A27050:89
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.
This Church Jurisdiction of Bishops is distinguished into Voluntary and Contentious; [d] The Voluntary extendeth to abundance of things granted them by Statute, and by Common Law, which I pass by: That which they claim both by Municipal Law and Ecclesiastical, is, 1. The probate of the Testaments of the dead; 2. The granting Administration of Goods to the next of Kin, 3. Keeping the bona caduca where none claimeth the Inheritance, 4. To receive Reasons of Administering, and to be Judges of them. 5. To confer Benefices, or Institute such as others present. 6. To grant Induction to the Instituted. 7. To receive the Fruits of vacant Benefices. 8. To allow the Vicar a fit proportion. 9. To grant Letters Dimissory, or Testimonial. 10. To Visit their Diocese once in three years. In which Triennial Visitation, they usually go to one Town in a County, (and never see the face of the people in the many score or hundred Churches about them;) and thither they summon the Ministers, and the Church-Wardens and Sides-men; Where one Minister preacheth, and then the Ministers must dine with the Bishop; and in Court he (or his Officer) giveth a Book of Printed Articles, containing a multitude of particulars, which the Church-warden must swear to present by, where because of the quality of them some Church-Wardens refuse, and others because of the number; some saying it is unlawful to undo their Ministers and Neighbours by such Presentments (as for omitting a Ceremony, for preaching or keeping a Fast in private, &c.) and some saying it is impossible to keep the Oath, and some saying that if they do it, they shall be hated of their Neighbours: Whereupon those that refuse are prosecuted to punishment; And the rest take the Oath and Articles; but not one of many doth present accordingly; though the Canon enquires after the perjured. And many that fear perjury or persecution themselves, do hire some poor man to be Church-Warden in their stead, that will venture upon all. I must entreat the Reader to peruse some of their Books of Articles (especially such as Bishop Mountagues and Bishop Wrens) to see what was then enquired after. Dr. Zouch de Jud. Eccless. p. 37. §. 1. Part. 3.
This Church Jurisdiction of Bishops is distinguished into Voluntary and Contentious; [d] The Voluntary extendeth to abundance of things granted them by Statute, and by Common Law, which I pass by: That which they claim both by Municipal Law and Ecclesiastical, is, 1. The probate of the Testaments of the dead; 2. The granting Administration of Goods to the next of Kin, 3. Keeping the bona caduca where none claimeth the Inheritance, 4. To receive Reasons of Administring, and to be Judges of them. 5. To confer Benefices, or Institute such as others present. 6. To grant Induction to the Instituted. 7. To receive the Fruits of vacant Benefices. 8. To allow the Vicar a fit proportion. 9. To grant Letters Dimissory, or Testimonial. 10. To Visit their Diocess once in three years. In which Triennial Visitation, they usually go to one Town in a County, (and never see the face of the people in the many score or hundred Churches about them;) and thither they summon the Ministers, and the Church-Wardens and Sides-men; Where one Minister preacheth, and then the Ministers must dine with the Bishop; and in Court he (or his Officer) giveth a Book of Printed Articles, containing a multitude of particulars, which the Church-warden must swear to present by, where because of the quality of them some Church-Wardens refuse, and others because of the number; some saying it is unlawful to undo their Ministers and Neighbours by such Presentments (as for omitting a Ceremony, for preaching or keeping a Fast in private, &c.) and some saying it is impossible to keep the Oath, and some saying that if they do it, they shall be hated of their Neighbours: Whereupon those that refuse are prosecuted to punishment; And the rest take the Oath and Articles; but not one of many doth present accordingly; though the Canon enquires after the perjured. And many that fear perjury or persecution themselves, do hire some poor man to be Church-Warden in their stead, that will venture upon all. I must intreat the Reader to peruse some of their Books of Articles (especially such as Bishop Mountagues and Bishop Wrens) to see what was then enquired after. Dr. Zouch de Jud. Eccless. p. 37. §. 1. Part. 3.