Controverfies in Religion is in the main Body of Catholick Paftors, fo that a few diffenting Bishops (as 26 for Example, against many Hundreds) of how fair a Character foever, are not to be regarded.

Thirdly, If Twenty fix Bifhops may Out-vote many Hundreds, Six or a much less Number may Out-vote Twenty fix, and by this means it will be impoffible for the Faithful to known certainly who are the Judges and Guides whom they ought to follow unlefs the People must take the Caufe into their own Hands, and by the Merits of it Judge their Judges and over tule their Guides. That is, unless they muft invert the whole Order of Judicature, which Chrift establish'd for them in his Church, when he appointed them Pastors and Teachers, that they might not be tofs'd to and fro, and carried about with every Wind of Deltrine: The Faith of which Paftors the People ought to follow, Eph. 4. v. II. 14. Heb. 13. v. 7.

Fourthly, Either Controverfies in Religion must be ended by Authority, or only by the Merits of the Cause. If by the Authority of many Judges, 'tis evident to Common Senfe that the leffer Part is not to be regarded. If by the Merits of the Caufe only, all Difputes in Religion are as Endlefs as Law-Suits would be, if there were no certain Means left in the State to put an End to them, befides the Law it felf and the contending Parties. A State thus establish'd would be worfe than Bedlam. And therefore I cannot but hope, it will be thought to border too much upon Blafphemy to fay, That Chrift has left no certain Rule or Judgment in his Church for the ending of Controverfies in Matters of Religion, but only his Law or the Merits of the Caufe, which are the fame Thing.

That Twenty fix English Bifhops (for we have no more Sees) together with their Clergy were but a fmall Part of Catholick Paftors is evident by this; That when the Reformation began,there were in their MotherChurch not much lefs than a Hundred Univerfities, and near a Thoufand Bifhops. To which, if we add thofe who had died in her Faith and Communion, the Number of her Bishops alone without including any of с

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the inferiour Clergy, could not well amount to lefs at the Time of the Reformation than Fifty Thoufand. Some sof which, I hope, may have as fair a Reputation of Piety and Learning, as any of the Reformers.

AR T. VI. §. 1.

Whether the Church of Rome be the only true Church?

The 6th pretended Error of Papifts is their Holding that the Church of Rome is the only true Church. page 11.

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ANSWER.

HEN we fay, that the Church of Rome is the only true Church, we neither mean the City, nor Diocefs of Rome. For that is but a Part of the true Church, and any Catholick City or Diocefs in the World is as much a true Church as the City or Diocefs of Rome. No Papift therefore ever was fo weak as to mean this. But their true and only Meaning is, that, that Body or Society of Chriftians (where-ever difperfed throughout the whole World) which is united in Faith and Communion with the Bishop of Rome, is alone the true Church of Chrift upon Earth: And we prove it thus.

There is but One Faith, and One Catholick Church. The firft is exprefly taught by St. Paul faying One Lord, One Faith, One Baptifm. Eph, 4. v. 5. and we profefs the other in the Nicene Creed, as I have already remark'd. So that, if there be more than one true Faith, St.Paul is miftaken: and, if there be more than one true Catholick Church the Creed deceives us: And fince it is impious to fay either the one or the other, it only remains to Thew, that the Church of Rome is this true Catholick

Church:

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Church which I prove from this uncontested Principle, viz. that there was a true Catholick Church upon Earth before the Reformation. For if there was not, it will follow that this Article of the Creed, I believe One, Holy, & Can tholick, and Apoftolick Church was falfe for many hundred Years together, because the pretended Reformation only began in the Year 1517.

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Here then Proteftants must do one of thefe twoThings. They muft either grant, that the Church of Rome was this true Catholick Church before the Reformation, or mark out fome other Vifible Body, or Society of Men, in which the true Church of Chrift fubfifted before that Time. If they grant the firft, 'tis all we can defire: We gain our Caufe, and the Difpute is at an End. For, if the Church of Rome was the true Catholick Church before the Reformation, fhe is fo now; because her Faith is the fame now, it was then. Befides it will follow, that Proteftants feparated themfelves and continue feparated from the true Catholick Church, which alone fuffices to condemn them.

But if they deny that the Church of Rome was the true Catbolick Church before the Reformation, then they are bound to fhew us fome other Vifible Body or Society of Chriftians, in which the true Church fubfifted before that Time: And to perform this effectually they are bound to let us know in what Part of the World this Church had her Being; as likewife what particular Countries, Kings, and Bishops were in her Communion. And laftly, they muft fpecify to us the Name and Dioces of the Bifhop or Bifhops of this Church, by whom the first Englife Proteftant Bishop was ordain'd, and from whom the Church of England derives her Miffion. But this being a Tafk impoffible for them to perform, I do. not fee what other Choice our English Proteftants have left them, but either to fay that the Creed was falfe for many hundred Years before the Reformation, or own that the Church in Communion with the See of Rome the only true Catholick Church before that Time: And if the was the only true Catholick Church when Proteftants reform'd her, he is fo ftill: becaufe fhe has.

was

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nor

not changed her Faith fince that Time, as I have already obferved.

I fancy the Catechift forefaw he would be pinch'd very hard with this Argument, when he put the following Queftion. Where was the Proteftant Religion before Luther? to which he gives this anfwer. IN THE BIBLE DOCTRINALLY, AND IN ITS FRUITS IN THE HEARTS AND LIVES OF ALL GOOD MEN. pag. 25. Very pret ty indeed! It seems then that the Proteftant Religion had a Being in the World before the Proteftant Reformasion. Nay I begin to fear the Popes themselves were true Proteftants for none but God alone could know their Hearts. However 'tis very ftrange, nay inconceivable, how thofe fhould be good Men, who had the Proteftant Religion in their Hearts, yet profefs'd and practifed Popery like the rest of the Chriftian World. For it follows hence, that they were either a fhamed or afraid to profefs the Religion they believed in their Hearts: and fo the good Men, our Catechift fpeaks of, will be found to have been rank Hypocrites, and Diffemblers of their Religion.

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But it is to be obferved that the Catechift fpeaks of Proteftancy in General. For he afks, where the Proteftant Religion was before Luther? And there is no Reafon to believe that one Part of it was any more deftitute of a Being than the other. Well then, Where was Proteftancy before the Reformation? In what Region of this Sublunary World was it to be found? To which our Catechift anfwers very difcreetly, In the Bible doArinally, and in its Fruits in the Hearts and Lives of all good Men, What! was Lutheran Proteftancy, Calvinian Protefrancy, Epifcopal Protestancy, Puritanical Proteftancy, Anabaptiftical Proteftancy, and numberlefs other Sells and Subdivifions of Proteftany, were thefe, I fay, all in the Bible, and the Hearts of all good Men! If they were, it muft needs be granted, that both the Bible, and the Hearts of all good Men ftood highly in Need of a thorough Reformation to purge them of the innumerable Contradictions crouded into them by fuch a Multitude of Jarring Sects. For, if Lutheran Proteftancy be true, Calvinian Proteftancy must be falfe: And if Church of England Proteftancy

Proteftancy be true, Puritanical and Anabaptistical Protefancy must likewife be falfe: Yet all thefe are Branches of the Proteftant Religion, and if it was in the Bible and Hearts of all good Men before the Reformation, then it follows plainly, that the Bible and Hearts of all good Men were stuffed with Contradictions.

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But do's not the poor Gentleman fee, that he has here cut out a Cloak for the very worst of Hereticks to cover themselves with; For afk a Quaker, where his Religion was before James Naylor? And he will answer as readily as the Catechift, that it was in the Bible doArinally, and in it's Fruits in the Hearts, and Lives of all good Men. And fo every Heretick in the World has a fingular Obligation to the Catechift for having furnish'd him with this ingenious Answer to help him out at a Dead Lift.

However he is fully refolved, that the Church of Rome fhall not be fo much as a true Church: as will appear in the following Questions and Auswers.

Q. What fay the Proteftants to this? [viz. that the Church of Rome is the only true Church.]

A. They deny it.

Q. Why?

Because the Roman Church agrees not with the Definition of a true Church.

Q. What is the true Church?

A. The true Church is an univerfal Congregation or Fellowfbip of God's faithful ELECT People, built upon the Foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jefus Chrift being the chief Cornerstone. pag. 11.

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The Definition is not amifs, if he do's not mean, that the Church upon Earth confifts only of the Ele. The Reafon is. 1. Because a Man may be a Member of the true Church, yet live and die wickedly in it; and by Confequence be excluded out of the Number of God's Ele. 2. If the true Church be compofed only of the Eled it follows, that as the Ele are wholly unknown to us, the true Church is and has always been Invifible. Whence it follows again, that it has always been impoffible for any Man to apply himself to the true Church for Inftruction, Ordination, or a lawful Miffion: Which

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