A Preface to the Reader. a learnedBi/hop in this nation long agoe complained, that they are (till opening their mouths ágainft Calvin whohope them tomouthes to fpeak with: r- 'bbot: adThom:)He will in the Judgment offome,be fofarre accountedfame- bady,as to takeofffrom them the confident Af- fertion that Salmafm,and Blondell:4e, were mortalsamprimi that rejeiled thefe Epift es. The Centnriators of cMagdenburgwere efteemed tobe fame bodies in their dayes : andyet theymake bold to call thefe Epiftles into Queftion: and to tender fundry Arguments to the impairing of their Credit and Authority. This then they Cent: a,capuo. DeEpiJcop: Antioch: ac primum de !patio. Let-Loripio & attests canbderandtem relinguimae guantam fie illis Epi/lolis tribuendnm. Non enimdiebitamm gun; in leflione:arum cuilibet ea in mentem versant : primnm podfe, é isom- nibtu Epiflolis, lint fair Copiefs, occafo fcribendipreetermitritnr,necvet divinare licet,gnarepo- ti :mimead hanc vetillam Ecclefiam lirerar volnerit mittere. Teinde ipbue peregrination: Ratio nonparvaminjicit feropulum confrderantibra, vied malts reflioreCr6revioriitinere ,Roman: poruerit navigare, ut teflateer vet ipfete Treuli Exemplum. Expende loam longuefit iter,An- ti:chiaia ad linos Aegaipelagi fe recipere , ibig rtE s jarfutnver/su Sep:entric:umafcendere t prarspaar civitates inlittore /tae ufg; adT'roademperlaJlrarr cam tamers Rornanam iterftdefli- mitnm verfne sccafum.Tertio re, ejufmodi in ifiar literas infperfæfent at ad eaepropemodam obflu- peatlet}ör &c.Hæcdemalià, nonfomnoleato lettori Oxidant, non exiflimaverimur &r. Thus they at theworlds firft awaking, as to the Confiderationofthings ofthis kind. To them adds the learned Whitaker cent: una:de perfeE fcript:goof :Jextâc:sa:whereafter hebath difputed againit thecredit of thefeEpiftles,joyntly and teverally,with fundryArgo_ ments,at length heConcludes,fed de his Epifloliefacie malts,& de hoc Ignacioquid judicandum f t,fatu ex iu conflarepotefl gumdiximta. IflaPapillanon resident cueri &c. Towhom fundry others might be added convincingSalmaßtu and Blondellue,not to havebeen Mortaliumpri- mithat called them into Qeftion. I have not infifled on whatbath been fpokcn,as though I werewhollyof themind ofthem, who utterly condemne thofe Epiftles as falleand counterfeits though I know no po(iìbi- tity of (landing; beforethe Arguments levyed again!' tbem(notwithltandingthe fore-menti - onedDo&ors attempt to that purpofe without acknowledging fo muchcorruption in them, Additions and Detroflions from what they were when firftwritten , as willrender themnot foclearly ferviceable toany end or purpofe , whereunto their Teftimony may be required, as other unqueftionablewritingsof theirAntiquityare juftlyefteemed to be. That thefeEpi- files have fallen into thehands offuch unwotthylmpoftots as have filled the latter ageswith labour and travehto difcovertheir deceits, The Dolor himfelfe granteth:difen:a.cap.2 Sell: 6:nulla( faith he) quicken nobisincumbir nece itas, ut inuntilexemplarium & editio mm varl- etate & inconflantiâ,nihil nipiam Ignatis interpolationant adfutumaffirmemru. "-And indeed the foyfted paffages in many places are fo evident,yeafhameful, that noman who is not robotved to fay any thing without care of proofor Truth can once appeare in arty defenfative about them. Of this fort are the fhreds and pieces out of that brandedcoun- terfeit piece ofClemens , or the Apof'lesconflirutions which are almoft in everyEpiftle pac- ked in,in a bungling manner,oftentimesdifturbing the fenfe and coherence of theplace : yea fometimes Guth things are thence tranfcribed,as in them,are confiderable Argumentsof their Corruption, and falfhood ; fo is that period in theEpiftle to the Magneftans taken from Cle- mens.Csnffitar.lib.6 cap. 2. 'ACedVadkr alaeiundt bnxyz>,ic áyi,piius d) óuotzr aidar. This eAlbed- dadan being mentioned next after Abfolom s dyingby the lotsof his head,is therefore fuppo. fed to beSheba theSon ofBickrí , but whence that counterfeit Clemenshad that name is not known. That the counterfeit Clementby e/Ibeddadan intended Sheba is evident from the words he affignes unto him in the place mentioned. Abeddadan laid flux tli uol:keys i, ozóì a, dd xw,varslx úÿv'te000ir. And joynes himwith Abfolom in his Rebellion : futh paffages as thefe they are fuppofed to have received from that vaine and foolifh imp: loe:but ifit be true which fome have obferved that there is not the leaf' mention madeof any ofthofe fiflitiana ronflitstions tnthe three firft Ages after Chrift , & that thed1;24xn Araovrt,v mentioned by En- tibiae , and Arhunafiiu, as allo that Javd ,tin Epiphanine , are quite other things , then thofe eight booksofconfliturions wenow have , it may rather be fuppofed,that that fattish deceiver rather raked up forceofhis filch from theCorruption of thefe Epiflles , then that any thing ont ofhim is crept into them. Other inftances might begiven offluffing thefeEpithet with the very garbidge of that beaft. Intowhat bands alto thefe Epil}les havefallen by theway, in their,journymg down towards thefe endsof the world , is evident from thefe citations made out oftheìn, by themofold, which nowappeare not in tbem.Theodoret. Dial: 3. adv: Hera
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