A27050:929
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.
3. Another part of the Bishops work in those times was to Baptize: For it was part of the Apostles work, Matth. 28. 19, 20. And how great a work that was, to try the peoples due preparations, and to see that they did understandingly and seriously what they did, I desire no other proof than the great care taken in all the ancient Churches of this business, which brought up the Custom of baptizing but twice a year.
Object. The Apostles baptized three thousand at once. Answ. The Jews were supposed to be bred up in the knowledge of other parts of Religion, and wanted only the knowledge of the true Messiah, and his Salvation, which might be taught them in a shorter time than the Gentiles could be taught the whole substance of Religion, that knew but little: Therefore as soon as the Jews were convinced of the true Messiah and the righteousness of Faith, and consented to the Covenant, they might be baptized. 2. The extraordinary effusions of the Spirit in that time, did make a shorter preparation sufficient. At least Baptizing must be an addition to the Bishops work.
4. As the Apostles laid hands on Believers to convey the Holy Ghost, so the Prelatists think that the Bishops then Confirmed Believers with Imposition of hands, saith Doctor Hammond on Heb. 13. a. To teach, exhort, confirm and impose hands, all which were the Bishops office in that place.] And O what a work it is to know the persons of many hundred Parishes to be capable of Confirmation, and so to confirm them (of which more afterward.)