A27058:133
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.
§ 14. These Generals presupposed, it is most clear, 1. That the remnant of these sins, even in Christ's Apostles, set them on striving who should be greatest, and made James and John desire preeminence, and also to have called for Fire from Heaven; and made them after Christ's Resurrection, hope that he would have restored the Earthly Kingdom unto Israel. And it put Paul to vindicate his Apostleship against many that disparaged him; As it made Diotrephes, who loved to have the preeminence, to cast out the Brethren, and speak evil of John: It gave Peter occasion to warn the Bishops not to Lord it over God's Heritage, ⟨p. 10⟩but to be Examples to the Flock, overseeing them not by constraint, but willingly.
§ 14. These Generals presupposed, it is most clear, 1. That the remnant of these sins, even in Christ's Apostles, set them on striving who should be greatest, and made James and John desire preheminence, and also to have called for Fire from Heaven; and made them after Christ's Resurrection, hope that he would have restored the Earthly Kingdom unto Israel. And it put Paul to vindicate his Apostleship against many that disparaged him; As it made Diotrephes, who loved to have the preheminence, to cast out the Brethren, and speak evil of John: It gave Peter occasion to warn the Bishops not to Lord it over God's Heritage, ⟨p. 10⟩but to be Examples to the Flock, overseeing them not by constraint, but willingly.
2. Even in good men this fault, though not in a reigning degree, did live more in others afterwards, that had not that measure of the Spirit as the Apostles had to overcome it. And if even in Paul's days he had none like-minded to Timothy, who naturally cared for the good of all; for all (too much) sought their own, and not the things that are Jesus Christ's, as Demas forsook him for some worldly Interest; what wonder is it if afterward Pride and Worldliness grew greater, and Heresies and Strifes increased.