A27058:796
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.
Answ. I did not say that I was staggered, much less doubted which of them did the wrong: But that a Reader may by such a Temptation be astonished, and confounded whom to believe. But d d I ever rail more at Bishops than he here doth? What 1. So great a number of Bishops, 2. Deliberately in Council, 3. To affirm so vehemently, 4 Such matters of open Fact, 5. And offer it to the Trial of Witnesses of both sides; and all this to be false, 6. And to be but the consequent of former Subornations and Perjury; can you name greater wickedness?
Obj. But they were Arians. Answ. But they were Bishops. The worse for being Arians. 2. Yet called but Semi-Arians, and renounced Arius, and pretended Reconciliation. 3. And they were the Oriental part of the Council at Sardica, called General by the Papists. 4. And they were believed against Marcellus by Basil and Chrysostom: But all that I cite it for, is to tell the Reader what a doleful case the Church was fallen into, by the depravation of the Bishops. Did none of these profess before to be Orthodox? I do not say that it was quatenus Bishops that they did all this, but that multitudes of Bishops were then become the shame and calamity of the Church.
Obj. But they were Arians. Answ. But they were Bishops. The worse for being Arians. 2. Yet called but Semi-Arians, and renounced Arius, and pretended Reconciliation. 3. And they were the Oriental part of the Council at Sardica, called General by the Papists. 4. And they were believed against Marcellus by Basil and Chrysostom: But all that I cite it for, is to tell the Reader what a doleful case the Church was faln into, by the depravation of the Bishops. Did none of these profess before to be Orthodox? I do not say that it was quatenus Bishops that they did all this, but that multitudes of Bishops were then become the shame and calamity of the Church.
§ 13. Next he scorningly accuseth me for giving too soft a Character of the Circumcellians; and saith, My Moderation and Charity may extend to John of Leiden. And he calls them The Most barbarous and desperate Villains that ever defamed Christianity by assuming the Title.]