this, than, Whether the Gospel was first preach'd in Italy, or Greece? But the Mother-Church is a Sacred Name. And therefore not to be given to the Church of Rome. The Reformation however could no more deprive her of this; than our late Revolution could place K. William on the Throne, before K. James, to whom he Succeeded. The Fact is Uncontestable; and no lefs Positively own'd by K. James I. in a Publick, de know lays Speech to his Parliament, anno 1603. T, lays he, the Church of Rome to be our MotherChurch.

Secondly, Tho' the Gofpel was preach'd in Greece, before it was preach'd at Rome; and at Ferufalem before it it was preach'd in Greece; yet the Church inCommunion with the See of Rome was, in the Apostles Time,the greatBody of Chriftians, from whence all Reformers of the Faith were cut off; whom St. John calls Antichrifts, and St. Paul Hereticks.Why then might not the whole Church, The whole in the Apostles Time (which Church was on- Body of ly in One Communion) be properly call'd the Mo- Chriftither-Church, in refpect of all thofe Chriftian Soci- ans, Com eties cut off from it; as that of Simon Magus, of ting with the Nicolaites, of Cerinthus, of the Nazareans, of the Apothe Ebionites, and others; Of whom St. John fles, was fays, 1 John 2. ver. 19. They went out from us, but Church, in they were not of us: For if they had been of us, they respect of would no doubt have continu'd with us. And if St. the first Peter and his Succeffors have, by Chrift's Inftitu- Diffenters. tion, a Spiritual Supremacy over the whole Soisa Me Church; why fhould not their particular See, respect of wherefoever it is, be properly call'd the unle- Subordi TONS, Or Mother-Church, in refpect of all other nate Ser Sees or Parts of the Catholick Church, Subordinate to it? Time and Government are Confidera

( ་

tions

the Mother

tropolis, im

tions as difperate, as Monarchy and Age. Tho' a good King be the Father of his People, yet he needs not be the Eldeft Man in the Kingdom. Can it not then be fo in Epifcopal Sees, that That which is the Daughter in the Order of Time, may be the Mother in the Order of Government? Suppose there were Bishops of Llan Elwy, or St. Afaph, (as indeed there were) before there were any at Canterbury or Tork, muft these, upon that Account, lofe their Authority of Metropolitans?

Sixthly, BUT, fays Mr. L. p. 3. Tho' Rome were, by Chrift's Inftitution (not directed immediately to Her, but only to St. Peter and his Succeffors) Head of the Catholick Church; yet this would not make her the Mother-Church,in respect of all Chriftians; of Greece, for example, or Jerufalem.

Anf. In the Order of Time perhaps it would not; in the Order of Government, it certainly would. And it is not Time, but Government that infers Authority, and Subordination; and can make One Particular See the Center of Unity, to all the other Parts of the Chriftian Church.

IN the Order of Time, the Chriftian Church at Ferufalem, and in Judea, brought to the Faith by the Preaching of Chrift and his Apoftles, was not indeed the First Church of God (for the Jewish Church, in the the time of the Prophets, was before her; and the Patriarchal Church, before the Synagogue) but, if you please, the first Chriftian Church. She was alfo the first, in the Order of Government, if you comprehend Christ, (or his Vicar) refiding there. But, fince he did not invest Towns, but Men only with his Authority of Governing his Flock; That

Church,

Church, which was the First in the Order of Time, might afterwards be Inferiour, in the Order of Government. And fo it happen'd to Ferufalem, according to the Rule of Major ferviet Minori, The Elder fhall ferve the Younger.

FOR, in the First General Councils, the Bifhop of Farufalem's Place was not only after Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch, but even after Conftantinople, when it was built, tho' no Apoftolical See. Nor had the Bishop of Jerufalem a Jurisdiction, even over Palestine, in the IV first Centuries. The Council of Nice, can. 7. grants him (1) the Honour, which Custom and Tradition had given him ; but it was τη μης πόλης σωζομένα τα οικεία

idual, without prejudice to the Metropolitan of Palestine, who then was the Bishop of Cafared Whence St. Jerom, (2) Ibi decernitur; ut Paleftina Metropolis Cafarea fit, That Council agreed, that Cafarea fhould be the Metropolis of Paleftine. And fpeaking to Jobz Bishop of ferufalem, who had appeal'd to Theophilus, Bishop of Alexandria, (3) Thou hadst rather trouble him, fays he, than give due Honour to thy Metropolitan.

>T

§. III.

Proteftant-Catholicks.*

* Dr.Cofin of Tranfub ftantiation P. 28. has

Calvin's

First, HE true Church of Chrift, is own'd this Exin the Creed', to be the Catholick preffion. Church. It is then a Point of very great Impor-words are tance to know, among fo many different Socie-fuch, lays

he, that na

() T. 2. Conc. Lab. p. 32. (2) Epist. 61. ad Pammachium. Catholick (3) Ibid. Maluifti occupatis auribus moleftias facere, quàm Proteftant could with debitum Metropolitano tuo honorem reddere.

to use any

ties of ber

ties of Chriftians, who are Catholicks? For they only, are in the True Church. About this, we have a Scuffle between Mr. L. and his Lordfhip, pag. 103. We defire not to be called Papifts, fays my Lord: nor Roman Catholicks. We term our felves Catholicks. Gent. We call our felves fo too. And fo the Fray Ended. But, furely a Question of this Moment deferves fomething more, than I fay and You fay.

2. First, THEN, if the Catholick Church be the Univerfal Church; Catholicks must be the great Body of Chriftians in all Ages, from which all

other Christian Societies of Hereticks and Schif Who truly maticks are cut off. How then can a New-rais'd Carbolicks? Communion, which is not yet Two Hundred years old, be Catholicks? Upon this Principle, Tertullian writ his Book of Prefcriptions; to fhew that Hereticks are Convicted by this, that they cannot fhew a Succeffion of Paftors of their Communion, from the Beginning. (') Let them produce, fays he, the Origin of their Church, let them give us a Lift of their Bishops, drawn down by Succeffion from the Beginning, fo that their firft Bishop bad either an Apostle, or an Apoftolical Man, continuing to the End in the Apoftles Communion, for his Predeceffor.Let Hereticks Counterfeit any thing like this, if they can. And (2) if the Cafe

(') Cap. 32. Edant ergo Origines Ecclefiarum fuarum : Evolvant Ordinem Epifcoporum fuorum, ita per Succeffiones ab initio decurrentem, ut primus ille Epifcopus aliquem ex Apoftolis vel Apoftolicis viris,qui tamen cum Apoftolis perfeveraverit, habuerit Au&torem, & Antecefforem.Confingant tale aliquid Hæretici. () Cap. 37. Si hæc ita fe habent-conftat ratio propofiti noftri,definientis non effe admittendos Hæreticos ad ineundam de Scripturis Provocationem, quos fine Scripturis probamus ad Scripturas non pertinere. Ad quos merito dicenStand

ftand thus, we need not Scripture to fhew, that they fhould not be allow'd to Appeal to the Scripture. To whom we may justly fay, Who are you? When did you come? And from whence? Why do you Enter upon my Poffeffion?

3. AGAIN, tho' all, in a manner, who pretended to Reform the Faith of the Church fince the Apostles Time, have alfo pretended to the Name of Catholicks; yet this, in Common Difcourfe, was never given to any new-rais'd Communion: But ftuck only to the standing Church of All Ages; to which almost every Reformation gave a New Name; and fome of them fo many, that One would almost think they were content it should be call'd any thing, but Catholick. The Montanists call'd thofe in her Communion, xs, fenfual Animals, because they would not hear Montanus. The Novatians call'd them Capitolians and Apoftaticks, for admitting thofe to Penance, who had facrificed in the Capitol. The Arians call'd them Confubftantialists, Homooufians, Athanafians, and Sabellians. The Donatifts gave them the Name of Menfurists, Cecilians, and Infidel-Scripture-Givers. Vigilantius, as we find in (1) S. Ferom, call'd them Cinerarians, and Idolaters, (for honouring the Relicks of Martyrs) Cinerarios& Idolatras. Se&taries, in the Time of S. Gregory of Tours, that is, in the VI Century, call'd them Romans, lib.1. cap. 25. Romanorum nomine vocitant noftra Religionis homines. And thus the Greek Schifmaticks. (who begun Three hundred Years after) alfo

dum eft, Qui eftis? Quando & Unde veniftis? Quid in Meo agitis, non mei? Mea eft Poffeffio. Olim Poffideo, Prior poffideo. (') Epift. 53. ad Riparium.