•j-  The  writers  of  tlie  catholic  party  have  come  very  little
short  of  this  already,  in  their  contemptuous  manner  of  speak-
ing of  the  scriptures,  which  had  unkindly  furnished  their  ad-
versaries, the  witnesses,  with  so  many  strong  arguments  against
them. They  call  the  divine  oracles  very  foul  names ;  some-


215

fprmer  interdict  will  be  increased  to  the
amount  of  a  total  withdrawing  of  the  scrip-
tures altogether,  and  an  utter  extinguishing
of  the  little  remaining  and  dubious  light  of

times  a  dead  letter,  sometimes  the  shop  and  forge  of 'heresy •,  some-
times a  matter  of  'strife ;  sometimes  a  nose  of  wax  ;  and  they  have
committed  them  to  the  flames  in  France,  England,  Germany,
and  Ireland. That  they  may  attain  to  so  great  perfection  of
popery,  as  to  find  the  scriptures  rather  officious  and  trouble-
some to  them,  than  useful  for  the  support  of  their  faith  is  very
probable;  since,  long  ago.,  they  have  made  them  to  be  humble
dependents  upon  the  pope  for  their  permission  to  exist, — quam-
diu  se  bene  gesserint. Prierjus,  in  his  Dialogues  against
Luther,  maintains — "  Pontificis  authoritas  major  est  quam
scripture," — "  the  authority  of  the  pope  is  greater  than  that
of  the  scripture."  And  this  is  not  more  than  what  popes  them-
selves have  owned,  and  actually  assumed  to  themselves. Pone
Gregory  the  seventh  proclaimed  to  the  world,  as  part  of  his
undoubted  prerogative, — "  Nullum  capitulum  nullusque  liber
canonicus  habetur,  absque  illius  authoritate."  (Dictat. xvi. in
Cone  Rom.) — •'  That  no  book,  nor  so  much  as  any  chapter,
in  the  whole  Bible  would  be  canonical,  were  it  not  for  his  au-
thority which  makes  it  so."  And  pope  Innocent  and  pope
Nicholas  I. sing  the  same  song,  which  cardinal  Baronius  ap-
plauds— "  ab  arbitrio  enim  pontificis  romani  pendet  quid  velit
esse  in  universa  ecclesia  sacrosanctum :"  (ad  Ann. 553,  N.224)
"  Because  it  depends  upon  the  mere  will  and  pleasure  of  the  roman
Pontiff,  to  have  what  he  pleases  of  sacred  authority  in  the  whole
Church,"  Hist,  of  Popery,  vol. ii. p. 