from us, while we must not read them with our Understanding. And the Refult of this is, that the whole Foundation of our Faith is in the Church » of Rome without Scripture, or any Thing else: be» cause the Scripture and every Thing else is put ab. folutely and implicity in her Power. pag. 91. 92. L. A terrible Grievance indeed! That the Flock should be fed and guided by their Paftors! That ignorant Laicks should not be permitted to interpret Scriptures according to their own Caprice, but be bound to fubmit to the Interpretation of their Superiours, and of thofe, who are not only wifer and more learned than themfelves, but expressly appointed by God to teach and govern them. Act. 20. V. 28. Sr, tho I had no other Reafon to convince me of the neceffity of Submitting to the Church's Interpretation of Scriptures, the forced and abfurd Turns you gave just now [§. 48. ] to about half a Score fcriptural Texts would alone fuffice to convince me of it. But as to your Flirts at our Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation, Communion in one Kind, and our Latin Liturgy, it will be Time enough to expose the Weakness and Injuftice of your Reflections, when we come to discuss those Points in particular. For I affure you, Sr, you shall have full Satisfaction given you in every Point.

"L. My Lord, no Man alive knows, what this » Church of Rome is, or where to be found. I mean, » the Church of Rome, to which the Infallibility is an»nex'd. For if you travel to Rome, you will fee » nothing there, but what by a modern Distinction "you call the Court of Rome, where then is this infallible Church of Rome? pag. 92.

L. Sr, it is the Church of all Chriftians the whole World over, united in Faith and Communion with the Bishop of Rome, who is the Head of this Church,

So that all Roman Catholicks, whether living in or out of Rome, are of the Church, but all are not of the Court f Rome. I think this Anfwer is precife and clear.

The four pretended contradictory Schemes of lodging the Infallibility examined.

Ome, My Lord, place the Infallibility in the « Pope alone, as the only Heir of St Peter, and « iving Fudge of Controverfy; and therefore above «< Councils, and the whole Body of the Church put to- « gether. pag. 92. «

L. Sr, you are always very lavish in bestowing Titles on the Pope. You have already made him the Univerfal Monarch of Kings and Bishops: And now you make him Heir of St Peter, whofe Title never was bereditary, but elective. Let us therefore ftile him St Peter's Succeffor, which Title he has by the Election of the Church, as he has his Power annex'd to it immediately from God.

However that be, 'tis true what you fay, that many Catholick Divines place the Infallibility in the Pope. But no Catholick Divine in the World ever placed it in the Pope ALONE. Because the Word alone excludes both general Councils, and the diffum five Body of the Church, to which no Catholich Divine ever denied Infallibility in Matters of Faith. But this was a neceffary ftratagem to make your first Scheme appear to be a Contradiction to the reft. So I you to keep the Word alone to yourself, and then go on.

defire

G. Others like not this. And because fome «

Popes have proved heretical, and have been cen- « fuked and depofed for it; and others of them have «

proved most wicked and flagitious Men, who befides the Viciousness of their own Lives have fill'd the World with Blood, Rebellion, and Vfurpations in pursuance of the depofing Power, they have af» fumed over Princes, for these and other Reasons » they would not have the Infallibility trufted with $3 the Pope, but lodge it in a general Council as Supe ariour to the Pope with Power to reform, and even » to depofe him. pag. 92.93.

L. Sr, there is one Thing ftrictly true in this your fecond Scheme, viz. That many Catholick Divines deny the Pope's Infallibility: and all these agree unanimously in placing it both in the diffufive Body of the Church, and general Councils received as fuch, But as to what you fay concerning their Opinion, that a general Council is Superiour to the Pope, this is wholly foreign to the Queftion we are upon. For whether that be true or falfe, I defy you to make good the Contradictions you pretend to charge us with in Lodging the Infallibility.

»G. A third Party approve of neither of these Ways. For as they think a Pope alone without a Council not to be Infallible, so neither a Council without a Pope, who is Head of it, and without whom there cannot be a Lawful Council, as no » Parliament without a King. These are for King and Parliament, and place the Infallibility in neither » Pope nor Council apart, but only when both toge »ther, and Agreeing. But because this will defeat » feveral of thofe Councils, call'd General, and fplic » others; as when the Pope or his Legates withdrew from the Council (like a King leaving his Parliament) then fuch was no longer a Lawful Coun»cil, but a Schifmatical Conventicle ; as was said of

the Council of Bafil and Conftance, &c, And be» caufe there have been Popes against Popes, and

304 Councils against Councils, and that the Requifits necessary to constitute a lawful Council, and confe- « quently Infallible, are fome of them difputed, as the « Authority of Summoning and Convening the Council, « and Prefiding in it, and other Requifits allow'd by, « all to be neceffary are impoffible to be known with « any Certainty: As, that all the Fathers there met « should ufe all Diligence to examine and canvas « to the Bottom every Point, that comes before « them and that they should be under no Terror « or Fear of any, nor biafs'd by Party, Hopes of « Preferment, or Gain, or any other corrupt Paf- « fion, but doing all Things out of true Zeal to the « Glory of God, and Good of the Church; Other- « wife that there is no Infallibility follows that Coun- « cil: And this being impoffible for any to know but « God alone, confequently the Infallibility of all Councils is render'd precarious, and no Certainty at all in them: Or rather it is certain by the Hil- « tory of all Councils call'd general, that thefe human ce Paffions not confiftent with Infallibility, had an In- « fluence in all, or most of them. So that we cannot « be certain of the Infallibility of any Concil, unless « we are infallibly fure, that none of thefe human « Paffions had a Mixture in it. «

This makes a fourth Party in the Church of Rome : « that is, of those, who place the Infallibility neither a in Pope, nor Council jointly or feverally, but in the « Church Militant, as they Speak. That is, the Church « diffufive, or all Churches up and down the World. « We must then travel and learn. Here is a wild «e Mark, and we are plainly left at last to private œ Judgment to collect and compare, to approve or ce reject what we find scatter'd in all the diftant Chur- « ches upon the Earth. And no Man's Life or Capa city will be fufficient to make the Enquiry in any colerable meafure, «

«

§. 5o. » And now, My Lord, which of thefe four Sorts » of Infallibility will you take? There are three to » one against you, choose which you will. And all "these are of the Church of Rome. And what Diffe»rence is there betwixt having no Guide, or one cannot find ર pag. 93.94.95.

» you

L. Sr, he that cannot find him, must be wilfully blind. But fince you are fo generous as to give me my Choice, I need not deliberate long upon the Matter. For the whole Body of Catholick Divines has already made it for me, and 'tis with them I place the Infallibility both in the diffufive Body of the Church, and it's Reprefentative a general Council truly fo call'd; that is, approved, and received as fuch.

>> And now, Sr, I challenge you to make good what you tell me, viz. that there are three to one against me, chcofe which I will. Nay I only demand of you to produce one fingle Party of Catholick Divines against me. They, who place the Infallibility in the Pope, will not furely be against me for no Man in his Senfes will allow the Pope to be infallible by himself, and deny him to be fo, when he delivers his Judgment at the Head of a general Council, or with the whole diffufive Body of the Church. I am alfo fecure of having those on my Side, who (according to your 2d Scheme) place the Infallibility in a Council without the Pope. Unless you fuppofe them to be fo void of: Reafon as to maintain, that a Council, which is infallible without the Pope, becomes fallible, when he agrees with it, and approves it's Decrees.

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Where then is the Party of Catholick Divines which you pretend to draw up against me, to be fought for Truly, Sr, you must be at the Trouble of travelling to terra incognita, or the World in the Moon to find fuch a Party. For I am fure it is not to be found in any Part of the known World. And