The touchstone of the new religion; or, Sixty assertions of Protestants, tried by their own rule of scripture alone, and condemned by clear and express texts of their own bible ; to which is added, The true principles of a Catholic.

Abstract

The Touchstone, &c

1. Protestants, in order to justify their new religion, affirm, that before their pretended Reformation, '' Laity and clergy, learned and unlearned, all ages, sects and degrees of men, women, and children, of whole Christendom - were at once drowned in abominable idolatry ;- and that for 800 years and more." (Homily of the Peril of Idolatry, approved by the 35th of the 39 Articles, Part III,) and consequently they must hold, that for all that space of time, the gates of hell prevailed against the Church of Christ.

Their own Bible, in plain and express terms, declares the contrary. St. Matt., xvi. 18 :- "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

II. Protestants maintain, that for many hundred years before Luther there was no church upon earth with which a Christian might lawfully join in communion; that all were notoriously gone astray from the purity of the gospel; and consequently that Christ, who is "The way, and the truth and the life" (St. John, xiv. 6), was not with any church before their Reformation, because they were all gone astray from the way, the truth, and the life... [Excerpt]