A27050:676
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.
8. The same is to be said of public Absolution, when the Penitent is publicly taken into the Church, or judged and declared to be1 Absolved.
8. The same is to be said of publick Absolution, when the Penitent is publikely taken into the Church, or judged and declared to be1 Absolved.
- 1••at Christ Mat. 18. in his •••l the Church, ••an•th ••ll the congregation, assembly or multitude, and not only •• tell an absent Di••• san Bishop (when perhaps •ne •••• •• 20, 4•, 6• ••les to tell him)▪ see Grotius himself in his A••t▪ on the Text and his ••••ort of sertullian and others. See also E•••mus on the place. And many others say the same, though some would have the Church to be only the Bishop, or as others the Presbytery. Ru•herfords contrary reason is but a fallacy, viz. [The same Church that must be heard must be told, but it is not the Congregation but the Elders that must be heard. Ergo &c. Ans. The Church consising of the Pastor and people must be told, and they have all ears that without confuson can hear at once, but they cannot without confusion all speak at once, therefore one must speak for all. For this argument would equally prove that it is not any Presbytery or Court, or many Ministers that should be told, if it be but one that is to speak to the inner: And it is not necessary that the all speak to him. As the chief Judge speaketh for all the Bench, and the Prosecutor for all the Synod, and yet the Court or Synod may be complained to; so is it hear: The sam man ay see with two eyes and hear with two ears, and yet speak but with one tongue (yet this reason once deceived me.) Seeing then that Christ, instituted thus much of discipline in each particular Church, it is clear that by his institution every particular Church (associated for presential Communion) should have one or more tors authorized for so much discipline which is that which we plead for.