P A It z II. Reverend Mr. Richard Baxter. ` Io. You fay, [ This Church bath been ever triumphant over Herefses. ] Anfw. ` r. What ! when Honories was by two or three General Councils condemned for a Heretick? Pope `fobn XXII. and Eugenies, as beforefaid, for that andworfe, ` (with many more. ) z. ,Woe to the Churches, if others hadnot conquered He- ' refy better than the Roman Party hath done: 3. And verily did you think that a particular Church is therefore the Rule br Ruler to the reff, becaufe it triumph- e'b over Herefj ? II. You add [immoveable inPerfecution.-] Anfw, r: For they have been the great Perfecutors, as Leeches fucking and fwell'dwith theBlood ofThoufänds and Ten Thoufandsof the Saints and Martyrs of Jefas : O' the Blood that will be found among them, when the righteousJudge of all OleWorld that! make Inquí- ` ftion for Blood, among their Maffacrees and Inquifittons. z. Was that Church unmoveable in Perfecution, when the Head of it ( Pope Marcellinas) offered In- ' cede to Idols ? And Liberiw fubfcribed to the Arrians, and againfb 4rhenafxus What thould I tell you of more, who I perceive are made believe the Crow is ` white ? 3. Again, it is a pitiful Proof of their Rule, to prove them immutable ` in Perfecution: The Church bath many Heads, if every Church or Bithop be ` its Head that hath flood fall in Perfecution. '.12. You add, [ And alwap watchful in the Sucreon of Paflors:'] I give you ' the fame Anfwers I. watchful indeed ! when their own ChurchHillories tell us ' of filch Multitudes that came in by Symony or Poifon, or other Murder or Vio- lence, that have been Hereticks (as aforelhewd ) or Adulterers, Murderers, and ' filch impious Wretches as the Cannonsdepofe ; and when John XII. `or.XIII. was depofed by a Council for ravilMng Maids and Wives at his Doors, and abun- ' dance more fuch Vilianies; and7obn XXII. for worfe; and when Eugenies con. 'tinued the $ucceffion when a general Council had judged him a Heretick, wicked, ' depofed, 6^T.' and when they have hadfuch abundance of Schilns, having two, ` three or four Popes alive at once; and one Schifm of Forty Years, in which no ' Man knew, or knows to thisDay which'was the true Pope : and when meer ' Pofef on is it that mull prove their Succeflion: For (boliides thefe Incapacities ) ' Mr. 3abnfon you may fee confeffeth, that no one way of Eleetion (by Cardi- nals,. People, Emperors, Bilhopsi Councils, &e.) bath been held or is neceffary, ' norany Confecration neceffary at all,to the beingof the Pope. And ifa Succel&on ' of bare Poffeffion ferve, how many Churcheshave the like ? Yea, 2. Conflanri- ' nople,Etbiopia,Armenia,and manyother Churches havehad afarmore regular Succef- ' Con than Rome ; or at leall as good. 3. And it's a pitiful Argument, that becaufe a ' Church hath had a Suceefson of Paflnrs, therefore they are the whole Church, and others are no. parr; or therefore they are the Rule and Rales to the rep ; or there- ' fore we mutt be of that particular Church only. Sure none denies the Succelfronof ' Patters in England, as to meer poffeffionof the Place, ifthat will ferve the turn. ` 13. Towhat you fay of being [ MenHoly, CatbolickandApoflalickand cannrt de. ceive you.] I anfwer, r. O dreadful Delulon ! that a Church headed with hor- ' rid Moniters and not'Men, as theirown Hiftories defcribe a multitude of their Popes, Mould call it fell and fach Men Holy ! Dare you read what I havewrit. ten of their Holinefs in my Key, chap. 34. Deteflion z. or procure them to an- ' Ewer that and the reft there. z. Are all that are Holy the Rule or Rulers to all ' others ? when you have converted among the Papifts one (even Years, if Delufi- ' on leave you Reafon and Impartiality, you will be more capable of comparing them with your own Parents, and fuch as you lived amongft here, and judging which were the more holy. 3. As [ Catholick] lignifieth a Member of the Church Catholick, orfuch as holdthe Catholick Faith, fo arbor Churchesare much ` more loch thanRome: As it fignifieth [the unrrserfal Church] Rome is none filch. The fame I fay of [ Apoflolick r] Thofe that are molt exaftly of the Apoftolick Faith, are to be called Apoftolick ; but Woe to us if we were' in that no better thanRome. r4. You may fee now what pitiful Grounds you have, for flying into a Pell- ' houfè as aCity of Refuge ; or for forfaking all the cleaneft Rooms in the Houfe of God, and betaking your felf to that Room that hash the moti lephous infeâed Perfons in ir, as if it were the only Church of God: And for Novelties, O that the whole Cafe might there be tried ! and let that Church that bath introduced moll: Novelties in Faith and Difcipline and Worshipbe molt rejeCted, as unclean. Were you-impartial the feveral Rules óf our Religion might put that part ofthe Centroverfypati Controverfy withyou : Forour Rule of Religion is only theHo- ly Scripture; (if you thew us that we mifunderltand it, we 1hal1 renounce. that G g z ` Mifuh- 22¡
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