A27058:596
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.
What the meaning is of the latter words I know not [If he were (an Heretic) he was not an Heretic] I conjecture it is one of the almost Infinite Errata's of the Printer: (But he supposeth my Printer's to be mine own:) But that Eusebius Nicomed. should be no Heretic, whom all the stream of credible Historians make to be that Arch-Heretic (I say not the first) who corrupted Constantine his Court and Son, which introduced the prevalency of Arianism to the almost Ruin of the Orthodox Church, is a thing which he that believeth Valesius in, must prefer the Credit of one Jesuit that lived above a thousand years after, before the whole current of the best Historians of the ⟨p. 101⟩same, and many following Ages. And did I ever so discredit the whole stream of Church-Historians, as on the word of one Jesuit, to bring them under the suspicion of such a Lie? But I confess I am more inclined to believe a Jesuit, and a Prelatist, when they excuse any man of Heresy, than when they accuse him.
What the meaning is of the latter words I know not [If he were (an Heretick) he was not an Heretick] I conjecture it is one of the almost Infinite Errata's of the Printer: (But he supposeth my Printer's to be mine own:) But that Eusebius Nicomed. should be no Heretick, whom all the stream of credible Historians make to be that Arch-Heretick (I say not the first) who corrupted Constantine his Court and Son, which introduced the prevalency of Arianism to the almost Ruine of the Orthodox Church, is a thing which he that believeth Valesius in, must prefer the Credit of one Jesuite that lived above a thousand years after, before the whole current of the best Historians of the ⟨p. 101⟩same, and many following Ages. And did I ever so discredit the whole stream of Church-Historians, as on the word of one Jesuite, to bring them under the suspicion of such a Lie? But I confess I am more inclined to believe a Jesuite, and a Prelatist, when they excuse any man of Heresie, than when they accuse him.
§ 7. In the Preface he tells us that [Had I consulted Sirmond's, Edition of the French Councils I must have wanted several Allegations for the Congregational way, which are nothing else but corrupt readings of the ancient Canons of the Gallican Church. Nor can we suspect Sirmond as too great a favourer of Diocesan Bishops, since it is well known how he is charged by the Abbot of S. Cyran under the name of Petrus Aurelius, for having falsified a Canon in the Council of Orange to the prejudice of the Episcopal Order] Jesuits care as little for Bishops as our Protestant Dissenters can do.] Answ. I doubt not but Sirmond was a very Learned man, and had not the Conformists divested me of all Church-maintenance, I had been like to have bought his French Councils. In the mean time, that notice which others before him gave of the Acts and Canons of Councils, sufficed to my furniture, fully to prove the Cause I maintained: But I confess his pretended reason no whit induceth me to give more credit to a Jesuit than to another man. Though Albaspineus was a Bishop, there is so much Judgment and Honesty appears in his Observations, that I would sooner believe him about Episcopacy, than a Jesuit that you say is against it.