A Treatise of Episcopacy, Title page 1 – Quotations
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, Schiſm, and Perſecution. Meditated in the Year 1640. when the Et caetera Oath was impoſed. Written 1671. and caſt by. Publiſhed 1680, by the importunity of our Superiours, who demand the Reaſons of our Nonconformity. By RICHARD BAXTER.
LONDON, Printed for Nevil Simmons at the Three Cocks at the Weſt end of S. Paul's, and Thomas Simmons at the Princes Arms in Ludgate-ſtreet. 1681.
The Hiſtory of the Production of this Treatiſe, with its Deſign and Sum; to prevent miſ-underſtanding.
BEcauſe many of late, as well as Juſtice Roger L'Eſtrange, do ſeem to believe themſelves in their accuſation of me, as changing with the Times; though I greatly affect the change of a Proficient, and know not at what age it is that ſuch men would fix us that we may grow no wiſer, nor ever repent of former Ignorance or Errour; yet I will here confeſs to them that if what I here write againſt be good and right, I have been forty years unchanged in my Errour.
My mutability hath been little to my advantage for this world, For further than I was for the King, I never was one year on that which was called the upper or ſtronger prevailing ſide, as far as I underſtand it. Nor to the very day that I was turned out of all, did my Preferments, or Riches ever ſerve me, ſo much as to have a Houſe, or keep a Servant man, (ſave in Travail) or Woman (ſave one aged Woman that provided me neceſſaries, in a few top rooms of another mans Houſe;) which I mention for the ſake of the miſtaken French ſtranger, Mr. Durel, that tells the World another ſtory.
And as to this Subject, this is the Breviate of its Hiſtory, ab origine. I was in my Child hood, firſt bred up under the School, and Church-teaching, of eight ſeveral men, of whom only two preached once a month, and the reſt were but Readers of the Liturgie, and moſt of very ſcandalous lives. After that I fell into the hands of a Teacher, that ſtudied for preferment, and reviled Puritanes; and after that I fell into the happier acquaintance of three ancient Divines, that were called then Conformable Puritanes; and all of them bred in me an Opinion, that Nonconformiſts were unlearned men, addicted to humorous, cauſeleſs Singularity: For I knew but one *Where Dr. Alleſtree was bred: His next Neighbor.who was an honeſt plain Preacher but of little learning: And to ſettle me, the Divines that I followed, made me read Biſhop Downame's Defence, Biſhop Andrews, and others for Epiſcopacy, and Mr. Sprint, Dr. Burges, and others for the Ceremonies: And I verily judged them to be in the right: But as ſoon as I was ordained, I removed into a Countrey where were ſome Nonconformiſts, ſome few of them Learned Miniſters, and many Laymen; of whom, one in the houſe with me, was oft diſputing the Caſe with me, and I thought I had ſtill the better: And the Nonconformable Miniſters there, were men of ſo much Holineſs, and Peace, that they would ſcarce ever talk of the matters in difference, but of Holineſs and Heaven, and repreſſing the over-much heat of the Lay men: And the famous William Fenner being lately of the next Pariſh, a Conformiſt of learning, yet plain and affectionate in preaching, God had bleſt his Miniſtry with ſo great ſucceſs in the Converſion of many ungodly Perſons; as that the reverence of him, kept up the honour of Conformity among the Religious people thereabouts▪
But in 1640. I was removed to Brignorth, and the Canons newly made, impoſed on us an Oath, which had theſe words, [I A. B. do ſwear that I do approve of the Doctrine, and Diſcipline, or Government of the Church of England, as concerning all things neceſſary to Salvation—Nor will I ever give my CONSENT to alter the Government of this Church, by Arch-Biſhops, Biſhops, Deans, and Arch-Deacons, &c. As it ſtands now eſtabliſhed, and as by right it ought to ſtand—And all theſe things I do plainly and ſincerely acknowledge and ſwear, according to the plain and common ſence and underſtanding of the ſame words, without any equivocation, or mental evaſion, or ſecret reſervation whatſoever; And this I do heartily, willingly, and truly, upon the Faith of a Chriſtian: So help me God in Jeſus Chriſt.]
Though every Miniſter in the Countrey, as well I, was for Epiſcopacy, yet this Oath ſo ſtartled them that they appointed a meeting at Brignorth to conſult about it. It fell out on my Lecture day, and at the meeting, it fell to my lot to be the Objecter, or Opponent, againſt Mr. Chriſtopher Cartwright (a good Man, incomparably beyond me in Learning, the Derender of K. Ch. 1. againſt the Marqueſs of Worceſter, and the Author of the Rabbinnical Commentary on Gen. whoſe Papers of Juſtification, I ſince anſwered) He defended the Oath; and though my Objections were ſuch as were none of the ſtrongeſt, the Miniſters thought he failed in anſwering them, and we broke up more dubious than before.
I had a little before ſet my ſelf to a more ſerious ſtudy of the Caſe of the Ceremonies than before; and upon the reading of Dr. Ames Freſh ſuit, and ſome others (having before read little on that ſide) I came to ſee that there was a great difference between the determination of ſuch Circumſtances of Order as the Law of Nature, or Scripture allow and oblige men to determine one way or other, the Genus being neceſſary, and the making of new myſtical ſignificant teaching Ordinances, and Symbols of Chriſtianity (of which ſee Biſhop Jer. Taylor cited in my 2d. Plea.) And hereupon I had ſetled my Judgment only againſt the impoſed uſe of the Croſs in Baptiſm, and the abuſe of undertaking Godfathers.
But now I reſolved before I took ſuch an Oath as this, to ſtudy over again the Controverſie of Epiſcopacy, (which elſe I think I ſhould ſcarce have done) For I ſaw 1. That ſuch an Oath and Covenant, ſo Univerſally impoſed, was made the teſt and terms of Church concord, and ſo would be an Engine of diviſion by ſhutting out all that could not take it. The Scotch Oath, and Covenant was not the firſt impoſed on us: The Biſhops Oath and Covenant to the contrary went here before it. 2. I ſaw that the whole frame of the preſent Church-Government, was about to be fixed, as by an Oath of Allegiance, on the Land, as if it were as neceſſary as Monarchy, and to be woven into the fundamental unchangeable conſtitution, and it were true, No Biſhop, no King. 3. I askt, What was the meaning of the Et caetera, and could have no ſolution, but from the following words [As it ſtands now eſtabliſhed] And underſtood not well how far Lay chancellous, Officials, Surrogates, Regiſters, Proctors▪ Advocates, were part of the eſtabliſhed Government; but I ſaw it certainly included, Arch-biſhops, Deans, and Archdeacons. 4. I askt whether the King and Parliament had not power to ſet up a Biſhop in every Corporation? and to take down Deans, Arch-Deacons, Chancellours, Officials, &c. and ſew denied it. 5. I askt my ſelf i… the King and Parliament make ſuch a change, and command my Conſent, whether I muſt diſobey them, and foreſtall my obedience by a Covenant and Oath? 6. I thought that what is impoſed on all the Clergie to day, may be impoſed on the Laity next; And then all Parliament men will be Sworn and Covenanted never in Parliament ſo much as to Conſent to change any of the Church Government now eſtabliſhed. 7. I found that I muſt alſo ſwear [That it ought ſo to ſtand.] which could mean no leſs, than by a Divine Law, when Mans Law may not alter it. 8. I found ſuch Heartineſs, Willingneſs required in the Swearer, as required very full ſatisfaction in all this. And that with the terrible re-nuncication of the Help of God in Chriſt, if I do not all that I ſwear to. 9. And I muſt be deprived of my Office (for Benefice I had none) and caſt out of the miniſtry, if I refuſed to take this Epiſcopal Covenant and Oath. 10. And I knew that he that made no Conſcience of deliberate Perjury, had little reaſon to hope that he had any good Conſcience, true Grace, or Honeſty; and ſpecially if he concurred to involve all the Clergie, or Nation in the guilt.
Upon theſe Conſiderations, I ſet my ſelf to a more ſearching ſtudy of the matter: I read Gerſom Bucer, Didoclaue, Jacob, (and after Parker, Bains,) and others on one ſide, and all that I could get on the other, (Downam again, Bilſon, Hooker, Saravia, Andrews, and many more) And the reſult of my ſearch was this, I wondered to find ſo many write for and againſt Epiſcopacy, without diſtinguiſhing the ſorts of Epiſcopacy: For I found reaſon to think one ſort at leaſt Tolerable, yea, deſirable; but that which the Oath of 1640. would have bound me to, I found great reaſon to judge to be but what I have deſcribed it in this Book: And I here give notice to the Reader, that whereever he findeth me ſpeak, as againſt the Engliſh Dioceſane Prelacy; I mean it as deſcribed by Couſins, and Dr. Zouch; and as relating to that Oath and Canon, and not in oppoſition to the Laws of the Land.
This Judgment then ſetled, I never could ſee cauſe to change, but the more I read of the Ancients, Church Hiſtory, Counſels, &c. And many other Writers for Epiſcopacie, (Petavius, Sancta Clara Spalatenſis, Dr. Hamond and many more) the more was I confirmed in it to this day. When Uſurpation was at the higheſt, I wrote accordingly in my book, called Diſputations of Church Government. When the King came home I accordingly uſed my Endeavours as a Reconciler with the Miniſters here called Presbyterians, who ſeemed moſtly of the ſame mind, And how little an alteration of the Church Government in the Kings Declaration of Eccleſiaſtical Affairs, did we receive with thankfulneſs, and it would have been with a conforming joy, but that we knew the leading Men, that treated with us, too well to hope that they had any intention to continue it, but to uſe it—they knew to what, till they had done their work and got this Act of Uniformity.
In 1668. After I had been in the Goal, and yet men called for the reaſons of my Nonconformity, I drew up ſome of my thoughts rudely: And in 1671. The call being renewed I wrote this Book, as now it is (ſaving a few additional Notes): But caſt it by my Friends and my experience perſwading me, that the Biſhops, and their Parliament adherence could not patiently bear it.
Many years after ſome Letters paſt between Mr. Henry Dodwell (then of Ireland) and me: And his laſt being tedious, and he ſeeming not to intend or deſire a publication of them, I gave him but a ſhort general return, inſtead of a voluminous particular Anſwer, eſpecially becauſe I had this Book written by me, in which I had more than anſwered him, and was not willing or at leaſure to write over the ſame things again: But when I had lately wrote in my Book of Concord a ſummary conſutation of Mr. Dodwels ſchiſmatical Volumne, in which he degradeth, unchurcheth, if not unchriſteneth, ſo many of the Proteſtants, as having no Sacraments, no Covenant right to Salvation, but ſinning againſt the Holy-Ghoſt; and all for want of a Miniſtery derived by an uninterrupted ſucceſſion of Epiſcopal Ordination from the Apoſtles, (and could not by importunity prevaile with him to anſwer Voetius de deſperata cauſa Papatus, or my Diſpute of Ordination, at laſt I received a Letter from him, ſignifying his purpoſe, upon his Friends deſire to Publiſh his long Letter written to me out of Ireland: So that I ſaw a neceſſity of Publiſhing my Treatiſe which contained more than an Anſwer to him: And the rather becauſe ſome R. Reverend Biſhops and others had urged me, to give an Account of the Reaſons of my Nonconformity: So that I had not leave to ſuppreſs this book, nor be longer ſilent. And yet I fear that they that ſo called for it, will not eaſily bear it.
The ſumme of Mr. Dodwels Letter to me, now in the preſs, is to prove the poſſibility of right Diſcipline, by our Dioceſane Goverment as it is, 1. Becauſe Magiſtrates can exerciſe theirs by as few: 2. Becauſe the Ancients de facto did it by ſuch: Therefore it may be done.
To anſwer theſe two is to anſwer his Letter, which one would think ſhould be ſo eaſy, that no Scholar ſhould have need of help to do it.
1. If any man canby an harrangue of words be brought to renounce his reaſon and experience, ſo far as to believe that the Office of a Paſtor may be performed to as many Pariſhes, as the Office of a Major or Juſtice of Peace may, and that Paſtors have no more to do in watching over particular Souls, inſtructing, exhorting, convincing, comforting, viſiting, worpſhing, Governing, &c, than the works of a Juſtice of Peace amount to, and that Dr. Stillingfleet (e. g.) ſhall be excuſed if he do no more for his Pariſh, than Juſtice Rog. L'Eſtrange doth, I undertake not to convince that man of any thing. Read over the work of a Biſhop as I have here diſcribed it from the Scripture and Dr. Hamond and compare it with a Juſtices work, and if you can yet be deceived by Mr. Dodwel be deceived.
And yet I think there are in divers Pariſhes about us many Juſtices for one Paſtor: I am confident London Dioceſs hath a great number for one Biſhop.
And either our Juſtices are bound (beſides what now they doe) to labour as much to bring ſome to Repentance, and ſuch other work, as the Paſtors are bound to do, or not: If not, it will not follow that as large a Circuit may be Governed by one Paſtor as by one Juſtice: If yea, then he doth but condemne the Juſtices for unfaithfulneſs; which will not prove, that a Paſtor muſt be as bad.
2. And as to his appeal to the diſcipline of the Ancients; I leave the Reader to the deceit of this mans arguings, 1. If he cannot find it fully proved in this Book, that the Churches of the ancient Biſhops were not ſo big as our greateſt Pariſhes, as to the number of Souls, much leſs as our Dioceſſes. 2. And if in my abſtruct of Church-Hiſtory of Biſhops and Counſels, I have not fully proved, that Diſcipline was neglected corrupted or overthrown dy degrees as Biſhops-Churches overſwelled. When we read ſuch doleful complaints in Hiſtory, Fathers, Counſels and their Canons of the corruption of the Churches, is this the true uſe to be made of all, that we muſt be like them, and not blame them, leſt we open the nakedneſs of our Fathers? 3. And if men can make themſelves willingly ſo blind, as by a ſtory that the Fathers did ſuch things among People and circumſtances which we know not, to renounce common experience that it is not now any where done, nor can poſſibly be done; If men can be ſo ignorant what our Pariſhes and Dioceſſes are, and what a Biſhop and Chancellor do and can do, Let ſuch err, for I am unable to cure them, any more than if they were confident, that my Lord Major can Govern all the Families of London as their Maſters, by ſtewards, without Family-Maſters, or that one Phyſitian, or one Tutor, could ſerve inſtead of many for the City.
Indeed they that have as low an eſteem of true Diſcipline, as Mr. D. in his Letter ſeems to have, may eaſily believe that a few men may do it. And thoſe Papiſts that can let the Church be the ſink of common uncleanneſs, and a Nurſery of Ignorance, Vice, and Prophaneneſs; ſo they may but keep up their Wealth, and Eaſe, and Honour, by crying up Order, Government, and Unity, may accordingly believe, that no more knowledge, Piety or Diſcipline is a duty, than ſerveth the ends of their worldly Dominion.
I muſt again give notice to the Reader that whereas the Common Objections of the greatneſs of Biſhops Churches in the ſecond Centurie, are fetcht from the inſtances of Rome, and Alexandria, I have anſwered even thoſe two in the beginning of my Breviate of Church-Hiſtory, to which I muſt refer you, and not again repeat it here.
I know that poor ingnorant Perſons muſt expect ſuch a ſhameful Cant of old reproach as this, to cheat them into the hatred of Chriſts Church order and Government, into a love of Clergie bondage, a ſcornful ſmile ſhall tell them [Mr. Baxter would have as many Biſhops as Pariſhes, and a Pope in every Pariſh; when men think one in a Dioceſs too much: When every ignorant or raſh Prieſt ſhall be the Maſter of all the Pariſh, and you have no remedy againſt his Tyranny; what a brave reformation will this be?] And ſuch a deceitful ſcorn will ſerve to delude the ignorant and ungodly.
But if they truly underſtood the caſe, they would ſee the ſhame of this deriding objection. 1. A Pope is a Monarch or Governour of the world, and a Dioceſan of a multitude of Pariſhes. And ſure he uſurpeth not ſo much, who will be but the Church-guide of one? A man is abler to guide one School, Colledge, Hoſpital, or Family, than a hundred or thouſand, without any true Maſter of a Family, School, Colledge, &c. under him.
2. Why is not this fooliſh ſcorne uſed againſt theſe foreſaid relations alſo? Why ſay they, not every Maſter maketh himſelf a Pope or Biſhop to his own houſe, and every School-Maſter to his School, whereas one Maſter over a thouſand would do better with bare Teaching Uſhers, that had no Government.
3. Let it be remembred that we would have no Pariſh Paſtor to have any forceing power, by Fines, Mulcts, Impriſonments, &c. But only to prevaile ſo farr as his management of Divine authority on mens Conſciences can prevail: And we would not have Magiſtrates puniſh men meerly becauſe they ſtand excommunicate, or becauſe they tell not the Clergy that they repent. True excommunication is a heavy puniſhment fitted to its proper uſe, and not to be corrupted by the force of the Sword, but to operate by it ſelf; And valeat quantum valere poteſt. He that deſpiſeth it will not ſay he is enſlaved by it. But is this all that the Biſhops deſire?
4. We would have no man become the Paſtor of a Church without the peoples conſent (if not choice) no more than a Phyſician ſhould be forced on the ſick. And as the Servant that conſenteth to be a Servant, conſenteth to his Maſters Authority, and he that conſenteth to a Phyſician, conſenteth to be ruled by him for his health, and neither take this for a ſlavery: So he that conſenteth to a Paſtor, conſenteth to his Paſtoral conduct: And if he think it to his injury, he may chooſe.
5. And yet we believe that the Magiſtrate may conſtrein Atheiſts, Infidels, and ſuch as refuſe all proper Church Communion, to hear Gods word Preached, and make all the Pariſh allow the Teacher his tythes and maintenance due by Law: But he may force no man to Receive the great gift of the Body and Blood of Chriſt, or a pardon delivered and ſealed by Baptiſm or the Euchariſt, and to be a member of the Church as ſuch, againſt his will. For none but deſirous conſenters are capable of the gifts, ſo that the ſame Miniſter may be the common Teacher of all the Pariſh, and yet the Church-Paſtor only of fit conſenters. And when Sacraments are free and no Miniſter conſtrained to deliver them againſt his Conſcience, nor any unwilling man to receive them, who is by this enſlaved?
6. And if a Church-Paſtor do diſpleaſe the Church, and the main body of them withdraw their conſent, we would not have any man continue their Paſtor while they conſent not, but diſclaim him. Though in caſe of need the Rulers may continue him in his Benefice as the publick Preacher, if the people be groſly and obſtinately culpable in refuſing him.
7. And we would have that Pariſh Paſtor to have no power to hinder any other Miniſter from giving any one the Sacrament whom he denyeth it to, or that refuſeth it from him: Though he that for a common cauſe is caſt out of our Church, ſhould not be received by others, till he repenteth, yet that holds not in all private cauſes, between the particular Paſtor and him; nor in caſe of unjuſt excommunication: And other Miniſters muſt judge of their own actions, whom to receive; and an injuring Miniſter may not hinder any other, nor the injured perſon from communicating elſewhere.
8. And we would have Pariſh Churches be as large as perſonal communion doth require or allow, and every Church to have divers Miniſters; and if one be chief or Biſhop, and the reſt aſſiſtants, and if three or four ſmall Pariſhes make one ſuch communicating Church, we reſiſt not.
9. And we deſire frequent meeting or Synods of neighbour Paſtors; and that there every ſingle Paſtor be ready to give an account of his Miniſtry, and to anſwer any thing that ſhall be alledged againſt him: And that the vote of the Synod obligeth all againſt unneceſſary ſingularity.
10. We refuſe not that one in every ſuch Synod be the moderator; and if as of old every City (foreign) or Corporation had a Biſhop, ſo if but every Corporation or market Town, or every circuit that hath as many Communican… as can know one another by neighbourhood and ſome converſation and ſometimes aſſembling (like a great Pariſh with many Chappels) had but ſo much power as is eſſential to a true particular Paſtor and Church; yea or but the power that a free Tutor, Philoſopher or Phyſician hath, to manage his office by his skill, and not as an Apothecary or meer executor of a ſtrangers dictates, we ſhould quietly ſubmit.
11. And as we refuſe not ſuch Biſhops (even durante vita & capacitate) in every Church or City that is Corporation; ſo if it pleaſe either the King, or the Churches by his permiſſion to give one grave and able man a general care of many Churches, (as even the Scots ſuperintendents had at their reformation, as Spotſwood of Lothian, &c.) not by violence to ſilence, and oppreſs, but by meer Paſtoral power, and only ſuch as the Apoſtles themſelves uſed to inſtruct junior Paſtors, to reprove, admoniſh, &c. we reſiſt not: And ſo if Godly Dioceſans will become Arch-biſhops only of this ſort, and promote o…r work inſtead of hindering it, we ſhall ſubmit, though we cannot Swear approbation, it being a thing that Chriſtian Miniſters may doubt of, and no Article of our Creed.
12. And if the King do cumulate wealth and honour on them, and give them their place in Parliaments, to keep the Clergy from contempt, yea, or truſt any of them under him as Magiſtrates with the Sword, whether we like it or not, we ſhall peaceably ſubmit, and obey them as Magiſtrates.
13. And if for order ſake theſe Dioceſans ſhould have a negative voice (unleſs in caſes of forfeiture or neceſſity) in the ordination of Miniſters to the Church univerſal, not taking away the power of particular Churches to chooſe, or at leaſt freely conſent or diſſent, as to the fixing of Paſtors over themſelves, we would ſubmit to all this for common peace. Specially if the Magiſtrate only chooſe men to Benefices and Magiſtracies, and none had the Paſtoral power of the Keyes, but by the Election of the Clergy and the peoples conſent, which was the judgment and practice of the univerſal Church, from the beginning of Epiſcopacy till of late.
14. And laſtly we hold the Magiſtrate the only Governour by the Sword, as well of Paſtors as of Phyſicians and all others: And though he may not take the work of our proper calling out of our hands no more than the Phyſicians, yet he may (by juſtice and diſcretion) puniſh us for male-adminiſtration, and drive us to our duty, though not hinder us from it; And we conſent to do all under his Government: Judge now whether we ſet up Popes or Tyrants.
By all this it is apparent that it is none of the deſigne of this Treatiſe to overthrow or weaken the Church of England; but to ſtrengthen and ſecure it againſt all its notorious dangers. 1. By reforming thoſe things, which elſe undoubtedly will cauſe a ſucceſſion of diſſenters in all generations, though all we the preſent Nonconformiſts are quickly like to be paſt troubling them, or being troubled by them, even of themſelves many will turne upon the ſame reaſons which have convinced us. 2. By uniting all Proteſtants, and turning their odious wrath and contentions, into a reverence of their Paſtors, and into mutual Love and help.
This Treatiſe being haſtened in three preſſes ſince Mr. Dodwel ſent me his Letter that required it, I have not time to gather the Printers Errata, but muſt leave them to the diſcretion of the Reader. Only for [Engliſh Prelacy] before the firſt Chapter and in many other places ſhould be [The deſcribed Prelacy].
I will end with the two following Teſtimonies, One ad rem, the other ad hominem.
The Lord pity his Ship that is endangered by the Pilots.
October 14. 1680, Richard Baxter.
Juſtin Martyr's Apolog. We had rather die for the confeſſion of one Faith, then either lie or deceive them that examine us: Otherwiſe we might readily uſe that Common ſaying, my Tongue is ſworn, my mind is unſworn (vid. Rob. Abbot: old way p. 51.)
Thorndike of forbearance of Penalties. It is to no purpoſe to talk of reformation in the Church unto regular Government, without reſtoring the Liberty of chooſing Biſhops, and the Priviledge of Injoying them, to the Synods, Clergy and people of each Dioceſs. So evident is the right of Synods, Clergy and people in the making of this of whom they conſiſt, and by whom they are to be governed, that I need make no other reaſon of the neglect of Epiſcopacy, than the neglect of it.