My doubts being now confirmed, the situation of my mind cannot be easily conceived. To follow the dictates of conscience I was fully resolved, God being my helper; yet, I could not but foresee the difficulties that lay before me; my mother a widow, in a great degree dependant on me; my friends and acquaintances who, I knew, did not see or feel as I did, but on the contrary would look on me as mad, and consequently must consider myself as separated from them for life; I felt all this to its utmost extent. I thought on that saying of our blessed Lord, “he that loveth father or mother, or houses or land, more than me, it not worthy of me.” I considered my salvation dearer than all the world beside; with these views and reflections I resolved to commit my cause to him who has said, “cast your burthen on the Lord and he will sustain you,” and leave the event to him, who has also said, “fear not them who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him who it able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Thus far, having laid before you, candid reader, and my dear fellow-countrymen, whom, at God knows, I love, a true statement of the origin, progress and confirmation of my doubts of the doctrines I objected to in the Church of Rome, together with the various means I had recourse to for instruction and certainty on these matters, till the final interview as above mentioned. After this I little thought of ever hearing the voice of calumny raised against me, and sinister conjectures put on the motives that induced me to act at I did, this being a matter that could be judged only by him who reads the secrets of all hearts. No slanderous insinuations that could be devised against my person, nor fear as to their consequence where I am known, could induce me to take any notices of such on my account; but I feel myself called upon as a duty I owe to my merciful God and his holy truth, and for the sake of others that may be in similar circumstances, to vindicate the propriety of leaving the Church of Rome, a Church whose doctrines I saw could not be supported by divine truth. And many such I know there are on whose minds the light of truth is beginning to dawn, therefore if this humble, unadorned, yet true statement may prove useful to any of those, the object I have in view will be fully attained, and outweigh all the sneering invectives that may be poured on this artless production.