TO THE

READER.

I

Must confefs, F. Lewis Sabran of the Society of Jefus, as be writes himself, has all the good Qualities belonging to his Order, excepting that Learning, which Some of his Order have formerly had, but he is excufable for that, because of late, that has been the least of their care; but what they want in Learning, they make up in Confidence and Noife, which is a nearer conformity to the temper and Spirit of their first Founder.

When I first saw his Sheet which he wrote against the First Part of the Prefervative, I read it over, and laid it afide, as I thought it deferved; for Leafly perceived, that he could not, or would not understand the plainest fenfe, and I saw nothing he had objected, which could im pofe upon the most unlearned Protestant; and I had no mind to engage with a Man, who has not Understanding enough to be Confuted: But the honest Footman thought ft to call him to an account, and I believe all impartial Men thought the Footman had the better of him, and yet the Jefuite had an honourable occafion to retreat, had his Wit ferved him to take it; for no Man would have expected that a Jefuite fhould have encountered a Footman; but bere bis Courage out-ran his Wit, as it often happens to Knights Errant in their bold Adventures.

1 do intend as little as poffibly I can to concern my felf in the Dispute between the Jefuite and the Footman; the

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Footman

Footman is able to Defend himself, and I e'en quake for the Jefuite for fear he should; but having a little lei. fure at prefent, I will spare Some few hours to Vindicate the Prefervative from this Jefuite's Cavils, for it will appear, that they are no better. As for those many good words he has bestowed on me, I take them for Complements on courfe, and to be plain with him, they are all lost upon me, for when I have Reafon and Truth on my fide, I am perfectly infenfible of all the Sportings of Wit and Satyr, for there are no Jefts bite, but those that are true.

I do not intend to pursue this Jefuite in all his rambling Excurfions, but fhall keep close to my bufinefs, to Vindi cate The Prefervative, and that in as few words as I can ; and this will come into a very narrow compafs; for he has as little to fay, as ever man had, if you keep him out of bis Common-place Difputes; but if you fuffer him to draw you into those beaten Roads, there is no end of him; for be has the Confidence of a Jesuite to repeat all the old baffled Arguments without blushing.

I confefs, I am a little ashamed to meddle with fo trifling an Adverfary, and know not how I fhall Answer it to the Ingenious Gentlemen of the Temple, to whom he fo often Appeals against the Mafter, for Spending my time fo ill, unless his Character of a Jefuite will plead my excufe, which has been a formidable Name in former Ages: and if this will do, I have a very honourable and a very eafte Task of it, an Adverfary to encounter with the glorious Character of a Jefuite, but without the Senfe of a Foot

man.

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P. 4.

HE Charge against me is very formidable, Anfwer to that I advance fuch Principles in the Prefer- Prefervative vative, as make void the ufe of Reafon, Faith,* Fathers, Councils, Scripture, and Moral Honesty, if he had faid lefs, he might fooner have been believed, or might have proved it better, when fuch wild and extravagant Accufations confute themselves; but Jesuits commonly spoil all by over-doing. Let us examine particulars.

SECT. I.

The Principles which are pretended to overthrow all right
Use of Common Sense Vindicated.

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HE first inftance of this nature is, that ICharge Ibid. Catbolicks with this great Crime, that they will not allow the reading Heretical Books, and prove my Charge,

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be

because God not only allows, but requires it. The Paragraph he refers to is in p. 3. of the Prefervative, in these words:

Men of weak judgments, and who are not skilled in the Laws of Difputation, may easily be imposed on by cunning Sophifters, and fuch as lie in wait to deceive: the Church of Rome is very fenfible of this, and therefore will not Juffer her People to difpute their Religion, or to read Heretical Books nay not fo much as to look into the Bible it Self: but though we allow all this to our People, as that which God not only allows but requires, &c. from hence he charges me with faying, that God not only allows but requires People to read Heretical Books, But the honeft Footman plainly told him, what the meaning of Heretical Books was, that I spoke the Language of their Church, which calls all Books Heretical which are not of the Roman ftamp: and this is all that I meant by it, as every honeft Reader would fee. Does not he ufe the very fame way of fpeaking himself in the fame Paragraph, when he retorts this Grime upon us, that we Answer p. 4. ufe all endeavours to hinder our Flocks from hearing Catholick Sermons, and reading Catholick Books, for are any Christians fo abfurd as to forbid People to hear Catholick Sermons, and to read Catholick Books? No fure, not what they think Catholick: and why may not I use Heretical, as well as he ufe Catholick in the sense of the Church of Rome by Heretical meaning fuch Books as the Church of Rome calls Heretical, as by Catholick he means fuch Books as the Church of Rome calls Catholick; for they are both equally Heretical and Catholick.

But he complains in the Prefervative Confidered, 4. That he had asked three very material Questions, and the Footman, had not vouchfafed an Answer to

them,