A27058:464
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.
§ 3. Also he knoweth that I have written these 35 years against Lay. Elders; believing that the College of Elders which of old assisted the Bishops, were none of them Lay-men, nor unordained, but of the same Order, though not Degree, with the Bishop himself.
§ 3. Also he knoweth that I have written these 35 years against Lay. Elders; believing that the Colledge of Elders which of old assisted the Bishops, were none of them Lay-men, nor unordained, but of the same Order, though not Degree, with the Bishop himself.
§ 4. And I have also written that Synods of Bishops or Presbyters are but for Concord, and have not as such by a major Vote a proper Government of the minor part or absent: Much less that Classes, and other Assemblies, are the stated Church-Government which all must obey: And are the Presbyterians of any of the three forementioned Opinions?
§ 5. I ever held a necessity of manifold dependence of all Christians and Churches. As all depend on Christ as their Head, so do all the People on the Pastors, as their authorized Guides, whom they must not Rule, but be Ruled by, 1 Thes. 5. 12, 13. Heb. 13. 17, 24. And all these Churches depend on each other for Communion and Mutual Help, as many Corporations in one Kingdom. And frequent Synods well used, are greatly helpful to these ends: And the Command of doing as much as we can in Love and Concord, doth bind all the particular persons to concur with the Synods in all things that tend to the Peace and Edification of the Church, or are not against it. And more than so, if the general Visitors or Bishops that take care of many Churches, do by God's Word direct, instruct, reprove, admonish the particular Bishops and Churches, they ought with reverence to hear them and obey them. And if Independents really are for all this, why do these Accusers represent them odiously, as if it were no such matter, but they were merely for Church-Democracy? Either you are not to believed in what you say of them, or of me.