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particular Church, be it Roman or what other you pleafe. But how fhall he accufe a whole Catholick Church compofed of fo many National Churches, to whofe Judgment, next to the Scriptures, he fays, p. 233. he appeals against the Oppugners of our Lord's Divinity at this Day. And therefore he will at any time ftand against the Doctrines profelfed by the Church of Rome: But when these are offer'd him, as being no otherwife the Doctrines of the Roman Church, bat as they are of the Church Catholick, he cannot understand what is meant by Church Catholick, unless it be that of Rome; and that the Roman Church and Catholick Church are understood by Roman Catholicks to be convertible Terms. Indeed Dr. Bull needs a hard Fore-head to stand his Ground against Truth. In like manner he thinks his learned Book that does fo much service to the Church Catholick, flies not in his Face whilst he rejects Communion with the Roman Church: But when you ask him, why he is not in Communion with the prefent Catholick Univerfal? He knows not what you mean by the Church, unless it be the Church of Rome.

The grand Secret therefore made ufe of to put Men out of Conceit with these Doctrines, is never to Name them but under the Title of Romish, that fo they may hate them, as from their Cradles they have been inured to hate the Church of Rome for ftigmatizing other Chriftians with the Brand of Herefy, for not receiving her peculiar Doctrines, as of Faith. And when Men of Learning fay this, it paffes with the Credulous for a Truth, tho' in Fact it is very untrue, that thefe Doctrines are otherwife Romish than as they are Catholick, and equally profefs'd by every other National Church, compofing the body of the one holy Catholick Univerfal Church: Wherefore to obviate this prejudice, the Expedient is, never to difcourfe of them but as they are Catholick, without naming the Church of

Rome

Rome. And then I would know whether the pres fent holy Catholick Church, fignified by the 9th Ar ticle of the Creed be corrupted with unholy enormous Doctrines? And if that Catholick Univerfal Church, which teaches all these Doctrines, be lapfed into a Contradictory, of being holy according to the Article of the Creed, and yet unholy according to Proteftants, by reafon of her Doctrines; where shall we find another holy Catholick Univerfal Church of all Nations, which teaches them not? Or fhall we fay, that now the Article of our Faith profeffing a holy Catholick Church without interruption, is grown falfe; and not only confefs, that omnis homo Mendax, but even that the Basis of Christian Faith, to wit, the Creed and Divine Revelation is fo too; which being granted, nothing remains but Atheism to fill Mens Minds.

MADAM,

W Paper

December 6. 1707.

HEN your Ladyfhip deliver'd me the Paper of the Faith once deliver'd to the Saints] I told you I had much Bufinefs upon me, but would look over it as foon as I could. In truth I have at this time no lefs than three Books to look after in the Prefs, one Latin and two English. But yesterday at Twelve a Clock I fat down to read it, and was interrupted before I had finished the fe cond Page: But this Morning I read it twice over, and whereas you defire my thoughts of it, in the first place I must tell your Ladyship I am much dif appointed in it: For you gave it me as an Anfwer to the 188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193 and 194 Pages of my Book, intituled, Several Letters, & and fo in the Title it is faid to be an Answer to fome Paf fages in Dr. Hickes's Book.

Madam, In fuch a Paper pretended to be an Anfwer to the Paffages in thofe Pages, I had reafon to expect a proof of the Antiquity, Univerfality and C 2 Succeffion

Succeffion of the Trent-Doctrines; and that the Author of it would have fhewn me from Age to Age, out of the Fathers and Councils, that in all Times before the Council of Trent they were received as Articles of Faith, at least as true Doctrines in the Church. But there is no fuch Proof. He faith indeed, that the Trent- Doctrines were in the Mouth and Practice of the visible Apoftolick Catholick Church in all Ages, and that the Writers in every Age testify, fome mentioning this Trent-Doctrine and others another. The World (he faith) is fill'd with the Quotations of fuch Writers, and in practice Altars were every where erected for a Chriftian Sacrifice, People in all Nations adored Jefus Chrift in the Sacrament, anointed the Sick, pray'd for the Dead, asked the Prayers of glorified Saints, just as they did at Trent: So he faith in another place, And did not the Fathers of that very Catholick Church erect Altars, offer Sacrifice, pray for the Dead, call upon the Saints to pray for them, and made Appeals to the Supreme Paftoral Authority of the Bishop of Rome?

But, Madam, this is faying, but not proving: And whereas he faith the World is fill'd with the Quotations of fuch Writers, I must tell your Ladyship in his Phrase, that the World is fill'd with Answers to thofe Writers, which fhew the Falsenefs, or Vanity, or Impertinence of thofe Quotations. And if this Author would answer the foremention'd Passages and Pages of my Book, as a Scholar and Divine, he ought to fend me an orderly and plain Proof of the Twelve additional Articles in Pope Pius the Fourth's Creed, from the [very] Time of the Apoftles downwards, out of the Scriptures and Writings of the Fathers and Councils; to fhew, that they were always taught in the Church as Doctrines neceffary to Salvation. When he can do this, Madam, I fay here, as I faid in my Book to my other Adverfary, that I will be his Profelyte, and I hope you will not be his Profelyte before. I muft

I must also tell your Ladyfhip, Firft, That throughout his whole Paper he fuppofes the Church of Rome and the Churches join'd in Communion with it, to be the whole Catholick Church; which he ought to prove, because we deny it; and in particular in my Book of the Letters which pafs'd between me and the Romish Priests] I have fhew'd it is neither the Catholick nor a Catholick Church.

Secondly, That he fuppofes the Council of Trent to be a Free and General Council, which is contrary to Fact; as your Ladyfhip may fee in Two of their own learned Authors, who have given an account of it. Father Paul, in his Hiftory of the Council of Trent, and Monfieur Rancin in his Review of the Council of Trent. And we expect farther Proof of the evil Practices of that Council from Mr. Aymon, Chaplain to the late famous Cardinal Camus Bishop of Grenoble.

Thirdly, He fuppofes that the Council of Trent, as a General Council, could not err, which is not true; General Councils having actually err'd.

In the Fourth place, Madam, I must observe to your Ladyfhip, that in the Paffages I have cited out of the Paper, the Expreffions are fallacious and equivocal, and contriv'd to infnare and deceive; as I am willing to fhew your Ladyfhip when you please. And to tell you my Opinion plainly of the whole Paper, it is a very weak, tho' artificial Performance, drawn up cunningly to mislead weak and willing People with Fallacies, and for that reafon I must beg your Ladyfhip to let me keep it, till I can take a Copy of it; for I intend, God willing, to publish it with an Answer when I have leifure. In the mean time I rest

Your Ladyfhip's most
bumble Servant

Geo. Hickes,

Pray, good Madam, let Mr. B. fee this Letter

and give him my humble Service.

C 3

Five

Five Days after, with the Paper of the Faith once deliver'd to the Saints, I fent her Ladyfhip the following Letter.

MADAM,

December 11. 1707.

Herewith fend your Ladyfhip the Paper, of I I which I have taken a Copy. I find an utter want of Truth, and Ingenuity in it, and am willing to make good this Charge in any Conference with your Ladyship, wherein you will give me leave to read it over to you with Remarks. If your Ladyfhip have a mind to have it examin'd in fuch a Conference I defire it may be at your Ladyship's Lodgings or at my Houfe, and that Mr. B. may be prefent.

If your Ladyfhip be not yet determin'd I fhall be always ready to affift you; but if you be, all Endeavours to fave you will, I fear, be to little purpose, particularly all that can be done to keep you from fuch an unhappy change in Religion, by

Your Ladyship's

most faithful Servant

Geo. Hickes.

Not long after I had fent her Ladyfhip the Paper and my Letter with it, I receiv'd this Anfwer from her.

1 SIR,

TH

December 11. 1707: HE Author of the Paper return'd me is not in Town, when he is I believe he will be ready to vindicate it, or if he cannot, I fhall in a great meafure quit my good Opinion of the Antiquity and Univerfality of their Doctrine; and am fo much a Daughter and Friend of the Church of England, as

to

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