f

from the very times of the Apoftles. But it will not follow from hence, that our Saviour did not give an equal Power to all the Apofties; which is what I am contending for, And accordingly, the fame Equality amoogft their Succeffors, as originally conferred by our Saviour upon the Apoltles, and fo moft naturally defcending from themi to all following Generations, is what Sferam here afferts. This, I fay, is S. Jerom's Doctrine, That the Power of thele feveral Bifhops, mentioned by him, was originally, and according to our Saviour's Commiffion, the fame. And now, I refer it to your felf, and, to your own determination. If this be not his meaning, be pleased to let us know what is. And if it be, you, may try then to reconcile it to S. Peter's Supremacy, if you can tell how.

-R CIt is not the Imperial Greatness, or Riches of Rome, that gave it's Bishops their Supremacy Ibid.

t

C.E. Then Irenæus muft have been foully miftaken, when he afferts, that whatfoever Supremacy Rome enjoyed, was propter potenti rem Principalitatem, because of its more powerful Principality; and the Council of Chalcedon, when it taught, thatva Primacy of Order was given to the Bishop of Rome, διὰ τὸ βασιλεύειν τω πόλιν εκείνω, because of Rome's being the Imperial City As the Vindicator put you in mind, p. 7. of the Cafe truly stated. As alfo of the Third Canon of the Council of Conftantinople; together with the Queftion that Nilus of Theffalonica raifes hereupon What else do we learn from hence, but that the Pope had his Primacy above other Churches given him, not by the Apostles, but by the Fathers. And that it was because Rome was the Imperial City. And again, that Barlaam, the learned Monk, fpeaks alfo to the fame purpofe All which might have deferved fome Confiderati

P

on

on; and no doubt would, if you had not found it too hard for you.

R. C. Mr. L. of late, and bis Vindicator, have undertaken to make S. Gregory both a good Proteftant, and a good Proteftant Pope, p. 129.

C. E. They have both own'd, that he utterly condemned the Title of Universal Bishop; as he moft certainly did. And if that will make him a Proteftant Pope, you may call him fo, as oft as you please. I add, if John of Conftantinople meant, by the Title of Oecumenical Bishop, no more, but the Firft Patriarch of the Eaft, as you seem here to admit from Mr. Du Pin, p. 130. and was fo feverely condemned by Gregory, only because he apprehended him to aim at advancing himfelf over the Western, as well as the Eaftern Part of Christendom, is it not the fame Fault in Boni face III. and the Popes fince, to advance themfelves over the Eaftern, as well as the Weftern Part. Do what I can, I am not able to find out a Difference in the Cafe, and I fhall readily own your Ingenuity, if you can.

R. C. S. Gregory, as the Vindicator quotes him, p. 8. favs, I boldly affirm, that whosoever calls bimfelf Univerfal Bishop, or defires to be fo called by others, Shews himself, by fuch bis Haughtiness, to be a Forerunner of Antichrift, inasmuch as be proudly advances bimfelf above all others, p. 133.

C. E. And what is it difpleafes you here? R. C. 1. The Tranflation is not fo exact as it should be. Ibid.

C. E. Well, let us fee then, the great Faults you find in it; and instead of, Shews himself by fuch bis Haughtinefs, to be a Forerunner of Antichrift, let it be read, Doth in his Elation forerun Antichrift; inftead of, inafmuch as be proudly advances himself, let it be as you would have it, because he pridingly doth

fet

fet bimfelf; and again inftead of, above all others, render it, if you please, before all others. And let the Reader judge what you would get by all this, or wherein lies the Defect of the TranДation. All I can find in it is, that you had a mind to prefent us with a touch of your Critical Skill, how little foever it fignified.

R. C. 2. If John of Conftantinople had taken it to mean so as to be the only Bishop, or that all other Bishops were his Ficars, he might very well be a Forerunner of Antichrift, p. 134.

C. E. So likewife, p. 8. you affirm, that Thus the Title cannot, without Blafphemy, be attributed to the Pope. And yet I have already defired, and now again defire you to confider, whether this has been the Cafe of none of your Popes; and in particular, whether Laynez the Jefuite's Speech, (a) in the Council of Trent, does not intimate it to have been the Cafe of Pius IV; and how then, by your own Confeffion, will you bring him off from being a Forerunner of Antichrift?

R. C. S. Jerom, Ep. 57. gives the Title of Heretick, to all that wilfully separate themselves from S. Peter's See.

C. E. And very juftly he might give the Title of either Heretick. or Schifmatick, to all that feparated from the Church of Rome, whilst in the State wherein it was in S. Ferom's time. But fince it has admitted of fuch foul Corruptions, as have render'd it's Communion utterly unlawful, and which can with no fafety be complied with, the cafe is quite changed. And S. Ferom, had he lived a little before the Reformation, would have wondered as much to see the World become Popish, as ever he did formerly to fee it (a) become Arian. And inftead of condemning

«) E Paul's Hift. 1.7 (b) Adv. Luciferianos, p. 168. H. 'P 2

a Separation from it, would have been fure to advise to come out from among them, and be separate.

R. C.

TH

SECT. VIII.

HE Vindicator affirms, that It is too well known to those who have had occa fion to travel into Italy, and some other Parts, that many counterfeit Miracles are pretended to be wrought on fome of our Solemn Festivals, and even by our Priests themselves, in the Publick Church, and in the face of numerous Congregations, p. 7:

C. E. And are you fure they are not?

R. C. I answer, there are none fuch; and tell you it is directly to the Tune of

The Truth of my Story, if any Man doubt,
We have Witnesses ready to fwear it all out.

C. E. This is a ferious and a heavy Charge against you, and I fhould not have expected you would make a matter of Pleasantry, and a Jeft. of it. However you positively affirm there are none. But this you can never prove, nor is it to be expected from you. But then you ought to confider on the other hand, what Evidence can be required, fuppofing the Charge to be true, and well grounded. Your own People cannot be expected to publifh the Cheat, tho' poffibly they may acknowledge it in private Converfation, as a Phyfician did at Naples, to a Friend of mine of unquestionable Veracity; who being at the Solemnity on S. Januarius's Day, when the Saint's Blood, in a Vial, turns Liquid in the fight of the Congregation, enquired of his Friend the Doctor, if he did not believe that might be done by Art, and was affured by him, he knew it might, and

could

could do it himself. Now fuch private Evidence as this you may laugh at, as long as you pleafe But I am fure you can never juftify your doing fo, fince it is many times the beft and only Evidence the thing is capable of, by reafon of the great care that is taken amongst you, to prevent a Difcovery. And yet, though this be many times the only Evidence that may be had, and juft at present I know no better; yet it is no contemptible Argument for proving fuch falfe Miracles now, though it is not long fince they have been no rarities among you, as the Vindicator gives you to fee (a). Whereto you make no manner of Reply. And many more like Inftances might have been added, out of Dr. Beard's Antichrift the Pope of Rome, Part III. Chap. 1. H. Stephens's Apologie pour Herodote ; Bishop Moreton's Appeal, 1. 3. c. 19 fect. 4. Purgatory proved by Miracles; The School of the Eucharift; Dr. Brevint's Saul and Samuel at Endor, Ch. 3. Decrees of Pope Innocent XI. concerning the Suppreffion of an Office of the Virgin Mary, and of the Multitude of Indulgences, P. 3 -46. Archbishop Ufher's Religion of the Ancient Irish, p. 71. Reflections on the Devotions of Roman Church, p. 308, &c. Mede's Apoftacy of the latter times, p. 119. Edit. 3. N. Lyra in Danielem, c. 14. Sykes's Bibliotheca novorum Librorum, to. 5. p. 727, 728. Sir James Ware's hunting the Romifh Fox, Ch. 5. p. 85, &c. Sir E. Sandy's Europa Speculum, 167, 168, 169. and Cafaubon's Epiftle ad Front-Duc. p. 146, 147. Which places, whofoever fhall be at the pains of confulting, will find no caufe for your being sorry for the Vindicator, to think him fo foft, as to believe it.

R. C. Tho' our Catechisms teach, that Pictures and Images are not to be prayed to, the Vindicator bas (a) Cafe truly stated, p. 89. go.

Vouchers