A Treatise of Episcopacy, Table of contents – Publishers advertisement 2
THE CONTENTS.
PART. I.
Chap. 1. THe Reaſons of this Writing.
Chap. 2. The English Dioceſane Prelacy and Church Government truly deſcribed, that it may be known what it is which we diſſent from.
Chap. 3. Our judgement if the Hiſtory of the ancient Church Government, and of the riſe of the Dioceſane Prelacy.
Chap. 4. The judgement of thoſe Non Conformiſts now ſilenced, who 1660 addreſſed themſelves to King Charles II. for the matter in Church-Government: What they then offered, and what thoſe of the Authers mind now hold, as to the Right of what is before but Hiſtorically related.
Chap. 5. Concerning the ſeveral Writers on this Controverſie, wherein there are ſufficient animadverſions on ſome, and ſufficient Confutations of the Cheif, who have written for the Prelacy which we diſſent from. As 1. Whitgift. 2. Faravia. 3. Bilſon. 4. Hooker. 5. Biſhop Downams Defence. 6. Biſhop Hall. 7. Petavius. 8. Biſh. Andrews. 9 Biſh. Uſher in ſome paſſages. 10. Of the Diſpute at the Iſle of Wight. 11. John Forbes. 12. The two Books of the Bohemian Diſcipline conſented to. 13. Grotius applauded. 14. J. D. 15. M, A. de Dom. Spalatenſis conſidered, and much of him approved. 16. Doctor Hammond anſwered, viz. his Annotations, his Diſſertat. againſt Blondel, &c. who have written againſt Prelacy.
Chap. 6. It is not pleaſing to God, that Cities only ſhould have Biſhops, and Churches with the Territories.
Chap. 7. The Definition and Reaſons of a Dioceſan Church conſidered and confuted.
Chap. 8. Whether the Infidel Territories or Citizens are part of a Dioceſane Church
Chap. 9. Whether converting a Dioceſs give right to their Converter to be their Biſhop and Ruler.
Chap. 10. That a particular Church of the firſt or loweſt order, muſt conſiſt of neighbour Chriſtians, aſſociated for perſonal Communion in local preſence in holy worſhip and Converſation, and not of Strangers ſo remote, as have only an internal heart Communion, or an external Communion by the Mediation of others.
Chap. 11. That a Biſhop or Paſtor of a Particular Church of the firſt rank aforedeſcribed, muſt govern it ſtatedly as preſent, by himſelf, and not abſent by others.
Chap. 12. The juſt opening and underſtanding of the true nature of the Paſtoral Office, and Church Government, would end theſe Controverſies about Prelacy.
Chap. 13. That there is no need of ſuch as our Dioceſ…nes for the Unity, or the Government of the particular Miniſters, nor for the ſilencing of the unworthy.
Chap. 14. The true original of the warrantable ſort of Epiſcopacy in particular Churches, was the notorious diſparity of abilities in the Paſtors. And tho original of that tyrannical Prelacy into which it did degenerate, was the worldly Spirit in the Paſtors and people, which with the World came by proſperity into the Church. Quaere, Whether the thing ceaſe not when the Reaſon of it ceaſeth.
PART. II.
Chap. 1. THe clearing of the State of the Queſtion.
Chap. 2. The firſt Argument againſt the aforedeſcribed Dioceſanes that their form (quantum in ſe) deſtroyeth the particular Church form of Gods inſtitution, and ſetteth up a humane form in its ſtead.
Chap. 3. That the Primitive Epiſcopal Churches of the Holy Ghoſts Inſtitution, were but ſuch Congregations as I before deſcribed. Proved by Scripture.
Chap. 4. The ſame proved by the Conceſſions of the moſt learned Defenders of Prelacy.
Chap. 5. The ſame proved by the full Teſtimony of Antiquity.
Chap. 6. The ſame further confirmed by the Ancients.
Chap. 7. More proof of the aforeſaid Ancient Church limits, from the Ancient Cuſtoms.
Chap. 8. That the Dioceſanes cauſe the Error of the Separatiſts, who avoid our Churches as falſe in their Conſtitution, and would diſable us to confute them.
Chap. 9. The ſecond Argument from the depoſition of the Primitive ſpecies of Biſhops, and the erecting of a humane inconſi…tent ſpecies in their ſtead. A ſpecifi k difference proved.
Chap. 10. Whether any form of Church Government be inſtituted by God as neceſſary or all be left to humane prudence and choice,
Chap. 11. Argument third from the deſtruction of the Order of Presbyters of divine Inſtitution, and the invention of a new Order of half Sub-presbyters in their ſtead.
Chap. 12. That God inſtituted ſuch Presbyters as had the foreſaid power of the Keyes in doctrine, worſhip, and diſcipline, and no other proved by the Scriptures
Chap. 13. The ſame confirmed by the Ancients.
Chap. 14. And by the Confeſſions of the greateſt and learnedeſt Prelatiſts.
Chap. 15. Whether this Government belonging to the Presbyters be in foro Eccleſiaſtico exteriore, or only in foro Conſcientiae, vel interiore.
Chap. 16. That the Engliſh Dioceſane Government doth change this Office of a Presbyter of God's inſtitution, quantum in ſe, into another of humane invention. The difference opened. Twenty inſtances of taking away the Presbyters power from them.
Chap. 17. That the great change of Government hitherto deſcribed (the making of a new ſpecies of Churches, Biſhops and Presbyters, and depoſing the old) was ſinfully done, and not according to the intent of the Apoſtles.
Chap. 18. Argument fourth from the impoſſibility of their performance of the Epiſcopal Office in a Dioceſane Church: And the certain excluſion and deſtruction of the perticular Church Government, while one man only will undertake a work too great for many hundreds, when their work is further opened in perticulars.
Chap 19. The ſame impoſſibility proved by experience. 1. Of the ancient Church 2. Of the Foreign Churches. 3. Of the Church of England. 4. Of our ſelves.
Chap. 20. Objections againſt Pariſh diſcipline anſwered. The need of it proved.
Chap. 21. The Magiſtrates ſword. 1. Is neither the ſtrength of Church diſcipline. 2. Nor will ſerve inſtead of it. 3. Nor ſhould be too much uſed to ſecond and enforce it. The miſcheifs of enforcing men to Sacramental Communion, opened in twenty inſtances.
Chap. 22. An Anſwer to the Objections, 1. No Biſhop, no King. 2. Of the Rebellions and Seditions of them that have been againſt Biſhops.
Chah. 23. Certain brief conſectaries,
Chap. 24. Some Teſtinonies of Prelatiſts themſelves of the late ſtate of the Church of England, its Biſhops and Clergy, leſt we be thought to wrong them, in our deſcription of them, and their fruits.
Chap. 25. The Ordination lately exerciſed by the Presbyters in England, when the Biſhops were put down by the Parliament, is valid, and Re ordination not to be required jure divino, as ſuppoſing it null.
A TREATISE OF EPISCOPACY. Confuting, by SCRIPTURE, REASON, And the CHURCHES TESTIMONY, That ſort of Dioceſan Churches, Prelacy and Government, which caſteth out the Primitive Church-ſpecies, Epiſcopacy, Miniſtry and Diſcipline, and confoundeth the Chriſtian world by Corruption, Uſurpation, Schiſmes, and Perſecution. Meditated 1640 when the &c. Oath was impoſed: Written. 1671 and caſt by: Publiſhed 1680 by the Call of Mr. H. Dodwel, and the Importunity of our Superiors, who demand the Reaſons of our Nonconformity.
The deſigne of this book is not to weaken the Church of England, its Government, Riches, Honour or Unity: But to ſtrengthen and ſecure it, 1. By the concord of all true Proteſtants who can never unite in the preſent Impoſitions: 2. And by the neceſſary reformation of Pariſh-Churches, and thoſe abuſes, which elſe will in all ages keep up a ſucceſſion of Nonconformiſts. As an Account why we dare not Covenant by Oath or Subſcription never to endeavour any (amending) alteration of the Church Government (by lawful meanes, as Subjects) nor make our ſelves the juſtifying vouchers for all the unknown perſons in the Kingdom, who vowed and ſwore it, that none of them are obliged to ſuch (lawful) endeavour, by their vow. By RICHARD BAXTER, a Catholick Chriſtian, for love, concord and peace of all true Chriſtians, and obedience to all lawful commands of Rulers; but made, called and uſed as, a Nonconformiſt.
London, Printed for Nevil Simmons at the three Cocks at the Weſt end of Saint Pauls, and Thomas Simmons at the Prince's Armes in Ludgate-ſtreet, MDCLXXXI.
Theſe Books following are printed for, and ſold by Nevil Simmons at the three Golden Cocks at the weſt end of St. Pauls.
A Chriſtian Directory, or ſum of practical Theology, and caſes of Conſcience, directing Chriſtians how to uſe their Knowledge and Faith, how to improve all helps and meanes, and to performe all duties how to overcome temptations, and to eſcape or mortifie every ſin, in four parts, 1. Chriſtian Ethicks, or private Duties. 2. Chriſtian Oeconomicks, or Family Duties. 3. Chriſtian Eccleſiaſticks, or Church Duties. 4. Chriſtian Politicks, or Duties to Our ſelves and Neighbours. in Folio.
Catholick Theology: Plain, Pure, Peaceable, for Pacification in three Books. 1. Pacifying Principles, &c. 2. Pacifying Praxis, &c. 3. Pacifying Diſputations, &c. in Folio.
The Life of Faith in three Parts: The firſt Sermon preached before his Majeſty, &c. The Second, Inſtructions for confirming believers in the Chriſtian faith. The third directions how to live by faith, or how to exerciſe it in all occaſions in Quarto.
Naked Popery; or the naked Falſhood of a book called the Catholick naked Truth, or the Puritan convert to Apoſtolical Chriſtianity, written by W. H. opening their fundamental errours of unwritten tradition, and their unjuſt deſcription of the Puritan, the Prelatical Proteſtant and the Papiſt, and their differences, &c. To which is added an examination of Roman Tradition, as it is urged as infallible, &c. In anſwer to a book called A rational diſcourſe of Tranſubſtantiation. in Quarto.
A Key for Catholicks, to open the Jugling of the Jeſuits, and ſatisfie all that are but truely willing to underſtand, whether the cauſe of the Roman, or reformed Churches be of God; and to leave the readerutterly unexcuſable, that will after this be a Papiſt. in Octavo.
A Treatiſe of Juſtifying Righteouſneſs in two books. in Octavo.
There are lately publiſhed of this Authors theſe two Books following, and ſold by Thomas Simmons at the Princes Armes in Ludgateſtreet.
CHurch-Hiſtory of the Government of Biſhops and their Councils, Abbreviated. Including the chief part of the Government of Chriſtian Princes and Popes, and a true account of the moſt troubling Controverſies and Hereſies till the Reformation. Written for the uſe eſpecially of them, I. Who are ignorant or miſinformed of the ſtate of the Antient Churches. II. Who cannot read many and great Volumes. III. Who think that the Univerſal Church muſt have one Viſible Soveraign, Perſonal or Collective, Pope or General Councils. IV. Who would know whether Patriarchs, Dioceſans, and their Councils, have been, or muſt be the cure of Hereſies and Schiſmes. V. Who would know the truth about the great Hereſies which have divided the Chriſtian World, eſpecially the Donatiſts, Novatians, Arrians, Macedonians, Neſtorians, Eutychians, Monothelites, &c. By Richard Baxter, a Hater of Falſe Hiſtory.
A Moral Prognoſtication, I. What ſhall befal the Churches on Earth till their Concord, by the Reſtitution of their Primitive Purity, Simplicity and Charity. II. How that Reſtitution is like to be made, (if ever) and what ſhall befal them thenceforth unto the End in that Golden Age of LOVE. Written by Richard Baxter, when by the Kings Commiſſion, we (in vain) treated for Concord, 1661. And now publiſhed not to inſtruct the Proud, that ſcorn to learn; nor to make them Wiſe, who will not be made Wiſe: But to Inſtruct the Sons of Love and Peace, in their Duties and Expectations. And to tell Poſterity, That the Things which befall them, were Fore-told: And that the Evil might have been prevented, and Bleſſed Peace on Earth attained, if Men had been but willing; and had not ſhut their Eyes, and hardened their Hearts, againſt the Beams of Light and Love.