for we are not fo eafily to be braved, menaced, or perfecuted out of our sense, reason, and privilege.

They fay, LOSERS have leave to fpeak;' at least we take it; none being greater lofers, than fuch as, for diffenting from national inftitutions in point of faith or worship, are deprived of their common rights and freedoms, and hindered as much as may be from reverencing the God that made them, in that way which to them feems moft acceptable to him.

To conclude; we fay, (and by it let our intentions in our whole discourse be measured) that we have not defended any Diffenters, whofe quarrel or diffent is rather civil and political, than religious and confcientious for we really think fuch unworthy of protection from the English government, who seek the ruin of it; and that fuch as are contributors to the prefervation of it, (though Diffenters in point of faith or worship) are unquestionably intituled to a protection

from IT.

But in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, Matt. xv. 9.

Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Mofes, fo do these also refift the truth; men of corrupt minds, reprobates concerning the faith. 2 Tim, iii. 8.

W

то

The ENGLISH PROTESTANT Reader.

E hope it may not be too late to militate for truth against the dark fuggeftions of papal fuperftition.-Nor can we think that it fhould be efteemed Heterodox, for a diffenting Proteftant (whilst almoft gafping for his own liberty) to vindicate that of reformation, from the quainteft ftratagems, and most unwearied endeavours, of Romish emiffaries, to put both it and us into their inquifition.

We know they have fo far mastered their ancient fierceness, and masked their fanguine looks with those more modest and familiar, that though we need not

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more reason than before, we need more skill and caution, or else we may too fatally experience the force of that vulgar proverb; "Laugh in thy face, and cut thy throat."

They are grown fo complaifant, as none seem more exafperated at perfecution than themselves, (whilft the very fathers of it) decrying the fiercenefs of fome countries (whofe incendiaries they were, and ftill are) and imputingall the blood of poor Protestants to fome unwarrantable civil fcore, (therein abufing the civil magiftrate with the execution of their own confpiracies): nay, for all their venerable esteem of the Pope's infallibility, they have not stuck to cenfure his roaring bulls (though procured by their own means) and all that might exprefs their new tendernefs; that many, unacquainted with their practices, are ready to believe them what they fay themselves to be; whose moral is to have two ftrings to their bow, to be ambo-dexter, and furnished with meanings to fuit the compafs of all occafions.'

In fhort, I premise three things:

First, That I cordially believe a great number of Romanists may be abufed zealots, through the idle voluminous traditions of their church; whom I rather pity, than dare to wrong.

Secondly, That I defign nothing less than incenfing of the civil magiftrate against them (were fuch a thing poffible): for I profefs myself a friend to an univerfal toleration of faith and worship.'

Thirdly, That the pamphlet answered, being but one sheet, I confine my examination to a narrow compafs and the rather, because a more confiderable difcourfe is under my prefent enquiry; which, if Providence fo order it, may fpeedily be made publick.

However, let this go for preface to that larger tract; in which the Romanifts may fee both their ignorance in the marks of a true church, and their little share or interest in those they attribute to her as fuch.

Penn, Buckinghamshire,

the 23d of the 11th Month, 1670.

W. P.

A SEA

A

SEASONABLE CAVEAT

AGAINST

POPERY.

THO

HOUGH to argue against a tribe of men, that efteem all REASON carnal, and SCRIPTURES imperfect, might rightly be judged a mere beating of the air, and a task only to be enterprized by fuch as are defirous of no fuccefs; yet to prevent those who may be deceived, and if poffible to reclaim fuch as are; and lastly, to clear mine own confcience, (moft of all in mine eye) I fhall defcend to confider the unfound, as well as untrue, confeffions of the Romanists in the pamphlet under examination.

I. Of the SCRIPTURES.

Papift. W

E believe the Holy Scriptures to be of Divine Inspiration, and Infallible authority; and whatsoever is therein contained to be the Word of God.' Page 1.

Anfw. Certainly these men must either think we are wholly ignorant of their principles, or we muft needs conclude they have forfaken them. It is fo manifest that they have robbed the scriptures of their authority, that the POPE has all; and they have then only any, D 4

when