A27050:555
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 Reader be not abused by words, when it is visible Countries that we talk of. As every Market-Town, or Corporation is [Greek or Hebrew] a City in the old sense, so the Diocese of Lincoln. (which I live in) at this reckoning hath three or fourscore Dioceses in it, and the Diocese of Norwich about 50 Dioceses in it, &c. That is such Cities with the interjacent Villages.
But Reader be not abused by words, when it is visible Countreys that we talk of. As every Market-Town, or Corporation is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 a City in the old sense, so the Diocess of Lincoln. (which I live in) at this reckoning hath three or fourscore Diocesses in it, and the Diocess of Norwich about 50 Diocesses in it, &c. That is such Cities with the interjacent Villages.
Pag. 78. He saith [When they add these Angels were Congregational, not Diocesan, they were every of them Angels of a Church in a City, having authority over the Regions adjacent and pertaining to that City, and so as CHURCH and CONGREGATION ARE ALL ONE, AS IN ORDINARY USE IN ALL LANGUAGES THEY ARE: Thus were Congregational and Diocesan also. What follows of the paucity of Believers, in the greatest Cities, and their meeting in one place, is willingly granted by us.
I must desire the Reader to remember all this, when we come to use it in due place. And you may modestly smile to observe how by this and the foregoing words, the Dr. forgetfully hath cast out all the English Diocesans: While he maketh it needful that the Cities be Ecclesiastically subordinate as they are Civilly, and maketh it the very definition of a Diocesan Bishop, to be a Bishop of a City with the Country or Suburbs belonging to it: But in England no lesser Cities (ordinarily at least) nor Corporation-Towns are at all Subject to the great Cities: Nor are any Considerable part of the Country Subject to them; nor do the Liberties of Cities, or Corporations, reach far from the Walls, or Towns. So that by this Rule the Bishop of London, York, Norwich, and Bristow would have indeed large Cities with narrow liberties: But the rest would have Dioceses little bigger than we could allow to conscionable Faithful Pastors.