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pulo Romano collatis, quorum exempla ex Jofe pho alias dabimus. Nefcio enim qua ratione factum fit, ut pleraque illa decreta abfint ab editis Jofephi Exemplaribus, cum & in fcriptis libris & in verfione exftent antiqua, licet admodum "mutila *.

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That Fragment will be of no finall Use upon feveral Accounts.

This Book contains alfo feveral Emendations up on Suidas, from a Manufcript in the Publick Li brary of Leyden. I have already faid in one of my foregoing Papers, that M. Gronovius criticizes the Edition of that Author publifh'd by Dr. Kufter, and that the latter is preparing an Anfwer. It will be entituled, Editio Suide Cantabrigienfis, contra cavillationes Zoili Lugdunenfis.

* See also Ifaac Voffius in his Obfervations upon Ca tullus, pag. 313, 314,

ART.

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ARTICLE XLIV.

A VIEW OF THE PONTIFICATE, from its fuppofed Beginning to the End of the Council of Trent, A. D, 1563. In which the Corruptions of the Scripture and Sacred Antiquity, Forgeries in the Councils, and Encroachments of the Court of Rome on the Church and State, to Support their Infallibility, Supremacy, and other Modern Doctrines, are Set in a true Light. By LAURENCE HOWELL, A. M. London: Printed by John Nut: And Sold by John Pemberton at the Golden Buck against St. Dunstan's Church in Fleet-ftreet. MDCCXII. In 8vo. Pagg. 579.

THIS Book is a Sharp and Learned Invective. against the Court of Rome, and the Romish Clergy. A Work of this Nature can never come out at an unfeasonable Time. The Chriftian Religion is fo ftrangely corrupted and disfigured among the Roman Catholicks, that all Proteftants ought to be made fenfible of it, especially in thofe Countries where Popery is but imperfectly known by the Generality of the Inhabitants. Whoever reflects upon the State of Christianity in former Ages, and even in feveral large Kingdoms at this prefent Time, muft needs express a great Indignation against the Romish Cler

gy, whofe Ambition, Avarice, and Ignorance *, have Occafion'd fuch an Alteration in the Religion taught by Chrift and his Apoftles. Is it not a moft deplorable thing, that thofe very Men, appointed to preserve the Purity of the Gofpel, fhould have introduced fo many Corruptions? That thofe very Men, whofe Office it was to give a right Notion of Chriftianity, and to fupprefs Superftition whenever it began to appear, fhould have been the Authors of fo many Falfe Doctrines, and Superftitious Practices? That instead of feeding their Flocks, they fhould lord it over them? That Paftors fhould become perfect Tyrants In a Word, that they fhould have done fo little Good, and fo much Mischief?

No one can be more fenfible of what I have faid concerning the Church of Rome, than the Learned Author of this Book. He undertakes to fet in a true Light the Forgeries and Impoftures of the Romish Clergy, and makes this Judicious Reflection upon it. "Truth (Says he) never fhuns the Light, but will "bear the niceft Scrutiny; needs no Spurious Tracts nor Forged Legends to enforce it, and defpifes those

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mean Arts of corrupting Words, and distorting "the Senfe of Genuine Authority to fupport Inno❝vation". He obferves, That if the Roman Catholicks exercife their Reafon, they must renounce their Religion; that among the many remarkable Impresses of Truth the Church of England bears, it is one, That she does not blindfold her Profelytes, but leaves them the Ufe of their Faculties; and does not, by in truding on them an implicit Belief, force them

to

* Several Honest and Wife Clergymen have in all Ages exclaimed against the Ambition, Avarice, and Ignorance of the Clergy. See among other Books the Catalogus Teftium Veritatis.

t Perfecution is the worst Part of Popery, or rather the only Thing, that deferves to be fo called. And therefore thofe Proteftants, who approve Perfecution, are downright Papifts.

to lay down their Reafon, when they take up their Faith. Our Author adds, That we are highly concerned in Matters of Religion, "for the Truth of which we can

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appeal no whi her so safely, as to the Genuine Holy "Scriptures, and uncorrupted Antiquity. And yet both of thefe, in the feveral Popish Editions, are fo "ftuffed with Variations, Contradictions, Forgeries, "&c. that it is impoffible to come at the Truth by "them ".

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Certainly (continues the Author) nothing has fo "much contributed to the Difrefpect of the Chriftian Religion in general, as proftituting it to vile "fecular Purposes; which having once gained Foot"ing in the Church, made way for many Superftiti

ons to creep into her Worship. These were at"tended with many and dangerous Confequences ; "for when the Friends of the Pontificate had by a "vaft Train of forged Decretal Epiftles, Sham-Councils, and bafe Corruptions of the Holy Scripture, and the moft early Writers, fecured, and (as they thought) lodged the Supremacy in the Rifhop of "Rome, they caft about how to inveft him with "Temporal Power. This they were not long in do

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ing; for when they had in Matters of Truth and "Divine Wortbip, perfuaded, or rather awed, all within their Power into their Opinion, they had nothing to do but to triumph over that Part of Mankind, whofe Reason they had crippled and enflaved".

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Mr. Howel has made a vaft Collection of the Forgeries and Encroachments of the Court of Rome, and carries his Enquiries to the End of the Council of Trent. He fhews how the Holy Scripture and Antiquity have been corrupted by the Romish Clergy; how New Doctrines and Superftitious Practices have been in roduced at feveral times; and how the Clergy left nothing unattempted to fupport falfe Opipions, and the pretended Infallibility of the Church. I cannot give a particular Extract of a Book of this Na

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Nature, and therefore I fhall only confine my felf to fome few Paffages.

1. The Author begins with this remarkable Obfervation. "It would be difficult to refolve, whether the Church of Chrift hath fuffered more by "the Barbarity of Heathens, or by the unfaithful "Editions of the Councils ". He adds, that "the Ignorance of the Ancient Monks did not contri"bute more to the Darkness of those Times, than "the ftudied Corruptions and vile Contaminations "of the beft Authors have in later Days ".

2. Mr. Howel makes the following Remark upon the pretended Reluctancy of thofe, who were promoted to the See of Rome. "It is worth obferving, "(fays he) that all, or most of the Popes were "chofen with much Reluctancy, according to Anaἐσ ftafius: And though many of them have been "known to wade through Blood and Bribery to this "defirable Poft in the Church; yet they feemingly "fubmitted to a Sort of Holy Rape from the Peo26 ple upon their Elections ".

3. Our Author obferves, That in the Year 1073. feveral Synods met in Italy about the Married Clergy: They declared their Marriage to be a Concubinage; and Pope Gregory the VII. fent his Decree to the Council of Erford in Thuringia, importing, that all Clergymen fhould part with their Wives. Lambertus Schaffnaburgenfis (Chron. pag. 506.) informs us, that when that Decree was publifh'd, the Clergy exclaimed against it in very Emphatical Words. "The whole Clergy (fays that Hiftorian) ftrenu"oufly opposed this Decree, calling Gregory the VII. "downright Heretick and Madman, who had forgotten the Words of the Apostle, He that cannot contain himself, let him marry; for it is better to 66 marry than to burn; who by a violent Exaction "demanded from Men cloathed with Flesh and Blood to live the Life of Angels. And yet whilft

"he