A27050:715
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.
And if nothing but a chief power in ordaining be proper to a Bishop; why then are the Churches so confounded, and beggared, and altered, by a contrary practice? And why is a new office of Bishops set up in the ⟨p. 141⟩world? whose work is to hinder the Ministers of Christ from their office work, under pretence of a power of Licensing them to it? when God licenceth them to the work, when he calleth them to that office, which essenti? ally consisteth in a power and Obligation to do it, when they have opportunity
And if nothing but a chief power in ordaining be proper to a Bishop; why then are the Churches so confounded, and beggered, and altered, by a contrary practice? And why is a new office of Bishops set up in the ⟨p. 141⟩world? whose work is to hinder the Ministers of Christ from their officwork, under pretence of a power of Licensing them to it? when God licenceth them to the work, when he calleth them to that office, which essenti? ally consisteth in a power and Obligation to do it, when they have opportunity
Moreover my Lord Bacon in his considerations as hath well manifested (if impartial wise men could have bin heard) that the office of a Bishop is a function consisting in the exercise of personal skill, or abilities: and therefore must be done by him that hath them, and not committed to another, as the office of a Judg, or Lawyer, of a Physician, of a Tutor, &c. no man chooseth a Tutor or Physician merely to send another to him for his Tutor or Physician, but •• do the work himself. It is not like the place of a King, whose right dependeth not on his parts or skill, because he may Govern by others that are able.
Moreover my Lord Bacon in his considerations as hath well manifested (if impartiall wise men could have bin heard) that the office of a Bishop is a function consisting in the exercise of personall skill, or abilities: and therefore must be done by him that hath them, and not committed to another, as the office of a Judg, or Lawyer, of a Phisitian, of a Tutor, &c. no man chooseth a Tutor or Phisitian meerly to send another to him for his Tutor or Phisitian, but do the work himself. It is not like the place of a King, whose right dependeth not on his parts or skill, because he may Govern by others that are able.