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verfality and Succeffion in all Ages: Whereas Roman Catholicks manifeftly prove their Antiquity from Primitive Fathers, their Univerfality from the agreement of General-Councils, and Succeffion from an uninterrupted Practice. Again, he wishes himself the fame Mifchief, if the Trent Articles were commonly and continually taught and received de Fide, as Articles of Faith before Luther. I answer, That if by Trent Articles he means a particular Form and Drefs of Words fram'd at Trent to exprefs Catholick Doctrines; that indeed, that Form and Drefs is New; but the Doctrines are the fame which all Ages have brought down to us, as appears from the fprinklings of Primitive Writers and uninterrupted Practice, and are no more Trent Doctrines than they were always the Do&trines of all Catholick Nations!

And now, I pray, obferve the Fallacy of fome Men, and the Mistake of others, who complain of Roman Catholick Doctrines and Trent Articles with one and the fame Breath, as if both were New: And fome are so easy as to let themselves be perfuaded, that the Council of Trent having invented the Doctrines, erected their own Inventions into Articles of Faith: Others as nonfenfically are perfuaded, that the Doctrines in queftion were once peculiar to the Church of Rome, and that other National Churches, which with that of Rome compofe one Catholick Church, did not rank them among the Doctrines of Faith once deliver'd to the Saints, and confequently they were not Universal and Catholick; but that the Pope by managing the Council of Trent, engag'd the Fathers of that Council to draw up thofe peculiar Romish Doctrines into Articles of Faith; and conclude, that these Do&trines have been no longer Catholick than they have been trim'd into Articles by the Council of Trent, and fay, that before the Council they were only Romish Doctrines, but that this Council having

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put them into Articles of a Creed, from that time they firft began to be Catholick and Univerfal; fo that the Doctrines which at firft were only Errors of the Church of Rome, became Errors of the Catholick. And this nonfenfical Whim, repugnant to all Truth of Fact and Hiftory, prevails fo much as that Thoufands who even doubt of their Salvation, by living in Schifm from the Catholick Univerfal Church, yet foolishly think themselves of fo tender Confciences that they can't fafely be united to the Catholick Church of their Time, because the Errors which were once peculiar to the Church of Rome, are by the Pope's Management of the Council of Trent become Catholick. What I now fay God knows with too much Truth, furnishes a plain Anfwer to a Query, which puzzels many wifer than my felf, viz. How comes it to pass that fome Proteftant Divines of a prodigious Learning, who have writ to admiration to prove, that the One true Church of Chrift can be no other than Catholick, and yet have stood off from the Catholick Church of their Time. And whilft they preach Damnation to all that are not united with the Catholick Church in all outward Communion, they themselves are not united? The true Reason hereof is, that they find the Doctrines of the Roman Church to be the Doctrines of the Catholick, and therefore choose rather to live in Schifm from the Catholick, than embrace Roman Catholick Do&trines.

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These Divines forced as it were by an Exorcifm of Truth, extol the Authority of the Catholick Church in defining against Hereticks in the first as General Councils, and tell yon, that if they had liv'd in thofe Catholick Days they must either have been in Communion with that Catholick Church, or have been damnable Schifmaticks. That, fay they, was a Catholick Church indeed, free from Romish Errors; nor were the Trent Articles,

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or the Creed of Pius IV. known to that Catholick Church. But did not the Fathers of that very Catholick Church erect Altars, offer Sacrifice, pray for the Dead; call upon the Saints to pray for them, and make Appeals to the Supreme Paftoral Authority of the Bishop of Rome? Are not these the Doctrines of the Church of Rome, which you call Errors? And because they are visibly the Doarines of the Catholick Church of our Time, you rather choose to live Schifmaticks than Catholicks? All the difference I can fee between the ancient Catholick Church which they extol, and the Prefent which they blame, is, That the Ancient, tho' it taught the fame Doctrines as the Prefent, as appears from the numberless Quotations of the ancient Fathers, yet they taught and practised those Doctrines with lefs noife than the Prefent: There was then no noise of a Creed and Articles about them. Nor would there be now had not the perverfe oppofition of Luther against these Doctrines, moved the Catholick Church to declare by the living Voice of the Council of Trent, that thefe Catholick Doarines both of former and that Age were Apofto lical, and pertained to the Faith once deliver'd to the Saints; for which they ought to contend. Indeed it seems to me very nonfenfical, to extol the Authority of the Catholick-Church in defining Matters of Faith in the first Four General Councils, and reject that Authority in after Councils; feeing all the advantages applicable to the firft Four General-Councils are but fo many Confequences drawn from the Truth of the 9th Article of the Creed, and the Promises of the Divine Spirit and the Prefence of Chrift to his Apoftolick Holy Catholick Univerfal Church; all which Advanta ges, if that Article be ftill true, pertain as much to the prefent Catholick as to the former. And had I liv'd then, I fhould have heard the fame Ca tholick Doctrines and feen the fame Worship I do

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now, tho' I should not have heard them dreft into Articles of a Creed as now. And this is all the difference, and for this Men will live Schifmaticks. O fenfeless Galatians! who hath betwitch'd you not to obey the Truth?

PART II.

HIS is fo unaccountable that one would think

that excellent piece of Learning, intituled, Judicium Ecclefia Catholica trium primorum Seculorum, &c. i. e. The Judgment of the Catholick Church of the Three firft Ages, and be the Writer of an Anfwer, p. 232. bearing his Name to a Letter to the Bishop of Meaux, in which the Bishop congratulates him for the Service he had done the Church Catholick; but wonders that fo great a Man, who fpeaks fo well of the Church, &c. can be a Moment without acknowledging her. The Doctor tho' in compofing his Book very acute, in his Anfwer mention'd feems hard of Understanding, and knows not what Church the Bishop means; but asks Her, What Her doth he mean? Altho' all the Bishop had to fay of him was, as he tells him, For the Service he had done the Church Catholick, yet this great Doctor is at a lofs to know what Her the Bihop means? Sir, it is to that Her, to which the Bishop faid you had done Service, and which he ftiles L'Eglife Catholique, The Church Catholick. Why then will you ask what Her the Bishop means? and put upon him unhandfomly your own, not his meaning, That doubtless he means the prefent Church of Rome. Sir, he means what he fays, he fays the Church Catholick; and it's that he means, and wonders how you that have done fuch Service to the Church Catholick, can be a Moment without acknowledging her. Again, Sir, you say that the Bifhop feems to think the Roman and the Catholick Church

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Church to be convertible terms, which, fay you, is strange in fo learned a Man. Indeed it is ftrange you should imagine he thinks fo, for in putting the Question, what is it you mean by the word Church Catholick? He asks you whether it be the Roman Church and those that adhere to her? The Anglican Church, or a confufed Number of Societies feparated one from the other? Wherefore a Man of lefs Capacity than Dr. Bull may fee that the Bishop puts not the Roman Church fingly to stand for the Catholick Church: But the Roman Church and those that adhere to her; which are many National Churches, and many opprefs'd Churches in Nations not Ca tholick; all which united with the Roman, are the Catholick Univerfal Church of all Nations under one fupreme Vicar of Jefus Chrift. Such a Church of all Nations and the Catholick Church are convertible terms, and no other; and therefore the Bifhop in his Question ask'd, Whether not the Roman fingly, but whether the Roman Church and those that adhere to her, be the Catholick Church? Indeed fo much difingenuity under fo good a face of Learning as Dr. Bull carries, it is intollerable; but fo it is, that when a Man of Learning applies himself to the Defence of Truth he does Wonders, but in the Moment he would fet up an Untruth all his Learning leaves him to shift upon a bare stock of Confidence, in asserting and mistaking perverfly every plain eafy Thing that is faid for the Truth; and if in Defence of Truth you fay, that Two and Two make Four: The learned Opponent will ask you what you mean by Four. Do not you mean Three: And if you fay that a Whole are many Parts united, he will understand that by the Whole you mean bur one Part fingly, and will think it strange that a Man of Senfe should make a fingle Part, and the whole convertible Terms. The reafon hereof is, That Dr. Bull thinks he can keep himself in Countenance, whilst he speaks against the Doctrines of a

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