A27050:899
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.
If any say, how prove you that all these were but single Congregations, I answer, 1. It is granted me by all that these plural terms [Churches] included many single Congregations. 2. I shall prove anon that the most of the particular Churches named in Scripture were but such Congregations. 3. And no man can give me any proof that a Society consisting of divers such Congregations is any where called [a Church] singularly: And therefore we are not to believe that the plural term meaneth many such singulars, as are no where singularly named.
2. Particular Churches are described so in Scripture as fully proveth my aforesaid limitation and description. As 1 Cor. 11. 16, 18, 20, 22. When ye ⟨p. 7⟩come together in the Church I hear that there be divisions among you. A Church consisted of such as came together.
When ye come together into one place, this is not to eat the Lords Supper. And it is the Assemblies that are called Churches, when he saith [We have no such custom, nor the Churches of God.]