Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BX5151 .B3 1659

(Zo) anddeltruâ ve to thePeace acid happinefs sf the Church and therefore not tobe admitted under pretence ofOrder or Peace; if we can hinder them. But of thefe wemuff fpeak more when we come to the main Queftion. 9 As for he ninth fort of Bifhops, viz., r A D;occfan Riding all the Pre, by ers, bast leaving the Presbyters to lade the People] and confequently taking to htmfelt the foieor chief Power of.Or- dination, but leaving Cenfures and Absolution to them, exctpt in cafe ofAppeal to himfelf; I mull needs fay that this fort of Epifcopacy is very ancient , and hath been for many ages of ve- ry common reception through a ;great part of the Church but I muff alfo fay that I can feeas yet no Divine.inffitution of fuch a Bifhop takenfor a fixed limited officer, and not the fame that we (hall m ration in the eleventh place.But how far mens vo. luntary fubmifiign to fuch, and confenc to, be, ruled by them, may authorize them, I have no mind to difpute. Only this I will fay , that though I allow not in my judgement chi; fort of Epifcopacy,yet I think it incomparably more tolereable than ti e eighth.fort,which taketh the whole Government of the people from thePresbyters to themfelves; And if' lived ina place where this Government were effablifhed, and managed. for God, I would fubmit thereto,and live peaceably under it and do nothing to thediflurbance, difgraceor:difcours.gement ofit, My reafons Ilenot flay to produce. to. As for the tenth fort of Bifhops,, viz. Archbi/hops, Me- tropolitans,, Primates; and Patriarchs, having notonly the modera. tion of Synods, but alf either the fole.Government of all the Cler- gy,,, andcheifGovernment of all the people, or a Negative voice in all, I am much more in judgement againlf thew,then the for- mer,and fomuch the moreagainfi them,by howmuch the larger their Jurifdietionis, for reafons which I (hall anon have occafion to produce., A s for the eleventhfort ofBifhops,that is r ftach asfiacceed the Apofiles in the office of Preaching isrd Governing, to wit as an. limited srteiverfal c ff ccrsl it is a great doubt among many whe. to er any fuch fhould be?For though it be certain that filch were, yet we are in doubt whether,they have any fuccefrors. For my own part,I confefs my felf fatisfied in this, that theApof}les have Suçccfrops,,, though ,not.in,theirextraor4inary Inttttediate man. tier

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