a Cross after the Example of his Mafter, in that Capital City of the World, appears by the unanimous Confent of all the antient Hiftorians. That his Succeffors the Bishops of Rome did, in like Manner, exercise the fame Pre-eminence over all the Bishops of the East and Weft, and even received the Appeals of the very Patriarchs of the East, and restored them to their Sees when injured, and wrongfully caft out, appears by many Inftances recorded in the Hiftory of the Church, that the antient Fathers and Holy Doctors of the Church did always understand and expound the abovefaid Texts of Scripture to the fame Purpose, ío as to believe that Chrift Our Saviour did appoint St. Peter and his Succeffors to be the Center of Unity, in order to regulate as Univerfal Head, and to influence all the particular Churches in the World; it be. ing morally impoffible for any Harmony or Concord to be among the Members of fo vaft a Body except there be a Center or Fountain-Head to which they must have recourse, in order to determin their Differences, in the laft refort; Nor cou'd they think, that Christ had ufed lefs Pru. dence in the Conftitution of his Church, than common Legiflators do in that of petty Common-wealths; which, as common Senfe and Reafon fuggeft, cannot fubfift without Subordination, or fome fupream Magiftrate finally to de-. termin Differences; but muft else refolve into Anarchy and Confufion. That thefe, I fay, were the Sentiments of the antient Fathers and Doctors of the Church, appears by innumerable Paffages, which I might borrow from their Writings and Commentaries; but to fave your Grace the Trouble of reading fo many, I shall inftance only in four or five,

St.

St. Trenaus, the Difciple of St. Policarp the Difciple of St. John the Evangeliit, Lib. 3. adverfus Harefes Cap. 3. fpeaking of the Church of Rome: fays, "Quoniam valdè longum eft, "in hoc tali Volum ne omnium Ecclefiarum "ennumerare Succeffiones, maximæ, & antiquif"fimæ, & omnibus cognita, a gloriofiffimis duo"bus Apoftolis Petro & Paulo Rome fundatæ "&conftitutæ Ecclefie, eam, quam habet ab "Apoftolis Traditionem, & annunciatam Ho"minibus Fidem per Succeffionem Epifcopo. "rum pervenientem ufque ad Nos indicantes, "confundimus eos, qui quoquomodo, vel per "fui placentiam malam, vel vanam Gloriam, "vel Cæcitatem, & malam Sententiam, præter

quam opportet, colligunt: Ad hanc enim Ec. "clefiam, propter potentiorem Principalitatem, "neceffe eft omnem convenire Ecclefiam." For as much as it would be tedious, in fuch a Volume as this, to ennumerate the Succeffions of all the Churches when we fhew the Succeffion of the greateft, and the most antient, and best known unto all Men, that which was founded and eftablifh'd in Rome, by the two most glorious Apofles Peter and Paul, and declare the Tradition which it holds from the Apostles, and the Faith publish'd unto Men by the Succeffion of Bishops coming down even unto us, we confound thofe, who in a Manner, either by their evil Pleafure, or vain Glory, or Blindness, or bad Opinion, infer what they ought not: For unto thes Church, every Church must have Recourfe; by Reafon of it's more powerful Principality.

Tertulian an Antient Father and Contemporary to St. Irenæus, Lib. de Pudicitia Cap. 1, C. 2

faith,

* Mean

ing the

faith, "Audio etiam Edictum effe Propofitum "& quidem Peremptorium; Pontifex fcilicet Maximus,Epifcopus Epifcoporum dicit: E(6 go & Machiæ & Fornicationis Delicta PeniBishops of tentia Functis dimitto." 1 bear there is an Edict fet forth, and that peremptory; The chief Pontif, the Bishop of Bishops faith: I forgive the Crimes of Adultery and Fornication to those who have done Pennance for thefe Sins.

Rome:

St. Cyprian Martyr and Bishop of Carthage, who died about the Year, 250. Lib. de Unit. Ecclef. hath thefe Words: "Hoc erant utique, " & Cateri Apoftoli quod fuit Petrus, pari Con"fortio Præditi, & Honoris & Poteftatis, fed « Exordium ab Unitate proficifcitur, Primatus « Petro Datur ut una Chrifti Ecclefia, & Cathe

dra una Monftretur." The reft of the Apofiles were the fame as Peter, vefted with a like Fellowship both of Honour and Power; but a Beginning proceeds from Unity: The Primacy is given to Peter that it might appear the Church of Chrift was one, and the Chair one.

St. Jerome who was defervedly filed Magifter Mundi, Lib. 1. adv. Jovin. writes thus of St. Peter's Primacy: "Ideo inter duodecim unus "eligitur, ut Capite conftituto Schifmatis tolla"tur Occafio." Therefore among the twelve one is chofen, that a Head being appointed the Cause of Schifm might be removed.

St. Austin, Lib. uno, Contra Epift. Fund. Cap. 4. "Ut ergo hanc omittam Sapientiam quam in Ecclefia effe Catholica non creditis, multa "funt alia quæ in ejus Gremio me juftiffime te"neant. Tenet Confentio Populorum atque

"Gentium: Tenet Authoritas Miraculis inchoata, fpe nutrita, Charitate Aucta, Vetuf

66 tate

"tate firmata: Tenet ab ipfa fede Petri Apo "ftoli, cui pafcendas Oves fuas poft Resurrecti"onem Dominus commendavit, ufque ad pre"fentem Epifcopatum fucceffio Sacerdotum

Tenet poftremo ipfum Catholicæ Nomen quod "non fine Caufa inter tam multas Hærefes fic ifta "Ecclefia fola obtinuit, ut cum omnes Hære"tici fe Catholici dici velint; quærenti tamen Perigrino alicui, ubi ad Catholicam convenia"tur, nullus Hæreticorum, vel Bafilicam fuam "vel Domum audeat oftendere. Not to speak "then of that Wifdom which you do not believe "to be in the Catholick Church, there are many other things which most justly keep me in her Bo"Some: The Confent of People and Nations. "keeps me in it. The Authority begun by Mi"racles, nourish'd by Hope, increafed by Cha"rity, and confirmed by Antiquity keeps me in "it: The Succeffion of Prelates, from the Seat, "of St. Peter the Apostle to whom Chrift.com. "mitted bis Flock after is Refurrection, to

him who at prefent fits on his Chair, keeps me "in it: In fine, the very Name of Carbolick, which "not without Reafon, amidst fo many Herefies "this Church alone has o obtained, that.where"as all Hereticks would be called Catholicks, tr yet if any Stranger should ask where the Ca"tholicks affemble, no Heretick dare fhew his "own Church or Houfe."

I think, My Lord, it is plain by the Doctrine of thefe holy and ancient Fathers of the Church, that, tho' there be not a Word, nor the leaft Intimation of the Pope or his Supremacy in our Rituals for Baptifmn, yet that both are very well founded: in Scripture, and in Antiquity. Thefe Holy Fathers were Men of great Piety, Zeal, and Know

C 3

ledge

ledge; They were Stars of the first Magnitude, Luminaries of the Chriftian World, upon whofe Au hority alone, we may fafely pronounce, tho' we had no other Grounds to proceed upon. But of this enough..

CHAP. IV.

Of the Articles to be profeffed in Baptism.

N the Ninth Paragraph your Grace tells us, the only Answer the Catholicks make to what your Grace in the Eight Paragraph_defires them to obferve (viz. That there is no Intimation of the Pope or his Supremacy, &c. in our Rituals for Baptifm) is, that tho' thofe things are not there expreffed yet they are fufficiently imply'd in that one Article of the Catholick Church, which makes a Part of the Apoftles Creed. To this your Grace is pleas'd to reply in these Words: But if this be a good Answer, what "Neceffity can there be for a Chriftian, at the "Time of his Baptifm, or indeed at any other "Time, to make Profeffion of any other Arti"cle of Faith befide this of the Holy Catholick «Church, in which (according to this Doctrine) "all the rest are fufficiently imply'd and con"tain'd? Or if it be neceffary that a Chriftian, "at the Time of his Baptifm, or his Sureties for "him, fhould make Profeffion of fome other Ar"ticles of Faith befides this one; Why not of "all of them? Or what Reafon can be given, why the Profeffion of Faith, publish'd by Pope Pius the 4th. in the Year 1564. and "now univerfally receiv'd, and own'd by the " Church

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