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C. E. He tells you plainly, (a) the Supremacy be [the Pope] claims, is no less than an abfolute Sovereignty over all the Churches and Kingdoms of the Earth, their Bishops and their Kings: and this not by any Ecclefiaftical Conftitution, or Grant of Temporal Princes, which might be conditional limited and reDocable; and would infer their Superiority to him: but by a divine and indefeafible Right, as Succeffor of St. Peter, and Heir of all the Promifes made to him, unalterable, unlimitable, and unaccountable to any Power upon Earth, p.9. And you do not deny that your Popes ordinarily claim all this; and that a great part at leaft of thofe of your Communion, own and plead for it. His Spiritual Power I fuppofe you will admit to be lefs difputable, and of his claim of an abfolute Temporal Supremacy the Vindicator (b) has given divers Inftances, which you have found it too hard to make a Reply to.

R. C. Mr. L. takes it for granted, that the Pope is 'an universal Bishop, and an univerfal Monarch, p.8. C. E. By no means; but only that he vainly pretends to be fo.

R. C. But that is a great Miftake, for the Pope does not pretend to it: Thefe are Titles which he does not claim.

C. R. If you could make that out, it would go a great way towards filencing the Differences that are on foot between us. But you may as well attempt to wash a Blackmoor white.

R. C. By an Universal Bishop, we mean him to whom all other Bifhops are Vicars. Ibid.

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C. E. And I am fure, whofoever reads the Speeches of Laynez General of the Jefuits, the Legates, and fome others in the Council of Trent, would be ftrongly tempted to believe this to be what the Pope moft earnestly defir'd to have had

(a) Cafe ftated, p 82.

(b) Cafe truly fated, p. 11. decided

decided in his Favour; which made his Agents there fo eager for it. Nor will you ever prevail with his Holiness to renouce this high Claim, or to thank you for your making fo free with him, as to renounce it for him. Thus as to his Spiritual Claim; and then as to his Temporal, I have juft now put you in mind of your not being able to anfwer the Pleas brought for it by the Vindicator; not to mention the many more that are commonly to be met with amongst your Writers.

R. C. Some would have it thought a confiderable Grievance, that Bishops at their Ordination take an Oath of Fidelity to the Pope, p. 12.

C. E. And muft it not be a great Grievance to Princes to have their Bifhops fwear to the Pope against themselves? It is certain they (a) oblige themselves inviolably to the Pope, and without any Salvo for their Prince, and the Duty and Obedience they owe to him; who has therefore no reafon to look upon them thenceforward as his faithful and loyal Subjects.

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R. C. But this and the like being introduced by Cuftom, if liable to juft Exceptions, may be reform'd. Ibid.

C. E. And will you do me the Favour to let me know, what one Pope fince the ufe of this Oath, the Pall, &c. ever to this Day, fhew'd the leaft Inclination to any material Reformation, in this or any other kind. This you cannot do; and yet here you speak of it, as if it were what would readily be complied with: Though in your Confcience you know the contrary. However, I doubt if any thing of this Nature were propounded, you would be tempted to object, as you fay here concerning the Memorial heretofore drawn up in Germany, that what the Reformers

(4) Pontifical. Rom. de confecrat. Electi in Epife.

aimed

aim'd at, was not Unity, but Schifm: Not to correct the Abules of a Court, but to fubvert the Faith of the Catholick Church, p. 13.

R. C. It is to me a matter of no Small Surprize, that fome of those that inveigh most bitterly against the Pope's Supremacy, fhould yet maintain, that the Jurif diction of every Bishop whatsoever reaches over the whole Church. This feems to be the Opinion of Mr. L's. Vindicator, p. 33. which he endeavours to back with the Authority of St. Chryfoftom, p. 13.

C. E. And is it not for this that you take occafion immediately after, to quote Mr. Stevens as on your fide? Does he not fay, as there cited by you, There is an Authority which every Bishop bas throughout the whole Catholick Church? And do you not argue from hence, in behalf of the Pope's univerfal Authority? And yet you think fit to quarrel with Dr. Barrow and the Vindicator; for faying what you approve of in him. But your Head, I find, was fo full of that abominably infamous Fiction of the Nags bead Ordination, though against all Senfe and Reason, and very good (a) Authority to the contrary, that it is no great wonder if you forget your felf.

R. C. I tell you the Vindicator endeavours to back bis Opinion with the Authority of St. Chryfoftom.

C. E. Very right: He fhews St. Chryfoftom is plainly on his fide; and challenges you to confute both St. Chryfoftom and St. Paul. But they are both fo directly against you, that you thought it the wifeft way to pass them by; and fo ftand Iftill indebted for an Answer to them, and are like to do fo: But I fhall not throw your Objetion afide, as you did the Vindicators, when thus powerfully backed.

R. C. What is it then you have to offer?

(a) See Maf. de Minift. Eccl. Angl. c. 8.

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C. E. That every Bishop as fuch, is to have a concern for the whole Church, fo as to be ready to ferve any part of it, as there fhall be Need and Opportunity; for instance, to ordain other Bifhops where they are wanting and cannot otherwife be had, as (a) Eufebius of Samofata did in Syria, Phanicia and Pal ftine, during the Arian Perfecution under the Emperor Valens, or to affift a fick Bishop in Ordaining, Confirming, or any other Office, &c. muft neceffarily be meant, not only by the Paffages of St. Chryfoftom, in the 33d Page of the Cafe truly stated; but St. Cyprian's Doctrine likewife teaching that (b) Epifcopatus unus eft, cujus a fingulis in folidum pars tenetur. There is one Epifcopate, of which each Bishop poffelles a part, yet so as to have an Intereft in the whole. What fort of Jurifdiction you take to be implied in this I cannot tell: But I am fure, if the Roman Pontif would claim no more, than either of these Fathers fpeak of, all our Contefts about an univerfal Supremacy would immediately be at an End.

R. C. St. Auguftine, St. Jerome and St. Cyprian, all declare for the Chair of St. Peter, as the Rock on which the Church is built, and the only Principle of Unity, p. 15, 16.

C. E. Upon this you glory very triumphantly, as if Dr. Barrow, and every other Opponent must fall before you: as though only three Authorities, had they been as plainly on your fide, as you would have them, would have been fufficient to out-weigh that large Cloud of Witneffes the Dr. has brought against you, with these fame three amongst the reft. But when all is done, here is no fuch mighty Bufinefs in these three Citations: For let us fee what you can make of them. (a) Theodoret H. E. 1. 4. c. 12. ̧ (b) De Unit. Eccle,

P. 108. Ed. Oxon.

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As for St. Auguftine, he profeffes indeed that he was kept in the Church by a Succeffion of Bishops down from St. Peter; in the Difcourfe you refer to, but it is in the 4th, not as you fay in the stb. Chapter. There he reckons up feveral Caufes of his adherence to the Catholicks, in Oppofition to the Manichees, namely the Confent of People and Nations, an Authority begun by Miracles, nourished by Hope, encreafed by Charity, confirm'd by Humility, a Succeffion from the Seat of St. Peter down to the Pope that then was, and lastly the Name of Catholick,, which none of the Hereticks, though fond enough of it, would fo appropriate to themselves, as to shew their own Temple or House, to any that should enquire where they might go to a Catholick Church. And here I fuppofe you will not fay, is any Proof of St. Peter's univerfal Supremacy, much lefs of the Pope's. But it may be your Dependance is upon the other Words hitherto omitted; cui pafcendas oves fuas poft. refurrectionem Dominus commendavit, to whom our Lord after his Resurrection commended his Sheep. to be fed. Yer you cannot fay St. Peter could not either feed or govern our Lord's Sheep, as the other Apofties did, without an univerfal Jurifdiction; which it is not pretended that any of them had. St. Peter was to be the firft Preacher of the Gospel, and to have an Authority or Jurifdiction over thofe he converted, as the reft of the Apostles had alfo over their Converts; or upon occafion in other parts of the Church, but you may study till Dooms-Day, before you can evince St. Auguftine to have meant more than this by the Words here alledg'd.

The next is St. Jerome, who writing to Pope Damafus fays, I am join'd in Communion with your Holiness, that is with the Chair of Peter; upon that Rock I know the Church is built whosoever eats the Lamb out of this House is profane; whofoever gather's

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