A27058:102
The true history of councils enlarged and defended against the deceits of a pretended…
The true history of councils enlarged and defended against the deceits of a pretended vindicator of the primitive church, but indeed of the tympanite & tyranny of some prelates many hundred years after Christ, with a detection of the false history of Edward Lord Bishop of Cork and Ross in Ireland ... and a preface abbreviating much of Ludolphus's History of Habassta : written to show their dangerous error, who think that a general council, or college of bishops, is a supreme governor of all the Christian world ... / by Richard Baxter ... ; to which is added by another hand, a defence of a book, entitled, No evidence for diocesan churches ...The true history of councils enlarged and defended against the deceits of a pretended vindicator of the primitive church, but indeed of the tympanite & tyranny of some prelates many hundred years after Christ, with a detection of the false history of Edward Lord Bishop of Corke and Rosse in Ireland ... and a preface abbreviating much of Ludolphus's History of Habassta : written to shew their dangerous errour, who think that a general council, or colledge of bishops, is a supream governour of all the Christian world ... / by Richard Baxter ... ; to which is added by another hand, a defence of a book, entituled, No evidence for diocesan churches ...
London: printed for Tho. Parkhurst, 1682
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.
§ 4. And how should young men know who these are? This is the grand difficulty that maketh the Error of the World so uncurable. It requireth much wisdom to know who is wise, and to be trusted; who can well discern and value that Knowledge in another, which he is a stranger to himself? Experience tells us, that young unexperienced men do commonly receive that man's Opinions, 1. Who hath by nearness, or some accident the greatest advantage in their esteem and love: 2. Or his that speaks most for their fleshly Interest, and for that which they would have to be true: 3. Or his that hath the last word. It cannot be expected that they judge of any thing, beyond the advantage of their senses, and the Notitiae communes, according to Evidence of Truth, which must be received by long and serious study, and by willing honest minds, and by the help of antecedent Verities.
§ 4. And how should young men know who these are? This is the grand difficulty that maketh the Errour of the World so uncurable. It requireth much wisdom to know who is wise, and to be trusted; who can well discern and value that Knowledge in another, which he is a stranger to himself? Experience tells us, that young unexperienced men do commonly receive that man's Opinions, 1. Who hath by nearness, or some accident the greatest advantage in their esteem and love: 2. Or his that speaks most for their fleshly Interest, and for that which they would have to be true: 3. Or his that hath the last word. It cannot be expected that they judge of any thing, beyond the advantage of their senses, and the Notitiae communes, according to Evidence of Truth, which must be received by long and serious study, and by willing honest minds, and by the help of antecedent Verities.
§ 5. In this therefore Divine free Election is very manifest; As in giving the Gospel to some Nations in the World, when most others never have it, so in giving some young persons the blessing of good Education, and Teachers, and choosing for them that were unable to choose well for themselves; as also in blessing the same helps to one, which are despised by another. And verily when I have been long stalled with the difficulties about Election and Differencing Grace, undeniable Experience hath been my chief Conviction. If the Gospel be true, the common worldly fleshly sort, that are for Christ but by Tradition, Law and Custom, and are religious for worldly ends, and no farther than the Interest of the Flesh and World will give them leave, have no true Saving Grace at all. And the rest that seriously believe and seek a better Life, and live above fleshly worldly Interests, are in most places few, and made the scorn and hatred of the rest. And if de facto, God do sanctify only a peculiar People, who can deny his differencing Will and Grace?