nies of his own Producing, that the Truth is against him. There is one Thing very remarkable in the Gentleman's Cafe ftated. For in the Title page of his Book he promises to shew two Things. 1. That the Doubt and Danger of Salvation is in the Communion of the Church of Rome. And 2dly, that the Certainty and Safe I must own he has labour'd hard to prove the for17 is in the Communion of the Church of England. Now mer. Nay he has gone much farther. For he has employ'd near 30 pages (I hope it will not do him. much Honour) to prove us as rank Idolaters as the Heathens ever were. And fo inftead of Doubt and Danger of Salvation, he ought to have promised to shew, that nothing but Hell and Damnation can be hoped for in the Church of Rome : fince these will furely be the juft Reward of heathen Idolatry practised by Chriftians themselves. But as to the latter Point, viz, his Shewing the Certainty and Safety of Salvation in the Church of En gland, the Gentleman has been pleafed to fuperfede that Part of his Task; as Judging it much easier to lampoon and traduce the Church of Rome, than defend his own. For there is not one fingle Argument in the Gentleman's whole Book to convince the Reader, that the Communion of the Church of England is preferable to that of any other reform'd Church. And why then is the Church of England alone mention'd in the Title-page with this pompous Elogium, that the Certainty and Safety of Sal vation is in her Communion. Will not every one, who reads this Title expect to find fome pofitive Proofs to convince him that he ought to prefer her Communion before any other? And will he not be ftrangely disappointed to find nothing but a meer Satyr Satyr upon the Church of Rome, and not one folid Argument to induce him to embrace the Gentleman's Church rather than that of Lutherans, Çalvinifts, Independents, Anabaptifts, Quakers, &c. in Cafe he either has his Religion yet to chofe, or is dif posed to leave that, in which he has till then been educated? If the Gentleman had declared that his whole Defign was to make a Non-Papift of his Lordship, I should have own'd his Book and Title were exactly of a Piece. For I confefs I never read a more artful Lampoon upon Popery in my whole Life. But to make a folemn Profeffion of shewing that the Certainty and Safety of Salvation are in the Communion of the Church of England without giving one fingle Reafon to prove her Communion to be preferable to that of any diffenting Protestant Church, or Offering at one diftinctive Mark to shew her to be that One, Holy, Catholick and Apoftolick Church profefs'd in the Nicene Creed, is fuch an Omiffion as will not eafily be excufed. What! Did he defign to laugh his Lordship out of all reveal'd Religion? If so, I cannot but approve of the Method he has taken. But if he intended to make him a Convert to the Church of England preferably to any other Church, why did he not fet forth her peculiar Advantages over other Proreftant Communions all differing from one another, to the End that when his Lordship should be refolved to renounce Popery, he might not turn Atheist or Deift for Want of knowing where to find the true Church of Chrift? Why did he not endeavour to convince him of the Antiquity of the reform'd Church of England; her perpetual Vifibility from the first Preaching of the Gospel in Great Britain; her uninterrupted Succeffion of Proteftant Bishops derived from the Apostles themselves; Her Catholicity, that is, her having always been a Part of that Church, which has Univerfaliy both of Time and Place; And laftly, the wonderful Miracles her Proteftant Children have wrought in Confirmation of her Doctrine, as it is diftinguish'd both from Popery, and that of other reform'd Churches? For thefe are the external Marks of the true Church of Chrift, which convinced St Austin of the Truth of her Doctrine. And if the Gentleman had but remember'd to shew thefe Marks in the Church of England, his Lordship could not have refifted the Force of fuch Evidence against him. I leave the Reader to confider the Reasons why he did not. I believe they are all comprifed in his short Sentence, ultra posse non datur effe; which may be english'd thus, a Man can do no more than he can do. But there feems to be another Omiffion in the Gentleman's Cafe ftated. For tho the Pope's Supremacy be the Article fingled out by him, against which he was employ'd the beft Part of his Time and Skill; tho he begins and ends with it; nay tho he refumes it feveral Times, and even drags it in by Head and Shoulders, yet he has not vouchlafed in the whole Converfation to mention fo much as once the vifible Head of his own Church. This furely was not fair. For fuppofe he should have lampoon'd his Lordship into a Refolution to throw off his former Head, was it not an, Act of Juftice to fupply him with another? Or was he fo ashamed of him that he durft not name him? For my Part I will not refolve the Queftion, but leave it to the Reader to do it for me. These are the most material Things, of which I thought it neceffary to inform the Reader. I shall only add, that tho this new Conversation betwixt his Lordship and the Gentleman was finish'd a confiderable Time ago, there occurr'd Reasons not neceffary to be mention'd, which retarded the Publication of it. ERRAT A. Pag. 296. lin. 17. Instead of Catholick Chrift, read Catholick Church, Pag.305. lin. 5. Instead of know, read constitute. These are all the Miftakes of Moment in this firft Part, which the Reader is defired to corre with his Pen. |