A Seasonable Exhortatory to All True Sons of the Church of England

Sect. I. The use of the word in Scripture.

1. ANd first to prevent mistakes, which may arise from the ambiguity of the word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , even in Scripture itself; It is certain that this is sometimes used more loosely in an indifferent sense, for any considerable distinction betwixt men of the same Profession, as when the several Schools of Philosophers, and the courses they took in them are called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 their Heresies and ways of discipline, especially when any great number of men of such or such a denomination, do hold and keep together in maintenance of such a way.

2. Thus when the Sadducees were indeed the most eminent false teachers in the Jewish Church, yet not only their false doctrine is styled 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 their heresy, Act. 15.17. but even that of the Pharisees Act. 15.5. and that by S. Paul, even when he looks on it 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as the strictest, and most exact Sect of the Jewish religion, Act. 26.5.

3. And thus I suppose Christianity is called by the Jews at Rome, Act: 28.22. This heresy, without any evil character set upon it, as into which they desired then to make inquiry, and be instructed, knowing no more of it at present, than by the partial and passionate rumors of men, by which they past no judgment of it, but only said that it was everywhere spoken against.

4. But of this notion of the word we do not now speak; If we did, it is visible that the style would belong to the way of the Romanists, were they never so purely Orthodox, as well as to any other sort of either true or erroneous Christians, the consideration of the verity or Falsity of the doctrines being no ingredient in this usage anymore then in the origination of that word.

5. But the Scripture more frequently useth the word in an ill sense, with connotation of some Fault either really inherent, or by them that use the word thought chargeable on that way, which they express by it.

6. Thus Acts 24.5. in Tertullus's speech the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Heresy of the Nazarenes is looked on as an erroneous, dangerous, punishable way, and so. v. 14. in Paul's resuming of the accusation, where he acknowleges himself guilty of that which they thus called Heresy, i. e. deemed to be such.

7. Thus in the Epistles it constantly signifies infusions of ill; sometimes divisions and breaches of Charity and Christian Communion, as 1 Cor. 11.19. where 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Heresies are but the interpretation of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Schisms or Fractures v. 18. and so Gal. 5.20. where in the midst of uncharitable breaches, hatred, variance, emulations, wraths, strifes, seditions, before, & envyings, murder after, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Heresies are enclosed, and so must receive their Tincture from the Society, wherein they are found, and so denote Schismatical divisions peculiarly, in a very ill sense indeed, as unquestionable works of the flesh, v. 19. yet not precisely those, that now we are to treat of, but, as Heresy and Schism are sometimes promiscuously used the one for the other.

8. As for the strict, Separate notion of the word, wherein it hath from the Apostles times come to ours, and is generally understood among men, that still remains to be fetched from one singular use of it. 2 Pet. 2.1. whereof the false Teachers among the Christians, bearing, saith he, a proportion with the false Prophets among the Jews (those two words 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Teachers and Prophets without any connotation of predicting future events, signifying in sacred dialect one and the same thing; and so likewise false Teachers and false Prophets ) he foretells them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that they shall bring in, either by the by, or (as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 oft signifies) in contrariety to sound Doctrine, Heresies of destruction, or destructive ruinous Heresies, destructive of that foundation laid by the Apostles; for such the Doctrines appear to be of which he there speaks, being the denial of the great Article of our belief concerning our Redeemer, and such the Gnostic Heresy is confessed to be, which is evidently there spoken of by S. Peter.

9. That all Heresies should be equally destructive with this, we have no indications from that text, nay several inhaunsing circumstances are there discernible (if now that were any part of the inquiry ) which may justly make a difference gradual both in respect of turpitude and danger betwixt that there specified, and sundry other Heresies. Thus much only must be thence concluded, that all the Heresies that can be deemed Proportionable, or parallel to that Character, which, in that singular place, the Scripture gives us of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , are doctrinal breaches or Separations from the faith as that signifies the true Christian doctrine, by Christ or his inspired and impowered servants, the Apostles, once or at once delivered to the Saints. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , Heresy is an untrue or false opinion or doctrine concerning the Faith, was duly and fully resolved by Phavorinus, meaning by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 any part of the Faith truly so called, the difference betwixt heresy on one side, and Infidelity or Apostasy on the other side, being visibly this, that the two latter are the denying or renouncing the whole Faith of Christ, but the Former of any single part of it.

Sect. 2. Of matter of Faith.

1. Herein then the definition of Heresy (in our present notion) being completed, viz. in its opposition to the faith of Christ in any one or more branches of it, and the disposition of the person, guilty thereof, being but extrinsical to the nature of the thing it self (as whether it be caused barely by ignorance, or whether it have in it some mixture of obstinacy, pride, or any other kind of carnality, whether it be only in the heart, contrary to believing with that, or else proceed farther to profession with the tongue, as Faith also doth, Rom. 10.10.) these I say, and the like being prescinded, and taken off from our present inquiry, as they must be from the examination of the Formalis ratio of every other sin (which being once found out what formally it is, is allowed to be capable of many aggravating or extenuating circumstances, and degrees, without varying of the Species ) All that can now remain to be established in this first part of the inquiry, is, to discern how far the faith of Christ may duly be extended, to what sorts of things it can properly belong, that so by the law of Contraries, we may safely conclude, to what sorts of errors it is, that the word Heresy to be extended.

2. And 1. we must distinguish between matters of Faith and rites or practices or customs of all, or any of the Apostles, for these latter being prudentially designed to some persons at sometimes, for some particular, occasional, and those mutable ends, as they are not founded in any universal precept, or doctrine of Christ's, so neither are they obliging to all future times, but only so far as they that so ordered, did design them.

3. Thus we know the Canon of the Apostles, and the Church assembled at Jerusalem concerning things strangled and things offered to Idols, Act. 15. are promulgate to the Gentiles at that time of Antioch, Syria and Silicia, from whom the occasion of that Council and Canon was taken; but when they pass farther, they promulgate them not, as appears by 1 Cor. 8.9. Where, in that of Idolothyta he acknowledges the Corinthians liberty not retrenched, save only in case of scandal.

4. And Baronius extends this observation to the Thessalonians also (though the evidence be not so convincing ) upon force of that Text, 1 Thess. 4.2, 3. where repeating what Commandments he had given them by the Lord Jesus, he specifies only ut abstineatis à fornicatione, that ye abstain from fornication, without any mention of the other parts of the Canon.

5. But without relying on such arguments as this last, of his ( negative, and so unconcludent ) such ordinances as these, accommodated to particular times, and places, and persons, are in the nature of them, temporary and variable, nay, not always the same at the same time. The Church stories give us little reason to doubt, but the controversy concerning the time of keeping Easter, which at last brake out into such a tempest in the Church, had its original in the different traditions of the Apostles, S. John and S. Philip produced by Polycrates for the Asiatic, as S. Peter and others by Victor for the other side.

6. And from thence as Polycarp and Anicetus, though each resolutely adhering to their several ways, did yet communicate one with another (as Irenaeus tells Victor in his Epistle to him, concerning this matter) so 'tis evident that such ritual differences disturb not the faith, nor infer Heresy on either side, the words of Pope Gregory the first are express for it, In unâ fide nihil officit sanctae Ecclesiae consuetudo diversa, Difference of customs is reconcilable with the unity of Faith, and no detriment comes to holy Church by this difference. This might be much more largely evinced, if there were need of it.

7. First then, confining our selves to the Faith only, Its granted on all hands, that by faith here is meant the Object or matter of a Christians belief; not the belief itself: so it is visibly used in that eminent place of Jude 3. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the faith delivered to the Saints, i. e. the particular doctrines which all together made up the Saints belief.

8. Secondly, that this object of belief is nothing but the revealed doctrine of God, actually proposed by him, and preached to men, on purpose that they that have so much reverence to God, and confidence of his veracity, that they question not the truth of any of his affirmations, may by faith receive, and believe, and act according to them.

9. For this belief being a duty of the first Commandment, and so as all other parts of divine worship terminated ultimately in God (or else it is not divine, but at the most but human faith ) as it truly comprehends all that is, or shall ever be thus conveyed to us by divine revelation; so can it not be any farther extended, so as to comprize those things even of God, which are unrevealed.

10 Many verities no doubt there are in God's secret Cabinet, which though most true in themselves, and most worthy of belief, in case they were revealed to us, yet are never like to come out from under that veil, and so can never be Objects of our belief.

11. Thirdly, that even of those things that have at any time been revealed, all are not incumbent on us, so as to lay obligation on every man to comprehend, or believe them; many passages of Holy Writ, though, when they are proposed to us convincingly as such, they may not be dis-believed, may yet safely be unobserved, or not understood, or escape out of our memory. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , The Faith by way of emphasis and excellence, that was once delivered to the Saints, and ought by all such to be contended for, is that which was set out by Christ or his Apostles from him, to be by all men believed to their righteousness, and confessed to their salvation.

Sect. 3. The two ways of conveying the Faith to us.

1. THis then being the adequate object of the Christian's Faith, those verities which have been revealed to us by God to be thus believed to righteousness, called therefore 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , words not only true, but wholesome: the belief whereof is required in order to our souls health; the next inquiry is, how we that live in the same distance from Christ and his Apostles in respect of time, that we are situate from heaven, which now contains Christ, in respect of place, may come within any reach of these revelations of Christ, or to any competent undoubted assurance, that those are such indeed, which are pretended to be so.

2. And to this also my concession shall be as liberal as any Romanist can wish, that there are two ways of conveying such revelations to us; one in writing, the other by oral tradition, the former in the Gospels and other writings of the Apostles, &c. which makes up the sacred writ, or anon of the New Testament; the latter in the Apostles preachings to all the Churches of their plantations, which are nowhere set down for us in the Sacred Writ, but conserved as Deposita by them to whom they were entrusted.

3. And although in sundry respects the former of these be much the more faithful, steady way of conveighance, and for want thereof many things may possibly have perished, or been changed by their passage through many hands, thus much being on these grounds confessed by Bellarmine himself, that The Scripture is the most certain and safe rule of belief; yet there being no less veracity in the tongues, than the hands, in the preachings, than the writings of the Apostles; nay, Prior sermo quam liber, prior sensus quam stylus, saith Tertullian, the Apostles preached before they writ, planted Churches, before they addrest Epistles to them. On these grounds I make no scruple to grant, that Apostolical traditions, such as are truly so, as well as Apostolical writings, are equally the matter of that Christians belief, who is equally secured by the fidelity of the conveighance, that as one is Apostolical writing, so the other is Apostolical tradition.

Sect. 4. The testimony from which we receive the Faith.

1. NExt then the inquiry must proceed by examining what is this equal way of conveighance, common to both these, upon strength of which we become obliged to receive such or such a Tradition for Apostolical.

2. And this again is acknowledged not to be any Divine testimony; for God hath nowhere affirmed in Divine Writ, that the Epistle, inscribed of Paul the Apostle to the Romans, consisting of so many periods as now it is in our Bibles, was ever written by that Apostle, nor are there any inward Characters or Signatures, or beams of light in the writing itself, that can be admitted, or pretended for testimonies of this, anymore then the like may exact to be admitted as witnesses, that the Creed called the Apostles, was indeed, in the full sense of it, delivered to the Churches.

3. It remains then, that herein on both sides we rest content with human testimonies of undoubted authority, or such as there is not any rational motive to distrust, and of which alone the matter is capable. For as in case of question concerning the Epistle to the Romans, whether this be it, which was addrest by S. Paul to that Church, the only regular way of satisfying the question, is 1. By divolution or appeal to the authority of those Fathers and Councils, to whom it was de facto sufficiently testified, and approved ( viz. by examination of the Records of that Church to whom it was written, and by whom received, through the hands of some trusty messenger of that Apostle, such as Phebe that ministered unto him, and by other creditable ways of confirmation) and Secondly, and by that consequence, to those very original records and proofs of undoubted fidelity: So the way of trial of any tradition, pretended to be Apostolical, whether it be such or no, is by devolving it to those same, or the like Fathers, and Councils, which having occasion and commodity to examine the truth of the matter by the Records or Testimonies of those Churches, to which it was delivered, found it sufficiently testified by them, that it was in truth according as is pretended.

4. And from hence it follows, that as we of this age have no other way of judging of the Canon of Scripture, or of any Book, or Chapter, or Period contained in it, but by the affirmation and authority of those testifiers in the first ages of the Church, either by their writings, or by the unquestioned relations of others, brought down and made known to us; so are we as unable to judge of Apostolical traditions unwritten, whether this or that doctrine be such or no, unless it be thus by the undoubted affirmations of the ancients (who are presumable by their antiquity to know the truth, and by their uniform consent, neither to mistake themselves, nor to deceive us) communicated and conveyed to us.

5. 'It is not possible for any man or men of the greatest understanding or integrity, to see or know what is not done within the reach of their faculties, unless either they be inspired by God, or otherwise informed either mediately or immediately from those, who had really knowledge of it. Stories of former times are not wont to be written by the strength of men's natural parts, invention, or judgment, but only by consulting of those records, either dead or living by whose help such matters of fact have been preserved. Every thing else is but conjecture, and that very uncertain, the utmost probability in such matters being little worth, that being oft times done which really was (and much more to us, who know not the motives of actions far removed from us, is) of all things least probable to have been done. Only a creditable witness, such as no prudent man hath reason to distrust either as nescient or false, is worth considering, or able to found belief in this matter.

Sect. 5. The qualifications of such Testimonies.

1. NOw then comes the upshot of the inquiry, what qualifications there are of a testimony, or testifier, without which, it or he may not be thus deemed creditable, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , worthy to be believed by a sober Christian: and where these qualifications are to be found: which when we have once resolved, it will also be possible for us to pass some judgment of Traditions duly styled Apostolical, which as such must be allowed to be the object of our Faith.

2. And herein I shall hope also that the resolution will be unquestionable, if it be bounded by those three terms to which Vincentius Lirinensis in his defense of the Catholic Faith against Heresies and innovations hath directed us, Vniversitas, Antiquitas, Consensio, Universality, Antiquitas, Consent, viz. That the Testimony, we depend on be the result of All, the Ancients, Consenting, or without any considerable dissent. Or, in yet fewer words, a Catholic Testimony, truly such, i. e. universal in all respects; 1. Of Place, 2. Of Time, 3. Of Persons.

3 For first, If it be not testified from all places, it is not qualified for our belief, as Catholic in respect of place, because the Faith being one, and the same, and by all and every of the Apostles preached, and deposited in all their plantations, what was ever really thus taught, by any of them in any Church, will also be found to have been taught, and received in all other Apostolical Churches.

4. To which purpose the words of Irenaeus are express, lib. 1. ca. 3. The church disseminated over all the world, having received this preaching and this Faith, preserves it diligently, as the inhabitants of the same house, believe them alike, as having the same soul and heart, and teach and preach and deliver them alike, as having the same mouth, for though their languages are unlike, the virtue of Tradition is one and the same, and neither do the Churches which are founded in Germany believe or deliver otherwise then those which were constituted in Spain, in France, in the Orient, in Egypt, in Africa, in the middle of the world, but as one and the same Sun shines through the whole world, so doth the light and preaching of the truth in every place, where it is received, disperse itself.

5. So also Tertullian de Prescript: c. 20. Presently therefore the Apostles having first in Judea testified the Faith and instituted Churches, and then taken their journey over all the world, made known to the nations the same doctrine of the same Faith, and so planted Churches in every City, from which the rest of the Churches afterward borrowed their seeds of Faith and doctrine, and so daily continue to do and are formed into Churches.

6. From which premisses his conclusion is just, that, which I here deduce; If so, then 'tis evident that every doctrine must be deemed true which conspires with the Apostolical Churches, which are the wombs and Originals whence the Faith came out, as maintaining that without any question which the Churches received from the Apostles, the Apostles from Christ, and Christ from God; and that all other doctrine is under the prejudice of being false, which is contrary to the truth of the Churches of the Apostles, of Christ, and of God.

7. 'It is true indeed that whatsoever one Church professeth to have received from the Apostle that planted it, is of it self sufficient, without the confirmation of all others, to beget and establish belief in him, to whom it thus testifies: whereupon Tertullian refers the inquirer to that Apostolic Church that is next him, be it Corinth, if he live in Achaia, Philippi or Thessalonica, if in Macedonia, Ephesus if in Asia, or if he be near Italy, Rome. But this is no farther to be extended, then while we suppose without inquiry, that other Apostolical Churches have received, and are ready to testify, the same, which presumption, or supposal must then cease, when upon inquiry we find the contrary; there being then none of this first kind of universality, viz. of place, and so far no validity in the Testification.

8. Secondly for the Universality of time, that must be cautiously understood; not so as to signify it a prejudice to any doctrine, if in someone or more ages it have not been universally received; for then there could be no Heretics at any time in the world, but so as to extend to the first and purest, and not only to the latter ages of the Church.

9. That which was delivered by the Apostles was certainly received in that first age, wherein they lived; and by careful inquiry will be found from their monuments to have been then among them. And that which by this trial is discerned to be of later date, not to be descried in the first times, nor testified by sufficient authority to be derived from thence, falls short again of this second part of universality in respect of time.

10 Thirdly, for the consent of Testifiers, that is also necessary to the rendering it a Catholic and authentic testimony; any considerable number of dissenters being of necessity to weaken our belief, and infuse reasons of doubting, and a preponderancy of dissenters the other way to weigh down (at least to incline ) the belief to the contrary.

Sect. 6. Where these qualifications may be found. Of the consent of ancient Doctors, and definitions of Councils truly general.

1. THis therefore being thus established, and the conjunction of all the three sorts of universality being in all reason required to the authentic testifying of tradition; It is soon defined, where these qualifications are to be looked for, and where they may be found.

2. Questionless not in any one Bishop, or succession of Bishops in any See for many latter ages, not including the Apostles; for whatever his pretensions may be to authority and Supremacy over all other Churches, this can never convert a particular whether Man or Church, into the Universal, nor make his Testimony authentic according to those rational and Christian Rules, which we have learned from Lirinensis.

3. There are many Apostolic Churches beside that of Rome: Great difference of Rome in these later ages from the Primitive Apostolic Rome, to which the Depositum was entrusted. And there are many dissenters to be found, who have always lived and flourished in the Catholic Church, which never acknowledged those doctrines to be delivered to them by the Apostles, which the Church of Rome hath of late assumed to be such. And for any privilege annexed to that Bishops Chair, or to that society of men, which live in external communion with him, that he or they can never define anything to be (de fide) part of the Faith, which is not so. As that is, beyond all other their pretensions, most denied by us, and least attempted to be proved by the Romanist, and not so much as consented on among themselves; so must it in no reason be supposed in this dispute, or taken for granted by them, but is rejected with the same ease that it is mentioned by them.

4. As for other pretenders, I know not any, save only that of the Universal consent of the Doctors of the first ages, or that of an Universal Council. And both of these we are willing to admit with such cautions only as the matter exacts, and the grounds of defining already laid.

5. The Universal consent of the Doctors of the first ages, bearing testimony that such or such a Doctrine was from the Apostles preachings delivered to all Churches by them planted, or their General conform testimony herein, without any considerable dissenters producible, is, I acknowledge, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , authentic or worthy of belief, and so hath been made use of by the Orthodox of all times, as sufficient for the rejecting of any new doctrine.

6. So likewise is the declaration of a General Council, free, and gathered from all quarters, and in such other respects, truly so called, founded in the examination of the monuments of the Several Apostolical Plantations, either produced in Council, or authentically confirmed from the Letters of the several Churches, either formerly prepared in Provincial and National Councils, or otherwise sufficiently confirmed to them, and this Declaration conciliarly promulgate, and after the promulgation Universally received and accepted by the Church diffusive; Or else 'tis evident all this while, that it is not a Catholic (truly so styled) Testimony.

7. For that any Council of Bishops, the most numerous that ever was in the world (much less a but major part of those few, that be there present) is not yet really the Universality of Christians, is too evident to be doubted of.

8. It can only then be pretended, that it is the Universal Representative, or such an Assembly, wherein is contained the virtue and influences of the whole Universal Church. And thus indeed I suppose it to be, as often as the Dostrines there established by Universal consent (founded in Scripture and Tradition ) have either been before discuss'd and resolved in each Provincial Council, which have sent their Delegates thither from all the parts of the world, or else have Post factum, after the promulgation, been accepted by them, and acknowledged to agree with that Faith which they had originally received.

9. That the former of these is a considerable ingredient in a General Council, appears to be S. Augustine's judgment in l. 7. de Bapt. contra Donatist. c. 53. 'It is safe for us not to proceed rashly to those things which have not been begun in any Catholic Provincial Council, and determined in a plenary or Universal. That we must, if we will be safe in our pronouncing, take care to affirm that which in the Regiment of our God & Christ Jesus our Savior is confirmed by the Confession of the Universal Church. Whereas the Confession of the Universal Church (or their Testimony that such a doctrine hath been delivered to the Church by the Apostles ) is that which gives validity to a doctrine, so this universal confession is then truly such, when it is the determination of a General Council prepared for in the Provincial Councils, of which that General is made up. And what hath not been according to this course established, or the truth whereof (as he else where speaks) is not first Eliquata, streined out, or extracted by Provincial Councils, and so Solidated or put together by a General Council, may very safely be disbelieved; for saith he, How could that obscure controversy be brought to a clear declaration and confirmation of a general Council, if it were not first thoroughly handled and cleared by the conferences and disputes of Bishops through all the regions of the world?

10. And this seems to be acknowledged by Baronius, who speaking of the Provincial Synods called in the West, before the meeting of any Universal Synod in the East; not only affirms it to be Vsus pristinus, the ancient custom, but withal takes notice of this end or design of it, that those Bishops of the West, which could not all reasonably take such a journey, might yet by some men's give their suffrages, supposing, as it was reason, that the Council could not be truly Universal, in which all the Regions in the world did not some way give their votes; and farther, that this was the way by which the Pope was enabled to send his Legates à latere, not only in his own name, but of the whole Western Church, viz. by the Metropolitans in the Provincial, Synods sending Letters to the Pope, which contained their sense in that matter which was to be debated in the General Council.

11. Many evidences of this custom and reasons of the observing of it, in order to the rendering a Council truly General, might be farther added, but this is I suppose, sufficient.

12. Only by the way, I add, That by this expedient the want of General Councils might in some degree be supplied, the concordant declarations of each Provincial Council compared and communicated, being (for the testifying of Apostolical tradition, or the Catholic sense of the Church ) equivalent to the voice of a General Council.

13. So we find the practice in Eusebius; whereupon the rising of Novatus a Roman Presbyter, first a Provincial Council at Rome, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and severals in the several Provinces in every Region, the Pastors or Bishops conciliarly considering of the matter, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the resolution was made by all of them against Novatus. Then follow the Letters of Cornelius Bishop of Rome to Fabius of Alexandria, giving him the relation both of the Roman Synod, and of the determinations of all the Bishops through Italy and Africa, and those Regions; and others of Cyprian, and those with him in Africa, declaring 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the concordance of their judgment herein. But this by the way in passing.

14. And for the latter of these there can be as little doubt, there being no possibility without it, that the voice of a Council never so general, should be the testimony of the whole Church.

15. When a doctrine is conciliarly agreed on, it is then promulgate to all, and the Universal, though but tacit approbation and reception thereof, the no considerable contradiction given to it in the Church, is a competent evidence, that this is the judgment and concordant Tradition of the whole Church, though no such resolution of Provincial Synods have preceded.

16. But if that be also wanting, if the sentence of a major part of Bishops in a Council be not (when it comes to be declared to the world) admitted or received in the Church, as consonant to the doctrine of the Apostles, written or unwritten, if the grounds whereon it hath been by the Council defined, (for so the suffrages are conciliarly to be delivered together with their grounds, and reasons of them, out of Scripture or tradition ) be by others which sat not in that Council, found to be false or vain, and are as such contradicted and protested against. This evidently prejudiceth the authority of that Council, and shows their incompetency for the work (in hand) of Universal testification.

17. On which grounds it is, that S. Hillary in his tract of Synods against the Arians, setting down all the Creeds which after the Nicene Council had been set out in several times and places, desires all the Bishops of France & Britain, &c. to whom he writes, to give their judgment whether they be Catholic or Heretical.

Sect. 7. The benefit from General Councils. Reverence due to them. To the first four especially.

1. FRom these premisses thus briefly deduced, it now appears 1. What it is that we owe to the Councils of the Church; I shall most safely express it in the words of Vincentius, What hath the Church ever brought forth by the decrees of Councils, save only that what was before simply believed, the same should after be believed more diligently; what was before less vigorously preached, that same should after be preached more instantly; what was before more securely observed, that same should after be more solicitously dressed or cultivated? This, I say, and nothing but this hath the Catholic Church stir'd up by Heretics new doctrines done by the decrees of Councils; what before it had received from the Ancestors by tradition only, it hath after committed to writing, and as an obligation under its own hand consigned to posterity.

2. In a word, that which was before the constant belief of the whole Church received from the Apostles times and preaching, and by conciliar discussions and search, found to be so, is thus delivered down to us by those Councils, and testified by them to be that which they found in the Church Universally. This I suppose the meaning of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in the thirty seventh Apostolic Canon; Let them in their Councils discuss, and examine the doctrines of piety, inquire, and discern what have been delivered to them as such, and then 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , let them answer or satisfy the incidental objections which shall happen to be made to them in the Church. And so no new doctrine ever received from their authority or power of defining, but the ancient Apostolical Catholic pious doctrine testified to us.

3. Secondly, It is hence manifest also, what is the ground of that reverence that is by all sober Christians deemed due and paid to the four first General Councils, which Vincentius looks on, as the great Conservatories of tradition, wherein he might fitly instance, and which Pope Gregory the Great professeth to believe as he doth the four Gospels, and Theodosius Cenobiarcha so much commended by Cyril and others, anathematizeth all, who are not of that opinion, viz. because. 1. As Theodoret Hist. l. 1. c. 8. out of Athanasius declares of the Nicene, that they set down and convinced the truth of their doctrine 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , out of the Scripture words understood with piety, i. e. So as the pious Orthodox Fathers, had always understood them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not inventing words or phrases for themselves, but having testimony from the Fathers, for what they wrote (saith he) the Bishops of Rome and Alexandria for almost CXXX years had found fault with them, who affirmed the Son to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 a creature, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , & not of the same substance with the Father ) so it was true of all the other three; they fetched their definitions regularly from Scripture, and that sense thereof, which the general Churches had received down from the Apostles, and so were approved and received universally in all Churches; not as those which had formed any new Articles, but which conserved the Deposita entrusted to the Churches, and in time of need brought them forth and discovered them, to the securing of the truth against Heretics.

4. Secondly, Because these being so near the Apostles times, and gathered as soon as the Heterodox opinions appeared, the sense of the Apostles might more easily be fetched from those men & Churches, to whom they had committed it, and it was not in the power of Subtilty and Craft to infuse their poison undiscernibly into those Fountatnes.

5. This account is also given by Lirinensis, where speaking of the way of confuting Heretics by producing and comparing the concordant doctrines of the old Fathers, he puts in this among other cautions. All Heresies are not always thus to be impugned, but only those that are fresh risen, and have not yet had time to vitiate the volumes of the Fathers, or falsify the rules of the ancient Faith: Wisely forseeing that in this case there is no course of dealing with, or convincing of Heretics, unless it be * either by the sole authority of Scriptures, or by the Councils of Catholics, which were long ago Universal.

6. Thirdly, Some consideration may also be had of the special matter of the definitions of those four Councils, which were all spent upon the Deity and incarnation of Christ, and the Trinity, the great Fundamental Doctrines of Christianity; and to that also Vincentius directs us, in another caution of his, The ancient consent of the holy Fathers is not to be sought and followed in all the little questions of the Divine law, but only, sure principally, in the rule of Faith, those which the Apostles thought necessary to be believed, and so taught them universally.

7. And therefore of the Scriptures, of the Creed (that Regula fidei una, sola immobilis & irreformabilis, that one, only immovable and unreformable rule of Faith, as Tertullian calls it, De vel. Virg. c. 1.) and of those four Councils, as the Repositories of all true Apostolical tradition I suppose it very regular to affirm, that the entire body of the Catholic Fai h, is to be established, and all Heresies convinced, or else that there is no just reason, that any doctrine should be condemned as such.

8. This I have elsewhere cleared both out of the express words of the Council of Ephesus, the third of those four, that no man should produce, or offer to any convert whether from Gentilism, Judaism, Heresy, any other belief beside that which was established by the Fathers at Nice: From the Greeks in the Council of Florence, that no man, except he were mad, would charge that Faith of Imperfection. From the Latins, who acknowledged there, that all difference as well as contrariety of Faith was forbidden by those Fathers, and that a bare explication of the same for the whole Church was not lawful for any to attempt, but an Universal Council: From the Epistle of Celestine there cited, that the faith delivered by the Apostles admits neither increase nor diminution: and Lastly from the Catechism collected out of Costerus, Petrus à Soto, and others, set ut by command of the Archbishop of Triers, that there was never any Heresy which might not be condemned by the Apostles Creed.

Sect. 8. Of the subsequent General Councils. The Romanists deference to them.

1. IF after all this it be still farther demanded, what reverence is due to all other Universal Councils, and why not the same as to these four? I answer, First, that the reasons of a difference have been sufficiently given already, and so as is, Ad homines, to the Romanists, unreprovable, it being most evident that among them there is difference made between some of those, which yet they deem to be all Oecumenical Councils.

2. For First, it is certain that they reckon above eight of these; And yet even the Bishops of Rome themselves in their exaltation to the Papacy, who would sure be supposed to undertake the maintaining of the whole Catholic Faith, do profess to maintain no more than the eight first of them. The words of this profession we have set down out of their own Day-Book, in the Corpus Juris Canon. In this form, I profess to keep whole to a tittle the eight holy universal Councils, the first at Nice—& to esteem them worthy of like honor and veneration, and by all means to follow and preach all that they have promulgated and decreed, and with heart and mouth to condemn all that they have condemned.

3. Secondly it is as evident, that all Bishops of Rome in former times, have not (at least with equal reverence ) received all these eight, which these now thus receive. I shall give an instance or two.

4. Pope Nicolaus the First, in the damnation of Photios, after the authority of God and the Princes of the Apostles Peter and Paul, mentioning that also of all the holy and venerable universal Councils, numbers but six of them; and this Anno Ch. DCCCLXII. that is, LXXX years after the holding of the seventh Council.

5. And so also doth Pope Adrian II. his successor Epist. 26. ad Carolum Calvum.

6. And Binius that in his margint takes notice of these two passages, and promiseth to render a reason thereof afterwards, when he comes to the due place of performing that promise, speaks not a word of that matter, unless this be it, that Anastasius Bibliothecarius saith of two Archbishops; Epistolas Pontificis ad libitum falsâsse, that they falsified at their pleasure the Epistle of Pope Nicolaus. Which if it were granted to be true, yet neither concludes it that they thus falsified this particular passage in this Epistle, which indeed nothing concerned the cause of those Archbishops, nor can be any way deemed applicable to Pope Adrian doing the same, of whom neither Anastasius nor Binius himself so much as suggest any such thing, and therefore this was certainly a most gainlesse artifice of evasion, and an indication that there was no better to be found, to salve this business.

7. Baronius in his reciting that Epistle of Nicolaus, hath in effect the same Marginal observation, before Binius, and promiseth to render the reason of it, afterward on another occasion, not directing us where that should be looked for; yet he defers it not long, for he doth it in the very next Section, rendering this only account of it. 1. That in all the other Patriarchal Churches, but Constantinople, there were only six Oecumenical Councils named in their public Confessions, citing Photios 's Epistle for it; and thence concluding that what Nicolas did, was done by the other Patriarchal Sees, even by his enemies confession. Secondly, that the like cause was to be rendered for both, that still Anastasius helped them to a translation of the Acts of that Synod out of pure Copies, they did not give it the title of an Oecumenical Council, and accordingly Nicolas thus long also suspended his judgment.

8. But Binius which surely saw these answers of Baronius, could not (though he were much distrest, as hath appeared) think fit to make use of either of them, or refer the reader to them, though he bids Vide Baron. An. 863. n. 20. &c. which belongs to another matter.

9. And indeed the first part of the Cardinals account doth confess that no other Patriarchal See but Constantinople did at this time receive this Council. And so Photios then Patriarch of Constantinople, which most zealously asserted it, doth acknowledge, in his Encyclical Epistle to the Archbishops of the Orient. And these Patriarchal Sees had great reason so to forbear; for they were none of them present either in person, or by Legates, or Proxyes, at that Council, as may well appear by the same Baronius in his setting down the History of it: confessing that Tarasius 's Legate, could not come to them, that when they were as far as Palestine, they heard of the death of Theodorus Patriarch of Jerusalem; and were advertised by some Monks, how dangerous it was to go either to the Patriarch of Antioch or. Alexandria, and consequently were persuaded to give over the attempt. As for the pretended Legates of those Sees, they were evidently but Impostors, John and Thomas the Presbyters were not sent by the Patriarchs of Alexandria and Antioch (and for the See of Jerusalem, it was void, as was said, by the death of Theodorus ) but were sent only by those Monks or Hermits of Palestine, as appears by the Letters, which they brought with them, beginning thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , &c. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . Having read your Letters, We the mean, and last or lowest of those that have desired to live in the Desert, or the Hermetick life. — See Council. Ni • . 2. Act. 3. And so this being most true, is very far from an answer to the objection; 'tis a large addition to the force of it, as far as concerns the authority of that Council.

10. And for the other part, that the Latins as yet wanted pure Copies of it, that can as little be pretended so many years after the holding of that Council, especially when the Acts of it had now long since, immediately after the making them, been discuss'd in the Council of Frankfort, and by Pope Adrian I. defended against that Council.

11. That which Bellarmine adventures on in this matter is yet more strange, and irreconcilable with the confession of Baronius; for Baronius had confessed that Anastasius had translated that Council out of a pure Copy, and so brought it to Rome; and yet this other Cardinal would persuade us, that long after Anastasius, even after the time of Thomas Aquinas, and Halensis, the Acts of VII Councils lay hid, and so were not produced till that last age wherein himself had lived; which if it were granted him to be true, it would sure be little for the dignity and authority of that Council.

12. Farther yet; In the Corpus Juris Canonici set out emendate by the command of Pope Gregory XIII, there is no mention of anymore than six General Councils, save only in that one passage out of the Lay-Book of the Popes profession to maintain the eight, which is to me an argument, that all General Councils are not so revered by them, as that all their Canons are obliging among them.

13. I shall not need to add more evidences to infer so obvious a Conclusion, that among the Romanists themselves, all General Councils have not had the same reception and Veneration, when in their Corpus Iuris Decret. Par. 1. the 17 Distinction is thus prefaced; Generalia Concilia quorum tempore celebrata sint, vel quorum authoritas caeteris praemineat, sanctorum authoritatibus supra monstratum est, In whose time the General Councils have been celebrated, or which of them hath a more eminent authority than the rest, hath been shown by the authorities of Holy men, referring to Dist. 16. wherein yet, as I said, there is no mention of anymore than the first six, save only that the Pope professeth to maintain Eight.

Sect. 9. Our Reverence to all General Councils. The Fifth and the Sixth.

1. THis might make any second or farther answer unnecessary; yet I shall not doubt to proceed some steps farther, and 1. allow the same credit, though not the same degree of Reverence (for the reasons premised) to all Assemblies of Christians, which have served the Church in this office of conveying Apostolical Truths to us, and which are according to right reason, and by the grounds premised, qualified for a good Christians reception, or as are not under some very just prejudice: Nay 2. though I make it no matter of Faith, because delivered neither by Scripture nor Apostolic Tradition, yet I shall number it among the Pie credibilia, that no General Council, truly such, 1. duly assembled, 2. Freely celebrated, and 3. Universally received, either hath erred, or ever shall err in matters of Faith.

3. The expresing myself more fully in which particulars, will be a means to bring this whole matter to such an issue, as I shall hope no adversary will with any color of reason, or truth, be able to gainsay.

3. And 1. for the Fift General Council, it being for the Doctrinal part of it, but a Corroboration of the fourth, Our Church makes no more doubt of that, than of the fourth it doth. Only after the example of Vincentius Lirinensis, that famous propugnator of the Catholic Faith against all Heresies, and by strength of the premised Ephesine Canon, we believe the four First Councils to be the conservatories of all truly Catholic, i. e. Apostolic tradition, from whence together with the Scripture all Heresies may be oppugned, and confuted, and so have no such need of, or benefit from this fifth, as from the former four Councils.

4. So 2. for the Sixt, as far as that concerns the error of the Monothelites, which denied the two wills in Christ, so it is duly founded in Scripture, and the same Apostolic tradition, which had asserted the two natures against Eutyches, and we willingly receive it, thinking it unnecessary to proceed to those others Acts, that go under the name of that Council, but were written afterward, and which the Romanists acknowledge to be corrupt, and not to savor of Apostolical Tradition. There are, saith the History of that Council, carried about some Canons in the name of that Sixt Synod in Trullo, but they were set out without the Legates of the Apostolic See, and not approved by them, wherein there be also some things which savor not of Apostolical tradition.

5. From which words I suppose I may conclude the reason of the Legates not confirming them to be this, because they did not savor of Apostolical tradition. And then these two inferences are clear. First, that 'tis the Romanists judgment unquestionably (and that appears not only by this, but by many other instances, especially by that of Chalcedon, about the privileges of New Rome ) that the Decree of a General Council is not valid from itself, or any innate authority (for if it were, it would not need the authority of the Pope himself to give it that validity ) but receives its force from subsequent approbation, or else is not a Catholic decree.

6. And then what reason can be rendered, why the want of the approbation of other Apostolical Churches should not have the same efficacy to prejudge the Universality of a Decree: for sure they are Christians and Bishops, as well as the Bishop of Rome, and consequently their Negatives as evident exceptions and prejudices to, and as utterly irreconcilable with an Universal affirmative as the Popes can be; and the supposing that the Pope hath power for the whole Church, and that infallible, for the approving or repudiating Decrees, is still the removing all authority and Universality from the Council, and placing it in the Pope, making him, and not the Council the Grand Representative Church, and so is the destroying the whole doctrine of the authority of Councils.

7. Secondly, That the Reason or Rule of the Romanists judgment may certainly be drawn into example, and prove imitable to other Christians, and then it must be lawful for the Church of God, as well as for the Bishop of Rome to inquire whether the Decrees of an Universal Council have been agreeable to Apostolical Tradition, or no, and if they be found otherwise, to reject them out, or not to receive them into their belief.

8. And then still it is the matter of the Decrees, and the Apostolicalness of them, and the force of the testification, whereby they are approved and acknowledged to be such, which gives the authority to the Council, and nothing else is sufficient, where that is not to be found.

9. Agreeable to which is S. Augustine's practice, Contr. Maximin. l. 3. c. 14. Neither, saith he, do I produce the Nicene Council, nor should you that of Ariminum, neither am I obliged to the authority of this, nor you of that: By the authorities of Scripture, which are not proper to one but common to both, let the matter be debated, reason contending with reason —and then divolving all the authority of that most ancient truly General Nicene Council, as well as of that other of Ariminum, to the Apostolical grounds of truth, and those expressly in the written word of God (I and my father are one, as the ground of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) from whence they framed their decrees.

10. To which belongs that saying of Athanasius himself of the manner of Subscriptions in the Council of Nice, who though in the matter of Easter (being not a doctrine, but a rite ) they thought good to use this form, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , It seemed then good to us that all should obey or observe that time, which they had defined; yet concerning the matters of Faith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , They wrote, not [It seemed good to us] but [Thus the Catholic Church Commands] presently setting down the Confession it self, that they might demonstrate that their sense was not new but Apostolical, and that what they wrote was not invented by themselves, but was the very same which the Apostles had taught.

Sect. 10. Of the Seventh General Council.

1. AS for the Seventh Council, that second of Nice, I have already more then intimated the Reasons, why no Romanist can blame him that allows not the authority thereof.

2. Yet because those testimonies, though of Popes themselves, are indeed but Negative Testimonies, and being designed only Ad Hominem, to the Romanist, may still stand in need of some farther confirmation to others; That also is ready at hand, and may be deduced from two heads. 1. From the Council of Eliberis, 2. From the Council of Frankfort, which presently after the publishing of the Decrees of Nice for the worshipping of Images, opposed and refuted that doctrine.

3. For the first of these, the Council of Eliberis, that yields us an irrefragable proof, that the Doctrine of the second Nicene Council was not testified by all the Church of all ages to be of Tradition Apostolical.

4. The 36. Canon of that Council lies thus, Placuit Picturas in Ecclesia esse non debere, ne quod coletur aut adoretur in parietibus depingatur. 'It is resolved that Pictures should not be in the Church, lest that which is adored be painted on walls. Which though it be but a Canon of a Provincial Council, and that in a matter of rite, and so hath no power of obliging all others beyond that Province, and might also be there after retracted again; yet being in the year of our Lord 305. twenty years before the first Nicene Council, and so 482 years before the second, is a convincing argument, That what was in the second Nicene defined, was not the language of Apostolical tradition, uinversally testified to be such; for then these Fathers at Eliberis, & among them the great Hosius, which sat after in the first Council of Nice, and Liberius, whose name we have in the Council of Arles, would never have made this Decree so directly contrary to such pretended tradition Apostolical.

5. In this matter 'tis worth observing how Cardinal Baronius hath behaved himself. In his first Volume Ad an. Ch. 57. n. CXIX. being troubled that 19 Bishops in a corner of the world, should decree otherwise then (as he is concerned to believe) the Universal Church of all places professed, he attempts to annul this Council, rendering his reason, Pleraque enim in eo sunt quae fines Novatiani erroris visa sunt prope attigisse, There were very many Canons in it, which seemed almost to touch upon the borders of the Novatian Heresy: and if they were but the borders of Heresy, and these Canons did only touch upon those borders, or indeed but seem, and that again but almost seem, then these Canons might be very Catholic and Orthodox for all that.

6. The truth is, those Canons that deny only Communion to the Lapsi, but deny them not repentance and absolution, are far enough from Novatian, and so presently after he acknowledges, Caeterum quod sciamus ejus conventus Episcopos fecisse Catholicos, de Novatianâ heresy nulla suspicio esse debet, cum praesertim hi licet communionem, tamen poenitentiam non negarent, ut de eo Innocentius Papa tradit: But seeing we know that the Bishops of that Council were Catholic, they must not be suspected of Novatianism, especially seeing though they denied communion, they did not deny repentance, as Pope Innocent affirms of that Council.

7. Here then in the same Paragraph he hath freed them from that suspicion, which he was willing to have affixt on them; and it seems Pope Innocent was to be thanked for it, who appeared on their side, or else Hosius, &c. must have gone for Novatians, and then never have been worth heeding in any other matter. This farther appears by the same Baronius in his Second Volume Ad An. 305. n. 41. Where having the same words again, of the Propemodum visi S. Novationorum limites attigisse, that they almost seemed to touch upon the borders of the Novatians; he renders that, as the cause that there is no mention of this Synod by name among the ancients, and so that it remained almost antiquated, and therefore (saith he) he remembered he had spoken elsewhere (in the place forementioned) Paulo Liberius, a little too freely of that Council; but seeing their resolutions herein were excused by Pope Innocent, Nemo sit qui accusare praesumat, No man may presume to accuse that Council. And then sure this Cardinal had been too bold in thus presuming.

8. What other arts he now betakes himself to, to deliver him from the force of that Canon against Images, I shall not now examine; there being nothing of any force to supersede my conclusion, that this Canon is sufficient prejudice to the Universality of the testification, that the Nicene Canons for Images are of Apostolical Tradition.

9. As for the Council of Frankfort, that makes it as plain, that the Decrees of these Nicene Fathers were not received, but rejected by other parts of the Christian Church in France, in Germany, and Italy, if not in Spain also.

10. This Binius would fain conceal; and accordingly in the title of that Council of Frankfort, was willing to anticipate the Readers judgment, by telling him that these 300. Bishops there convened Confirmed the Acts of the Council of Nice in the matter of Images.

11. For this he afterwards gives his reasons such as they are, but acknowleges that both the great Cardinals, Bellarmine and Baronius, were of the contrary mind. To them therefore, and to the evidences, whereby they were convinced, I may be allowed to appeal.

12. And indeed Baronius is so far from doubting it, that he solemnly professeth by undeniable testimonies to put it beyond all question, and so he doth, out of Walafridus Strabo, Amalarius, Hincmarus, Anastasius, and many others.

13. What he determineth concerning the invalidity of that Council of Frankfort, is not now pertinent to examine; my conclusion is sufficiently evinced without that inquiry, viz. That that Council of Nice was no Universal Testimony of Tradition Apostolical, or indeed of the whole Church of that age, when it was so far from being received and approved by all the world, that as soon as the News of the Acts thereof came to the ears of the Council, then assembled at Frankfort (three hundred Bishops, of Germany, France, and Italy, saith Surius; others add, out of Spain also 124.) the Council solemnly oppugned and refuted them.

14. Of this the Reader may have the clearest prospect in several places of the works of G. Cassander, both in his Consultation, and especially in his 29. Epistle, where he gives Job. Molinaeus a full account of the IV. Books written by the authority, and under the name of Charles the French King, and approved by that whole Council of Frankfort, and so sent to the Pope against the Decrees of the Council of Nice in the matter of image-worship, pronouncing both of those books, and that Synod, and other eminent persons of that age, of the same sense with them, that they never were condemned, nor, as he thinks, will ever be by those men that are in their wits.

15. Some question I know there is made by others; whether this Council of Frankfort rightly understood the Decrees of that Council of Nice, and whether those IV. Books compiled, as it is probable, by Aloninus, and approved by that Council, did not confound the two Seventh Councils, the true, that at Nice, and the false, that of the Iconoclastae at Constantinople.

16. But neither are we concerned in either of those questions. For still it remains certain, and unquestioned, that the Council of Nice (whether by their mistake, or otherwise) was not by all men universally received. The CCC. Bishops at Frankfort received it not, but profestly opposed it.

17. And if the Canons of Frankfort were not approved by the Pope (as 'tis again suggested) yet still this is a sufficient prejudice to the Universality of those Nicene Canons (without the Popes being one of those that condemned them) which cannot be Universal testifiers, whilst they want Universal consent, and are oppugned, and disclaimed by Charles the King, and the CCC. Bishops which were there convened at Frankfort, and by as many, as adhered to the sentence of those but CCCXXX. which were assembled at Nice.

18. And indeed we that in this matter approve of the doctrine of the Frankfort Decrees, as that is sum'd up in those few words, which the Books in Charles's name deduce from Pope Gregory, in his Epistle to Serenus Bishop of Massiles, viz. That Images are neither to be broken nor worshipped, that they be lawfully used in the Church, but must not by any means be adored, can never be blamed for rejecting the doctrine of any General Council. For if that of Nice, which is deemed such, define not for adoration of Images, then it is not rejected by us; and if it do define for it, then was it rejected by Frankfort, and if so, then was it no General Council. The Dilemma is concludent herein without any farther inquiries, either it is not rejected by us at all, as teaching no more than we profess to acknowledge, or else it may be lawfully rejected by us, because we have this evidence on our sides from the oppositions of the ccc. Fathers at Frankfort, and of many more, as hath been said, that it was not Universal.

Sect. 10. Of the eighth General Council.

1. AS to the Eight and last of that number, to which the Popes profession extends, I desire the Reader will pass his judgment of it, by that which he will find in the Sixt Session of the Council of Florence in the year of Christ, MCCCCXXXIX.

2. There in the passages between Marcus Ephesius, and Julian the Cardinal about the Antient Councils, the Cardinal desired a sight of the Acts of the VIII. Council, and complains that the Book was denied him. Marcus answers that it was not easy for him to give him the Book, but if it were, there was no necessity that they should number among the Oecumenical Councils one that was not approved, but rather reprobated, or annul'd; for this Synod, said he, had Acts against Photios, in the time of Pope John and Pope Adrian▪ and after it there was another Synod which restored Photios, and annul'd that former Synod; that this Synod called also the eighth, was under Pope John, who wrote Epistles for Photios, and those still extant, that they (the Romans ) were not ignorant (he believed) either of that Synod or of those Epistles: And seeing * the Acts of that Synod were abrogated, it was not reasonable that they should seek for it, but rather for that which was after it, which from that time to this very day (of the Florentine meeting ) was read in the great Church of Constantinople, in these words, Let all that hath been written or spoken against the holy Patriarchs, Photios, or Ignatius be anathema. Wherefore, saith he, it is not fit that those Acts which were abrogated, should be produced.

3. To this full Declaration and recognition of Marcus, appealing to the Romanists own knowledge for the truth of it, the Cardinals answer is very short, in these words, I will, saith he, free you from this fear that anything shall be read from the VIII. Council: We desire that the Book which we demanded may be brought, that we may consult some passages out of the VI. and VII. Council, and of the VIII, We say nothing.

4. Here 'tis evident, 1. That the VIII. Synod was soon retracted again: and so not universally received, or approved: 2. That the Greek Church from that time to the Council of Florence, i. e. for the space of almost DC. years, received it not, but the contrary, viz. that which abrogated it. 3. That this being vouched in a Council to the Romans, could not in any part be denied by them, and therefore the matter was wholly waved if not confessed. And then sure I need say no more concerning the no-authority or obligingness of that Council.

5. But then to this I shall add, that this Council being convened on purpose for the censuring and depriving of Photios Patriarch of Constantinople, not for any heretical departure from the Faith, so much as pretended against him, but for some other (as they are called) excesses, of which his enemies deemed him guilty, especially because from a Senator, and so a Lay-man, he was immediately advanced to that Patriarchate (though very much against his will, as his Epistles sufficiently testify) the Faith of Christ is little concernd in the Decrees of this Council, here being no testimony of the Church to be found either for or against any doctrine pretended to be derived from the Apostles.

6. The arguments which Anastasius Bibliothecarius offers for the proving the Universality of this Council where, as he saith, he was present, will hardly prevail with any.

7. First, saith he, 'tis Universal, because the Catholic Faith and Holy Laws, which ought to be reverenced not only by all Priests, but by all Christians, were in it uniformly defended against the enemies thereof: which if it had any force in it, then sure every Orthodox assembly, were it never so particular, a Provincial Synod of the Bishops of any one Province, or a Diaecesan of the one Bishop and Presbyters of that Diocese, as long as they be in the right, or are by the Romanist supposed to be so, as (indeed that VIII Council professeth to retain and observe the Laws delivered in the Catholic and Apostolic Church, not only from the Apostles and all Orthodox Councils both Oecumenical and Provincial, or Topical, but even from any divinely speaking Father, Doctor of the Church ) must pass for a General and Oecumenical Assembly, just by the same Logic, that the particular Church of Rome doth pass with them for the whole Catholic Church of Christ.

8. Secondly, saith he, 'It is an Universal Council, because seeing Christ hath in the Church placed as many Patriarchal Sees, as there are senses in man's body, if all those consent, there wants no more to the Generality of the Church, than there wants to the motion of the body, when all the five senses are entire in it.

9. To which I answer, 1. That if this were true, then the second Council of Ephesus was a valid General Council, for there were personally the Patriarchs of four Sees, and Julian as proxie of the fifth. 2. It must then follow that a Synod of five men (for such sure are the V. Patriarchs ) to which no sixth person in the world was ever so much as invited or summond, may go for an assembly of the whole world. 3. That when one of the five Patriarchs was here deposed, and never contented to his own deposition, 'twill be very hard to find the consent of these five Patriarchs to all the Acts of this Council, and consequently to defend the perfection of it from the forementioned analogy with that of the body of man, unless when one of the five senses is shut out by the other four, the remaining four be either sufficient to represent the fifth also, which is cast out (and never consents to this Law of representation ) or to substitute another sense in the place of that fifth. 4. That this same Author in his very next period tells us, that soon after the exaltation of this Photios, Solomon also a Lay-man was made Patriarch of Jerusalem, and then it is no way probable, that this Solomon, or whatsoever other Bishop of that See, which was another of these five senses, should ever consent to those Canons, which are so contrary to that practice, and must infer the deposing of that Solomon, as well as it did of Photios.

10. The truth is, in the subscriptions of the seventh Act, there is no name of any of the five Patriarchs, save only of Pope Adrian, and the Archbishop of Perga in the name and stead of Ignatius the deposed, but now by this Council restored Patriarch of Constantinople. And though in the tenth Action we now have the names of Proxies to all the rest of the Patriarchies; yet sure somewhat there was in it, that after the naming of them and the Emperors Proxy, Binius thinks necessary to insert an Annotation, lest, as he saith, the Reader observing the paucity of subscribers should be scandalized at it, and therefore by way of prevention he offers an account of it from the multitude of Photios's favorers, who, he confesseth, were all excluded from this Council, and so the Subscribers fit to be compared to Christ's little flock, which sure is a competent prejudice to the universality of it.

11. And so likewise Anastasius's sage observation by which he backs his argument in that place, viz. That of the five Senses the Bishop of Rome is proportionable to Visus the Sight, which hath, saith he, the preeminence of all the other Senses, being acuter than they, and having communion with all as none of the rest have] is a shrewd intimation of his sense, that it was the Single authority of the Pope, that both condemned Photios, and gave the whole Universality to this Council, and then we have a very fair account of a General Council, rendered such by the bare virtue of one person therein, and then I doubt not good store of Universal Councils may be found in the world, even as may as there have ever been assemblies or Conclaves, wherein Visus, the most eminent Sense, i. e. the Pope hath had any efficacious influence by himself, or his proxie.

12. To which purpose it may deserve here to be remembered what type or Copy of celebrating a Council the Learned Cardinal Baronius conceives himself to have found in the New Testament and requires the Reader of his Annals to stop and take notice of it, as of a thing most worthy of his observation. ) Such as wherein St. Peter (and from his example the Bishop of Rome his successor, in a cause of the greatest moment, so delivers his opinion, that he defines the matter in debate, and teaches and decrees what all must think, and constitutes a Canon or Rule of Faith which must remain forever, so that, as he saith, there is almost no need to consult the rest of the Apostles, or ask their sentiments or opinions, it being sufficient for Christ, that Peter spake, and determined what was to be resolved in point of Faith.

13. Here indeed is a fair foundation laid of a most magnificent Structure, S. Peters privilege in a Council of all the Apostles, Ut Sententium ipse definiat; that he, without consulting of any other, should give the definitive sentence.

14. Only it was a little unhappy, That Christ himself should be present there, and one of the interlocutors in this Council (if such it were) for it is he that proposeth the question which Peter answers, and if in the one 'twere a type of celebrating a Council, so 'twas in the other also, and then here were two conciliar Offices, the one of proposing doubts in Councils, the other of answering them; the first belonging to Christ, the second to S. Peter, and certainly the latter a place of the more eminence.

15. 'It is strange, what submissions Learned men are forced to, that are resolved to serve their Hypothesis. I shall only demand why the very next parcel of discourse betwixt Christ and his Disciples, wherein again S. Peter was the only speaker, V. 21, 22, 23. of this Chapter, Mat. 16. was not as signal a type of celebrating a Council, as the former? And yet there, in two very eminent branches of the Christian Faith the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, the same S. Peter, whose successor the Pope pretends to be, differed in opinion from Christ himself, took him and began to rebuke him, and sure delivered a very uncatholick sentence, no other then the denial of both of those grand Articles, not only in words of aversion, which are not enunciative, the [Far be it from thee Lord,] but even in plain form of definition or decree, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , This shall not be unto thee.

16. What Christ there returns unto him, that he was an offense unto him, and savoured not the things of God, but those that were of men, may well serve for conclusion of this matter, that in an Assembly where Christ himself was present, S. Peter, and so his pretended successor, may, if he be not very careful to adhere to the word of Christ, fall into error also, but is not in any reason then to be deemed the representative of the whole Church.

17. This institution of Councils in the Church of Christ, the great Cardinal had so fancied, that afterward he refers the original of them not to the Apostles Synod at Jerusalem; but, by all means, to this of Christ, asking his Disciples, Whom say men that I am? Only the uhappinesse of it was, he had there forgotten the principal thing, which had recommended this pattern unto him, S. Peters peculiar privilege, Ut sententiam ipse definiat, for there he is pleased to resolve on another form, viz. That every Fathers Suffrage should be asked, and the Decree made in an holy and Canonical manner, by the common votes of all, and not only of S. Peter; which I should hope, concludes it his opinion, that the former course of definiat ipse ] was neither legal, nor holy.

18. His third argument for the univorsality of this Council, is, because Seeing Photios had by his so many excesses blotted the universal Church, an universal cure was used, that all might be cured where all was blemished. But sure there is little force in this argument, which renders a reason, why it was so; but doth not offer at any evidence, that so it was, is founded in a supposition that the cure (as the disease ) was universal, which was the thing he should have proved. And even for the universality of the disease we have here no farther offer of proof, but only that soon after Photitu 's ascending from the Senate to the Patriarchate, one Solomon a Laic was made Bishop of Jerusalem. And some Laics at Constantinople lived virtuous lives; only, as he will have it supposed, that thereby they might aspire to the Patriarchate: Both which might be allowed to be true, and yet this eighth Council of CII Bishops be far from being thereby concluded to have been a General Council.

19. The short is, Anastasius Bibli • thecarius, who was, as he saith, present at this Council, and so may be allowed to have kindness to it, doth also dedicate his History of it to Pope Adrian, who was the principal Actor in it, and a bitter enemy to Photios. And then his authority in this matter will be of as little weight, as his arguments have appeared to be, even no more than a testimony given to an interested person by a very partial friend, and party.

20. If there were force in such witnesses, there would be as much credit due to Photios himself, Epist. 117. desiring Theodosius not to wonder that profane persons sit superciliously in judicature, and the illustrious High Priests of God are convented before them, that they judge who are themselves condemned (for so was Ignatius the deposed, but now restored Patriarch ) but that the innocent were judged being incompast with Swords, lest they should dare offer to speak anything in their own defense, giving him ancient examples of the like judicatures, that of Annas and Caiaphas and Pilate and the Sanhedrim, by whom Christ was condemned; and so also Stephen and James the Bishop of Jerusalem, and Paul. And so in many other passages of his Epistles, which demonstrate him to have been another manner of man, than Baronius, An. 871. n. 24. pretends him.

21. But I need not such fallible testimonies as these, to confirm the point in hand, That one of Marcus in the Council of Florence, contested to Cardinal Julian, and not denied by him, is sufficient.

22. And it was but necessary wisdom in Binius (that knew it well, and could not but discern what a just prejudice it was to the universal reception of this Council ) that he purposely omitted to give us any story of that Council, as of others he accustomed to do, discreetly designing Anastasius 's Preface to Pope Adrian, to supply, as he saith, the place of it. For as Anastasius would not probably reveal this secret, nor could fore-see what Marcus would say in the Council of Florence; so Binius that published one as well as the other, could neither be ignorant, nor yet with any safety take notice of it, there being no possible way left but this of silence, to salve this Objection, or support the reputation or universality of that Council, which was so nearly concerned in it.

Sect. 11. Of the rest of the Councils which the Romanists call General; particularly that of Trent.

1. I Shall not now, as I said, need to descend to a view of the other Councils by the Romanists styled Oecumenical, or defend our practice in not accepting them as such. And that for these few, among many, reasons;

2. First, Because, as we said, the Popes profession, which must in reason be supposed to extend to the whole Faith, to every part of Apostolical Tradition, duly testified; yet doth not extend to all these, or to anymore than Eight of them.

3. Secondly, Because those parts of them, which agree not with their pretensions, are freely and Universally disallowed by them, as is notorious by the instances of the Council of Constance, and of Basil (and even of the fourth great Council, that of Chalcedon ) each styled in their Collections Oecumenical Councils, and yet each ex parte reprobatum, in part rejected and reprobated; and then why may not the Greek Church by the same law reject the Council of Florence, and both the Gallican Church, and ours, the Council of Trent, if we find it not a faithful reporter of Tradition Apostolical?

4. Thirdly, Because when ever any Council hath by them been thought to fail, they have made no scruple to affirm it was not a lawful Council.

5. Thus we know it was in that at Ariminum, where, as S. Jerome saith, the whole world almost admired to see itself become Arian, and yet this I hope hath no authority with them.

6. So. likewise the II. Council of Ephesus, though it were General, though honored with the presence of all the five Patriarchs, four in person; the fifth by his Proxy, and pertinaciously maintained by the Emperor Theodosius: yet because it confirmed Eutyches 's Doctrine, it is justly rejected by them.

7. And then why may not the same reason hold for us, and authorize our questioning the Legitimacy of those Councils, whose Decrees with reason we allow not? nor discern any testimony of the truth of their Doctrine, or delivery from the Apostles.

8. Fourthly, Because in the Council of Trent the Popes themselves, as many as lived in the time thereof, would never consent; though it were earnestly desired of them, that that Council should be affirmed to represent the Universal Church; foreseeing prudently, that if that were granted (as in the Council of Constance it was, to the Popes cost) the Council, being the whole, would put off its subjection, and depend no longer on him that was but a part of it. From whence I conceive this Dilemma must have irresistible force in it, Ad Hominem, being produced to a Romanist.

9. Either the General Council before the Papal confirmation is the representative of the whole Church, or it is not: If it be the representative of the whole, then it needs not the confirmation of the Pope to render it, what it was before. And again, whensoever the Pope hath refused to confirm the Decrees of any such, I must in charity to him, suppose that those Decrees have been erroneous, and as such repudiated by him, and then the universal Church representative may err. And then who can have any security in believing or relying on it.

10. But if it be not the representative of the whole Church, then is not the testimony of an Oecumenical Council the testimony of the whole Church, nor consequently qualified for any belief upon that score of universality.

11. Having given the Romanist this account, which he hath obliged himself not to dislike, of our not obliging ourselves to the belief of all those Councils, which he calls General, I shall not need add, what hath been so fully done by others, the many eminent nullities of some of them, especially of that of Trent, which is most magisterially imposed upon us.

12. The matter is clear, There can be no color of pretence that that was an Oecumenical Council. It had not sure, at the time, that integrity of the five Senses, which Anastasius told us of, nor yet after it was promulgate, the approbation and reception of the whole Christian world, not of the Eastern Church, nor in the West, of the Gallicane and Britannick, and many others. And then how can it be any universal testifier of Apostolic tradition, or in any other capacity bind all to the embracing of it?

13. This therefore is the one (but that very sufficient) prejudice to a Council pretending to deliver to us Apostolic traditions and matters of faith, and exacting them to be received as such, that it is not indeed what it pretends to be, an universal Council; & consequently that it is not duly qualified, by Vincentius his rules, to give a valid testimony of matters of Faith or Doctrines truly Christian. To which it is but proportionable and regular that we that embrace, and uniformly accept all Apostolical tradition, sufficiently i. e. universally testified to be such, do not think ourselves obliged to receive that, which is not thus testified.

14. If therefore, as hath hitherto appeared, Heresy be to be thus defined by the opposition to the Faith of Christ, sufficiently revealed and testified to us, if Universality be one qualification of the testifier, and if the Romanists Oecumenical Councils do evidently fail of that Universality, then cannot our non-reception of all their Councils, thus evidenced not to be Universal, or of those their Doctrines which have no other surer Basis, than that of the Definitions of those Councils, be any way competent to charge or affix the note of Heresy upon us.

15. Nay on the contrary, we that never disbelieved any word of God, written or unwritten (by any means made known to us to be such) particularly never questioned any voice or testimony of the whole Church concerning such word, but are ready to believe that to be Apostolical, which shall be to us universally testified to come from the Apostles, and persuade our selves that God will never permit any such Universal Testimony concerning the Faith to conspire in conveying error to us, and upon the strength of that persuasion, as we have never yet opposed any Universal Council, nor other voice of the whole Church, such as by the Catholic Rules can be contested to be such; so for the future we profess never to do, are by our grounds thus far secured from all heretical pravitie, that unless we destroy in the retail what we have built in the gross, and until we shall be proved, by the particular view of our doctrines, to have thus failed in some particulars, we cannot with any justice, or without great uncharitableness be accused of it.

Sect. 12. Of the inerrability of a General Council. That it is no matter of faith.

1. OF the last part of this our profession, it is now meet, that I add some few words, viz. what our opinion is of the inerrability of a General Council, truly so called, and qualified as hath been formerly described.

2. And 1. we have learned to distinguish between Theological verity, and Catholic Faith: some things we believe to be true, which yet pretend not to be any part of that necessary Fundamental doctrine, which was once delivered unto the Saints, but are offered to our belief upon grounds of reason, which, Suppositâ fide, carry great weight of probability with them, for which yet we neither have, nor pretend any divine revelation. And such, I conceive, this proposition to be, [A General Council, cannot or shall not err.] For that this is nowhere either affirmed by the word of God written, or unwritten, or regularly deduced from thence, may easily appear by a view of the very few places, which are by the Romanist pretended to conclude it.

3. First, those words of Christ are pretended for it, Mat. 18.20. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I will be in the midst of them.] But 1. those words do not in any peculiarity belong to Councils convened to define, but more generally to any Assemblies that come together to hear or pray to God, or more particularly in that place, to excommunicate an offender. 2. If they belong to Councils, they would equally belong to the most particular, as to the most Oecumenical Council; for none can be more distant from Catholic, than that where no more than two or three are met together. 3. That Text belongs only to those Assemblies, which are truly convened in God's Name, with hearts sincerely bent to the honoring of him; whereas many Assemblies among men have been, and still may be convened with mixtures of worldly and carnal interest, and then no part of the promised presence belongs to them. 4. Christ may by his power and illumination, and even directive grace be present, and in the midst of those, who yet through the corruption, and blindness, and obstinacy of their own hearts, do not make use of his guidance to the finding out of truth, but oft resist the conviction and light which is offered them by Christ. And so there is not the least color of force in that Argument.

4. Secondly, that place is produced of John 16.13. That when the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide them into all truth, and again, that he shall abide with them forever. But neither hath that any propriety to General, or indeed to any kind of Councils. Every particular Christian, since the descent of the Holy Ghost is as much rendered infallible by these Texts, as any the most numerous Assembly; for to each of those this promise made to the Apostles is as regularly appliable, as to any of these. And the matter is notorious, that before there ever was any Oecumenical Council in the world, the Church of God was lead into all truth: The great foundations of Faith being by the Apostles preaching, from the very first plantation, long before the Council of Nice, deposited in every Church.

5. Thirdly, They produce the form of the Conciliar Decretal Epistle, Acts 15.28. It seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us. But that can be of no force in this matter: 1. Because the Apostles, that certainly did not err, & were so assisted by the Spirit, that they should not err in the discharge of their office Apostolical, can be no president to every, or any other human Assembly. 2. Because this Decree of theirs belonging to matters of practice, not of belief, that form of it can no farther be imitable to other Councils, than that in like matters of practice, such are rites and ceremonies and usages in a Church, they assume authority of defining, and commanding, and deem that backed by the Holy Ghost, who hath given them their authority, but in matters of Faith they must have nothing from themselves. And accordingly this hath been the practice in the Church, as hath * formerly appeared from Athanasius, to prefix their Canons of Order and Rites; this form [Visu • est] It seemed good to us, or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , these things seemed good to us; but for matters of Faith, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , so the Catholic Church believes; neither inserting mention of their own judgment, nor yet pretending to any other Revelation from the Holy Ghost, then what was from the beginning sound to have been in the Church. To which purpose also was, I suppose, the second Versicle in the Doxology (the Orthodoxal form of acknowledging the Trinity) Sicut erat in principio, As it was in the beginning, as it stood by Original Tradition Apostolical, is now and ever shall be world without end. No new Doctrine ever to be brought into the Church by whatsoever Council, but only that which the Apostles had delivered.

6. Fourthly, Some places they bring, & apply to Councils, which the Scripture delivers only of the Church in general, as, that the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it, — which can no way belong to this matter, unless all the members of the Church were met together in that Council; for if there be any left out, why may not the promise be good in them, though the gates of hell should be affirmed to prevail against the Council. The first Nicene was by the acknowledgement of all an Ecumenical Council, yet was not the whole Church of God convened in that Assembly. In case all the cccxviii Bishops which were there assembled, had in one minute been taken up to heaven, or by any violence of the Arian party massacred; could it with any truth be said, that the whole Church of God had then been destroyed? Infallibly it could not; and no more could it be said, in case a major part of them had agreed in any error, that the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the power or gates of Hell, or Death, or Destruction had prevailed against them; because as it is clear there were many thousands of Bishops & Presbyters, many Millions of Brethren or believing Christians, without the walls of that Council, which had not been involved in that error. And indeed the very supposal, that the Council assembled represents the Church diffusive, and and was never entrusted by them to define any error at their convention, is an evidence that there is without the doors of that Council an universal, which those few there present were designed to represent. And those that have given their Proxies for certain uses, are not imagined so to have put their lives or souls in the hands of those Proxies, as that by the death of the Proxies they shall be supposed to die also.

7. And as there is no evidence from the written word of God whereon this may be grounded, as a matter of Faith, that a General Council cannot err, so neither is there any part of the Apostles Depositum entrusted to the Church, from which the Conclusion can with any semblance of reason be inferred, or that is by any Romanist, that I know of, made use of to that purpose.

8. The main thing that is pretended, is the Conciliar practice and custom of annexing Anathema's to their Definitions, which it were not reasonable for them to do, if they did not verily believe their Definitions were infallibly true. But to this the answer is obvious, 1. That they may think themselves infallible which are not, and so their own belief is not argumentative. 2. That they that knowing themselves fallible, do yet persuade themselves that they have successfully sought out, and found the truth in some particular, may think it useful to propagate this truth to all their flock and secure the peaceable possession of that doctrine by denunciation of Censures Ecclesiastical; and, that is the meaning of Anathemas. 3. 'It is supposable, that in this, or that doctrine, the Council hath had so clear a discovery (viz. from the uniform consentient testimony of all Churches with which they have consulted ) that they do find reason verily to believe, that that particular definition is tradition Apostolical. And so in that they may define dogmatically, not from any opinion of their own universal inerrablenesse, but from a duly grounded persuasion, that for this time they are in the right. Lastly, It may well be noted as an excess in many Later Councils, to be thus forward with their anathemas, or to affix them to any other their definitions, but such as are undoubted branches of that Apostolical doctrine, which was preached to all those 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Apostles 27 Canon, the disbelief whereof may obstruct, or hinder good life here, and Salvation hereafter.

Sect. 13. That it is one of the Pie credibilia, That a General Council shall not err.

1. THis then of the inerrableness of General Councils being thus far evidenced to be no matter of Faith, because not founded in any part of Scripture, or Tradition (nor consequently the contrary any matter of Heresy ) the utmost that can be said of it, is, that it is a Theological verity, which may piously be believed.

2. And so I doubt not to pronounce of it, That if we consider God's great, and wise, and constant providence, & care over his Church, his desire that all men should be saved, and, in order to that end; come to the knowledge of all necessary truth, his promise that he will not suffer his faithful servants to be tempted above what they are able, nor permit Scandals, and false teachers to prevail to the feducing of the very elect, his most pious, godly servants; If, I say, we consider these, and some other such like general promises of Scripture, wherein this question seems to be concerned, we shall have reason to believe, that God will never suffer all Christians to fall into such a temptation as it must be, in case the whole Church representative should err in matter of Faith, by way of Ellipsis (define against, or leave out of their Creed any Article of that body of Credenda, which the Apostles delivered to the Church ) and therein find approbation, and reception among all those Bishops and Doctors of the Church diffused, which were out of the Council.

3. And though in this case the Church might remain a Church (and so the, destructive gates of Hades not prevail against it ) and still retain all parts of the Apostles Depositum in the hearts of some faithful Christians, which had no power in the Council to oppose the Decree, or out of it to resist the general approbation, yet still the testimony of such a General Council so received and approved, would be a very strong argument, and so a very dangerous temptation to every the most meek and pious Christian, and it is piously to be believed, though not infallibly certain (for who knows what the provocations of the Christian world, of the Pastors, for the Flock, may arrive to, like the violence of the old world, that brought down the deluge upon them?) that God will not permit his Servants to fall into that temptation.

Sect. 14. A Recapitulation and Conclusion of this matter concerning Heresy.

1. 'TIs time now to draw to a conclusion of this whole matter; and from the premisses to complete and abbreviate that plea, which will, I doubt not, secure the Church of England from all colorable charge of Heresy: For that

2. First, It confestly receives the whole word of Christ, the entire Canon of the New Testament.

3. Secondly, It retains entire the Symbole of the Apostolic Faith, as that was delivered to the Churches in all the Apostolic plantations.

4. Thirdly, It understands both Scripture, and Creed, according to that Traditive interpretation, which the first Four, or, if you will, Six, or indeed any of the Oecumenical Councils, truly so called, have discovered and declared to be the sense of all the Apostolic Churches in the world, and were universally received by all Churches in such their declaration.

5. Fourthly, That we never rejected any Catholic Testimony (offered in behalf of any Doctrine ) nor Council, but such as even our enemies grant, or evidence of the matter proclaims, not to have been Oecumenical.

6. Fifthly, That we do not believe that any General Council, truly such, ever did, or shall err in any matter of Faith, nor shall we farther dispute the authority, when we shall be duly satisfied of the universality of any such.

7. Lastly, That we are willing to proceed, and enlarge all this, from the Church collected in a Council, to the Church diffused, or the principal Pastors thereof, out of Council, and are ready to receive, and acknowledge as doctrine of Faith every proposition, which the Fathers that lived in any competent distance from the Apostles, do uniformly, or without any considerable dissent, deliver down to us, as the truths of God, Traditions Apostolical.

8. Herein I may not now fitly enlarge, by proceeding to a view and defense of all, or any such particular doctrines, nor indeed can I without the spirit of divination, not knowing what one Doctrine, denied by us, any Romanist will assume to assert upon these terms (contest by these measures of universality, antiquity, and consent ) to be Apostolical Tradition.

9. As for the authority of the present Roman Church, which is by them so much insisted on, as we cannot deem that sufficient to impose upon all Christians any new book of Scripture; so neither can we by force of any Catholic rules (such as Vincentius is confessed to have furnished us with sufficiently ) receive from that sole testimony of theirs (which is but the testimony of one part, and of one age of the Church, and not of the universal Church of all ages ) any part of Christian doctrine, though by them never so earnestly contested to be Apostolical.

10. The sure way of judging aright in any particular debate, must be by appealing to the Fountains, Apostolical, Original Doctrine, and Tradition, and for that, to those that are competent testifiers in the matter, to Councils universally received, or to such other testimony as is truly universal. And as by this one test we profess to deal with every adversary of the Faith, whom we shall dare thus to accuse, and not to deem any person an Heretic, whom we cannot demonstrate to be such, by this sure 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 (and therefore are not forward to judge every Romanist to be such, who mainteines the whole Faith, and errs only in his Super addition ) so we are most willing to submit to this way of judgment ourselves, and whatsoever we shall be convinced to be disagreeable thereto, we shall most willingly and explicitly renounce, for the glory of God, and for the restoring the peace of the Church, and do so already implicitly, by binding ourselves to be judged, and concluded by these rules, by unfeigned prayer to God for his light and guidance in his path; and by exacting of all Christians in the world that fraternal debt of necessary charity to our souls, in admonishing us, either 1. What particular there is, maintained by our Church, which is not found to have truth: or 2. What disbelieved, which is able to approve itself, being judged by these rules: or 3. What is defective in these rules, in order to our judging aright, what is by a Christian to be believed, or embraced as De Fide, and so as the disbelieving thereof will be chargeable upon him.

11. And if, after all this, and without the Charity of any such admonition, we shall still by unrelenting adversaries be censured and condemned, as Heretics, (and upon that account cast out as refuse-branches, and unchurched members; and so that unity and communion, which Christ hath commanded to continue among his Disciples, become unattainable by us) herein we complain of great unkindness and injustice in the Church of Rome, and in those that join, and adhere to her in that sentence, which by Papal Bull was long since sent out against us; and upon these premised grounds we resolve still to retain that degree of charity to our most implacable enemies, as to pray for them, and to admonish them of the eminent danger of their uncharitableness, in case those hindrances be not upon due judgment removed on their part, which obstruct the union and peace of Christendom. It being most unreasonable that among them which Communicate in every branch of the one Apostolical Faith, that sacred band should yet be violated, upon vain and empty pretences of diversities of opinion or usages in such matters, which are far removed from the great foundation of Apostolical doctrines, and practices, or which are not sufficiently testified to come from them, who yet are justly presumable to have delivered carefully (and appointed the Church to preserve faithfully though all ages) all those things, which are fundamentally necessary for a Christian to believe or practice to his Souls health.

12. If reason herein will not be heard, to the repairing of breaches and demolishing the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , that Sept or Wall of Separation, which was once in the Temple set up betwixt Jews and Gentile worshippers, but received its decretorie sentence in the death of Christ, never to be re-edified among Christians, If that enmity that was nailed to his Cross, must be revived, and quickened to a life immortal among his members. If whilst we faithfully retain the whole Faith of Christ, we must still be looked on, as Traditors and mutilators of it. 'Twill yet be manifest to all that consider the premisses, that this is to be numbered among our calamities, not our guilts, that these darts of the tongue were not directed at us, with any special aim, or judgment (we might have been called Magicians as well, and so banished out of Rome, upon the Old Edict, Contra Mathematicos, with as much propriety as upon the new, contra Haereticos ) and in fine, that the objection hath received its answer according to the utmost improvement, of which it is capable, whether as the low ebb of our present persecuted estate, or as our pretended departure from the Catholic Faith, is, or can, with any color of reason, be suggested to have unchurched us.

Sect. I. First, Contempt of the world.

1. THus far I have proceeded by way of retrospect, or reflection on the sad matter of our present condition, and endeavored to foresee and forestall those scandals, to which it is principally liable, that no man may be ensnared, or offended, or so much as discouraged by it.

2. 'It is now time, that I look forward on some few of the many great uses, we are to make of this state, the beneficial exercises, which seem most peculiarly apportion'd to it; that so we may according to S. Paul's direction 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , give a stretch forward to the things which are before, and so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , make that a latter stage in our present course toward the great 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the prize (of all, and so) of our present agonies.

3. And the first step, that we advance, as it cannot miss to furnish us with an armature against all the vastest changes that this mutable world can subject us to, with an O passi graviora, giving us an assurance, that what next shall come cannot be more strange, and unexpected, less within the diviners power to foresee, or indeed much more vast and horrid at the nearest approach, than this which we already discern that God hath chosen for us; so it may be very proper to wean us, and mortify in us all fondness to that, which hath now nothing left that is lovely or desirable in it.

4. We know David's Vnicum petij, Psal. 27.4. the one thing that he counted worth desiring of the Lord, and without which all the rest had no relish in it. And this hath God seen fit to rend from us at this time, that we may have never an hostage left to engage our kindness to the world.

5. When all that deserves to be rejoiced in in this life, is most strictly warded from us (such sure are the fruits of that Paradise, from which we are now exiled ) what Christian Spirit of the coarsest mould, that hath most of allay in his composition, can in earnest solicit a reprieve of the severest sentence, court this world, or dread a final parting with it, when by any farther summons he that hath cast him into these briers and thorns, shall mercifully call and invite him out of them?

6. The Eremite or Anchoret that hath passed so great a part of his journey toward heaven, as to be come within a pace of his non ultra (like Simeon Stylita in Theodoret, immured in his pillar, and become already but his own Statue and monument, as it were) and hath but the patience of one step more required of him, to conclude his travail, to lodge him in Abraham's bosom, were surely very unkind to heaven and treacherous to his own aims and interests, if he should then stop, or start, or think of a retreat.

7. And the like contradiction were it to our own greatest concernments, when we are divested of all the vivendi causae the comforts or causes of living (the chief of which is that gladsome news in the Psalmist, when they said unto him, let us go up to the house of the Lord, whereupon he could revive himself out of any dumps with this one cordial, My feet shall stand in thy gates, O Jerusalem, and Jerusalem is as a City at unity within it self ) when, I say, we are cast out of this presence of the Lord, this comfortable, though but ambulatorie tent of his, where for a time he hath allowed us an access unto him, to tremble at the sight of that officer, which comes but to return us to our home and joys, and to secure the firmness of our future abode, that it shall be ascertained to us forever.

8. Shammatha and Maranatha we know were the Significative titles of the Jewish exterminations, and the interpretation of them the approach of destruction from the Lord; The Sanhedrins casting out of the assembly, was, saith Josephus, the frequent forerunner of that other out of the land of the living. And the like abode was thought to attend the Druids censures, when they interdicted any man the liberty of sacrificing, quae poena apud eos gravissi na est, saith Caesar, the heavyest punishment that could befall the Galles or Britanes. And though this of ours be no parallel, yet it may be useful thus far to mind us of our duty, to prepare us so, as not to be Surprised, whatsoever God shall next send.

6. Meanewhile one comfort this of ours is capable of, above any real, though meekest censures of the Church ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the reproofs or admonitions Ecclesiastical ) that it is not Futuri judicii praejudicium, in Tertullian's phrase, hath no inauspicious influence on our future weal, the binding us on earth, though it never be rescinded here, will be far from interdicting, or excluding us from heaven: there was, I hope, never more truth in Origen's resolution, Qui ante non exiit nihil laeditur, unde interdum fit, ut ill qui foras mittatur, intus sit, He that was not gone out before, is not harm'd by this interdict, he that is cast out, is still within.

10. Let us by the help of God, and in obedience to these, and all other his gracious chastisements, retain, or timely get our clean nuptial garments about us, and then though we be gathered up from the Lanes and Hedges, we shall have no reason to doubt of our call to, and reception at the marriage.

Sect. 2. Secondly, Universal Reformation.

1. BUt then Secondly, as in the Censures of the Church, those last methods of Apostolical and divine Charity, designed for the ransom and reduction of the most inthralled captive, and obstinately bent to bring him home to God, though it were by the ministry of Satan himself, there was no peace to be hoped, or obtained from this importunity, no truce from these merciful scourges, these wounds of the perfectest friend, whilst there remained one excess unhumbled, one lust unpurged, one rage unmortified, one 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , be it high or strong hold, pride or habit of sin, unlevelled, or unsubdued; so must we reckon of it at this time, while we are under these shadows and false images of it.

2. The rebukes of heaven that are now upon us, are as inexorable as his unwearied love of souls can make them, we must not in kindness to ourselves beg their remove, till they have finished the saving work for which they are as surely sent, as Christ came into the world upon the same errand; and then what an inauspicious Symptom must it be, if the application shall increase the Paroxysms, if the sins that brought these judgments to chastise them, should make a shift to thrive under them, if the fruitful parent should become also the incestuous birth of its own progeny.

3. The intimations which Scripture gives us of such charitative severiti • s (such certainly are God's now unto us, designed wholly to ends of mercy ) all look this way; Bishop Titus 's rebukes must be whet, till they advance to the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to be sharp and cutting, and never lose the edge, till they have obtained their design ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) till they have by lancing fetched out the very core of the Imposthume, the dregs and sediment of the disease.

4 The Apostle elsewhere expresses it by very comprehensive phrases, by 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , subduing and bringing to nothing the very thoughts, disputes, or reasonings in the breast, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , every elation, or unevenness in the heart, that doth but 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 lift itself up against the knowledge of God or Christian practice, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 very conceit or notion, and in fine 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to act revenge, to punish capitally so as it never revive again) 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 every not hearkening or disobedience; and till this be done effectually, Timothy must not be too hasty to impose hands, absolve, or loose those censures, lest he bring upon himself the guilt of those sins which it was the duty of his censures to reform in others; the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , consequent sins, those that are still continued in after the hand of discipline is upon a man, have a fearful aggravation belonging to them, that of thundering back against heaven, the most unagreeable return to the utmost charity, the most prodigious anomalie, or irregularity in the world.

5. We know the dress that belonged to the excommunicated person, both in the Jewish and Primitive Christian Church, the same, that of the strictest profoundest Mourners, and all the Assembly were to accompany him in the same doleful habit; S. Paul expresses it by God's humbling the very Apostle that inflicts it, and his coming 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in a mournful guise unto the offender. And in this also the parallel may hold, the mourning weeds in many respects very well become us at this time. And shall he that is a mourning for himself, a celebrating as it were his own obsequies (and should in reason begin the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the doleful Elegy to others in an accent of exemplary sorrow ) forget the business in hand so prodigiously, as to mistake an oath or execration for it, to aim that shaft against Heaven, that should have been designed at his own breast, bewail his excesses in new riots, and as the deluge to the old world, overwhelm the sinner, instead of purging away the sin?

6. Were this tolerably fit to be the return but to human discipline, to him that speaketh (though it be Oracles, so 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifieth) on earth; yet it were most intolerable madness thus to turn away from him that speaketh from heaven, and that is our case at this time.

7. 'It is vain to question the instruments, when by its being fallen upon us, we know the Counsel and hand of God 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , hath preordained it shall be done, not only permitting it thus to fall, but also designing it charitatively to our greatest good, the mortifying every sin, that still lives among us. And if we do not now qualify ourselves for our return to this glorious kingdom of his on earth (into which there is no regular entrance for any thing that defileth, or that worketh abomination, or lie, I mean either for carnality or hypocrisy ) just as we would think ourselves obliged to do for our admission into the kingdom of heaven, that vision which may not be approached without all kind of purity, we are still fitted for severer methods, and cannot without a kind of sacrilege covet, or wish a liberty of access to God's holy things, which cannot be enjoyed without being defiled also, and profaned by us.

8. What is here said thus generally, ought to be as distinctly and particularly applied to every leprous spot, or plague -sore in each unreformed sinners heart among us, as if I had delivered by retaile the most perfect catalogue of them. Let us search and try our ways, and now if ever perfect our vows of returning to the Lord.

9. And this must be endeavored by all the most probable remaining means, that may any way be ordinable to it, sure not by men's taking advantage of the times, and casting off all even form of Godliness, this is the sad fruit of the reprobate Soil, the forerunner of curse and burning. But the more desolate our condition is, the more solicitously to endeavor to gain God to our society and assistance, to keep close to him in constant frequent returns of converse on our knees, or on our faces (to that our closets are much better accommodated, than our Churches, or more public assemblies, and our exclusion from them may well mind us of that posture either of Christ, Mat. 26.39. or of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 or how-long poenitentiaries in the Primitive times) talking with him, and receiving both aids and directions from him, handling him and seeing him in his word (and those much more faithful means of converting spiritual food into spiritual nourishment, than the Eare hath been experimented to be) and so with more advantage filling ourselves out of the Ocean, without repining that the drop of the bucket is taken away from us.

10. 'It is possible we may be found to have somewhat by us in store, that may prove food, when the famine hath Cookt it for us; That Prayer which Christ gave us (as once God by Moses did Manna, from heaven ) may, when 'tis better considered, then our plenty ever yet permitted it to be, prove an help to all our infirmities, that one plate of pure Gold be beaten out into a great deal of Wire, increase like the widows Oil and Meal, by a deliberate effusion (as I have heard of a pious man, that made it his whole private office) not by giving it the number of the Romanists Rosarie, but by impressing on his own heart first, and from thence pouring out to God, the weight and full Commentary (as far as his and his brethren's known wants suggested) of every petition. And I doubt not but it may prove like Manna in that respect also, agreeable to every good Christians taste, and proper to his stomach, if he come now with a vigorous appetite to make use of it.

11. And if but the several articles of the Creed might be used as they were meant, to enforce on us the many great engagements of sincere reformation, and to mind us of the mercy of the second Covenant, the merit, and example of his sufferings, and the power and blessed influence of his resurrection, &c. we should need no more outward aides (though there be innumerable still ready at hand for any that could have received benefit by those, which are now taken from us) but those which 'tis very hard for us to miss, the several branches of our duty, very legible in the most perspicuous parcels of Scripture, the Decalogue and the Sermon in the Mount, to direct us in that way, wherein, by God's help, instantly implored, we may be secure from stumbling.

12. However, if a trusty guide may add either to the comfort or safety of this journey, there are such now at leisure, that may be had without hire, 'tis pity (if they may be employed to thy benefit ) they should be suffered to be idle, being indeed never more proper and profitable in any case, than in this of overlooking thy performances of this first branch of Repentance, in the duties of mortification.

Sect. 3. Thirdly, Fruits of Repentance. Among them, First, Perfect contentment: Discernible by two trials.

1. BUt for the loosing of sinners, and restoring them to the peace of the Church, the bare mortification is not sufficient. The rescuing from the jaws or Gates of Hell doth not presently secure us of our right to Heaven. There must be the building of Houses and planting of Ortyards (saith S. Jerome on Jer. 29.5. ) taking Wives, and begetting of Sons and Daughters, Cum ex Jerusalem, i. e. Ecclesia ejecti fuerimus, When we are cast out of Jerusalem, i. e. the Church. There must be the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , good works, in the plural ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the penitential Canons usually style them, the living in more than one single trade of goodnesses ) and those manifest or discernible (there being in that case no rule given for the concealing, but rather publishing them) before it can be seasonable with God or profitable for us to have his discipline removed.

2. Some of these that have most peculiarity of agreeableness to our present condition, may not unfitly be specified.

3. First, that of a perfect contentment and unfeigned submission to the good will and choises of God, with what sharpness soever they come mixed to us: In the words of Micah, which S. Jerome recommends to him particularly, on whom the censures of the Church are fallen, Mich. 7.9. I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him ('tis sure we have sins enough to own this, or whatever worse thing shall happen to us) until he plead my cause and execute judgment for me.

4. To this plenitude of cheerful contentment, beside many others, one eminent motive suggests itself, by considering, that when we were so richly furnished with variety of infamous matter, any least of which might fitly have owned, as having most justly provoked, the fiercest of God's revenges, and, if he had so pleased, made us doubly miserable, once under the smart of his rod, and a second turn under the reproach of the scandalous sin, which it signally was directed to point out, and visit; God hath given to us ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) out of his special undeserved favor vouchsafed to us to suffer for well doing, at least not for evil doing (and that such shall not lose its reward, the examples of Job and Lazarus will secure us) and so to bear in our bodies no other ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) brands, or marks, but only those of the Lord Jesus. This, I say, if applied, and brought home by every man to his own individual, and the foulest sins he hath at any time been guilty of, and might have been surprised in, will be found more then a contented acquiescence in God's present choises for us, even oblige us severally (as S. Peter thought most just upon this consideration) to sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, to magnify the mercy, not repine at the severity of his methods toward us.

5. And for the judging of this, whether it be sincerely what it ought, it must be observed, First, Whether we have any very unkind reflections on those that are the instruments of it. Abishai that would have had David's displeasure break out against him that cast stones at him and all his servants, did not look through David's Optick, if he had, he would have discerned what David did, that possibly the Lord had said unto him, curse David, and who shall then say, wherefore hath he done so. It is as sure as anything can be in the world, that God meant no real curses or mischiefs to David at this time, yet because David had sins enough, for which this, and much more might justly be permitted by God to fall upon him, and by his not withholding Shimei, 'twas evident God had thus chosen to permit it, the holy man is forward to take it as coming directly from God, and quarrels nothing but the impatience of Abishai, What have I to do with you ye sons of Zeruiah, so let him curse, because the Lord —

6. The pious man under God's discipline hath impatience to none, but those that would have him impatient, as our Savior, that expresseth not the least displeasure to the instruments of his death, to Caiaphas, to Pilate, to the Soldiers, to Judas, to the Devil himself, doth yet rebuke Peters kindness that would have averted his suffering it: He is the only Satan that would rob him of his cheerful, and joyful submission to the Fathers will, for the accomplishing of which Satan himself is but a kind of Disciple: Judas and he do him a very acceptable service; the former is styled friend, and called upon only to make haste, in thus ministering unto him.

7. Secondly, the sincerity of the contentment may be judged by the quiet and stillness and constancy in that posture, into which God hath cast us. An uncontented mind is always removing and lossing upon the bed, from one side to the other, as in a continual posture of the greatest uneasinesse: And so is he, that hath any inward regrets to the condition, that God hath placed him in, whereas the pious man can be content to wait God's leisure, and with steadiness of fixed eyes to look for him, till he shall please to discover his face.

8. Such indeed are wont to be times of temptation, wherein as false Prophets are wont to arise, so they have many advantages, by the assistance whereof to deceive many, and the greatest and most prevalent of those is the reproach of our solitude. He that is cast out will be ready to hearken to any that tenders him an hospitable reception, and those that have least of reason to produce for his entering into their society, will be most forward to make use of such an advantage, which may supply the place of argument.

9. And thus an error that hath but the luck to be gotten in fashion, may by the pomp or 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 of many followers, probably enough get his company, that finds himself left alone, and is not very well pleased with the state, and satisfied of the reasons of his solitude.

10, This therefore is the second trial of our contentment, if being cast out by men, we can satisfy ourselves with God's company (and the man that was born blind will yield us a good omen in this matter; when the Jews had cast him out, presently Jesus heard it and found him ) if being in the wilderness we be not one of those Reeds there, which our Savior tells us are shaken with the wind.

11. This were the way to cast ourselves out indeed, and so to have that character of real Heretics or Schismatics, in S. Paul, so far as to be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , condemned by our own sentence, which is much worse than to be more severely handled by other men; and nothing but the grace of God and a contemplation of his wisdom, and an acquiescence in his choices (which sees persecution fitter for some servants of his, than the greatest calm or grandeur of the most prosperous profession) can secure us (if temptations choose their seasons ) from being thus shaken.

Sect. 4. Secondly, Peace with all men.

1. OUr second vital employment, very fitly apportion'd to our solitude, is our ardent desires of, and Prayers for the peace of Jerusalem: We know what was required of the captive Israelites, when they were carried into a strange land, to seek the peace of that City, whither they were carried away captive, & to pray to the Lord for it. And we now know, I hope, assuredly, whither it is that we are banished, even just thither, where we were before, into the bosom of the holy Catholic Church of Christ.

2. And therefore as those, that serve God in an Hermitage, have not thereby their thoughts confined to that narrow compass wherein they corporally move, but intercede hourly for the most common concernments of all others; so must our Oratories be now designed, like Daniel's Chamber in Babylon, with our windows wide open toward Jerusalem, our devotions and bended knees (his three times a day at least) engaged in that one great interest of all Christians, the glory, i. e. the peace and true piety of that new Jerusalem, which is come down from Heaven; that like that which remains there, it may be at unity within itself.

3. There cannot be a more amazing dismal prospect in the world, then that vast rupture and chasme betwixt the East and West (the effect of that wind, those tormina, of pride and ambition, and aerie speculation, gotten long since into the bowels of the great body, and causing this Ecclesiastical 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , this Earthquake first, and thence this Hiatus or aperture, which could never have the skill to close again) and then the many Subdivisions, lesser rents and fractures, which are multiplied infinitely in this one Western part of it, a new carnificina or act of cruelty to the mystical body of Christ; first, cut asunder in the midst, and then so much life secured to each moity, as to make it capable of the Rack and Torture in every limb of it, and of continuing forever howling and laughing at once under those torments, till at length it cannot without fits of the most phrenetick rage be besought to come out of this condition.

4. 'It is a strange Romance, and to any that partakes but of ingenuous nature, an incredible Fable, that the one Heir of the Othoman Family, having possession of so great a part of the world, far greater then any other Potentate, should therein reign a Sullen, Solitarie Tyrant, consecrated first in the blood of all his Brethren, and then thriving and prospering into a vast bulk by keeping himself to this one Canibal diet, (full hausts of the blood of men) receiving this tribute from his own, as well as others subjects, all his vassals living to no other design, but of killing and dying at his direction, and to secure them of the continuance of this trade, the Christians not deemd sufficient, his fellow Mahomedans (if they do but differ from him in the question of [who is the right successor of their great Prophet ] and affirm Hali to be the man) become as unsufferable enemies, as lawful prize, as necessary to be invaded and overrunne with his hosts of Locusts, as any. And all this while no news of the one design, and business of power and dominion, distribution of justice to others or examples of it in himself: As if all the rest of the world, but he that hath the luck to strangle his brethren, were born to no other purposes, but those of the gladiators in the Roman Theatre, only to fight and die, with their heart-blood, yea and their souls also, to minister to his ambitions, or rages, or frantic devotions; paid to his Sanguinarie Prophet, to pass through the fire to this Moloch, to run like mad dogs through the world, sowing death, wheresoever they come, till at last they fall themselves.

5. And for all this there is certainly no other account to be given, but that the Dragon, the old Serpent, the Devil and Satan being according to prediction let loose for a time, this their Epileptick prophet was pitched on for his General, entertained, and inspired by him, to prescribe this course for the prosperous managing of those battles, which are mentioned Rev. 20.8. And accordingly it hath succeeded.

6. But that in the Politie of Christ, that real Theocratie, wherein God personally and visibly descended to settle (and to preside in) it himself, the fundamentals whereof were laid in a grand pacification betwixt earth and heaven, the Statute-laws first and last (the Old and the New Commandment ) the very same, for our loving one another, and the whole body or Codex most exactly conformable; first peace, then mercy, then patience, and long suffering, then bowels of compassion, loving and laying down the life, a tribute of that love, extending to affections, to actions, toward brethren, toward strangers, towards enemies, both our own, and God's enemies, toward heathens, toward all mankind, never projecting other contentions or victories, but that one of abounding in goodness, and overcoming evil with good: That, I say, in a Government thus established upon such principles and by such rules as these, there should yet be so much of the contrary temper, nothing but wars and fightings among Christians, eternal feuds among children of peace, that the whole host of Angels of light should transform themselves into legions of darkness; that the Mahomedan, that is otherwise impregnable, should be only thus conquered by the Christian, that this hath more wars a managing than he, and those wars more cruel, reaching to the Soul, anathematizing of brethren, casting out the Greek Church, the whole East, for Heretics, upon no other quarrel, but the Filioque; and a great part of the West (without pretence of any word in the Old Creeds ) for not accepting the Trent Articles, or differing with them about their one Monarchick Successor of our great Prophet: That all Religion should be placed in the belief of those doctrines, which if they were true, are no least part of the Christian Faith: That all those things, whereon certainly our eternal state depends, Judgment, and Mercy, and Faith, should, by consent of parties, be left out of the Scheme; little or none of our zeal laid out on them, or for them, but all mis-spent on that, which is not bread, that brings no vital nourishment to any. Lastly, That those that rebuke Tyrannie, and bitterness in others, under no meaner a charge than that of Antichristianism, should out-go all these patterns themselves, proclaim liberty to the Captive, to get the cross off from their own shoulders; and when they have done so, enslave, and bind it fast on the shoulders of all others, and (after all these contradictions both to Religion, and reason, and but ingenuous nature, to the goodness and joyfullness of brethren's living together in unity ) men that are guilty of all these, proclaim God the inspirer or favourer of all, transform the Prince of peace into the Inciter, or friend of Confusion: These are a whole Chaos of prodigies, a Landskip of wild appearances, above all that the African Merchants, or Scriptores Mirabilium have ever furnished us with, and yet make up but a part of those Monsters and fish heads, which adorn our Maps of Europe at this day.

7. And then what Armies of Votaries can be sufficient to keep off that wrath of God, that threatens no less than all Christendom, for that one unchristian piece of her temper; what Floods and Rivers of tears, to slake the rage of this one sin, which is more probable, than all the powers of darkness beside, to bring it low to the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which yet we have assurance shall never wholly prevail against it.

8. How can we at such a vacancy as this, be more profitably employed, then in learning and practicing our postures in this sacred Militia, in wrestling and combating with Heaven for this one blessing, this comprehensive donative, this grace beyond all other graces ( the greatest of these is charity ) this duty above all other duties ( above all things have fervent charity among yourselves ) this utmost pitch of celestial joy, this Divinity itself (God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him) the blessing of Catholic unity, universal peace; and with Jacob never give over the combat, till we have prevailed with God for this blessing.

9. And that it may not be 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , in Hierocles, or Muliebre supplicium, in Portius Cato, an unactive prayer, or Womanish supplication, that our hearts and hands, our utmost endeavors may herein be semblable to our tongues and prayers, 'tis very much our duty first to cleanse our own hearts from every degree of this pollution, not to leave alive in us one animosity either to any Person, or Society, or portion of Christians in the world, to resolve with the Fathers in their dealing with the Donatists, that those shall be our brethren, which will not admit us to be their brethren, and according to this beginning, to set out industriously, and indefatigably, in the ways of peace, every man to contribute his Symbolum toward so good a work, and every man, as God shall enable him, to do it freely and cheerfully (for in nothing more then in this doth God love the cheerful giver. )

10. And would we but take the Apostles counsel herein, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , be as emulous and ambitious, and as zealously solicitous in our contention for quiet (i. e. never contend with any but the implacable and irreconcilable ) as the most passionate broiler or boutefeu is wont to be for his 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 his beloved strife and contention, that brings him in no other reward but blows and woe, a Tophet here, and a Hell hereafter, I should not doubt but some valuable contribution might be made to this sacred treasury at this time by the poor widow Church of England, with her few mites: which if they cannot hope for thanks from men, have yet a full assurance of being not despised nor unrewarded by him, who still sits looking what is cast into the treasury.

Sect. 5. Thirdly, Frequency of Synaxes.

1. IT is not my purpose to Enumerate all the several parts of duty, which this Season exacts from us. Yet one must not be omitted, which in such times the Apostle very diligently warns us of, that of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , not giving over the assembling ourselves together, as oft as we can gain opportunities for them, holding up the Synaxes, how thin soever they are fain to be.

2. And this in reason now more zealously and frequently then ever, for that I conceive some part of the design and importance of the Apostles addition there, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , but calling upon one another, minding of the necessity and benefit of this duty. And though the ensuing [ 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , by so much the more ] be there expressy founded on the approach of their expected deliverance, yet among the Primitive Christians the continual expectations of their dangers appears to have had the same effect, putting them upon their constant, daily Synaxes, as not knowing how long they should live to enjoy them.

3. The quality of the sin, and the judgment that is there threatened to those that voluntarily neglect such opportunities, is very considerable. It is there, First, set opposite to holding fast the profession of our hope v. 23. and so is itself a degree of renouncing the Christians Anchor, a wavering (as is implied in the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ver. 23.) and a drawing back, ver. 39. and that noted to be very dangerous and destrustive. And accordingly we see in Pliny, that they, who quitted the Hetaeriae upon the Emperors prohibitions, were by the Heathen Inquisitors thought capable of mercy, as well as they that denied Christ. Secondly, It is there included in the number of the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the voluntary or willful sins, in them (I must suppose he meant) who having the opportunities, whether more or less public, wholly withdrew from them. Thirdly, It goes for an 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , ver. 27. a branch of secret contrariety to God and piety, a preferring the world before either. Fourthly, 'It is of the nature of those sins for which there remains no sacrifice, and hath its part in those other aggravations, and fearful expectations that there follow in that text.

4. The obligation that the Primitive Christians conceived themselves under, in this respect, is visible by the frequent mention of those Hetariae, and Antelucani Conventus, and Cryptae Arenariae, meetings in upper rooms, in suburbs, in prisons —in times of the Heathen persecutors. And so also when Heresy, or Schism prevailed, and drave the Orthodox Obedient maintainers of Catholic Truth and peace, out of the Churches. For though in these cases they abstained from the public assemblies, and indeed thought it strict duty to do so; (The Epistle of S. Basil and others to the Bishops in Italy, and France, and S. Hilaries disswasives in the former, that of prosperous Haeresie, and the practice of Holy men in the case of S. Chrysostom's deposition, doth, for the latter, make that clear) yet the assembling of the Orthodox, and the more private offices were not to be neglected. And S. Cyprian, that advises the prudent and cautious managerie of such, doth it expressly on this design, that they might be more sure not to be kept from them.

5. Ecclesiastical History is full of this kind of matter; take one for all set down by Eusebius from the Epistles of Dionysius concerning the persecution in Valerians time, and Aemylianus 's Ed ct, and the Christians constant practice.

6. The sum of it is, That the Assemblies were never intermitted, but observed 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , the more diligently and industriously, and God gave his blessing to it, a greater liberty than they had reason to look for, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , and many Advantageous opportunities to glorify God under their restraint, many alienes brought home to heaven by these means.

7. The same Good will of him that dwelleth in the ( burning but not consuming) Bush, whose power doth so presentiate it self to them that are in afflictions, that it is said 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 to pitch the Tent, to dwell, as Christ did by his incarnation, upon or among such, as are thus tempted, inspire and inflame with the same pure zeal, and crown with the like successes, all that are now so nearly concerned to transcribe their copy, to receive benefit by this exhortatory.