A vindication of the Animadversions on Fiat lux

2. If you shall say that you mean only that you are a Particular Church of Christ, but yet that, or such a Particular Church, as hath the great Privileges of Infallibility, and universal Authority annexed unto it, which makes it of necessity for all men to submit unto it, and to acquiesce in its Determinations: I answer, 1. I fear you will not say so; you will not, I fear, renounce your claim unto Catholicism. I have already observed that your self in particular affirm the Roman and Catholic Church to be one and the same. It is not enough for you that you belong any way to the Church of Christ, but you plead that none do so but your selves. 2. Indeed you do not own your selves in this very Assertion to be a Particular Church; your claim of Universal Authority and Jurisdiction, which you still carry along with you, is inconsistent ⟨p. 201⟩with any such concession 3. To make the best of it that we can; what ground have you to give us this Difference between the Churches of Christ, that one is fallible, another infallible; that one hath power over all the rest, that one depends on Christ, all the rest on that one? where is the least intimation given of any such thing in the Scripture? where or by whom is it expressly asserted amongst the Ancient Writers of the Church? Was this Principle pleaded or once asserted in any of the Ancient Councils? Some ambiguous expressions of particular Persons, most of them Bishops of Rome in the declining days of the Church, you produce indeed unto this purpose: But can any rational man think them a sufficient foundation of that stupendous fabric, which you endeavour to erect upon them? I suppose you will not find any such Persons hasty in their so doing: Those who are already engaged will not be easily recovered: For new Proselytes unto these Principles you have small ground to expect any, unless it be of Persons whose lives are either tainted with sensuality, which they would gladly have a refuge for against the accusations of their Consciences, or whose minds are entangled with worldly secular advantages suited to their conditions, tempers, and inclinations.

2. If you shall say that you mean only that you are a Particular Church of Christ, but yet that, or such a Particular Church, as hath the great Priviledges of Infallibility, and universall Authority annexed unto it, which makes it of necessity for all men to submit unto it, and to acquiesce in its Determinations: I answer, 1. I fear you will not say so; you will not, I fear, renounce your claim unto Catholicism. I have already observed that your self in particular affirm the Roman and Catholick Church to be one and the same. It is not enough for you that you belong any way to the Church of Christ, but you plead that none do so but your selves. 2. Indeed you do not own your selves in this very Assertion to be a Particular Church; your claim of Universall Authority and Jurisdiction, which you still carry along with you, is inconsistent