"the Candid and Moderate, even of their "own Communion!" - Efpecially, (we may add) when they have, to aid their Arguments in behalf of the most palpable Abfurdities, that enormous Doctrine of implicit Faith in, and Reliance upon, the Church's Authority, preferably to the Revealed Will of God.

The Evidence, therefore, of an EyeWitnefs, of unquestionable Character, cannot but have the greatest Weight upon all unprejudic'd Minds; efpecially when he fupports his Facts by Teftimonies, which the most bigotted of his Adverfaries will not difallow, all of the fame Church.

66

My Obfervations, fays our Learned "Author, are grounded on Facts, of "which I have been an Eye-witness my"felf, and which others perhaps had not "the Opportunity of examining perfon

66

ally, or confidering fo particularly, as "I have done: And, in my present Re"presentation of them, I have not claim"ed the allowed Privilege of a Travel

ler, to be believed on my own Word; but, for each Article charged on the "Church of Rome, have generally pro"duced fuch Vouchers, as they them"felves will allow to be authentic."

* See Preface to his Octavo Edition.

As

As to the Motives to the Author's Journey, and the Occafion to which his Reflections was owing, take them in his own Words: "Much Leifure, with an * infirm. State of Health, fays he *, was "the Caufe of my Journey to Italy; and, "on fuch an Occafion, I thought it my "Duty, to use the Opportunity given me

by Providence, towards detecting and "expofing, as far as I was able, the true

Spring and Source of those Impoftures, "which, under the Name of Religion, "have been forged from time to time, " for no other Purpose, than to oppress the Liberty, and engross the Property, of Mankind."

Yet, in his Letter, he owns, that he had refolved, on his Setting-out †, to employ himself chiefly, in fearching particularly into fome Branches of Roman Antiquities; a Study more fuitable to his Inclination; and to lofe as little Time as poffible, in taking notice of the Fopperies and ridiculous Ceremonies of the prefent Religion of Rome : But that when he found the whole Form and outward Dress of their Worship fo grofly idolatrous and extravagant, beyond what he had

*See Pref. to Octavo Edition.

See Letter, p. 5.

imagined,

imagined, and the Similitude of the Popif and Pagan Religion fo evident and clear, as to leave him in no Doubt of the strict Conformity between both, he refolved to explain and demonftrate the Certainty of it, by comparing together the principal and most obvious Parts of each Worship.

This celebrated Piece was fo well received, that Three Editions of it were taken off by the Public, before it received any Answer. And as then a Popish Miffionary undertook that Tafk, and our Author thought fit to reply to it; the inferting of the Subftance of that Reply, in which the Roman Catholic Writer's Arguments are fairly quoted and confider ed; will fet the whole Caufe between the Proteftants and Papifts in fuch a clear Light, as cannot fail of being of fingular Ufe and Benefit to all ingenuous and unprejudiced Perfons, of both Religions: For our learned Author declares +, "That "his Defign was not fo much to expose "the Folly of fome of the Popish Cere"monies to his Proteftant Readers, as to "admonish the English Papifts, by un

..

queftionable Facts and Inftances, drawn "from the prefent Practice of Rome, in"to what a Labyrinth of Folly and Im

66

piety their Principles will naturally lead "them, when they are pushed to their "full Length, and exerted without Reserve "or Restraint (as they are at Rome); and "to lay before them the Forgeries and

Impostures which are practifed in their "Church, to fupport the abfurd Doc"trines which fhe imposes as the neceffary Terms of Catholic Communion."

66

Our Author candidly disclaims all perfonal Prejudices, in thefe Words, with which he clofes his Preface to the Octavo Edition.

"But whatever be my Opinion of the General Scheme of that Religion, yet, "out of Juftice to the particular Profef"fors of it, I think myfelf obliged to "declare, that I found much Candor,

Humanity, and Politeness, in all those, " whom I had the Honour to converse "with; and, tho' my Character and Pro"feffion were well known at Rome, yet "I received particular Civilities from "Perfons of the first Distinction both in "the Church and the Court."

POPERY

POPERY Unmask'd:

SHEWING THE

EXACT CONFORMITY

BETWEEN

POPERY and PAGANISM.

Being the Substance of a LETTER from ROME to a Friend in ENGLAND.

SIR,

I

AM fenfible, that by this time you cannot but be defirous to have fome account of the entertain

ment, that I have met with in Rome. You have obferved, without doubt, from my former letters, that the pleasure of my travels feemed to grow upon me in proportion to the progress, which I made on my journey, and to my approach towards that famous capital; and that every place, which I had seen the laft, ftill pleafed me the moft. This was certainly true in my road through Lyons, Turin, Genua, Florence; but is much more remarkably so with regard to Rome; which, of all the places that I have yet feen, or ever fhall fee, is by far the most delightful: Since all those very things, which had recommended any other place to me, and which I had been admiring before, fingle and difperfed, in the feveral cities through which I paffed, may be feen in Rome, B

as.