Mr. Blount's oracles of reason examined and answered in nine sections in which his many heterodox opinions are refuted, the Holy Scriptures and revealed religion are asserted against deism & atheism / by Josiah King ...

Pag. 103.

And to shew how ignorant the Clergy were in the time of the Emp. Marcian, we find the Greek Tongue so little understood at Rome, and the La∣tin in Greece, that the Bishops in both Countries (in all 630.) were glad to speak by Interpreters. Nay in this very Council at Chalcedon, the Em∣peror was fain to deliver the same speech in Greek to one party, and in Latin to the others, so that both might understand him: the Council of Jerusalem for the same reason made certain Creeds, both in Greek and Latin; at the Council of Ephesus, the Pope's Legats had their Interpreter to expound the words: and when Celestine's Letters were there read, the Acts tells us how the Bishops desired to to have them translated into Greek, and read over again; insomuch that the Romish Legats had al∣most made a controversy of it, fearing least the Papal Authority should have been prejudiced by such an Act: alledging therefore, how it was the ancient custom to propose the Bulls of the See Apo∣stolick in Latin only, and that that might row suffice. Whereupon those poor Greek Bishops were in danger not to have understood the Pope's Latin, till at length the Legats were content with Reasons, when it was evidenced to them, That the major part could not understand one word of Latin. But the pleasantest of all, is Pope Celestine's Excuse to Nestorius, for his so long delay in answering his Letters, because he could not by any means get his Greek construed sooner. Also Pope Gregory the Fiest ingeniously confesseth to the Bishop of Thessaly, that h•• understood not a jot of his Greek.

ANSWER.

Mr. Blount hath discovered much maligni∣ty against the Clergy in this and the next Page; the great Imputation of their not be∣ing good Grecians, cannot be charged on the present Clergy. Besides we are not so igno∣rant, as He is disingenuous who hath taken all those choice Remarks, word for word out of Du Ranchin's Review of the Council of Trent, p. 151 and 152. and yet makes no mention of the Author, to whom he was so much obliged.

What our Author proposes to Himself by this Method, is not very material; for since the Latin and Greek are the Learned Languages, why may not one of them be sufficient for a Clergy-man? He that hath been in the least concern'd in the Popish Con∣troversies, cannot be ignorant that Casau∣bone, Rainolds, Dalle and others, have sufficient∣ly demonstrated, how unskilful Baronius and Bellarmine have been in the Greek Tongue; and yet who can doubt but that they were deser∣vedly reputed great Clerks? Who can doubt but that St. Austin, and the African Bishops were very Pious and Learned Men? and yet how meanly they were skilled in the Greek Tongue, I have shown in another place. If our Au∣thor be delighted with such Instances, He might have brought some more pertinent to His pur∣pose: For Alphonsus a Castro tells us, there were some Popes so illiterate, as they were totally

ignorant of Grammar. Saint Amour tells us of a Pope, who said, He was a Canonist, and no Di∣vine. The Learned Bishop of Sarum, in the Pre∣face to his Regale, acquaints us with a Report at Rome, at the Election of a Pope, that Cardi∣nal Albici should say, For the Love of God, let us at least have a Pope, that is so learned, that He may be able to read the Gospel in the Mass. How∣ever it be, none of Mr. Blount's Instances affect us of the Reformed Church, whom yet I think he purposely designs to derogate from in his Paragraph: For p. 97. he writes very contem∣ptibly of them; and says, 'The Quicunque Men (by which he understands the Clergy of Eng∣land) are as much below Mr. Hobbs his Resent∣ments, 'as he is above their Anger. And this he writes near the beginning of this Chapter, where these his Proofs are of the Ignorance of the Clergy; but how unjust this charge is with respect to them is so manifest, that it would be a madne•••• 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ••••fute him.