A27050:724
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.
1. Is it an Universal Legislation? It is high and damnable Treason against Christ for any mortal men to claim it. Universal Legislation is the prerogative of the Universal King. There is no Universal King but Christ, who else is Governor of all the world or all the Churches in the world? And Christ hath in nature and Scripture given the world already an Universal Law. If he hath done it well, take not on you to amend it. If you say he hath done it ill, either take not on you to be Christians, or else call your self the Christ, that is Anti-Christ, if you will take Christs place and take upon you to amend his work. If you dream of an Universal Pope or General Council as having this power, you will but make true Anti-Christs of them, and foolishly confound a humane constitution with a Divine, and the Roman Empire with all the world. For you are ignorant in Church History if you see not plainly that Popes, Patriarchs, and Primates stand all on the same foundation; And that both they and Councils (falsely called, General,) were but Imperial, or confined to one Princes Dominion, called or ruled usually by the Emperors, who had no power in other Princes Territories: No Councils containing any considerable members, but such as were in that one Empire, or formerly had been of it, and so kept the custom which then they had received, except that the Romans placed one Bishop on the borders of Scythia or Tartary, and one on the borders of Persia, in hope that he might have influence further into the Countries, and rarely one or two such might be at a Council called General, so that certainly there is no Universal Law-giver or Judge but Christ. This therefore is not the Church Government of Bishops which men contend for.
1. Is it an Universal Legislation? It is high and damnable Treason against Christ for any mortal men to claime it. Universal Legislation is the prerogative of the Universal King. There is no Universal King but Christ, who else is Governour of all the world or all the Churches in the world? And Christ hath in nature and Scripture given the world already an Universal Law. If he hath done it well, take not on you to amend it. If you say he hath done it ill, either take not on you to be Christians, or else call your self the Christ, that is Anti-Christ, if you will take Christs place and take upon you to amend his work. If you dream of an Universal Pope or General Council as having this power, you will but make true Anti-Christs of them, and foolishly confound a humane constitution with a Divine, and the Roman Empire with all the world. For you are ignorant in Church History if you see not plainly that Popes, Patriarks, and Primates stand all on the same foundation; And that both they and Councils (falsly called, General,) were but Imperial, or confined to one Princes Dominion, called or ruled usually by the Emperours, who had no power in other Princes Territories: No Councils conteining any considerable members, but such as were in that one Empire, or formerly had been of it, and so kept the custome which then they had received, except that the Romans placed one Bishop on the borders of Scythia or Tartary, and one on the borders of Persia, in hope that he might have influence further into the Countries, and rarely one or two such might be at a Council called General, so that certainly there is no Universal Law-giver or Judge but Christ. This therefore is not the Church Government of Bishops which men contend for.