A27058:19
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
Preface: To the Pious and Peaceable Protestant-Conforming Ministers, who are against our Subject…
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.
But this sort of men are well aware, that the Church is always, but Councils are rare, and it's, at least, uncertain whether ever there will be more; and the Articles of the Church of England say, They may not be called without the Will of Princes; and the Church is now under so many contrary Princes as are never like to agree hereto. And they know that some body must call them, and some body must preside, &c. Therefore they are forced to speak out, and say, that the Pope is St. Peters Successor, the prime Patriarch, and principium Unitatis, and must call Councils, and as President moderate and difference the lawful from the unlawful: And that in the Intervals of Councils he as Patriarch is to govern at least the West, and that every Diocesane being ex Officio, the Representer of his Diocese, and every Metropolitan of his Province, and every Patriarch of his Patriarchate, what these do all the Bishops on Earth do. And so the Riddle of a Collegium Pastorum is opened, and all cometh but to this, that the Italians are Papists, who would have the Pope rule Arbitrarily, as above Councils; but the French are no Papists, who would have the Pope rule only by the Canons or Church Parliaments, and to be singulis Major, at universis Minor. This is the true Reformation of Church-Government, in which the English should (by them) agree. And now you know what I am warning you to beware of.
But this sort of men are well aware, that the Church is always, but Councils are rare, and it's, at least, uncertain whether ever there will be more; and the Articles of the Church of England say, They may not be called without the Will of Princes; and the Church is now under so many contrary Princes as are never like to agree hereto. And they know that some body must call them, and some body must preside, &c. Therefore they are forced to speak out, and say, that the Pope is St. Peters Successor, the prime Patriarch, and principium Unitatis, and must call Councils, and as President moderate and difference the lawful from the unlawful: And that in the Intervals of Councils he as Patriarch is to govern at least the West, and that every Diocesane being ex Officio, the Representer of his Diocess, and every Metropolitane of his Province, and every Patriarch of his Patriarchate, what these do all the Bishops on Earth do. And so the Riddle of a Collegium Pastorum is opened, and all cometh but to this, that the Italians are Papists, who would have the Pope rule Arbitrarily, as above Councils; but the French are no Papists, who would have the Pope rule only by the Canons or Church Parliaments, and to be singulis Major, at universis Minor. This is the true Reformation of Church-Government, in which the English should (by them) agree. And now you know what I am warning you to beware of.