The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 17Dryden, John
General
The works of John Dryden, now first collected in eighteen volumes. Volume 17
Dryden, John
English literature
The third paper is said to be written by a great lady, for the
satisfaction of her friends, as to the reasons of her leaving the
communion of the church of England, and making herself a member of the
Roman Catholic church. If she had written nothing concerning it, none
could have been a competent judge of those reasons or motives she had
for it, but herself; but since she was pleased to write this paper, to
satisfy her friends, and it is thought fit to be published for general
satisfaction, all readers have a right to judge of the strength of them;
and those of the church of England, an obligation to vindicate the honour
of it, so far as it may be thought to suffer by them.
I am sensible how nice and tender a thing it is, to meddle in a matter
wherein the memory of so great a lady is so nearly concerned, and wherein
such circumstances are mentioned which cannot fully be cleared, the
parties themselves having been many years dead; but I shall endeavour to
keep within due bounds, and consider this paper with respect to the main
design of it, and take notice of other particulars, so far as they are
subservient to it.
The way of her satisfaction must needs appear very extraordinary; for,
towards the conclusion, she confesses she was not able, nor would she
enter into disputes with any body. Now, where the difference between the
two churches lies wholly in matters of dispute, how any one could be
truly satisfied as to the grounds of leaving one church and going to the
other, without entering into matter of dispute with any body, is hard to
understand. If persons be resolved beforehand what to do, and therefore
will hear nothing said against it, there is no such way as to declare
they will enter into no dispute about it. But what satisfaction is to be
had in this manner of proceeding? How could one, bred up in the church
of England, and so well instructed in the doctrines of it, ever satisfy
herself in forsaking the communion of it, without enquiring into, and
comparing the doctrines and practices of both churches? It is possible
for persons of learning, who will take the pains of examining things
themselves, to do that without entering into disputes with any body;
but this was not to be presumed of a person of her condition: For many
things must fall in her way, which she could neither have the leisure to
examine, nor the capacity to judge of, without the assistance of such who
have made it their business to search into them. Had she no divines of
the church of England about her, to have proposed her scruples to? None
able and willing to give her their utmost assistance in a matter of such
importance, before she took up a resolution of forsaking our church? This
cannot be imagined, considering not only her great quality, but that just
esteem they had for her, whilst she continued so zealous and devout in
the communion of our church.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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