A27050:500
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. 12. he is as liberal in expounding Tit. 1. By Elders in every City, is meant a single Bishop that had no half Presbyter under him, and whose Diocese had but one Assembly. We are not so unreasonable as to quarrel with this liberality.
Cap. 12. he is as liberal in expounding Tit. 1. By Elders in every City, is meant a single Bishop that had no half Presbyter under him, and whose Diocess had but one Assembly. We are not so unreasonable as to quarrel with this liberality.
Cap. 13. And about Heb. 13. we are as much gratified in the Exposition of the word [[Greek or Hebrew]] of which more afterwards. And Cap. 14, and 15. he saith the same of [Greek or Hebrew] and [Greek or Hebrew], Pastors and Teachers, that they both are meant of none but Bishops. And that Presbyters now adays are permitted and tied to teach the people, and instruct them from the Scriptures, this apparently arose hence, that Bishops in ordaining Presbyters gave them that power, but not to be exercised till licensed by the Bishops Letters.] Of this detestable Opinion (worse than the Italians in the Council of Trent, that would have derived the Episcopal Power from the Pope) I have said somewhat before, and intend more in due place. The Bishops do only ministerially give them possession: Christ is the only Instituter of the Office by himself (and his Spirit in his Apostles.) Can the Bishops any more choose to deliver this possession by Ordination, than to preach the Gospel? Could they have made Presbyters that had no power to teach the people? Is the Bishops liberality the original of the Office? How much then is Christ beholden to Bishops, that when a thousand Parishes are in some one of their Dioceses, they will give leave to any Presbyter to teach any of the people? and that when eighteen hundred of us were silenced in one day (Aug. 24. 1662.) that all the rest were not served so too?
Cap. 13. And about