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Naked popery, or, The naked falsehood of a book called The Catholic naked truth,…Naked popery, or, The naked falshood of a book called The Catholick naked truth,…

Naked popery, or, The naked falsehood of a book called The Catholic naked truth, or, The Puritan convert to apostolical Christianity, written by W.H. opening their fundamental error of unwritten tradition, and their unjust description of the Puritans, the prelatical Protestant, and the papist, and their differences, and better acquainting the ignorant of the same difference, especially what a Puritan and what a papist is / by Richard Baxter ...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 errour of unwritten tradition, and their unjust description of the Puritans, the prelatical Protestant, and the papist, and their differences, and better acquainting the ignorant of the same difference, especially what a Puritan and what a papist is / by Richard Baxter ...

Richard Baxter 1615–1691London: printed for N. Simmons, 1677

196, [8] p. · 61k words · Wing B1315 · ESTC R13884

Title page: Princeton Theological Seminary Library copy, digitized by the Internet Archive (opens the Internet Archive in a new tab)

Chapter 5: The true History of the Papacy, its original and growth.

Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.

[ Earlier:220–235 of 699

:220p. 90

CHAP. V. The true History of the Papacy, its original and growth.

:221p. 90

Though I reserve the opening of the ambiguities of the word Papist till near the end, I shall so far anticipate that, as to tell you here also, that the word [PAPIST] is equivocal: I. In the sense of Grotius, and all our Reverend Country-men that are of his judgment, [Papists are those that without any difference do approve of all the sayings and doings of Popes, for honour or lucre sake as is usual,] Discus. p. 15.

THough I reserve the opening of the ambiguities of the word Papist till near the end, I shall so far anticipate that, as to tell you here also, that the word [PAPIST] is equivocal: I. In the sense of Grotius, and all our Reverend Country-men that are of his judgment, [Papists are those that without any difference do approve of all the sayings and doings of Popes, for honour or lucre sake as is usual,] Discus. p. 15.

:222p. 90

If of all, then of all the Adulteries, Murders, Simony, Heresy, Infidelity charged on some of them by their own Writers and by Councils. I am sorry if this be [usual] I hope yet that there are few of these Papists in the World, and that few Popes themselves will deny that they are sinners.

If of all, then of all the Adulteries, Murders, Simonie, Heresie, Infidelity charged on some of them by their own Writers and by Councils. I am sorry if this be [usual] I hope yet that there are few of these Papists in the World, and that few Popes themselves will deny that they are sinners.

:223p. 90

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Cited: :223
On this page: :220–235
Section: :220–348
Whole work: 699 passages

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Richard Baxter, Naked popery, or, The naked falshood of a book called The Catholick naked truth,… (London, 1677), ch. 5, p. 90. EEBO-TCP A26962.

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The book

Title as printed: Naked popery, or, The naked falsehood of a book called The Catholic naked truth, or, The Puritan convert to apostolical Christianity, written by W.H. opening their fundamental error of unwritten tradition, and their unjust description of the Puritans, the prelatical Protestant, and the papist, and their differences, and better acquainting the ignorant of the same difference, especially what a Puritan and what a papist is / by Richard Baxter ...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 errour of unwritten tradition, and their unjust description of the Puritans, the prelatical Protestant, and the papist, and their differences, and better acquainting the ignorant of the same difference, especially what a Puritan and what a papist is / by Richard Baxter ...
Author: Richard Baxter 1615–1691
Place: London
Bookseller: N. Simmons
Year: 1677
Size: 196, [8] p.
Words: 60,859
Catalogue: Wing B1315 · ESTC R13884
Text: EEBO-TCP A26962

Passages: 699
Sections: 22

:227p. 91–92¶1

I. A long time the Bishops of Rome were seldom called Popes, and other Bishops were so called as well as they: At first the Bishops of Rome were pious persecuted Men, and many of them Martyrs, and usurped no Power over any Churches but their own; which with Alexandria were the two first that brake Ignatius his Test of Unity, who saith, [To every Church there is one Altar, and one Bishop with his fellow Presbyter and Deacons.] But Rome having long called her self the Mistress of the World, and being the Seat of the Empire and Senate, and of the Governing Power of the orbis Romanus, the Christians there grew greater than others, and the Bishop as it increased kept it under his Power: And when Christians had peace (which was under the far greatest part of the Heathen Emperors, and for the far longest time) the Greatness of Rome giving Greatness to that Church, and so to the Bishop, and great opportunity to help other Churches, because the Governing Power of the Empire was there, this Bishop grew to be of greatest wealth and interest: And in times of Peace the Strife which Christ ⟨p. 92⟩once ended was taken up among the Bishops [which of them should be the greatest:] And St. Paul having taught Christians that they should not go voluntarily to Law against each other before Heathens, if there were but a wise man among them to be an Arbitrator; the Christians supposing that they had none wiser or fitter than their Bishop, made him their Common Arbitrator in things Civil, as well as Ecclesiastical: By which means Custom making it like a Law, Bishops became de facto Church-Magistrates: But they had no Power to execute any Penal Laws, either Jewish or Roman, or to make any of their own, except as Arbitrators or Doctors to those that would voluntarily receive them: And they had no Power of Life and Death, nor to dis-member any, nor to beat or scourge them, nor to Fine them or Confiscate their Estates: But being entrusted by Christ as his Ministers with the Power of the Church-Keys, and by the People with the Power of Civil Arbitrations, they were by this the stated Governors of all Christians; who yet obeyed the Roman Heathen Magistrates, but brought none of their own differences voluntarily before them.

I. A long time the Bishops of Rome were seldome called Popes, and other Bishops were so called as well as they: At first the Bishops of Rome were pious persecuted Men, and many of them Martyrs, and usurped no Power over any Churches but their own; which with Alexandria were the two first that brake Ignatius his Test of Unity, who saith, [To every Church there is one Altar, and one Bishop with his fellow Presbyter and Deacons.] But Rome having long called her self the Mistris of the World, and being the Seat of the Empire and Senate, and of the Governing Power of the orbis Romanus, the Christians there grew greater than others, and the Bishop as it increased kept it under his Power: And when Christians had peace (which was under the far greatest part of the Heathen Emperours, and for the far longest time) the Greatness of Rome giving Greatness to that Church, and so to the Bishop, and great opportunity to help other Churches, because the Governing Power of the Empire was there, this Bishop grew to be of greatest wealth and interest: And in times of Peace the Strife which Christ ⟨p. 92⟩once ended was taken up among the Bishops [which of them should be the greatest:] And St. Paul having taught Christians that they should not go voluntarily to Law against each other before Heathens, if there were but a wise man among them to be an Arbitrator; the Christians supposing that they had none wiser or fitter than their Bishop, made him their Common Arbitrator in things Civil, as well as Ecclesiastical: By which means Custom making it like a Law, Bishops became de facto Church-Magistrates: But they had no Power to execute any Penal Laws, either Jewish or Roman, or to make any of their own, except as Arbitrators or Doctors to those that would voluntarily receive them: And they had no Power of Life and Death, nor to dis-member any, nor to beat or scourge them, nor to Fine them or Confiscate their Estates: But being entrusted by Christ as his Ministers with the Power of the Church-Keys, and by the People with the Power of Civil Arbitrations, they were by this the stated Governours of all Christians; who yet obeyed the Roman Heathen Magistrates, but brought none of their own differences voluntarily before them.

:228p. 92–93

And because that Multitudes of Heresies took advantage of the Churches liberty, and swarmed among them to their great weakening and disgrace, and christ had commanded his Servants to serve him in as much Unity and Concord as they could, duty and necessity drove the Pastors of the Churches to Correspondencies, and to meet together on all just occasions, and at last to Associations for the ordering of these Meetings! In which they agreed in what Compass and in what Place, or by whose Call such Meetings should be held, and what Bishops in those Meetings should preside or sit highest, and first speak and subscribe: And usually they thought that to follow the ⟨p. 93⟩Order of the Civil Government, and give precedency to those that were Bishops of such Cities as had precedency in the Civil Government, was the most convenient Order: And in these Meetings they agreed on such Canons or Orders for all in that Compass to observe, as they thought best tended to their ends: And having no forcing Power (as is aforesaid) they formed their Impositions on voluntarily penitents so as might serve instead of the Power of the Sword: Even Murderers, Incestuous, Adulterers, they could not punish with Death, Stripes, or Mulcts, and they were loth to disgrace Christianity so much as to accuse such to the Heathen Magistrates; and therefore they laid the greater shame upon them, forbidding them Communion with Christians for so many years as they thought meet, and before they restored them they were humbly to beg the Prayers and Communion of the Church. But yet these Synods were small and few and rare, and never any dreamt of them as a Council of all the Church on Earth.

And because that Multitudes of Heresies took advantage of the Churches liberty, and swarmed among them to their great weakning and disgrace, and christ had commanded his Servants to serve him in as much Unity and Concord as they could, duty and necessity drove the Pastors of the Churches to Correspondencies, and to meet together on all just occasions, and at last to Associations for the ordering of these Meetings! In which they agreed in what Compass and in what Place, or by whose Call such Meetings should be held, and what Bishops in those Meetings should preside or sit highest, and first speak and subscribe: And usually they thought that to follow the ⟨p. 93⟩Order of the Civil Government, and give precedency to those that were Bishops of such Cities as had precedency in the Civil Government, was the most convenient Order: And in these Meetings they agreed on such Canons or Orders for all in that Compass to observe, as they thought best tended to their ends: And having no forcing Power (as is aforesaid) they formed their Impositions on voluntarily penitents so as might serve instead of the Power of the Sword: Even Murderers, Incestuous, Adulterers, they could not punish with Death, Stripes, or Mulcts, and they were loth to disgrace Christianity so much as to accuse such to the Heathen Magistrates; and therefore they laid the greater shame upon them, forbidding them Communion with Christians for so many years as they thought meet, and before they restored them they were humbly to beg the Prayers and Communion of the Church. But yet these Synods were small and few and rare, and never any dreamt of them as a Council of all the Church on Earth.

:229p. 93–94

But when God blessed the Rome World with a Christian Emperor after the sharp Persecution of Diocletian, and this Emperor had by Religion and Interest made the Christian Soldiers his chief confidants or strength, he studied the utmost increase of the Christians, and to that end invited all to Christianity, by the favour of the Court, and by such Honours, Commands, Wealth, and Dignities, as they were capable of; and above all he exalted the Christian Bishops, whom he found the Rulers of the Christian Societies: He gave them Honours, and Wealth, and Power: He made a Law that no Christians should be forced to go to the Civil Heathen Judicatures, from their Bishops, and gave Power to the Bishops to be the Christians Judges, some few heinous Crimes being in time ⟨p. 94⟩excepted: And so the Bishops were by his Law made Civil Magistrates or Arbitrators; yet not with any Power of Life, or Limbs, or Estate: So that all that would become Christians, and would be subject to the Bishops Canons, and Church Discipline, were freed from Death, Stripes, and Mulcts, for many Crimes which all others were liable to, and Excommunication and some Penance was instead of all: By such means Multitudes of worldly Men, and by the Preaching of the Gospel Multitudes that were sound Christians, came together into the Churches: And Bishoprics being now very desirable for their Power, Honour, and Wealth, Men that most loved Power, Honour, and Wealth, (that is, Proud, Worldly, Carnal Men) did earnestly seek them, and strive for Precedency in them: But yet while the People had the choice, or a Negative therein, and the old Spirit of Christianity remained in many of the Bishops, in many places bad ones were kept out, and many excellent Men were preferred.

But when God blessed the Rome World with a Christian Emperour after the sharp Persecution of Dioclesian, and this Emperour had by Religion and Interest made the Christian Souldiers his chief confidents or strength, he studied the utmost increase of the Christians, and to that end invited all to Christianity, by the favour of the Court, and by such Honours, Commands, Wealth, and Dignities, as they were capable of; and above all he exalted the Christian Bishops, whom he found the Rulers of the Christian Societies: He gave them Honours, and Wealth, and Power: He made a Law that no Christians should be forced to go to the Civil Heathen Judicatures, from their Bishops, and gave Power to the Bishops to be the Christians Judges, some few hainous Crimes being in time ⟨p. 94⟩excepted: And so the Bishops were by his Law made Civil Magistrates or Arbitrators; yet not with any Power of Life, or Limbs, or Estate: So that all that would become Christians, and would be subject to the Bishops Canons, and Church Discipline, were freed from Death, Stripes, and Mulcts, for many Crimes which all others were lyable to, and Excommunication and some Penance was instead of all: By such means Multitudes of worldly Men, and by the Preaching of the Gospel Multitudes that were sound Christians, came together into the Churches: And Bishopricks being now very desirable for their Power, Honour, and Wealth, Men that most loved Power, Honour, and Wealth, (that is, Proud, Worldly, Carnal Men) did earnestly seek them, and strive for Precedency in them: But yet while the People had the choice, or a Negative therein, and the old Spirit of Christianity remained in many of the Bishops, in many places bad ones were kept out, and many excellent Men were preferred.

:231p. 95

It never came into Constantine's mind to call this Council as an Universal Representative of the whole Christian World, or as the Governors of the Churches that were out of his Dominions; but as a fit expedient to end the strife that was raised in those Parts: For as few of the West were there, so none of all other Kingdoms were once called. For who should call them! Constantine that called the Council neither did it, nor ever pretended to a power to do it. The Pope called not the Council, much less did he call the rest of the Christian World: Socrates tells us, l. 1. c. 15. that St. Thomas had Preached to the Parthians, and Bartholomew to the Indians, and Matthew to the Ethiopians, though the middle India was not Converted till Constantine's days, by Frumentius, and Edesius, and Iberia by a Maid:] And so Euseb. l. 3. c. 3. who saith, that St. Andrew Preached to the Scythians; and in Vit. Constant. l. 4. c. 8. that there were many Churches in Persia: And no doubt these Apostles Preached not in vain: Scotland and other Countries that were out of the Roman Empire had Churches. Yet any Neighbour Bishop that desired it, might voluntarily be present. When Theodoret (in his Life) tells us that [James Bishop of Nisibis (in the borders of Persia) was at the Council of Nice: For Nisibis was then under the Government of the Roman Empire,] he plainly intimateth that none but the Subjects of the Empire were called: And the names yet visible, of the Subscribers prove it.

It never came into Constantine's mind to call this Council as an Universal Representative of the whole Christian World, or as the Governours of the Churches that were out of his Dominions; but as a fit expedient to end the strife that was raised in those Parts: For as few of the West were there, so none of all other Kingdoms were once called. For who should call them! Constantine that called the Council neither did it, nor ever pretended to a power to do it. The Pope called not the Council, much less did he call the rest of the Christian World: Socrates tells us, l. 1. c. 15. that St. Thomas had Preached to the Parthians, and Bartholomew to the Indians, and Matthew to the Ethiopians, though the middle India was not Converted till Constantine's days, by Frumentius, and Edesius, and Iberia by a Maid:] And so Euseb. l. 3. c. 3. who saith, that St. Andrew Preached to the Scythians; and in Vit. Constant. l. 4. c. 8. that there were many Churches in Persia: And no doubt these Apostles Preached not in vain: Scotland and other Countries that were out of the Roman Empire had Churches. Yet any Neighbour Bishop that desired it, might voluntarily be present. When Theodoret (in his Life) tells us that [James Bishop of Nisibis (in the borders of Persia) was at the Council of Nice: For Nisibis was then under the Government of the Roman Empire,] he plainly intimateth that none but the Subjects of the Empire were called: And the names yet visible, of the Subscribers prove it.

:234p. 96–98

The Patriarch of Jerusalem was so far from the Court, and of so small power, that he made the least stir of any of the five, though he had the fairest pretence incomparably for a claim of Supremacy on Religious reasons, if a Supreme there must have been (Christ himself having been there a Minister to the Circumcision, and Shepherd ⟨p. 97⟩of the Sheep of the House of Israel, and his Kinsman James then Bishop after, and that being the Mother-Church out of which sprung all the rest.) But the other four Patriarchs (especially three of them) became as so many Generals of Armies militating frequently against each other: and he that got the stronger Party of Bishops and Court-favourers carried all, against the rest. But no place more turbulent, nor no Bishop more unquiet than those of Alexandria: Pride and Worldliness now grew apace, and so corrupted the Clergy, that in their Synods the fleshly part too oft prevailed against the spiritual! When Court and Councils were for the Arians, the whole Eastern part of the Empire was embroiled in the Contention, and the Orthodox in the greater Bishoprics cast out: When they were down and cast out themselves, the temporizing and turbulent Bishops usually got the Major Vote: Excellent Gregory Nazianzen for the great service that he had done against the Arians was chosen by the People, and made Patriarch of Constantinople: But the Synod of Bishops envied him and rejected him, to whom he gave place and would not strive. Dioscorus of Alexandria and his party fought it out at the General Council, and killed Flavianus: And being after overcome and outed of his Seat, did still claim and keep the Title with his followers, and the most of his Patriarchate of the People stuck to him; so that he propagated his Opinion and Interest in all those remote parts of the Empire: Yea among Volunteers in Ethiopia and other extra-imperial parts, which no Law or Canon had subjected to him; while the Patriarch that succeeded him by the Councils Decree, had his party only as the rest, within the Empire: So that to this day the Syrians, Ethiopians, and abundance others profess themselves the ⟨p. 98⟩followers of Dioscorus as the true Bishop injuriously, say they, cast out.

The Patriarch of Jerusalem was so far from the Court, and of so small power, that he made the least stir of any of the five, though he had the fairest pretense incomparably for a claim of Supremacy on Religious reasons, if a Supreme there must have been (Christ himself having been there a Minister to the Circumcision, and Shepherd ⟨p. 97⟩of the Sheep of the House of Israel, and his Kinsman James then Bishop after, and that being the Mother-Church out of which sprung all the rest.) But the other four Patriarchs (especially three of them) became as so many Generals of Armies militating frequently against each other: and he that got the stronger Party of Bishops and Court-favourers carryed all, against the rest. But no place more turbulent, nor no Bishop more unquiet than those of Alexandria: Pride and Worldliness now grew apace, and so corrupted the Clergie, that in their Synods the fleshly part too oft prevailed against the spiritual! When Court and Councils were for the Arrians, the whole Eastern part of the Empire was embroiled in the Contention, and the Orthodox in the greater Bishopricks cast out: When they were down and cast out themselves, the temporizing and turbulent Bishops usually got the Major Vote: Excellent Gregory Nazianzen for the great service that he had done against the Arrians was chosen by the People, and made Patriarch of Constantinople: But the Synod of Bishops envyed him and rejected him, to whom he gave place and would not strive. Dioscorus of Alexandria and his party fought it out at the General Council, and killed Flavianus: And being after overcome and outed of his Seat, did still claim and keep the Title with his followers, and the most of his Patriarchate of the People stuck to him; so that he propagated his Opinion and Interest in all those remote parts of the Empire: Yea among Volunteers in Ethiopia and other extra-imperial parts, which no Law or Canon had subjected to him; while the Patriarch that succeeded him by the Councils Decree, had his party only as the rest, within the Empire: So that to this day the Syrians, Ethiopians, and abundance others profess themselves the ⟨p. 98⟩followers of Dioscorus as the true Bishop injuriously, say they, cast out.