A27050:93
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.
Priests, Deacons and Lay-men are judged in these Courts; The final constraining penalty is Excommunication, or before that Suspension, and other degrees of Church punishment before mentioned as belonging to the Bishop: The supposed offenders are no otherwise dealt with to bring them to true Repentance, than as in Civil Courts by other Lay-Judges. They that appear not, and they that pay not the Fees of the Court and Officers, are Excommunicate, and they that obey not the Orders of the Court. In Excommunications and Absolutions the Lay-Chancellor is Judg, but he writeth the Decree in the Bishops name: And (at least sometimes) pro formâ, some Priest or other is procured to be present (no Bishop,) to utter the Sentence which the Lay Judge Decreeth: This Sentence is sent by the Chancellor to the Minister of the Parish where the offender liveth, who must publish it in the Church openly (as the Crier doth the Kings Proclamation;) But if it be the Minister himself that is Excommunicated, another Minister readeth it. The whole process of their Judicial Trials, Sentences and Executions you may see in Cousin's, Tab. 9. 10.
Priests, Deacons and Lay-men are judged in these Courts; The final constraining penalty is Excommunication, or before that Suspension, and other degrees of Church punishment before mentioned as belonging to the Bishop: The supposed offenders are no otherwise dealt with to bring them to true Repentance, than as in Civil Courts by other Lay-Judges. They that appear not, and they that pay not the Fees of the Court and Officers, are Excommunicate, and they that obey not the Orders of the Court. In Excommunications and Absolutions the Lay-Chancellor is Judg, but he writeth the Decree in the Bishops name: And (at least sometimes) pro formâ, some Priest or other is procured to be present (no Bishop,) to utter the Sentence which the Lay Judge Decreeth: This Sentence is sent by the Chancellor to the Minister of the Parish where the offender liveth, who must publish it in the Church openly (as the Cryer doth the Kings Proclamation;) But if it be the Minister himself that is Excommunicated, another Minister readeth it. The whole process of their Judicial Tryals, Sentences and Executions you may see in Cosin's, Tab. 9. 10.
Besides the Chancellor's Courts (called the Bishops) the Archdeacons have certain inferior Courts, where they enquire after faults, and return the great ones to the Bishops Courts.