A97353:441
The second part of The nonconformists plea for peace being an account of their…
The second part of The nonconformists plea for peace being an account of their principles about civil and ecclesiastical authority and obedience ... : mostly written many years past, and now published to save our lives and the kingdoms peace, from the false and bloody plotters ... / by Richard Baxter.
London: printed for John Hancock, 1680
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.
§. 21. p. 275. The Lent fast is not a Tradition or Canon Apostolical, proved at large and unanswerably, to pag. 285. and again after.
§. 22. P. 285. The Authority of a General Council in matters of Government and Discipline, is no greater, no more obligatory, than the authority of a provincial Council to those that are under it.—It is ⟨p. 96⟩an Union of Government; a consent of Princes and Bishops—the consent of opinions adds moment to the Laws; Those Princes which are there, and Bishops which consent are bound by their own act,— till reason alters—but the Prince can as much alter that Law when the case alters—as he can abrogate any other. But those Princes who were not there, whatever the cause of their absence be, are not obliged by that General Council; and that Council can have no authority but what is given them by consent; And therefore they who have not consented are free as ever.
I mention this that those religious and well meaning persons who are concluded by the Canon of an ancient Council, and think that whatever was there commanded it layeth some obligation on the Consciences of us at this day, and by this means enter into infinite scruples, and a restless unsatisfied condition, may consider that the ancient Doctors of the Church had no jurisdiction over us who were born so many ages after them—Interests and manners are infinitely altered since that time—Their authority could not be longer than their lives; It's certainly not greater than that of Kings, which must die with their persons, that their successors may be Kings as well as they and not subjects of the dead—If the thing be good we may use it—and we may choose —That the fathers met at Liodicei, Antioch, Nice, &c. 1000, 1100 or 1300 years ago, should have authority over us in England so many ages after, is so infinitely unreasonable, that none but the fearful and unbelievers, the scrupulous and those which are [Greek or Hebrew] of a slavish nature, and are in bondage by their fear, and know not how to stand in that liberty