A27058:585
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.
Though Eusebius himself be by Petavius and many other Papists accounted an Arian, yea and seemingly proved such, and by Bellarmine de Script. Eccles. its said that Athanasius so calls him, and Jerome calls him the Arian Signifer and Prince, and the 7th General Council so judgeth him, yet Socrates vindicateth him, and thinks he is wronged: And indeed though his own Epistle written to his Flock be not justifiable, incautious and unjustifiable words were too Common before his days (as Petavius hath too fully proved) with those that we must not yet call Arians. But while Bellarmine and Mr. M. charge Socrates and ⟨p. 97⟩Sozomen as Novatians that is Heretics themselves, they deprive Eusebius of much of their defence; and render his History the more suspicious.
Though Eusebius himself be by Petavius and many other Papists accounted an Arian, yea and seemingly proved such, and by Bellarmine de Script. Eccles. its said that Athanasius so calls him, and Jerom calls him the Arian Signifer and Prince, and the 7th General Council so judgeth him, yet Socrates vindicateth him, and thinks he is wronged: And indeed though his own Epistle written to his Flock be not justifyable, incautelous and unjustifyable words were too Common before his daies (as Petavius hath too fully proved) with those that we must not yet call Arians. But while Bellarmine and Mr. M. charge Socrates and ⟨p. 97⟩Sozomen as Novatians that is Hereticks themselves, they deprive Eusebius of much of their defence; and render his History the more suspicious.
§ 2. And though I know Mr. M. hath more partners herein, I never saw yet any credible proof that either of them were Novatians: Good Christians are not ashamed nor afraid to make profession of their Religion. And they are so far from professing it, that they oft speak of the Novatians in disowning words. But they praised them for the good that is in them! And would not any impartial Historian do the like? Must a man rail at any party, or hide their Virtues or else be taken to be one of them? I confess that such as Mr. M. do fully acquit themselves from the suspicion of being Presbyterians or Nonconformists. But so did not A. Bishop Grindall, Bishop Jewel, A. Bishop Abbot A. Bishop Usher, and many more such. Sure Candour and Impartiality is Laudable in Historians; And Thuanus is most honoured for that. And notwithstanding Mr. M's assertions of the contrary, I profess my self a lover & honourer of the worth of many of the aspiring Bishops that corrupted the Church, and of many Popes, and of many that continue Church corruptions in the height; even many of the Papists Cardinals, Schoolmen and Jesuits. Who will not love and praise the excellent Learning of such as Suarez, Vasquez, Victoria, Petavius and abundance such? Who will not praise the piety of such as Gerson, Borromaeus, Sales, and many others, though we nevertheless disown their Popery? For my part I highly value the Clearness, of multitudes of the Schoolmen, and that they have not in whole loads of their volumes so much malicious railing as the Jesuits and many of our late Conformists have in a few sheets. Doth it follow that I am a Papist because I praise them, or that Socrates or Sozomen were Novatians because they speak well of their faith and piety.