A27058:94
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.
The General Part containing the Design and Sum of this and the former Book, that it may be understood what it is that Mr. Morris defendeth, and opposeth; and what it is that I maintain or blame, and by what Evidence.
The General Part containing the Design and Sum of this and the former Book, that it may be understood what it is that Mr. Morrice defendeth, and opposeth; and what it is that I maintain or blame, and by what Evidence.
§ 1. I Have been these forty years much troubled with the temptation to wonder, why God suffers most of the World to lie drowned in Ignorance, Infidelity and Sensuality, and the Church of Professed Christians to live in so great Scandal, Contention, Division, and for the greater number, in a Militant Enmity against the Word, Will, Way, and Servants of Christ, while in Baptism they are Listed under him. But of late since Experience tells me of the marvellous Diversity of Humane Interests and Apprehensions, and the deep Enmity of the Fleshly Mind to Spiritual things, I admire the Wisdom and Providence of God, that there is so much Order, and Peace, and Love in the World of Mankind as there is: And that all men live not as in a continual War. And I perceive that if God had not preserved by Common Grace some remnants of Moral Honesty in the World, and had not also sanctified a peculiar People, whose New Nature is LOVE, the Sons of Men would have been far worse than Bears and Wolves to one another; and a man would have fled with greater fear from the sight of another man, than from a Snake or Tiger. But God hath not left himself without witness, in his Works, and daily Providences, and in the Consciences of those who have not sinned themselves into Brutes or Devils. And hence it is that there is some ⟨p. 2⟩Government and Order in the World, and that sin is ashamed of its proper name, and even they that live in Pride, Covetousness, Ambition, Lying, Persecution, &c. cannot endure to hear the name of that which they can endure to keep and practise, and cannot endure to forsake.