Baxter - BV669 B3 1681

(134) Allo aPriefl as fuck hath no power to judge what Garmentshe (hall wear, nor ofwhat colour at home or abroad. He bath no power to judge in what houle he may infiruá or pray with any of his flock : nor when fo much as with his Church in publick, or with any fick or afflicted neighbour in private , to Faß and Pray : tut they are all ilraitly forbidden to preach or adminifler the Sacra- ments, ( except to the fick) in private houfes : To preach or officiate in any room fave a Confecrated Chappel, even in a Noblemans houle; To keep publick or private fails ; To give the Sacrament to any that are not of their own Parith, at leaft if they go from their own Heft, becaùfe he never fiudied more than to Read : They have not power to admit any other , how Learned and Holy foever, to preach in their Churches, as Presbyters, without Licence. All thefePhew their Priddy power. Obj. But a Surrogate may Excommunicate. Anfw. r. That is but ludicrous pro. forma. 2. Or elfe it is but their felf-condemnations while they allow one Presbyter of a thoufand, todo that which all the refl are forbidden. The fame I fay of Arch-deacons,, and pe- culiar Ordinaries. Object. They make Canons in Convocations , and choofe Convocation Prig. Anfw. a. It is but two Prießs of many hundred that are in a Convocati- on : And what's that to all the refl. z. Choofing is not a Governinga& Where the people choofe Kings and Parliament men, it proveth not that they have any Government themfelves. The Laity ever formerly chofe their Bithops, and yet were no Bithops nor Church Rulers. 3. It is in the Bithops power to frufirate their choice. For when they have cho- fen four, he may put by two of them. In this great Convocation which hath new moulded our Liturgy , which bath formed the Engines that have done what is done, the great and famous City of London had not one chofen Clerk in the Convocation. (No wonder then if they Con- form not, as not beingbound by their own Confent ) For when they chofe Mr. Calamy and my felt,, the Bithop refufed us both ( which I am fo far from mentioning in difcontent, that I take it to have been a greater Mercy than I can well exprefs) 4. I take not Canon-making tobe any confiderable part of the Pafloral Office. If two of many hundred, have power to pleafe the Plural Number of Prelates, Deans, and other Digni- taries ( whom they cannot over-vote) by ferving them againft the Church and their Brethren, doth that prove that Presbyters as fuch have the Govern- ing powerof their flocks? I am not ftriving for a power ofRuling one another, much lefs of Ex- communicating Kings and Magifirates, nor a power of making Laws, or Ruling

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