A27050:598
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.
20. If the Church Government must be modelled to the Civil, then in every Monarchy or Empire there must be one Universal Pastor to rule all the rest as there is one King: And in every Aristocracy, there must be a Synod of Prelates in Church Supremacy; and in every Democracy—who or what—But then the Papacy will be proved not only lawful, but of Divine institution, as the Head or Church Sovereign of the Roman Empire (though not of all the world) (at Rome first and at Constantinople after) And indeed I know no word of reason that can be given to draw an impartial man of Judgment to doubt, but that Metropolitans, Primates, Patriarchs, and the Pope as Head of the Churches in the Empire, stood all on the same ground, and had the same Original; as all Fathers Councils and History show, which truly proveth that (as an Universal Papacy is a Treasonable Usurpation, so) an Imperial Papacy (that is, through the Roman Empire) is but a human Creature, and Metropolitans, Patriarchs, &c. are the like; and they that will feign the one to be of Gods institution or necessary, must say that the other is so to.
20. If the Church Government must be modelled to the Civil, then in every Monarchie or Empire there must be one Universal Pastor to rule all the rest as there is one King: And in every Aristocracy, there must be a Synod of Prelates in Church Supremacy; and in every Democracy—who or what—But then the Papacy will be proved not only lawful, but of Divine institution, as the Head or Church Soveraign of the Roman Empire (though not of all the world) (at Rome first and at Constantinople after) And indeed I know no word of reason that can be given to draw an impartial man of Judgment to doubt, but that Metropolitans, Primates, Patriarcks, and the Pope as Head of the Churches in the Empire, stood all on the same ground, and had the same Original; as all Fathers Councells and History shew, which truely proveth that (as an Universal Papacy is a Treasonable Usurpation, so) an Imperial Papacy (that is, through the Roman Empire) is but a human Creature, and Metropolitans, Patriarcks, &c. are the like; and they that will feigne the one to be of Gods institution or necessary, must say that the other is so to.
But after all this, one consequence puts the world in hope that Diocesans may come in time to be reformed: For seeing Kings may make and unmake Cities, and consequently Bishop-pricks at their pleasure, whenever it shall please his Majesty, or any other wise and Holy Prince, to declare every Corporation and Market Town to be a City, we must needs have a Bishop in every one of them (according to the principles of the Prelates themselves. And then the Diocese will not be so great, but a diligent Pastor may possibly sometimes, see the greater number of his flock.