which furround them. The power of his grace can break through all difadvantages, and make a few individuals wiser than their teachers, by revealing his truth to their heart, fooner or later, fo far as is neceffary to falvation. But it must be owned that fome communities which bear the name of Chriftian have departed fo very far from the fimplicity of the Gofpel, that if we reafon a priori we are ready to conclude it is almoft impoffible for a converted perfon to continue a fingle day in fuch a communion. But hypothefis cannot be maintained against plain facts. Thus the Church of Rome, not merely

by

by adopting an unmeaning burdenfome train of ceremonies, but by her doctrines of papal infallibility, invocation of faints and angels, purgatory, abfolution, the mafs, and others of the like ftamp, is become fo exceedingly adulterated, that poffibly fome perfons who may read these letters will form an unfavourable opinion of me, for declaring that I have not the leaft doubt but the Lord Jefus has had from age to age a fucceffion of chofen and faithful witneffes within the pale of that corrupt Church. Yet I fhould

hope that they, who having themselves tafted that the Lord is gracious, know the language of a

heart

2

heart under the influence of his Spirit, would, in defiance of Proteftant prejudices, be of my mind, if they had opportunity of perufing the writings of fome Papists. If such persons as De Fenelon, Pafchall, Quenell, and Nicole, (to mention no more,) were not true Christians, where fhall we find any who deferve the name? In the writings of these great men, notwithstanding incidental errors, I meet with fuch ftrains of experimental godlinefs, fuch deep knowledge of the workings of the Spirit of God and of the heart of man, and fuch mafterly explications of many important paffages of Scripture, as might do honour

to

1

to the most enlightened Protestant. And yet thefe men lived and died in the popish communion, and to their latest hours (for any thing that appears to the contrary) thought they could not feparate from it without fin. And, though I have not equal means of information, I can as little doubt that the Lord has a people likewife in the Greek Church, which, as to its external frame, feems to be little lefs unfcriptural than the Church of Rome itself.

However, I defire to be thankful that I am not a Papift. I am at least one step nearer to the true and acceptable worship of God. For I believe the most rigid of

our

our Diffenting brethren will allow, that the Church of England if almoft, yet is not altogether fo depraved and corrupt in its conftitution as the Church of Rome. I am now in my track, and fhall trouble you with fewer digreffions in the fequel. My next point will be to examine the different claims of Protestant Churches, to the honour they all affume, that their respective inftitutions are moft conformable to the rules the apoftles have laid down on the fubject of Church Government, and exprefs the greatest regard to the authority of the Lord Jefus Chrift, the undoubted Head and Lawgiver of his Church. And to

avoid