A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian EcclesiasticsBaxter, Richard
Religion
A Christian Directory, Part 3: Christian Ecclesiastics
Baxter, Richard
Casuistry; Christian sociology
2. He is to be obeyed as the guide of the congregation in the
management of God's public worship. You must seriously and reverently
join with him every Lord's day at least in the public prayers and
praises of the church, and not ordinarily go from him to another.
3. You must receive from him or with him, the sacrament of the body
and blood of Christ: which of old was administered every Lord's day,
and that only in the church where the bishop was, that is, in every
church of the faithful: for, as Ignatius most observably saith,[100]
ἓν θυσιαστήριον πάσῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, καὶ εἷς ἐπίσκοπος ἅμα τῷ πρεσβυτερίῳ,
καὶ τοῖς διακόνοις--UNUM ALTARE OMNI ECCLESIÆ, ET UNUS EPISCOPUS CUM
PRESBYTERIO ET DIACONIS.--IN EVERY CHURCH there is ONE ALTAR, and ONE
BISHOP, WITH THE PRESBYTERY and DEACONS.--So in his Epist. ad Magnes.
Come all as one, to the temple of God, as to one altar, as to one
Jesus Christ. And saith Tertullian,[101] _Eucharistæ Sacramentum--nec
de aliorum manu quam præsidentium sumimus_: We take not the sacrament
of the eucharist from the hand of any but the president.
4. You must have recourse to him especially for the resolution of your
weighty doubts, in private.[102]
5. You must hear your bishops and repent, when in meekness and love
they convince and admonish you against your sins, and not resist the
word of God which they powerfully and patiently lay home to your
consciences, nor put them with grief to cut you off, as impenitent in
scandalous sins, from the communion of the church.
6. You must, after any scandalous sin which hath brought you under the
censure of the church, go humble yourselves by penitent confession,
and crave absolution and restoration to the communion of the church.
7. Your public church alms should ordinarily be deposited into the
bishop's hands, who relieveth the orphans and widows, and is the
curator or guardian to all absolutely that are in want, saith Ignatius
to Polycarp, cited by Dr. Hammond on 1 Cor. xii. 28.[103]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account