THe Bishops of Rome, in the persons of Zozimus, Boniface, and Celestine, Successively opposed the Sixth Council of Carthage, consisting of 217 Fathers (among whom the great S. Augustine is acknowledged to be one:) in the matter of * Appeals: which was the first step made by that irregular Chair, to the Exorbitant Supremacy which they afterward claimed. In vindicating that Claim before the Council, they produced two counterfeit Canons, fathered upon the Oecumenical Synod at Nice; which were by the Records of Carthage, Alexandria and Constantinople, in the presence of all those Fathers, in the sixth Council of Carthage, detected to be forgeries, as well as by the Tenor of the undoubted Canons of the Nicene Council it self, which are contrary to those by the Roman Church pretended; and so they were esteemed by the Fathers in that sixth Council, who were startled at the sight of those New unheard of Monsters, at their first Publication, above 1260 years ago.

Upon this Passage, I redoubled in the Book an observation (to make it more remarkable,) which you will find cap. 2 pag. 9. to this purpose, That in the first General Council of Nice it was ordered, that the chief in every Province should confirm the Acts of his inferior Bishops; And if any Trouble did arise which could not be decided by the Metropolitan, Provision was made Can. 5. (in words so clear and forcible, that none more plain can be put into their places) that the last Appeal should be made to Councils, and that the Person condemned in any Province should not be received, if he fled to others. That Parenthesis (In words so clear and forcible, that none more plain can be put in their places) relates to the CANON it self : which here follows that you may see how forcible it is, and how much plainer then the very Words into which I had contracted it. It is worthy your Consideration, as one of the most Important Records in Antiquity, consented to by all the Popish Compilers of the Councils themselves.