either Interest or Ignorance was the Cause of their Change: What the World will think of me for renouncing the Herefy of Calvin, and taking up with what I thought the foundest Doctrine; that is to fay, for entering into the Bofom of that Church to which the Heterodoxy of my Ancestors had made me a Stranger, I know not: But be it what it will, I am ever ready to account to all Mankind for an Action, of which I revere the Remembrance; and which I am only forry, I had not done fooner.

As to Intereft, I don't think it can poffibly be faid, that it had any Share in my Converfion: For the Light that I ftood in with the King of Pruffia, the Rank I bore at his Court, either upon the Score of my Family, or for the Employments I had there, and the Wealth and Fortune of which I was Poffeffor; all thefe Advantages, compar'd with the Situation I am in at present, must convince the World, that Intereft was not the Motive which engag'd me to change my Religion.

As to Ignorance; I fhould be vain indeed if I thought myself a Man of Learning, or if I aim'd at the Character: However, I will venture to fay, that I am not ignorant of any of the principal Articles of the Orthodox Religion which I profess: For this I appeal to your Lordship, as you are my Bishop, in Quality of Vicar General of Upper and Lower Saxony, with which his Holiness has dignify'd you: I intreat, that you will be pleas'd to give your Attention to the Confeffion of Faith which I have hereunto annex'd: Pray, my Lord, examine whether it be orthodox, fince to your Judgment I intirely refer it; and if there unluckily happens to be any thing in it which is not conformable to the Sentiments of the Catholic

Religion,

Religion, I abfolutely fubmit myself to your Decifion; the rather, because I fhall always count it an Honour to be one of your Diocefans, and ever be defirous from the Bottom of my Soul to improve by your Lordship's Inftructions.

Upon reading that Paffage of the Apostle to the Ephefians, Chap. iv. Ver. 5. Unus Dominus, una Fides, unum Baptifma; i. e. One Lord, one Faith, one Baptifm; I enquir'd, what was the true Faith: And when I had divested myself of all Opinions which I had imbib'd from my Education, the very firft Reflection that I made led me to examine into the Origin of the pretended Reformed Religion, and after what manner it began. I found, that in all Countries Intereft, Ambition, Licentioufnefs, Revenge were the Motives that gave Rife to the Establishment of that Religion: I fcrutiniz'd the Lives and Morals of the Leaders of thofe Sects; and difcover'd, that they were generally paffionate Men, inclin'd to Choler, addicted to fenfual Pleasures, Men that led irregular Lives, and made no Account of their Promises. Confequently I could not perfuade myself, that God would have made Choice of fuch Perfons for reforming his Church, fuppofing even that it ftood in need of it: I carry'd my Reflections farther; I confider'd the Difagreement between the very Pretenders to Reformation, and perceiv'd, that their Body is a Body without a Head, where every Prince, and every Sovereign makes himself Arbiter of the Articles of Faith, and affumes to himself the Authority of the Pope: Every Parfon is with them a Bishop, every one explains the Holy Scripture after his own way, and in the Senfe that he himself underftands it; and every one adopts to himself a particular Syftem of religious

Principles

Principles and Opinions; they are Sheep with out a Shepherd: In fhort, the Pretenders to Reformation are continually at Variance with each other; they reject and condemn one another's Doctrines, and never agree, but when they act in Oppofition to the Pope, or the Catholics. Moreover, their Religion is not now, what it was at the Time of its Eftablishment: The Calvinifts were formerly unanimous in the Belief of Predeftination: But now there's hardly any of them of that Opinion, except the Swiss and Dutch: The others reject it, as to the Point of Salvation, and only allow of it with regard to the Hour of Death, and the Accidents of Life, which, according to them, are fix'd by inevitable Destiny. Heretofore alfo, both the Lutherans and Calvinists agreed univerfally, that Salvation was attainable in the Catholic Religion; but now they think otherwise; and for fome Years paft, they have thought fit to declare in their Writings, that the Catholics are damned.

I also reflected on the Number of different Sects that are sprung out of the Two Religions, and did not find one of them but what flatter'd themselves with a Conceit, that their's was the true Religion, tho' they were all of oppofite Sentiments to each other: I could not imagine, how thefe Divifions could be the Mark of the true Church; it being impoffible to conceive, that a Church under fuch Direction can be the true Church.

When I afterwards came to confider the Eftablishment and Ordination of their Ministers, I could not look upon them as fuch, being perfuaded, as St. Paul fays, That Bishops are of divine Institution; and that they alone have the Power of ordaining Priests.

Tradition,

Tradition, which is rejected by the Prote ftants in all Points where it makes against them, but espous❜d by them when it seems in their Favour, was an Article which I thought requir❜d my utmost Regard. For really when the Proteftants fay, they don't believe Tradition, methinks they are inconsistent with themselves in receiving the Holy Scripture, and taking it for the Word of God, because this is a Truth, which they cannot know but by Tradition: And if they allow of Tradition with regard to the Scripture, Why don't they admit of it when religious Tenets are the Points in Question? How can they know, unless it be by Tradition, that the Books of the Maccabees, Efther, Efdras and Ecclefiafticus are Apocryphal, and not Canonical? Who told them, that the reft of the Bible was dictated by the Holy Spirit? In fhort, Who gave them Authority to reject those other Books? What Motive could have induc'd them to it, unlefs it was, that thofe very Books prove Things to them, which they are not willing to believe? In fhort, I look'd into Calvinism for fome Marks of the true Church, but could find none; because the true Church must be one, and united to Jefus Chrift in the fame manner as the Body is to the Head; and becaufe 'tis Jefus Chrift who founded the Caurch, who own'd it for his Spouse, for the Daughter of God the Father, and at the fame time to be the only infallible Church.

Having discover'd none of thefe Marks in the Proteftant Religion, and finding them, on the other hand, in the Catholic Religion, I could not help thinking the latter to be the only one in which I might hope for my Salvation: This was what determin'd me to ftudy the Doctrines of it, and these that follow are what I have conVOL. IV. ceiv'd

X

ceiv'd in my Mind, and what I firmly believe in.

I. I receive the Holy Scriptures intire without the least Diminution, and believe them to be of Divine Inspiration. I believe, that Mofes and the Prophets, the Evangelifts and the Apostles wrote them by the fame Inspiration. I give the fame Explanation to the Holy Scriptures as the Catholic Church does, which alone has the Right of interpreting them. I believe also, that those fame Scriptures are the Bafis and Foundation of Religion, and that none but those who can explain them as the Church does, ought to read them.

II. Upon the Evidence of the Holy Scriptures, I believe in one God alone, the most perfect of all Beings; a Spirit pure, free, difengag'd from all Matter; which knows all Things, is infinitely wife, omnipotent, unfpeakably gracious and merciful, juft and holy; who fuffereth not Sin to go unpunish'd, and who cannot change; who is of infinite Glory and Majesty ; who is the eternal and inexhauftible Source of Goodnefs and Charity, and from whom proceedeth every thing that is good and perfect; who diffufeth himself in all his Creatures; who is the Father of all Things, and who of his infinite Mercy vouchfafed to give us his only Son for our Salvation.

III. I believe in the moft Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, who, tho' Three diftinct Perfons, are nevertheless but One God: These three Perfons are eternal, and equal in Majefty and Glory.