A27050:851
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.
7. And therefore lastly hence you may see, the reasons of the first fixed particular Church Episcopacy: Those few that were Philosophers or eminently qualified (being scarce enow to make one for every Church) did by their gifts overtop the rest in the due esteem of all the people: who were bound to esteem him wisest that was wisest, and to yield more to his judgment than to others that knew less: And this inequality of gifts usually lasted as long as life; and therefore so did the inequality of esteem and reverence. And both the people and the inferior gifted Pastors, obeyed the Law of God in nature, and readily gave honour to whom honour was due. And when one was dead finding another still to excel the rest, they accordingly preferred him before the rest, even as an excellent Physician would be by the patients, and by all the younger and more ignorant Physicians, that are not carried away with pride. And this did easily (as all things else) turn into formality under pretence of order, and come to seem a kind of Office. But when difference required it, I know not but that all this was well done, except that they foresaw not the degenerate tyranny that would afterward hence arise.
7. And therefore lastly hence you may see, the reasons of the first fixed particular Church Episcopacy: Those few that were Philosophers or eminently qualified (being scarce enow to make one for every Church) did by their gifts overtop the rest in the due esteem of all the people: who were bound to esteem him wisest that was wisest, and to yield more to his judgment than to others that knew less: And this inequality of gifts usually lasted as long as life; and therefore so did the inequality of esteem and reverence. And both the people and the inferiour gifted Pastors, obeyed the Law of God in nature, and readily gave honour to whom honour was due. And when one was dead finding another still to excel the rest, they accordingly preferred him before the rest, even as an excellent Physician would be by the patients, and by all the younger and more ignorant Physicians, that are not carryed away with pride. And this did easily (as all things else) turne into formality under pretence of order, and come to seem a kind of Office. But when difference required it, I know not but that all this was well done, except that they foresaw not the degenerate tyranny that would afterward hence arise.