183 / 846
P
A
R
T
II.
Reverend
Mr. Richard
Baxter.
$49
§
29.
There
were
at
that time, two
forts
of
Epifcopal Men, who
differed from
each
other, more than the more moderate fort
differed from
the
Presbyterians.
The
one
was
the
old common moderate
fort, who were commonly in
Dottrine
Calvinifls,
and took Epifcopacy
to
be neceffary ad
beneeffe
Miniflerü
â
Eeelefa',
but
not
ad
de;
and took all
thofeofthe
Reformed
that had not
Bifhops, for
true Churches
and Miniffers,
wanting
only
that
which they thought would make them more com-
pleat.
The
other fort
followed Dr.
H. Hammond,
and ( forought we
knew)
were
very new, and very few
:
Their
Judgment
was
(as
he afferteth in
Annat. in
Att.
u.
&
in
Defertat.)
that
all
the
Texts of
Scripture which
1peak
of Presbyters, do
mean
Bifhops,
and
that
the Office
of
Subjett.Presbyters
was
not
in
the Church
in
Scripture Times,
( but
before
Ignatius
wrote it
was
)
but that the
Apoftles
planted
in
every
Church
only
a
Bishop
with Deacons, but
with
this
intent (
afferred but
never proved
) that
in
time, when the Chriflians multiplied,
theft
Bifhops
(
that
had
then but one Church
a
piece
)
fhould
ordain
Subjet-
Presbyters under
them,
and
be
the Paftors
of
mafiy
Churches
:
And they held
that Ordination without
Bishops was
invalid, and
a
MiniftryYoordained
was
null, and
the
Reformed Church-
es
that
had
no
Bifhops,
nor Presbytersordained by
Bishops,
were no true Church-
es,
though the
Church
of
Rome
be
a
true Church,
as
having
Bifhops
:
Thefe Men
inDo&trine were
filch
as
are
called
Arminian
:
And
though
the other
fart
were
more
numerous and elder, and tome
of
them
raid
that
Dr.
H
Hammond
had
given
away their
Cade
( becaufe
hereby he confeffeth
that
de
fella, the Churches were
but
Congregational or Parochial,
and that
Every
Church
had
a
Bilhop,
and no
Subjeâ
Presbyters were ordained
by the
Apoftles, or
in Scripture time, which
is
almóft
all
that the
Presbyterian delire)
yet
Dr. H.
Hammond
and the few that at
firft followed
him,
by
their Parts and Intereft in the
Nobility and Gentry,
did car-
ry it
at
last
against the other Party.
Now in
my
Chriflian
Concord,
I
had confef
-
fed
that
it was only
the moderate ancient Epifcopal Party which I hoped for
Agreement with
;
it being impoflible for
the Presbyterian and Independant
Party
to
affociate
with them
that
take
them and their Churches,
and
all
the reformed
Minifiers and Churches
that
have
not Epifcopal
Ordination,
for
null
:
And know-
ing that this
Opinion greatly
tended to the Divifion
of
the
Chriltian
Churches,
and gratifying the
Papifls,
and offending the
Proteflants,
I
fpake freely against ir,
which alienated'that party
from
me.
Having
fetled our Affociations
Dr.
Warmerflry
(
after Dean
of
Worcefer) and
Dr.
Thomas
Good
(
after
Prebend
of
Hereford)
were willing to have
a
Conference
with
us,
in order
to bring in the Epifcopal Party in
Shrapfhire
(
where they
then
lived
)
to our
Affociation
:
Accordingly we
met
with them at
Clcobury
in
Shrop-
fhire
;
and our Articles were read over by
Dr.
Warmerflry,
and examined one by
one, and in the conclufion they profeffed their very good likeing
of
our Delign,
and that they
purpofed to join
with
us,
but they thought it not
meet at
that pre
-
lent, being but two, to
fubfcribe
their
full
Affent
left
it
should feem
over hafty
to
their
Brethren,
and
fhould
hinder the Affociation, which they
Defrred
to promote:
But yet at prefent they fubfcribed
as
followeth
:
Sept.
20.
1651.
g
;o.TX
E
whofe
Names are under
written, having bad
Conference
with
divers
of
our
//
Brethren
of
the
MinifsryofWorceiletíhire,
concerning
their
Agreement
and
Ajciation,
for
the promoting
of
Peace
and Unity, and
Reformation
of
their refpetlive
Congregations,
according
to the
Word
of
Gad,
do by
theft Prefents approve
of theirChri-
flian
Intendments in the
general,
as being
fisch
that
in
Reference
to the
prefent Condition
of
the Church, we conceive
to
conduce
very much
to the Glory
of
God, the Promotion
of
Hoynefs,
the
reflraint of Sin,
the removing
of
Scandal, and the
f
tling
of
God's
People
in Cbrifüan
Unity
and
Concord.
Wotnefs our
Hands,
the Day
and
Tear above
written,
THO. WARMESTRY.
THO. GOOD.
('This
is
that Dr.
Warmeflry,
who, when
I
was filenced by Bifhop
Morley,
and
he
made
Dean
of
Woroefter,
came purpofely
to my Flock,
to preach thole
vehement
tedious Inveetives
of
which more hereafter.
)
31.
In
our Affociation we agreed upon
a
MonthlyMeeting
at
certain Market
-
Towns
for
Conference about fuch
Cafés
of
Difcipline
as
required Confultation
and