A27050:960
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.
And ibid. Can. 19. Concil. Constant. in Trullo, [The Church Presidents must every day, but especially the Lords day, teach all the Clergy and people, the things that belong to piety, gathering from the Scriptures the sentences and judgments of verity.]
And p. 149. he citeth Concil. Lateran. sub Innoc. 3. c. 10. allowing Bishops to take helpers in preaching when business or sickness hindered them. And p. 150, 152, 153. he mentioneth it as somewhat rare, that at Alexandria Presbyters preached, and at Antioch Chrysostom, and at Hippo Augustine, while Flavianus and Valerius were Bishops.
And p. 149. he citeth Concil. Lateran. sub Innoc. 3. c. 10. allowing Bishops to take helpers in preaching when business or sickness hindred them. And p. 150, 152, 153. he mentioneth it as somewhat rare, that at Alexandria Presbyters preached, and at Antioch Chrysostom, and at Hippo Augustine, while Flavianus and Valerius were Bishops.
I do not cite all this now as to prove the sense of Antiquity, but the sense of Petavius, who plainly intimateth that the Churches were no larger of a long time, than that a Bishop might preach to all the Clergy and People every Lords day; and that in Scripture times all or near all the Presbyters were Bishops (which is it that we contend for;) and consequently you may judge what the Churches were.