Baxter - BX5202 B291 1679

[;oz] look but one way with impartial fente, and that have made their repentance the paffage to a grea- ter errour and fin, thould better bethink them themwhat they do. They did well to Rand Rill in the way of Schifm, when they faw here a leg, and there a hand, and there an arm in their way ; and who but a mad-man indeed would not : But if they have impartially read Church-hiftory, and the works of fuch Fathers as give us hiftorical no- tices, and ever fince Con¡h ntine made a Bifhoprick a bait to a proud and worldly mind ; even fuch as Naz.ianz,en, B41, Chryfoftorn, Ifidore Pelatfota, Hi- lary Pintay. and the over-orthodox dif)utations of Cyril, and the Epiftles of Theodora rejoycing at his death, and abundance offuch like ; had they teen in the way ofChurch -pride and tyranny not here a leg, and there an arm, but here a hundred car- kaffes, and there a thoufànd; here two thoufand godly faithful Preachers filenced, and many thou- fand dry Vines planted in their rooms, and there whole Kingdoms interdited, and their Churches (hut up; here Churches and Kingdoms turned in- to confufions about a word, or about the intere.í` cf Prelates, ftriving which Mould be the Chief, and have their will and rule the ret;and therehundred thoufands murdered in the name of Chrift, for obeying him, and bloody wars managed by the Clergy againft C riftian Emperours; and Kings ftabbed one after another; and moft of the Chri- ftian world, Roman,Greek, Ifriofovites,"Im erians, 4baffi,ms, degenerated into doleful ignorance and dead formality under the Government of great High-Priefts, and millions of the vulgar bred up in ignorance and fenflefihefs of fpiriruaI and eternal things ; this thould itop them, (at lea ft from fer ving

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=