A27058:826
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.
10. Do you think in your conscience that if we had not here a Protestant King, but a Papist, many of the Clergy would not be Papists? Why then are they so in France, Spain, Italy, Poland, &c? And why did the most of them turn in Qu. Mary's days? I do not insult, but lament the Churches Case, which ever since Wealth and Honour, and too much Power corrupted it, have had Bishops far more worldly, and less faithful than they were the first three hundred years. Though I still say that ever since, God hath in all times raised some serious Believers that have kept up serious Piety in the Church: And as I doubt not but there are so many such among the Conformists, as is our great Joy, so I hope that, though foully blotted with Superstition and Error, there are many such among the Papists themselves.
10. Do you think in your conscience that if we had not here a Protestant King, but a Papist, many of the Clergy would not be Papists? Why then are they so in France, Spain, Italy, Poland, &c? And why did the most of them turn in Qu. Mary's daies? I do not insult, but lament the Churches Case, which ever since Wealth and Honour, and too much Power corrupted it, have had Bishops far more worldly, and less faithful than they were the first three hundred years. Though I still say that ever since, God hath in all times raised some serious Believers that have kept up serious Piety in the Church: And as I doubt not but there are so many such among the Conformists, as is our great Joy, so I hope that, though foully blotted with Superstition and Errour, there are many such among the Papists themselves.
§ 2. Yet he saith, I do the Bishops Right again, without thinking of doing them Justice, while I tell how many were murdered.
Answ. 1. Doth he know my thoughts? 2. It's true I intended not to do any other Justice, than to praise Christ's Martyrs and Confessors, while I lament the Case of Persecutors and Revolters? Is the praise of Confessors any honour to the Heretics?