And whereas he tells your Ladyship, The Time was when you ran well, and asks you, Who hinder'd you? I beseech you to tell him it was I that hinder'd your and that I will be answerable for it to God. This, Madam, I fay to your Ladyship, in full affurance that you're fafe in the Religion of the Church of England, and cannot, without very great Danger of the Lofs of your Soul, go from her to the Church of Rome. How far my Arguments and Opinion may finally prevail upon you I cannot yet tell; but tho' all the Pains I have taken with you may not prove fuccefsful, yet I affure my felf that I fhall have my Reward from God, in whofe Fear, and as in whofe Sight I have written all my Letters to you, and this in particular, which, Madam, is the laft you must expect in this Controverfy from

Tour Ladyfhip's

moft faithful Servant,

GEO. HICKES.

MADAM,

TH

HIS Letter will be printed, with another short Difcourfe, which was publish'd almoft LX. Years ago, because I think it very proper for one in your Cafe. Wherefore I befeech your Ladyfhip, if you are not already gone over to the Church of Rome, to remain as you are, till I can fend you my Book, which I hope I fhall do within a Month.

The.

The GROUNDS of RELIGION of the CHURCH of ENGLAND, as in a Difference with the Roman, or an ANTIDOTE against POPERY; fhewing how a devout Chriftian Soul in the midst of the manifold Distractions, and Divifions about Religion, and Pretenfions and Claims to the Church, may, upon thefe Grounds against all Scru ples, rest satisfy'd and fettle in Mind, and chearfully go on in God's Service 9 to Salvation.

I

1. TF he that believes, lives, and prays according to Chrift's Rules be the true Chriftian, and by all God's Affurances fhall be the happy Man, the next way to Heaven is not to look after Controverfy, but Confcience, and to spend Zeal and Time not in being contentious, but religious, fince wherefoever I live or am in the Chriftian World, (Weft or East, in what Church or Country foever) it is not my being a good Scholar that must fave me, but a good Chriftian; not a learned Difputant for Chrift, but a devout Servant to him, not being of fuch or fuch a Party or Side in the Church, but a true Member of his Body.

And even upon thefe Grounds I may fee and difcern: enough about the prefent Controverfies, and Debates in and concerning the Church. For,

1. I would ask this,

Whether I, being born again, and made a Chriftian by true Baptifm,

1. Believing the Scriptures, fhall be damn'd for not equally believing Traditions? Whether, believing the Apostles Creed, I fhall be damn'd for not believing, as my Creed, the Popes to be as infallible as the Apoftles.

2. Whether, making confcience to ferve and worfhip God, I fhall be damn'd for not worshipping Images?

3. Whether, praying to God as Chrift taught, Our Father, I fhall be damn'd for not invocating Saints and Angels, and faying, Our Friend, which art in Heaven?

4. Whether receiving the Holy Sacrament in both Kinds, (confeffedly according to Chrift's Inftitution) I fhall be damn'd because the Cup is taken away by a Council? And whether, if the Blood be faid to be in the Body, it be not fo to the Prieft too, and fo by that reafon neither People nor Priest are to have the Cup?

These being Points of chiefest Difference in Religion betwixt Proteftants and Papifts, an ordinary and indifferent Understanding may eafily judge by the Evidence of thofe Chriftian Grounds, whether the Proteftant is a damnable Chriftian.

2. Nay, fecondly, I would ask farther,

1. Whether, to give an equal Faith to Tradition as Scripture, and to a Pope as Chrift, or an Apostle of Chrift, be not to incur the great Curfe for Additions ?

a

2. Whether worshipping of Crucifixes and Images be not Idolatry, damn'd in Scripture, against God's Second Commandment? Whether the doing it but relatively can falve it, according to the Diftinction of the School, in the ignorant People, or learned either,

if

if the Ifraelites were Idolaters for worshipping God in and before the Golden Calf, which was but a relative Worship?

с

d

3. Whether praying to Saints, (confefs'd to be an unftatutable Worship) be not at least a Sin of Superftition against God? And praying to be heard and help'd for their Merits fake a great Injury to Chrift?

4. Whether to give the Sacrament without the Cup be not (as Pope Gelafius faid) a grand Sacri Lege, and fo to take it to receive but half the Communion? And whether the People may not juftly doubt and fear they receive none, if but half?

These being the Points and Practices of the Roman Church, the unprejudic'd may judge whether the Papifts be not the more dangerous Religion.

5. If it be faid there is but one ancient, vifible, Catholick Church of Chrift, out of which to depart by Schifm is to go from Salvation, and that is the now Roman Church, and this now doth the reformed, I fatisfy my felf on my former grounds thus:

1. Out of the Catholick Church is no Salvation, because that's the Congregation of Chriftian Men all over the World, and none can be fav'd, but a Chriftian; but is the Weft all the World? Are there no Christians in the Eaft? Or do Papifts take up all the Weft? Are there no Chriftians there, but Pa pifts? I ask then, Can I not be faved because I am not of fuch a particular Church in the Weft? Nor a Papift then, because he is not of the Church of the Eaft? I may be fav'd then, If I be a Chriftian-Catholick,

* Sub Evangelio non fuit præceptum, ne Gentiles, &c. Ecc, in Ench. -Cur Scripturæ difertam mentionem non faciunt, non defunt caufæ. Alanus Copas Dial 3.

• Multi Chriftiani Divos Divafque haud aliter venerantur quàm Deum, non video quod difcrimen fit., &c. L. V. in Aug de C. Dei. Ad Majoricum & Johannem Epifc. fcribensSine grandi facrilego non poteft provenire,

lick, tho' not a Roman, because I am fav'd by being a Member of the Catholick Church of Chrift, that is, by being a Christian.

2. If they fay my Church is new, I ask, What makes one old? Are not the Apostles more ancient than their Succeffors? and the Bishops of Rome of the 400 Years next after them elder than those who came fome 100 Years after thofe Bishops? And is that Church then new, which profeffeth Christian Religion according to the Apostles Doctrine and Primitive Times? And particularly I ask, if these be not new Points in the Roman Church?

Is not worshipping Images new, establish'd about 850 Years ago? And Tranfubftantiation new, defin'd about 400 Years fince? And Purgatory new, which came in after? And Communion in one Kind more new, decreed in 1415? And all that most new which came in but about 100 Years fince in the Council of Trent? :

Yea, and for the great Point of Supremacy, was not Gregory & the firft who proclaim'd it Anti-chriftian against Constantinople,( Anno 600) and all the Bifhops before him, of whom not one ever challeng'd it, before the fucceeding Popes in the last Thousand Years, who laid claim to it after them?

4

A

3. If they fay, we are but lately visible, I ask, Whether a Man, fo a Church may not be visible. in feveral Forms, foul and fair? And whether a Church be worfe for growing visibly fair that was foul? Then I demand, Whether, if the Roman Church fhould reform what many of themfelves, as well as we confefs to be foul, it fhould be faid thenceforth to be a vifible Church? And why then others who have done fo are deny'd before to be visible? And whether Visibility of the Churuch of Rome may

not

Concil. Nic. 2. Ann. 787. Conc. Later. Ann. 1215. Conc. Flor. 1438. v. Conc. Conft. 445. Conc. Tr. Ann. 1563.

L. 4. Epift. 36.