a Defertreß of Chrift at his Death, and his Apoftles as Apoftates, but have the Boldness even to at tack the Mother of God. For you not only question her Faith, but even argue feriously against it. You ask me what Revelation we have, that she was not guilty of Unbelief and Defpondency? But it is you, who are to be ask'd what Revelation you have to prove that she was guilty of that Fault? It being not only against Decency but common Juftice to impeach her Faith upon the bare Want of a pofitive Revelation for it. You may as well accufe the Apostles of having been high-way Men, because there is no pofitive Text which fays the contrary. Nay 'tis a crying Injustice to accufe the meaneft Perfon upon Earth of any Crime without a pofitive Proof of it: but it is not barely Injustice, but downright impiety to charge the facred Mother of God with the Crime of Apoftacy from her Faith in Christ upon a bare negative Argument, which would be of no Weight against the vileft of Creatures.

But, Sr, to give you full Satisfaction, there is even Revelation enough to acquit her. For has it not been reveal'd to us, that she was affured even by an Archangel, that the bleffed Fruit she was to bear, should be the Son of the most high, the Saviour of his People, and the Poffeffor of a Kingdom that should never end? Has it not been reveal'd to us, that she not only received this heavenly Meffage, but believed it, and was declared happy for believing it? And would you then have us think, that she who believed this Mystery upon the Word of the Angel before it was wrought in her, could ever doubt of it after her miraculous Conception, and undoubted Experience of it's Truth? Has it not likewife been reveal'd to us, that she had the fame Divine Affurance again from St Elizabeth's Saluting her as the Mother of the Lord

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and admiring not only her Goodness in Honouring her with a Vifit, but also her Faith? Luke 1. V. 42. 43.44.45. And could fuch a Mother doubt of fuch à Son who had been promifed her by an Angel from Heaven; whom she knew she had conceived of the Holy Ghost; whom the Shepherds fent by Angels, and the Kings conducted by a Star had adored in her Prefence, and whom Simeon and Anna had by Divine Instinct proclaim'd the Saviour of Ifrael in her Hearing? Have we not here Scriptures and Revelation enough to convince any Chriftian of the moral Impoffibility of her entertaining the least Doubt of the Divinity of her Son, even amidst the most shocking Circumstances of his Sufferings and Death? The deep Senfe whereof pierced indeed her tender Soul with the most fenfible Grief, and was truly that Sword foretold by Simeon ; whole Prediction you have turn'd to her Dishonour by a no less scanda- lous than fenfelefs Interpretation of it; as I leave any one to Judge, who pretends to know any Thing of Scriptures.

Thus, Sr, you have undertaken three noble Exploits, which cannot but redound very much to the Honour of your Caufe ; viz. to make the Apostles falfe to their Master, the Mother of God falfe to her Son, and Chrift himfel falfe to his Word by your Declaring that the Gates of Hell prevail'd for a Time against his Church; which is declaring peremptorily, that the Contradictory to his Word was true at that Time.

G. My Lord, you are too sharp upon me. For I pretend not to difpute against Chrift, or his Church but only against your pretended Popish Infallibility.

L. Pardon me, Sr. For our pretended popish Infallibility, as you call it, is wholly unconcern'd in what happen'd at the Death of Chrift. Because the

Holy Goft was not then come down upon the Apoftles. And the Question concerning the Church's Infallibility (as I have already told you) is not whether she was infallible before she had the promised Affiftance of the Divine Spirit to lead her into all Truth, but whether she has been a fallible or infal lible Church fince her Eftablishment upon the Foot of the Promises? So that whatever happen'd before, is wholly foreign to the main Queftion; and it follows from it, that all you have attack'd, tho, God be praised, with vain Efforts, is the Infant Church of Chrift, the Mother of Chrift, and the Veracity of his facred Promises.

As to what you have faid concerning the pretended Difference and Confufion in our Church about our Rule of Faith, and Judge of Controverfy, when you give yourself the Trouble to prove it, which I prefume you will endeavour to do hereafter, I shall be ready to give you the beft Satisfaction I can. But as at prefent you barely affirm it without any Proof, fo I deny it without any farther Anfwer. If you have any Thing more to fay relating to our prefent Subject, you shall have a fair Hearing.

G. My Lord, I shall propofe a short Dilemna to

you.

L. I own, that is a cut-throat Sort of Argument; however let us have it.

G. If the Chriftian Church was not form'd, as fome think, till after the Refurrection, because our « Redemption was not till then completed or as « others think till the Afcenfion, when Chrift com- « miffion'd his Apoftles to go and teach all Nations: « or till the Defcent of the Holy Ghoft, when they « were endued with Power on high, Luke 24. V. 49. « Yet any of thefe Ways it will follow, that there «< was no Chriftian Church before the Death of Chrift, «

6.39. » and then that the Jewish Church was the only true » Church, whilft Chrift lived in the World. For "the Jewish Church was to laft, till the Chriftian was » form'd; elfe there was no Church at all after Chrift » came till his Refurrection. And then it will follow, » that the only true Church in the World did reject Chrift. And then there will be no Choice left » us but either to acknowledge the Fallibility of the » Church, or to reject Chrift from being the Meffias. But if the Chriftian Church was form'd upon "the first Appearance of Christ in the World, or » upon his Ordaining the 12 Apoftles, and fending them out to preach, or upon any other A&t done in his Life, then (as I faid before) the whole » Church fail'd upon his Death. pag. 64. 65.

L. Sr, your Dilemma is a very harmless one; and I answer you directly, that the Chriftian Church was form'd long before our Saviour's Paffion. That is, as foon as there was a vifible Society of Men believing in Christ. But I deny your Confequence, viz. that then the whole Church fail'd at his Death: as indeed you faid before; but I have already both faid and proved the contrary fo fully, that there needs no farther Answer to it. Now then you may go on.

§. 39%

The Question concerning the Neceffity of a living Judge.

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refumed.

F the Church cannot fail, no not for a Moment, because of the Neceffity of a living » Infallible Fudge always in Being, the Succeffion of the Monarchy of the Church ought to be hereditary, » where the King never dies. For this Scheme will » not admit of an Interregnum for Months and Years,

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that may be fpent in the Election of a Pope, alle which Time the Church has no Head or Monarch. ce Much lefs when there are Popes and Antipopes which has occafion'd 26 Schifms in the Church of a Rome, fome of them of a long Continuance. And « who is Judge in fuch a Cafe? Is every Man left « to his private Fudgment? And is it all one which of « the contending Popes he adheres to? Whether «< to the right or wrong? Or can the Church have « two or three oppofit Heads at the fame Time? « pag. 65. a

L. No, Sr. But she may be without a ministerial Head for fome Time; as when the Pope dies. Nor do's she then ceafe to be the living Infallible Judge of Faith because her Infaillibility is derived from Chrift himself, who never dies, nor ever leaves her for a Moment, but will according to his Promise be with her even unto the End of the World. And therefore whilft her visible Head is either Dead, or the Legality of his Title difputed, she continues vefted with full Power to take fuch Measures as are neceflary either to terminate Difputes, that may occur about doctrinal Points, or remove all Uncertainties relating to the due Election of her supreme Paftor. And fo, Sr, with your good Leave there will be no Occafion of leaving every Man to his own private Judgment, nor will there be nor will there be any Danger of Inconveniences from the short Vacances, or Interregnums, as you call them, betwixt the Pope's Death, and a new Election.

As to the feveral Schifms you have number'd up, I know but one, wherein the true Pope could be queftion'd with any Colour of Reafon; I mean the great Western Schifm, which I prefume you chiefly fpeak of. But I cannot imagine what Argument you can draw from it against the Neceffity of a li