Baxter - BR161 B28 1680

their Councils abridged. recipere recufat ; quoniammulta mentitur, j- Theodorum Mopfueffiæ nimium laudat, atque ad diem obitus fire magnum Do5torem Ecclefiee fuiffe perhibet. ] think the Author of Gregory's Dialogues did plura mentiri , and yet that Gregory was Magnus Ecclefè Doctor. 4 24. The Controverfie whether Vigilius were the Author of the Epiftde to Mama, I pats by : But, methinks, Binniets is very partial to juftifie fomuch what he did after Silverius's death, as beginning then to have right to his Papacy,arid togive him fo differing aCharacter (from Sandigimus Papa ) before, while he pofleffed the fame Seat, as thefè words of his exprefs, [Cum omnium,.&c. Peeing that Villany (or Crime) of Vigilius, did exceed the Crimes of all Schifmaticks,by which makingá bargain with Heretick,, andgiving money by a Lay-man , he by force expelled Silverius Bifhop of the prime Seat, and Boiledof his Prieftlly indu- ments ( or attire) banifhed him into an Ifland, and there caufedhim to dye , it fhould feem no wonder to anyman, if a 2effierate . wretch (homo perditus,) the buyer of another's Seat, and a violent Invader, a Wol ; aThief, a Robber, not enter- ing by the true door, a falfe (òr counterfeit ) B' op, and ar it were Antichri.Ft,the lawful Paftor.and Bithop being yet living, did add moll pernicious Hereflé to his Schifn.) Yet this man became the mote' holy Pope, by the vertue of his place, as foon as he had but murderedSilverius, and was accepted inhis ffead,and then it became impoflible for him to err in the Faith. 4 z '. CLXXIV. Anno 553 A Council was called at Yerufalèm by 7ufti nian's Command, who feat to them the A&s of the Conftantine Council' de tri- bus Capitules, to be by them received; the Bithops all received it readily, fave One Alexander Abyfis, who was therefore banifhed,ánd comingto Conftantinople, fay Baronises andBinnius, was fwallowed up, and buried by an Earthquake. If this was true, no marvel if it confirmed the. Emperor in his way : ButI doubt the obedient Bilhops were too ready to receive fuch reports. t6. CLXXV. The fame year 55-3. the Weflern Bifhops held a Council at Aquileìa, out of the Emperor's power, where, as Defenders of the Council of Calcedon, they condemned the fifth Conftantine Council aforefaid, and (fo faith Binnius) feparated themfelves from the Unity of the CatholickChurch , and fo continued for near anHundred years ,till the time of Pope Sergius, who reduced them. Were not thefe great Councils and Bithops great Healers of' the Church, that about condemning fome written Sentences of three dead men, thus raife -a War among the Churches ? Were Hereticks. or Hereticaters the great Divi- ders ? § 2.7. But here followeth a. Cafe that raifeth agreat doubt beforeus,Whether the Pope alone, or all his We/tern'Bifhops, when they differ from him, are the Church ? After the death of Vigilius, theSecular Power procured Pelagius the Archdeacon to be made Pope ; the WellernBifhops difclaiming yuftinian'sCoun- cil, and Pelagius obediently receiving it (and the Popedom,) there could not bethreeBilhops got that would ordain him, as the Canons requìréd, lò that .a Presbyter Oftienfis was fain to do it. Betides theQieftion(Which now was theChurch?)here are other hard Qiefli -- ons to be fòlved. Bb 185 -t)

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