The orthodox faith and vvay to the Church explaned and iustified in answer to a popish treatise, entituled, White died blacke; wherein T.W. p. in his triple accusation of D. White for impostures, vntruths, and absurd illations, is proued a trifler: and the present controuersies betweene vs and the Romanists are more fully deliuered and cleared. By Francis White Bachelour in Diuinitie, and elder brother of Doctor Iohn White.

Paragr. 2. Cyril of Alexandria, concerning Lay peoples reading of holy Scripture.

T. W. Cyril affirmeth, that Christ and his Apostles pro∣pounded the heauenly preaching vnto all, calling vnto their doctrine men and women of the baser sort: but he mentioneth not the Scripture, or women medling therewith. Our blacke White hath onely inuented it to proue himselfe a true Apostata.

Answ. By the name of heauenly preaching, Cyril vn∣derstandeth the doctrine of the Gospelli, which being first preached by liuely voyce, was afterwards by the will of Christ committed to writingk. And this holy Father maintaineth the generall reading of this heauenly do∣ctrine, contained in the Scripture by all sorts of people, saying:

The Scripture was therefore indited in a plaine and fami∣liar stile, that it may be vnderstood of small and great, excee∣ding the capacitie of nonel. And speaking of Children, he saith; Boyes or young Lads trained vp in holy Scriptures, are made most religiousm: And whosoeuer is conuersant in rea∣ding holy Scripture, is made better by it, and becomes profi∣table

to othersn. And in another placeo, Diuine reading, daily prayer and the word of doctrine, are the nutriment of the soule: And, nothing is difficult to them who are conuer∣sant in the Scripture as they oughtp. The Scripture is able to make such as are trained vp in it, wise, approued, and of suf∣ficient vnderstandingq. The beauty of veritie and the exact knowledge of truth, and all manner of good instruction, whereby one is made compleate, conspicuous and glorious in vertue and good workes, are contained in holy Scripturer.

And from these illustrious sentences of Cyrill, with whom consent other Fathers, it appeareth, that the Pro∣testants faith concerning generall reading of holy Scrip∣ture, and the perfection and perspicuitie thereof in mat∣ters necessarie to saluation, is the doctrine of the Catho∣like Primitiue Church, from which the Papists are de∣parted: and so the reproach of Apostata vnworthily im∣puted to D. White, meritoriouslie seiseth vpon this P.P. and his Compeers, from whom no borith or Fullers sope can cleanse the fowle staine of wilfull Apostasie. 2. Thess. 2.3.

Notes

• i

  Cyril. Al. cont. Iulian. l. 6.
• k

  Iren. cont. hae∣res. l. 3. c 1.
• l

  Cyril. cont. Iul. l 7. pa. 160.
• m

  Ibid. pa 162.
• n

  Ibid.
• o

  L. 9. in in Le∣uit.
• p

  L. 9. cont. Iu∣lian.
• q

  L. 7. cont. Iu∣lian. pa. 150.
• r

  Ibid. pa. 160.