A27054:737
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.
And if it be too great, it will 1. hinder the comfort of those that want room in the Church assembly, 2. or cause the Church to degenerate into another sort of society.
It is best therefore that it should be as Great as that all the people who are constant worshippers of God on the Lords days may meet in one place, where they have liberty, Chapels or lesser meetings being allowed to the aged, weak, sick or very distant; yet all that are able coming sometime to the common Church.
§. 26. The first degenerating of single Churches grew 1. out of the ambition of the Pastors to, extend their power as far as they could; 2. and out of a desire in the people to see their assemblies as honourable for greatness, number, and concord as they might; 3. and out of a conceit that one City should have but one Bishop and so be one Governed Church.
And hereupon at Alexandria and Rome they began to have several fixed Chapels in the same City and neighbour villages, and the Bishop to send Curate-Presbyters to them as he pleased, yet so that at first they communicated frequently in the Bishops Church. After that these Presbyters were fixed and gave them the Sacraments where they came: After that they were tied to come to the Bishops Church for communion but at Easter, Whitsuntide, or some great and rare seasons: After that they were so many and far off, that they were no more obliged to come at all, or to hear or see the Bishop, but only to be distantly ruled by him, and their Presbyters. Then many Country Parishes got Bishops: But the City Bishops disagreeing with them, long after got them down.