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which if it be a misfortune to the authors, it is for this only reason that I can think of, that the oftener our adversaries write in the way of replies and answers, the more they discover their own nakedness, as I am pretty sure the Representer and the Vindicator have done for their parts.

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VINDICATION OF SOME PROTESTANT PRINCIPLES

OF

CHURCH-UNITY AND CATHOLIC COMMUNION,

FROM THE

CHARGE OF AGREEMENT WITH THE CHURCH OF ROME.

IN ANSWER

To a late Pamphlet, intituled, An Agreement between the

Church of England and the Church of Rome, evinced from the Concertation of some of her sons with their brethren the Dissenters.

TO THE READER.

I HERE present thee with a book which the importunity of our Roman adversaries has extorted from me; I had rather have employed my pen upon some more useful argument; but in such a state as this, we cannot always be our own choosers. The design of the book I answer seems to be, to revive some old disputes between us and the Dissenters, and to raise new jealousies in them, if not of our inclination to Popery, yet of a great deal of Popish leaven yet remaining among us, which ought to be purged out; for there is nothing such men dread more, than that the Dissenters should at this time entertain any kind thoughts of the Church of England. The plot, I confess, is well enough laid, were not all wise men of both parties aware of it, and that makes it ridiculous enough; and indeed the book itself is an odd kind of mixture ; he gives very good words to the Dissenters, and at the same time uses no other but their own arguments against the Church of England, to establish some main points of Popery, which whether it be a piece of courtship to them, or a sly affront, ought to be considered. As for our agreement with the Church of Rome, if I have not sufficiently baffled that pretence, I will never write more ; but this of itself was too mean a design to confute that which nobody, not the objector

himself, believed ; and therefore I will be bold to say, that I have abundantly confuted the Popish supremacy from those very principles on which this author would found our agreement. I intended a preface to have explained some notions about the Church, which might have been of use to ordinary readers for the better understanding this answer ; but it swelled so much upon my hands, that by the advice of some friends I have reserved it for a distinct treatise, which shall quickly follow.

W. S.

AN ANSWER TO THE PREFACE. SINCE this author has thought fit to single me out, as an example of this pretended agreement between the Church of England and the Church of Rome, I shall undertake my own defence, which will give me no other trouble, but a short diversion from some better designs ; which I suppose is all that was hoped for from this pamphlet.

For whoever this author be (which I am not curious to know) I cannot think him so weak, as to hope at this time of day, that he could persuade our Dissenters, that the clergy of the Church of England are now the chief, if not the only opposers of Popery, and defenders of the Protestant religion ;'' or that, notwithstanding all their appearing zeal against Popery, they are still Papists in their hearts, and are ready to embrace a Cassandrian accommodation whenever the Government pleases ; and therefore I could be very well contented such suggestions as these should pass without an answer, as far as I am concerned in them. For let any man that knows me, think me a Papist if he can ; I am pretty confident, this author believes me far enough from it, or else I might have expected better words from him ; but it is fit that such little arts as these should be exposed to the scorn and contempt of mankind, and that our Dissenters should be made sensible what a mean opinion such writers have of them, who hope to impose upon them by such mean arts. For to begin with that great cry of late, “ that the clergy of the Church of England are now the chief, if not the only opposers of Popery, and defenders of the Protestant religion;" is there not good reason for it ? Have they not defended the Church of England against all the little arts and shifts of the Church of Rome? What is that then which he calls the unlucky mistake, and which the

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unwary readers of books are to be warned against ? That those unanswerable books, which have of late been written against Popery, were not written by the clergy of the Church of England ? That he dares not say. What is the mistake then ? That these men, who confute Popery, are not Protestants, but Papists. Methinks their confuting Popery is no great sign of their being Papists ; especially when Papists are not able to defend their religion against them. I am sure, if their arguments will keep men from turning Papists, they are notable opposers of Popery, and defenders of the Protestant religion, whatever they are themselves; and what hurt it would do any man to be confirmed in the Protestant religion, though it were by the writings of concealed Papists, I cannot guess. Should the Pope himself write a book against Popery, if the arguments were good, I should like the book never the worse for the sake of the author. I deny not, but such things may be done ; Papists may write against Popery, and Protestants for it, with an intention to betray the cause which they undertake to defend ; but if this were his rule of guessing, there would be much more just cause to suspect that our late Popish writers were Protestants, than that our Protestant writers were Papists. When they are able to answer their books against Popery, we will give them leave to call them Papists still; but could they have done that, they would have allowed them to have been Protestants still.

But what course does our author take to undeceive unwary readers at this time, and to prove these confuters of Popery to be Papists. Why, “ by acquainting them with the avowed principles of some of our clergy about those points wherein the very life of Popery consists, and on which the whole system of that religion is founded : in doing which he hath with some clearness demonstrated the agreement of opinion between the Church of England men, and the Church of Rome, to be so exact and full, that if the Government should so design, it were but dictum factum, according to their doctrine ; and a Cassandrian peace might be patched up presently with Rome.” This is a notable discovery indeed! Do any of these men then embrace any doctrine of the Church of Rome? No; but it seems they agree with the Church of Rome in some fundamental principles, whereon the whole system of Popery is founded: that shall be examined anon. But suppose it at present ; do they draw the same conclusions from these principles, which the Church of Rome does ? No; but they ought to do so : 60

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this author thinks ; but suppose they do not think so; are they ever the nearer Popery, though their principles be the same, if their conclusions are as distant as Protestancy is from Popery? If they be so well disposed to a Cassandrian peace, I pray,

what hinders it? Will not they receive us upon these terms ? What, not after all their softening representations to invite men into the bosom of the Church? When they are so fond of all new converts, will they reject the Cassandrian divines of the Church of England ? When he adds, “ that his Majesty will admit of no such accommodations,” any one would suspect that these poor Cassandrians had been suing for reconciliations, and had been rejected ; that the mollifying character of a Papist truly represented, and the Bishop of Condom's Exposition of the Catholic Faith, which is as soft, though not so honest, as Cassander's consultation, would not now be allowed of at court, and all for the sake of that more glorious design of liberty and conscience. But why might not Cassandrians be reconciled to the Church, and Vissenters have their liberty too? This prefacer does not tell his story well; he has forehead enough, but wants somewhat within.

Well, but it was necessary in this present juncture to put some check to the insulting talk of the clergy, who would be thought to be the only champions against Popery.” That the clergy of the Church of England, have industriously and successfully opposed the corruptions of the Church of Rome, will be acknowledged by all but Papists, and they feel it to their cost; but that they are the only champions against Popery, I assure you, is not pleasing to them, for they would be very glad to see their dissenting brethren put to their helping hand, and be as industrious to preserve those from Popery, who have a veneration for their authority, as we are, and upon these terms we could heartily forgive them all their former unjust imputations of Popery to us; but that our Popish adversaries find it necessary in this juncture to give some check to this Popery-opposing clergy, I do not wonder, and I believe nobody will, though methinks the best way of giving a check to their brags, had been to confute their books; and they had work enough before them, had they liked this

way; for I can tell them a great many books which they have never answered yet, and I believe never will, I am sure never can to any purpose. But they come too late to persuade people now that we are Papists, especially when they are so open-hearted as to tell all the world what their design is ; for if we were Papists, no man will believe that they would be

VOL. XIV.

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