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A NEW EPISTLE,

BY

THE APOSTLE PAUL,

ADDRESSED TO

THE LORD BISHOPS

OF

ENGLAND AND IRELAND,

AND

RECENTLY DISCOVERED AMONG SOME OTHER MANUSCRIPTS OF
REMOTE ANTIQUITY, AND VERY EXACTLY AND DILIGENTLY

Translated out of the original Greek.

A NEW EDITION.

London:

Imprinted for Effingham Wilson, Bibliopolist.

MDCCCXXXIX.

642.

BO

Entered at Stationers' all, according to Act of Parliament.

OTHE

ILLUME

Printed by W. Lewis and Son, 21, Finch-lane, London.

(Translator's Dedication.)

TO THE RIGHT REVEREND

The Lord Bishops

OF

ENGLAND AND IRELAND.

RIGHT REVEREND FATHERS IN GOD,

(As I believe it is your will to be designated.) in presenting to the world this Translation of an Epistle newly discovered of the Apostle Paul's, I judge that your patronage is the most congruous under which to usher it into notice. For, my Lords, my heart has often been sore pained within me, at the hard thrusts to which ye have been exposed by rude men, who have, as it seemeth to me, unduly exalted the authority of ancient Scripture, stupidly preferring truth to cour

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tesy. These men have, in their coarseness, alleged that Holy Scripture does contradict and gainsay your Lordships; and indeed 1 must confess that, if taken absolutely, it does condemn many things which obtain in that pure and Apostolic Church, whose mitres your Lordships wear. And often have I wished from my inmost soul, in common with many sincere Christians, that Holy Scripture did less plainly and harshly reprove your Lordships and it has been the fondest wish of my heart, to do somewhat that may assist, be it ever so little, in removing all cause for this reproach, and to find a high warrant for you. To me, pondering these matters, there did appear only two ways in which a thing so devoutly to be wished could come to pass: Either, (I thought,) your Lordships would do well to comform somewhat to ancient Scripture (which indeed is scarcely to be expected of men in your Lordships' station); or else, and perhaps this is the better plan, Scripture should be made to conform to your Lordships. And long has the idea possessed me, that, of

necessity, there must exist somewhere, other Apostolic writings than those generally admitted, and widely different therefrom; and to discover such precious documents has been my most diligent study. And lo! to me, as an humble son of the one true Church, as I believe, has this honour been vouchsafed, to discover and bring to light-from the long concealment of ages-an Epistle most indubitably Pauline, and one which, I think, will set ye right with the foolish people who have been wont, in their unmannerly devotedness to truth, to contrast your Lordships with your predecessors, the Apostles, and to say, from Scripture, things unseemly to be said of our spiritual pastors and Masters, and of our ghostly fathers. Great, therefore, is my joy to find, at length, that all things for which idle men do clamour against ye, are indeed authorized by your predecessor Paul (—though perhaps it is irreverent in me, unhappy man that I am! to name him thus: will your Lordships kindly instruct me on this point? Should I have said His Grace, Paul? For

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