call'd them, according to Du Pin. Of Kin to this was, the Name of Papifts, which Luther gave them. But the great Body of Chriftians, tho', by Herefies and Schifms, it loft many great and beautiful Branches, could never lofe its Name. So far was it, from ever Lofing its Being. Whence the Learned Bishop of Barcelona, S. Pacianus, writing in the IV Century to Sympronianus a Novatian: () In a populous City, where there are Marcionifts, Apollinarifts, Montanifts, Novatians, and others of the like Stamp calling themselves Chriftians; fhould I not want a Name to know my Congregation by, if they were not called Catholicks? And, (*) My Name is Chrifrian: My Sirname is Catholick. That belongs to me: This points me out. By that I am fignified : By this I am proved.

4. AND S. Auguftin, in his Book of True Religion, writ in the fame Century: (3) We must hold the Chriftian Religion, fays he, and the Communion of that Chucch, which is Catholick; and is not only call'd fo by her own Children, but by all her Enemies. For Hereticks and Schifmaticks, whether they will or no, when they fpeak not to their own People, but to Strangers, call Catholicks, Catholicks only.

:

(') Epift. 1. (2) Thid. Chriftianus mihi nomen eft: Catholicus verò Cognomen illud me nuncupat : iftud oftendit. Hoc probor, inde fignificor. (3) Cap. 7. Tenenda eft nobis Chriftiana Religio, & ejus Ecclefiæ Communicatio, quæ Catholica eft, & Catholica nominatur non folùm à fuis, verùm etiam ab omnibus inimicis. Velint enim nolintve, ipfi quoque Hæretici & Schifmatum Alumni, quando non cum fuis, fed cum Extraneis loquuntur, Catholicam, nihil aliud quam Catholicam vocant. Non enim poffunt intelligi, nifi hoc eam nomine difcernant, quo ab Univerfo Orbe nuncupatur.

For

3.

For tney cannot be Understood, if they give Them not that Name, which all the World gives them.

5. AND in his Book, writ against the Manichees, Of the Advantage of Believing the Church: (1) Suppofe we were now first inquiring, what Religion to Chufe. There is a Church, as All grant, in respect of the whole World more numerous; and (as thofe fay, that know it) which teacheth Truth more fincerely, than all other Selts. This I do not now Examine. But, that which is fufficient to determine our Choice, there is One Catholick Church, to which different Herefies give different Names: Whereas Each of them have their own Names, which they dare not Deny. By which it Appears (the Cafe being impartially decided) to whom the Name of Catholicks is due, which all pretend to.

6. LASTLY, How Effectual this Confidera- why St. tion was with S. Auguftin, to his Converfion Auguftin from the Manichæan Herefy, in which he had was a Cabeen nine Years engaged; we may guefs by tholick?

(1) Cap. 7. Fac nos, ut dixi, nunc primùm quærere, Cuinam Religioni Animas noftras purgandas inftaurandafque tradamus. Proculdubio à Catholicâ Ecclefiâ fumendum Exordium. Plures enim jam Chriftiani funt,. quàm fi Judæi Simulachrorum Cultoribus adjungantur. Éorundem autem Chriftianorum cum fint Hærefes plures, atque fe Catholicos velint videri, aliofque præter fe Hareticos nominent; Una eft Ecclefia, ut omnes concedunt, fi totum Orbem confideres, refertior multitudine: ut autem, qui noverunt, affirmant, etiam veritate fincerior cæteris omnibus. Sed de Veritate, alia Quæftio eft. Quod autem quærentibus fatis eft, Una eft Catholica, cui Hærefes aliæ diverfa nomina imponunt, cum ipfæ fingulæ propriis vocabulis, quæ negare non audeant, appellentur. Ex quo intelligi datur, Judicantibus Arbitris, quos nulla impedit gratia, cui fit Catholicum nomen, quod omnes ambiunt, tribuendum, 1 2

what

what he (1) writ against the Epiftle of Manichaus, call'd the Foundation, cap. 4. Not to Speak of that true Wisdom, which you do not Believe is in the Catholick Church, there are many other Things, which moft justly hold me in her Communion. I. The Agreement of People and Nations holds me. II. Authority begun with Miracles, nourish'd with Hope, inereafed with Charity, confirm'd by Antiquity, holds me. III. A Succeffion of Bifhops defcending from the See of S. Peter, to whom Chrift after his Refurrection committed his Flock, to the prefent Epifcopacy, holds me. IV. Lastly, the

Ou Ut omittam finceriffimam Sapientiam, ad cujus Cognitionem, pauci Spirituales in hâc vitâ perveniunt; cæteram quippe Turbam, non intelligendi vivacitas, fed credendi fimplicitas, tutiffiman facit. Ut ergo hanc omittam Sapientiam, quam in Ecclefiâ effe Catholicâ non creditis multa funt alia, quæ in ejus Gremio me juftiffimè teneant. Tenet Confenfio populorum atque gentium. Tenet Auctoritas Miraculis inchoata, Spe nutrita, Charitate aucta, Vetuftate firmata. Tenet ab ipsâ Sede Petri Apofto li, cui pafcendas Oves fuas poft Refurrectionem Dominus commendavit, ufque ad præfentem Epifcopatum, Succeffio Sacerdotum. Tenet poftremò ipfum Catholicæ nomen quod non fine causâ inter tam multas pærefes, fic ifta Ec clefia fola obtinet; Ut, cum omnes Hæretici fe Catholi tos dici velint; quærenti tamen Peregrino alicui, ubi ad Catholicam conveniatur; nullus Hæreticorum vel Bafilicam fuam vel Domum audeat oftendere. Ifta ergo tot & tanta Chriftiani nominis chariffima vincula, rectè hominem tenent credentem in Catholicâ Ecclefiâ ; etiamfi, propter noftræ intelligentiæ tarditatem yel vitæ meritum, veritas nondum le apertiffimè oftendat. Apud vos autem, ubi nihil horum eft, quod me invitet ac teneat, fola perfonat Meritatis pollicitatio. Quæ quidem fi tam manifefta monftratur, ut in dubium venire non poffit, præponenda eft omnibus illis rebus,quibus in Catholica teneor. Si autem tantum modo promittitur ; & non exhibetur nemo me movebit ab eâ fide, quæ Animum meum tot & Cantis nexibus Chriftianæ Religioni adftringit.

wery

very Name of a Catholick holds me. Of which this Church alone kas, not without reafon, fo kept the Poffeffion; that, tho' all Hereticks defire to be call'd Catholicks; yet, if a Stranger ask them. where Catholicks meet, none of the Hereticks dare! point out his own Houfe, or his Church. Thus' the Learned S. Auftin. And of thefe, Four Confiderations, he allows nothing to take Place, but Uncontellable Evidence. Veritas que tam manifesta monftratur, ut in dubium venire non poffit. Which, when Mr. L. has produced, I doubt not but all Papifts will go with him to the Church. At leaft, I promife to do it.

§. IV.

The Great Body of Christians, from which all broke off.

A

S great a Dunce as his Lordship is made, Mr. L. lets him fay, pag. 19. That the Church in Communion with the See of Rome, is the Great Body of Christians, from which all broke off. This Mr. L. does not relifh. But, I am altogether of my Lord's mind. For there is no doubt, but in the Apostles Time, when S. Paul writ to the Romans, the Church in Communion! with that of Rome, was the Great Body of Chriftians, from which all the Reformers of the First Century broke off. And we do not find in Hiftory, that ever any Divifion begun betwixt! Rome and other Chriftians, but the Church in Communion with the See of Rome, was, in the Beginning of every fuch Divifion, the much greater Part. The Arians, In the IV Century,

I 3

4

were

were perhaps the most Numerous Herefy, that ever the Church had then been infefted with. They had an Assembly of about Seventy fix Bishops at Philippolis, Anno 347. Another of Ninety or Ninety feven Bishops at Antioch, Anno 341. And probably a much greater Number in that at Jerufalem, Anno 335. Tho' their Faction was both greater and stronger Anno 360, after the Council at Ariminum. But, Firft, When Arius was firft Excommunicated by S. Alexander, Bifhop of Alexandria, and the Bifhops of Egypt, Anno 319 or 320, he had only Two Bifhops on his fide, who were Excommu nicated with him. In the Council of Nice of Three hundred and Eighteen Bishops, Anno 325, he had gain'd fome others to his Party; yet there are reckon'd but Seventeen in all, and Fifteen conform'd to the Decree of the Council. Secondly, S. Athanafius (1) writing to the Emperour Jovianus Anno 363, fhews, that the Catholick Church (which was then in Communion with the See of Rome) was more Numerous by far, than the Sect of the Arians. In the Greek Schifm, when begun by Photius in the IX Century, and renew'd in the XI by Michael Cerularius and Leo Acridanus, the Church, then remaining in Communion with Rome, was the much greater Part.

As for Protestants; Luther tells us, that at the Beginning he was alone, Primò folus eram. And when first Excommunicated by Leo X. he had neither Kingdom, nor Province, nor Bifhops for him. The like Difference will be found in any other Divifion, from the Church