Baxter - BR161 B28 1680

I 12 Church-Hiffory of Bithops and that would not fay that God war crucified and friffered (The Orthodox doing the fame,) and thus they increafed the Confufions. Martyriusrheir true Bilhop when he taw that he could do no good upon them, forfook them, with thefe words, Clero rebelli, & populo inobedienti , & Ecclefia contaminate Nuncium remitto. I renounce a rebellion; Clergy, a difobedient People,and a defiledChurch. Petrus Cnapheus kept the Bithoprick,andreviled theCalcedon Council. Leo the Emperour banifheth him: Stephanie, a friend to the Council is put into the place : That youmay know how the Coun- cil hadunited the people, even the Boys were fet on to kill this new Bilhop with (harp Q,iills. Common execution was too eafie a death; Being killed they calf his Corps into the River, for favouring the Council of Calcedon, and fuc- ceeding their defired Bifhop : But Catendion fucceeding him, made them Anathematize the fame PeterCnapheus. S. 38. While Martian and Leo, reigned thus, the Council of Calcedon was kept up, and almoft all the Bithops were brought to fubfcribe to it; But death changeth Princes, and thereby Bifhops. Leo dyeth, and dif- folute Zeno fucceedeth him : He would fain have had his peace among them in fenfuality: Bafilifcus taketh the advantage of his diffolute life, and ufurpeth the Empire, and maketh ufe of the Bifhops Schifm and con_ tentions to get him a party : (For the Bithops Schifms greatly ferve U- furpers ends.) And firft he publifheth his Circular Letters againft the Council of Calcedon, requiring all the Bithops to renounce it, (becaufe his Predeceffours had been for it.) To this, faith Nicephorus, lib. 6. cap. 4. three Patriarchs, and nofewer then five hundred fubfcribed, and renounced the CounciL (And yet how violently they damned all that would not receive it, and writ for it to Leo, but a little before you have heard.) But quickly after, Acacias Patriarchof Conflantinople, and Dan. Columnella, perfwaded Bafilifcus to write clear contrary Circular 'Letters, Commanding all to own the Council : For they convinced him thatthis was the more poíliible way: And thefe alto were obeyed. But Zeno was fhortlyafter reftored to theEmpire, who was for the Coun- cil: And then the Afian Bithops turned again, and wrote to get their Pardon, laying, That they fubfcribed to Bafilifcus firft Letters, not vo- luntary; but for fear ! (O excellent Martyrs.) Niceph. I. 16. c. 9. 5. 39. Upon this the Council was up again, and the Bithops became Orthodox' once more: Till at'aft Zeno thought (as the Acacians did a- bout layingby that the only way to unite thefe Bithops, was to leave all free, neither forbidding any to own the Council ofCalcedon, nor yet compelling any to it. And fo he wrote an Edit of Pacification, fi- lencing the cafe, which he called his Henoticon: For he thought that the Bifhops would never agree either for it or again'? it. But yet this end- ednot the quarrels : The fireMili flamed : Liberty contented not the Bi- lhops : They were zealous for God as againft his Enemies the Hereticks: And everyParty were thefe Hereticks and Enemies in the judgment of the

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