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Chap. 3. ner Christianity Suffers from the Mahometans. Queft14 Carthage, and what the Roman Emperors poffefs'd in Africa, was taken by the Mahometans an. 696. And by the middle of the eleventh Century, there were [6] scarce five BiShops left in the whole Country. Conftantinople was taken by the Turkish Emperor Mahomet the Second, an. 1453, on the 29th Day of May, which was Tuesday after Trinity-Sunday, Conftantin the Seventy-fourth Greek Emperor being killl'd in the Siege, in whofe Perfon the Greek Empire ended; after it had stood one thousand one hundred and twenty three Years.

Secondly, Another confiderable abatement of the Greek Church, was the great Number of Neftorians, Eutychians, and Semi-Eutychians, feparated from her Communion, tho' dwelling in the fame Countries and Cities. Neftorians infefted Syria; Eutychians, and Semi-Eutychians, Egypt, and the two Armenias.

Neftorians are fo numerous in Syria, Affyria, Mefopotamia, Chaldæa, Perfia, Tartary, and India, that Dr. Heylin fays, (7) they are the GREATEST SECT of Chriftians in all the Eaft. And a later Hiftorian, the GREATEST PART, fays (8) he, of the Christians in the Eastern Parts are of this Sect. Which is reckon❜d to comprehend no lefs, than (9) three hundred thoufand Families. Their Patriarch refides at Moufful, a City in Diarbeck, or Mefopotamia. Eutychians

(6) Audimus quinq; vix Epifcopos fuperesse in tota Africa, inquit Leo nonus Papa, Epist. 3. Tom. ix. Concil. p. 972. AB. (7) Cofmogr. Lib. 3. p. 116. col. 1. (8) Moll's Geography. Part 2. p. 43. Col. 1. Edit. 4. an. 1722. (9) Perpetuite. T. 1. p. 112. an: 1679.

Eutychians have their Churches in Afia, Af-Chap. 3. fyria, Mefopotamia, Nubia, Egypt, and Ethiopia. Queft 14 Their Number is reckon'd differently. Dr. Heylin fays (10) it was computed formerly, at a hundred fixty thousand Families, now reduc'd to fifty thousand. Moll's Geography (fays (11) they are thought to be near a hundred thousand Families. Their Patriarch takes his Title from Antioch, but now refides at Amida, call'd by the Natives, Carahmet, or Car-Emit. He has under him several Arch-Bishops, as that of Jerufalem, of Moufful, of Damafcus, of Edeffa, of Cyprus, and a great number of Monks.

Semi-Eutychians are chiefly fpread in the greater and lefs Armenia, in Mefopotamia, Caramania, and Perfia. The Church of this Sect, fays Dr. (12) Heylin, is govern'd by two Patriarchs: whereof the one has under his JurifdiEtion Turcomania [the greater Armenia, &c.] comprehending a hundred fifty thoufand Families, befides very many Monafteries: the other has under him the two Provinces of Armenia the leffer, and Cilicia; comprehending twenty thousand Families, or thereabouts. The first now refides at Ermeazin, a Monaftery near the City of Ervan in Perfia: the fecond at Cis, a small City not far from Tarfus in Cilicia.

The Armenian Bishop or Patriarch at Conftantinople is Subject to the firft; and those at Jerufalem and Aleppo, to the latter.

The first, if a late Armenian Bishop may be believ'd, has about two hundred Bishops under him; the latter about fifty.

VI. As

(10) Cofmog. p. 118. (11) Part 2. pag. 41. col. 2.

(12) Cofmog. pag. 126. 127.

Chap. 3. VI. As to the Church of England; She canQueft 14 not fuppofe the Greeks to be the Catbolick Church, unless She will drop the greatest Part of her Accufations against Popery, will reform her 39 Articles and even her Creed, and will grant herself to be a Schifmatical Church.

First, She must confefs, that almost all her Articles against Popery are false. She must pray to the Saints as the Greeks do; and particularly to the B. Virgin Mary. She muft profefs, as the Greeks do, feven Sacraments. She must give a veneration, or relative Worfhip, as the Greeks do, to the Cross, to the Images of Chrift, and to thofe of the Saints. She must receive, as the Greeks do, the seventh general Council, which was the second at Nicea an. 787, by which this Doctrine was (13) defin'd. She muft, as the Greeks do, pay a due Veneration to the Relicks of Saints. She must pray as the Greeks do, for those who die in her Communion: and offer Sacrifice, as the Greeks do, both for the living and the dead. She muft, hold with the Greeks, that Apoftolical Traditions unwrit ought to be receiv'd, and that they are of equal Authority with the written word of God: not to mention feveral other Points.

Secondly, She must therefore extremely_reform her 39 Articles, and even her Creed. For the chief Ground of Schifm in the Greek Church, was her holding, that the H. Spirit does not proceed from the Father and the Son, but from the Father only, or at least, that his Proceeding from the Son ought not to be inferted into the Creed.

[13] 48. 7. Tom. 7. Conc. p. 556. CE.

Creed. But, in this, the Latin Church had fo Chap. 3. much the Advantage, that even the Church Queft14 of England thought fit to join with her.

In the fifth of her 39 Articles, the Church of England fays, the Holy Ghost, PROCEEDING FROM THE FATHER AND THE SON, is of one Substance, Majefty, and Glory, with the Father and the Son.

Again, in the 8th Article She says, The three Creeds, Nice-Creed, Athanafius's-Creed, and that which is commonly call'd the Apostles-Creed, ought THROUGHLY to be receiv'd, and believ'd: for they may be prov'd by most certain Warrants of Holy Scripture.

In the Nicene Creed, which is order'd to be faid or fung at the Communion, She fays, I believe in the Holy Ghoft, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father AND THE SON,

In the Creed of S. Athanafius, which is commanded to be fung or faid, on Christmas Day, theEpiphany, Eafter-Day, Afcenfion-Day, Whit-Sunday, Trinity-Sunday, and other Feftivals, She fays, The Son is of the Father alone, &c. The Holy Ghost is of the Father AND THE SON not begotten but PROCEEDING.

Thirdly, If the Church of England thinks the Greeks to be the Catholick Church; She muft not only lay aside the greatest Part of her Exceptions against Popery, and reform her 39 Articles, and even her Creed: but, what is ftill worfe, She muft neceffarily grant herself to be a Schifmatical Church. For nothing under the Sun, is plainer, than that She is not in the Greek Communion: and that She cannot be there, without reforming her FAITH, her CREED, and the darling Principles of the REFORMATION: To which She is not yet inclin❜d.

FIFTEENTH

Chap. 3.
Quest 15

Fifteenth QUESTION

Is not the Church of Rome the great Whore in the Apocalypfe, Chap. xvii. v. 1. 3. 4. 5. 6. and 18?

ANSWER,

IT

T has been already_fhew'd, that (1) the Catholick Church is always in Being from our B. Saviour, to the end of the World: that [2] in all this Time; it is a visible and known Society: and that [3] it is always Orthodox. Either then you must fhew me, that there is another Church in the World, to which the three Properties, now mention'd, belong: or you must grant, that Christian Rome, is not the Babylon, whofe wickednefs and overthrow St. John [4] defcribes. For, if the Church in Communion with Rome, be the Catholick Church, against which the Gates of Hell shall not prevail; how can Chriftian Rome, which is join'd in Faith and Communion with her, be the Mother of Harlots, and Abominations of the Earth, drunk with the Blood of the Saints, and of the Martyrs of Jefus, in whofe Overthrow the Saints rejoice?

II. 'Tis true, all Herefies (from the Beginning) have been condemn'd by the Church of Rome,

[1] Chap. 3. Quest. 3. pag.122. [2] Chap. 3. Queft. 4. pag. 124. [3] Chap. 3. Queft. 5. pag. 128. [4] Apoc. xvii. v. 5. 6. Apoc. xviii. v. 2. 21. Apoc.

xix. v. 2.

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