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those Ancient Principles, which you know, and believe to be truly Chriftian, as well as myself. I could expect no other Advice from fo Noble a Person, so Good a Friend, and fo True a Son of the Church of England, who is entirely in the fame Sentiments with me. But had I really been turned Papist, as they maliciously report, I know no Reason why thofe Principles of Primitive Chriftianity, which I had defended, fhould fuffer upon that Account. Are the Archbishop of Spalato's excellent Books De Republica Ecclefiaftica, the lefs valuable, or the Doctrines he has there maintained, and folidly proved, from the Holy Scriptures and Fathers, of lefs Authority, because he afterward revolted from the Church of England (where, with Grief, he saw at that time the Calvinistical Principles prevail) to the Church of Rome? Did thofe Books receive their Value and Esteem from the Authority of the Man who wrote them, or from the Weight and Cogency of his Arguments, and the Multitude of Ancient Testimonies which he produced? And therefore we fcruple not, even at this Day, to fhew an high Regard to those his admirable Works, and to use his Arguments against the Errors, Innovations, and Corruptions of the Church of Rome; though, generally fpeaking, we

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have no longer an Efteem for the Author, who, for leaving us, and going to Rome, where he was fo ill treated, is by many believed to have Apoftatized from his own' Doctrines. I therefore hoped, that though fome, who did not know me, might give Credit to the News-Writers, (for I thank GOD, I was fatisfied that none of my Acquaintance would believe them) and be perfuaded that I was turned to the Romish Religion; yet the Doctrines I had taught before this pretended Apoftacy, might fuffer nothing by fuch a groundless Report ; fuppofing that the Doctrines would be yet believed for their own Sakes, and that they would stand firm on the Foundation on which they were built, that is, the Holy Scriptures, and the Testimonies of the Holy Fathers, and Martyrs, of the Primitive Church, whatever became of any of those who had maintained and vindicated them, especially the Meaneft of those Vindicators. And for this Reafon I did not think it worth my while to vindicate myfelf, in any Publick Manner, from fo bafe and false an Afperfion as had been caft upon me by thofe, who published round the Nation, that I was turned Papist, (an Apoftacy, of which, rather than be guilty, I hope, by the Grace of GOD, I fhould choose to fuffer Death) because I conceived fuch a Report

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Report could only concern me as a private Perfon, but that none of the Ancient Chriftian Doctrines, which I have defended, could be affected by it: And not much regarding what the World thinks of mé, as knowing that I fhall not ftand or fall by Man's Judgment, but by the fole Judgment of Him that knows the Heart, did not think it worth my while to take any Notice of the Matter. I was fenfible, That it was, and ftill is, the Ufual Artifice of a certain Party and Faction, that have infefted this Nation ever fince the Reformation, to charge all that maintained the Doctrines of the Church of England, and of the Primitive Church, with Popery: That the Bleffed and Glorious Martyr, King Charles I. who laid down his Life for the Proteftant Religion, as profeffed and taught in the Church of England, was branded for a Papift, and is ftill reported to have been one, by the Enemies of the Church and Monarchy: That another Great and Blessed * Sir Ed. Martyr, Archbishop Laud, who, tho', as Deering's one of his greatest Enemies (who, as himof Spee- felf tells us, threw the first Stone at him) ac

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knowledges, had muzzled the Jefuite, and Smitten the Papift under the fifth Rib, in his incomparable Book against Fisher, was nevertheless treated and reviled as a Papift in his Life-Time, and paffes for fuch, even fince

his Martyrdom for the Church of England, amongst a great Part of the Faction: Not to mention Mountague, Heylin, Thorndike, and many others, who, though they had fignalized themfelves by writing against the Church of Rome, were notwithstanding charg'd with Popery. I could not therefore think it ftrange, that fuch an Accufation fhould be falfly laid to my Charge, when thefe and other great Men, who had fhew'd themselves fuch ftrenuous Advocates for the Church of England, could not escape the fame Reproach. I had therefore determin'd patiently to bear it, as my Betters had done before me, hoping fuch a notorious fhameless Lye, for which there was never the least Occafion given, would not need a Refutation. And though I cannot but be forry for, and pity thofe who have raifed and difperfed this Lye of me, and thofe who have been deceived by it; yet, upon my own Account, I cannot be difpleased with it, having Chrift's own most Gracious Promife of a Bleffing due to me, for patiently enduring fuch an unjuft Slander. Bleffed are ye, fays He, when Men Shall revile you, and perfecute you, and shall Jay all manner of Evil against you FALSLY for My Sake. For, to call a Man a Papist, in a Proteftant Kingdom, is an high Degree of Reviling him, and alfo tends to draw the

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greatest Perfecution upon him; fince it is Death by our Laws, for any one bred in the Church of England, to be reconciled to that of Rome: But GOD be praifed, they have faid this Evil of me falfly, and that for Chrift's Sake, in order to have those Christian Doctrines, for which I have been an Advocate, branded as Popish. And it appears by your Letter, that in many Places of England, and in Ireland alfo, it has had that ill Effect.

Now, though it is very unreasonable, that any Doctrines fhould be condemn'd as Popih, because the Man who has maintain'd them is at last found to be a Papift, efpecially when the Doctrines themselves are directly oppofite to Popery; yet fince too many in the World are apt to confider rather Who fays a Thing, thanWhat is said, and in this particular Cafe thofe Christian Doctrines I have afferted in Print are by many thought to be Popish, because they believe me to be turn'd to that Religion; I therefore, according to your Advice, think it neceffary, in as Publick a Manner as I can, to vindicate myself from that foul Calumny; and defire you will be fo kind as to get this Letter, I now fend you on this Occafion, to be printed and published ; in which I not only folemnly declare in the Prefence of GOD, that I utterly abhorr

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