effect upon the World. As he’s a Man of a fiery Spirit, which he has sufficiently discover’d in a small Pamphlet of his, entitled, A Review of France intirely Catholick under the Reign of Lewis the Great;1 he press’d me unmercifully, as oft as ever I fell in his way, without the least regard to my Excuses. At last, as well to deliver my self from his Importunity, as to try my hand upon a Subject which on one side appear’d to me very evident, yet leading on the other to Consequences somewhat harsh, unless thorowly explain’d; I promis’d him to form a Philosophical Commentary on those Words of the Parable of the Wedding, which Convertists, that’s to say Persecutors, do so much pervert. <3> For Convertist, henceforward, and Villain, and Persecutor, and fouler Language, if any be, shall mean the same thing, and I shall accordingly use the Terms indifferently; which ’twas but fit I shou’d signify in the Entrance.
It has happen’d with the word Convertist much as with those of Tyrant and Sophist. The word Tyrant in the beginning had no other meaning than that of King, nor Sophist than that of Philosopher: but because many of those who exercis’d the Sovereign Power, abus’d it to wicked and cruel purposes, and many who profess’d Philosophy fell into fallacious ridiculous Subtletys, design’d to obscure the Truth, their Names became odious, and convey’d only the Idea of the worst of Men; and respectively signify’d Blood-suckers and Oppressors, Whifflers and Cheats. Here’s the true Image of the Fate of the word Convertist: It imported originally a Soul sincerely zealous in propagating the Truth, and undeceiving those in Error; but for the future it shall signify only a Mountebank, only a Counterfeit, only a Pilferer, only a Maroder, a Soul void of Pity, void of Humanity, void of natural Equity, only a Man who proposes by tormenting others to expiate for his own Leudness past and to come, and for all the Irregularitys of a profligate Life; or, shou’d it happen that all these Characters don’t exactly fit every Convertist, let’s try in fewer words to settle its just and proper Sense for the time to come. It shall mean a Monster, Half-Priest and Half-Dragoon, who like the Centaur of the Fable, which in one Person united the Man and the Horse, confounds in one Actor the different Parts of a Missionary <4> who argues, and a Foot-Soldier who belabours a poor human Body, and rifles a Cottage. They say there are Taverns already in some parts of Germany with the Sign of the Convertist, dress’d up by the Model of some Cuts of Bernard de Galen, Bishop of Munster, in which he’s represented with half Mitre half Helmet round his Temples; with a Cross in one hand, a Sabre in t’other; half Rochet, and half Cuirass about his Loins, and so on; commanding to sound to Horse in the middle of his Mass, and a Charge at the place where he shou’d give the Benediction. ’Twas by this Model they say, mutatis mutandis, that the Sign of the Convertist to some Inns or Taverns in certain famous Imperial Towns was drawn. Judg then whether Mr. Arnaud2 deserves any Answer on his making so much of what the agreeable Author of the Politicks of the Clergy3 has said by way of Elogy on the Protestants, That they came not into this World on the foot of Convertists. It’s strange our Dutch Artists shou’d let the High-Germans run away with this Whim.
Having thus resolv’d to form a Commentary of a new kind, on the famous words, Compel ’em to come in; I thought it wou’d be best to draw the Convertists out of their own ground: I mean out of their old beaten common Places, and propose ’em Difficultys, for which they have not yet had leisure enough to find out Evasions. For here’s the main drift of the Writers of this Party; they apply themselves much less to the proving their Point, than to the eluding the Arguments with which they are press’d; like those false Witnesses, Greeks by Nation, whose <5> Picture Cicero has drawn to the life: Nunquam laborant quemadmodum probent quod dicunt, sed quemadmodum se explicent dicendo.4 Accordingly I foresee, that if they attempt to answer me, they’l pass over all my principal Difficultys, and only endeavor to find whether I have not contradicted my self in some part or other of the Work; whether I have not made a trip in my Reasonings; whether my Principles are not attended with some absurd Consequences. If this be all they do, I declare to ’em before-hand, that I shan’t look on it as an Answer, nor on my Cause as less victorious in the main; for the Cause is not lost, because perhaps its Advocate does not always reason justly, because his Notions in one place do not perhaps nicely fall in with his Notions in another; because he pushes his point too far at some times, and loses himself in the chase. All this may possibly have befallen me: but because notwithstanding all these Failings, which are purely those of the Advocate, and not of the Cause, I persuade my self I have said enough to prove my point incontestably; I declare once more, that if the Convertists design to justify their Proceedings, they must answer all that’s reasonable and solid in my Argument, and not think to get off as their Controvertists commonly do, if they can only discover that an Author has perhaps cited a Passage wrong, or employ’d a particular Argument sometimes to one purpose, sometimes to another, and which perhaps may be retorted,5 or committed some other Over-sights of this kind; since there never was a Book, how strong and forcible soever, which may not be answer’d at <6> this rate. One that can pick up some faults of this kind, or separate a Proof here and there from that which in other parts of the Works does sufficiently support it, and from the true end and purpose to which the Author design’d it, fancies he makes a fine Answer to the best Book; which shall triumph in the Judgment of those who don’t compare the two Pieces with Exactness, and freedom from Prejudice. Hence we meet with Answers to every thing; tho, properly speaking, this is not confuting, but rather making the Errata of an Adversary’s Book, and leaving the Merits of the Cause upon the Tenters: And for my part, if my Adversarys do no more than this, I shall look on my self as the Victor.
As I wrote it at the instance of a French Refugee, and on occasion of the late Persecution in France, and with a design of having it translated into French; I have forbore quoting any Books, but such as are perfectly well known to the French Convertists. Were it not for this, I might often have refer’d my Reader to very excellent Pieces written in the English Tongue upon the Point of Toleration.6 No Nation can be suppos’d to afford more Arguments on this Subject than ours, by reason of that Variety of Sects among us, harass’d for so long a time by the establish’d Religion. The very Papists in this Country are the first to cry out, That nothing is more unjust than vexing Men on the score of Conscience. A ridiculous Maxim in their mouths; and not ridiculous only, but perfidious and insincere in them, Qualitys inseparable from their Nature for so many Ages past: since it’s certain they wou’d <7> not forbear three years, nor fail bringing those to the Stake who did not go to Mass, had they once more the Power in their own hands; and had others the Baseness of those Court-Parasites and Pensioners, Men unworthy of the Name of Protestants, tho outwardly professing it, who endeavor the Subversion of that fundamental Barrier of our Security, which ballances the Royal Authority.7 Tho I don’t doubt but there are still brave Spirits enough left among us, worthy Patriots, and sincere Protestants, to correct the evil Influences of the Complaisance of these false Brethren, and by God’s Blessing to preserve to us that Tranquillity we enjoy, tho under a Catholick Sovereign.8 The Calamitys of our Brethren of France will, in all probability, turn to our advantage. They have awaken’d us to a prudent Distrust of Popery; they have convinc’d us that this false Religion is not to be mended by length of time, that she’s still animated as much as ever with a Spirit of Cruelty and Fraud, and in spite of all the Civility and Politeness which reigns in the Manners of the Age, still savage and intractable. Strange! All that was rough and shocking in the Manners of our Ancestors is quite worn off; to that rustick and forbidding Air of former times, there has succeeded an universal Gentleness and exceeding Civility, all Christendom over. Popery alone feels no Change; she alone keeps up her antient and habitual Ferocity. We of England began to think the Beast was grown tame and tractable; began to think that this Wolf, this Tiger had forgot her savage Nature: but, God be thank’d, the French Convertists have undeceiv’d us, and <8> we now know what we must trust to, shou’d it ever be our lot to fall into her clutches. Nunquam bona fide vitia mansuescunt,9 is chiefly applicable to the Vices of Religion. God grant that we may more and more profit by the Calamitys of our Brethren, and always stand upon our Guard.
Nor can this Fierceness
