A27050:941
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.
As for the doing of it per se aut per alium, I have so far confuted it before, as that I may be bold to tell them now, that they may also receive the reward in se aut in alio: And if he that will not work should not eat, quaere whether they should eat per alium.
I add, If all this as Doctor Hammond maintaineth was made by the Spirit in the Apostles the Bishops work, if they may make new Church-Officers to commit part of their work to, there may be twelve sorts of Officers made by them for these twelve parts of their work. And then we shall better understand them.
Whatever is the work of a Bishop as a Presbyter, every Presbyter may and must do, according to his ability and opportunity: But whatever belongeth to a Bishop as a Bishop, cannot be done by another, either Lay-man or Presbyter. Therefore let us have but Bishops enough to do it, or else confess that it is no necessary work.
So great a trust as the Gospel and mens souls which Christ hath committed to Bishops, may not be cast upon others without his consent that did commit it to them. But they can show no consent of Christ to make new Officers to do their work by. Timothy was to commit the same to others which he had received,