General Remarks on Mr. L's Performance. 1. P. 190. H 10 91 E fays, his Defign was only to give a Summary View of the heart of the Caufe, without Excurfions; and rather to State the Cafe, than to Argue upon it. Let us fee with what fuftice, Charity, and Truth he hath done it. Of the Li II. P. 2. He tells his Lordship, that Invocation turgy. of Saints Prayers for Souls out of Purgatory; Publick Prayers not in the vulgar Tongue; Giving of the Sacrament in one kind, Pictures or kind, Pictures or Images of God in the Church; and Elevation of the Hoff, are all the Differences betwixt your publick Office and ours. If this be true,First, Proteftants Adore the Hoft: which he accounts amongst the Dregs of Popery, p. 109. Secondly, They offer it as a Propitiatory Sacrifice, for all the Sins of the World; as the Prieft does pro noftrâ & totius mundi Salute. Thirdly, The Offertory, and most of the Canon of the Mafs, might have been retain❜d in the Common-Prayer Book; as well as the Epistles, Gofpels and Prayers. Fourthly, The Sermon, is a Confiderable part of the Publick Office, which, in our two Churches, are very different. For, does Mr. L's Lord commonly Of Tran- hear in his Communion, that Tranfubftantiation fubftantia is a meer School-nicety, transform'd into an Article of Faith, by the Council of Trent, p. 141. For which there is no Argument in the World, but an an-intelligible fargon of Metaphyficks, på 150. Se sion. that T V that if Tranfubftantiation be true, there is nothing elfe in the World true, but it, p. 145? That the Holy Scripture, and the Legends, have the fame Foundation in the Church of Rome, that is, her ng T Authority; Therefore the Common People believe them both alike, and the Men of Senfe believe neither, p.159? That the Pope is the Fore-runner of Antichrift, p. 197? That the Church of Rome hath corrected, and alter'd the Fathers: and that the Scriptures had been purged too, but that they are fo common in the Hands of Proteftants, that it could not be done without manifest Detection, p. 131, 132? That, with us, Images and Reliques are strictly and properly means of Grace, p. 113? And that we have Ten thousand Sacraments, of our own Int vention, p. 160? That Supremacy is the only Article in our Creed, to be believ'd explicitly as for the others, Implicit will do for them all, that is, it is no matter, whether we believe them, or not, fo the Sovereignty of the Univerfal Bishop be maintain'd inviolably, p. 197, 198? That no Abfurdity fo great, no Text of Scripture (can be) Jo full and exprefs, to be too hard for this Infallibility of the Church of Rome, p. 91? That the Remedy we propofe, is to shut Reason quite out, to make ng more Use of it; to filence, to extinguish it, p. 2113 For, all thefe Modeft and Charitable Expreffions, coming from the Pen of no lefs a Man, than Mr. L. why may we not imagine that the fame Zeal may alfo reach the Pulpit, and Edifie the Ignorant with a Learned Declamation, against, the Religion of our. Fore-fathers? III. BUT that they may not all pafs unregarded. First, I have already fhewn, with utmost eftcem'd, by the Catholick Church an Article of Faith, Evidence, that Trance Wig D 2 many many Ages before either the Council of Trent, or the Reformation: and to this very Day the Schif matical Churches, both in the Eaft and South acknowledge it as fuch. Secondly, There were Of Legends Legends, as Mr. L. understands the word, that is, falfe and fabulous Writings, even in the Apoftles time, and foon after, under the very Names of the Apoftles. So St. Peter had his Acts, his Gofpel, his Revelation, a Book of Preaching, and another of Judgment: Befides his Voyages attributed to St. Clement. St. Paul had his Acts, his Gofpel, his Revelation, his Letters to Seneca, a fecond Epiftle to the Ephefians, a third to the Theffalonians, a third to the Corinthians, and One to thofe of Laodicea; and his Voyages with St. Thecla. Which (as (1) Tertullian and (2) St. Jerome relate) a Prieft of Afia writ amore Pauli, and being convicted by St. John Evangelift, of the Fait, was degraded for it. St. John had alfo his Acts, in which is a Miracle mention'd, of his changing Hay into Gold: Not to fpeak of Others. But that thefe old Legends had the Authority of the Apostles; or that thofe of a laterDate, have the Authority of the Church; is equally true. As to his unworthy Cenfure, of our Men of Senfe not believing the Scripture, I fhall only fay, that denying the Apoftles to have been Infallible, even in what they writ, is no Demonftration of the Strength of his Faith. Some alfo think that our Catholick Ancestors left greater Marks in our Nation, both of their Piety and Faith; then have appear'd in it of Corrup- fince the Reformation. 3. Corrupting the Fathers is ting the Fathers. (1) Lib. de Baptifmo, cap. 17. cap. J. Lib. de Viris Illuft. "In regals of talem to ride in pris: fibr. (1) abo d J. 'me call'd man Ca. abominable.But that there was nothing of this in the Cafe, I have one good Witness: If Mr. L. be fo. It feems a Spanish Inquifition, as he tells us in the Margin, out of their great Car, was for Correcting the Tables or Indexes of S. Ithanafius, and S. Auguftin. And thus he Exps the Bloody Fact, p. 131. Was there ever fo * * Borrow lefs a thing done by any Church, as to take upon them ing his to Correct and Alter the Fathers? It is plainly to from the Rhetorick, fifle the Evidence against themselves, and renders e- fhameless very thing at leaft Suspected, that they quote out of Author of them. And the Scriptures had been purg'd too, but a Pamphlet that they are fo Common in the Hands of Proteftants, Friendly that it could not be done without manifeft Detection. and SeafoWhat a Tranfport of Charity was this! But if nable AdMr. L. could find no difference, between the Ca- vice to tholick Church and the Inquifition at Madrid; 'tis the Roftrange he could not difcover any, between the tholicks, Fathers Works and their Indexes. Or, did he anno 1686. think the Fathers writ thefe ? Perhaps fo. Juft Edit. 4. P. as S. Paul writ Beza's Notes. However, all that 75. are not abfolutely Illiterate know, that both the Greek and Latin Fathers, particularly S. Athanafius and S. Auguftin, are fet forth by our Divines, with the greatest Fidelity that can be. So that Mr. L's Sufpicion is fomewhat like, Gentlemen, have a Care of the Fathers; They are dangerous Men! What he fays of the Scripture, is too foul to be anfwer'd. Altho I might tell him, that if our Church had been fo wicked, as to Corrupt either It, or the Fathers; She might have done it Securely, above a Thousand years before there were any Proteftants in the World to hinder her. 4. If the Sign of the Cross in Bap (') In Regulis ad Calcem Concilii Trid. impreffis, legitur, § 4. In Libris Catholicorum veterum, nihil mutare fas fit, nifi ubi aut fraude Hæreticorum, aut Typo, graphi Incuria manifeftus Error irrepferit. D 3 tifm; tifm; Grace before, and after Meat; and the Prayers of the Church be not Sacraments, Mr. L. muft rid us of feveral Sacraments, that is, of above nine thoufand nine hundred and ninetya pretty fufficient Number. But this, and the three Following Points came in, I fuppofe, for the fame Reafon: Because the Thoughts were new, * and would make a Figure.s! If the Bifhops of and pri Rome, fince a very little after S. Gregory's dead: mot ceafe, anno 604, have been the Fore-runners of boland Antichrift; they must, doubtless, have been of the Younger Family. For, St. John gave the Title long before to the firft Reformers, 1 St. John, chap 2. ver. 18, 19. Even now, fays he, -01592 to there are many Anti-chrifts. Whereby we know, -A s'ds that it is the laft Hour, yn oeg. They went out from us, but they were not of us. zicles, not 11 -08 5:1 4. CONCERNING Articles of Faith, defined Trent. Art by the Council of Trent (which to Chime with 20 Con- the Apoftes Greed, he reckons Twelve tho deffed Arch-Bifhop Laud fays we have about an hundred only. in mattens of Doctrine; and if the Scripture and its IF foI may well Conclude, he hath not met with any Catholicks yet. The knowledge indeed of all reveal'd Truths, is no more neceffary for every Man's Salvation, than the knowledge of the whole Bible. But, is there no more required for the Historical Parts of Scripture,or the Miracles of Chrift, but only that we should not deny or oppofe them? Is no inward Affent to be given, when |