A27058:39
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.
O Sir, now I perceive you understand more than you seemed to do.
But yet the History is behind. The Pope hath long had a great desire to be the Church Governor of Habassia, but could never come to know it, much less to bear Rule over it. At last the Portugals getting possession of some Maritime parts, whence with much difficulty it was possible to come to them, the Pope got them to help the Abyssinians in a dangerous War which they had against their Neighbour Mohammedans and Heathens, on condition that the Abyssinians would receive a Patriarch and Jesuits from Rome: The Portugals Guns, (which that Country had not) and their own necessity, made the Abyssinians consent: The Roman Patriarch and Jesuits came over. The custom of Habassia had long been to receive a Metropolitan called their Abuna, from the Patriarch of Alexandria, who being a poor unlearned Subject, and almost Slave to the Turk, made Abunas and Priests as unlearned as himself: when the Jesuits came furnished with Arts and Sciences, the matter came to long Disputes; for the People, especially the Monks and the Rulers, were loth to change their old accustomed Religion, called the Alexandrian, for that called the Roman: ⟨image 9⟩The King would needs have it done by hearing both parties speak: But the learned Jesuits were still too hard for the unlearned Abyssinians: One King seemed to like the Romans, but his Son (Claudius) stiffly resisted them: Others afterward again needed help, and received them, and by their Disputes seemed really to be for them, seeing how much the Jesuits excelled their Priests; specially K. Zadengelus, being taken with the Jesuits Preaching, when all his own Clergy only read Liturgies & Homilies, & never preached: He set up the Roman Patriarch & power, & K. Susneus after him sware Obedience to the Pope, and resolutely established Popery: Disputes brought him to it: And the Jesuits knowing that it must be something which seemed to be of Weight, which must make the Empire submit to a Change of their Religion, accuse the Abassines as erring with the Eutychians, in rejecting the Council of Galcedon, and denying two Natures and Wills in Christ. This was chosen as the main Subject of the great Disputes: The Emperor was convinced of their Heresy, and became a resolute Proselyte to Rome: And Popery Eight Years had the upper ruling hand.