544 THE STATE AND FATE OF
ences, which every wise man may easily foresee. But the force of law, interest, and inclination is hardly to be withstood.
(3.) The danger of defection from the profession of the protestant religion in the people must be measured from the preparations for it that are found amongst them, and the means of their furtherance. Now, these are nothing but the vicious habits of the minds -of men, inclining their affections to take shelter in the papal superstition. Such are ignorance, lewdness of conversation, provocations from the power of religion in others, atheism, and interest, from hopes of ad- vantage proposed unto some of them who have an influence on others. There can be no defection unto Popery in or among the people who have ever known any thing of the protestant religion but what proceeds from these causes, which wholly obliterate all sense of its power, all delight in its truth, and dispose men unto any thing wherein they hope they may find a better compliance with their inclinations, or at least free them from that whereof they are weary, and wherein they find no advantage. And the means where- by these things are promoted in them are, want of due instruction, examples of sin and impunity therein, public discountenance of the power of religion, personal and family necessities through pride or sensuality, with desire of revenge.
Where these things abound in any nation, amongst any people, there is no security of their stability in that profession of religion which yet they avow : for all these things will continually operate in their minds, and occasions will not be wanting, in the watchful dili- gence of the devil and his instruments, to excite and provoke their corrupt lusts unto a declension from their profession; which with many of them will be carried on gradually and insensibly, until they find themselves ensnared in the papal interest beyond what they can extricate themselves out of
I shall make no conjectures concerning the ruin or total loss of the public profession of the protestant religion, from those ways and means of a general defection from it : for if there were more dano^er in them than there is, I know there is yet a way whereby they may be all defeated ; and this being in the hand of God alone, with him it is to be left, and unto his care it is to be committed.
2. Force is the next way whereby the same effect may be produced ; and this is that which those of the Roman interest do place their principal confidence in, and it is that which they judge they may lawfully make use of, whenever they are able so to do. Be the force esteemed necessary unto this end of what sort it will, — be it by private assassinations, legal persecutions, national oppressions, foreign inva- sions,— all is alike unto them; they are all of them to be made use of as their supposed opportunities do require. That which at present
THE PROTESTANT RELIGION.
645
cloth most encourage their hopes and expectations, on this ground of them, is the power and inchnations of the French monarch, and the influence they .lave on the counsels and actings of other nations. But that whole business seems to me, on many accounts, to be but "res unius cetatis" at most; many countries may be ravaged and spoiled, and new work cut out for another age, but a stated interest for the'papal advantage will scarcely be fixed thereby. They must be a people of another temper and complexion of mind than our neigh- bours are, of a more profound melancholy and superstition than they are subject unto, of less vehement desires of their own, and less sub- ject to alter in their designs on provocations and disappointments, who are fit pertinaciously to pursue the advancement of the papal power and dominion, wherein themselves at length shall be no sharers. But where there is a concurrence of all these things, — namely, an inclination in many of all sorts unto a defection, prepara- tions in the minds of more thereunto, the persecution of some so far as the laws will permit, and just fears of a greater outward force, —relief and safety is to be expected only from divine power and
goodness.
8. The third way whereby the public profession of the protestant religion may be ruined in any nation, or universally, is by a recon- CIUATION unto the church of Rome. For although this be really of the same nature and kind with that of the defection before spoken of, yet seeing it is to be effected by a pretended mutual condescen- sion, .it will be averred to be different from a total defection. That which I intend is a coalescency in the same church-state, faith, wor- ship, and rule with the church of Rome, on such concessions and reliefs from some present impositions as shall on both sides be agreed on. And this is the most plausible engine for attaining the fatal end designed that can be made use of, and possibly the most likely to take° effect. The pretences of the peace of Christendom, and the union of Christians (though nothing less be intended than that peace and union which Christ hath appointed, nor will the peace pretended be ever attained by it), are suited to cover and overwhelm men with reproaches who shall but endeavour to discover their falsity and folly. But the present posture of counsels and affairs in the world calls for somewhat a more distinct consideration of these things, which yet shall be but preparatory unto what shall be farther discoursed unto the same purpose, if the process in the design do farther manifest