A27050:1307
A treatise of episcopacy confuting by Scripture, reason, and the churches testimony that sort…
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 cætera oath was imposed : written 1671 and cast by : published 1680 by the importunity of our superiors, who demand the reasons of our nonconformity / by Richard Baxter.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 cætera 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, 1681
Part 2 › Chapter 7: More Proofs of the aforesaid Limits of Churches.
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.
The sixth provincial Council at Carthage had 217 Bishops (whereas the General Council at Trent had long but 40.)
A Council of Donatists (Heretics not so numerous sure as the Catholics) at Carthage, mentioned by Augustine, Epist. 68. (about an. 308) had 270 Bishops. And when there were so great a number of Heretic Bishops, how many were there of the Catholics and Donatists and all other sects set together? This one heresy had enow to become persecutors of the Catholics, (beating them with clubs, putting out the peoples eyes by casting vinegar mixed with lime into them, dragging them in the dirt) And yet they were the smaller number, and complained of persecution; and some Circumcellions killed themselves to make the Catholics odious as persecutors (Occisos auferunt luci, vivis auferunt lucem—Quod nobis faciunt sibi non imputant: & quod sibi faciunt nobis imputantinquiunt, Clerici Hippon. ib. ad Januarium.) Certainly here were Churches no bigger then, than our smaller Parishes.
A Council of Donatists (Hereticks not so numerous sure as the Catholicks) at Carthage, mentioned by Augustine, Epist. 68. (about an. 308) had 270 Bishops. And when there were so great a number of Heretick Bishops, how many were there of the Catholicks and Donatists and all other sects set together? This one heresie had enow to become persecutours of the Catholicks, (beating them with clubs, putting out the peoples eyes by casting vineger mixt with lime into them, dragging them in the dirt) And yet they were the smaller number, and complained of persecution; and some Circumcellions killed themselves to make the Catholicks odious as persecutors (Occisos auferunt luci, vivis auferunt lucem—Quod nobis faciunt sibi non imputant: & quod sibi faciunt nobis imputantinquiunt, Clerici Hippon. ib. ad Januarium.) Certainly here were Churches no bigger then, than our smaller Parishes.
And Augustine cont. Gaudentium saith, there were innumerable Bishops in Africa that were Orthodox. (And it was but a corner of Africa that were Christians, and in the Roman Empire here meant.)