G. Do's it not feem to haften a pace, to be even « at the Doors, when we fee no Abfurdity fo great, no Text of Scripture fo full and exprefs to be too a hard for this Infallibility? pag. 91. «

L. Sr, just fo Arius fpoke, when his Blafphemies were condemn'd by the Church. For no Man ever had a more plaufible Pretence both of Reason, and Scripture on his Side, than that vile Heretick. But what feem'd a groß Abfurdity to him, and contrary to the exprefs Word of God, was declared a reveal'd Truth by the infallible Church of Christ.

G. Nothing, I fay, is too hard for this Infalli- « bility; not even the Denying all our outward Senfes at once, and owning that we neither fee, hear, feel, «s taft, nor fmell! pag. 91. «

L. Sr, your Saying, that we own this, betrays either a grofs Ignorance or Infincerity. For we own no fuch Thing. On the contrary, 'tis a ridiculous Abfurdity, you conftantly charge us with, and we as conftantly difown; as shall be fully proved in it's proper Place. But fince you are in so good a Way, fo 'tis a Pity to stop you. So pray go on.

G. Not the exprefs Inftitution of the Lord's 'ce Supper in both Kinds, to which the Council of Conf- ie rance claps a non obftante, and takes away the Cup is from the Laity! Not the Authority and strong & Reasoning of the Apostle 1. Cor. 14.against publick « Prayer in an unknown Tongue! All thefe are over- « ruled by Infallibility, and many more we have to « inftance in the particular Doctrines in Difpute with the Church of Rome. In all which by Virtue « of her unlimited and infallible Power of interpre- « ting, she leaves no Texts of Scripture of any other « Meaning, than she thinks fit to put upon them, « let the Words be never fo' exprefs. And this in- « deed is no other than taking the Scriptures wholly «

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$.49. 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 ig norant 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 themselves, but expressly appointed by God to teach and govern them. Act. 20, V. 28. Sr, tho I had no other Reason to convince me of the neceffity of Submitting to the Church's Interpretation of Scriptures, the forced and abfurd Turns you gave juft 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 expofe the Weakness and Injustice of your Reflections, when we come to difcufs thofe 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.

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L. Sr, it is the Church of all Christians 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 of Rome. I think this Answer is precise and clear.

§. 5o.

The four pretended contradictory Schemes of lodging the Infallibility examined.

G.

Some, My Lord, place the Infallibility in the «e

Pope alone, as the only Heir of St Peter, and « Living 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 beftowingTules 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 2 alone excludes both general Counci's, and the diff five Body of the Church, to which no Catholick 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 defire you to keep the Word alone to yourself, and then go on.

G. Others like not this. And becaufe fome « Popes have proved heretical, and have been cen- « fared and depofed for it; and others of them have

proved most wicked and flagitious Men, who befides the Vicioufnefs of their own Lives have fill'd the World with Blood, Rebellion, and Ufurpations » in pursuance of the depafing Power, they have af» fumed over Princes, for thefe and other Reasons

they would not have the Infallibility trufted with 92 the Pope, but lodge it in a general Council as Supe»riour 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 unanimoufly 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.

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G. A third Party approve of neither of these » Ways. ays. For as they think a Pope alone without a Council not to be Infallible, fo neither a Council without a Pope, who is Head of it, and without whom there cannot be a Lawful Council, as no 99 Parliament without a King. Thefe are for King and » Parliament, and place the Infallibility in neither » Pope nor Council apart, but only when both together, and Agreeing. But becaufe this will defeat feveral of thofe Councils, call'd General, and split » 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 Conventicles as was faid of the Council of Bafil and Conftance, &c, And because there have been Popes against Popes, and

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Councils against Councils, and that the Requifits peceffary 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 canvafs « 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 e Preferment, or Gáin, or any other corrupt Pal- « 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 Infall bility follows that Coun- « cil: And this being impoffible for any to know but « God alone, confequently the Infallibility of all ce .. 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 these human « 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 these human Paffions had a Mixture in it. «

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This makes a fourth Party in the Church of Rome: « that is, of those, who place the Infallibility neither « 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 « Mark, and we are plainly left at last to private ‹s Judgment to collect and compare, to approve or « reject what we find scatter'd in all the diftant Chur- « ches upon the Earth. And no Man's Life or Capa- «e city will be fufficient to make the Enquiry in any « tolerable meature. «