A27050:650
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.
Ans. 1. We must be excused from submitting now to the opinions of Presbyterians or any other party, while we are giving an account of our own judgment in the case.
2. The Presbyterians are not all of a mind in that point, whether each of those Parishes be not a true political Church, and have not its own plenary Pastor or Bishop, and such a Government as belongeth to a particular Church, though (as they all think) subordinate to a Presbytery of many Churches conjunct (or as some call it) of one Church denominated so from the higher Government.
3. And as to our Chapels ordinarily they are but places for the Assembling of such as by age or foul weather or weakness cannot travail to the Parish Churches, and they are for distance and number in those Parishes that have them, no more or other, than may consist not only with the personal acquaintance of the members of the Parish Church, but also with the frequent Communion of them all, by turns in the same Parish Church, if they please to travail to it, as they may. So that these Chapels of case, as they are commonly called, are not inconsistent with all the fore-described ends and duties of Church-members: And even the Independents do confess that age, distance▪ persecution, &c. ⟨p. 130⟩may allow one of their Churches to meet at once in several houses or places, where several Pastors may pro tempore officiate: and yet, this consisteth with all the forementioned ends of the relation.
3. And as to our Chappels ordinarily they are but places for the Assembling of such as by age or foul weather or weakness cannot travaile to the Parish Churches, and they are for distance and number in those Parishes that have them, no more or other, than may consist not only with the personal acquaintance of the members of the Parish Church, but also with the frequent Communion of them all, by turnes in the same Parish Church, if they please to travaile to it, as they may. So that these Chappels of case, as they are commonly called, are not inconsistent with all the fore-described ends and dutyes of Church-members: And even the Independants do confess that age, distance persecution, &c.