ly adminiftred according to Chriff's Ordinance in all thofe things, that of neceffity are requifite to the fame; and by this preaching the Word purely and adminiftring the Sacraments duly, the Catholick Church (the Catus Fidelium) is ftill vifible in all Places by its own Light, and visibly diftinguished every where, à Catu malignantium; as in England, and more particularly in London, our Church by its Catholick Purity in Doctrine, Worship, and Government, is vifibly to be diftinguished from yours.

III. I NEED fay no more in defence of my Diftinction, but on I muft go, because otherwiie it will be faid, I could not anfwer what I omit. You fay then, It is but too apparent that this Difinition (in the 19th Article) cannot poffibly be apply'd to innumerable Selts, who neither preach the pure Word of God, nor duly minifter the Sacraments: Therefore it is falfe, that the Church of Chrift can be taken to fignifie all Chriftianity. It is moft true, Sir, that this Definition cannot poffibly be applied to any Sects, and by confequence not to your Church, [which with all its Splendour and Greatnefs is but a Sect,] because the Word of God is not purely taught and preached, nor the Sacraments duly adminiftred in it, that is, because it is not a Catholick Church. And I acknowledge it is falfe, that the Church of Chrift in that proper Orthodox Senfe can be taken for all Chriftianity in your meaning; but it is taken in as large a Senfe in mine, as Chriftianity fignifies the whole Catholick or Univerfal Church of the Faithful: In which Sense it is ufed by St. Ignatius in his Epiftle to the Magnefrans, Ὁ γὰς χρισανισμός εκ εἰς ἰσδαισμόν, &c. Chriftianity [i. e. the Chriftian Church] came not over to the Jewish Church, but the Fewish

Church

Church to Chriftianity: [And this is a proper and natural fignification of the Word, feeing as Alexander Alenfis faith, Par. iv. Quæft. xi. Ecclefia tota eft in Chriftianis; The whole Church is made up of Chriftians.] 1 cannot deny but Chriftianity is alfo taken for the Chriftian Doctrine; but it alfo fignifies Chriftendom, or the Catholick Church in which that Doctrine is profeffed. It is used fo by Matth. Paris, An. 1245. Congregati funt Lugduni ex totius ferè Chriftianitatis Latitudine Prelati. It is ufed fo in our Language; and to determine it to that Signification, I faid, The Church of Chrift may be taken in as large a fenfe as Chriftianity, for the Univerfal Church, wherefoever difperfed over the World. And what Church the Fathers meant by the Univerfal Church, is evident from the Citations above, even the Univerfal Church of the Faithful; of which the Church of Rome, while faithful, was only a part; and you know well enough, that I who followed them in my Diftinction, ufed it in the fame fenfe. Then you go on: Suppose it might be taken in that large fenfe (for Sects who neither preach the Word of God purely, nor duly adminifter the Sacraments) yet he had no reason to fufpect, but that I took it for the true Church only, to which the Promifes of perpetual Duration were given, and the one Holy Catholick Apofto lick Church, which foever it be, not including fuch pitiful Selts, as rife and fall in every Age. There fore it is evident be shut his Eyes here again, for fear of feeing the true fenfe of the Word. That Chriftianity or the Univerfal Church may be taken in the moft general and improper fenfe of the Word, comprehending all Churches, as well hererodox as orthodox, found as corrupt, thofe that do preach the Word of God purely and adH minifter

minifter the Sacraments duly, as well as thofe that do not; I have thewed above, and shall fhew it again below, tho' you will not thank me for it, and I have alfo fhewed that I did not take it in that fense. But that I had no reason to fufpect, that you took it for the true Church only, the one holy Catholick Apoftolick Church, or as you afterwards fay you meant, the holy Catholick Church which my Creed put me in mind of, is most contrary to Reafon; because I have told you I had all the reafon imaginable to believe you took it for the Roman Church, which moft abfurdly ufurps the Title of the One holy Catholick Church mentioned in the Creed, and moft falfely pretends to be the only true Church; tho' it is neither the true Church nor a true Church of Chrift, as true fignifies found and pure, nor the one holy Catholick Church mentioned in the Creed, nor a part of it, nor a holy Catholick Church, but only a part of the Church Univerfal in the moft large and improper sense of the Word, which you gave me occafion to mention above. It is you therefore, Sir, who shut your Eyes against the true fenfe of the Word, and not I who used it in the ancient, common, true fenfe, for all the Churches of the Faithful which make up one holy Catholick Church, of which the Church of Rome was once a principal part, but [for fome very corrupt Ages] hath not been fuch a part. It is you, I fay, fay, who fhut your Eyes against the true authentick fenfe of the Word, taking the Church of Chrift, as I have obferved be fore, for your own particular Church exclufively of all others, as is plain from your own Words, by which you explain in what fenfe you underftood the true Church of Chrift, viz. That Church to which the Promifes of perpetual Duration were

given, that is, in the arrogant fenfe of Popilh Writers, your own Church. So in your XVIth Paragraph, It follows, fay you, that the Roman Catholick Church is the true Church: For Jomė Church must be the true Church of Chrift, and it can be none, to whom the Promifes of Indefectibility or perpetual Duration have not been made good? But thefe Promifes have not been made good to any but the Roman Catholick Church. Your Argument I fhall confider in its proper place, but now only observe, that this abfurd acceptation of the Church of Chrift in its large general fenfe only for the Church of Rome, is contrary to the Teltimonies above-cited, and in particular contrary to that Article of the Creed, I believe in the holy Catholick Church, as it is expounded by St. Cyril, and all others that expounded or paraphrafed the Creed for 900 Years. So St. Auguftin, the great Doctor of the Latin Church, in his Expofition of the Creed Santa Ecclefia nos fumus, &c. We are the Holy Church; but I do not fo Speak, as if I meant we who are here, who now heard me speak, but as many as are faithful in this Church, i. e. in this City, as many as are in this Region, this Province, as many as are beyond the Sea, as many as are in the whole World, becaufe the Name of the Lord is praised from the rifing of the Sun to the going down of the fame; fuch is the Catholick Church our true Mother, the true Bride of the Bridegroom, let us know Her, because she is the Lady of fo great a Lord. So his CXX* Epift. to Honoratus: The one Catholick Church, &c. Which is mightily difperfed over the whole World, and

+ Feria ii. poft Dominicam Palmarum. Serm. iii. Tom. x. * Cap. xvi.

H 2

extended

extended to the moft diftant Nations. [But had St. Auguftin believed, that the Church of Rome in virtue of Chrift's Promises to Peter, had been the one holy Catholick Church, of which in fo many places of his Works he declares Chrift to be the Head, instead of describing the Catholick Church in the forefaid manner, it would have been more natural and eafy for him to have faid, the Roman Catholick Church, or the one Catholick Church, which is the Church of Rome. I might, laftly, make the fame Obfervation of what he faith of that Article in the Creed, I believe the Catholick Church: Saith he, Credimus Sanium Ecclefiam, utique Catholicam, nam & hæretici & fchifmatici congregationes fuas Ecclefias vocant, &c. but if the Roman Church or Roman Catbolick Church be the fame with the Catholick Church, it is matter of Wonder to me, that neither he, nor Ruffinus, nor Cyril of Hierufalem, nor any other ancient Expofitor of the Creed, fhould omit to acquaint the Chriftian World with fuch a fundamental fenfe or meaning of I believe the Catholick or the holy Catholick Church. Nay, I wonder that the Nicene Fathers should not give that Explication of it in the Nicene Creed, if the Roman Church were indeed the Church of Chrift in its general fenfe, or the Catbolick Church mentioned in the Creed; for if it were, it certainly was the common Intereft of Chriftians to have it fo explained then, as you teach it now. But to return from this Digreffion, to fhew that the Church of Rome is not the Church of Chrift in its large and general Signification, let us go on to] St. Cyprian, who faith, à Chrifto una Ecclefia, &c. From Chrift, the one Church was di vided over many Members. In like manner, there

*

De fide & Symbolo. * Epift. 56. Ed. Oxon.