The great pains he hath taken in his Preface, to prove the Non-conformists to have been the means of furthering and promoting Popery in this Nation, might, as I suppose, have been omitted without a•• disadvantage unto himself or his Cause. For the thing it self is not true, as it is utterly impossible to affect the Minds or Consciences of the Non-conformists with a sense of it, because they have a thousand witnesses in themselves, against the Truth of the Charge; so it is impossible it should be believed by any who are in the least acquainted with their Principles, or have their Eyes open to see any thing that is doing at this day in Religion. But as there are many palpable Mistakes in the account he gives of things among our selves to this Purpose, so if on the other hand, any should out of Reports, Surmises, Jesuits Letters and Politics, particularly those of Contzen, Books written to that purpose against them, Agreement of Principles, notorious compliance of some Bishops and others of the same way, with the Papists, some dying avowedly such, Stories of what hath been said at Rome and elsewhere, which are not few, nor unprovable, concerning the Inclinations of many unto a fair composition of things with the Church of Rome, the deportment of some before and since the Discovery of the Plot, with such other Topics as the Discourse of our Author with respect unto the Non-conformists will furnish them withal; as also from the woeful Neglect there hath been of instructing the People in the Principles of Religion, so as to implant a sense of the Life and Power of it on their Souls, with all things that may be spoken on that Head, with reference unto the Clergy under their various distributions, with the casting out of so great number of Ministers who they ⟨p. 64⟩knew in their own Conscience, to be firmly fixed against Popery and its Interest in this Nation, and could not deny, but they might be useful to instruct the People in the Knowledge of the Truth, and encourage them by their Example unto the Practice of it; if any, I say, should on these and the like grounds, not in a way of Recrimination, nor as a Requital of the Drs.
The great pains he hath taken in his Preface, to prove the Non-conformists to have been the means of furthering and promoting Popery in this Nation, might, as I suppose, have been omitted without a•• disadvantage unto himself or his Cause. For the thing it self is not true, as it is utterly impossible to affect the Minds or Consciences of the Non-conformists with a sense of it, because they have a thousand witnesses in themselves, against the Truth of the Charge; so it is impossible it should be believed by any who are in the least acquainted with their Principles, or have their Eyes open to see any thing that is doing at this day in Religion. But as there are many palpable Mistakes in the account he gives of things among our selves to this Purpose, so if on the other hand, any should out of Reports, Surmizes, Jesuites Letters and Politicks, particularly those of Contzen, Books written to that purpose against them, Agreement of Principles, notorious compliance of some Bishops and others of the same way, with the Papists, some dying avowedly such, Stories of what hath been said at Rome and elsewhere, which are not few, nor unproveable, concerning the Inclinations of many unto a fair composition of things with the Church of Rome, the deportment of some before and since the Discovery of the Plot, with such other Topicks as the Discourse of our Author with respect unto the Non-conformists will furnish them withal; as also from the woful Neglect there hath been of instructing the People in the Principles of Religion, so as to implant a sense of the Life and Power of it on their Souls, with all things that may be spoken on that Head, with reference unto the Clergy under their various distributions, with the casting out of so great number of Ministers who they ⟨p. 64⟩knew in their own Conscience, to be firmly fixed against Popery and its Interest in this Nation, and could not deny, but they might be useful to instruct the People in the Knowledge of the Truth, and encourage them by their Example unto the Practice of it; if any, I say, should on these and the like grounds, not in a way of Recrimination, nor as a Requital of the Drs.
