A69533:658
Five disputations of church-government and worship
Five disputations of church-government and worship by Richard Baxter.
London: printed by R.W. for Nevil Simmons, 1659
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.
Sect. 16. Its clear then that the English Bishops were not such Apostolical unfixed Bishops as the Itinerants of the first age were. And yet if they were, I shall show in the next Argument that its nothing to their advantage; because Archbishops are nothing to our question. And that they were not such as the fixed Bishops of Scripture times, I am next to prove.
Sect. 16. Its clear then that the English Bishops were not such Apostolical unfixed Bishops as the Itinerants of the first age were. And yet if they were, I shall shew in the next Argument that its nothing to their advantage; because Archbishops are nothing to our question. And that they were not such as the fixed Bishops of Scripture times, I am next to prove.
Sect. 17. The fixed Bishops in the Scripture times had but a single Congregation, or particular Church for their Pastoral Charge: But our English Bishops had many (if not many hundred) such Churches for their charge: therefore our English Bishop were not of the same sort with those in Scripture. The Major I have proved in the former Disputation. The Minor needs no proof, as being known to all that know England.
Sect. 17. The fixed Bishops in the Scripture times had but a single Congregation, or particular Church for their Pastoral Charge: But our English Bishops had many (if not many hundred) such Churches for their charge: therefore our English Bishope were not of the same sort with those in Scripture. The Major I have proved in the former Disputation. The Minor needs no proof, as being known to all that know England.
Sect. 18. And 2. The fixed Bishops in the Scripture times had no Presbyters, at least, of other particular Churches under them, (They Governed not any Presbyters that had other associated Congregations for public Worship.) But the English Bishops had the Presbyters of other Churches under them (perhaps of hundreds:) therefore they are not such as the Scripture Bishops were. There is much difference between a Governor of People and a Governor of Pastors; Episcopus gregis, & Episcopus Episcoporum, is not all one. None of us saith, Cyprian in Concil. Carthagin. calleth himself, or takes himself to be Episcopum Episcoporum. No fixed Bishops in Scripture times were the Pastors of Pastors, as least, of other Churches.