A27058:539
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.
But, saith he, [Were they Episcopals that Petitioned the King at York for Reformation in Discipline and Worship then? i. e. for abolishing Episcopacy and Common-Prayer?] Answ. 1. Reforming is not Abolishing. 2. I answered that as to the last. When they feared that the Old House would fall on their heads, they were for pulling of it down, and building a New one, after such a Model as Bishop Usher after gave, and the Germane, Swedish, and Danish Churches have; which they called the Primitive Episcopacy: But before they could do it, they needed the Scots help, who brought in the Covenant, which they chose rather than to fall into the hands of those of whom they had such thoughts and fears, as I need not now describe, Prin's History of Laud's Trial describeth them.
But, saith he, [Were they Episcopals that Petitioned the King at York for Reformation in Discipline and Worship then? i. e. for abolishing Episcopacy and Common-Prayer?] Answ. 1. Reforming is not Abolishing. 2. I answered that as to the last. When they feared that the Old House would fall on their heads, they were for pulling of it down, and building a New one, after such a Model as Bishop Usher after gave, and the Germane, Swedish, and Danish Churches have; which they called the Primitive Episcopacy: But before they could do it, they needed the Scots help, who brought in the Covenant, which they chose rather than to fall into the hands of those of whom they had such thoughts and fears, as I need not now describe, Prin's History of Laud's Tryal describeth them.
I would ask this confident Historian (whose senses tell him what Religion men were of contrary to their daily practice of communicating in the Parish-Churches conformably) whether the Longest Parliament of all, which made the Acts of Uniformity, the Corporation and Vestry Acts, the Two Act• against Conventicles, the Militia Act, &c. were Presbyterian or Episcopal? Verily, if these were Presbyterians, I am none, nor ever will be: We shall then have a strange definition of a Presbyterian, such as will take in Bishop Sheldon, Bishop Morley, Bishop Gunning, and such others. If not, did not the fear of Popery make that very Parliament begin to look so sourly on the Clergy, as produced that which I need not tell you of? And did not most of the same men meet in the next Parliament after, and look yet more suspiciously on the Clergy? And the next yet more? And doth it follow that they were not Episcopal but Presbyterian? But some men are confident against the Sun-light, and the most notorious Public Evidence. But I must confess that such have shaken my belief of the mere Moral Evidence of most History, and left me only certain of that which hath Evidence, which is truly Natural, in the Natural Impossibility of Conspiracy in a Lie.