Mr. Chillingworth's judgment of the religion of Protestants of Scripture the only rule, of differences among Protestants, of using force in matters of religion &c. : with a preface to the reader giving the reason of publishing these passages.

TO THE READER.

HE that is arrived at such a degree of wickedness, that his Princi∣ples will allow him to equivocate in the most solemn Asseverations, and to put on any person or shape for the carrying on his Designs, has thereby a great advantage over the common people, who being more honest and simple, can scarce think it possible, that men, professing God and Religion, should admit of principles and practices so diametri∣cally contrary: and men that are prepossessed with prejudices of envy, ill-will, or the like, against their Neighbours, do readily embrace those mens suggestions a∣gainst these, how false and groundless soever they be. Hence it is, that our Po∣pish Enemies having no other way to save themselves from the Demerits of their Hellish Plots, do very industriously by Pamphlets and otherwise labour to beget and encrease enmity among dissenting Protestants, And they so far prevail, that notwithstanding the destructin designed by them against Protestants, yet some have greater enmity and bitterness towards those that differ from them either in lesser points of Religion, or in sentiments about civil Matters, than against the Papists themselves. Which may be perceived, not only in common converse, but even in the Pulpit it self: whence I must confess, I have sometimes heard (though not in my own Parish) discourses so full of rancor and bitterness against dissenting Protestants, that I could not but greatly bewail the ill tendencies thereof, and at the same time was glad my Children and Servants were not there, that they might not learn by such Rhetorical Invectives to malign their Neighbours, instead of loving their Ene∣mies, as Christ has commanded.

These men pretending great zeal for the Government and Church of England (as those Members of the last long Parliament also did, who were expelled thence for being Papists) will difficulty allow any other but such as themselves to be at all Pro∣testants. Wherefore I thought it would be of service to Protestantism, or Re∣formed Christianity, to mind my Country-men of the Judgment of the Learned and Judicious Mr. Chillingworth concerning the Religion of Protestants, the Differences among them, the use of Force and Compulsion in Religion, private judgment of Conscience, in dissent from publick, and some other matters contro∣verted between Protestants and Papists, which I have collected out of his Book, Intituled, The Religion of Protestants a safe way to Salvation: and which I hope will be of the greater prevalency with some, not only for the great strength of reason and judgment found therein: but moreover, for that Mr. Chilling∣worth had himself been once of the Roman Church, and had therefore experience as well as judgment to guide him in these matters. He wrote also in the year 1637, which was before the following unnatural War. He was not only of the Church of England himself, which he defended against the Papists: but his Book had the ap∣probation of the then Vice-Chancellor, and both the Kings and Margret Professor's of Divinity in the University of Oxon. the very chief men in Office there. Their Approbation take in their own words, Englished for the sake of those that know not Latine.