A27050:967
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. My third Witness shall be that learned moderate man, Mr. Joseph Mede, 1who in his discourse of Churches, pag. 48, 49, 50. saith, [Nay more than this, it should seem that in those first times before Dioceses were divided into those lesser and subordinate Churches which we now call Parishes, and Presbyters assigned to them, they had not only one Altar to a Church or Dominicum, but one Altar to a Church, taking Church for the Company or Corporation of the faithful united under one Bishop or Pastor: and that was in the City or place where the Bishop had his See and Residence. Like as the Jews had but one Altar and Temple for the whole Nation, united under one High Priest. And yet, as the Jews had their Synagogues, so perhaps might they have more Oratories than one though their Altar were but one, there namely where the Bishop was. Die solis, saith Justin Martyr, omnium qui vel in oppidis vel ru•i degunt in eundem locum Conventus fit. Namely as he there tells us to celebrate, and participate the holy Eucharist. Why was this? but because they had not many places to celebrate it in. And unless this were so, whence came it else that a Schismatical Bishop was said, Constituere or collocare aliud altar? And that a Bishop and an Altar are made correlatives? See St. Cyprian, Epist. 40, 72, 73. de unit. Eccles. &c. So that Mr. Mede granteth that every Church that had a Bishop, had no ⟨p. 17⟩more people than communicated at one Altar. To which purpose he goeth on further to Ignatius Testimony, of which anon.
3. My third Witness shall be that learned moderate man, Mr. Joseph Mede, 1who in his discourse of Churches, pag. 48, 49, 50. saith, [Nay more than this, it should seem that in those first times before Diocesses were divided into those lesser and subordinate Churches which we now call Parishes, and Presbyters assigned to them, they had not only one Altar to a Church or Dominicum, but one Altar to a Church, taking Church for the Company or Corporation of the faithful united under one Bishop or Paster: and that was in the City or place where the Bishop had his See and Residence. Like as the Jews had but one Altar and Temple for the whole Nation, united under one High Priest. And yet, as the Jews had their Synagogues, so perhaps might they have more Oratories than one though their Altar were but one, there namely where the Bishop was. Die solis, saith Justin Martyr, omnium qui vel in oppidis vel rui degunt in eundem locum Conventus fit. Namely as he there tells us to celebrate, and participate the holy Eucharist. Why was this? but because they had not many places to celebrate it in. And unless this were so, whence came it else that a Schismatical Bishop was said, Constituere or collocare aliud altare? And that a Bishop and an Altar are made correlatives? See St. Cyprian, Epist. 40, 72, 73. de unit. Eccles. &c. So that Mr. Mede granteth that every Church that had a Bishop, had no