A27050:776
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. The first of these reasons Dr. Hammond Praemon. Dissert. is earnest in urging. To which I say, 1. It is granted, that no man giveth that which be hath not. But Presbyters have the office of Presbyters, therefore by your supposition) they may give it.
Obj. But (saith he.) Presbyters had never a power given by the ordainers to ordain.
Ans. I deny it, and prove the contrary (whatever the ordainers mean) 1. Those who in their ordination had an Office, Power or Keys of Christs making, containing the power of ordination, delivered to them Ministerially, had the power of ordination delivered to them Ministerially: But all true Pastors or Presbyters ordained in England had an Office, Power or K•y•s of Christs making, containing the power of ordination delivered to them Ministerially. Ergo they had the power of ordination so delivered. Nothing needs proof but the Minor. And, 1. ⟨p. 155⟩That Christ and not the Bishops made the true Pastoral Office, or Keys, is past doubt among sober Christians, 2. And that it was the ordainers meaning to deliver them no new humane office, but that which Christ (by his Spirit and Apostles at least) made, instituted and described, I will stand to the ordainers own profession, 3. And if so, I think they will confess, that if they did mistake, and think that the office contained not, what it contained indeed, their mistake will not disable the ordained Minister; no more than the Error of a Recorder or Steward, who thinketh when he giveth the Mayor his Oath, that his office hath lesser power than it hath: But Gods making and not mans meaning must determine of the power, 4. Therefore all the question is whether God put the power of ordination into the Pastoral office. Of which now I will say but this, that Dr. Hammond confesseth that there was no Pastor ordained in Scripture times that had not the power of ordination: And I shall after prove, that no other should be introduced since by men.