A27050:565
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.
he supposeth the Objection, that they have a mean opinion of visiting the sick, because they say, it is not the Bishops work (which he well maketh it to be) methinks this should suit with no English Ears, who will quickly understand, that they speak de facto of our Bishops, to whom a sick man may send an hundred, or fifty, or twenty Miles, to desire him to come presently, and pray with him, if his disease be a Frenzy which depriveth him of his Wits, and all about him be as mad: And the Bishop with us may be said to visit the sick of his Diocese, as a man may be said to weed a Field that plucketh up a weed or two where he goeth; or to build a City, because he knocked up a Nail or two in his own House.
he supposeth the Objection, that they have a mean opinion of visiting the sick, because they say, it is not the Bishops work (which he well maketh it to be) methinks this should suit with no English Ears, who will quickly understand, that they speak de facto of our Bishops, to whom a sick man may send an hundred, or fifty, or twenty Miles, to desire him to come presently, and pray with him, if his disease be a Phrensie which depriveth him of his Wits, and all about him be as mad: And the Bishop with us may be said to visit the sick of his Diocess, as a man may be said to weed a Field that plucketh up a weed or two where he goeth; or to build a City, because he knockt up a Na•l or two in his own House.
Pag. 120. It is observable which he saith [Indeed, if it were not (the Bishops work to visit the sick) how could it be •y the Bishop, when other parts of his Office became his full Employment, committed to the Presbyter. For, 1. he could not commit that to others, if he first had it not in himself: And, 2. This was the only Reason of ordaining inferior Officers in the Church, that part of the Bishops ta•k might be performed by them.
Pag. 120. It is observable which he saith [Indeed, if it were not (the Bishops work to visit the sick) how could it be •y the Bishop, when other parts of his Office became his full Employment, commited to the Presbyter. For, 1. he could not commit that to others, if he first had it not in himself: And, 2. This was the only Reason of ordaining inferior Officers in the Church, that part of the Bishops tak might be performed by them.