Baxter - BV669 B3 1681

('7t) elfe gave Zuinglins and Oecofampadius the Prefdencte at Zurich ? What ells did fer upCalvin, and BeKa at Geneva ? AndKnox and Ilender(on in Scotland? And all our Partfhes that have Chappels and Curates thew it here in Eng- land: Where one man for his worth is thought meeteft to have the Benifice and chief cure ;, but others may be chofen by him and placed under him, andmaintained by him (by the Bit opsallowance) as his curates. And indeed it was fo long before Academies made a fufficient (tore of men of fufficienciefor every Presbyters place, that for four or five hun- dred years, therewere fewbred up tocompetent j.earning, except either under Heathens, or elfe in a Bifhops houle, or hereand there as an Auditor ofCome one rare Teacher. Clemens Alexendrìnus , as a Difcipleof Pante- nusand Origene ofclemens,,and fome few others, came to Learning, as au- ditors in that Alexandrian School : But few other places betides Alexan- dxia had any fùch School ofa long time, in fo much as Nazianzen, Bafì!, Greg. Niffen, Chryfoftome, &c. were taught at Athens, by Lybanius and fuch other Heathens; And Ambrefe, Auguffine, and many others, were in a manner zv1oé'1d`uxeoy felf taught fo that it wasnot poífible then to have many Learned men ordinarily foronc Church (or congregation) Andyet many Presbyters certainly they had. Which is the true caute that one Learned roanwas made an Over-feerand Guide to the reit, who werehis Curatesor Affftants, giftedlike our wifer fort of the Laity, but of thefame Office andorder withhim ; And this Sifhup was the ufual Preacher, and the other did learne ofhim to Preach, and grew up under him as Sc ho- lars ; and he that came to greatest abilities under him, was chofen for a Bithop to another Church that wanted, but not without his own. Bifhops content, whichmade the debate in Councels fofrequent, whether a Presby- termight remove fo another Church, orbe chofer for a Bifhop of another Church? Andan African Council giverhit as a Reafon why that Bifhop that had able Presbyters, fhouldnot refute to let one go tobe a Bifhop elfe where, becaufe where therewere many fit to be Presbyters, there were but fewmen fit ro be made B ifhops, which implieth that they rook it not then for a meer place of order, whereone man of equal parts was for unity to rule the reff, but fora neceffary difference of exercifing the fame Office, becaufe of the different abilities of the Officers: Which was not only to keep anorder by difpariryof places, but to educate the Presbyters to greater abilities,and to manage Gods work in each affembiy more skillful ly and guide the Church more prudently, anddefend thetruth more power- fully, than commonunlearned Presbyters could do. Now let it be for the prefent grantedthat for fuch reafons Epifcopacy in each Church wasjuftly fetled, and call ir an order ora degree as you pleafe Itwill be a difficult queftion, what (hall be judged of thole that have the fame place and Title, without the fame Qualifications and precedencie of parts? Becaufe theRealonof his power faileth. Ifone be chofen Bithop to iseepout He retie, and heprove a Hefetick, and thePresbyters Orthodox, whatis hispower ro that end ? If one be chofen Bithop to keep out Schifin, and he provea Schifinatick or Seer Mafter, and the reff concordant, what ishispower ? Ifone be made Bifhop to reach thepeople better than thePres. bytres, and to teach the Presbyters themfelves, and to.defend truth and ä odlinefs, and heprove more ignorant than the Presbyters, and Preach not to the thoulìndth or hundredth part ofhis Di ocefe once inall hislife, nor to any at all pact once in manyweeks or months or years, and if he dobut &- lence the Minifters that are abler and Farr more pious than himfelf, what Z 2 power

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