Which is the true church? the whole Christian world, as headed only by Christ…

To this he rejoineth, that he spake of subjects only, and not of others.

Ans. 1. But we are never the nearer knowing their Church by this, while we are not told who the subjects are, and what maketh a visible subject? 2. Do not they take all Infidels and Heathens, and the Christian Abassines, Armenians, Greeks, Protestants, &c. to be subjects of the Pope, as to obligation and right, though not consent? yet the Abassines neither obeyed the Pope, nor rejected him till Oviedo was sent to them. 3. For about forty or fifty years one part of Europe took one man for Pope, and the rest took another man for Pope, and men were uncertain which was the right, or whether either of them, and so of the Clergy authorized by them. Which was the Church then, and who were the members, when Millions received one, and Millions rejected him? and many neither received nor rejected, but remained in suspense? 4. And if all the Priests should desert a Country (as Ireland, Me•co, or our Wales, or Highlands) are all the people thereby unchristened or unchurched, ⟨p. 18⟩while they have no Priest either to receive or reject, and perhaps hear not of a Pope.

But I specially answered him, That this maketh every Priest so essential to that Church, that a man is unchurched that rejecteth or contemneth any one of them, though he should •onour the Pope, Councils, and thousands others: If a man take a Priest in such a crime, as Watson, Montaltus and others tell us of, is contemning him an unchristening of us? Yea, if it be done causelessly upon a quarrel? This is a notable advancement of the Clergy. If contempt of one Priest be damnation or unchristening us, he that can make Priests for all the world, may well be Lord of all the world, even of Princes as well as other men.