like that of any prophane History is grounded meerly upon human Authority; and they are free to believe or difbelieve them according as their own private Judgment shall direct them. But as to what you add, that our Men of Sense neither believe Scriptures nor Legends, I am very confident there is not a Man of Senfe or Probity in your own Church, but will blush for you, and difclaim any Part in this grofs Calumny. So I leave you to account for it at the great Tribunal. I shall fay nothing to the Confequence you draw from it relating to the pretended general Defection. For Confequences grounded upon barefaced Calumny are fufficiently anfwer'd by Expofing the Calumny itself. §. 35. Tranfubftantiation as ancient as Chriftianity. Ow Sr, to conclude the Subject we have been fo long upon, I shall propofe an Argument, which appears to me to be a moral Demonstration, that the Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation is as ancient as Chriftanity, and never had a Beginning but from the Apoftles themfelves. I shall explain myself in the cleareft Manner I am able; and the first Thing I remark to you is, that if the Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation be a Novelty, it is one of the most extraordi nary Nature, that ever was broach'd: Both because it is not a meer Speculative Doctrine, but the Ground of the most folemn practical Devotions of the Church; and because it is in itself the moft feemingly repu gnant to all the Senfes and Reason of Mankind. G. And what do's your Lordship infer from thence a L. Sr, I infer from it, first, that a Novelty of this 209 Nature could not be brought into the Church without Noife, Difputes, and Troubles; and in a Word, with out the greatest Difficulty and Opposition imaginable: because People are not wont to part tamely and quietly with their ancient Faith; especially when a Doctrine the most repugnant in Appearance to Senfe and Reafon is fubftituted in Place of it. I infer 2dly, that the exact Time, Manner, and other Circumftances of a Novelty of that importance being brought in, and made an Article of Faith muft of Neceffity be known by all the learned Part of the World. Whence I infer 3dly, that the Hiftories of the Time, in which this happen'd, must all be fill'd with particular Relations of the most memorable Events occafion'd by this wonderful Change in the publick Faith of the Church. Now I have already proved with the utmost Evi dence against Dr Cofin, that the Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation was held both by the Greek and Latin Church in the Eleventh Century, when it was first openly writ againft by Berengarius, who was immedia tely oppofed by the ableft Pens of that Time, and condemn'd by eleven Provincial Councils in that very Age; the latt whereof defined in exprefs Terms, that the Bread and Wine, when they are confecrated upon the Altar, are truly and effentially changed into the Body and Blood of our Saviour, and not in Figure only. Tom. 10. Conc. Lab. pag. 5o2. If then the Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation be not as ancient as the Apostles themselves, but a Novelty invented fince their Time, it must have been introduced into the Church in fome Age between the Death of the Apostles, and the Eleventh Century. And unless Proteftants can prove this Fact from the uncontestable Evidence of as Authentick Hiftories and Records, as there are (for Example) to prove that England was II. Part. Dd converted in fome Age between the Death of the Apostles and the Eleventh Century, they labour in vain to perfuade any Man of Senfe that the Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation is a Novelty invented fince the Time of the Apostles. The Reason hereof is manifeft, because all Changes in Religion are conftantly attended with fuch a Train of remarkable Circumstances and Events, as cannot poffibly escape the Notice of Historians; and I can as eafily believe the greatest Contradiction in Nature, as that fuch Changes can really happen without being mention'd in the general Hiftories both of the Times, which gave Birth to 'em, and of the Kingdoms, which were the principal Theatres, on which they were transacted. Thus we have the Hiftory of the Arian, Neftorian, Eutychian, and other lefs confiderable Herefies tranfmitted to us by innumerable Hands, which inform us not only of the Names, but of the very Personal Qualities of the chief Authors of them: of the very Tear and Place, wherein they were first broach'd: Of the Progreß they made, the Oppofition they metwith, the Disturbances they occafion'd, the Books that were writ for and against them, the Councils that were call'd to condemn them, and other fuch Particulars, from whence we cannot but form a fix'd Judgment, first, that the main Facts contain'd in thefe Hiftories are no Fictions; and 2dly, that the Doctrines fo particulariz'd in every Circumftance relating to them have all the Marks of being Novelties brought into the Church fince the Time of the Apostles. Now if this be fo in Relation to all Herefies or new Doctrines, that ever were broach'd in the Church: If none of them could ever efcape either being detected by the Vigilancy of her Paftors, or recorded in the Writings of those, whofe Business it is to in struct Pofterity in the Tranfactions of paft Ages: If this, I fay, be fo, then let any one Judge, whether it be poffible, that fuch a Change in the publick Faith of the Churb as the introducing of Tranfubftantiation must have made (if it were not Apoftolical Doctrine) could be compafs'd without the fame Violent Struggles, Disturbances, and Oppofition! And then I ask, whether it be poffible, that fuch confiderable Events could be pafs'd over in Silence by the Hiftories of the Times, in which they happen'd? I take this to be as morally impoffible, as that the Changes of Re-, ligion in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, or the Re volution under King James II. should be wholly omit ted by an Hiftorian writing the Lives of those two Perfons. This then is the Subftance of my Argument in Short. Tranfubftantiation was the publick Faith and Doctrine of the Church in the Eleventh Century: Therefore, if it was not taught by the Apostles themselves, it was introduced in fome Age between the Death of the Apostles, and that Century. But a Novelty of that extraordinary Nature and fo repugnant in Appearance to all the Senfes and Reafon of Mankind could not be introduced without Noife, Difputes, and Troubles, and throwing the whole Church into Dif order and Confufion; and fuch remarkable Events cannot but be recorded in the Hiftories of the Times, in which they happen'd; Therefore if nothing of this appears in any ancient or authentick Hiftory, 'tis a moral Demonstration, that they never happen'd at all and that by Confequence the Doctrine of Tran fubftantiation is as ancient as Christianity, and derived from the Apostles themselves. Let us fuppofe the whole Chriftian World a gree'd now in the Belief that the Bread and Wine remain unchanged in the Sacrament, and that this Be,. lief had been handed down to us from the very Time of the Apofles till now. I ask, first, whether it would be poffible for any Man in this Cafe to introduce the Doctrine of Transubstantiation without being oppofed even by fome whole National Churches, many Universities, and by numberless Perfons both of the prelatick Order and inferiour Clergy? I ask 2dly, whether this Oppofition would not cause great Disturbances and Troubles, and throw the whole Church into the moft violent Ferment? And I ask 3dy, whether fuch a Revolution in the publick Faith of the Church, in Cafe it should fucceed, could be pafs'd over in Silence by all the Writers of the Age, wherein it happen'd? I cannot think there is a rational Man upon Earth, but his Reason and Confcience will tell him, they are all three morally impoffible in the Cafe fuppofed. And indeed there is no Example of it fince the very first Eftablishment of Christian Religion. I add, that if Tranfubftantiation be not Apoftolical Doctrine, it is a moft grofs and pernicious Herefy: and fince it is an uncontestable Truth, that it was believed, profefs'd, and maintain'd by the univerfal Church against Berengarius in the eleventh Century, if it be an Herefy, it must have been invented in fome preceding Age, by fome particular Herefiarck, in fome particular Town or Country; and it must have had a Name to diftinguish it both from other Herefies, and the Orthodox Faith oppofite to it. Here then to give a folid Anfwer to this Argument, you are bound to shew from fome Authentick ancient History all the following Particulars, viz. in what age between the Death of the Apostles and the Eleventh Century the Doctrine of Tranfubftantiation was first invented. Who was the first Author of it, In what Town or Country it was first profess'd. (For |