A27058:394
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.
CHAP. II. Whether we have any reason to report the Faults of some Bishops and Councils, from the beginning of their Depravation till the last?
§ 1. That I had great reason for it, I think what is before said will evince; when we see men destroying Christian Love, themselves, and us, and the Land, could they prevail, by their erroneous endeavour to grant no Concord, Communion nor Peace, to no Christians how conscionable otherwise soever, who cannot unite in a species of Prelacy which they believe (by such evidence as I have given) to be contrary to the Law of Christ. To the saving men from Heresy and Schism now, our opposers (and we) do judge it useful, to know how Heretics and Dividers miscarried heretofore, that others may beware. And is it not as true if Bishops be the Dividers? And also when the Clergies Ambition and Usurpation have brought that upon the Christian World which it languisheth and groaneth under in East and West, is it not needful to open the beginning and progress of the disease, by such as had rather it were cured, than the Church destroyed by it?
§ 1. THat I had great reason for it, I think what is before said will evince; when we see men destroying Christian Love, themselves, and us, and the Land, could they prevail, by their erroneous endeavour to grant no Concord, Communion nor Peace, to no Christians how conscionable otherwise soever, who cannot unite in a species of Prelacy which they believe (by such evidence as I have given) to be contrary to the Law of Christ. To the saving men from Heresie and Schism now, our opposers (and we) do judge it useful, to know how Hereticks and Dividers miscarried heretofore, that others may beware. And is it not as true if Bishops be the Dividers? And also when the Clergies Ambition and Usurpation have brought that upon the Christian World which it languisheth and groaneth under in East and West, is it not needful to open the beginning and progress of the disease, by such as had rather it were cured, than the Church destroyed by it?