A PRESERVATIVE AGAINST POPERY, IN SEVERAL Select Discourses UPON THE PRINCIPAL HEADS OF CONTROVERSY BETWEEN PROTESTANTS AND PAPISTS: BEING WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED By the most eminent Divines of the Church of England, CHIEFLY IN THE REIGN OF KING JAMES II. COLLECTED BY THE RIGHT REV. EDMUND GIBSON, D.D. SUCCESSIVELY LORD BISHOP OF LINCOLN AND LONDON, [B. 1669, D. 1748.] CAREFULLY REVISED AND EDITED FOR THE BRITISH SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE RELIGIOUS PRINCIPLES OF THE REFORMATION, BY THE REV. JOHN CUMMING, D.D. VOL. V. LONDON: PUBLISHED AT THE SOCIETY'S OFFICE, 8, EXETER HALL, STRAND. THEIR DOCTRINE OF INFALLIBILITY. IV. The Pillar and Ground of Truth. A Treatise shewing that the Roman Church falsely claims to be that Church, and the Pillar of that Truth, mentioned by St. Paul, 1 Tim. iii. 15. Simun In three Parts. By Dr. PATRICK, late Bishop of Ely V. The Texts examined, which Papists cite out of the Bible, for the II.-A Discourse about Tradition: shewing what is meant by it, and what Tradition is to be received, and what is to be rejected. III.-The Texts examined, which Papists cite out of the Bible, for the proof of their Doctrine, concerning the insufficiency of! THE PROTESTANT RULE OF FAITH EXPLAINED AND VIN- DICATED, BY WAY OF GENERAL DEFENCE. The Protestant Resolution of Faith. By Dr. SHERLOCK, late Dean THE POPISH RULE OF FAITH EXAMINED AND DISPROVED. BOOK I. THEIR DOCTRINE OF INFALLIBILITY. THE PILLAR AND GROUND OF TRUTH. A TREATISE SHEWING THAT THE ROMAN CHURCH FALSELY CLAIMS TO BE THAT CHURCH, AND THE PILLAR OF THAT TRUTH, ΜΕΝTIONED BY ST. PAUL IN HIS FIRST EPISTLE TO TIMOTHY, CHAP. III. VERSE 15. WHICH IS EXPLAINED IN THREE PARTS. TO THE READER. AMONG all the places of Scripture, which they of the Church of Rome are wont to allege for a proof of their pretended infallibility, I find none whereon they more rely, than that of St. Paul to Timothy, 1 Tim. iii. 15: "That thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the CHURCH of the living God, the PILLAR AND GROUND OF THE TRUTH." Which place, says the Rhemists, "pincheth the heretics wonderfully, and so it ever did; and therefore they oppose themselves directly against the very letter and confessed sense of the same."" I have thought it therefore worth my pains, to shew how unjust this accusation is; by opening the plain and evident meaning, the literal and confessed sense of those words : Whereby it will appear, that we are far from being heretics; and |