Of National Churches, Title page – Publishers advertisement
OF National Churches: Their Deſcription, Inſtitution, Uſe, Preſervation, Danger, Maladies and Cure: Partly applied to England.
Written by RICHARD BAXTER, for promoting peace when the pacifying Day ſhall come, by Healing their Extremes that are willing of Peace and Healing. And for the fuller Explication of the Treaty for Concord in 1660 and 1661. and of the Kings Gracious Declaration about Eccleſiaſtical Affairs, for which he had publick thanks, by them that afterward rejected it. And for further Explication of his Treatiſe of Epiſcopacy, and many others written for Peace and rejected.
Rev. 11. 15.
The Kingdoms of this World are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Chriſt, and he ſhall Reign for ever and ever. Chap. 19. 16. King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
Matth. 5. 9.
Bleſſed are the Peace-makers; for they ſhall be called the Children of God.
Jam. 3. 17.
The wiſdom that is from above is firſt Pure and then Peaceable, &c.
London, Printed by T. Snowden, for Thomas Parkhurſt at the Bible and Three Crowns, the lower end of Cheapſide. 1691.
THE EPISTLE TO THE READER.
Reader,
THIS ſhort Diſcourſe cometh not from the expectation of pleaſing any of the Extremes, the Tyrannical or the Confounders. And therefore in a Time and Countrey where thoſe that eſcape Extremes are few, it muſt expect but the private approbation of thoſe few. But thoſe few and their Cauſe, are ſo conſiderable, as that if God mean not to forſake the Land, they may yet become the Agents and ſtamina of a happy concordant Reformation. Of which in the appearance of Second Cauſes, there is yet no great proſpect, nor like to be, unleſs God cauſe the Supreme Power, by Wiſdom and Righteouſneſs, or by their own conſtraining Intereſt and Neceſſity, to drive the Worldly Unpeaceable Sort, to obey Healing Precepts for their own Advantage, contrary to their Temptations and Inclinations. If ſuch a day come when I am dead, theſe Principles will be of uſe. They are not lately taken up by me, as you may ſee in my Five Diſputations of Church Government, &c. in my Treatiſe of Epiſcopacy, Nonconformity ſtated, &c. and in our fruſtrated Treaty for Concord 1660, 1661.
In the ſtate that we are in while we have none to whom we have any Call or Hope to addreſs our ſelves for publick Concord, let us keep our ſelves from the guilt of unpeaceableneſs, and bear the Slanders and Wrongs of falſe Accuſers, and thank God for checking the Power of Perſecutors, and let us make peace among thoſe that we may ſpeak to with any hope, and wait on God till he ſhew us whether he be ſaving or forſaking the Land, and the reſt of the Reformed (Unreformed) Churches.
And to them that will be offended with me for ſaying ſo much for Biſhops and Archbiſhops, let them know that this Book is but an Attendant on a bigger, written againſt a Foreign Juriſdiction or Popery, which ſheweth that I am no more for the Extremes of others' than of theirs. As alſo my Treatiſe of Epiſcopacy hath ſhewn: And here I have proved that Popery is but a Fabrick built on the Ruins of National Churches or Chriſtian Kingdoms: And if it ever fall it muſt be by their Reſtoration. The Lord pity the Blind, Malignant, Self-deſtroying World, and prepare us better for a better Society.
London, March 26. 1691. Richard Baxter.
LET the Reader note that § 7, 8, 9, and 10. of the XIIth. Chapter are miſplaced, and muſt be read as the end of the IXth. Chapter. The reſt of the Errata's I have not time togather.
THE CONTENTS.
CHap. I. What a National Church is.
Ch. II. That Chriſt Inſtituted ſuch a Church Form.
Ch. III. In the Execution as well as Embrio Judea was ſuch.
Ch. IV. Particular Churches and Paſtors how far Eſſential to a National Church, and what are its Materials.
Ch. V. The Paſtors or Biſhops of National Churches are to be of three Ranks. Apoſtolick Succeſſors.
Ch. VI. Who muſt be the Lay-members of National Churches.
Ch. VII. What is the Confederacy or Concord needful to a National Church.
Ch. VIII. How far this Confederacy and Concord bindeth the Members of a National Church to Conformity.
Ch. IX. That Chriſt hath Inſtituted no Eccleſiaſtical Government in Man of any larger extent than National; much leſs Univerſal nor of Foreign Juriſdiction: And that the French Ariſtocracy with the Popes Primacy and Patriarchate is as bad as Papal Monarchy.
Ch. X. Whether Univerſal Church Government (more than per partes) be of Apoſtolick Succeſſion.
Ch. XI. Whether National Church Primacy or Ariſtocracy, infer Univerſal.
Ch. XII. 1. Whether the Romans Church Policy ſhould be choſen as ſtrengthning the common Chriſtian Intereſt. 2. Whether Proteſtants Differences and Diviſions make the Roman way of Concord neceſſary. 3. Whether Proteſtants or Papists have more Errors.
Chap. XIII. What are the Dangerous Diſeaſes of a National Church.
Chap. XIV. Whether the Preſent Church of England be of a ſound Conſtitution, and what is Neceſſary to its Welfare, Safety, Strength, and Peace.
Chap. XV. The Caſe anſwered, Of Tolerating Diſſenters, from the Laws or Cuſtoms of a National Church.
Books Printed for and Sold by Tho. Parkhurſt at the Bible and Three Crowns in Cheapſide near Mercers Chapel.
RIchard Baxter's Catholick Theology plain, pure, peaceable, for Pacification of the Dogmatical Word-Warriours in three books, Folio.
—His Church Hiſtory of Government of Biſhops and their Councils Abbreviated, Quarto.
—His true Hiſtory of Councils enlarged and defended, Quarto.
—His Treatiſe of Epiſcopacy, Quarto.
—His Saints Everlaſting reſt in four parts, Quarto.
—His Paraphraſe on the New Teſtament, Quarto.
—His Life of Faith in three parts, Quarto.
—His anſwer to Dodwel and Sherlock, Quarto.
—His Catholick Communion in five parts, Quarto.
—Catholick Communion doubly defended, &c.
—Whether Pariſh Congregations be true Chriſtian Churches defended againſt both Extremes & Unneceſſary Diviſions, Quarto.
—His Apology for Non-Conforming Miniſters, Quarto.
—His Naked Popery &c. Quarto.
—His Treatiſe of Knowledge and Love, Compared &c. in two parts, Quarto.
—His Engliſh Non-Conformity as under King Charles the ſecond and King James the ſecond, truely Stated and Argued, the Second Edition, Quarto.
—His Treatiſe of Self-Denial, Octavo.
—His Defence of Non-Conformiſts Plea for Peace, Octavo.
—His Full and Eaſy ſatisfaction, which is the True and Safe Religion, Octavo.
—His Key for Catholicks, opening the Juglings of the Jeſuits, Octavo.
—His Catechizing of Families, Octavo.
—His Scriptures Goſpel Defended, and Chriſt, Grace, and free Juſtification vindicated againſt the Libertines, Octavo.
—His Two Diſputations of Original Sin, Octavo.
—His Cain and Abel Malignity, that is, Enmity to Serious Godlineſs, &c. Octavo.
—His Call to the Unconverted to turn and live, &c. Octavo.
—His Glorious Kingdom of Chriſt deſcribed and clearly vindicated, &c. Quarto. ſtitcht.
—His Reply to Mr. The. Beverly's Anſwer to my Reaſons againſt his Doctrine of a thouſand years, Quarto ſtitcht.
—His Farewel Sermon prepared to have been Preached to his hearers, at Kederminſter at his departure, but forbidden, Quarto. publiſhed by himſelf.
—Moral Prognoſtication. 1ſt. What ſhall befall Churches on Earth till Conquered by reſtitution of primitive Purity, Simplicity and Charity. 2. How the reſtitution is like to be made (if ever) and what ſhall befall them thenceforth to the end, in that Golden Age of Love. Quarto ſtitcht.
—His ſearch for the Engliſh Schiſmatick, Quarto ſtitcht.
—His Immortality of the Soul, Octavo.
—His Treatiſe of Juſtifying Righteouſneſs in two books, Octavo.
—His Revolt to a Foreign Juriſdiction, in two parts, Octavo? Joſeph Alleine of Converſion, in Octavo, large Print, with Caſes of Conſcience.
—Alleine of Converſion, in Twelves, ſmaller Print, with Caſes of Conſcience.
—Alleine's Sure Guide, in Twelves.
Mr. Steel of Old Age.
Vincent of Converſion.
—Touchſtone of Grace and Nature.
—Of Conſcience.
—The Spirit of Prayer.
—Of Love among Chriſtians.
—Three Funeral Sermons.
—Principles of the Doctrine of Chriſt.