Vindiciæ Calvinisticæ: or, some impartial reflections on the Dean of Londondereys considerations that obliged him to come over to the communion of the Church of Rome And Mr. Chancellor King's answer thereto. He no less unjustly than impertinently reflects, on the protestant dissenters. In a letter to friend. By W.B. D.D.

A POSTSCRIPT.

THe person to whom the Letter was address'd desiring me to publish it, I thought it requisite upon a review of it, to add a few things relating to some passages in it. The opposition of Mr. K's Notion of the Catholick Church to the Articles of the Church of Ireland, and the agreeableness of mine to them is observ'd in the Preface.

To what is said about Mr. K's mark of the Catholick Church, viz. [living under lawful spiritual Governors;] I add, that this renders the relation of all true Christians to our blessed Lord (as his members) as questionable as the title of the Pastor un∣der whom they live; and consequently exposes their right to all the benefits of the Gospel, even to the Kingdom of Heaven it self to the same uncertainties and doubts as the regularity of his Admission to his Office. And if those ancient Canons re∣peated in so many Councils be of any force, which declare all Elections of the Clergy by Magistrates, or without the consent of the people, void; what a desperate case has almost all the Chri∣stian world been in ever since the old way of Elections was alter'd! Nay, the Church of England it self, where the Bishops are chosen by the King, and Parsons by Patrons, is in a misera∣ble plight. So severe is this mark of the Catholick Church on those for whose secular interest Mr. K. seems to have calculated it, and so over-favourable to those whom he design'd to exclude from the Catholick Church by it.

For what is said on behalf of all the Reformed Churches, p. 11, &c. It is not intended to include the Socinians, who deny an essential Article of the Christian Faith, the Deity of Christ, and all the Doctrines of his Satisfaction, &c. that depend on it.

Against Mr. K's Notion of the Supreme Government over all the Christians in England being lodg'd in the Convocation touch'd on, p. 57th. I add this Argument ad hominem; The General-Assembly in Scotland have equal pretensions to the Su∣preme Government of all Christians in that Nation, as the Con∣vocation

has in England. Now if the laws of the Convocation would oblige the Consciences of all the Christians in England (as the laws of the Church) whether ratified by the Civil Au∣thority or no, then the Acts of the General Assembly in Scot∣land have the same force there; Now that General Assembly which sat there in the year 1639. (whose Acts were also rati∣fied afterwards by King Ch. the First in person, present in his Parliament there) abolisht Prelacy, and set up the Presbyterian Government there. The Prelates were, according to Mr. K's Principles, discharg'd from their Office, and since they regain'd it not only without the allowance of any General Assembly, but against the Acts or Laws of all that sat there since, they were therein guilty of Schism or Church Rebellion. Mr. K's No∣tions are as unmerciful to the Bishops there as to Presbyters here: So little does he regard where those envenom'd darts may fall, which he levels against his Dissenting Brethren.