Misrepresenter still he lets fly at the Principles of his Adversary and undertakes out of his grand concern for the Protestant Interest to shew our Divines that this Gentleman was one who for all his Pretences in their behalf really endeavour'd to set up Popery in Masquerade And to this end came out a formal Piece called 3. A Letter from a Dissenter to the Divines of the Church of England in order to a Vnion But to the great surprize of this Gentleman his Adversary who it seems was as well acquainted with Henry Hill's Press as Natalis Alexander's history and by a sort of Beauties so essential to the Representer that do what he can he is not able to disguise himself presently found out what an Ass was crept into the Lyon's Skin And to let the whole World see what an honest fair dealer this Representer is he quickly gave an account of it in Print in his Answer to the Pamphlet Intituled 4. a Vindication of the Principles of the Author of the Answer to the Compiler of the Nubes Testium from the Charge of Popery In Answer to a late pretended Letter from a Dissenter to the Divines of the Church of England To this I do not know that the Representer has yet replied But in defence of his Nubes Testium we have an Answer that every way befits the Character of its Author It is call'd 5. The Primitive Fathers no Protestants Or a Vindication of Nubes Testium from the Cavils of the Answerer And that has produced us another Defence viz. 6. The Primitive Fathers no Papists In Answer to the Vindication of the Nubes Testium To which is added an Historical Discourse concerning Invocation of Saints in Answer to the Challenge of Father Lewis Sabran the Jesuit And here it was thought this Controversy would have ended till the other day the Representer peept out with his Defence of one Chapter of his Nubes Testium which I have already mentioned under this Title The Popes Supremacy Asserted To which an Answer will be shortly in the Press And here this Debate might have ended had not a short Postscript at the Close of the first Answer to the Nubes Testium engaged our Worthy Author in a new Quarrel with Father Sabran a Jesuit and who is now grown more famous in the World from his New Antagonist the Protestant Footman who as we have before observed undertook the Defence of the Reverend Master of the Temple from such pitiful Cavils as indeed were not worth the while of the Learned Man himself to take notice of and are abundantly answer'd by his new and more proper Antagonist In his Sermon before the King at Chester this Jesuit told his Majesty and the Auditory that he follow'd the advice of St. Austin when he recommended himself to the Blessed Virgins Intercession and advised them to do the same And for this quotes his Thirty-fifth Sermon de Sanctis Upon this there began a hot Debate in Letters betwixt F. Sabran and the Answerer concerning this Authority of St. Austin and at last from a particular Passage rose up to a General Point of the Practice of the Primitive Church as to the Invocation of Saints The Pieces themselves may be consulted in this Order 1. A Letter to a Peer of the Church of England clearing a Point in a Sermon Preach'd at Chester in Answer to a Postscript joyned unto the Answer to Nubes Testium 2. A Letter to Father Lewis Sabran Jesuit in Answer to his Letter to a Peer of the Church of England c. 3. A Reply of Lewis Sabrand of the Society of Jesus to the Answer given to his Letter written to a Peer of the Church of England c. 4. A Second Letter to Father Lewis Sabran Jesuit in Answer to his Reply And here the Controversy about St. Austin's Sermon was either ended or dropt the Jesuit being now ferretted by the Second Letter out of all his starting holes But Mr. G. in his Primitive Fathers no Papists taking into Consideration a Challenge which the Jesuit had made him in one of his Letters about Invocation published an Historical Discourse to prove that Invocation of Saints was neither the Doctrine nor the Practice of the Primitive Fathers Upon this the Jesuit begun again after having taken a little breath and in a whole Sheet undertakes to answer that large Historical Account with this Title 5. The Challenge of Father Lewis Sabran made out against the Historical Discourse concerning Invocation of Saints To which Mr. G. very soon after replied in 6. A Third Letter to Father Lewis Sabrah Jesuit Wherein the Defence of his Challenge concerning Invocation of Saints is Examin'd and Confuted In this Letter Mr. G. made such Discoveries of the strange Disingenuity and confident Ignorance of the Jesuit that he was resolved to rid his Hands of such an Adversary as had neither Learning nor Good-manners and therefore told him in the Conclusion of his Letter that he would trouble himself no more with answering such an Adversary Upon this the Jesuit whose only stock is Confidence being turn'd off by his Learned Adversary was forc'd to address his next Reply to a Third Person and pitcht upon Mr. Needham because he had Licensed Mr. G's Third Letter to him and directed a Letter to him with this Title 7. A Letter to Dr. William Needham In Answer to the Third Letter by him Licensed Written to Father Lewis Sabran of the Society of Jesus To which Mr. G. did finally Reply in an Address to the Jesuit's Superiors and this it 's supposed will end this Controversy it is call'd 8. A Letter to the Superiors whether Bishops or Priests which approve or License the Popish Books in England particularly to those of the Jesuits Order concerning Lewis Sabrah a Jesuit And all these Engagements the first Answer to the Nubes Testium produced But tho we now quit our Author yet we must not therefore leave the Subject For about the same time that the former Answer appeared another Learned Person of our Church began to consider it by Parts in several Letters to a Person of Quality And the Account of which I will now give as far as the Pieces are come to my Knowledg The first that appeared was called 1. The Antiquity of the Protestant Religion With an Answer to Mr. Sclater 's Reasons and the Collections made by the Author of the Pamphlet intituled Nubes Testium In a Letter to a Person of Quality The first Part. The next he Entituled 2. The Antiquity of the Protestant Religion concerning Images With an Answer to the Collections made by the Author of the Pamphlet Intituled Nubes Testium In a Letter to a Person of Quality The 2d Part. What Notice has been taken of the former of these I am not able to say but the latter has produced us an Answer Entituled 3. A Discourse of the Use of Images in relation to the Church of England and the Church of Rome in Vindication
our Language Accordingly we find it to have been publish'd some time since under the Title of A Treatise of Communion under One Kind Now however it might have been sufficient for us to have follow'd their Example in translating that most accurate Answer of the late Monsieur Larrogue to it yet one of our Divines was content to give it a new Consideration in an excellent Book called A Discourse of the Communion in One Kind In Answer to a Treatise of the Bishop of Meaux of Communion c. And here this Flourish ended The Translator whoever he was of the Bishop's Treatise looking upon himself to be no more obliged to defend it against his English Adversary than the Bishop thought himself to be to vindicate it against the Attack of his French Antagonists But tho this Controversie proceeded no farther yet the Subject has been lately again revived by a very Learned Hand who having searched throughly into Antiquity as to this Point has given us an accurate Collection called A Demonstration that the Church of Rome and her Councils have erred by shewing that the Councils of Constance Basil and Trent have in all their Decrees touching Communion in one Kind contradicted the received Doctrine of the Church of Christ III. Of Transubstantiation Of TRANSUBSTANTIATION And now having cleared the way of all other Debates touching this Holy Sacrament we are at last arrived to the great Point in dispute betwixt us the Doctrine of Transubstantiation But how to dispose of my self in so copious a Subject and upon which so many Books have been written is hard to resolve I have already remarked what has passed on the occasion of the Discourse of Transubstantiation the first that began this Debate The next that gave occasion to the revival of this Controversie was the Author of the Dublin Letter who being answered by the Representer in his Second Part cap. 3. a learned man of our Communion made good his Party in an excellent Discourse which he calls Transubstantiation no Doctrine of the Primitive Fathers being a Defence of the Dublin Letter c. And that no pretence to Antiquity might remain unconsidered as to this matter the same Learned Hand has since obliged us with a full view of all that can reasonably be desired from the Primitive Fathers as to this matter viz. A Full Vew of the Doctrines and Practices of the Ancient Church relating to the Eucharist wholly different from those of the present Roman Church and inconsistent with the belief of Transubstantiation c. 2. A 2d sort of Discourses there have pass'd on this Argument in which our Adversaries of the Roman Communion have made it their business to prove the Doctrine of the Trinity to be as full of Contradictions as that of Transubstantiatiom But whether this be more likely to make us Papists or Socinians to believe the Doctrine of Transubstantiation or to disbelieve that of the Trinity I shall not determine However our Divines have resolved to shew that there is no manner of reason for them to do either and the Tracts that have been published on this Occasion are especially these On the Popish Part. A Dialogue between a New Catholic Convert and a Protestant concerning the Doctrines of the Trinity and Transubstantiation On Our Part. 1. An Answer to a late Dialogue between a new Catholic Convert and a Protestant c. 2. A Second Dialogue between a New Catholic Convert and a Protestant shewing why He cannot believe the Doctrine of Transubstantiation tho' he do firmly believe the Doctrine of the Trinity 3. The Doctrine of the Trinity and Transubstantiation compared as to Scripture Reason and Tradition In a new Dialogue between a Protestant and a Papist In 2. Parts 4. Transubstantiation contrary to Scripture or the Protestant's Answer to the Seeker's Request 3. Other Discourses there have been in great numbers on both sides as to this Point and it shall suffice only to transcribe the Names of them Popish Tracts concerning Transubstantiation 1. A Seeker's Request to Catholic Priests and Protestant Ministers for satisfying his Conscience in the Truth of what he ought to believe of the Lords-Supper 2. The Catholic Answer to the Seeker's Request 3. The Catholic Letter to the Seeker Protestant Treatises against Transubstantiation 1. A Plain Representation of Transubstantiation as it is received in the Church of Rome 2. The Absolute Impossibility of Transubstantiation demonstrated 3. An Historical Treatise of Transubstantiation 4. A Paraphrase with Notes and a Preface upon the 6th Chapter of St. John. 5. A Brief Discourse of the Real Presence 6. The School of the Eucharist 7. Six Conferences concerning Transubstantiation 8. The Protestant's Answer to the Seeker's Request 9. The Protestant's Answer to the Catholic Letter to the Seeker Or A Vindication of the Protestant's Answer to the Seeker's Request To which we may add two Books written indeed long since by two eminent Bishops of this Church but thought fit to be Reprinted again since Mr. W's attempts from Oxford about the Real Presence The First is 10. A Brief Declarationn of the Lord's Supper written by Dr. Nicholas Ridley Bishop of London during his Imprisonment With some Determinations and Disputations concerning the same Argument by the same Author 11. Diallacticon Viri Boni Literati c. I mention this Book Of the Notes of the Church tho a Latin one because it is a very excellent Discourse written by Dr. John Poynet Bishop of Winchester in Edward VI's days and was very rarely to be met with till this Reprinting of it SECT VI. Another Subject which has open'd a large field to Disputes between us and has accordingly been frequently insisted upon is the CHURCH with reference to the Marks and Nature and Prerogatives of it I. Of the NOTES of the Church HE must be very little acquainted with the late Methods made use of by those of the Church of Rome in propagating their Religion among us who knows not this to have been all along their great Endeavour to fly as much as possible all particular Disputes and keep themselves within the general Notions of the Church That so applying whatever is or is pretended to have been said of the Church Catholic to their own particular Communion they might more easily deceive unwary and ignorant Men. But in this too as well as in all other Points in debate they have not fail'd to meet enough to encounter their Pretences And to the End it might be better seen how vain a Pretence it is in them to call themselves Catholics and their Church the Catholic Church as if in the words of the Prophet they were alone Isa xlv 6. and there were none besides them One of the first Controversies to be remark'd in this Point is that of the NOTES of the CHVRCH and upon which they undertake to shew theirs exclusive to all others to be the Catholic Church of Christ Militant upon Earth The former part of the State
Imprimatur Liber cui Titulus A Continuation of the Present State of the Controversie between the Church of England and the Church of Rome Junii 7. 1688. H. Maurice RR. in Christo P. D. Wilhelmo Archiep. Cant. a Sacr. A CONTINUATION OF THE Present State OF THE CONTROVERSY BETWEEN THE CHURCH of ENGLAND AND THE CHURCH OF ROME BEING A Full ACCOUNT of the BOOKS that have been of late Written on Both Sides The Second Edition LONDON Printed for Ric. Chiswell at the Rose and Crown in St. Paul's Church-yard MDCLXXXVIII TO THE VERY REVEREND and WORTHY THE AUTHORS OF THE DISCOURSES here Collected IN Defence of the Church of ENGLAND GENTLEMEN AFter so much Pains as you have taken and so much Good as by the Blessing of God on your Endeavours you have done to that Church of which I esteem it my happiness that I am a Member may it be permitted to a private and obscure hand to return you this small Tribute in acknowledgment of that Sense which not my self alone but I dare say every single person of our Communion has of what we all owe to your Learning and your Integrity I present you here with a short view of your own Labours or rather I offer to the World a small Collection of those Discourses you have written in Defence of our Religion And how unsuitable soever it may appear to usher a few Titles of Books into the World under the protection of so many great Names yet I am confident the Consequence of this Undertaking cannot but be as Honourable to you all as I heartily wish it may and as I am sure it ought to be When it shall be consider'd how vast a Number and of what acurate and learned Discourses is here comprised and for almost all which we are in the compass of about Three Years indebted to you It is indeed a matter of just wonder to all those who are acquainted with your method of living here how persons engaged not only in a laborious attendance on their Parochial Cures and a constant return of painful and acurate Preaching but almost utterly distracted with that multitude of other Business which in these last Years has taken up the greatest part of your time should yet find leisure to discharge all these and at the same time to adorn the Press with so many Books as might alone have seemed more than enough to have employ'd your whole Industry But blessed be God who has raised you up against such a time as this and given us so great an Earnest of his Favour to us that as we had never more need of Able and Honest and Firm Guides than at this day so I may venture to challenge any Age of the Church to shew such a Number of truly Learned and Pious and constant Pastors as the Church of England and especially this City do's now abound with May your Labours and your Examples always find such a success as they deserve and as they have of late met with amongst us And since we cannot now have any excuse for our Apostacy should we renounce our Holy Prosession after so much as you have done to convince even the most ignorant Persons amongst us of the Truth and Purity of it may we ever firmly adhere both to you and it That when we shall appear before the Great Bishop and Pastor of our Souls we may all of us give up our Accounts with joy This as it is my hearty Wish so I am perswaded it is the sincere Resolution of every one of those whom God has committed to your Care. And that in this Firmness we may be all of us established more and more shall be the continual Prayer of him who in all thankful Duty will ever remain GENTLEMEN Your Most Humble and Obedient Servant TO THE READER AS for those who shall please to peruse this Treatise I have but very little to premise to them They will here see an Exact Collection as far as I was able to make it of the Controversie on both sides between our Divines and those of the Church of Rome And in that the Victory of Truth over Error Never certainly was any Cause more entirely baffled than the Popish is at this time Never was a Controversie more fully handled and that in such a manner as to instruct even the meanest Capacities than This has been in these last years Insomuch that now there is scarce a person amongst us so ignorant that is not able to make a Stand against the rudest Attacques of our Adversaries Nay our very Footmen esteem themselves and I think have satisfied the World that they are not mistaken an equal match for Jesuits i. e. for those who would at least be thought the most able Men of their Party and dropt down from Heaven on purpose to oppose the Growth of Protestant Heresie What others may judg of this I cannot tell But for my part I cannot but from thence conclude That certainly the Hand of God is with us for Good. And that He who has given us this Opportunity to understand the Weaknesses and Deceits of our Enemies and endu'd us with so great and general a Resolution never upon any Account whatsoever to depart from our most Holy Religion will also crown all our future Endeavours with such a Success that the Generations to come shall rise up and call us Blessed When they shall see our Firmness and our Labours in the Lord and receive from our hands that pure and uncorrupted Truth which I am persuaded those excellent Treatises I here mention shall deliver down even to the very End of the World. THE CONTENTS THE Occasion and Design of this Continuation Page 1 The Whole Divided into II. Generals Page 2 FIRST PART Of the Cases against Popery begun in the late King's Time. ib. The Catalogue of them reduced to the following Heads 1. Preliminary Discourses Page 2 3 2. Of the Church Page 4 3. Of the Rule of Faith. Page 5 4. Of Particular Points ib. An Account of the Disputes that have arisen on the Occasion of the Discourse against Transubstantiation Page 8 SECOND PART Of the Discourses that have been publish'd in Defence of the Church of England since the Time of His Present Majesty With an Account of the Popish Treatises that occasioned them Page 9 These reduted to the several following Heads SECT I. Of the REPRESENTING Controversie The Papist Represented and Misrepresented Page 10 The Bishop of Condom's Exposition Page 12 Good Advice to the Pulpits Page 16 And the Disputes occasioned by these Treatises SECT II. Of the pretended Agreement between the Church of England and the Church of Rome Page 17 SECT III. Of the Disputes concerning the Holy EUCHARIST 1. Real Presence Page 19. 2. Communion in One kind Page 20 3. Transubstantiation Page 22 SECT IV. Of the Disputes concerning the CHURCH Page 25 1. Of the Notes of the Church Page 26 2. Of the Unity and Authority of the Church Page 27 3. Of
Late Worthy and Learned Author of the Defence of the State and View of the Controversie before mentioned II. The Expounding Controversie It was not long after the beginning of this that the better to promote the same design another Engagement of the like kind was set on foot under the Title of An Exposition of the Doctrine of the Catholick Church in matters of Controversie I need not say that this piece was Originally written in French and published many years since by the Bishop then of Condom now of Meaux The prosecution that has been made of this matter in the Books that have been published on both sides have given a very large Account of this to the world and what is farther necessary for the understanding of the design of it may be seen already set down in the former part of the * Pag. 15 16. Present State of the Controversie I will therefore only perfect the catalogue of what has past in this Enterprize also on both sides by adding to that already given those other Treatises that have been publish'd since the former State was sent abroad 1. An Answer to the Bishop of Condom's Exposition c. with Reflections upon his Pastoral Letter And concerning which I shall observe only what was before remarked That to this day no attempt has been made of returning one word in Answer to it 2. An Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England in the several Articles proposed by the Bishop of Condom in his Exposition of the Doctrine of the Catholick Faith. To this in a little time came out an Answer Intituled 3. A Vindication of the Bishop of Condom 's Exposition with a Letter from the said Bishop And to that not long after a Reply called 4. A Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England against the Exceptions of the Bishop of Condom and his Vindicator And here this Controversie rested for some time and it was by many supposed would have ended But at last both the Bishop and his Vindicator resolved once more to venture into the world and so after a long expectation an Answer was published to this last Treatise viz. 5. A Reply to the Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England With a Second Letter from the Bishop of Meaux To this there have been two Treatises already returned and we may in some time expect a Third to be added to them as soon as the Author has discharged himself of a new ‖ O. W's Appendix in answer to the Discourse of the real Presence and Adoration of the Host Adversary which has since attacked Him on another account The Vindicator it is hoped will not think much of a little delay in this matter especially since I am Commissioned to promise him that let Him make what hast he will the last Part shall be got ready for Him before He has finished any reasonable Answer to those already published If it be enquired here Wherefore this last Defence was divided into so many Parts I presume this account may be given of it That the Vindicator having run his Answer into a greater length than the ordinary rate of these Discourses usually allows of either no just Reply must have been made to it which our Expositor was unwilling they should be able to object to Him Or if there were He thought it would be much more acceptable to the world as well as less burdensome to Himself to publish his Answer at several times than to be opprest with so large a Volume as it would have amounted to all together What is already finished will be found under these Titles 6. A Second Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England against the new Exceptions of Monsieur de Meaux and His Vindicator Part I. In which the Account that has been given of the Bishop of Meaux 's Exposition is fully Vindicated the dictinction of Old and New Popery Historically Asserted and the Doctrine of the Church of Rome in point of Image-Worship more particularly consider'd Part II. In which the Romish Doctrines concerning the Nature and Object of Religious Worship Of the Invocation of Saints and Worship of Images and Reliques are consider'd and the Charge of Idolatry made Good against those of the Church of Rome upon the Account of them And thus far our Expositor has carried his Reply whilst the Second of these Parts was writing the Vindicator attacked the First according to their Modern way of Controversie in a sheet and half yet call'd it A Full Answer to the Second Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England in a Letter to the Defender But the Author of the View of the Controversie being at that time engaged in a Reply to the Representer and finding some congruity that the Answer to both of them should come out together for the reasons given in the Preface to His Treatise the Defender was left at liberty to go on with his design and yet the Vindicator not suffered to complain for want of Consideration The Reply I have in part mention'd before but I will now give the Title of it at its full length An Answer to the Representer's Reflections upon the State and View of the Controversie With a Reply to the Vindicator's Full Answer shewing That the Vindicator has utterly ruined the new design of Expounding and Representing Popery III. Having now given account of those two principal Controversies that have of late been carried on among us of Expounding and Representing the Points in debate betwixt us and the Church of Rome I cannot better close this Point than with this remark That in a very little time after the Bishop of Condom's Exposition was set forth by the Vindicator we were also obliged with the Translation of another of that Prelate's Pieces called A Pastoral Letter to the New Converts of his Diocess It is not necessary to say that the Bishop in this Piece pursued still the design of his Exposition That has been already shewn in the Answer to it which I before remarked at the end of the other Reply that was made to His Exposition and which still continues Unanswered That which has made more Noise is his open declaring to the New Converts of his Diocess that they knew there had been no such thing as a Persecution in France And the falseness and unsincerity of which declaration has been sufficiently exposed both in the former part of the ‖ Pag. 22. Sec. Defence Answer to the Bishops Letter State of the Controversie and in the second Defence of the Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England And thither I shall remit those that desire to inform themselves more particularly of this matter IV. Good Advice to the Pulpits I should here have dismissed this Argument had not the great Misrepresenter that began this Point lately pursued it in a new Undertaking and of which
of Nubes Testium To which our Author has replied in 4. A Third Letter to a Person of Quality being a Vindication of the former in Answer to a late Pamphlet Intituled A Discourse of the Vse of Images And to that in pursuance of his First Design has lately added a Fourth which he calls 5. A Fourth Letter to a Person of Quality being an Historical Account of the Doctrine of the Sacrament from the Primitive times to the Council of Trent shewing the Novelty of Transubstantiation To conclude this Head I shall only add one General Discourse on this Subject which I have before mention'd and can never name too often viz. Of the Authority of Councils and the RULE of FAITH SECT VIII Of the Nature of Idolatry Having hitherto pursu'd the business of the Rule of Faith and the Treatises that have been publish'd on the Occasion of it we will now go on to the more special Examinations that have been made by both these Rules viz. Scripture and Tradition of the particular Points in debate betwixt us And because I have just now mention'd some such Examinations of the two great Rocks of offence to us The Worship of Images and the Invocation of Saints it may not be amiss first of all to see what has been further done upon these Arguments and the other instances of what we esteem The IDOLATRY of the Church of Rome THere is perhaps nothing in all our Disputes with those of the other Communion which they so unwillingly care to enter on as this They look upon the very Name of it to be a kind of Reproach to them and would be thought as heartily as we our selves can desire to detest the Guilt of it But yet 't is too evident to be deny'd that our Charge is very justly brought against them and by consequence that it ought not to be doubted but that our Separation from them must have been most reasonable if it can indeed be made appear as we are perswaded we have plainly shewn that we could not have continued in their Communion without joyning with them in the Practice of one of the greatest of Sins viz. Idolatry But before we come to the Particulars in which this Charge is brought against them it is fit we should first state the general Notion of IDOLATRY and this has been effectually done but very lately The Reverend the Bishop of Oxon having in a Treatise which he published for the abrogating of the Test and Penal Laws given us just occasion to do so This Book is so well known and the Answer to it was so lately published that I shall not need say any thing more of either but only add their Titles which are these viz. 1. Reasons for Abrogating the Test 2. A Discourse concerning the Nature of Idolatry In which a late Author's true and only notion of Idolatry is consider'd and Confuted I must not forget to observe also that the Bishop in his Tract pretending to give a new and very strange Account of the Romish Doctrine of Transubstantiation that part of his Book received two particular Considerations the one in the Preface to the Reverend Dean of Paul's Book Entituled The Council of Trent examined and disproved by Catholic Tradition The other in a Learned Discourse under this Title 3. Transubstantiation the Peculiar Doctrine of the Church of Rome I am told we owe this Book to a very ingenious Nonconformist and as we cannot but thank him for the Discourse he has given us so he deserves to be thanked for his design of answering the other part of the Bishop's Book about the Nature of Idolatry in which he was prevented as I am told by the other Discourse about the Nature of Idolatry coming out while that good design was under his hands I cannot but wish that our Brethren had begun sooner to assist us in such a large Controversie as we have been obliged to manage and that others amongst them would follow the Example which this Learned Author has so worthily set before them Another Writer hath given us a very ingenious short Answer to both parts of the Bishop's Book and calls it 4. A Discourse concerning Transubstantiation and Idolatry being an Answer to the Bishop of Oxford's Plea relating to those two Points As for the particular Instances wherein we make good this charge of Idolatry against them I have before mentioned that of the ADORATION of the HOST See above Page 6. 19. and the Discourses that have been published on that Argument The two Points remaining and of which something was said under the last Head are the WORSHIP of IMAGES and the INVOCATION of Saints I. Of the WORSHIP of IMAGES Upon which Point Of the Worship of Images besides the two Letters written in Answer to the Nubes Testium the following Discourses have also been set forth viz. 1. The Fallibility of the Roman Church demonstrated from the manifest Error of the second Nicene and Trent Councils which assert That the Veneration and Honorary Worship of Images is a Tradition Primitive and Apostolical 2. A Discourse concerning the second Council of Nice which first introduced and established Image-Worship in the Christian Church Anno Domini 787. For the other Point II. The INVOCATION of SAINTS Many Discourses have been Published and a full account given of this Matter and if we may judge by the slender Returns that have been made to them Of the Invocation of Saints little is to be said in Vindication of this Superstition The Treatises that I have seen are these that follow 1. Speculum B. Virginis A Discourse of the due Praise and Honour of the Virgin Mary 2. A Discourse concerning the Worship of the Blessed Virgin and the Saints with an Account of the Beginning and Rise of it among Christians in Answer to Monsieur de Meaux 's Appeal to the ivth Age in his Exposition and Pastoral Letter 3. Wholesom Advices from the B. Virgin to her indiscreet Worshippers This Piece was only a Translation which an Ingenious Lay-man of our Church put into English and set a large Preface before it To this the Catholic Representer gave an Attack in the 4th Chapter of his Second Part and thereby obliged our Author to make a smart Reply upon him called A Letter to the Misrepresenter of Papists 4. An Account of the Life and Death of the B. Virgin according to the Romish Writers with the Grounds of the Worship paid to her 5. The Life of S. Mary Magdalene of Pazzi a Carmelite Nun with a Preface of the Nature Causes Concomitants and Consequences of Extasie and Rapture and a brief Discourse added about discerning and trying Spirits whether they be of God. 6. An Abridgment of the Prerogatives of S. Ann Mother of the Mother of God. 7. The Enthusiasm of the Church of Rome demonstrated in some Observations upon the Life of Ignatius Loyola 8. The Virgin Mary Misrepresented by the Roman Church c. Part I. Wherein Two of her
Protestant Resolved Or a Discourse shewing the Unreasonableness of his turning Roman Catholic for salvation 19. A Discourse wherein is held forth the Opposition of the Doctrine Worship and Practices of the Roman Church to the Nature Designs and Characters of the Christian Faith. 20. Two short Discourses against the Romanists by Mr. Dodwell Cambden Professor in the University of Oxford 21. An Answer to a Discourse concerning the Celibacy of the Clergy printed at Oxford 22. A Letter to a Lady furnishing Her with Scripture Testimonies against the principal Points and Doctrines of Popery In return to the last of these Discourses Father Darrell the Jesuit has been pleased to set out a Single Half Sheet which he calls A Letter to a Lady wherein he desires a Conference with the Gentleman who writ Her that Letter This is indeed a new way of answering Books and becoming the busie assuming spirit of that Society One would wonder after so little Success as they have hitherto met with in these Encounters what should move this Reverend Father to be so forward to come into the same List with Goodwin Pulton and a few others of the same Character For tho abundance of Noise in a Conference and of Misrepresentation after may help out a weak Cause and an Illiterate Defender of it when they are sure before-hand of the person for whose sake it is held yet methinks they should be more wary than to run upon such Hazards where in all probability they are not like either to gain their Proselyte or to have the opportunity of these kind of Subterfuges to assist them However tho I have neither the Honour to know the Lady or the Author of that Letter yet for this good Father's satisfaction I will venture for once to promise him That if her Ladyship does desire it not only the Author of that Letter will be ready to meet him but to shew how willing we are to encourage a hopeful Design let him chuse his Gownman between Blackwall and Hide-park Corner and I dare say there is not one among them all that on this or any other occasion will decline to shew him how little reason he has for his forwardness I am now hastning to an End of this Vndertaking and I think I cannot better finish it than with a short Account of a Controversie which made no small Noise in the World between the Reverend Dr. Tenison and Father Pulton the Jesuit About Michaelmas last they met at a House in Long-Acre on the acount of a Boy whom Mr. Pulton had perverted from our Religion Great things were presently talked as usual on such occasions concerning this Conference and the Papists fail'd not to boast of a mighty Conquest made over the Doctor This forced him to resolve on a Publication of what passed tho otherwise as little fit as designed to be communicated to the world Each Party set forth his own Account and first Mr. Pulton his in two Books called 1. A true Account of the Conference c. 2. A true and full Account of a Conference held about Religion between Dr. Thomas Tenison and A. Pulton one of the Masters in the Savoy Dr. Tenison's was Entituled 3. A true account of a Conference held about Religion at London Sept. 29. 1687. between A. Pulton Jesuit and Thomas Tenison D. D. This was followed on the Jesuit's part with a new Discourse called 4. Remarks of A. Pulton upon Dr. Thomas Tenison 's late Narrative with a Confutation of the Doctor 's Rule of Faith and Reply to A. Cressener 's pretended Vindication To which Dr. Tenison reply'd in a second Treatise viz. 5. Mr. Pulton consider'd c. And this produced another Discourse from another hand viz. Mr. Meredith who was present at the Conference called 6. Some farther Remarks on the late Account given by Dr. Tenison of his Conference with Mr. Pulton As for what is added in Mr. Pulton's 3d. Treatise in Answer to A. Cressener the meaning of it is this Mr. Cressener a Schoolmaster being present at the Conference Mr. Pulton in his account of it gave him some occasion to complain of his Relation as to that part of it which concerned him and therefore to justifie himself he published a short Treatise to which Mr. Pulton there refers viz. 7. The Vindication of A. Cressener Schoolmaster in Long-Acre from the aspersions of A. Pulton Jesuit and Schoolmaster in the Savoy And thus this Controversie ended but yet I must not leave it till I have taken notice of another that it begat and that no less memorable than the foregoing For upon the occasion of this Conference a Paper was taken notice of much used by the puny Controvertists of our days called 1. Speculum Ecclesiasticum Or an Ecclesiastical Prospective Glass Written as we are told by a Souldier of that Party T. Ward and to which Dr. Tenison procured a young Man a Friend of his to write an Answer which he did Entituled 2. The Speculum Ecclesiasticum consider'd in its false Reasonings and Quotations But before this was published the Doctor obtained a Copy of a Defence which the Soldier had prepared of his Quotations but was not yet come from the Press and to finish all at once an Answer was set forth to that too at the same time ere it could appear abroad in the world This the Soldier resented and expressed his sense of it in a Letter to Dr. Tenison which together with a Reply to it were published under the Title of 3. An Answer to the Letter of the Catholic Souldier in a Letter from C. D. to A. B. the Examiner of his Speculum However not long after the Defence was publish'd with a dreadful Name viz. 4. Monomachia Or A Duel Between Dr. Thomas Tenison Pastor of St. Martins and a Roman Catholic Souldier And so I think this worthy Controversie ended SECT XI Having now run through the several Heads of Controversy that have of late exercised the Pens of our Learned Men in Defence of our Religion it may not be amiss to stop here awhile and by a brief Recapitulation of the Whole see what more remains to a compleat Vindication of our Selves against all the Tricks and Artifices as well as against the Arguments of our Adversaries IT is sufficiently evident from the foregoing Collection what slender Returns those of the Church of Rome have made to the many excellent Discourses which themselves without any provocation of ours have extorted from us And what prejudice they have hereby done to their Religion I am confident they themselves are not unsensible I need not say what a Number of Disputes they have altogether let fall how many of our Books to this day remain Vn-answered and are ever likely to be so In a word what Trifles many times they have set forth under the arrogant Title of FULL ANSWERS to those they have thought fit to take Notice of And now at last to compleat all they seem to have utterly deserted the
I cannot better give an Account than in this place It is not long since that with the old design of exposing the Ministers of the Church of England to the Censures of the World as Men who made it their Business at any rate to run down Popery he set forth a malicious Discourse call'd by him 1. Good Advice tu the Pulpits c. In which he rakes together out of the Sermons published in the last years of the late King's Reign whatever he thought would serve to make them odious The Design was well enough laid and the Circumstances of the Times consider'd it were not to be wondred if some things should have pass'd more hot against those of the Church of Rome than was to have been wished But either our Ministers were then as they have always been very moderate or this Author has been a very careless Examiner of their Excesses However his Attempt soon met with a solid Confutation in an excellent Treatise Entituled 2. An Apology for the Pulpits And in which our Divines are fully justified against his Exceptions To this he has lately set forth an Answer called 3. Pulpit-sayings or the Characters of the Pulpit-Papist examined To which there is an Answer called 4. Pulpit-Popery True Popery And hitherto has this first sort of Controversie been carried on A second thing which has given occasion to some Disputes these late years and which for the Affinity it has to the foregoing I chuse next to mention is SECT II. Of a pretended Agreement of the Church of England with the Church of Rome AND this too the Representer is reported to have had a principal hand in It is no very long time since a Book was published in order to this end and called in express terms An Agreement between the Church of England and the Church of Rome Agreement between the C. of E. and the C. of R. I think I needed not have made any change of my former Head for this Treatise there being perhaps not a more foul Misrepresentation in the World than what the great Chastiser of Misrepresenters has made here in such a pretence as this But tho his Title be General yet the main design of his Book was to expose a particular person of our Church D. Sherlock and whom indeed they have all the reason in the world if they can by any means to run down for I know no man that does the and their Cause more mischief by those excellent Treatises which he continues still to publish against them However both the general and the particular design of this new Contrivance has been effectually answered in the two Replies that have come forth to it viz. 1. The Difference between the Church of England and the Church of Rome in Opposition to a late Book intituled An Agreement c. 2. A Vindication of some Protestant Principles of Church-Unity and Catholick-Communion from the charge of Agreement with the Church of Rome By Dr. Sherlock But what this Author attempted in a more general manner the Publisher of Discourses against us at Oxford more particularly endeavoured with reference to the Holy Eucharist in which as he pretends there is little or no difference between the true Sons of the Church of England and those of the Other Communion And which therefore shall be the next General Head of Controversies to which I will now pass viz. SECT III. Of the Real Presence Of the Disputes which have passed these last years concerning the Holy Eucharist And here I. Concerning the REAL PRESENCE THis is the Point in which Mr. W. would fain piece up a kind of Agreement betwixt us though all the World sees nothing can be more different than the Doctrine of the Real Presence as taught in the Church of England and that of Transubstantiation which is the Real Presence believed in the Church of Rome But however it be Mr. W. doubts not to make it appear That our Divines have asserted the very same Presence of Christ in effect in the Eucharist that the Romanists maintain in a Treatise called 1. Two Discourses concerning the Adoration of our Blessed Saviour in the Eucharist And the former of which wholly pursues the pretended Agreement I have now been speaking of To this there came out first a London Answer in which his Quotations were fully examined his Pretences considered and the whole matter largely stated And in return to his Allegations of some of our Church that believed their Real Presence an Account was given of several that have lived and died in their Communion that neither did nor could believe any such thing The Title of it is 2. A Discourse of the Holy-Eucharist in the Two great Points of the Real Presence and the Adoration of the Host Not long after this a Person of great Worth at Oxford publish'd a second Confutation of the same Piece but with this difference That whereas the former Discourse examined at large his Quotations this chiefly consider'd the Principles on which he proceeded and the Arguments he brought to justifie his Pretences It is called 3. A Reply to Two Discourses lately printed at Oxford concerning the Adoration of our Blessed Saviour in the Holy Eucharist And here this Controversie rested till the last Term when Mr. W. publishing another Treatise upon the same Subject viz. 4. A Compendious Discourse on the Eucharist Added to the End of it two Appendixes in answer to the two Tracts that had been written against them It appears by the Heat and Bitterness of these little Satyrs how much those Books had troubled him and how unable he is to command himself even there where he pretends the most to do it One would have thought after what the Representer had done we had seen the height of what a licentious Pen could arise to in matters of such seriousness But indeed this poor impotent old Man has convinced us of our Error and shewn such an indecent Passion in the menage of his Answer as is much more to be pitied than valued But I shall leave it to those who are engaged with him to take notice of these things It is not to be doubted but that in a little time their Answers will be finish'd both the One and the Other being as I am informed already in good forwardness II. Of Communion in Both Kinds COMMUNION in BOTH KINDS Having thus given an Account of what has pass'd as to the Point of the Real Presence the next thing that naturally offer'd its self was the Doctrine of Transubstantiation But there has pass'd so much concerning this Controversie that I was willing before I came to that to consider all the lesser Debates that have risen relating to this Holy Sacrament The occasion of this Engagement was this Monsieur de Meaux having some years since composed a famous Book upon this Argument it was thought fit by those of the Church of Rome to translate that also as well as the rest of his Tracts into