Worship or Invocation of any Saint joined with Him; and fo of all the Reft. But on your part, if what I have faid make them not appear unlawful to your Lordship, yet they muft remain at leaft Doubtful, till fome stronger Evidence be produced for them than has hitherto been given. There is not a Prayer in the Publick Offices of our Church to which you may not heartily fay Amen, in full Faith and Affurance: Which is Impoffible to fay as to Purgatory, Invocation of Saints, &c. And then fuch Prayers must be Sinful. Rom. xiv. 23.

But you are Pinned down in all thefe particular Points by the Authority of a fuppofed Univerfal Bifbop, wherein likewife you place the Unity of the Church. And yet ther never was fuch a Bishop, or Univerfal Monarch, unless any Prince calling himself so, would make him fuch. What is an Univerfal Monarch who was never owned by Half of those he calls his Subjects? And whofe Authority is Limited and Restrained, and his Excommunications Defpifed, by those who Pretend to own him, and to be Subject to him? What is it to Fancy ones felf King of all the Earth? And to place the Unity of the World in fuch a Monarch as never was in the World? And to call thofe Rebels from him, who never were in Subjection to him? This, My Lord, I have fhewed to be the Cafe of the Greatest Part of the Chriftian Churches, and from the Beginhing. And confequently this Univerfal Supre macy is meerly Imaginary. It was never Na

med

3

44

med by Chrift, nor ever was in Fact. And fo far is it from being the Center of Unity, that the Prétence to it has been the Great Breach of Unity among Chriftian Churches, and is at this Day: For this is it which ftops the Bishops in the Communion of Rome from Exerciling the Freedom of their own Judgments, and that Authority which Chrift has given them over their own Flocks, and will Require an Ac count of it from them; and which was freely Exercifed by the Bishops in the Primitive Church; and which, if Reftored, would open the way to that Catholick Communion fo greatly Defired, and wherein the true Unity of the Church does: Confift. Which never can be Hoped, while a Negative is given to the Popa in all the particular Points difputed, and especi ally concerning his own Supremacy. But if the Bi fhops of his Communion would think themfelves at Liberty and under Obligation to Act of themselves, as in the Primitive Church; and as ordained by Chrift; the Points we have Dif courfed as to Doctrine and Worship feem to me fo very Plain, that ther could be no Difpute, which were the Safer Side to take: At least that it would not be thought a Sin fo to Purge their Publick Offices as that other Chriftians might lawfully join in them; And let Opinions remain as Opinions, not made Articles of Faith, and Conditions of Communion. And to this nothing. ftands in the Way of the Bishops of France, at leaft, but the fear of that Excommunication from the Pope which is Renewed against them eve

ry Year, and which they Pretend not to Regard. But they are kept under by the Shadow of the Phantom of an Univerfal Supremacy, which never was in Being; and if it were, would be Infupportable and Ruin the Church; and which they themselves have in Effect already Rejected, as Inconfiftent with the Liberties of the Gallican or any other National Church; and has bred all the Difpute betwixt them and the Church of Rome. And can never be Healed in good Earneft, if the Pope be Judge of the Controverfy. See then the Caufe of the Breach of Catholick Unity.

And now, My Lord, forgive me, for I am fenfible that ther is an Uneafiness at first and a Prejudice to hear any thing Contrary to thofe Principles in which one has been Educated from his Infancy, and thinks most Certain. But this must be overcome fo far as to hear Reafon, which will Confirm us the more if we be in the Truth, or otherwife Convince us of our Error, at leaft make it fo far Excufable, that we have not Refused the Reasonable Means of Information: Without this, no Man could have been a Christian at first, nor has been fince but by Accident, according to the Place where he was Born, or received his Education. But the Prophet calls a due Examination of these things (a) a fhewing our felves to be Men. And the Apofties gives it the Character of a

(4) Ifai. xlvi. 8.

Nobleness

Nobleness of Spirit in those who (b) Searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were fo And therefore (fays he) Many of them Believed, of the Honourable both Men and Women. Whilft thofe Bigotted who Stuck to Implicit Faith in the Church, it is faid, (c) Believed not, but were Moved with Envy, and Stirred up Perfecution against those who Difturbed them in their Secu rity, like Waking one out of his Sleep, though when it is done, he will Thank those who have Raised him from Darkness to Light, to Seeing with his own Eyes, inftead of being Led by others Implicitly in the Dark, and Lulled into Dreams of Security from his Blindness, in which he is Perfuaded ther is lefs Danger of Stumbling, than if his Eyes were open, because every Man's Sight is not Good, and has Deceived Many! Have I not taken a Horfe for a Man at a Distance? And does not a Stick look Crooked in the Water? Why then fhould I trust my Eyes any more? This is all the Reafon ever I could hear for not trufting to our Reason! And what is the Remedy propofed? If it were to give us Rules whereby to Judge of true Reason, to Help it, and to Trim this Lamp which God has Lighted for us, this would be Rational, like Clearing our Eyes if they were Dim: But the Remedy you propofe, is, to Shut Reafon quite out, to make no more Ufe of it, to Silence, to Extinguish it; and take Implicit Faith in its Room; like pulling out one's Eyes, because they are not Good, and Choose to be Led

(b) Act. xvii. 11, 12. (6) Ver. 5.

by

by the Hand, and never Examine our Way any more? But I think the Apoftle recommends Examining to us, and I will Conclude with his Advice,

Prove all things; and hold fast that which is Good. i Theff. v. 21.

Dr. Barrow of the Pope's Supremacy, and the Unity of the Church. 1680.

104an 2 Dr. Cofin (fince Bishop of Durham) his Scholaftical History of the Canon of the Holy Scripture. 1657.

This is concerning the Apocryphal Books.

His History of Tranf-fubftantiation (the Enghb Tranflation) 1676. Writ in Latin. 1657.

The Devotions of the Roman Church 1674. This is concerning the Invocation of Saints, of Reliques, and the Legends.

The incurable Sceptifm of the Church of Rome. 1688.

This is concerning the Rule of Faith.

FINIS