A27058:169
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.
2. I found that then the stream began to turn, and the name of Antichrist was put out, and our Reconciliation with Rome was taken to be a hopeful work, and actually endeavoured (which by their conversion all good men desire.)
3. I found that many among us of greatest reverence and name had laid down such terms as these, [That the Catholic Church is one Visible Society under one humane Governing Sovereignty: That this Universal Sovereign hath power of Universal Legislation and Judgment: That the College of Bishops through all the World, are this one Supreme Universal Sovereign: That they exercise it in General Councils when they sit: That every Bishop is by Office the Representative of his Diocesan Church; and these Bishops may, or must have Metropolitans and Patriarchs; and by these Patriarchs and Metropolitans per literas formatas, and their Nuntii the Universal Supreme College may exercise their Power over all the World: And what they do thus, the Church or College doth, in the intervals of General Councils: That the Pope of Rome is to be acknowledged the Principium Unitatis to this Universal Church and College of Bishops, and the Ordinary President of General Councils ex Officio. That Councils called without the President who hath the sole power, are unlawful Assemblies, and punishable Routs. That the approbation of the President, (if not of the most of the Patriarchs) is the note by which an authorized obliging Council is to be known from others. That the Pope is to be obeyed accordingly as Prime Patriarch, Principium Unitatis, President of General Councils, and Patriarch of the West. That all that will not unite with the Church of Rome on these terms, are Schismatics, and so to be accounted and used. That those that thus unite with the Church of Rome, are no Papists: But a Papist is only one that holdeth all to be just and good that is done by Popes, or at least one that is for the Pope's Absolute Power of Governing above Canon-Laws and Church-Parliaments or Councils. And that if they will but abate their last 400 years Innovations, or at least not impose them on others, ⟨p. 20⟩we may unite with the Church of Rome, though they claim as Peter's Successors, the Universal Supremacy at least to be exercised according to the Canons of Councils. And that it is not the Church of Rome, but the Court of Rome, which at present we may not unite with. That the Church of Rome is a true Church, and hath had an uninterrupted Succession, and its Sacraments true Sacraments: But none of those Protestant Churches are true Churches, that have not Diocesan Bishops;