A27050:820
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.
2. A Heretic doth not know that he is a Heretic, nor any erroneous person know that it is an error which he believeth: For it is a contradiction to err in judgment, and to know it to be any error. And then 1. He knoweth that his office is durante vita, and that he is bound not to cease it without cause. 2. He knoweth that you have no power to silence Orthodox Preachers as Heretics, but those that are Heretics indeed. ⟨p. 162⟩3. He taketh himself for Orthodox and you for the Heretic. 4. And all his followers are of his mind. How then will you silence a Heretic without the Sword? If you convince him of his error you shall not need to silence him; for he will leave his error rather than his Ministry: But if you convince him not of his error, you will hardly convince him, that because of that error, he must be silent; (nor convince his followers that they must not hear him).
2. A Heretick doth not know that he is a Heretick, nor any erroneous person know that it is an errour which he believeth: For it is a contradiction to err in judgment, and to know it to be any errour. And then 1. He knoweth that his office is durante vita, and that he is bound not to cease it without cause. 2. He knoweth that you have no power to silence Orthodox Preachers as Hereticks, but those that are Hereticks indeed. ⟨p. 162⟩3. He taketh himself for Orthodox and you for the Heretick. 4. And all his followers are of his mind. How then will you silence a Heretick without the Sword? If you convince him of his errour you shall not need to silence him; for he will leave his errour rather than his Ministry: But if you convince him not of his errour, you will hardly convince him, that because of that errour, he must be silent; (nor convince his followers that they must not hear him).
3. All the question therefore that remaineth, is whether in unknown doubtful cases, you are the Judges of Heresy, Error, Schism, and of mens unworthiness to Preach. And here. 1. I need not tell you that by this way you can never silence either the Arians, or any that deny your authority. Of which sort you know are most that you silence in this age and Nation. No, nor a Donatist, a Novatian, or any one that is for the office of Bishops, but taketh you for no Bishop as being unduly called: Of which sort were abundance of Christians towards each others Bishops in former ages; and such are the Papists now towards you. So that neither Papist nor Protestant that I ever knew silenced by you, doth forbear upon Conscience of this your pretended authority at all. And what a silencing power is that which scarce any man would be ever silenced by? You cannot choose but know this to be true.