When the motion was first made for the Publishing of these Papers, it seemed to me to be as the Casting of water into the Sea; so great is the Number of the Learned Writings of Protestant Divines against the Papists (which will never be well answered) that the most elaborate addition may seem superfluous; much more these hasty Disputations prepared but for an exercise which is the Recreation of a few Country-Ministers at a monthly meeting, when they ease themselves of their ordinary work. But upon further consideration, I saw it was, The Casting of water upon a threatening fire, which the Sea it self doth but restrain. It's more ⟨image 3⟩Engines than a few that are openly or secretly at work at this time, to captivate these Nations again to the Roman Pope. When so many hundreds, if not thousands are night and day contriving our seduction, under the name of Reconciling us to the Church; if no body counterwork them, what may they not do. It's not enough that we have had Defenders, and that their Books are yet in the World. Old Writings are laid by, though much stronger than any new ones: But new ones are sooner taken up and read. The Papists have of late been very plentiful, and yet very sparing in their Writings. Plentiful of such as run among the simple injudicious people in secret, so that the Countries swarm with them; But sparing of such as may provoke any Learned man to a Confutation: That so, they may in time disuse us from those Studies, and so disable the Ministry therein, and catch us when we are secure through a seeming peace, and fall upon us when we have lost our strength. And I am much afraid that the generality of our people (perhaps of the best) are already so much disused from these studies, as to be much unacquainted with the Nature of Popery, and much more to seek for a preservative against it, and a through confutation of them. So that if Papists were once but as fully set out among us in their own likeness, as they ⟨image 3⟩are under the names of Quakers and other Sects, what work would you see in many places? I doubt many would follow their pernicious ways, and fall like Sheep of a common rot, or people in a raging pestilence, especially if they had but the countenance of the times: Not through their strength, but because our people are naked, and unmeet for a defence.
WHen the motion was first made for the Publishing of these Papers, it seemed to me to be as the Casting of water into the Sea; so great is the Number of the Learned Writings of Protestant Divines against the Papists (which will never be well answered) that the most elaborate addition may seem superfluous; much more these hasty Disputations prepared but for an exercise which is the Recreation of a few Countrey-Ministers at a monthly meeting, when they ease themselves of their ordinary work. But upon further consideration, I saw it was, The Casting of water upon a threatning fire, which the Sea it self doth but restrain. It's more ⟨image 3⟩Engines than a few that are openly or secretly at work at this time, to captivate these Nations again to the Romane Pope. When so many hundreds, if not thousands are night and day contriving our seduction, under the name of Reconciling us to the Church; if no body counterwork them, what may they not do. It's not enough that we have had Defenders, and that their Books are yet in the World. Old Writings are laid by, though much stronger than any new ones: But new ones are sooner taken up and read. The Papists have of late been very plentifull, and yet very sparing in their Writings. Plentiful of such as run among the simple injudicious people in secret, so that the Countries swarm with them; But sparing of such as may provoke any Learned man to a Confutation: That so, they may in time disuse us from those Studies, and so disable the Ministry therein, and catch us when we are secure through a seeming peace, and fall upon us when we have lost our strength. And I am much afraid that the generality of our people (perhaps of the best) are already so much disused from these studies, as to be much unacquainted with the Nature of Popery, and much more to seek for a preservative against it, and a through confutation of them. So that if Papists were once but as fully set out among us in their own likeness, as they ⟨image 3⟩are under the names of Quakers and other Sects, what work would you see in many places? I doubt many would follow their pernicius wayes, and fall like Sheep of a common rot, or people in a raging pestilence, especially if they had but the countenance of the times: Not through their strength, but because our people are naked, and unmeet for a defence.
