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faith Didacus Stella. (a) "With like Affection of God"linefs and Reverence embrace we and worship the "Books of the Old and New Teftament, and Eccle"fiaftical Traditions, faith the righteous Council of

Trent.

Nay, what is horrible to think, in Support of these blafphemous Tenets, the Papifts are neceffitated to vilify, and fcornfully and contemptuously to reject the Word of God. Thus Pope Leo the Tenth termed the Holy Gospel, (b) "A Fable of Chrift." The Holy Scriptures they call, (c)" A dumb Judge, a black Gofpel, Inken Divini66 ty; " and do alledge," (d) That if the Scriptures "were not fupported by the Authority of the Church, "they were of no more Value than fop's Fables; that, the (e)" Permiffion of People to read the Bible, "was the Invention of the Devil."

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The Popish Trent Conventicle, cur fes all fuch as receive not the Books of Maccabees, Ecclefiafticus, Judith, Tobit, &c. for canonical Scripture. But the Proteftants retain the fame Canon of the Old Testament, which the Apostles held, and received from the Jews, because that (f)" Unto "them were committed theOracles of God. (g) He fhew"eth his Word unto Jacob, his Statutes and his Judg"ments unto Ifrael; he hath not dealt fo with any Na"tion." Now, the Jews never received thefe Books which we term Apocryphal into their Canon, as Fofephus (h) witneffeth. Nay, Chrift himself divides the Canon into three feveral Ranks, that is to fay, (i) the Law, the Prophets, and the Pfalms; and the Apocryphal come not within this reckoning

Our prefent Romanists rob the People of half the Communion, by their denying the Cup to the Laity, which is exprefly against the Inftitution of our Saviour, who fays, (k) "Drink ye all of it."

(a) Confil. Trident. Seff. 4. (b) Apol. Steph. Fol. 358. (c) Pighius de Hier. Ecclef. (d) Eccius Chemnitii exam. des. Can. p. 47. (e) Peres de tradit. affert. 3. (f) Rom. 3.2. (g) Pfalm 147. 19, 20. (h) Cont. Apionem. (Luke 24.44. (k) Matth.26.27.

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Our prefent Romanifts order their Prayers in a Tongue; that the People do not underftand: but St. Paul bears Witness against them, faying, (a)" If I pray in an "unknown Tongue, my Spirit prayeth, but my Understanding is unfruitful: What is it then? I will cr pray with the Spirit, and I will pray with the Understanding alfo."

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Our prefent Romanists prescribe Adoration due to Images. What fays the Scripture to that? (b) Thou "fhalt not make to thy felf any graven Image, thou "fhalt not bow down to it, or worship it, &c." And again, (c)" Take ye therefore good heed unto your felves left ye corrupt your felves, by making the Similitude "of any Figure to worship it." &c.

Nay, St. Paul condemned Images, as the lowest Degree of Folly, and the bafeft Degeneracy that human Nature can fall into; (d) "Profeffing themselves to be "wife they become fools: And changed the Glory of "the uncorruptible God, into an Image made like to

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corruptible Man. And changed the Truth of God into "a Lye, and worshiped and ferved the Creature more than "the Creator, who is bleffed for ever.

The prefent Romanifts tell us of Merit, nay, of Works of Supererogation, wherein a Man does not only compleatly and acceptably discharge his Duty, but lays an Obligation on Heaven, and brings the Almighty in his Debt, which he can transfer to the Advantage of another Man's Soul. Now, What fays our Saviour to this Doctrine? (e) "When we have done all, we are but "unprofitable Servants."

St. Paul taught the ancient Romans, that (f) " Our E"lection is of God's free Grace." Notex Operibus pravifis, of Works foreseen.

He taught, that (g) "Eternal Life is the Gift of God," And therefore not due to the Merit of Works. (h) That

(a) 1 Cor. 14. 14, 15. (b) Exod. 20.4, 5. (c) Deut. 4. 15, 16. (d) Rom. 1. 23, 25. (e) Luke 17. 10. (g) Rom. 3. 28. (h) Rom. 8. 18.

(f) Rom. 9. 11.

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the good Works of the Faithful, nay, even their great Sufferings are not worthy to be compared to the Glory, hereafter to be revealed, nor fuch as can deferve Heaven; the Sufferings there intended, being Martyrdoms, fanctifyed by Grace.

He taught, that (a) "Concupifcence is a Sin, even "in the Regenerate." And (b)Paffovine, a late Jefuit, confeffeth, that St. Paul called it fo, but faith he, "We may "not call it fo.

He taught, that (c) " the imputed Righteousness of "Chrift, is that only, which makes us juft before God.

Thus taught St. Paul, thus the ancient Romans, as well as the Proteftants now believed. From this Faith our latter Romanists are departed. Now, let any impartial Man judge, whether it be likely that St. Paul, handling very exactly all the chief Branches of Chriftian Doctrine, fhou'd nevertheleís, tho' he wrote at large to the Roman Church, not once mention fuch main Points, as the Pope's Primacy, and Monarchical Jurifdiction, for deciding all Controverfies, Tranfubftantiation, Prayers for the Dead, Image-Worship, c. if that Church had been the fame that now it is. But if, as it is moft plain, those Points were no Articles of Faith in the ancient Roman Church, (d) "When their Faith was spoken of, through" out the whole World," then they cannot be Articles of Faith at this Day, but only Additions to the Rule of Faith, fuch as the Corruptions of the Times have patched up, and pieced it withal: For it is a ruled Cafe in the Schools; and, Aquinas confirms it, That the Body of Religion may grow in refpect of farther Explanations, but cannot increase in fubftantial Points, as a Child, tho he grows in Stature, hath no more Limbs when he becomes a Man, than when he was a Child; fo the Church hath no more Parts or Articles of Faith, in her riper Age, than she had

(a) Rom.7.8, 10.
(c) Rom.4.9, 17, 23.

(b) Poff in apparat. Verbo Patris. (d) Rom. 1. 8.

in her Infancy; and by this Rule, New Rome is a Monfter, increasing in Limbs beyond all Reafon and Proportion.

Thus we have proved, that the Doctrine of our Church, is agreeable to the Word of God, and that the Popish Tenets are contrary thereunto. But fince our Adverfaries, with equal Affurance and Fa fhood, boaft, fo much of Antiquity, and make a Noife with the Fathers, as being in all Things on their Side; we have thought it neceffary, for giving a Check to that Calumny, here briefly to collect certain Teftimonies out of the Writings of thofe venerable Ancients, in each Century, for the first fix, upon divers of the most material Points in Controverfy: Not defigning all that might be brought, which wou'd be too tedious, but fo many only, as may ferve to manifeft, the Vanity of the Papifts Pretenfions, and confirm each good Proteftant, fo as not to be wrought upon by any of their Clamours, or falfe Suggestions of our rejecting the Voice of primitive Antiquity.

The Chriftians in the first Century, having been fo perfectly inftructed in all Points of Chriftian Doctrine, by Chrift and his Apoftles, there were but very few Writers in this Age. Those we meet with, (the Forgeries of the prefent Roman Church excepted,) are only Three; namely, Clement, the Disciple and Co-adjutor of the Apoftles, Dionyfius the Areopagite, who was converted by St. Paul, as it is recorded in the (a) Acts of the Apoftles, and Ignatius firnamed Theophorus, who was Bishop of Antioch about the Year of our Lord 70.

Clement was one whom St. Paul reckoned in the Number of thofe who had laboured together with him in propagating the Gospel, and that had affifted him in his Miniftry, (b) With Clement alfo, and with other my Fel

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(a) Chap. 17. (b) Phil. 4. 3.

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< low-Labourers, whofe Names are in the Book of "Life."

Both Ignatius and Dionyfius, are directly oppofite to our modern Romanifts, in that moft material Article of Salvation, the Administration of the Sacraments; teftifying the fame in both Kinds to be received of the People. The first fays exprefly, that, (a) " One Bread is broken unto

all, and one Cup diftributed unto all." And the fecond hath these Words, (b) "After the Minifter hath prayed "that he may holily diftribute, and that all they that are "to partake of the Sacrament may receive it worthily; "He breaks the Bread into many Pieces, and divides one "Cup amongst all." Again, the faid Ignatius delivers a quite contrary Doctrine to the prefent Church of Rome, concerning praying to Saints, directing all Invocation to God alone, in thefe words, (c) " O ve virgins have Christ "alone before your Eyes, and his Father in your Prayers, "being enlightened by the Spirit." And the aforefaid Dionyfius fpeaking of the Sacraments, is fo far from imagining any thing of Tranfubftantiation, or Corporeal Prefence therein, that he only lays, (d) By thofe reverend "Signs and Symbols, Chrift is fignified, and the faithful "made Partakers of him." So that he does not call, as the modern Romanifts do,the Miniftration of the holy Mysteries the facrificing of Chrift unto his Father, but a Typical or Symbolical Sacrifice; that is, a Figure or Sign of that great Sacrifice: And the fame Dionyfius, as Bellarmine confeffes,calls the Sacrament, even after Confecration, (e) an Anti-type, which is no more than to fay a figurative Reprefentation of Christ's Death.

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In the Second Century lived Ireneus,a Difciple of the great Polycarp, the Difciple of St. John the Evangelift;

(a) Ignat. Epift. ad Philadel. (b) Ecclef. Hier. Arch. Cap. 5. (c) ig. Epift. ad Philadelph. (d) Dio. 4. Eccl. Hier. Cap. 3. (e) Lib. 2. de Eucharift.

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