A key for Catholics, to open the juggling of the Jesuits, and satisfy all…A key for Catholicks, to open the jugling of the Jesuits, and satisfie all…

And that the Ancient Councils were not General, I mean, the four first, or any like them, I easily prove. 1. From the Original of them, and the Mandates, and the Presidents, and Ratifications, and Executions. It was the Roman Emperors that called them, and that sent their Mandates to the Lieutenants and other secular Officers to see to the execution, and to the Bishops to be there: It was the Roman Emperors that by themselves or their Lieutenants, were present to Rule them all according to the proportion of secular interest. It was the same Powers that Ratified them, and what they ratified went for currant, and their Ratification was sought by the Bishops to that end. It was the same Power that banished them that obeyed not, and compelled men to submit to them. Now let any man of Reason tell me, what Power Constantine, Theodosius, Martian, or any Roman Emperor had to summon the Bishops that were subjects in the Dominions of all other Princes through the world? What Authority had they out of their own Dominion?

2. Yea de facto, the case is known, 1. That they did not summon the Bishops of other Princes Dominions. 2. That those Bishops (at least no considerable number were there.) What Mandates or Invitations were sent to all the Churches of India, Ethiopia, Persia, or the parts of Parthia, Armenia, Ireland, Scotland, &c. that were out of the Roman Power? Whoever those one or two were that Eusebius calls Bishops of Persis, Parthia, Armenia, it's a plain case, that there were no due Representatives of all or any of these Churches there, that were without the verge of the Empire. No British, Irish, (that is, then Scottish) Bishops were there, nor any from abundance other Churches. And the other Councils after that at Nice, make less pretence to such a thing. So that it is most evident that General Councils then were but of the Bishops of the Empire, or the Roman world, unless a Bishop or two sometime might drop in that lived next them. And was the Church no wider then the Empire? Let Baronius himself be judge, that tells you of the Churches planted by the primitive Preachers, in India, Persia, and many other parts of the world. Let Godignus be judge, that confesseth the Ethiopians had the Gospel since the Apostles days (and I pray in what age were they Papists?) Let Raynerius be judge, that saith the Churches of Armenia and others planted by the Apostles were not subject to the Church of Rome? Let the Antiquities of Britain and Ireland be evidence. But the case is undeniable. All this noise then of General Councils comes but from a supposition that the Roman world was the whole Christian world. A small mistake! We home-bred Rustics may shortly be as well able to prove that a London Convocation was a General Council! Pighius pleading for the Pope, saith plainly, that General Councils were the devise of Constantine. And the Popes themselves do fetch the most specious Evidences for their primacy from the Decrees or Edicts of Emperors, Valentinian, Gratian and others. And what power had those Emperors at the other side of the world?