IT is ſo reaſonable to expect, that a Perſon always bred up in the Ch of England, and as well inſtructed in the Doctrine of it, (as the beſt Divines, and her Capacity could make her) ſhould be lyable to many cenſures, for leaving That, and making her ſelf a Member of the Rom. Cath. Ch. to which, I confeſs, I was one of the greateſt Enemies it ever had; That I rather chooſe to ſatisfy my Friends by reading this Paper, than to have the trouble to anſwer all the Queſtions that may daily be ask'd me: And firſt, I do proteſt in the preſence of Almighty God, that no Perſon, Man, or Woman, directly, nor indirectly, ever ſaid any thing to me ſince I came into England, or us'd the leaſt endeavour to make me change my Religion; It is a Bleſſing I wholly owe to Almighty God, and I hope the hearing of a Prayer I daily made him, ever ſince I was in France and Flanders; Where ſeeing much of the Devotion of the Catholicks, (tho' I had very little my ſelf.) I made it my continual Requeſt to Almighty God, That if I were not, I might before I dy'd, be in the true Religion: I did not in the leaſt doubt, but that I was ſo, and never had any Scruple till Nov. laſt, when reading a Book called the Hiſtory of the Reformation, by Dr. Heylin, which I had heard very much commended, and have been told, if ever I had any doubt of my Religion, that would ſettle me: Inſtead of which, I found it the deſcription of the horrideſt Sacriledges in the World; and could find no reaſon why we left the Church, but for three the moſt abominable ones, that were ever heard of among Chriſtians. Firſt, Henry VIII. renounces the Popes Authority, becauſe he would not give him leave to part with his Wife, and marry another in her life-time. Secondly, Edward VI. was a Child, and govern'd by his Uncle, who made his Eſtate out of Church-Lands. And then Queen E. who being no Lawful Heireſs to the Crown, could have no way to keep it, but by renouncing a Church that could never ſuffer ſo unlawful a thing to be done by one of her Children. I confeſs, I cannot think the Holy Ghoſt could ever be in ſuch Councels; And it is very ſtrange, that, if the Biſhops had no Deſign, but (as they • ay) the reſtoring us to the Doctrine of the Primitive Church, they could never think upon't, till Henry VIII. made the breach upon ſo unlawful a Pretence. Theſe Scruples being rais'd, I began to conſider of the difference between the Catholicks and Ʋs; and examin'd them as well as I could by Holy Scripture, which, tho' I do not pretend to be able to underſtand, yet there are ſome things I found ſo eaſy, that I cannot but wonder, I had been ſo long without finding them out: As the Real Preſence in the Bleſſed Sacrament, the Infallibility of the Church, Confeſſion, and Praying for the Dead. Sheldon A. B. of Cant. After this, I ſpoke ſeverally to two of the beſt Biſhops we have in England, who both told me there were many things in the Romiſh Church which (it were very much to be wiſh'd) we had kept; As Confeſſion, which was, no doubt, commanded by God: Blanford, B. of Worceſter. B. of W▪ That Praying for the Dead, was one of the Antient things in Chriſtianity: That for their parts, They did it daily, tho they would not own it: And afterwards, preſſing one of them very much upon the other points, he told me, That if he had been bred a Catholick, he would not change his Religion; But that being of another Church, (wherein, he was ſure, were all things neceſſary to Salvation,) he thohght it very ill, to give that ſcandal, as to leave that Church wherein he receiv'd his Baptiſm.

All theſe diſcourſes did but add more to the deſire I had to be a Catholick, and gave me the moſt terrible Agonies in the World within my ſelf; for all this, fearing to be raſh in a matter of that weight, I did all I could to ſatisfy my ſelf, made it my daily Prayer to God, to ſettle me in the Right; and ſo went on Chriſtmas-day to Receive in the Kings-Chappel: After which, I was more troubled than ever, and could never be at quiet, till I had told my deſign to a Catholick, who brought a Prieſt to me, and that was the firſt I ever did converſe with, upon my word. The more I ſpoke to him, the more I was confirm'd in my deſign; And, as it is impoſſible for me to doubt the words of our Bleſſed Saviour, who ſays, the Holy Sacrament is his Body and Blood; ſo cannot believe, that He, who is the Author of all Truth, and has promis'd to be with his Church to the end of the World, would permit them to give that Holy Myſtery to the Laity but in one kind, if it were not lawful ſo to do.

I am not able, or, if I were, would enter into Diſputes with any Body; I only in ſhort, ſay this for the changing of my Religion, which I take God to witneſs I would never have done, if I had thought it poſſible to ſave my Soul otherwiſe. I think I need not ſay, it is any Intereſt in this World leads me to it: It will be plain enough to every body, that I muſt loſe all the Friends and Credit I have here, by it; and have very well weighed, which I could beſt part with, my ſhare in this World, or the next: I thank God I found no difficulty in the choice.

My only Prayer is That the 〈◊〉 Catholicks • f this Nation, may not ſuffer for my being of the •• Religion, That God 〈◊◊〉 give 〈…〉 them, and then ſ ••• 〈◊〉 any A ••• ictio •• in this World, ſo I may enjoy a bleſſed Eternity hereafter.