Baxter - BR161 B28 1680

their Councils abridged. Another, " For Nullifying fetch Bifhops judgments or are done without due " Tryal, by Tyrannical Power, and not by Canonical Authority. Another faith, " Conftitutions that are contrary to the Canons , and to the i° Decrees of the Billy of Rome, or to Good Manners, are of no moment (which nulleth even many of the Bifhops of Rome alfo, as againft Good Manners.) Another notable Canon is, " [ Delatori ant lingua capuietur, aut,convieto ".Caput amputetur :. Delatores autemfunt qui ex invidia produnt alios. ] That -is, "Let d Delator's tongue bepull'dout, or if Convitl,his Head cut off : Dela- ",tors are Mofe that through envy betray others ; ( or envious Accufers.) Alas! if ourDelatore, Calumniators and Informers were thus ufed now,what abun- dance would have fuffered for wronging force one Man ? Another Canon is, " If a Man be often in quarrels, and . eafie (or for- ward) " to accufe, let no Man receivehis Accufation without great Examina- "tion? (What then will be thought of the ufual Accufations of Clergy Calumniators, that for Seóts, and worldly Intereft, can reproach others with- out fhame or meafure ?) . Another is, "That the danger of the judge is greater than the danger of "him that is judged; therefore all care muff be taken to avoid unjulf judg- ".ment and punJhments. Another is, L " Let no Man receive the witnef of a Lay-man againft a "Clergy-man. ] ( And Doorkeepers, and Clerks, and Readers, were then Clergy-men : Wasnot this a great priviledge to the Church ? ) 54. CCXXXIL We come now, to the great General Council at Nice xd , called by the Papifls the 7th, ( that is, . the 7th which pleated them. ) I have before noted that Irene,.the Widow of Leo, now Ruled , her Son Conftantine beingTitular Emperor, a Child, under her Government. One Ssauratiees a Senator molt fwayedher, or. ruledher. Taurafius.the Patriarch joined with her for Images. They call a Council atConflantinople. A Gene- ral Council and three Emperors ( Leo, Con.Ft..6. Leo) had lately condemned Images, and taken them down. ThePope and many Italians had refittedby force. This violence made.. the Emperor ufè feverity againft the Refifters. At Ravenna they killed Paulus the sgthExarchate. In Rome they tookPe- ter a Duke, and putouthis eyes. In Campania they beheaded Exhileratus the Duke, and his Son Adrean,who took the Emperor's part. How the Em- peror hereby loft Italy,is.beförelhewed. But this Woman Irene will do as thePope wouldhave her Sheds as much for Piaui-es as the Pope himfèlf. She calling thisCouncil at Conflantinople, the old Soldiers bred , up under the former Emperors being againft Images, (hærefin meduhitus imbiberant; faith Binnius, p. 396.) Would not endure them in Csnfantinople, but rout- ed them. At which the Eniprefs being troubled, difinitled, the Bithops till they had purged theArmy of thole old Soldiers, and then fie called the Bi' 'hops to Nice ; and there ( they knowing their errand before-hand) damned G g them- 2, 2 5 za5

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