7. Were it not an impudent thing for any man to call together all the Bishops in the world? 1If it be not desired that they come, why are they called? Ludicrous hypocrisies beseem not matters of this moment. If it be desired only that they ch•e some few among the rest, it is the choosing of those few only that should be required. But if all be intended, the Devil could scarce make a more […] motion. What! for all the Bishops on Earth, 1. To forsake their charges, most of them for many years. 2. To lose so many years time in Travel and Session. 3. To lose the lives of so, many as are never like to endure Voyages and journeys by ⟨p. 47⟩Sea and Land so long, with strange air and other difficulties, &c. But why should I stay to shame such madness? when though W. I. be fain to vent it, their Sect never intended nor attempted any such thing•. But suppose it were but some delegate Bishops that he pleaded for to make an Universal Council, I have showed in the 2d part of my Book called, A Key for Catholics, how impossible and wicked the design of a true Universal Council is. For, 1. They must be so many from all parts of the world as may make it an equal Representative, and not two or three from the remotest part, and 200 from Italy and other nearer parts, or else it is a putid mockery. 2. Some Churches have a 100 Bishops over so many Christians, as in other Countries are under one only. Most report that in all Abyssinia there is but one Abuna; which though it be not now so big as it hath been, or as Alvarez saith, yet is like to be as big as Brierwood concludeth, viz. as France, Spain, Italy and Germany. And should that one Abuna leave his Country to have no more vote than Pate or Ola• Magnus had at Trent. 3. Most of the Christian world have not half so many able Teachers as they need, especially the remotest parts: and it would be cruelty to the peoples souls to call away from them proportionable representatives. 4 None are so fit men for the great business of Councils, as the ablest, boliest, experienced Bishops; and these are most of them aged, sickly and weak, and unfit for so long travels. 5. Abyssinia […] not Sea-ports, and the Armenians and other Nations are out of the reach of such necessary converse, as must duly warn all of the time and place. 6.
7. Were it not an impudent thing for any man to call together all the Bishops in the world? 1If it be not desired that they come, why are they called? Ludicrous hypocrisies beseem not matters of this moment. If it be desired only that they ch•e some few among the rest, it is the chusing of those few only that should be required. But if all be intended, the Devil could scarce make a more 〈…〉 motion. What! for all the Bishops on Earth, 1. To forsake their charges, most of them for many years. 2. To lose so many years time in Travel and Session. 3. To lose the lives of so, many as are never like to endure Voyages and journies by ⟨p. 47⟩Sea and Land so long, with strange air and other difficulties, &c. But why should I stay to shame such madness? when though W. I. be fain to vent it, their Sect never intended nor attempted any such thing•. But suppose it were but some delegate Bishops that he pleaded for to make an Universal Council, I have shewed in the 2d part of my Book called, A Key for Catholicks, how impossible and wicked the design of a true Universal Council is. For, 1. They must be so many from all parts of the world as may make it an equal Representative, and not two or three from the remotest part, and 200 from Italy and other nearer parts, or else it is a putid mockery. 2. Some Churches have a 100 Bishops over so many Christians, as in other Countries are under one only. Most report that in all Abassia there is but one Abuna; which though it be not now so big as it hath been, or as Alvarez saith, yet is like to be as big as Brierwood concludeth, viz. as France, Spain, Italy and Germany. And should that one Abuna leave his Country to have no more vote than Pate or Ola• Magnus had at Trent. 3. Most of the Christian world have not half so many able Teachers as they need, especially the remotest parts: and it would be cruelty to the peoples souls to call away from them proportionable representatives. 4 None are so fit men for the great business of Councils, as the ablest, boliest, experienced Bishops; and these are most of them aged, sickly and weak, and unfit for so long travels. 5. Abassia 〈…〉 not Sea-ports, and the Armenians and other Nations are out of the reach of such necessary converse, as must duly warn all of the time and place. 6.
- 1Sect. 6.
