TO MY VERY MUCH HONOURED FRIEND, SIR CHRISTOPHER SIBTHORP, KNT. ONE OF HIS MAJESTY'S JUSTICES OF HIS COURT OF CHIEF PLACE IN IRELAND. WORTHY SIR, I CONFESS, I somewhat incline to be of your mind, that if unto the authorities drawn out of Scriptures and fathers (which are common to us with others) a true discovery were added of that religion which anciently was professed in this kingdom; it might prove a special motive to induce my poor countrymen to consider a little better of the old and true way from whence they have hitherto been misled. Yet on the one side, that saying in the Gospel runneth much in my mind; "If they hear not VOL. IV. a Luke, chap. 16. ver. 31. Ꭱ Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead:" and on the other, that heavy judgment mentioned by the apostle; "because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe lies." The woful experience whereof, we may see daily before our eyes in this poor nation: where, such as are slow of heart to believe the saving truth of God delivered by the prophets and apostles, do with all greediness embrace, and with a most strange kind of credulity entertain those lying legends, wherewith their monks and friars in these latter days have polluted the religion and lives of our ancient saints. I do not deny but that in this country, as well as in others, corruptions did creep in by little and little, before the devil was let loose to procure that seduction which prevailed so generally in these last times: but as far as I can collect by such records of the former ages as have come unto my hands (either manuscript or printed) the religion professed by the ancient bishops, priests, monks, and other Christians in this land, was for substance the very same with that which now by public authority is maintained therein, against b 2 Thess. chap. 2. ver. 10, 11. the foreign doctrine brought in thither in latter times by the bishop of Rome's followers. I speak of the more substantial points of doctrine, that are in controversy betwixt the Church of Rome and us at this day, by which only we must judge, whether of both sides hath departed from the religion of our ancestors: not of matters of inferior note, much less of ceremonies and such other things as appertain to the discipline rather than to the doctrine of the Church. And whereas it is known unto the learned, that the name of Scoti in those elder times (whereof we treat) was common to the inhabitants of the greater and the lesser Scotland (for so heretofore they have been distinguished), that is to say, of Ireland, and the famous colony deduced from thence into Albania: I will not follow the example of those that have of late laboured to make dissension betwixt the daughter and the mother, but account of them both, as of the same people. Tros Rutulusve fuat, nullo discrimine habebo. The religion doubtless received by both, was the self same; and differed little or nothing from that which was maintained by their neighbours the Britons: as by comparing the evidences |