THat those may find their mistake without any more trouble than to read the first lines , who seeing this addrest to the Answerer of the late Apology , will be apt to Imagine it takes up the Cudgels in that quarrel , permit me to begin with declaring , that it means nothing less , and that it has no other relation to the Apology , then as That has occasioned the Answer ; of which , since the benefit of the Reader is the design of all who expose their thoughts to be publickly read , Its Author conceiv'd it allow'd , because intended , he should make his profit .

In the next place I shall assure you that , though the design of this be so far from the temper of those , which you wish us not to publish , that 't is the direct contrary , and aims at uniting , not inflaming parties , yet it should not have been exposed to more Eyes than your own , if I were acquainted with any other means to convey it to you than the Press : for I foresee 't will unavoidably draw a frankness with it , less peradventure than the occasion requires , yet more than well suits with the publick . But since necessity pleads , I hope you will judge favourably , especially where your party has so little of Adversary , that w●●e my good fortu●e favourable to my desires , and I in any capacity to pretend to the honour , I would offer you my friendship with abundance of reality .

After this , I am sure , true profession , I will hope you will not take amiss the freedom with which I must acquaint you , that the reputation of sincerity , which you challenge to your Religion ( Pag . 3. ) when you say that We are more sure of your Vows , ( or Promises ) than you can be of ours , is not so clear as you would have it thought . At least I meet with frequent complaints , which represent your carriage toward us very dis-advantagiously , and affirm there is much dis-proportion betwixt your tongues and hearts , and the Logick , which from your fair words would conclude fair meaning , very fallacious . My own thoughts indeed are nothing forward to your prejudice : for not having examined what I have heard , I conceive that to believe ill of another without certain proof ; is a certain proof of no great good in ones self . And besides I cannot but think , that a man of Honour is a man of Honour , let his Religion be what it will . And truly , though I think not well enough of yours , to dare venture my Soul in it , yet neither do I think so ill of it , that it raises you nothing above the low pitch of corrupted nature , for in my judgement it gives you advantages beyond all , even Christian communities that I know , except the Catholick ; whereas Honour is a thing whereof the Heathens themselves have left very notable examples . Notwithstanding I was not sorry to meet with an occasion of making tryal , especially such a one , wherein if I succeed as I desire , and find your Religion falsly asperst , besides the justice I shall do to wrong'd innocence ( which even in an Enemy , if I had one , I should serve with much labour , and much joy ) my happy curiosity may possibly prove more beneficial to my Country , than the Wit and labour of many and Wise men : whereas if I miscarry , all the harm is to sit still , and acknowledge my thoughts have been more charitable than reasonable .

To come then to the business , the substance of your Answer seems to consist in dividing us into two sors , those who wholly intend the common Interests of Christian Religion , and Civil Government ; and others , who are Papalin● , Asserters and Promoters of the Popes Usurpations . The first 〈◇〉 there yo● claim for your Ancestors ; allow to be Loyal , and Men of Honour ; affirm , They have no cause to fear ( Death , indeed , you say , ted by your Adversaries words , but mean , I presume , They have no cause to fear any thing ; and that you intend no way to punish Loyal Subjects , and Men of Honour ) And lastly , exempt them from all Concern in the Severity of the Laws , By which , say you . ( if others shall ●●●ase to distinguish themselves from the rest , by renouncing their ●●lo●●l Principles ) only the disloyal and seditious will be kept weak , that they may be harmless . For the disloyal Principles , which you would have renounc'd , you put these two : That the Pope has a Power to Depose Kings ; And to discharge Subjects from their Allegiance . 't is only from these Dangers , to which these Principles would expose you , that you desire to be safe ; and disown all Anger , more than a necessary Care , that the Treasons ( of which you apprehend these have been the source ) flow not again from them . And this , contracted into another order , seems to be the substance of what you oppose to the Apologist : the rest being either to dilate some of the Particulars , or otherwise prosecute the Advantages you conceive he gives you , and shew that mastery of Wit and Language wherein you excell .

If you desire my sense of this , I must frankly avow , your Plea is to my judgement very fair : For I cannot deny , but you have reason to be jealous of those Doctrines , and subjection to a foreign Power . I cannot deny , but they have beer maintained , and , which is worse , proceeded upon ( I cannot say , in England , but ) at least against England . And if they be both dangerous and abetted , who can blame your care and just desires of safety ? So that if there be as much sincerity , as reason , in what you say , I must needs profess , I cannot think well of those , who think otherwise than well of it . But this we must now put to tryal .

And First , To perform fully what you require on my part , I do unfeignedly , as in the sight of Almighty God , renounce ( if that word be proper for him , who never held them , but however ) utterly disclaim and disavow those Doctrines , and in my heart beileve the Pope has not a Power to Depose Kings , or to discharge Subjects from their Allegiance ; but contrariwise , That the Doctrines which assert it , are , ( as all the Universities of France have declared ) False , Erroneous , Contrary to the Word of God , Pernicious , Seditious , and Detestable . And this Sentiment I conceive to be an Inheritance left me by my Catholick Ancestors , who have declar'd in Parliament , That the Crown of England hath been so free at all times , that it hath been in subjection to no Realm , but immediately subject to God , and to none other , in all things touching the Regalitie of the same ; and provided by several penalties , that it be not submitted to the Bishop of Rome . I conceive you do not , and indeed cannot well , require more of me ; so that having fully performed on my side , it remains that you do so on yours .

And First , Since you assure me , That , He who is Loyal , and a Man of Honour , has no cause to fear ; Now by your Standard I have tryed , and approved my self such , let me intreat you , to appear a Man of Honour too . Discharge . if you please , your Pledge , the Word you have publickly pawn'd , and make me see , I truly have no cause to fear . For I must confess my weakness , and acknowledge , that Goods , and Liberty , and Life ( to all which the penalties of some Laws extend ) are things which my cowardly nature fears to lose . Not but that I know how much trust a good Subject ought to have in His Majesty's mercy : but I know too , that Laws may be executed without His privity ; I know that several Cases are beyond even His Power to remedy ; and if yet you think me scrupulous , I beseech you change Cases with me but one moment , while you consider how much the World were altred with you , if the security of Life and Fortune , which you have by Law , were chang'd into a hope of Mercy in the Execution ; and how likely he were to prevail , who , to shew your selves good Subjects , and testifie the trust you have in his Majesty , should motion to you the making your selves lyable to these Laws .

Next , Since upon the Credit of your Word , that only the disloyal and seditious will be kept weak , if others shall distinguish themselves from them , I have distinguish'd my self in the manner you prescribe ; I beseech you inform me , in what my Case is better , than that of the most disloyal and seditious , if any such there be , amongst us . You have indeed one pretty word , when instead of the severity we apprehended from the late heats , you talk of a Discreet execution of the Laws . But alas ! what smal relief is it to a Patient , that a medicine which gives no ease , was brought him in a silver cup ? Justice you know is blind , and though discretion indeed have , or rather be , the power to distinguish , you will not sure continue to perswade us that the same effects will proceed from blindness . If the Letter of the Law lye equally against Loyal me , and my fellow Traytor , and all my hopes be reduc't to the discretion of a Judge , whose Oath ty's him from making use of it , and obliges him to give sentence according to Law , I see not what fear my Companion can have , from which I can be free .

Again you desire us to content our selves , as our fathers have done , with such Priests as are known and protected by the civil power : and this advice you address to all , whether Loyal or other , without distinction . In return , I most earnestly and humbly desire you to commend me to such a one , assuring you I shall receive the favour , not only with much content , as you desire , but with much obligation , and as an ample reward of the honesty , whereof by your counsel I have given testimony ; my Ancestors have not inform'd me they enjoy'd any such content ; and for my own part I know no other but those at St. James's and Somersethouse , and sure you do not mean to offer me these for Confessors , whom the Law forbids me to apprach by 10 miles . 't is true I have not heard it has been much executed ; but yet to make a bargain flatly contrary to Law , seems too much to affront the respect due to it : And besides who knows how soon it would be , if all Catholicks should , from all quarters where they are disperst , come up to live at London , which yet the expedient would oblige them to do , it being to all else wholly useless .

Lastly , since you profess there is no Anger in your proceedings , but only necessary care and desire of safety ; And I have taken away what you assign for the ground of your jealousie , and left you nothing to fear , Let me intreat you those words may signifie something . Make it appear you truly have no Anger for those , in whom I have made appear there is no cause for it , and in whom you acknowledge both Loyalty and Honour . For I plead not in behalf of any other . Rather , if there be , as you suppose , Knaves amongst us , I consent they be doubly punisht ; first for being Knaves , and then for abusing their Religion , and drawing It into the guilty fellowship of their wickedness . But for us , whom your self distinguish from them , I beseech you let not all the comfort of our honesty be a few tinkling words which chime pleasantly , but when we come to grasp the sense , vanish away , and leave nothing but the empty sound .

I will hope these Requests , since you have put them into my mouth , will appear reasonable , and that you will take ca●e to effect , what you thought fit , by proposing , to undertake . Give me leave to recommend them , with all the earnestness , with which men use to press honourable , and just , and great concerns , such as I conceive these , both to me , and you too . I might peradventure enlarge into some efficacy , but that I write to one , to whom a Remembrancer is as much as an Orator , and to mention , the same thing as to plead . Permit me only to mind you of the blemish it is to a man of Honor , not to make good his word , and his word publickly given , and publickly challenged . Permit me to mind you of the injustice there is in treating equally unequal cases , and punishing , with all the diffidence , and all the suspitious fears merited by disloyalty , persons confessedly Loyal . Permit me to beg of you , in your own behalf , you will not give people cause to apprehend your writings have no other aim than to speak hansomly , and make them lose their efficacy on all , but such as will be carryed away by smooth language . I shall end with adding to the obligation of your word , a consideration , which alone is , in my judgement , an obligation to all Lovers of their Country ; And that is the great good which must necessarily flow from the condescendence I desire , For by that means the affections of two parties will be be reconcil'd into a right intelligence , a mutual love and confidence , and both united into a strength serviceable to our King and Country , when all jealousie and diffidence being taken away , there will be no strife left betwixt us , but who shall shew himself the honestest man . I wish with all my heart the late storms were so calm'd that this consideration might be slight and trivial ; but I fear I shall not be happy enough to see the day , in which it will be of little concern to the publick , that those who are heartily honest and faithful be heartily united . And yet who can tell , whether this be all the benefit we may hope from hence ? I confess your writing pleasingly flatters me with imaginations I had not before , and I would fain hope the distance between us is not so great as many apprehend . For if a Papist be , as it seems by you it is , a name of faction , not Religion , and imports an a better of usurpations , and one oblig'd to believe the Doctrines I have disclaim'd , I perceive I am no Papist . And if you be true to what you profess , that you agree with us in all that is truly Catholique , I for my part have no more to desire of you , and think him unreasonable that has ; nor do I know why you should be call'd a Protestant . The Bias of affections , which unadvisedly draws awry the casts even of the best Gamesters , being once taken off , that fair Field of Controversie , which you fairly leave open , may , for ought I know , produce these advantages ; which , as all good men have alwayes desired , so few wise men have hitherto hoped . But we must leave the future to Providence , and 't is time I leave these Considerations to your judgement , and leave them with this request , that you will look upon them as the rest of those reports which goe abroad to your disadvantage , which by your procedure in this occasion will appear , or causeless , or justly grounded . You will please then to resolve , what opinion you would that men should have of the sincerity of your Profession ; and whether you , who use to reproach our Religion , with holding , that Faith is not to be kept with Hereticks , will consent to have it believ'd , 't is practis'd in yours , not to value what you say to Catholicks . In all events , I shall have the satisfaction to have done service to the Innocence ( if you please , of Protestants , however ) of my fellow Catholicks , whose Title to Loyalty and Honour , since you acknowledge , I hope you will not be displeas'd , if one of them pretend to that of