tranfmitted to us thofe religious and civil liberties which we now enjoy, had very different conceptions of this matter; and had they acted with that coldness, indifference, and ftupidity, which feems to have feized the present age, we had now been funk into the most abject ftate of misery and slavery, under an arbitrary prince and Popish govern ment. It was the opinion of our brave, wife, circumfpect, and cautious ancestors, that an open toleration of the Popish religion is inconfiftent with the fafety of a free people, and a Proteftant Government. It was thought by them that every convert to Popery, was by principle an enemy to the conftitution of this country; and as it was fuppofed that the Roman Catholic religion promoted rebellion against the state, there was a very severe law made to prevent the propagation of it. Such was the ftate of things in the reign of the great Elizabeth; and Popery having, notwithstanding such restriction, gained ground in the reign of James the fecond, though the encouragement it then received from the ftate, was not equal to what it has now obtained, ་ tained, the nation was alarmed; and the noble and refolute ftand which the Proteftants then made against the advances of Popery, produced the Revolution. In the reign of William the Third, the state was thought to be in danger from the encroachments of Rome; to prevent which, the act of parliament was made, which is now, in the most material parts, repealed, and several Proteftants being of opinion, that this repeal will, in its confequences, act as an open toleration of the Popish religion, they are filled with the most painful apprehenfions: they think, that liberty, which they value more than their lives, and which they would piously transmit to their children, to be in danger: they are full of the moft alarming fears, that chains are forging at the anvil of Rome for the rifing generation: they fear, that the Papists are undermining our happy conftitution: they fee the purple power of Rome advancing, by hafty ftrides, to overspread this once happy nation they fhudder at the thought of darknefs and ignorance, mifery and flavery, fpreading their fable wings over this highly favoured ifle their fouls are pained for their rights and liberties as men; and their hearts tremble for the ark of God. Infpired Inspired with fuch fentiments, and under the influence of fuch reasonable and well grounded fears, they think it a duty which they owe to themselves, their pofterity, their religion, and their God, to unite as one man, and take every poffible, loyal, and conftitutional measure, to ftop the progrefs, of that foul-deceiving and all-enflaving fuperftition which threatens to overspread this land. It is to be hoped, that an attempt, so just and reafonable, will be crowned with fuccefs; but fhould it fail, through the fupineness or groundless prejudices of those who ought to ftand first in this caufe, the members of this Affociation will enjoy the fatisfaction of a selfapproving mind, confcious of having done its duty; while thofe who meanly defert the Proteftant caufe, and tamely fuffer the encroachments of Rome, may fee their error when it is too late, and be filled with bitternefs and remorfe at a conduct fo mean and defpicable, and fo unworthy their profeffion. Whatever fuch perfons may think of themfelves and their conduct, and however they. may dress themselves up in the fplendid robes of candour and moderation, they are to be informed that their conduct is highly criminal, and may be attended with the moft deplorable confequences; as, by their neglecting glecting to appear on this great occafion, they give our rulers reafon to conclude, that it is the fenfe of the nation that Popery should be tolerated. It is fincerely to be lamented that Proteftants in general, are not more apprehenfive of the danger. Have they forgot the reign of bloody queen Mary? Have they forgot the fires in Smithfield, and can they behold the place without emotion where their fathers died? Will it ever be believed in future times, that perfons of eminent and diftinguished rank among the Proteftants, and perfons of high and exalted religious characters, refufed to petition against Popery; and let it overfpread our nation without oppofition? Will it be believed that Englishmen were fo far degenerated from the noble. fpirit of their ancestors, as tamely to bow the neck to the yoke of Rome? "Tell it not in "Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon; "left the daughters of the Philistines rejoice; left the daughters of the uncircumcifed "triumph," It is not to be wondered at that the Papifts, either openly or in difguife, take every method to prevent the just and reasonable view of the Proteftant affociation, and therefore reprefent them as factious, feditious, and ene mies to toleration. These charges, and every other which the malice of our enemies, or the groundless fears and prejudices of our mistaken friends shall hereafter exhibit, will be separately and diftinctly confidered in the course of these letters; and such an account given of the views of the Proteftant Affociation, and the line of conduct which they have purfued, and intend to pursue, in order to accomplish the great end for which they affociate, as will, I hope, obviate every objection, remove every fcruple, and excite the Proteftants to join hand in hand, and unite as one man, in that cause, in which their present and future welfare is fo, nearly concerned, by J. W. |