This indulgence being granted to all the fects, it ought in reason to be expected, that they fhould both receive it, and receive it thankfully. For, at this time of day, to refuse the benefit, and adhere to those whom they have esteemed their perfecutors, what is it elfe, but publicly to own, that they fuffered not before for conscience-sake, but only out of pride and obstinacy, to separate from a church for thofe impofitions, which they now judge may be lawfully obeyed? After they have fo long contended for their claffical ordination (not to fpeak of rites and ceremonies), will they at length fubmit to an epifcopal? If they can go fo far out of complaifance to their old enemies, methinks a little reafon should perfuade them to take another step, and fee. whither that would lead them.

Of the receiving this toleration thankfully I shall say no more, than that they ought, and I doubt not they will confider from what hand they received it. It is not from a Cyrus, a heathen prince, and a foreigner, but from a christian king, their native fovereign; who expects a return in fpecie from them, that the kindness, which he has graciously fhewn them, may be retaliated on thofe of his own perfuafion.

It was

As for the poem in general, I will only thus far fatisfy the reader, that it was neither imposed on me, nor fo much as the subject given me by any man. written during the laft winter, and the beginning of this fpring; though with long interruptions of ill health and other hindrances. About a fortnight before I had finished it, his majesty's declaration for liberty of confcience

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confcience came abroad: which if I had fo foon expected, I might have spared myself the labour of writing many things which are contained in the third part of it. But I was always in fome hope, that the church of England might have been perfuaded to have taken off the penal laws and the teft, which was one design of the poem, when I propofed to myfelf the writing of it.

It is evident that fome part of it was only occafional, and not first intended: I mean that defence of myself, to which every honest man is bound, when he is injuriously attacked in print: and I refer myself to the judgment of thofe, who have read the Answer to the defence of the late king's papers, and that of the dutchess (in which last I was concerned) how charitably I have been represented there. I am now informed both of the author and supervisors of this pamphlet, and will reply, when I think he can affront me: for I am of Socrates's opinion, that all creatures cannot. In the mean time let him confider whether he deserved not a more fevere reprehenfion, than I gave him formerly, for ufing fo little respect to the memory of thofe, whom he pretended to anfwer; and at his leifure, look out for fome original treatise of humility, written by any Proteftant in English; I believe I may fay in any other tongue for the magnified piece of Duncomb on that fubject, which either he must mean, or none, and with which another of his fellows has upbraided me, was tranflated from the Spanish of Rodriguez; though with the omiffion of the feventeenth, the twenty-fourth, the

:

twenty-fifth, and the last chapter, which will be found in comparing of the books.

He would have infinuated to the world, that her late highness died not a Roman Catholic. He declares himself to be now fatisfied to the contrary, in which he has given up the caufe: for matter of fact was the principal debate betwixt us. In the mean time, he would difpute the motives of her change; how prepofterously, let all men judge, when he seemed to deny the fubject of the controverfy, the change itfelf. And because I would not take up this ridiculous challenge, he tells the world I cannot argue: but he may as well infer, that a Catholic cannot faft, because he will not take up the cudgels against Mrs. James, to confute the Proteftant religion.

I have but one word more to fay concerning the poem as fuch, and abftracted from the matters, either religious or civil, which are handled in it. The firft part, confifting moft in general characters and narration, I have endeavoured to raife, and give it the majeftic turn of heroic poefy. The fecond, being matter of difpute, and chiefly concerning church authority, I was obliged to make as plain and perfpicuous as poffibly I could; yet not wholly neglecting the numbers, though. I had not frequent occafions for the magnificence of verse. The third, which has more of the nature of domeftic converfation, is, or ought to be, more free and familiar than the two former.

There are in it two episodes, or fables, which are interwoven with the main defign; fo that they are pro

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perly

1

But fince the mighty ravage, which he made
In German forefts, had his guilt betray'd,
With broken tusks, and with a borrow'd name,
He fhun'd the vengeance, and conceal'd the fhame;
So lurk'd in fects unfeen. With greater guile
Falfe Reynard fed on confecrated spoil:
The graceless beast by Athanafius first

Was chas'd from Nice, then by Socinus nurs'd:
His impious race their blafphemy renew'd,
And nature's king through nature's optics view'd.
Revers'd they view'd him lessen'd to their
Nor in an infant could a God defcry.
New fwarming fects to this obliquely tend,
Hence they began, and here they all will end.

eye,

What weight of antient witness can prevail,
If private reason hold the public scale ?
But, gracious God, how well doft thou provide
For erring judgments an unerring guide!
Thy throne is darkness in th' abyfs of light,
A blaze of glory that forbids the fight.

O teach me to believe thee thus conceal'd,
And fearch no farther than thyself reveal'd;
But her alone for my director take,

Whom thou haft promis'd never to forfake!
My thoughtless youth was wing'd with vain defires,
My manhood, long misled by wandering fires,
Follow'd falfe lights; and, when their glimpse was gone,
My pride ftruck out new sparkles of her own,
Such was I, fuch by nature ftill I am;

Be thine the glory, and be mine the shame.

Good

Good life be now my task: my doubts are done: What more could fright my faith, than three in one? Can I believe eternal God could lie

Difguis'd in mortal mold and infancy?

That the great Maker of the world could die?
And after that truft my imperfect sense,
Which calls in queftion his omnipotence?

Can I my reafon to my faith compel ?

And fhall my fight, and touch, and tafte,' rebel♪
Superior faculties are fet afide;

Shall their fubfervient organs be my guide?
Then let the moon ufurp the rule of day,
And winking tapers fhew the fun his way;
For what my fenses can themselves perceive,
I need no revelation to believe.

Can they who say the host should be descry'd
By sense, define a body glorify'd?
Impaffable, and penetrating parts ?

Let them declare by what mysterious arts
He shot that body through th' opposing might
Of bolts and bars impervious to the light,

And stood before his train confefs'd in open fight.
For fince thus wondrously he pass'd, 'tis plain,
One fingle place two bodies did contain.
And fure the fame omnipotence as well
Can make one body in more places dwell.
Let reason then at her own quarry fly,

But how can finite grafp infinity?

'Tis urg'd again, that faith did first commence

By miracles, which are appeals to sense,

}

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And