A27050:999
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.
The same Author Epist. ad Smyrn. saith [Ubi utique apparet Episcopus, ibi & multitudo sit: quemadmodum utique ubi est Christus Jesus, illic Catholica Ecclesia:] as Usher's Lat. Trans. or [[Greek or Hebrew]] omnis exercitus coelestis. And the Context showeth that this multitudo or plebs is the Church which the Bishop overseeth. Therefore ubi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia fuit, and so every Church had a present Bishop.
The same Author Epist. ad Smyrn. saith [Ubi utique apparet Episcopus, ibi & multitudo sit: quemadmodum utique ubi est Christus Jesus, illic Catholica Ecclesia:] as Usher's Lat. Trans. or [〈non-Latin alphabet〉] omnis exercitus coelestis. And the Context sheweth that this multitudo or plebs is the Church which the Bishop overseeth. Therefore ubi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia fuit, and so every Church had a present Bishop.
So in Epist. ad Magnes. he bids them [All unitedly (or as one) run together to one Temple of God, as to one Altar, to one Jesus Christ.] So that every Church had one Temple and one Altar to which (as a note of their Union in Christ) the whole Church must unanimously come.
So in Epist. ad Trull. he saith [Et Episcopus typum Dei Patris omnium gerit; Presbyteri vero sunt consessus quidam, & conjunctus Apostolorum coetus; sine his Ecclesia Electa non est: Nulla sine his Sanctorum Congregatio; nulla Sanctorum Collectio. Et postea, Quid vero aliud Sacerdotium est (vel Presbyterium) quam sacer coetus, Conciliarii & assessores Episcopi? Quid Diaconi, &c.] So that it is hard more plainly to express a thing in words, than this Author expresseth, that not only de facto every stated worshipping communicating Congregation had their Bishop, Presbyters and Deacons, but that de jure it ought to be so: And that there was no lawful Church Assembly for Worship, without the Bishop and his Presbyters ordinarily; and one Altar and one Bishop were the Notes of one Church.