A27058:572
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.
I knew not all England; but according to the Extent of my acquaintance, I have truly told you the quality of those then called Puritans and of their Common adversaries.
And on which side now proportionably are most of the most understanding, sober, charitable, conscionable, and seriously religious Persons, and on which most of the contrary (not speaking of any Magistrates) I think it neither my work, nor our New Historians to tell: For people that live among their neighbours, will believe their senses and experience, what ever either he or I shall say. And I am well assured that this argument (which I think was not found) [We cannot believe that God will suffer the Generality of the Religious to be deceived in so great a case, and the most of the debauched ignorant haters of serious Godliness to be in the right,] did prevail with very many that could not try the Cause by the Laws and constitution of the Kingdom.
§ 2. If I should recite the particular unjust reports of multitudes ⟨p. 95⟩of these Writers it would be tiresome and loathsome: Yea all the mistakes of this Eminent Historian are too many to be named: But I will here name one which seems at once to smite and smile.