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
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
Controversie and too late to see that Truth and Learning are not to be run down by those who are utterly destitute of the One and as far as we may be allowed to guess by their performances have but very slender pretences to the Other The truth is Propery is a Religion fit only for an Inquisition to maintain and Dragoons to propagate Ignorance and Barbarity brought it into the World Interest and Passion maintain and keep it up No sooner did Learning begin to revive but Popery began immediately to decay and ever since the One has still decreased in proportion as the Other has flourish'd And to think at this time a day seriously to dispute a Nation so resolute and knowing as Ours again into the Errors of it plainly shews either that our Adversaries have a very mean Opinion of our Vnderstandings or I am sure deserve that we should have no very great one of theirs But whatever they once may have flatter'd themselves withal I am confident they now begin to be satisfied That Popery is a Religion that will not thrive in our Northern Climate And tho they are pleased sometimes to divert themselves with our Divisions and it may be did from thence conceive some hopes of promoting their Interest amongst us yet I doubt not but they now see that we are not so much divided amongst our selves as we are all of us heartily united against them As for the Divines of the Church of England how firmly they have adhered to the Protestant Interest is not unknown to any Their Preaching their Conversation but above all their Writings declare it to the World And how fouly by consequence they were heretofore either mistaken or misrepresented when they were exposed by some who I believe wish'd them so as Papists in Masquerade or at least as Popishly affected Never perhaps was there a Controversie more successfully managed than this has been in these late Years Till now these Points were handled in such a manner that if the Learned applauded the performance yet the Vulgar were but little the better for it But in these Discourses Strength of Argument and Plainness of Discourse seem to vie with one another The Arguments so sound as to convince all Gain-sayers and yet the Plainness so great that the meanest Persons may comprehend the force of them And thus have they pursued not one or two Points but I may warrantably say the whole Controversy betwixt us Insomuch that from henceforth we may well excuse them any farther trouble till either our Adversaries shall think fit to answer their Discourses or to advance some other Arguments than those which have already been obviated and confuted But indeed there is no great likelihood of either of these and I dare venture to promise my Reader that let those of the Church of Rome attacque him where they please let them in writing or discourse offer what they are able to him he shall here in this Collection which I therefore on purpose make of several of these Treatises under their proper Heads find more than enough to answer all their Allegations I. GENERAL DISCOURSES Or such as consider the most part of the Points in debate betwixt us 1. The Doctrines and Practices of the Church of Rome truly Represented 2. Answer to the Bishop of Condom's Exposition 3. Exposition of the Doctrine of the Church of England 4. Two Desences of the Exposition 5. An Answer to the Compiler of the Nubes Testium 6. The Primitive Father no Papists 7. Pope Pius's Creed with Comments 8. the Additional Articles in Pope Pius's Creed no Articles in the Christian Faith. II. Of RELIGIOUS WORSHIP 1. A Discourse concerning the OBJECT of Religious Worship 2. A Discourse concerning the Devotions of the Church of Rome III. Of PRAYER in an UNKNOWN TONGUE 1. A Discourse of Prayer in an Unknown Tongue 2. A Treatise in Confutation of the Latin Service c. IV. Of the INVOCATION of SAINTS 1. A Discourse concerning the INVOCATIONS of SAINTS 2. Second Defence of the Exposition Artic. III. 3. An Answer to Papists protesting against Protestant Popery 4. Mr. Gee's third Letter to Father Sabran 5. The Primitive Fathers no Papists 6. A Discourse in Answer to Monsieur de Meaux's Appeal to the IVth Age. Paticularly of the B. VIRGIN See several Discourses collected Pag. 52 53. V. Of IMAGES and RELIQUES 1. The Antiquity of the Protestant Religion concerning Images 2. The Vindication of it See above pag. 48. The Fallibility of the Church of Rome demonstrated from the manifest Error of the Second Nicene and Trent Councils in the Pint of Images 4. A Discourse concerning the 2d Council of Nice which first introduced and established Image Worship in the Christian Church 5. Second Defence of the Exposition Part 2. Art. IV. 6. Answer to Papists protesting against Protestant Popery VI. Of IDOLATRY A Discourse concerning the Nature of Idolatry in Answer to the Bishop of Oxon. VII Of MERITS SATISFACTIONS PURGATORY and INDULGENCES 1. Two Discourses of Purgatory and PRAYERS FOR THE DEAD 2. Purgatory proved by Miracles 3. Apology for the Pulpits Appendix of Indulgences 4. The Primitive Fathers no Papists for Purgatory 5. Summary of the Controversies for Purgatory 6. A Discourse concerning the Merits of Good Works VIII Of the SACRAMENTS An Historical Discourse of the Ministers Intentions in Administring the Sacraments IX Of CONFESSION and PENANCE A Discourse of Auricular Consession as prescribed by the Council of Trent X. Of EXTREME UNCTION 1. A Discourse of Extreme Unction XI Of ORDERS 1. A Vindication of the Ordinations of the Church of England 2. Concio ad Clerum c. See Pag. 54 55. 3. A Defence of the Ordinations and Ministry of the Church of England 4. A short Defence of the Orders of the Church of England To these Learned Discourles we shall shortly have added another upon the same good Subject from the Reverend and Leanred Dr. Prideaux Prebendary of Norwich intituled 5. The Validity of the Orders of the Church of England made out against the Objections of the Papists in several Letters to a Gentleman of Norwich that desired satisfaction therein 6. Roman Catholics uncertain whether there be any true Priests or Sacraments in the Church of Rome XII Of the REAL PRESENCE 1. A Discourse of the Holy Eucharist in the two great Points of the Real Presence and the Adoration of the Host 2. A Reply to two Discourses printed at Oxford c. XIII Of TRANSUBSTANTIATION 1. A Discourse against Transubstantiation 2. Transubstantiation no Doctrine of the primitive Fathers 3. Full View of the Doctrines and Practices of the Ancient Church relating to the Eucharist c. 4. Transubstantiation contrary to Scripture 5. A Paraphrase with Notes and a Preface on the vith of St. John. See many other Tracts above from pag. 22. 7. Veteres Vindicati in Answer to Mr. Sclater 8. A Discourse of the Holy Eucharist in Answer to Mr. W. 9. Fourth Letter to a Person of Quality See