A Pofifcript. gat Empire. Thefe, and many fuch difficulties, being well remov'd, (which I delire by naming them) the Revelations will be better under- flood. But I entreat the Anfwerers not to put the Solution as in the Creed, nor too rigoroufly condemn all that do not prefently underftand theq. If forne hall Rill judge of the Papifts, as they do of the Greeks, Aba fines, Mofcovites, &c. that have much lamentable Ignorance, Errour and Sin, and (hall deteft among them the crimes of Ambition, Ignorance, corrupt Worfhip, bloody Perfecution, and fuch-like, and yet be uncertain whether they are all Antichriflian, and the Papacy and Papal Rome to be the Beals and Babylon, and therefore (hall love good men and diftaft the bad, tho' both call'd Papifis, being afraid of hating whole Kingdoms as a Party, and afraid of the dreadful curfe of adding to this Prophecy ; do not over-ha(hily condemn fuch men. Obj. But it's paffionately faid, [Is this a feafon to fay fo much, to abate avens hatred of Popery] what if one hadwrote thus in the days of Bonner andGardiner ? Anfw. r. It is not to abate any juft hatred of Popery, but an unrigh- teous hatred of Men, and of Chriftians, tho' faulty. 2. Either what I fay is true or falfe : if falfe, it's worfe than unfeafonable, (and profeffed Ignorance Is not Falfhood ;) if true, it can never beunfeafonable, when the cafe of fo many Chriftian Souls and Kingdoms is fo much concern'd in it. It is never feafonable to hate, accufe, or condemn Kingdoms and Millions through many Ages, upon miflake, and to be unwilling to try whether it be fo or not. True Chriftian Charity is never fo unfeafona- ble. 3. Were it in the time of Bonner, (as it is not) it were then molt feafonable to fpeak fuch Truth, as faveth Men from running into Ex- treams, and fnful hatred and' accufations of Millions unknown, when Perfecution maketh the Temptations ftrongeft to fuch Sin. 4. I write more for others that (hail ufe fuch helps, when I am dead, than for the prefent time : and then it may not be judg'd unfeafonable finful means of our own deviling, tho' they feem neceffary to the prefent advantage, will prove pernicious, tho' call'd before Seafonable. 5. If Papifis e Moo- dy, and fet upon deftruétion, as the Obje fors fay, it is Sin and Folly to encreafe and fublimate their Wrath. What caufeth Hatred more than to be hated ? Seeking to fhame anddeftroy Men, is the molt effectual way to engage them to fhame and deftroy you. Is it not much for hurting you that you are fo much againft the Parties that you fuller by ? If you think that I love Popery better than heretofore, I here tell you, that I retract none of the Arguments which in eight or nine Books I have publifh'd againft them. If you can better confute them, I hinder no man. If you contemn all thofz Writings, fo do not the PapiJts, who have de- termin'd not to anfwer them till I amdead or difabled. In the meantime the Nominal Proteftant on both extreams, are to publifh many Volumes of Falfe Accufations againf i me, that at leafi thePapijts may have this to fay, The Prote liants and Sellailes have over and over declar'd him to be an Vnconfrionable Incredible Liar. But there is none of this Work in Heaven. t. That
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=