whether you Believe them or not, fo the Sovereignty of the Universal Bishop be Maintained Inviolably!

But though every King is not a Bishop, yet the Univerfal Bishop muft likewife be Univerfal King, with Power to Depofe all Kings at his Pleasure. Of this I have spoke at large.

And though nothing need be faid to this Almighty Claim, both in Spirituals and Temporals, but to put you to the Proof of its Institution by Christ, who Difowned all Civil Power Himfelf, and faid, [a] Who made me a Fudge? Yet I have gone further, (that this Caufe might be put out of all Difpute) and fhewed the Inconfiftency of your own Claim to be the only Catholick Church, and to Enjoy the true Unity of it, in these Particulars following.

1. Ther never was a Church called Catholick, in the Sense of Rome, that is, which was owned by all other Churches as their Head, at least fince that of Jerufalem,

L. But we admit none other to be Chriftian Churches but thofe who do own it.

G. That is to fay, it must do one way or other, if the Mountain will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet must go to the Mountain. It is like the Bed Procruftes made to fit all Perfons, by Stretching thofe to the Length of it who were Shorter, and Cutting off Part of those who were Longer than it. Thus the Church of Rome becomes Univerfal, by Stretching her Communion to thofe

[4] Luk. xii. 14.

who

who ftand Excommunicated by her, and Cutting of all Churches who will not own her Spremacy. And thus she must be still Univerjal, though the had no more left than the Diocefs of Rome, or suppose none but the Pope himself, than He would be the Univerfal Church! And it may well be Preserved in a Pope, if it may in one Laick, a Woman or an Infant.

2. And then ther will be perfect Unity. And I am afraid not till then; for perfect Unity is not only in outward Communion, that is, being within the fame Walls together: Or in Subfcribing a Formula of Articles of Faith, half of which, must be believed Implicitly: Butan Unity like wife in Saving or Damning Principles and Pratices, in Love and Charity, for which Chiefly we fhall be [a] Judged at the Last Day. If these are wanting, the Unity will be very Imperfect, and ftand us in little Stead.

3. Ther ought to be also an Unity where to place your Infallibility (elfe it is None) of which I have given four Schemes, each one ContradiEtory to all the Reft, and not yet Determined by your Church. And this is an Unity in Faith among you. It is the Foundation upon which your Church is Built.

4. There must be an Unity and full Agreement which of the Articles of your Creed are to be believed Explicitly, and which Implicitly, that is indeed which are Neceffary to be Believed, and which not? Without this, your Faith is wholly Uncertain.

[4] Matth. xxv, 31. Sc.

And

And till these things be adjusted, you can not be faid to have Unity even in Faith.

And if you have not Unity in Faith; nor in thofe Principles and Practices which are no less Neceffary to Salvation; Nor in that Love and Charity which Chrift has made the Characteristick of Chriftians, and without which [a] no Man can know who are His Difciples: But instead of that, if you have Envyings and Strife among you, among your feveral Religious Orders, betwixt National and National Church, concerning the Infallibility and Supremacy of the Pope,and of his Power to Depofe Princes, upon which the Peace and Unity of the World, and our eternal Salvation does depend; and in fhort, if you have no Unity concerning your Rule of Faith it felf,or of your Practice, what will the Unity of Outward Communion do, upon which you lay the whole Strefs? It will not fo much as Denominate you Chriftians, far lefs to be the only Chritians in the World, or the Catholick Church.

It is true that Unity in Communion is a Defi rable thing, and ought to be preferved among all Churches; but it is ftill a Part only of the Uni ty of the Church, as I have fhewed. And that the Supremacy of the Pope has been the Chief Caufe of the Breach of it. But yet it is not fuch a Breach as Deftroys all other Parts of the Unity of the Church, their Unity in One Lord, One Faith, One Baptifm. It may be called an Effential Part of the Perfect Unity of the Church,

but,

[a] Joh. xiii. 35%

but, Alas! What is Perfect upon Earth? And it is not fo Effential as that the Want of it fhould quite Un-Church; fo that if ther were not a Church upon Earth that did Communicate with another, yet they would not all Cease, for that Caule only, to be Chriftian Churches. As if all the Nations in the World were at War with each other, yet it would be the fame World itill, and God's One Kingdom upon Earth, and each Nation a Part of it.

L. But the Unity of the Church ought to be more than that of the Temporal World. G. True. But we fay, Magis Minus non variant Speciem, that More or Lefs alter not the Kind, as a greater or lefs Quantity of Gold (for Example) alters not the Species of the Gold. So Unity is Unity, be it more or lefs. And ther is an Unity among all Nations, even though at War, the Unity of Blood, and of Reason, being all made of one Blood, and all endowed with the fame Reason, which makes them all Agree in fome Common Principles, and all Appeal to Reason in the Justice of their Wars. But this Unity is not Perfect while they Bite and Devour one another.

And though the Unity is Greater, where Revelation is added to Reafon, and Men agree in the fame Religion which we call the Church; yet this Unity is not Perfect, while ther are Difputes, Animofities, and various Opinions about it. And in the Church of Rome her self ther are great Variety of Opinions among

thofe

thofe of her Communion, and Animofities thereupon Raised, fo Great as gives her much Trouble to Compose, and fometimes finds it past her Power, and is forced to Bear what the cannot Remedy.

L. What do you mean then by the Holy Catholick Church in the Creed?

G. This Article was but late put into the Creed, on occafion of Divifions which arofe among the Churches, to mind them that they were all Members of the fame Body, of the one Catholick Church. The next Article Explains this, and may be called a Part of it, viz. The Communion of Saints, and these are only the Elect, who are not vifible upon Earth; and therefore must be Referred to Heaven, where only is the true Communion of Saints, without Mixture of the Reprobate, who are not Members of Christ, and but in Appearance of the Church. We have no Unity of the Spirit with thefe, and Confequently are not one Body with them: [a] For what Fellowship hath Righteousness with Unrighteousness? And what Communion hath Light with Darkness? And what Concord hath Christ with Belial? And what Unity hath that Church where thefe are mixed together? Therefore the Archetypal and truly Catholick Church in Heaven, is That which is Chiefly and Principally meant by the Holy Catholick Church, and the Communionof Saints in the Creed. And There only is perfect Unity. There

[a] ii. Cor. vi. 14.