i saa ,,. 9o- 01 thegre Error, Sin and Danger 3. Your injudicious oppofition greatly hardneth the Papifts, and h:.. derail their conviftion: When they find Come errours in your writings, ( as that all are bound to believe that they are eleated and Juflified ; that this is the fenfe of the Article, I believe the forgivenefs of fin ; that this is fides divina, that we are Reputedof God to have fulfilled all the Law of Innocency habitually and aétually in and by Chrift, ¿:c.) and then when they read that fuchmen lay the great Pelfof the Reformation up;, on thefe, as the verycaufe of our rejeéting Rome, and the articuli fiantist aut cadentis Ecclefix, what can more harden them to a confidence that we, arehereticks and that they are in the right e As Ihave known the perfons that had been in danger of turning Papists, if the errour of Tranfubfiani stationand fome fewmore, had not been fo palpable, as to refolve them,' Thefe mencannot be in the right ; even fomany Papifts were like to have turned Protestants, had they not metwith fome notorious errours in fuck injudicious adverfaries. 4. Yea we too very well know that your extremities have oteafioned di= vers Protestants to turn Papifts: Yea Come Learnedmen, and fuch ashave zealoufly run through many Seats in oppofition to Popery themfelves ( Andfomeof my acquaintance that went as far in the profeffion of God- linefs as molt that I have known. ) They have been fo confounded to find 'partly palpable errours taken for found doctrine, and found doctrine railed at as Popery, and partly to fee theshameful diverfity and contentions of all theSets among themfelves, thatit bath drawn them to think that there is noprofperity of theChurch and Godlinefs to be expeé}ed but where there is unity, and Concord ; and noUnity and Concord to be hoped foramong Proteftants ; And therefore theymuff return for it to Romer And crotins profeffeth that it wasthis thatmoved him, to go fo far towards them as he did. And I muft needs fay, that I believe frommy very heart, that the shameful divifrons, contentions, backbitings, revilings,cenfurings, perfect- tions, errours and fcandals of Proteftants among themfelves, is a far ftronger temptation to turnmen to Popery, than any thing that is to be found among thePapists to invite men to it : and that many are thusdriven to it, that wouldnot have beendrawn. S. And bycalling good and lawful if not necessary things, Antichr?i- an andPopish, youhave made Religious people ridiculous and a fcorn to many that have more wit than Conscience; as if we were all fuch humo- rous Novices, as would runmad by being frightned with the name of An- tichrift : And as they deride you for it as Fanatical, fo they the lets fear Popery it Pelf. . 6. Andby thefe extremities you corrupt the peoples minds with a wrath- ful and contentious kind of Religion; which is eafily taken up in coni- parifonof a holyand heavenly mind. When you should kindle in them a zeal for Love, andGoodWorks, the mark of Gods peculiar people, you are killingLove andkindling wrath : Gunpowder may be fet on fire with- out fo much blowing of the coal : Long experience affureth us that a tiding angry contentious zeal is eafily kindled, but a lively faith, a con firmed hopeof Glory, a Love to Godand man, needs more ado. S. Stay alittle in the midst ofyour reproofs ; wouldyouperfwade us toa Union with Antichrifi, and to live inLoveand Concord with the members of the Devil ? Are not the Papîfls fuch ? Haveyou no way to reconcile as to Rome, but bypleading for Love andpeace ? Mufi we not contend ear- nefily for thefaith once delivered to the Saints, and not be Lukewarm to the doltrincsofJezabelthat fed:meth the people of GodtoIdolatry ? P. z. Were
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