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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 Popith Tenets are contrary thereunto. But fince our Adverfaries, with equal Affurance and Fa fhood, boast, so 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 moft 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 Apostles, 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 Apostles, 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 Ministry, (b) "With Clement alfo, and with other my Fel

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

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Both Ignatius and Dionyfius, are directly oppofite to our modern Romanifts, in that moft material Article of Salvation, the Adminiftration of the Sacraments; teftifying the fame in both Kinds to be received of the People. The firft fays exprefly, that, (a) " One Bread is broken unto all, and one Cup diftributed unto all." And the fecond hath thefe Words, (b) After the Minifter hath prayed "that he may holily distribute, 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 these words, (c) "O ye 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 Romanists do,the Ministration of the holy Myfteries 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.

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

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

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who was ordain'd by him Bishop of Smyrna ; and after the Decease of this Apostle, esteem'd Head of the Churches of Afia. (a) Now this ancient Author undertaking to deliver a Summary of Chriftianity, layeth down no other Articles of Faith, nor Grounds of Religion, than what are ge nerally by us received: So likewife Tertullian, almost, if not altogether his Co-temporary, (b) gives the fundamental Points of Religion gathered out of the Scriptures, the very fame which our Church delivers, and no other, for the Rule of Faith. But to come to particular Instances.

As to the Scripture's Sufficiency and the Canon thereof.

Ireneus faith, (c) "The Holy Scriptures are perfect, "as being dictated by the Word and Spirit of God." And accordingly was his Practice, as Erafmus in his Preface to his Works obferves. "Irenaus, fays he, fought against "the Troops of Herefy, only with the Forces and Strength " of Scripture. This is quite contrary to the blafphemous Tenets and Writings of our modern Romanists, who accufe the Scripture of Imperfection, and bring in unwritten Traditions to fupply its Defects in the Church; and maintain that thofe they call Hereticks, are to be refuted and filenced, folely by the Authority of the Church and Secular Force. So likewife as to the Canon of the Scriptures, Melito, Bishop of Sardis, living in the fame fecond Age, being defired by Onefimus, to fend him a Catalogue of the Books of the Old Teftament, returns only the Names of thofe generally receiv'd for canonical, without making any

(a) Lib. 1. Chap. 2, 3. (b) Adver. Haret. Chap. 13. (c) Lib. 2. Cap. 47.

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mention of Judith, Tobit, &c, (a) Yet profeffeth that he made very diligent Search to fet down a perfect Canon thereof; which is confefs'd by Bellarmine, who fays, (b) Many of the Ancients, as namely Melito, did follow only the Hebrew Canon, in which these books called Apocry phal are not reckoned.

In the third Age, Origen faith thus, (c) "In the "two Teftaments, every Word that appertaineth to God, "may be required and difcuffed, and all Knowledge of "Things may be understood." And in his Expofition on the first Pfalm, He fays, " We may not be ignorant that "there are only two and twenty Books of the Old Tef"tament," which is likewise attefted by Eufebius in these Words: (d)" Origen as he received the Canon of the "Jews, fo likewife he rejected thofe Books which we "term Apocryphal as the Jews do.

In the fourth Age, Athanafius faith; (e) " The "Holy Scriptures given by Inspiration of God, are of "themselves all-fufficient for Inftruction and the Disco"very of Truth.

St. Hilarie (f) affures us that in his Days, "the Word of "God did fuffice the Believers; Yea, what is there, fays "he, concerning Man's Salvation that is not contained in "the Words of the Evangelifts? What wants the Scrip"ture? What Obfcurity is there in it? Verily none at all, but all full and perfect, as proceeding from the Fountain "of Fulness, and Author of all Perfection."

St. Bazil περὶ πίςεως, "It is a manifeft falling from the "Faith, and an Argument of Arrogance, either to reject any Point of thofe things that are written, or to bring "in any thing that is not written.

(a) Eufeb. Lib.4. Cap. 26. (b) Bell. de Verb. Dei, Lib, 1. Cap. 20. (c) Orin. in Levit. Hom. 5. Tom. 1. (d) Lib. 6. Cap. 24. (e) Ath.Orat. cont. Gent. Tom. 1. (f) De Trinit. Lib. 2.

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St. Gregory Nyffen, layeth this for a Ground which no Man fhould contradict; that " therein only Truth must be acknowledged wherein the Seal of Scripture Teftimony "is to be feen.

The Council of Laodicea, held about the Year of our Lord 368. reckoning up the Books that were to be accounted canonical Scripture, mention not the Maccabees, Ecclefiafticus, Judith, and other Apocryphal Books; which is a Demonstration that then they were not re ceived.

Concerning the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper.

In the fecond Century, Clemens Alexandrinus tells us, (a) "Our Lord did blefs Wine, when he faid, « take, drink, this is my Blood, the Blood of the Vine.” And Justin Martyr, another Author of this Age; in his fecond Apology, towards the End, gives his Vote, That, "The Bread and Wine, even that fanctified Food, "wherewith our Blood and Flesh, by Converfion, are "nourished, is that which we are taught to be the "Flesh and Blood of Jefus, &c." So that in their Conftruction, it was Bread and Wine ftill, which Chrift called his Body: It was Bread in Substance, Material Bread; but the Body of our Lord in Signification and Sacramental Relation. And, indeed, the Conceit of Transubstantiation was not hatcht till many hundred Years after. Nor did they, in thofe Days, deny the Cup to the Laity, for Juftin Martyr, in the faid fecond Apology, fpeaking of the Manner of their Admi

(a) Pedagog. Lib. 2.Cap. 20

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