A27050:557
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.
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.
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 Countrey 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 Diocesses little bigger than we could allow to conscionable Faithful Pastors.
But he yet addeth more, p. 79. he will do more for our cause than the Presbyterians themselves, who in their disputes against the Independents-say that Jerusalem had more Christians belonging to the Church than could conveniently meet in one place; But, saith the Dr. [This is contrary to the Evidence of the Text, which saith▪ expressly, v. 44. that all the Believers were [Greek or Hebrew], meeting in one and the same place. The like may be said of the other places,