A69533:1049

Five disputations of church-government and worship

Name: Five disputations of church-government and worship
Author: Richard Baxter

Five disputations of church-government and worship by Richard Baxter.

Richard Baxter 1615–1691London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1659

[10], 38, [10], 24, 492 p. · 215k words · Wing B1267 · ESTC R13446

Title page: Princeton Theological Seminary Library copy, digitized by the Internet Archive (opens the Internet Archive in a new tab)

AN Episcopacy Desirable for the Reformation, Preservation, and Peac… › Chapter 3: It is Lawful for the several Associations of Pastors to choose one man to be their Pre…AN Episcopacy Desirable for the Reformation, Preservation, and Peac… › Chapter 3: It is Lawfull for the several Associations of Pastors to choose one man to be their Pre…

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.

[ Earlier:1046–1061 of 1,637

:1046p. 306¶33

§. 33. Object. But who shall be judge of this Necessity? Answ. The Magistrate only shall be the Compelling Judge. The people shall be the Discerning Judges: the Pastors shall at least have as much power as the People: each of them shall Discern, so far as they must obey and execute. And God only shall be the final Judge.

§. 33. Object. But who shall be judge of this Necessity? Answ. The Magistrate only shall be the Compelling Iudge. The people shall be the Discerning Iudges: the Pastors shall at least have as much power as the People: each of them shall Discern, so far as they must obey and execute. And God only shall be the final Iudge.

:1047p. 306¶34

§. 34. Object. But this will but cause Divisions and Confusions; while the President thinks one thing Necessary, and the Pastors another, and the People another. Answ. I answered this before. Reason must not be cast by, and the Churches ruined, and poison and destruction taken in, on pretence of such inconveniences. If such a Case of difference fall out, each man will execute as he discerneth or judgeth, (being to answer for his own actions, and having none that can undertake to answer for him) And when we all come to the Bar of God for final Judgement, he that was in the right shall be justified, and he that falsely pretended Necessity against duty shall bear the blame.

§. 34. Object. But this will but cause Divisions and Confusions; while the President thinks one thing Necessary, and the Pastors another, and the People another. Answ. I answered this before. Reason must not be cast by, and the Churches ruined, and poyson and destruction taken in, on pretence of such inconveniences. If such a Case of difference fall out, each man will execute as he discerneth or judgeth, (being to answer for his own actions, and having none that can undertake to answer for him) And when we all come to the Bar of God for final Judgement, he that was in the right shall be justified, and he that falsly pretended Necessity against duty shall bear the blame.

[ Earlier passages Later passages ]

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

CHAP. IV. It is Lawful for the Presbyters of a particular Church, to have a fixed President, during life.