A27050:990
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
Part 2 › Chapter 5: The same proved by the full Testimony of Antiquity.
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.
To confirm my Exposition of Clemens, note, that Grotius himself Epist. 182. ad Bignon. giveth this as a reason to prove this Epistle of Clemens to be genuine. Quod nusquam meminit exortis illius Episcoporum authoritatis, quae Ecclesiae consuctudine post Marci mortem Alexandriae, atque eo exemplo alibi introduci coepit: sed plane, ut Paulus Apostolus ostendit, Ecclesias communi Presbyterorum, qui iidem omnes & Episcopi, consilio fuisse gubernatas.] that is, Because he no where maketh mention of that excelling authority of Bishops which began to be introduced at Alexandria by the custom of the Church, after the death of Mark, and in other places by that example: But he plainly showeth, as the Apostle Paul doth, that the Churches were governed by the Common Council of Presbyters, who were also Bishops.]
To confirm my Exposition of Clemens, note, that Grotius himself Epist. 182. ad Bignon. giveth this as a reason to prove this Epistle of Clemens to be genuine. Quod nusquam meminit exortis illius Episcoporum authoritatis, quae Ecclesiae consuctudine post Marci mortem Alexandriae, atque eo exemplo alibi introduci coepit: sed plane, ut Paulus Apostolus ostendit, Ecclesias communi Presbyterorum, qui iidem omnes & Episcopi, consilio fuisse gubernatas.] that is, Because he no where maketh mention of that excelling authority of Bishops which began to be intrduoced at Alexandria by the custom of the Church, after the death of Mark, and in other places by that example: But he plainly sheweth, as the Apostle Paul doth, that the Churches were governed by the Common Council of Presbyters, who were also Bishops.]
Note also, as aforesaid, that Doctor Hammond in Dissert. granteth as to matter of fact, that Clemens speaketh but of the Bishops of single Congregations, whom he also calleth Presbyters, there being no other in the Church of Corinth.
II. My next Witness is Pius Bishop of Rome, in Epist. Justo Episcopo; in Biblioth. Patr. Tom. 3. pag. 15. mentioning only Bishops and Deacons: of which Doctor Hammond making the same Concession, still granteth that hitherto Bishops had but single Churches. (Of this more anon.)