of Constantinople; who liker a mad man than a sober Bishop, came from Cyprus not only into the City, but the Church where Chrysostom used to officiate, to inflame his people, and declame against, and censure their Bishop, to whom he was an inferiour; and that parted with him in a wrathful Prognostick, and dyed by the way home: And yet even this one man saith nothing to his advantage, but that the Apostles placed Bishops only with Deacons in some Churches that had not fit men to make Presbyters of: which we not only grant, but doubt whether ever they made any but Bishops, (though in great Cities there were many of them.)
And §. 8, 9, 10. when it seemed to serve his turn, he yet further gratifieth us, by granting, yea maintaining that one Congregation had not two Bishops, yet [nothing hindereth but that in the same City there might sometimes be two distinct Assemblies, converted by two Apostles, perhaps of distinct dialects and rites, and these governed by distinct Bishops, with a divided or distinct Clergy,] which is almost as much as we desire. If any more be necessary he granteth it us, §. 11. where having feigned and not proved that the people of all the Province of Macedonia were said by Paul to be at Philippi; he confesseth that then every City had a Bishop, and none of those that we now call Presbyters. And it is more this Bastard sort of Presbyters Office that we deny than the Bishops: And granting this he grants us all; even that then there was no such half Officers, nor Bishops that had the rule of any Presbyters: which he further proveth, §. 19, 20, 21. And by the way, §. 16, 17. he giveth us two more Observations, 1. That the [Greek or Hebrew]