of Opinions opposite to the Power and Life of Christianity I know none who hath a better Title to it than your Reformation For the Life of Christianity is Faith and Charity and you have destroy'd the first by Heresie and the second by Schism as shall be proved hereafter Children delight in edged Tools which serve only to cut their fingers and you and your Brethren use weapons against us which wound your selves Fatal Experience might have taught you more Discretion than to be still moving that stone which hath once crush'd both your Church and State to pieces And truly the Reproach of Antichristian will fall on your Church if prov'd against ours For say what you please of the ancient Britans the first Apostles of the English who brought us the light of Faith and planted the Gospel amongst us came from Rome The Hierarchy you pretend to came from thence By Authority from the Pope my Lord of Canterbury is Primate and my Lord of London is his Suffragan By the same Authority the Country is divided into Dioceses your Deans and Chapters setl'd your Universities founded and several Degrees instituted in them If the Pope be the Antichrist both Universities and Hierarchy amongst you is Antichristian Moreover the Livings you enjoy were for the most part if not altogether given by the pious Liberality of Persons who profest that Faith we profess and lived and died in the Communion of our Church Gratitude to such Benefactors may teach you to judge less severely to suspend your Judgment till you have more convincing Arguments to ground it on than your own bare and bold Assertion CHAP. III. The true Designs of Christian Religion THe Design of God in establishing Religion was that Men should serve him in this World and enjoy him in the next that they (a) Psal 126.5 here sow with tears there reap with joy now run (b) 2 Tim. 4.7 8. their race and fight their battel then receive their crown Rivers (c) Eccles 1.7 receive their waters from the Sea and return to it again And Religion receives its beginning from God runs through all Ages to return to God again Each Man before his Creation is Creatrix essentia says S. Anselm From which by Creation he is separated and by Regeneration and the good Works which follow it he returns to him again never more to be separated from him The first Action is of God alone the rest are of God and Man For God (d) Aug. Qui te creavit sine te non te salvabit sine te will not compleat the Work of our Salvation with out the Cooperation of Man. God (e) Subest tibi cum volueris posse can do all without Man but will not Man (f) Sine me nihil potestis facere Jo. 15.5 can do nothing without God from whom he must expect prevenient concomitant and subsequent Graces for all and every meritorious Action That Bliss which God prepares for us in the next Life contains God himself and when enjoy'd renders the thrice happy Soul like (a) Similes ei erimus 1 Jo. 3.2 unto God and we must attain to it by means proportionable which partake of the resemblance Wherefore our Understanding must be like that of God believing him and our Will loving him The first is Faith the second Charity to which add Hope to keep our Soul steady amidst the Difficulties of this Life as an Anchor (b) Heb. 6.19 fixes a Ship And you have the three Vertues call'd Theological because they rely immediately on Almighty God Faith on his Veracity or Truth in affirming Hope on his Fidelity in promising and Goodness as he is our Chief Good And Charity on his Goodness in its self Which Three Vertues contain what is required of us in this Life Whatsoever is required to a good life is known as we know what to believe to hope and to love Says (c) Aug. Ench. c. 4. Omnia quae requiris proculdubio scies diligenter sciendo quid credi quid sperari debeat quid amari Haec enim maximè imò verò sola in Religione sequenda sunt S. Austin Which are the only things Religion regards as being designed only for these three Vertues But are we not oblig'd to keep the Commandments Or do not they advance towards Heaven who run (a) Psal 119.32 in the paths which God hath traced out And how come these to be omitted Answer They are not ommitted but are contained in Charity (b) Rom. 13.8 9. He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law our whole Duty to our Neighbour and the Commandments relating to him being briefly comprehended in this Saying Love thy Neighbor as thy self As our whole Duty to God is contained in that other Saying Love God above all things (c) Matt. 22.40 On these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets These are the two Rootes (d) Matt. 7.17 of the good tree which brings forth good fruit As love of our selves is the root of the bad tree which brings forth bad fruit The (e) Aug. Serm. 44. de Temp. Radix omnium bonorum est Charitas sicut radix omnium malorum est Cupiditas root of all good is Charity as the root of all evil is Concupiscence Again (f) Aug. l. de moribus Eccl. c. 25. Nihil aliud est bene vivere quam toto corde totâ animâ totâ mente Deum deligere To live well is to love God with all our Heart with all our Soul with all our Mind I should as easily write out the whole new Testament as endeavour to cite all the passages which directly or indirectly commend Charity Seeing all tend to extinguish in us self-Love and to kindle Divine Love. In it Divine Love sometimes is preferr'd before (a) 1 Cor. 13. the Tongues of Men and Angels before Faith working Miracles before knowledge of the greatest Mysteries Almsgiving c. It is call'd (b) Col. 3.14 The bond of perfection the end (c) 1 Tim. 5. or intent of the Commandments c. I end with the Words of the beloved and loving Disciple (d) Jo. 4.16 God is love and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him Wherefore with Reason S. Austin (e) Aug l. de laudibus Charitatis said Ille tenet quicquid latet quicquid patet in divinis sermonibus qui servat Charitatem in moribus I should not have been so long upon a Point of which I thought none could be ignorant who reads the Scriptures or knows the Rudiments of Christianity did not I perceive that you either never knew it or have forgotten it And When (f) Heb. 5.12 for the time and your Vocation you should be a teacher you have need that one should teach you which be the first Principles of the Oracles of God. For how happens it that in relating the Designs of Christian Religion there is not one clear
was stirred up to read them if possible to the whole World as a sovereign Antidote against the Pride of Mankind Thus S. Austin See what a difference there is betwixt the Sentiments of this great Saint and yours Reading the Psalms moved the Saint to Compunction it moves you to Laughter It stirred up in the Saint the Love of God you are not moved to any good by it The Saint would read them to all the World you are displeased they are recommended to any He thought reading them a great Antidote against the Pride of Mankind which is the root of all Evil and you say it is Ridiculous You have reason to suspect your spirit which is found so often contrary to the Spirit of God. SECTION III. Pilgrimages THIS is a third Instance of our ridiculous Penances going to such Churches say you Which discovers your Ignorance or Impiety For if you know not on what ground Pilgrimages are founded you are very Ignorant If you know it and yet blame them you are very Impious The two first great sins committed after the Creation of the World by Adam in eating the forbidden Fruit and Cain in killing his Brother were Judged by their Creator and a great part of their Penance prescribed by that Great Penitentier was a Pilgrimage or Banishment from the Place where the sin was committed Of Adam it is said (a) Gen. 3.23 He sent Adam out of the Garden of Eden And to Cain (b) Gen. 4.12 A fugitive and vagabond shalt thou be on the Earth Now Rhabanus Maurus (c) Poenitentialis cap. 11. assures that this is the ground why such a Penance was enjoyned And methinks the Example of God himself may be a sufficient Warrant for his Delegates Priests in following such a Precedent and secure them against your Censure especially seeing in the most ancient Collections of Penitential Canons made by Bede Theodorus Burchardus Ivo and Gratian we find Pilgrimages prescribed amongst other Penances Which shews the unanimous Consent of Antiquity And you may much easilier discover your own Weakness or lack of Vertue than convince the Makers or Collectors of those Canons of Folly. The Reasons for this Penance are chiefly three First It is a kind of Banishment which separates a Man for a time from Friends Acquaintance Home and Country which cannot but be painful laying aside the Incommodities of Travelling And it seems just that he who abused those things should be deprived of the comfort of them and having scandalized his Neighbors by bad Example might edifie them by undergoing this public Penance The Second It is a connatural Remedy for such sins to which two or more concur and which proceed many times from the Person we converse with or present Occasion to remove the Sinner from such Occasions and Conversations as all know who deal with Consciences Now this is done by Pilgrimages The third Reason is That althô God be in all Places and sees and hears us wheresoever we are yet he doth not alike in all Places disclose his Power by Miracles nor his Justice by discovering secret Sins nor his Goodness by Conversion of Sinners as S. Austin observed long since and daily experience confirms S. Austin notes such to have been in his time the Tomb of S. Felix at Nola in Campania and that of the glorious Martyrs at Milan He refers this to the secret Judgment of God humbly acknowledging his own Ignorance Aug. Epist 137. Vbique quidem Deus est nullo continetur vel includitur loco qui omnia condidit Verum tamen ad ista quae hominibus nota sunt quis potest ejus consilium perscrutari quare in aliis locis haec miracula fiant in aliis non fiant And I am content to acknowledge my ignorance in imitation of him when nothing appears in the place it self as sometimes there doth For if any Man who hath any lively Faith within him should enter Hierusalem and see the Place where the Lamb of God was Sacrificed and the Price of our Redemption paid Innocency condemned the Divine Wisdom derided for Folly the King of Glory crowned with Thorns the Creator scoffed scorned by his Creatures God dying and dying that painful and ignominious Death of the Cross When he should think Here his Flesh was torn with Stripes Here his Head was crowned with Thorns Here those Hands which wrought so many Miracles were pierced with Nails here those Feet so often wearied in seeking the lost Sheep were fixed to the Cross Here that Tongue which had command over the Elements and Death and Hell was imbued with Vineger and Gall Here his Side was opened the last drop of Blood spilt the Life of the World died to raise to Life the World. When he considers this and withal that his own sins had so great a share in requiring this most abundant Redemption will not the very Place suggesting these and more thoughts fix his Imagination quicken his Fancy detain his Understanding and stir up his Will to a hatred of Sin the cause of all this severe Judgment upon the unspotted Lamb to confusion for having contributed so much to it by his own Offences and to love God above all things who hath loved us so much Hereafter before yot throw such hard Stones at our Heads consider whether there be not with us mingled by a communion of Sentiments some Persons to whom you must own great Respect to be due I have brought you here into an Assembly of the chiefest Preachers and Prelates of all Ages all teaching commanding or practising these Works which you deride The Apostles take up the first rank and over all Jesus Christ God blessed for evermore Presiding and giving Example Suppose in the name of all these S. Basil S. Austin or S. Paul the Apostle should thus speak unto you How comes it to pass that you presume to censure in those of your Days that which they practise only in Imitation of us How dare you say that our Exercises should kill the Vitals of Religion and dull the Apprehensions of Sin That what Christ did himself and what is done by others following his footsteps should lead from Christ and hinder the earnest Application to him What Answer can you make to these true Reproaches Think a little sadly on this and it will bring you to a Temper more beseeming your Coat than when you writ what I have here Answered SECTION IV. Two Objections Answered G. B. p. 63. THIS is an easie way of escaping Punishment Answer Can you never settle your Judgment will you let it ever be moved round with every blast of Wind Here our way to expiate Sins is too easie Pag. 144. it is a heavy yoke to Souls When you have experienced them fasting with Bread and Water for many Days a Week said devoutly every Day some Prayers gone long Pilgrimages on foot taken Disciplines worn Hair-Shirts and Chains served the Sick in Hospitals and the Prisoners in Goals given Alms to the
but his heavy Body keeps him on the Ground and his dull Spirits serve only for a slow Motion there For let a Man read your Book observe your disesteem of others and your insulting over them and he shall think you Eagle-like to be towring above the Clouds whence you with disdain look down on us poor Ignoramus's Yet your heighth is discernible without the help of a Telescope For after all your striving and straining Endeavors we still find you on the Ground equal nay inferior to many whom you insult over without any thing extraordinary but your boldness to Print in so Learned an Age as this is of things you understand not If what I have written already and what I shall write doth not make this clear I will give you leave to apply that Comparison to me I have already spoken Chap. 3. 4. of the Designs of God in delivering Christian Religion that it was to teach Men to serve God in this Life and enjoy him in the next That this Service consisted chiefly in Faith Hope and Charity yet so as Charity gives a value to the other In fine that the End of the Gospel was to unite us to God by Charity in this World and by Glory which is the last perfection of Charity in the other Love is the root of all our Actions As Weight (a) Aug. l. 13. Confes c. 9. Amor meus pondus meum eò feror quocumque feror Aug. l. 11. de Civit. Dei c. 28. Sicut corpus pondere ita animus amore fertur quocumque fertur in Bodies gives them their Motion towards their Center so Love in Men but with this difference that Weight is restrained to local Motion an Action of one species but Love as partaking of the nature of the Soul whose it is reaches to several and those of an opposit nature for all we do proceeds from some Love. All our Passions are only Love in a several disguise (b) Aug. l. 14. de Civ Dei cap. 7. Is the thing we love absent the love of it is called Desire is it in danger to be lost it is Fear are we in a probability of attaining it it is Hope is it looked on as irrevocable it is Despair are we stirred up to overcome the Difficulties opposing us it is Anger do we possess it it is Joy do we lose it Love is changed into Grief or Sadness c. The same Love putting on several Dresses and transforming it self Proteus like conformable to the nature and condition of its Object So that it would be impossible to reckon all its Species which are reduced to some Heads both by Philosophers and Divines Philosophers draw it to three Species according to three sorts of Good Honor Profit and Pleasure But much more to our purpose is the Distinction of Love used by Divines which in order to a Mortal Life in this World and Eternal Life in the next divides all Mankind viz. The love of God and the love of our selves commonly called Self-love We received the love of our selves from Adam the love of God from Christ that is an effect of corrupt Nature this of repairing Grace from that spring out the works of the Flesh from this grow those of the Spirit that ends in Death this is the Seed of Life By these two Loves two Cities are built (a) Aug. l. 14. de Civit. Dei c. 28. Fecerunt Civitates duas amores duo terrenam scilicet amor sui usque ad contemptum Dei coelestem verò amor Dei usque adcontemptum sui Jerusalem and Babylon Heaven and Hell. In the next World these Loves are pure for in Heaven reigns the Love of God without any Self-love in Hell Self-love rages without any curb from the Love of God. In this Life they are commonly mingled neither so absolutely possessing the Heart of Man as to suppress all motion of its Corrival For even the greatest Sinners feel some motions to Good and the greatest Saints must say Dimitte nobis Forgive us our Sins as we forgive And as betwixt the two Brothers in Rebecca's Womb so betwixt these two Loves there is a combat within our Breast For the spirit covets (a) Gal. 1.17 against the flesh and the flesh against the spirit and these are contrary to one another And this is that perpetual combat which we undergo by reason of which this Life is termed (b) Job 7.1 Militia est vita hominis super terram a warfare And (c) Aug. l. 11. de Civit. Dei c. 28. Bonum est homini ut illo proficiente quo benè vivimus ille deficiat quo malè vivimus donec ad perfectum sanetur in bonum commutetur omne quod vivimus we are conquered when Self-love prevails over the Love of God but we conquer wuen the Love of God gets the better Wherein then doth consist the perfection of a Christian In a Heart pure from bad Love not yielding consent to the Motions of Self-love but resisting them and a Heart filled with the Love of God following in all things the motions of Divine Grace and the guidance of the Holy Spirit And (d) Aug. in Psal 64. Interroget si quisque quid amet inveniet undè sit civis could we certainly discover which of the two Loves rules in our Heart we should certainly know the state of our Soul. Supposing these Principles let us attend to Mr. G. B. G. B. pag. 76. Religion elevates the Souls of Men to a participation of Divine Nature whereby they being inwardly purified and the outward Conversations regulated the World may be restored to its primitive Innocence and Men admitted to an inward intimate fellowship with their Maker Answ What you say of participation of Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1.4 is out of Scripture likewise our souls being inwardly purified and our inward fellowship with God. All which is true althô you neither tell what they mean nor understand it your self But that by Christianity the outward Conversation should be regulated or primitive Innocence restored is alien or untrue That by Christianity outward Conversation is regulated is alien orderly Conversation being a meer external Quality many times as excellent in Infidels as Christians Certainly the perfection of Christianity may be found in Anchorets and preserved in a Desert Whence a good Conversation appears not to be a very material Ingredient of Perfection And that Christianity should aim at restoring the World to its primitive Innocence is absolutely false for that Innocence cannot be attained unto neither in this Life nor the next not in this in which the greatest Saints have their (a) Rom. 7. Combats from which Man in the State of primitive Innocence was free not in the next the State of Glory being above that of Innocency So neither of these is the End of Christianity G. B. pag. 76. What Devices are found out to enervate Repentance Sins must be divided into mortal and venial
in the Protestant no Fear and consequently no Hope which is accompanied always by Fear but in lieu of Hope that Vice which is called Presumption which is a sin against the H. Ghost Timor fundamentum salutis est says Tertul. lib. de cultu foeminarum c. 2. p. 265. Sperando enim timebimus timendo cavebimus cavendo salvi erimus contra si praesumamus neque timendo neque cavendo difficile salvi erimus Fear is the ground-work and foundation of our Salvation Our Hope is mingled with Fear this makes us take heed whence proceeds our security of Salvation On the contrary when we presume we grow careless and run great hazard of being lost for ever SECTION III. Of Charity or Love. CHarity or the Love of God above all things is much more esteemed and honored amongst us than amongst you You rank it contrary to the Apostle even with Faith or seat it on a lower Bench whereas we with the Apostle 1 Cor. 13.13 believe it to be the Commandment of Christ Joh. 15.12 The fulness of the Law Rom. 13.10 The bond of perfection Col. 3.14 which divides betwixt the Children of the Kingdom and those of Perdition S. Aug. The nuptial Garment with which we must enter into the Wedding Mat. 22.11 12. That is the form of Vertues Concil Trid. That without it all other Vertues gift of tongues power of working miracles knowledge of mysteries nay even Faith and Hope are nothing avail nothing are no more to be regarded than sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal c. 1 Cor. 13. In fine althô with Divines we are persuaded that these two great Vertues may be separated yet we hold their separation to be their ruin that as Charity is but superficial and not real without the light of Faith so Faith is cold without the warmth of Charity He who knows God without loving him is impious and he who loves him without knowing him aright is blind A Believer without Love is ungrateful a Lover without Knowledge is fensless so these two Vertues must assist one another We must aim to have a living Faith which works by Love Gal. 5.6 and Love is the proper work of Faith. Opus fidei dilectio Aug. tr 10. in Epist Jo. Love both gives to and receives strength from Faith. Charitas robur Fidei Fides fortitudo Charitatis S. I eo Serm. 7. in Quadrag In Heaven there is Love without Faith 1 Cor. 13.8.10 In Hell Faith without Love Jac. 2.19 Christians in this Life must have both for Love without Faith is the Love of Pagans and Faith without Love is the Faith of Devils but Faith with Charity is the Faith of the Children of God in this Life Fides quae per dilectionem operatur ipsa est Fides quae fideles Dei separat ab immundis daemonibus Aug. de gratiâ lib. Artib cap. 7. Thus we joyn together those two great Vertues this we believe this we teach of Charity whilst you out of an ill-grounded opinion of your Fac-totum-Faith relying on it for Remission of Sins Justification Perseverance and Salvation exhaust your Rhetorick so much in commendation of that your Darling that you have no room to commend Charity or Good-works Our Practice as much surpasses yours as to nourishing Charity as our Doctrin doth For seeing the Love of God and Love of our selves are opposit and the one withers as the other thrives their practice must be most proper to nourish Charity which aims most at mortifying Self-love and on the contrary those who foster Self-love must annihilate Charity Now what Practice can you shew for the mortification of the Body the quelling our Passions the renouncing of our Will What Documents do you give for these What Examples can you shew since your reformation of them You have never been able to find in the three Kingdoms a dozen Persons of either Sex who for so many years would sequester themselves from the Enjoyments of the World to serve God in voluntary Poverty Chastity and Obedience Whence comes this but from Self-love which abounds in them and the lack of the Love of God which might cement their Hearts together Whence comes that insupportable Pride which makes your Proselytes so refractory to God and his Vicars their Spiritual and Temporal Superiors That they are so tenacious of their extravagant Fancies so stubborn in their uncouth Resolutions so intractable in their Manners so humorsom in all their Actions and Conversations but a latent Pride the proper Offspring of Self-love and the Bane of Charity Look into 1 Cor. 13. you shall there find a description of Charity and its Qualities Charity suffereth long and is kind Charity envieth not Charity vaunteth not it self is not puffed up doth not behave it self unseemly seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil rejoyceth not in iniquity but rejoyceth in the truth beareth all things believeth all things hopeth all things endureth all things Should I now examin the Life of generally all who deliver themselves to your Direction upon these Heads and shew how little of this appears in your Manners and how much there is quite contrary to it the Picture if sincere would fright you or confound you how great soever your Confidence be In fine the words of our Saviour to the Angel of Laodicea Apoc. 3.17 may be very well applied to you Thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked God open the eyes of your Heart to see this that so you may be moved to seek for Gold tried Spiritual Riches where it is to be found in the true Church SECTION IV. An Answer to what G. B. objects G. B. p. 78. ARE Papists not taught to confide more in the Virgin or their Tutelar Saints than in the Holiest of all Answ No we are taught no such thing G. B. ibid. Doth not the fear of Purgatory damp the hopes of future Blessedness Answ It doth not G. B. pag. 79. What impious Doctrin hath been Printed in that Church of the Degree of Love we owe to God Answ I know of no such Doctrin of the Degrees of Love due to God. I know that all Catholics applaud the Saying of S. Bernard Modus amandi Deum est amare sine modo I know that Divines require as well as S. Thomas a mediocrity in all Vertues except Charity That all Vertues are betwixt two Vices whereof one offends by exceeding the other by not reaching its due measure And this they assure even of Hope which is betwixt Presumption and Despair and of Faith which is betwixt a lightness of Heart believing all things and a hardness to believe any thing Love cannot be too great and so hath only one Vice contrary to it by defect loving too little Is this Doctrin Impious Hence what you say Some mincing it so as if they were afraid of his being too much beloved This
for matter to fix a Calumny on And can any body persuade himself our Errors and Faults afflict you when you labor so hard to find them And feign them your self rather than miss of them I cannot tell to what better to compare this Proceeding if your Grief were real than to Children who having drest up a Puppet fancy it sick then dead and then fall a crying as if it really were so Fifthly Your manner of Writing is too artificial for Grief it is not so serious and grave as those are which that Passion dictates It is sarcastical insulting sharp biting in a word satyrical no sign of mercy compassion bemoanings bewailings c. but only when you call to mind your Text or strive to get your Readers Favor by pretending to grieve for our Faults So that did you not tell us of it we should rather guess any other Passion predominant in you than that of Grief We find many clear Signs of Pride Emulation Hatred Contempt Anger Disdain Jealousie Fear c. and but few of Sorrow Lastly This very Protestation gives an occasion to suspect your Innocency according to the Rule of the Law Excusatio non petita accusatio manifesta An Excuse not demanded is an evident Accusation An Apology is always an Answer to some Reproach of a Crime and when no Witness appears abroad who made that Reproach it is certainly suspected to be objected by the best Witness the Man 's own Conscience Hence I fear most indifferent Readers will think that you never gave greater ground to suspect your Ingenuity than now It is a weakness to attend to good Words when we see bad Actions to regard Jacob's Voice when we feel Esau's Hands You very religiously call God to witness but I believe he will scarce confirm your Deposition with a Miracle But Intentions are secret known only to the Searcher of Hearts it is a rashness for any to pretend to know them even by Conjectures And althô you presume to discover the Designs of Men dead many Ages ago yet I will not imitate you in that Rashness by pretending an Insight into your Heart how great soever may the ground be for a guess I will not return evil for evil I will be as civil and favorable to you as I can I admit you thought you said True when you writ this and that if you deceive us it is after being deceived your self for althô you spoke an Vntruth as these alledged Reasons do prove yet you did not tell a Lye which consists in a will to deceive others As for Vntruths the honestest Man in the World may tell them no Honesty exempting him from mistaking things of himself or being misinformed from others and so he may tell an Vntruth without prejudice to his Reputation Now this possibility of Mistakes and Error reaches to our Hearts which are hidden not only from our Neighbors but even from our selves whilst we take Thoughts for Resolutions and transitory Purposes for setled Designs S. Greg. l. 1. Pastor c. 9. Saepe sibi de se mens ipsa mentitur fitque ut aliud in imis intentio supprimat aliud tractantis animo superficies cogitationis ostendat fingit de bono opere amare quod non amat de mundi autem gloriâ non amare quod amat Our Soul is often deceived by her self says S. Gregory What swims on the surface of the Mind is far different from what lies at the bottom of the Heart which hath the main part in our Actions some are entirely possest with the love of the Vanity of this World who think they love God. So that God alone knows amongst all those Affections we have in our Wills which is predominant and as for our selves we are often mistaken and as Thomas à Kempis says think we are moved with Zeal and it is only Passion which transports us Saepe passione movemur zelum putamus You had then two Passions in your Soul when you writ this Book the one swimming on the surface of your Mind as S. Gregory speaks of Grief for the supposed Errors of the Catholic Church The other hidden at the bottom of your Heart of Hatred of Papists The first enabled you to make your Protestation The second except in some very few places governed your Intention Now to your Meekness G. B. pag. 141. I am none of those who justifie rage or bitterness against those in Errors And pag. 155. We abhor the Doctrin of cruel persecuting of any for their Consciences The utmost that we allow of or desire of that nature being the driving from us those who do so disturb us Answ Wonderful meek sweet and charitable As if Banishment from our native Country England of such a number as embrace the Communion of the Catholic Religion of all Conditions were an inconsiderable Punishment If you deal so with those whom you pity what will you do with those for whom you have some Bitterness But why must all who profess the Catholic Religion be banished Because say you they disturb you It seems a dangerous business to disturb a Scottish Minister which deserves Banishment of all Yeomen Gentlemen Squires Knights Baronets Barons Vicounts Earls and others who are Catholics What will be your Verdict against me in case you think this Book disturb you What torments will be sharp enough and what Gibbet high enough to satisfie for this Crime on an obscure Man when for the like so many illustrious Persons are Sentenced to Banishment G. B. pag. 142. My design is to provoke Pity rather than Wrath and Tears more than Flames towards those deceived Multitudes that we may Pray for them rather than Rail at them Answ If so never was Design worse handled G. B. pag. 143. I shall not search into the depths of the Mercies of God how far they may reach any of that Communion None alive is more willing to stretch his Invention for finding out Grounds to fix his Charity on than my self But all I can devise falls short Answ Your Meekness discovers it self more and more Before you proposed our Banishment from the Country which God appointed us for this Life by ordering in it our Birth now you banish us from Heaven our true Country So that in the midst of your Kindness you design us the Punishment of Cain in this World and that of the Devils in the next Is this all the effect of your stretched Invention to find Grounds for your Charity What Destiny would you have read us if you had not stretched it out Seeing you give this occasion if your Protestation be sincere you cannot be offended that I help your Invention by shewing a Ground for your Charity to fix on by alledging those very probable Reasons why Catholics do not embrace your Communion CHAP. XXXV Reasons why Catholics do not embrace the Communion of the Protestant Church OUR Blessed Saviour Mat. 7.15 watns us to beware of those who come to us in sheeps-clothing but are interiorly