Catholic communion defended against both extremes, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…Catholick communion defended against both extreams, and unnecessary division confuted in five parts ...…

Reader, Upon the review of what I have here written, I think meet to repeat the Occasion, and to say somewhat of the Matter and the Manner of this Writing: The last sheet of my Reasons for Communion being Printed, and the opposite Twelve Arguments suddenly sent me, as being in many hands, and such as would frustrate all that I had written, if they were not answered: For the sake of such as have not skill to see Truth from Error, and are led by Prejudice and Names, I durst not in Conscience let them pass unanswered, they being of such dangerous tendency, and so exceeding erroneous and fallacious. But being put, by the stay of the Press, to do it suddenly, I see Reason to say more, lest I be misunderstood.

REader, Upon the review of what I have here written, I think meet to repeat the Occasion, and to say somewhat of the Matter and the Manner of this Writing: The last sheet of my Reasons for Communion being Printed, and the opposite Twelve Arguments suddenly sent me, as being in many hands, and such as would frustrate all that I had written, if they were not answered: For the sake of such as have not skill to see Truth from Error, and are led by Prejudice and Names, I durst not in Conscience let them pass unanswered, they being of such dangerous tendency, and so exceeding erroneous and fallacious. But being put, by the stay of the Press, to do it suddenly, I see Reason to say more, lest I be misunderstood.

And First, of the Cause which I write of, in its self and its consequents: 2. The Season of it: 3. The Manner, as to the Authors whom I gainsay and confute and the manner of confuting them: 4. My Reasons for the writing of this Confutation.

I. I am not writing against Episcopacy, Presbytery, Independency or Rebaptizing: I am so far from judging any part of them to be men rejected by Christ, or to be cast out of the Church, or denied leave to worship God in their own Way, or persecuted for it, that I would do any lawful thing for their just Liberty: Yea, so far, that it is only the contrary principle and endeavours by which they strive against, and condemn one another, and call aloud to their followers (such I mean that are for the opposed Separation) to avoid one another, as ever they would scape the guilt of Idolatry or wilful sin. And if I see one man in the streets beating all about him, I cannot keep peace without resisting his unpeaceableness.