A27058:740
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
The particular Defence of the History of Councils and Schisms. › Chapter 18: Of his Second Chapter.
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.
Ans. 1. It's said Tychonius confesseth this Council, because the later Donatists would fain have buried the memory of it: But that it depends only on the Credit of Tychonius, I think depends only on your Credit: 2. Augustine that reports it, honoureth this Tychonius, and reciteth an Exposition of his of the Angels of the Churches, Rev. 2. and 3. which I suppose displeaseth you more than his Donatism. 3. It seems you would have believed some stranger that knew it not, rather than a Donatist that speaketh against the will and interest of his party. 4. It rather seems that the Donatists were the greater number of Christians there before Constantine's time, and like the Papists therefore counted themselves the Catholics and the others the Schismatics. Constantine's Prohibition did not suppress them. 5. Therefore the numerousness of their Bishops and smallness of Churches, rather showeth what was the state of the Churches before worldly greatness swelled them to that disease, which was the Embryo or infancy of Popery.
Ans. 1. It's said Tychonius confesseth this Council, because the later Donatists would fain have buryed the memory of it: But that it depends only on the Credit of Tychonius, I think depends only on your Credit: 2. Augustine that reports it, honoureth this Tychonius, and reciteth an Exposition of his of the Angels of the Churches, Rev. 2. and 3. which I suppose displeaseth you more than his Donatism. 3. It seems you would have believed some stranger that knew it not, rather than a Donatist that speaketh against the will and interest of his party. 4. It rather seems that the Donatists were the greater number of Christians there before Constantine's time, and like the Papists therefore counted themselves the Catholicks and the others the Schismaticks. Constantines Prohibition did not suppress them. 5. Therefore the numerousness of their Bishops and smallness of Churches, rather sheweth what was the state of the Churches before worldly greatness swelled them to that disease, which was the Embrio or infancy of Popery.
§ 17. Whether the Donatists be like the Papists or the Separatists (much less to the Nonconformists) if the Reader will but peruse what I have said and what Mr. M. hath said, I am content that he judge without more words.