The grand debate between the most reverend bishops and the Presbyterian divines appointed by…

Reply. We call those Opinions which are not determined Certainties, and though the greater number should hold them as Opinions, they are not therefore the Doctrines of the Church, and therefore might be called Private Opinions; but indeed we used not the Word (that we can find:) the thing we desired, was, that the materials of the Liturgy may consist of nothing doubtful, or questioned among pious learned and orthodox Persons.] We said also (that the limiting Church Communion to things of doubtful disputation, hath been in all Ages the ground of Schism and Separation (which is not to say, that the Liturgy it self, is a Superstitious usage, or a directs cause of Schism,) And we cited the words of a Learned man (Mr. Hales) not as making every word our own, but as a Testimony ad hominem, because he was so highly valued by your selves (as we suppose) and therefore we thought his words might be more regarded by you than our own. 2. Where you say [that the Church hath been careful to put nothing in the Liturgy, but that which is either evidently the word of God, or that which had been generally received in the Catholic Church.] We reply, 1. We suppose there is little or nothing now controverted between us, which you will say is evidently the Word of God, either the Forms or Ceremonies, or any of the rest. 2. If by [in the Church] you mean [not by the Church] but [by any part in the Church] how shall we know that they did well. And if by [the generality] you mean not All, but the Greater part, you undertake the proof of that which is not easy to be proved. It being so hard to judge of the majority of Persons in the Catholic Church in any notable differences. We do take it for granted, that you limit not the Catholic Church, as the Papists do, to the Confines of the Roman Empire, but indeed we can only wish, that your Assertion were true, while we must show it to be untrue, if you speak of the Primitive Church, or of an universality of time, as well as place, (if not its more against you, that the Primitive Catholic Church was against you.) The very thing in question that containeth the rest [that its needful to the peace of the Church, that all the Churches under one Prince should use one form of Liturgy] was not received by the Catholic Church, nor by the generality in it: