A27050:503
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.
If we must be silenced unless we subscribe to the Dictates of such self conceited Confident men, who shall ever Preach that is not born under the same Planet with them? Cap. 17. he proceedeth still to maintain our Cause, that even in Justin Martyrs writings, and others of that Age, by the [Greek or Hebrew] are meant the Bishops of the several Churches who had not one Presbyter under them, but Deacons only, and therefore had but single Congregations; but did themselves alone with the Deacon perform all the public Offices in the Church. And that no equal Presbyter was placed with them, offendeth us no more than that our Parish Ministers now are presented and instituted alone, yea and have power to take Curates under them as their helpers.
If we must be cilenced unless we subscribe to the Dictates of such self conceited Confident men, who shall ever Preach that is not born under the same Planet with them? Cap. 17. he proceedeth still to maintain our Cause, that even in Justin Martyrs writings, and others of that Age, by the 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 are meant the Bishops of the several Churches who had not one Presbyter under them, but Deacons only, and therefore had but single Congregations; but did themselves alone with the Deacon perform all the publick Offices in the Church. And that no equal Presbyter was placed with them, offendeth us no more than that our Parish Ministers now are presented and instituted alone, yea and have power to take Curates under them as their helpers.
Cap. 18. He proveth truly that the Names Sacerdos and Sacerdotium are usually by old Writers spoken of sole Bishops and Episcopacy. By which we are the more confirmed in our Opinion, that he that is not Episcopus gregis a Bishop over the Flock, is not Sacerdos, true Pastor, but hath only a limb of the Ministerial Office, being a thing of presumptuous Prelates institution.