A27050:742
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.
It is then past denial, that all the power of Bishops or any Pastors is but the ••••dgement of the word of God, upon the Conferences of men ⟨p. 148⟩that believe them and voluntarily receive that word: only with this advantage, that they do not this as private men, but as Officers appointed so to manage this word. And therefore he that disobeyeth the word of God truly delivered and applied by them, committeth a double sin; one as he disobeyeth Gods word as such, in the matter in hand, and the other as he disobeyeth that particular word of God, which commandeth him to hear and obey his Pastors. But if men will so sin, we have nothing but that word of God, which they despise to cure them by.
It is then past denial, that all the power of Bishops or any Pastors is but the ••••dgement of the word of God, upon the Conferences of men ⟨p. 148⟩that believe them and voluntarily receive that word: only with this advantage, that they do not this as private men, but as Officers appointed so to mannage this word. And therefore he that disobeyeth the word of God truly delivered and applied by them, committeth a double sin; one as he disobeyeth Gods word as such, in the matter in hand, and the other as he disobeyeth that particular word of God, which commandeth him to hear and obey his Pastors. But if men will so sin, we have nothing but that word of God, which they despise to cure them by.
For instance, 1. In our admonitions and reproofs, of the greatest sinners, we can do no more but show them Gods Law, which they have broken, and which threateneth damnation to them, and to persuade them by Scripture arguments to repent that they may escape.
For instance, 1. In our admonitions and reproofs, of the greatest sinners, we can do no more but shew them Gods Law, which they have broken, and which threatneth damnation to them, and to perswade them by Scripture arguments to repent that they may escape.