The Novelty of Popery Discovered, Title page – Dedication
THE NOVELTIE OF POPERIE, Discovered and chieflie proven by Romanists out of themselves.
IER. 6. 16.
Ask for the old path's, where is the good way, and walk therein.
TERT. L. 2. CONT. MARCION.
Omnino res Christiana sancta antiquitate constat, nec ruinosa rectiùs reparabitur, quàm si ad originem reducatur.
By William Guild, D. D. and Preacher of Gods word.
ABERDENE, Printed by IAMES BROWN, 1656.
TO The worshipfull, and worthie of all respect, DAVID WILKIE Dean of gild of Edinburgh.
Worshipfull Sir,
THere are two remarkable points of Policie which are used by the enemies of the Trueth the Papists, for bearing down the same, and for upholding the Dagon & Diana of their idolatrous worship. The first is, the claime of venerable. Antiquitie, to be only on their, side, being herein like the Gibeonites, who tho they dwelt near hand, yet pretē ded that they wer come frō a far, or like the Pharisees, who deryved the leaven of their new and corrupt doctrine from the verie chayre of Moses it self.
The second is, the imputation of Noveltie to us, and laying that foule aspersion on the faire face of trueth and of our profession, as (tho like Elihues confession of himself Iob, 32. 6.) the same were but young and of yesterday, but theirs (like Iobs other friends) w…r onlie old or ancient, which imputation indeed is no new tricke of enemies to the Trueth, seing we see the same aspersion cast on our Saviours and his Apostles doctrine, Act 17. 19. and whereby also Pagans laboured to make the Christian religiō at first odious to the world.
But we are content to be tryed by Antiquitie, the old way (as Ieremie …eakes 6. 16.) being the only good way, and (as Tertullian sayeth cap. 4. ad praxeam) That, that onelie is trueth which is first and most ancient, as that was the good seed onelie which was first sowen in the Masters field, it being tares onlie which were sowen later by the envyous enemie.
Therfore we must distinguish between Antiquitie of Trueth, which is like the Legitime, & first borne, & between Antiquitie of Errour, which is later and of a bastard broode, which made our Saviour to oppose to this, Math. 5. (it was said of old.) this other speech of his (but from the beginning it was not so) by which sort also of primitive antiquitie Ierusalem was somtimes a faithfull Citie (as Isaiah calleth her, 1. 21.) but afterwards by the other sort became a Harlot, & as Ezekiel also speaketh 23. 43. waxed old in her adulteries: even as Rome in likemanner was first famous for her faith throughout the world, by holding the antiquitie of trueth. But thereafter like Ierusalem making defection to errour and Idolatrie▪ shee hath in likemāner played the Harlot, & waxed old in her Adulteries. Whose followers (as Demetrius cryed up their great Diana of Ephesus, or the Iewes, the Temple of the Lord.) so, tho they in likemanner cry up the holie Romā Church, Mother and Mistresse of all other, yet justlie we may reply, as is said of her, Revel. 17. 5. That shee is a mother indeed, but the Mother of harlots and abhominations of the earth, and so, old indeed, but (as Ezekiel speaketh) old in adulteries, and who because of the multitude of her whoredomes (as the Prophet Nahum speaketh 3. 4.) is the mistres of witch-crafts, whose skirts the Lord hath discovered upon her face, and will more and more shew the Nations her nakednes, and the Kingdomes her shame, who at last shall hate the Whore, (as Revel. 17. 16.) make her dosolate, eate her flesh, and burne her with fire, for strong is the Lord who judgeth her.
Howsoever therefore they upbraid us with Noveltie, who are of that Apostaticke Church of Rome, and synagogue of Antichrist, yet it shall b…e seene (God willing) by this ensueing Treatise. That … Potiphars wife was onlie guiltie of that foull aspersion, wherwith shee accused innocēt Ioseph: so that they in likemanner are onelie guiltie of that aspersion of Noveltie, which they impute to us and to our profession, and that their doctrine is neither that first sowen seed in the Lords field by his Apostles, whereanent Paul sayeth Gal. 1. 8. If an Angell from heaven should …each any thing beside that which we hauehave taught, let him be accu…sed, nor yet consonāt thereunto, but altogether disagreeable and dissonant therefra, and like the supersemination & mixture of the tares by the envyous enemie in the LORDS field.
Which paines I hauehave Dedicate to you (Sir) as a pryme lover of the Trueth, and promover of learning, to whom by Divine providenoe as the patronage of six Bursers of Philosophie in the Vniversitie of Saynt Andrewes & Leonardin Colledge thereof now belongeth, founded by that worthie and never to be foregotten Principall thereof Master ROBERT WILKIE of happie memorie. So your godlie care and conscientious manageing therof, with your louelove to that place, which oweth so much to you and to your surname, hath moved mee in this barren age of encouragements to vertue and learning, to single you out as fittest and most worthie to whom my pen and paines may contribute their best respects, the increase of whose prosperitie and happinesse everie way, I shall ever wish who am
Sir, Your's most affectionatlie devoted. William Guild.