A Protestant and Papist's Manual;

ROMAN CATHOLIC'S REASONS

Why he cannot conform to the Protestant Religion.“

REASONS.

1. BECAUSE the Protestant Religion is a new religion, which had no being in the world, till one thousand five hundred years after CHRIST; and therefore it comes 1500 years too late to be the true Church of CHRIST. Martin Luther laid the first foundation of the Protestant Religion in the year 1517, and his followers took the name of Protestants in the year 1529, before which time neither the name nor the religion was ever heard of in the Christian world; and we defy all the learned men amongst them to name so much as one single man before Luther, who held throughout their thirty-nine Articles, or any other entire system of Protestancy as it is now professed, in any country upon earth. Now how can that be CHRIST's Church, which for so many ages had no being in the world? Since all Christians are obliged to acknowledge that the true Church of CHRIST can be no other than that which had its beginning from CHRIST, and, as h mised, was to stand for ever. See St. Matt, xvi. 18. and St. Matt. xxviii. 20.

* By the Protestant Religion the Roman Catholic means the Religion of the Church of England, as is evident by his reference to "their thirty-nine Articles," and

their Homily book." Of course all reasons for non-confor mity, which do not apply to the Church of England are foreign to the subject.

ROMAN CATHOLIC'S REASONS

EXAMINED AND ANSWERED.

1. THE

ANSWERS.

HE Religion of Protestants in this united Kingdom is not a new religion, but is as old as the days of St. Paul, who preached it and established it in Britain, The Church of Britain was fully established before the Church of Rome.

Martin Luther did not lay the first foundation of the Protestant Religion. The Church of Britain protested against the superstition and idolatry of the Church of Rome, and would hold no communion with it, as early as the beginning of the seventh century.

The Popery of Britain constitutes the middle ages of the British Church. Down to the beginning of the seventh century, there was no trace of Popery. At the commencement of that century we find the ever memorable rejection of Popery by the British Bishops. From that time to the reign of Henry L the British Church continued perfectly independent of the Church of Rome. From the reign of Henry I. to the middle of that of Henry VIII. (1115-1530) was the period of her subjection to the Pope. An impartial review of this middle period, compared with the preceding eleven centuries of simplicity and inde

2. Because the Protestant Religion cannot be true, except the whole Scripture, both of the Old and New Testament, from the beginning to the end, be false, which in so many places assures us that the Church of CHRIST should never go astray. For every one knows that the Protestant Religion pretends to be a Reformation of the Church of CHRIST and it is evident that there could be no room for a reformation of the Church of CHRIST, except the Church was gone astray; so that the whole building of their pretendedly reformed Church is founded upon the supposition of the whole Church, before the time of Luther, having been corrupted by damnable errors. "Laity and Clergy, says "their Homily book, approved by the 39 Articles, "Art. 35, learned and unlearned, all ages, sects, and "degrees of men, women, and children, of whole "Christendom (an horrible and most dreadful thing "to think) have been at once drowned in most abomi"nable idolatry, of all other vices most detested by “GOD, and damnable to man, and that for the space "of eight hundred years and more." Hom. of Peril of

ANSWERS.

pendence, and with the subsequent restoration of her ancient discipline and doctrine, may convince an unprejudiced mind, that Popery obtained no establishment in this country, but by usurpation.

Many of our 39 Articles are directed against the errors of the Church of Rome. These Articles therefore could not be held thoughout by any one before the origin of those errors, against which they protest. The religion professed in these Articles is the religion of the first century; and had its beginning from Christ through the teaching of St. Paul.

2. The Protestant Religion does not pretend to be a Reformation of the Church of Christ, but of the Church of Rome. The Scripture no where says, that the Church of Rome shall not go astray. The Church of Rome has undoubtedly greatly gone astray by idolatry in the invocation of Saints, and by the suppression of half of the Eucharist in refusing the cup to the Laity, &c. &c.

If by the Church of Christ be meant the members of Christ's Church, the Scripture, so far from promising that it should never " go astray," or never be corrupted by error," expressly foretells such a declension of faith and corruption of manners, as even the elect should hardly escape. The predictions of Christ were repeated and minutely applied by his Apostles St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. Jude. The fullest accomplishment of these predictions would not prove" the whole Scripture to be false;" but would be a real evidence of its truth. If St. Peter himself could go astray, what should render his successors incapable of error and corruption?

Christ does not promise that his Church shall not

Idolatry, Part 3. Now I say, if this be true, which is the main foundation of the Protestant Church, the whole Scripture must be false, which so often promises that Christ's Church shall never be corrupted by error in matters of faith, much less be for so many ages overa whelmed with abominable idolatry. Thou art Peter, says our Lord, St. Matt. xvi. 18. and upon this Rock will I build my Church, and the Gates of Hell [the powers of darkness] shall not prevail against it. Therefore the Church of CHRIST Could never go astray. Go teach all nations, says the same LORD to the Apostles and their successors, the pastors of the Church, St. Matt. xxviii. 20. and behold I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Therefore the Church of CHRIST Could never fall into errors; because CHRIST, who is the way, the truth, and the life, St. John xiv. 6. has promised his presence and assistance to her teachers even to the end of the world. See also St. John xiv. 16, 17. where Christ promises to the same pastors and teachers of the Church, the Comforter, the spirit of truth, to abide with them for ever. To teach them all things, v. 26. and to guide them into all truth, chap. xvi. 13. And Isaiah lix. 20, 21. where God promises that after the coming of our Redeemer, his Church shall never err. This is my covenant with them, saith the Lord, my spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever. See also for the Infallibility of the Church of CHRIST, Ps. lxxii. 5, 7.

Ps. lxxxix. 3, 4, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. Isa. ix. 6,7, chap. xxxv. 8. chap. liv. 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, 13, 15, 17. chap.

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A Protestant and Papist's Manual;: Containing I. A Protestant's Reasons for ...