A27050:581
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.
4. This pretended forming of the Churches as aforesaid; is contrary to the Ends of Church institution and Communion: which are the public worshipping of God, and personal Communion of Parochians or Cohabitants in that worship, Sacraments and holy living, in mutual assistance. Whereas in a great part of the world, Country Villages are so far from any Cities, that if they must travel to them for this public Communion, they must spend all the Lords day in travail, and yet miss their Ends, and come too late. Nor can Women, Children and aged ones possibly do it at all. But if they are to have no such personal Communion with the City Churches, but have it ordinarily among themselves, then (whatever men may say that strive about the Name) they are not of that particular ⟨p. 116⟩City Church as such, but are of another Church at home, which must have a Bishop because it is a Church.
4. This pretended forming of the Churches as aforesaid; is contrary to the Ends of Church institution and Communion: which are the publick worshipping of God, and personal Communion of Parochians or Cohabitants in that worship, Sacraments and holy living, in mutual assistance. Whereas in a great part of the world, Country Villages are so far from any Cities, that if they must travel to them for this publick Communion, they must spend all the Lords day in travaile, and yet miss their Ends, and come too late. Nor can Women, Children and aged ones possibly do it at all. But if they are to have no such personal Communion with the City Churches, but have it ordinarily among themselves, then (whatever men may say that strive about the Name) they are not of that particular ⟨p. 116⟩City Church as such, but are of another Church at home, which must have a Bishop̄ because it is a Church.
5. Their Civil and City or Diocesan frame contradicteth the plain institution or Law of Christ and of his Spirit. For 1. Math. 28. 19. 20