A27050:845
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.
That this was so, appeareth. 1. In the reason of the thing. For no effect can exceed the total cause. Therefore they that had not the inspirations prophetical, or miraculous gifts, nor Academies and Schools of secular Learning, nor so much as Riches and leisure, but Poverty and persecution and worldly trouble and labour, were not like to have more Learning than the holy Scriptures taught them.
That this was so, appeareth. 1. In the reason of the thing. For no effect can exceed the total cause. Therefore they that had not the inspirations prophetical, or miraculous guists, nor Academies and Schools of secular Learning, nor so much as Riches and leisure, but Poverty and persecution and worldly trouble and labour, were not like to have more Learning than the holy Scriptures taught them.
2. And this appeareth by the forecited Canons of Counsels, which forbade Pastors, ever almost three hundred years after Christ, to read the Gentiles books. By which the former custom of the Church may easily be perceived. And also by abundance of reproaches which are cast upon some Heretics in the Ancients writings, for being too much skilled in Logic and other of the Gentiles Learning.
2. And this appeareth by the forecited Canons of Counsels, which forbad Pastors, ever almost three hundred years after Christ, to read the Gentiles books. By which the former custome of the Church may easily be perceived. And also by abundance of reproaches which are cast upon some Hereticks in the Ancients writings, for being too much skilled in Logick and other of the Gentiles Learning.
3. And it appeareth by the parity of writers of the second and third Centuries.