where a Part hath rebelled against the Whole, Novelty against Antiquity, and the Diffent of one, or few in Error, oppofed highly the Confent of all, or much the greater Number of Catholicks, there let us prefer the Soundness of the whole, before the Corrupti on of a part,

From all this, Sir, it appears that the Fathers of the ancient Catholick Church, when they were Synodically conven'd, did not, as you fay the Fathers of Trent did, bring their Doctrines to the Council from their feveral Churches, but from the Scriptures and the Writings of ancient Fathers, and produced them as Judges and Witneffes; and pretended not to be Witnesses themfelves, but Reporters of their confentient Testimonies: And this fhew'd the Doctrines they propofed were not New. But the Representatives of your Church at Trent did not proceed in this manner. Confentient Univerfality, and Antiquity, and the Succeffion of Apoftolical Doctrines from the Apostles downwards from Age to Age, was not their enquiry; and therefore it is that we demand of you confentient Universality, Antiquity, and Succeffion for your Trent-Articles; and that I challenged my Adverfary to fhew they were taught, and received in all Ages before Luther: And how well you have answered this Challenge for him, this Examination of your Paper will fhew.

It is evident, fay you, that Proteftants hold many Doctrines not expreffed in thofe mentioned Creeds, and therefore ought not to find fault with Catholicks on that fcore. It is true, Sir, Proteftants, and particularly the Church of England, hold many Do&trines to be de Fide in the Special Senfe, which are not expreffed in thofe Creeds; but then they hold, and profefs none to be fuch, but what are either expreffed in the Scriptures, or implicitly contained in them, and deduced from them by clear, natural, and eafy confequences; and for

which you cannot deny, but that they have Antiquity, Univerfality, and Confent; which you have not for your Trent-Doctrines.

In fine, we must contend for the Faith once delivered to the Saints. And in fine, Sir, we must also contend that nothing be delivered, or received for the Faith, or any part of it, which was not delivered to them, as we are fure your Trent-Articles

were not.

And in Difputes about it we must have recourse to the Saints to whom it was delivered; to wit, to the Holy Catholick Church affifted by the Spirit of Truth, and with the Prefence of Jefus Chrift always to the end of the World.

Here, Sir, give me leave to obferve, that Jefus Chrift is no otherwife prefent with his Holy Catholick Church, than by the Affiftance of his Spirit of Truth. The Holy Spirit is his Vicarius, or Delegate over his Church, and affifts it as much in Diocefan, Provincial, and Patriarchal Synods, as in more General Councils made up of many Patriarchal, or Provincial Synods: I fay as in more General Councils. For in reality, and properly speaking, there never was, nor I believe ever will be a truly General Council of all the Bishops in the Chriftian World. Secondly, I muft grant, that the Spirit of Truth is always prefent, and ready to affift the Representatives of the Church in all Synods, qui non obicem ponunt, that do not check, and quench, and refift that Spirit of Truth, as all Synods do wherein the Majority are abandoned to Intereft, and Parties, and prejudicate Opinions, and are Lovers of Themfelves more than Lovers of God, and Truth. Such was the fecond Council of Ephefus, the fecond Council of Nice, about the Matter of Image Worship; and fuch was your Council of Trent. Thefe Obfervations being premifed, I grant you that in Difputes about the Faith, we must have recourfe

recourfe to the Saints to whom it was delivered, I mean to the Holy Catholick Church in her ancient Monuments; as, Firft, in the Scriptures, which were delivered to them: Secondly, In the Creeds, which were fetch'd out of the Scriptures : And, Thirdly, in the Apoftolical Writers of the Ages next to the Apoftles, who attefted thofe Scriptures, and that Faith which was delivered in them to the Catholick Church: And, laftly, in thofe Councils which had impartial recourfe to thefe Monuments, as the firft Nicene Council had; and all other Councils, be they never fo general, where the Generality act otherwise than from a pure love of Truth, can never have the promised Affiftance of the Holy Spirit, his Guidance, Direction, or Bleffing; let them call themfelves the Holy and moft Holy Oecumenical Synod never fo often, and their Decrees, the Holy Canons, and the Church they reprefent the Holy Catholick, Apoftolick Church, as the Council of Trent doth. All these glorious Titles fignify nothing to any Synod, which will not have recourfe to the Teftimony, and Judgment of the ancient Catholick Church, and make impartial Inquiry after her Doctrines and Practice, and regulate themfelves by them: And fuch a Synod was that of Trent, which is repugnant in her Decrees to those of the ancient Catholick Church; having declared Doctrines; yea falfe, and impoffible, as well as uncertain and improbable Doctrines, which the Saints of old, even the whole Catholick Church for Six Centuries, never professed to be the Faith once delivered to the Saints.

None can deny, but new Errors, or Herefies, may arife in all Ages: True, Sir. In which cafe what is to be done by that Authority which Chrift hath eftablished in the Holy Catholick Church, to maintain and uphold every Doctrine of that Faith once delivered to the Saints. To which I answer, Firft negatively,

tively, what is not to be done by thofe who have that Authority: They are not to mifufe or abuse it; they are not to set aside or pervert the great Rule of Faith, the Scriptures, as the Trent-Fathers have done. They are not to use fuch mean and finful Arts, altogether unworthy of the Churches Representatives; as your own Writers have fhewn were used in the Council of Trent. But, Secondly, they are to debate in all Queftions with Candour, Equanimity, and unbiaffed Minds, and try all Doctrines fairly by Antiquity; of which the Scriptures are the primogenial Part, and decree nothing, as of Faith, but what was fo profeffed and received in the Age, and in the Ages near that, in which the Faith was once delivered to the Saints. This is the way to maintain and uphold the Doctrines of Faith pure and entire, as the Apostles delivered them, and abfolutely free from the mixture of fuch abfurd, incredible, false, improbable, or difputable Doctrines, as adulterate and pollute the Popish Creed.

Must not the Succeffors of the Apostles convened from all parts of the Catholick World: As in A&ts xv. 6. The Apostles, and Ancients affembled to confider of this Word. And these as often as new Errors arife, declare against them, as the Apoftles did. Ver. 28. It feemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to

us.

To this I anfwer: That if Errors arife in a Diocefan Church, and fpread no farther, it is fufficient for the Bishop and his Presbyters, to meet in a Synod to condemn them; and if they are Lovers of God and Truth, and keep his Commandments, they will be directed and affifted by the Spirit of Truth. But if Errors happen to fpread over a whole Province, and go no farther, then it is fufficient for the Bishops of that Province to meet, and condemn them; and if they, or the majority of them, are difpofed by the Love of God and Truth, for the Directions

of

of the Holy Spirit, they will as certainly be directed and affifted by it, as if they fat in the most General Council, that can be imagined to convene. But then if Errors come to fpread over a National or Patriarchal Church, confifting of many Provinces, then it is fufficient for the Bishops of that Nation or Patriarchat to affemble, and condemn them: And if they are rightly difpofed for the Directions and Affiftances of God's Spirit, they shall as certainly have them, as if they fat in a Council of Bishops convened from the rifing of the Sun unto the going down of the fame. This I have faid, Sir, First, becaufe all true Bishops are equally the Apostles Succeffors; and if you please to let me add, the Vicars of Chrift too, as much as the Bishop of Rome. Secondly, Because there is no occafion for more General Councils but when Errors over-spread the Face of the whole Church; nor in that cafe neither is it necessary, or always convenient that the Succeffors of the Apostles fhould meet together from all Parts of the Catholick World to condemn Errors, which may as well, if not better be done by Provincional, or National Councils, feverally convening at the fame time, as the two Convocations of our National Church are wont to do, than if they met in one place. Thirdly, When the Succeffors of the Apostles and their Presbyters meet in any of the faid Councils, as the Apostles and Elders did, they cannot, they ought not to determine as they did at Ferusalem, faying, It seemed good to the Holy Ghoft, and to us, becaufe every one of the Apostles had the infallible Guidance of the Holy Ghost, which our Saviour promised in such a peculiar manner to them, and every one of them, as would be Prefumption and Arrogance in their Succeffors to expect or claim. These things (faith he) I have spoken unto you, being prefent with you, but the Comforter fhall teach you all things, and bring