To the READER.

IN this Scholastical History I give an Accompt
of the Canonical and undubitate Books
of Holy Scripture, as they are numbred in
the VI Article of Religion set forth by the
Church of England, and have been received
by the Catholick Church in all severall
Ages since the time of the Apostles, till the
Church of Rome thought fit to compose and dresse up a New-Additional
Canon thereof for themselves in their late Councel
of Trent.
Where it was one of the first things they did, to lay this Foundation
for all their New Religion which they built upon it;
"That the Apocryphal Writings and Traditions of Men,
were nothing inferiour, nor lesse Canonical, then the Soveraign
Dictates of God as well for the Confirmation of Doctrinal
Points pertaining to Faith, as for the Ordering of Life
and Manners; but that both the One and the Other ought to
be embraced with the same Affection of Piety, and received
with the like religious Reverence; not making any difference
between them."
Those Writings of holy and learned men, who have been, next
after the Prophets and Apostles, as the shining Lights of the
World in their several Generations before us, we reverence and honour
in their kind; and those Ecclesiastical Traditions, which
have been in use among us, and tend to the better preservation of
Order and Piety in that Religion only, which was once delivered
to the Saints, we acknowledge and receive, as far as their
own variable Nature and Condition requireth, with all due regard;
but to make either of These Equal in Dignity or Authority
with the Divine will and Word of God, as the Masters of
the Assembly at Trent have done; and above all this, to Canonize
a Tradition, which was not so much as a Tradition received
in their own Church before, as will appear by this present
History, neverthelesse commanding it to be received as a necessary
Article of Faith, under pain of their unhallowed Curse, and
the Peril of Eternal damnation, this is so high and transcendent
a presumption, as that God himself hath laid his Curse upon
it; whereof it concernes them to take heed, least what they
have vainly laid upon others, do not effectually reach to themselves,
and fall upon their own heads.
But after this manner they began to set up their first doctrinal
Tradition, in their last Councel, at Trent; which they call an
Oecumencial Councel, as if all the Bishops in Christendom
had been there present, and voted in it; when it is well known,
that at the same time, wherein this their Additional Canon
of Scripture was first made, which was then done chiefly by the
procurement of Catharin, and his Faction there, whose credit
had otherwise been quite lost, having been much impaired already,
by his former and fierce Opposition herein against the
Writings of Cardinal Cajetan, the far more learned and Catholick
Doctor of the Two, it consisted not of above Fifty Persons
in all; among whom some of them were onely Prelates
Titular, and hired with Pensions to serve the present turn.
And the rest of their Traditions that follow, wherein now consisteth
the very Life and Being of their peculiar and proper Religion,
that differeth from Ours, and the true Catholick Religion
of every Church, and every Age before them having been confirmed
by Pope Pius his Bull, and made so many New Articles
of their Faith, as the former was are all alike.
As first. I. "That the Church of Rome is the MOTHER
and Mistresse of all other Churches"; which is not only said
against the Truth of all Ecclesiastical History, and the publick
Declaration of an ancient General Councel the Second among
the first four received and approved by all good Christians,
but likewise against the expresse words of the Gospel it self, and
against the common sense and knowledge of all persons that can but
read or hear it. II. "That the Pope of Rome is the Monarch or
Head of the Vniversal Visible Church, the Vicar or Deputy
of Christ, and in that Soveraign Authority the true
Successor of S. Peter, as Prince of the Apostles; by vertue
whereof his Papal Determinations and Prescripts are
to be obeyed, in what matter so ever he shall be pleased
to declare himself." I will not now mention the infamous Power,
that otherwhiles he hath assumed to himself, of deposing a just
and lawful King from his rightful Inheritance; or of freeing his

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natural and sworn Subjects from their Bond of Faith and Allegiance
towards him; which are the Dictates of Pope Hildebrand;
But I note only at present the Authority that he assumeth
over the Scriptures of God the Subject of all our History,
which He and his Followers make to be greater then
any those Scriptures have; for it is another of the same Pope's
Dictates, confirm'd by the Bull of Pius the IV. in his Profession
of the Tridentine Faith, "That the Canonicall
Scriptures themselves shall be no Canonical Scriptures,
unlesse he gives them Authority and Allowance so to be."
Which is as much as to say, that when he pleaseth, he may take
away all Authority from them. III. Then, "That all Scriptures
are to be expounded according to the Sense of this
Roman Church; which must herein be held to be the
only Judge; and to follow the unanimous consent of the
Ancient Fathers." IV. Next, That there are "truly and
properly Seven Sacraments, neither more nor lesse, instituted
by Christ himself in the New Testament." V. "That
in their Masse there is a Real Transubstantiation of the
Elements into the Body and Blood of Christ, remaining
after the Communion is done; and likewise a proper
and propitiatory Sacrifice there offered up by the
Priest for the Sinnes of the Quick and the Dead, the same
that Christ offered upon the Crosse." VI. That "when the
Priest receiveth the Sacrament alone, and when he
giveth to others but under one kinde only, yet it is a lawful,
and a compleat Communion, notwithstanding" that
our Saviour otherwise appointed it. VII. That alter "this
Life there is a penal Purgatory to be undergone for
the Expiation as well of venial Sins, as the payment of
temporal punishments due to mortal sins; and that dead
mens souls there detained are help'd by the Suffrages of
the Living, and the saying of Masses." VIII. That "The
Saints above in heaven," or any whom it shall be the Popes
pleasure to Canonize "ought to be religiously invocated";
and that "they understand as well as the mindes as the
words of those that pray to them." IX. That "Whosoever
will not fall down before Reliques and Images, to
kisse and worship them according to the present practise
of the Church of Rome, and the Decrees of the Second
Councel of Nice, are to be accursed and damned." X. That
"the plenary power and present use of Indulgences, was
ordained and left by Christ in his Church, which
anciently put the same into practise; and that the denial
hereof ought to be anathematiz'd." XI. And lastly,

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"That all the Definitions, Decrees, Canons, and Declarations
made in their former Councels, and especially in
this their last Councel of Trent, ought to be wholy and
inviolately, undoubtedly and devoutly professed, taught,
preach'd, and received as the true Catholick Faith, out
of which none can be saved."
But all these New Traditions, as they have no ground in
Scripture, so have they as little Testimony of Antiquity to be
brought to them; out of both which we prescribe against them
all.
For it is but a vain pretence of Antiquity, and a meer abusing
of the World, when they go about to make simple people believe, that
all which they professe and believe hath the consent of all Ages for
them, and that all the Ancient Fathers and Bishops of the Church
never taught, nor believed otherwise then they now do.
The Truth and Strength of which their Assertion, in one
of their peculiar and prime Traditions, first set forth in their
late Assembly at Trent, I examine in this History. Whereby I
trust it will be made manifest to the Reader, That those Men, who
do now so busily endeavour to seduce the Sons and Daughters of the
Church of England from the Grounds and Truth of our Religion,
which is no other then what we have received from Christ
and his Universal Church, termed neverthelesse by them a New
Church, and a New Religion, that began in the dayes of King
Henry the VIII. which is as true, as if they should say, A sick
person began then first to live, when he recovered from the disease
and distemper that was before upon him; for we are the same
Church still, as he the same person, that we were before,
though in a better estate and health of our soules, in a greater
soundnesse and purity of Religion, then indeed we were before,
when they had to with it, and infected us; that these Men, I
say, who untruly term us Novelists, are in truth themselves the
greatest Novelists of any in the World besides: And must be content
both in this peculiar Article of their Religion, which we now
set forth and examine through the several Ages of the Church, and
likewise in others, which we may, by the grace of God, examine in
the like manner hereafter, to come behinde in time, after divers
of those Novelists, and disturbers of true Religion, that now bear
vogue among us.
It is a matter of Fact this, that is here tryed, which may be put
to a Jury of Twelve Men, that have no lawful Exception to be
taken against them; but I give them more, and put it to many
such, one after another; that there may be no want. Which in such
Cases, as this is, will be the fairest way of Trial to finde out the
Truth, and leave the Reader to judge of it, on whose side it standeth.
In the gathering of my Witnesses together, and Collecting this
Scholastical History, I must acknowledge to owe somewhat unto
those learned Men, that have heretofore taken pains in this behalf,
as well at home in our own Church, as abroad in others. Yet
let it be said without derogation from any of them, this Book
hath been judg'd, by Him that first requested me to make it a
part of my Imployment, though he was a Person well able to
have more perfectly done it himself, and by other Men of knowledge,
Professors of true Religion and Learning, who have read
it after him, and many times moved him to commit it to the Press;
that it would give more ample satisfaction, and clear the Passages
in Antiquity from the Objections that some late Authors on the
Roman side bring against us, then those other Writings of Home
or Foreign Divines have done, that are extant in this kinde. For
besides the whole Frame and order of the Book, insisting upon the
right and best way of enquiry into this matter by an Historical Disquisition
of the Universal Tradition and Testimony of Gods Church
herein unanimously delivered in all Ages from the Apostles Times
and before to ours; My Observations as I passe along both
through the Ancient and Later Writers that have said any thing of
this Subject, are many of them New; and where I have followed
others, even there also I have added much of my own, to advance
and manifest the Truth that is in them; having no other aim, then
herein to be serviceable to the Truth of God, set forth and professed
by the Church of England; which Truth we endeavour, in
these wavering and lapsing times, to preserve entire and upright
among us.
My Discourse is continued, and not interrupted with quotations
of Authors, which I have diligently searched, and placed, all the
way, in the Margin. The language that I use, is familiar, clear,
and inoffensive, which I trust will make it the more acceptable,
for I neither affect, nor approve any other.
But if I may unwittingly have said any thing, that shall be
found to disagree either with any passage in the Holy Scriptures,
or with the consent of Antiquity in the Sense and Interpretation
of those Scriptures, which yet, I hope well, will not be found; I
do here beforehand revoke and unsay it already.
At my Retirement in
Paris this 17 Feb.
1657.
Joh. Cosin.