We find the Romish Clergy do here usher in the difficulty of
Re-establishing the Romish Religion in _England_, with a _perhaps_; And
they will not allow it to be impossible, but only that it _would prove
difficult_. I make no doubt, but if things were at this day in _England_
upon the same foot they were in two years ago, we should have heard
of no _difficulty_ in this matter: It was then, in their opinion, the
easiest thing of a thousand to Re-establish the Roman-Catholick Religion
in _England_: And by all their Actions and words they express so much.
I will not determine, how far it was possible to bring _England_ in the
last Reign, to comply with, and embrace Popery. But this I may safely
say, That the Debaucheries with which the Nation was poison’d in King
_Charles_’s Reign, had laid them open to any Change in Religion. We all
know _Atheism_ is the fairest Introduction to _Popery_: And he that’s an
_Atheist_ to day, may easily be a _Papist_ to morrow, especially if his
Interest concur in the Change. We saw how much Popery gain’d every day,
and how many men, and that of the first Rank, Interest, and the Smiles of
a Court, prevail’d with to change their Religion they were brought up in,
for a new one they had never taken the pains to examine further, than as
to the favourableness of it with the King. Moreover, in _France_ we had
the example of a vast many Thousand Protestants, who had not the Courage
nor Constancy to resist the Methods taken by the _Romish_ Emissaries to
bring them back to the Communion of _Rome_. And the _French_ Protestants
were at least as Zealous in their Religion, as we in ours, and seem’d
to be willing to venture as much for it as we. So that I cannot either
confute or consent to this last part of the Memorial; but must conclude
with this; That we have reason to bless God, and pay our Thanks and
Acknowledgment to the _Glorious Instrument_ he made use of, by whom we
are put out of fear of having our Constancy in the Protestant Religion
tried, at the rate we had reason to expect not long ago.
And thus I take leave of the _Memorial_ of the _Romish_ Clergy, and leave
them to the disappointments they have met with, both in that Kingdom
and elsewhere, of all the hopes they have been so long a rearing up to
themselves; and which now are vanisht into smoke, upon the appearing
of our Victorious King in the Island, where they were to begin _their
thorough Work_.