A27050:7
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.
My mutability hath been little to my advantage for this world, For further than I was for the King, I never was one year on that which was called the upper or stronger prevailing side, as far as I understand it. Nor to the very day that I was turned out of all, did my Preferments, or Riches ever serve me, so much as to have a House, or keep a Servant man, (save in Travail) or Woman (save one aged Woman that provided me necessaries, in a few top rooms of another mans House;) which I mention for the sake of the mistaken French stranger, Mr. Durel, that tells the World another story.
And as to this Subject, this is the Breviate of its History, ab origine. I was in my Child hood, first bred up under the School, and Church-teaching, of eight several men, of whom only two preached once a month, and the rest were but Readers of the Liturgy, and most of very scandalous lives. After that I fell into the hands of a Teacher, that studied for preferment, and reviled Puritans; and after that I fell into the happier acquaintance of three ancient Divines, that were called then Conformable Puritans; and all of them bred in me an Opinion, that Nonconformists were unlearned men, addicted to humorous, causeless Singularity: For I knew but one *who was an honest plain Preacher but of little learning: And to settle me, the Divines that I followed, made me read Bishop Downame's Defence, Bishop Andrews, and others for Episcopacy, and Mr. Sprint, Dr. Burges, and others for the Ceremonies: And I verily judged them to be in the right: But as soon as I was ordained, I removed into a Country where were some Nonconformists, some few of them Learned Ministers, and many Laymen; of whom, one in the house with me, was oft disputing the Case with me, and I thought I had still the better: And the Nonconformable Ministers there, were men of so much Holiness, and ⟨image 3⟩Peace, that they would scarce ever talk of the matters in difference, but of Holiness and Heaven, and repressing the over-much heat of the Lay men: And the famous William Fenner being lately of the next Parish, a Conformist of learning, yet plain and affectionate in preaching, God had blest his Ministry with so great success in the Conversion of many ungodly Persons; as that the reverence of him, kept up the honour of Conformity among the Religious people thereabouts