A27054:728
The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness…
The true and only way of concord of all the Christian churches the desirableness of it, and the detection of false dividing terms / opened by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for John Hancock, 1680
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.
2. This distinguisheth a single Church from the Papal pretended universal policy; And from a Patriarchal Church, and from a Provincial, and a Diocesan Church in the sense now used: For these are compounded of several single Churches; and they are not a society at all associated for ordinary personal presential Communion in Gods worship and holy living: Only they are all under one General Governor, not using to meet themselves nor ever seeing one another. Now if to be under one absent General Bishop be that which specifieth a single or particular Church, then All that called the Roman Catholic Church is but one single Church, compounded of no Churches: Or one Patriarchal or Provincial or National Church, were the lowest species, and a single Church, and so the Diocesans were none.
2. This distinguisheth a single Church from the Papal pretended universal policy; And from a Patriarchal Church, and from a Provincial, and a Diocesan Church in the sense now used: For these are compounded of several single Churches; and they are not a society at all associated for ordinary personal presential Communion in Gods worship and holy living: Only they are all under one General Governour, not using to meet themselves nor ever seeing one another. Now if to be under one absent General Bishop be that which specifyeth a single or particular Church, then All that called the Roman Catholick Church is but one single Church, compounded of no Churches: Or one Patriarchal or Provincial or National Church, were the lowest species, and a single Church, and so the Diocesans were none.
But if that which maketh it a single Church of the lowest species were that no Bishop is under ⟨p. 238⟩them, but that they are under one sole Bishop, then 1. If all England had but one Bishop (as many tell us all Abyssinia hath but one called the Abunah) or if a Patriarch put down all the Bishops under him, this Church of his would be but a single Church. 2. And then there would be no such thing as a Church associated for personal presential Communion, which I have proved that the Apostles by the spirit settled.