A27054:732
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.
Thorndikes first books which fetch the reason of Church Government from Assemblies, were far truer than his later, in which he seemed to dream of a humane universal Policy.
§. 23. Either a Bishop as distinct (in Order or Degree) from Presbyters is necessary to the Being of a Church of Divine institution, or not: If not, then it may be a Church without such a Bishop, and have accordingly the rights of a Church (in the proper political sense now intended by the word [Church.]) And then the old sayings would not be true, 1. Of Ignatius that [to every Church there is one Altar, and one Bishop with his fellow Presbyters and Deacons] 2. Of Cyprian, that ubi Episcopus ibi Ecclesia: 3. Of Hierome and others, Ecclesia eft pl•bs adunat a Episcopo.
If yea, then 1. Our Parish Priests are true Bishops, or else the Parish Churches are no true Churches, but Chapels, as wanting an essential part. 2. And then there are no Churches in England of the lowest ⟨p. 240⟩species (for present Communion, &c.) 3. And then it will be hard to confute them that say, No form of Church Government is jure Divino or instituted of God. 4. And the form of Government being the specifying form of the policy or Church, it will follow that God hath instituted no Churches but the universal as headed by Christ. 5. And if you will confess to the Separatists that we have no Churches of Gods institution, you will never heal their separation.