In truth, however, for the too evident purpose of serving a turn, the doctors of the Council of Trent, in defiance of the universal testimony of the early Church as expressed most distinctly by Melito and Cyril and Ruffinus and Jerome and Epiphanius and Athanasius, have foisted into the genuine canon of inspired Scripture, those mere unauthoritative human compositions, which are commonly styled _apocryphal_, and for the simple quoting of which about the close of the sixth century, Pope Gregory the great absolutely makes a regular formal apology. {26d} As one out of our many witnesses against these daring innovators, let us hear, from the fourth century, the venerable Cyril of Jerusalem, while officially instructing his Catechumens in order to their baptism. _Read the twenty and two books contained in the Old Testament_: _but_ WITH THE APOCRYPHA HAVE NOTHING IN COMMON. _Study diligently those twenty and two books_ ALONE, _which also with confidence are read in the Church_. _The Apostles and the ancient Bishops_, _who delivered those books to us_, _were much wiser than you_. _As children of the Church_, _therefore_, _set not upon her authorised documents the adulterating seal of a false impression_. {27a} This _adulterating seal of a false impression_, so strongly reprobated by Cyril in the fourth century, was, in the sixteenth century, employed, without the least scruple, for the impious corruption of God’s written word, by the Romish Clergy at the Council of Trent. III. From Scripture, let us proceed to the early Fathers of the Church. I. In the way of _negative_ evidence, Polycarp the disciple of St. John, Athenagoras, and Irenèus, who collectively flourished during a period which extends from the latter end of the first to the latter end of the second century, are TOTALLY SILENT respecting the existence of a Purgatory; even when the nature of their subject is such, that, had they been acquainted with the doctrine, they _must_ have mentioned it. {27b} 2. In the way of _positive_ evidence, Clement of Rome the disciple and fellow-labourer of St. Paul, Ignatius the disciple of St. John, Justin Martyr, Hippolytus, and Cyprian, who collectively flourished during a period which extends from the year 63 to the year 258, either by anticipation EXPRESSLY CONTRADICT, or else use language PALPABLY INCOMPATIBLE WITH, the doctrine of a Purgatory. {28a} 3. When this doctrine began to creep into the Church, the individuals, who started it, could not agree among themselves, either as to _its nature_, or as to _its certainty_, or as to _its chronological location_: and, what is sufficiently whimsical, not one among them agreed with the present Church of Rome. {28b} Now, if the doctrine of a Purgatory had been _uniformly_ and _universally_ and _constantly_ held in the Church Catholic from the very beginning, as the Romish Clergy would persuade us: it is quite clear, that this curious discrepance could never have occurred.