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S. 21.

A General Council is the Reprefentative of the Catholick Church only.

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Must own, Sr, the pleasant Scheme you have drawn for me, is a good Proof of your admirable Skill in Romancing, as the following plain Account of the naked Truth will teftify.

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Chrift has establish'd a Church on Earth, which in the Creed is call'd the Catholick or Univerfal Church, tho it never was, and perhaps never will be the Church of all Nations in fuch a Manner, as to have the Univerfal World all at once in her Communion. He conftituted St Peter Head of this Church, when at the third Apparition after his Refurrection he gave Commiffion diftinct from what he had given to the Apoftles in Common at his first Apparition. And, fince the Form of Church-government eftablish'd by Christ was not to End with St Peter, his Succeffors chofen by the Church hold the fame Station as he did, and Rome is their Epifcopal See. Hence it is, that the Church in Communion with the See of Rome, that is with the Succeffors of St Peter, who are call'd Popes, is the Church establish'd by Christ, and, by Confequence, the Catholick Church profefs'd in the Creed.

This Church admits no Hereticks or Schifmaticks into her Communion: And indeed a Catholick Heretick or Schifmatick is a Chimera unheard of in Antiquity. So that let them be as numerous as they pleafe, they are out of the Pale of the Catholick Church, and can have no other Place in a Catholick Council than fuch as Criminals have in a Court of Judicature. And thus it is, that the Church in Commu

J. 21 nion with the See of Rome (exclufive of all Hereticks and Schifmaticks) is the whole Catholick Church: and fuch Councils, as are true Reprefentatives of this Church, are General, and Infallible in all their Decifions relating to Matters of Faith.,

Let me tell you, Sr, this plain Scheme will stand it's Ground against yours in Spite of all the artful Mifreprefentations you have crouded into it, efpecially that, which is the Foundation of your whole Sham-fcheme, viz. that the Church of Rome makes herfelf the Univerfal or Catholick Church. For you either mean the Dioceẞ of Rome, and then what you say is falfe. Because tis manifeft the Dioceß of Rome never pretended to be the whole Catholick Church. Or you mean the whole Church in Communion with the See of Rome, and then you are guilty of Mifreprefentation in Saying that this Church makes herself the Catholick or Univerfal Church. For she do's not make herself, but Chrift, who conftituted St Peter, and his Succeffors the Heads of his Church, has made her the Catholick Church.

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» G. My Lord, I have shewn, that the Church of » Rome has no Right to the Title of the Latin Church » itself, far lefs of the Universal. And she has now » but a finall Part of the Latin Church left her. The » Reform'd with Ruffia, and the Greek Church will out» number her in Europe. And she has no National » Church in her Communion any where elfe. And, » tho there be fome in her Communion in most

Countries, there are not fo many as of the Jews, » who by that are more Universal than your Church, » and fo more Catholick. And none of the shatter'd » Seminaries of Rome in other Chriftian Churches can

be faid to reprefent thofe Churches in a General » Council more, than three or four Bishops in Eng → land could reprefent the Church of England as it

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now ftands. But on the Contrary their living in a « separate Communion in other Chriftian Churches « shews these Churches not to be of her Commu- « nion; and therefore cannot Be reprefented in any « of their Councils and these calling themselves « Oecumenical, as the Roman Empire did shews only, « how little Criticisms upon Words will avail against « plain Matter of Fact: which I have shew'd to be « the Cafe as to those Texts urged for the Supremacy of St Peter. And that if Words would do it, there « are more nay and Facts too for the univerfal Supre- « macy of St Paul, at least over all the Christian Chur- « ches of the Gentiles, which are all now in the World. « pag. 25. 26. «

L. Sr, you neither have shew'd, nor ever can shew, that the Texts urged for the Supremacy of St Peter are meet Criticisms upon Words; unless you can prove that the Ancient Fathers, I have produced, did only trifle with Words; and deliver'd not in their Writings the publick, Faith of the Church in their Times. For all, that had Occafion to write upon that subject, urged those Texts for the Supremacy of St Peter. And I defy you to name me one Father who ever urged either one fingle Text or Fact for the Supremacy of St Paul. And how then can you imagine, that any Man will believe you, when you fay, there are more Texts and Facts for St Paul, than St Peter? Let me tell you, Sr, once more, this is an Argument you can never anfwer.

However I find two Things true in the Harangue you have made; which is a kind of Miracle. 1. That, Papifts living in a feparate Communion in Proteftant Countries shews thofe Churches not to be of their Communion. Which is just as much to the Purpose, as if you had told me, that English Papifts are not English Protestants. And 2dly, that Proteftant Churches cannot be

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reprefented in a General Council by the Roman Catholicks, that live amongst them. As the Church of England, as it now ftands, cannot be reprefented by 3 or 4 Popish BishWhich is likewife very true, ops. and little to the Purpose as the former. For we are in no Manner of Concern, whether the Church of England, or the other Reform'd Churches be reprefented in our Councils or not: unless it were to be in Order to a Reconciliation to their Mother-Church. And I must here put you in Mind that even that Mimick of a Gene ral Council, the Synod of Dort, would not suffer the Arminians to be prefent at it in at it in any other Quality than as Criminals to be Judged.

But I prefume your main Drift is to conclude that our Councils are not General, because all Chriftian Churches are not reprefented in thofe Councils. But you are under a great Miftake. Because a Catholick General Council is only the Reprefentative of the whole diffufive Body of the Catholick Church, and not of Heretical or Schifmatical Churches, as I have already told you. And you may as well fay they are not General Councils, becaufe Quakers and Anabaptists are not allow'd to fend their Representatives to them.

Suppose a National Council were call'd in Great Britain, would you allow Puritans, Independents, Anabaptifts, Quakers, Brownifts, Muggletonians, Freethinkers, and the whole Rifraff of English Sects to fend Reprefentatives of their respective Churches to it to Judge of Matters of Faith and Difcipline as well as your Bishops, and the Epifcopal Clergy? No furely. And yet it would be a National Council, tho all these were excluded: because it would reprefent the National Church of Great Britain. In like Manner a general Council of the Catholick Church is that, to which all Carbolick Bishops are invited. And when you convince me that the jeparate Communions of Heretick

Hereticks and Schifmaticks are a Part of the Catholick Church, I will then acknowledge, that they have a Title to fit in her Councils as Judges, and that there can be no general Council, unless they be invited to fend their Deputies, and Reprefentatives to it.

You fay, you have shew'd that the Church of Rome has no Right to the Title of the Latin Church itself. But, Sr, I must tell you once more, there is a Difference between Saying and Shewing. However if you mean,. that the Dioces of Rome is not the whole Latin Church, no Man will difpute it with you. But, if you mean, that the Bishops of Rome as they are Patriarchs of the Weft (which Title never was denied them) have not Jurifdiction over the Latin Church, all Men of Senfe will give it against you.

You add, that the Church of Rome has now but a fmall Part of the Latin Church left her. So when a Sovereign is ftripped of the greatest Part of his Dominions by Rebellious Subjects, he has but a small Part of his Kingdom left him but I hope this do's not deveft him of his Title to the whole, However you are somewhat mistaken in your Calculation: For the Small Part you speak of is all Italy, France, and Spain. The Kingdoms of Naples and Sicily. Ten of the 17 Provinces of the Netherlands, Eight of the 13 Swish Cantons. The vaft Kingdom of Poland. All the Emperor's hereditary Dominions. All the Catholick Electarats, befides other Parts of the Empire, &c. And as to what you fay, that she has no National Church in her Communion out of Europe, I muft refer you to the Maps, and the Atlas Geographus for your better Information.

But notwithstanding all this you have Uncathalick'd the poor Church of Rome to all Intents and Purpoles. For, if the Jews themselves be more Carbolick, than the Church of Rome, I am fure she can lay no

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