Feasts her Conception and Nativity are considered We are in hopes that the Excellent Author of this most ingenious and diverting Discourse will e're long oblige the World with a Second Part and teach the Papists at length to grow ashamed of their intolerable Superstitions towards the Virgin Mary As for those of the other Communion it is but little they have published in particular on this Subject besides what I have already mentioned But two Pieces there are which I ought by no means no forget viz. 1. Contemplations on the Life and Glory of H. Mary 2. An Apology for the Contemplations by Dr. I. C. Which Apology was fully answered in the ingenious Preface to the Book called An Account of the Life and Death of the Blessed Virgin. SECT IX Of the Validity of Orders in the C. of E. I shall mention but one Particular more on which we have of late as heretofore been attack'd by those of the Roman Church and effectually Vindicated our selves both against their Calumnies and their Reasons and that is as to the Validity of ORDERS in the Church of England THE Occasion of reviving this Matter was given by a little Scurrilous Libel that went abroad under the name of The Church of England truly Represented And in Reply to whose Calumnies Three Discourses have been Published two of them new the other only reprinted viz. 1. A Vindication of the Ordinations of the Church of England in answer to a Paper written by one of the Church of Rome to prove the Nullity of our Orders 2. A Defence of the Ordinations and Ministry of the Church of England in Answer to the Scandals raised or revived against them in several late Pamphlets and particularly in one intituled the Church of England truly Represented c. 3. A short Defence of the Orders of the Church of England as by Law establish'd against some scattered Objections of Mr. Webster of Linne But this Subject hath been most largely and learnedly handled by the Learned Mr Brown of S. John's College in Cambridge in his Sermon ad Clerum and in another Sermon Preached before the University on Commencement Sunday Translated into Latin and both together Printed at Cambridge under this Title 4. Concio ad Clerum habita coram Academia Cantabrigiensi Junii 11. An. 1687. pro Gradu Baccal in S. Theologia Vbi vindicatur Vera Valida Cleri Anglicani Ineunte Reformatione Ordinatio Cui accessit Concio habita Julii 3. 1687. de Canonica Cleri Anglicani Ordinatione Latine reddita aucta a Th. Brown S. T. B. Coll. D. Joh. Evang Soc. annexum est Instrumentum Consecrationis Matth. Parker Archiep. Cant. ex MS. C. C. C. Cantabr I hear the worthy Author hath been very earnestly requested to Translate these Latin Sermons into English and I am told that he delays it only upon the account of some Answer that the Papists have been talking they would give to them being desirous to make his Translation and Vindication one trouble I cannot therefore but in the behalf of those who are so desirous to have these Sermons in English request our Adversaries That if they have any thing to say to them they would make a little more haste with it And for the mighty Master of Controversie who I hear hath resolved to answer a Paragraph in one of them I must needs tell him That Nine Months is more by Eight and an half than an ordinary Controvertist would have taken to answer such a Piece in But in this Controversie we have not been merely upon the Defensive Part but have attack'd their Orders as well as defended our own This a Learned Man of our Church hath done in a Book under this Title 5. Roman Catholics uncertain whether there be any true Priests or Sacraments in the Church of Rome Miscellany Treatises SECT X. Having thus reduced the Principal Treatises that have been set forth to their Particular Heads as far as in so great a Confusion of Matter I could well do it it remains only to add here such Treatises on both sides as I have before pass'd by or could not be so readily brought to any special Consideration NOW those of this kind which have been set forth by the CHURCH of ROME are these 1. Question of Questions 2. Why are you a Catholic 3. Popery Anatomized or the Papists clear'd from the false Imputation of Idolatry and Rebellion 4. Veritas Evangelica or the Gospel Truth asserted in xvi useful Questions 5. Pope Pius Profession of Faith vindicated c. 6. Dr. Sherlock sifted from his Bran and Chaff 7. The Pharisee unmask'd 8. Assertio vii Sacramentorum by King Henry viiith against Luther 9. A Reformd Catechism by P. Manby 10. Animadversions on the Rishop of Bath's Sermon c. To these they have because not at leisure to write new Books or for some other better Reason added an old Book written by one F. Huddleston a Benedictine it is called 11. A Short and Plain way to the Faith and Church c. To this there is an Answer almost finished by a very Learned Person who will demonstrate to the World how little that Book had in it to convince On Our Part have appear'd of this Miscellany kind these that follow 1. Remarks on Popery Misrepresented with reference to the Deposing Doctrine 2. Pope Pius's Creed with Comments 3. The Additional Articles in Pope Pius's Creed no Articles of the Christian Faith. 4. A few plain Reasons why a Protestant of the Church of England should not turn Roman Catholic 5. Thirty plain but sound Reasons why Protestants differ from Popery 6. A Discourse shewing that Protestants are on the safer side notwithstanding the uncharitable Judgement of their Adversaries and that their Religion is the surest way to Heaven 7. A Pacifick Discourse of the Causes and Remedies of the Differences about Religion which distract the Peace of Christendom 8. The Missionaries Arts discover'd 9. A Request to Roman Catholics to answer certain Queries on several of their Tenets mention'd 10. A Brief Account of the first rise of the Name Protestant c. 11. An Historical Relation of several great and learned Romanists that have embraced the Protestant Religion 12. A Catechism truly representing the Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome with an Answer to them 13. The Plausible Arguments of a Romish Priest Answer'd by an English Protestant 14. A Discourse between two Protestants in Answer to a Popish Catechism call'd A Short Catechism against all Sectaries 15. A Plain Defence of the Protestant Religion fitted to the Meanest Capacity being a full confutation of the Net for the Fishers of Men. 16. Some Queries to Protestants Answer'd and an Explication of the Roman Catholic 's Belief in Four great Points consider'd 1. Concerning their Church 2. Their Worship 3. Justification 4. Civil Government 17. The Judgement of Private Discretion in matters of Religion defended in a Sermon at S. Paul 's Covent-Garden By Mr. Kidder 18. The
it tho the multitude of other Discourses that have since been published on this Subject may well excuse so small an Omission However since after almost a Years attendance there is now but little Hopes of any thing more to be expected from this Antagonist I may venture to promise the Reader that he shall not continue much longer without the Answer that has been prepared to what is already published and which might long since have been finished had not the Reverend Author desired to acquit himself of all his Task at the same time And this may serve in short to have been remarked concerning the first Part of this Design of the Discourses which our Divines began to publish in the late King's time upon the Points in Controversie between us and the Church of Rome We must now pass to a more troubled and perplex'd Undertaking and endeavour to reduce to the clearest Method we can those many Tracts that have since come out in Answer to one another on both sides and the number of which is now so great that it is no easie matter to give an exact Account of them And for the doing of this I shall consider them not in the Order of their coming out but reduce them as near as I can to the several distinct Subjects to which they refer Now the first Thing that began all our Late Disputes was the Pretence so much insisted upon of our MISREPRESENTING the Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome And it shall therefore be the first kind of Discourses I will here consider SECT I. Of the Treatises that have been Publish'd on the Representing and Expounding Controversie I. WHAT the Occasion and Design of this Uundertaking was Present State p. 10. has already been remarked in the First Part of the Present State and therefore I shall not need to say any thing to it here The Treatises that have passed on both sides may be consulted in this following Order I. The Representing Controversie A Papist Misrepresented and Represented R. The Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome truly Represented in Answer to a Book intituled A Papist Misrepresented and Represented c. II. Reflections upon the Answer to the Papist Misrepresented c. R. A Papist not Misrepresented by Protestants being a Reply to the Reflections c. III. Papists protesting against Protestant Popery in Answer to a Discourse intituled A Papist not Misrepresented by Protestants R. An Answer to a Discourse intituled Papists protesting against Protestant Popery containing a particular Examination of Monsieur de Meaux 's late B. of Condom 's Exposition of the Doctrines of the Church of Rome in the Articles of the Invocation of Saints and Worship of Images IV. An Amicable Accommodation of the difference between the Representer and the Answerer in return to his last Reply R. An Answer to the Amicable Accommodation of the difference between the Representer and the Answerer V. A Reply to the Answer to the Amicable Accommodation R. A View of the whole Controversie between the Representer and the Answerer with an Answer to the Representer 's last Reply And here the matter rested when the first State of the Controversie was published and it was then generally believed would have done so But the Representer had by this time got too much assurance to be easily put out of Countenance and tho by the longer time he took in his Answer to this last Treatise than to either of the foregoing and which his Performance sufficiently shews was not for any extraordinary pains he resolved to take in his Reply to it he seems to have struggled a little with himself before he could get the better of his Conscience in going on at so pitiful a rate of Vindicating his pretences yet at last there came out something that was to be called an Answer to our last piece in a Preface to a further Continuation of his unjust Pretences against us viz. VI. The Papist Misrepresented and Represented 3d part with a Preface containing Reflections upon two Treatises the one the State the other The View of the Controversie between the Representer and the Answerer But to this too the worthy Author of the View of the Controversie soon returned such an Answer as I find has not a little discomposed the Representer and I believe no less troubles the Vindicator too of the Bishop of Condom's Exposition viz. R. An Answer to the Representer's Reflections upon the State and View of the Controversie c. To this the Representer has now satisfied us that he never intends to reply for having lately set out an Answer to another Discourse of which we shall speak hereafter viz. The Apology for the Pulpits he adds triumphantly in the Title that it is not only an Answer to that Discourse but also A Vindication of the Representer against the Stater of the Controversie But such a Vindication as this could certainly never have come from any other Pen but the Representer's and is by the same figure a Reply to this Treatise by which he heretofore told us that his Papist Represented and Misrepresented was enough to answer not only all our late Discourses against Popery Papist Misr part 3. Pref. but a great part of all the Books and Sermons that had ever been writ or preached against them The truth is I can hardly forbear here to leave a while my design of pursuing the Treatises that have been Published on this Controversie to expose the Confidence of this vain Man But since the worthy Author of that Book which he pretends to answer has thought fit to give him up as a Priviledged Person who is past either sense of Modesty or hopes of being reclaimed I shall pay that deference to his Judgment as not to trouble my self with any Vindication of his Discourse against so trivial and occasional an attempt against it But if there be any of this Author's Communion who shall think fit in good earnest to attack this or any other of those Discourses which he has published against them I will then take the liberty to promise That tho to our great regret the incomparable Author of them be now in his Grave Dr. Claget and no longer in a state to vindicate his own Works yet neither his Labours nor his Memory shall want a Defence and let his Adversaries whenever they please begin the experiment And here I suppose we may now take a final leave of this first Controversie The Papist Represented and Misrepresented I will only add That since this first attempt of his began he has carry'd it on in two other parts under the Title of the catholick Representer The second of which coming out weekly in several Chapters has received a very full and I suppose a satisfactory Answer there being no care taken to reply to what our Divines have with great care and learning return'd to it The third has been consider'd as far as was thought necessary by the
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
Elizabeth or the Donatist and Protestant Schism Parallel'd 2. The Sum of a Conference had between two Divines of the Church of England and two Catholic Lay-Gentlemen in 1671. 3. The Church of England truly represented according to Dr. Heylin 's History of the Reformation 4. The Gonsiderations which obliged Peter Manby Dean of London-Derry to embrace the Roman Catholic Religion 5. Schelstrate his Dissertation against Dr. Stillingfleet concerning Patriarchal and Metropolitical Authority As to this Book since Mr. Schelstrate's Friends heve ventured to expose it in a Translation here the Reverend and Most Worthy Dean of Paul's will not fail if God continue him health and opportunity to give an Answer and I am sure the world will not be angry with me for raising their Expectations of the Dean's Answer since they are satisfied that he will make them sufficient amends for them 6. A discourse concerning the Spirit of Martin Luther and the Original of the Reformation 7. Church-Government Part V. A Relation of the English Reformation and the lawfulness thereof examined 8. Some Queries to Protestants concerning the English Reformation by T.W. 9. The Schism of the Church of England Demonstrated in Four Arguments formerly proposed to Dr. Gunning and Dr. Pearson the late Bishops of Ely and Chester by two Catholic Disputants in a celebrated Conference upon that Point This little Paper with a large Title was the other day Reprinted at Oxford by the Converts there The foul dealings and egregious disingenuity concerning that Conference as well as the weakness and falseness of its Arguments have been fully shewn in an Answer we have received just now from Cambridg from a Reverend Person who was particularly related to one of those abused Bishops The Title of his Answer is The Reformation of the Church of England justisied according to the Canons of the Council of Nice and other General Councils and the Tradition of the Catholic Church being an Answer to a Paper Re-printed at Oxford c. SECT VII And these are the chief Treatises that have been publish'd on these more General Points We come now to examine what has been done on the more particular Controversies And first we will begin with that which is the Ground of all The RULE of FAITH MAny have been the Debates concerning this both with relation to what we suppose to be the only Divine Rule viz. The HOLY SCRIPTUR Of the Rule of Faith. and with reference to that other which those of the Church of Rome have added to it viz. The TRADITION of the Church And 1. As to the Point of the HOLY SCRIPTURE these discourses have pass'd of late concerning it On the part of the Church of Rome 1. The Protestant's Plea for a Socinian justifying his Doctrine from being opposite to Scripture c. 2. Protestancy destitute of Scripture Proofs 3. A Request to Protestants to produce plain Scriptures directly Authorizing xvi Tenets held by them 4. The 6th 7th 8th 9th and 10th Chapters of the Second Part of the Catholic Representer 5. An Address to the Ministers of the Church of England 6. A Clear Proof of the Certainty and Usefulness of the Protestant Rule of Faith. 7. The Catholic Scripturist 8. Pax Vobix On the Protestant Part. 1. The difference betwixt the Protestant and Socinian Methods in Answer to a Book written by a Romanist and intituled The Protestant Plea for a Socinian 2. An Answer to the Request to protestants to produce plain Scriptures directly Authorizing their Tenets 3. A Summary of the Principal Controversies between the Church of England and the Church of Rome in Answer to Protestancy destitute of Scripture proofs 4. The Lay-Christians Obligation to read the Holy Scripture 5. The Peoples right to read the Holy Scripture asserted in Answer to the 6th 7th 8th 9th and 10th Chapters of the 2d part of the Popish Representer 6. A Treatise proving Scripture to be the Rule of Faith writ by Reginald Peacock Bishop of Chichester before the Reformation about the year 1450. 7. An Answer to the Address presented to the Ministers of the Church of England 8. A Vindication of the Answer to the Popish Address presented to the Ministers of the Church of England In reply to a Pamphlet abusively Intituled A Clear Proof of the Certainty and Usefulness of the Protestant Rule of Faith. 9. Some Dialogues between Mr. G. and others with Reflections on a Book called Pax Vobis To which I must add another and fuller Answer preparing to that same little Piece not yet Publish'd viz. 10. The Protestant and Popish way of Interpreting Scripture impartially compared in Answer to Pax Vobis 2. For what concerns the other Point TRADITION it has been the great Endeavour of some of late to set up once more the Infallibility of it But none with more Noise by an accident which I am now to recount than Mr. G. and the great Master of Controveesie and Patron of this new Hypothesis J. S. It happen'd about a year and half since that the forwardness of Mr. G. to engage in a Dispute wherein he was sure to have the disadvantage both in the Point and in the Person that was to manage it against him led him into a Conference with the Reverend and Learned the Dean of Pauls I need not say what passed there the whole haying since been published The Subject of the Debate was the Infallibility of Oral Tradition The Conference being over Mr. G. according to the perpetual Custom of the vain and assuming spirit of that Party began to make great Boasts in the Coffee-houses what Feats he had done and how great a Victory he had gained tho the Gentleman for whose sake the Conference was held declared himself much more confirmed in the Communion of our Church than he was before and resolved to continue in it This enforced the Dean to publish a short Expostulatory Letter called 1. A Letter to Mr. G. giving a true Account of a late Conference at the D. of P. In return to this Mr. M. who was with Mr. G. at the Conference returned a Letter or two to Dr. Stilling fleet concerning the Conference and these produced a second from the Dean of St. Pauls called 2. A second Letter to Mr. G. in Answer to two Letters lately Publish'd concerning the Conference at the D. of P. One of the Answers to the D. of P's first Letter was called 3. A Letter to the D. of P. in Answer to the Arguing part of his First Letter to Mr. G. To this a Person not yet concerned put in a Reply Intituled 4. A Letter to a Friend reflecting on some passages in a Letter to the D. of P. in Answer to the Arguing part of his first Letter to Mr. G. And here Mr. J.S. was thought fit to be entrusted with carrying on this weighty Controversie which he did in several Letters which he calls Catholic Letters in Answer to the former Letter to the second of the Dean's and to a Sermon which