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 Bishops. Which is likewife very true, and as 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 Genetal Council, the Synod of Dort, would not fuffer the Arminians to be prefent 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, because Quakers and Anabaptifts are not allow'd to fend their Reprefentatives to them.

Suppole 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 Representatives 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 represent the National Church of Great Britain. In like Manner a general Council of the Catholick Church is that, to which all Catholick Bishops are invited. And when you convince me that the separate Communions of

Hereticks

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 felf. But, Sr, I must tell you once more, there is a Difference between Saying and Shewing. However if you mean, that the Dioce 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 West (which Title never was denied them) have not Jurifdiction over the Latin Church, all Men of Sense will give it against you.

You add, that the Church of Rome has now but a Small 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 afmall Part of his Kingdom left him: but I hope this do's not deveft him of his Title to the whole. However you are fomewhat mistaken in your Calculation: For the fmall Part you fpeak 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 Electorats, 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 must refer you to the Maps, and the Atlas Geographus for your better Information.

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

Р

Claim to that honourable Title. The Piece is very curious, and fo I shall repeat it Word for Word. And the (fay you) there be fome in her Communion in moft Countries, there are not so many as of the Jews, who by that are more Univerfal than your Church, and fo more Catholick. Really, Sr, I know not how far this Argument may tempt a Man to Circumcifion, but I am fure it will never tempt me to be a Member of the Church of England: fince I am very certain that the Jews are more difperfed about in other Countries, than those of your Church. And by Confequence (if your Argument be worth any Thing) they are more Catholick than the Church of England.

But, if Jews be more Catholick on that Score, than either of our Churches, what noble Catholicks must Heathens and Mahometans then be, who are not only far more numerous, but poffefs a greater Tract of Land than all the Chriftians in the World! But who would ever imagine a Divine capable of Arguing in fuch a wretched Manner! In good Truth, Sr, I am ftrongly tempted to fufpe&t you know not what the Word Catholick means, tho you have repeated it many Times in your Creed. I shall therefore explain it at large hereafter to remove all doubts and fcruples concerning this Piece of profound Divinity. But we have digrefs'd from our Subject, which was concerning the Infallibility of General Councils: and fince you will not allow them to be infallible, let us confider where the Infallibility is to be placed.

» G.

§. 22.

The Infallibility of the Church.

No

O where, My Lord. Nor can it be found among Men, who are all fallible.pag. 26.

L. What, Sr! Cannot God, if he pleases, preferve Men from Erring! Or were not the facred Penmen infallible in their Writings! If not, then we are not fure that the Scriptures contain the Word of God, which furely is infallible.

G.

ADVERTISEMENT.

In Answer to what the Gentleman fpoke laft, his Lordship in the former Converfation instead of Quoting the Promifes of Chrift, only quotes Isaiah, and Malachy. But his Text from Malachy (as tranflated in the Proteftant Bible), being nothing to the Purpose is here, omitted, and by Confequence, the Gentleman's Answer to it. The Words of Isaiah shall be examined after his Lordship's Answer to the following Texts produced by the Gentleman against the Church's Infallibility.

6. T

He Word of God tells us, they were all « gone out of the Way. They were together be- « come abominable; there was none that did Good, no not « e---that all the World might become guilty before God, Rom. 3. v. 12. 19. «

And of the Church it is faid. The whole Head is u fick, and the whole Heart is faint, there is no found- « nes in it, but Wounds and Bruifes, and putrifying Sores. Ifa. 1. v. 5. 6. «

a

And God fays, mine Heritage is unto me as a Lion ce in the Foreft. It crieth out against me, therefore have I « bated it. Mine Heritage is unto me as a speckled Bird, ce &c. Jer. 12. V. 8. 9. «

And we have now long fince feen the Church of the Jews, to whom the Promifes were made, quite « thrown off, and the Church of the Gentiles come into it's Place. pag. 27. "

L. I know of no Promifes of perpetual Infallibi lity ever made to the Jewish Church, and the Texts, you have produced against that of the Church of Chrift, are just as much to the Purpose, as if had quoted the first Chapter of Genefis.

you

The fit indeed may prove, that both Jews and Gentiles are all under Sin. Rom. 3. v.9. (till they be juftified by Chrift.) But what is that to the Church's Infallibility in Matters of Faith.

The fecond if we believe the Prophet himself v. 1.) is faid of Juda and Jerufalem. And how then can you understand his Words of the Catholick Church?

The third defcribes the Synagogue crying out against her Lord, crucify him, crucify him. But let us hear, how St Austin anfwer'd the Donatifts urging the like Texts, The Scripture (fays he) often reprehends the Wicked, that are in the Church, as if all were fuck, and none at all remain'd Good -------- wherefore these Men either out of Ignorance or Malice gather fuch Texts from she Scripture, as are found to be spoke against the Wick ed, who will continue mix'd with the Good to the World's End. Or clfe of the Defolation of the former People, the Jews, And these they endeavour by a forced Construction to urge against God's Church; that she may seem in a Manner to have fail'd by a General Defection. But, if they will answer thefe Writings, let them never produce fuch Texts any more. L. de Unit. Eccl. C. 13.

Thus, Sr, you fee what St Austin thought of these Texts which you have only pick'd up at fecond Hand after the Donatifts, and are full as good to dif prove the Circulation of the Blood, as the Church's Infallibility.

But God's Promife deliver'd by the Mouth of Ifaiah, that his Spirit shall never depart from his Church, fuffices alone to confute the ftrain'd Senfe, which the Donatifts put upon the foremention'd Texts. His