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撮要

本文研究巴克斯特在不從國教爭議中有關政教關係、教會行政組織和崇拜禮儀三方面所持的教會原則。英國教會因所作的違背了這些原則而成為不純潔的教會，如採用主教制度及仍將一些錯謬的做法保留在公共崇拜中。巴克斯特忠於所信，認為信徒須憑著良心順從神不順從人，但在實踐這原則時仍應留在不純潔的真教會內。巴克斯特在實踐沒有一致表現的教會合一時，無可避免地對要求一致的國家教會造成傷害。

ABSTRACT

This paper studies Richard Baxter’s ecclesiastical principles upon three aspects of controversy in his works written during the Nonconformist controversy. The three aspects of controversy were the relationship between church and state, the form of church government, and the form of worship. The Church of England had become an impure church since it violated some of these church principles. For example, it adopted a system of Episcopal government and included some faults of practice in public worship. Baxter was true to his conviction that Christians should exercise their conscience and keep the principle of obeying God before men. However, they should stay in the impure church since it was still a true church. In practicing the ideal of church unity without uniformity in a national church, Baxter unavoidably caused hurt to the national Church which expected uniformity.

原載於《建道學刊》14期（2000年7月），頁67-85。