stantinople. I could add other most Authentick Testimonies, to fhew the Doctrine of the Eastern Churches; as of Dionyfius Patriarch of Conftantinople, and Paifins the Patriarch of Alexandria, with thirty fix Bishops, anno 1672, of the Churches of Archipelago, anno 1671; of Seven Oriental Archbishops, in the fame Year; of Cruciador, Patriarch of the Armenians in Cilicia and Palestine, with his Bishops, Doctors, and Priests,anno 1672; of the Armenians of Ipahan and Perfia, and of Gafpar, Superior of the Arme menians in Egypt; of Matthew, Patriarch of the Cophtes of Egypt, Ethiopia, &c. and of Feremy, Patriarch of Conftantinople, to the Proteftant Divines, anno 1576. But thefe are fufficient.

Thirdly, CONCERNING Luther's Separation, both Churches may be prefum'd to Agree, First, Luther fet That Luther and his Followers, when they fe up a new parated from Rome, did not embrace the ComCommuni- munion of any pre-exiftent Church, then pre

on.

fent in the World, which could pretend to a vifible Succeffion of Paftors, from the Apostles Tine. Secondly, That, as in the last Thoufand Years, there were no Quakers heard of, till about threefeore Years fince, that is, till the Year 1650. So we do not find in any Hiftory,that 200 Years ago (unless you will fay that Papifts are Proteftants) there was either Kingdom, Province, Diocefs, Pariff, Paftor, or any vifible known Society, that was Proteftants, Presbyterians, or Anabaptists or had been in the Thousand Years laft paft

LUTHER, in the Preface to his Works, fays, In the beginning, 1 was alone, Primò folus eram. And in his Preface, de abroganda Miffa privata,

(1) With

(1) With how many Medicines, fays he, and powerful Evidences of Scripture, have I scarce yet fettled my Confcience, to be able alone to contradict the Pope, and to believe him Antichrist; the Bishops, his Apostles and the Univerfities, his Stews? How oft did my Heart tremble, and reprehend me, by objecting their strongest and only Argument; Art thou only Wife? Do fo many and all Er

So Calvin, Epift.41. We have been forced to break off from the Communion of the whole World; A toto mundo difceffionem facere coacti fumus. And thence concludes; it is Abfurd, that in the very beginning they Thould fall into Pieces, and break off from one another!!

EVEN Mr. Chillingworth, altho' he is willing to suppose, (2) Chap. 5. §. 35. that there were fome Perfecated and Oppress'd, Maintainers of the Truth, in the Days of our Forefathers, and not only fuch as diffembled their Opinions, and lived in Our Communion; Yet, this Answer, fays he, Fam content you fall take no Notice of And S. 55. pag. 261. As for the External Communion of the visible Church, we have without Scruple formerly granted that Proteftants did for fake it; that is, renounce the Practice of fome Obfervations, in which the whole visible Church, before them, did Communicate.

NEITHER does Mr. Chillingworth except againft the Testimonies of Proteftants, quoted by

() Quot Medicamentis, quam potentibus & evidentiffimis Scripturis, meam iphus Confcientiam vixdum ftabilivi, ut auderem unus contradicere Pape, & credere eam effe Antichriftum Epifcopos. ejus effe, Apoftolos; Academias, effe ejus Lupanaria? Quoties mihi palpitavit tremulum Cor? & reprehendens objecit eorum for tiffimum & unicum Argumentum; Tu folus fapis? Totne errant Univerfi ? (2) Religion of Protestants, p. 25 4.

Charity

Charity Maintain'd, Ch. 5. §. 12. who even glory in Luther's Separation from the whole World. If there had been right Believers, who went before Luther in his Office, there had then been no need of a Lutheran Reformation, fays a Learned Proteftant, (') Georgius Bilius. It is ridiculous to think, fays (*) Another, that, in the time before Luther, any had the Purity of Doctrine; and that Luther fhould receive it from them, and not they from Luther. And Chillingworth, fpeaking of the Time before Luther, and whether Christ had then a visible Church, or not; we acknowledge, fays he, S. 27, p. 253. a Church there was; corrupted indeed Univerfally. And §.47. pag. 259. We jay, the whole Church being Corrupted, fome Parts of it might,and did reform themSelves; though they feparated from the External Communion of the other Parts, which would not reform. Which is evidently to own, that Proteftants are a New-raifed Communion. And that, in this Senfe only, they did not feparate from the Outward Communion of the whole Church, that they did not separate from themfelves.

For this Charity Maintain'd, ch. 5. §. 9. out of Mr. Brereley, produceth Words, own'd by Mr. Chillingworth, of other Confiderable Proteftants; As of Jewell, Apolog. 4. ch. 4. Divif. 2. and in his Defence, anno 1571. pag. 426. The Truth was unknown at that Time, and an eard of, when Martin Luther and Ulderick Zuinglius, first came unto the Knowledge, and Preaching of the Gofpel.

OF Perkins, in his Expolition upon the Creed, pag. 400. We fay, that before the Days of Luther, for the fpace of many hundred Years, an univerfal A

་་་

()In Auguftana Confeffionis, Art. 7. P 137. (2) Benedictus Morgenfiern. de Ecclefia, p. 145.

postacy

poftacy overfpread the whole Face of the Earth; and that Our Church was not then visible to the World.

OF Napper, upon the Revelations, Prop. 37. pag. 68. From the Year of Chrift three hundred and fixteen, the Antichristian and Papistical Reign hath begun, reigning Univerfally, and without any debatable Contradiction, one thoufand two hundred fixty Years; that is, till Luther's Time. And in Chap. 11. pag. 145. The Pope and Clergy have poffefs'd the outward vifible Church, even one thousand two hundred and threefcore Tears. And pag. 191. The True Church abode Latent, and Invisible.

BUT why did thefe, and fo many other Pro testants grant, there was no vifible Church of Protestants for many Ages before Luther? Because, fays Chillingworth, Chap. 5. § 13. pag. 247. they were convinced by all manner of Evidence, as Scripture, Reafon, and Antiquity, that all the visible Churches in the Wold,- bad degenerated from the Purity of the Gospel of Christ. At leaft it is Evident, Protestants would never have writ in this Manner, if (upon their Separation from Rome) they had Incorporated themfelves, into the Communion of any Ancient visible Church of Christians, whatsoever.

IT is then Undéniably True, what Charity Maintain'd fays, chap. 5. S. 12. that Luther and his Followers, not only oppofed the Doctrine of the Church in Communion with the See of Rome, in which they had been Chriften'd; but that Univerfally they withdrew their Obedience from the PreLates; they left Participation in Sacraments,and changed the Liturgy, or Publick Service, of what foever Church then Extant. And that in the End of the XV. Century, there was not any visible Church in Being,

with

Tom. 2.

with which a Proteftant would have ventur'd to Communicate in her Publick Liturgy, and Doctrine. Now that Luther's Reformation, was far from being an Effect of pure Zeal, we may learn from what he fays, Of Communion under Both Kinds,

lib.de Formula Miflæ, If the Council fhould Decree fol. 386. this least of all would we then ufe both Kinds; yearather in fpite of the Council and the Decree, we would ufe either but One kind only, or Neither, and in no cafe Both. And upon what Motives King Henry VIII. departed from the Communion of the See of Rome, and begun the Schifm, I have no heart to rip up. The World knows, it was not upon. any Zeal for Reformation.

Fourthly, BOTH Churches doubtless Agree in this. First, That Martin Luther was not the firft, that undertook to Reform the Faith of the Church of Chrift; it having been Reform'd by fome or other, in every Century, fince the Apoftles. Secondly, That all the Ancient ReAll ancient formers of it (mention'd by St. Irenaus, St. EpiReformers phanius, and St. Auguftin) were Hereticks. It were Here was Reform'd, whilft the Apostles lived, by ticks, Cerinthus, and the Ebionites, not to mention o

thers. In the fecond Century, by Valentinus, and the Montanists. In the third, by the Manichees, Sabellians, and Novatians. In the fourth, by the Arians, and the Donatifts. In the fifth, by Neftorius, and Eutyches, &C.

Fifthly, BOTH Churches commonly Agree, that Thofe, who are in Communion at prefent with the See of Rome, are alfo in the Communion of the vifible Church of Chrift. He promised to be with his Apoftles teaching all Nations, to the End of the World. Which feems to import, that his Church fhall be always Visible. If fo;

No