A multitude of Forgeries secretly mingled among the Records of the Church, and put forth under the Name of Isidore, Bishop of Hispalis: Which Book is owned, defended, and followed by the Papists.

The Roman Chair being thus lifted up to the utmost Height it could well desire, care must be taken to secure its Exaltation. After many secret Councils therefore, and powerful Methods used for its Establishment; for the increase of its Power and Glory, (furthered by the Luxury and Idleness of the Western Churches) of which Salvian largely complains in his Book De Providentiâ (written to justifie the Dispensation of GOD in all the Calamities they suffered by the Goths, who sacked Rome in the days of the forenamed Zozimus) there came out a collection of Councils and Decretal Epistles, in the Name of Isidore, Bishop of Hispalis, about the year 790. In which Book there are neatly interwoven a great company of forged Evidences, or feigned Records, tending all to the advancement of the Popes Chair, in a very various, copious, and Elaborate manner.

That the Bishop of Rome had a secret hand in the contrivance and publication of them, is probable, if not clear, from divers Reasons.

I. Before they were published, Hadrian I. maketh use of the Tale of Constantines Leprosie, Vision, and Baptism by Pope Sylvester; things till then never heard of in the world, but afterwards contained in the Donation of Constantine; a Forgery, which in all probability lay by this Hadrian, but of his own preparing, when he wrote his Letter to Constantine and Irene; which Letter was read, and is recorded in the 2. Nicene Council, on the behalf of Images: being sent abroad like a Scout, as it were, to try what success it would find in the world, before he would adventure the whole Body of his Players to publick view: For if that were swallowed down without being detected, the rest might hope for the same good Fortune: if not, the first might pass for a mistake, and its Companions be safely suppressed, without any mischief following.