A27058:568
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 when these Conformable Puritans were thus prosecuted, it bred in them hard thoughts of the Bishops and their Courts, as Enemies to serious Piety, and Persecutors of that which they should promote: Suffering bred this Opinion and Aversation. And the ungodly Rabble rejoiced at their troubles, and applauded the Bishops for it, and were every where ready to set the Apparitors on them, or to ask them, Are you holier or wiser th•• […] Bishops? And their Accusations were readily entertained: ⟨p. 93⟩This much inclined them to hearken to them that were averse to Conformity, when such rose up, and to such as were more against the Bishops, than there was cause; so that by this time, the Puritans took the Bishops to be Captains and the Chancellors, Archdeacons, Commissaries, Officials and Paritors, their Officers, and the Enemies of serious Godliness, and the vicious Rabble to be as their Army, to suppress true conscientious Obedience to God, and care of mens Salvation. And the censured Clergy and Officers took the Censurers to be Schismatics, and Enemies to the Church, unfit to be endured, and fit to be prosecuted with reproach and punishment; so that the said Puritans took it to be but the common Enmity that since Cain's days hath been in the world, between the Serpent's and the Woman's Seed: And when the persons of Bishops, Chancellors, Officials, Apparitors, &c. were come under such a repute, it was easy to believe what should be sail against their Office. And the more the Bishops thought to cure this by punishment, the more they increased the Opinion, that they were persecuting Enemies of Godliness, and the Captains of the Profane.
But when these Conformable Puritanes were thus prosecuted, it bred in them hard thoughts of the Bishops and their Courts, as Enemies to serious Piety, and Persecutors of that which they should promote: Suffering bred this Opinion and Aversation. And the ungodly Rabble rejoyced at their troubles, and applauded the Bishops for it, and were every where ready to set the Apparitors on them, or to ask them, Are you holier or wiser th•• 〈…〉 Bishops? And their Accusations were readily entertained: ⟨p. 93⟩This much inclined them to hearken to them that were averse to Conformity, when such rose up, and to such as were more against the Bishops, than there was cause; so that by this time, the Puritanes took the Bishops to be Captains and the Chancellors, Archdeacons, Commissaries, Officials and Paritors, their Officers, and the Enemies of serious Godliness, and the vicious Rabble to be as their Army, to suppress true consciencious Obedience to God, and care of mens Salvation. And the censured Clergy and Officers took the Censurers to be Schismaticks, and Enemies to the Church, unfit to be endured, and fit to be prosecuted with reproach and punishment; so that the said Puritanes took it to be but the common Enmity that since Cain's daies hath been in the world, between the Serpent's and the Woman's Seed: And when the persons of Bishops, Chancellors, Officials, Apparitors, &c. were come under such a repute, it was easie to believe what should be sail against their Office. And the more the Bishops thought to cure this by punishment, the more they increased the Opinion, that they were persecuting Enemies of Godliness, and the Captains of the Prophane.