A27050:643
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.
Obj. It is not necessary to the being of Church members, that every one that is a Church member know them: many in London know not their next Neighbours.
Ans. I Speak not. 1. Of the Act, but of the Power or Capacity and the Relation with its end. 2. I speak not of every member, but of so great a part as denominateth the Church.
1. As a Pastor who by sickness or other impediment preacheth not of a long time, may yet be a Pastor, because he hath. 1. The Power. 2. And a Relation whose end is the Instructing of the Flock. 3. And he intendeth the exercise as soon as the impediment is removed (or if laziness or any culpable neglect be the cause, that altereth not the nature of the office, but proveth him faulty): So a member that is. 1. Capable. 2. Related to the end, may be a member, though neglect or impediments keep them from the exercise of much of that which they otherwise may do. He that dwelleth in the Neighbourhood may do all these Offices to another, if he will when opportunity calleth for it; and therefore may be so obliged to it: But so cannot he that dwelleth out of reach. Citizens or members of Corporations are in a capacity for offices belonging to the society, though some may neglect them, and others want opportunity to do them; but one out of reach is uncapable of the duty and therefore uncapable of the Relation, which is made up of obligation to that duty when there is cause. The Relation is essentially a Power and obligation to the Duty: And the Dispositio materi• is necessary to the reception of the form. He therefore that is not in a capable means, by cohabitation, is not ⟨p. 128⟩materia disposita, and can neither have Power nor obligation to the duties of a Church member towards the rest, and so cannot have the Relative form, or be indeed a member. And therefore all that write judiciously of the definition of a particular Church, do make Propinquity or Cohabitation, to be the Dispositio materiae sine qua non; From which they are called Parishioners. They are not a Church because a Parish; but they are therefore the materia disposita as to this part of the capacity extrinsic (Christianity being it that maketh them intrinsically fit materials).