to Heaven is not to look after Controversy, but Conscience; and to spend our Zeal and Time not in being Contentious, but Religious: And therefore wherefoever I live in the Chriftian World, whether Eaft or West, it is not my being a good Scholar that will make me happy, but a good Chriftian; not a Learned Difputant for Christ, but a Devout Servant to him: Nor the being of such or fuch a Party or Side in the Church, but a True Member of his Body. AND if You would Vouchsafe to bear with me a little, I could easily demonftrate this to be the most fafe Way: For, if I am Regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and made a Chriftian by true Baptism, believing thè Scriptures; can it with any Colour of Reafon be fuppofed that I fball fuffer Damna tion for not equally believing Traditions? And if I make Conscience to serve and worfhip GOD, can it be thought I shall pe-. rifb for not worshipping Images? If I pray to GOD, as our Blessed Saviour hath taught us, faying, Our Father, &c. who can think I should incur the Sentence of Damnation for not Invocating Saints and Angels ? And DEDICATION. And if I receive the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Chrift in both Kinds, according to Chrift's Inftitution, as even the Roman Church confeffes; who can believe I fhall be damned, because the Cup is taken away by a Council? THESE things I urge with all Humility, only to let Yon fee what Reafon I have to believe the Proteftant Religion to be the moft fafe Way: And with the utmost Earneftness, I fball offer up my poor Petitions, That the Divine Goodness would graciously Support You under thofe great and many Troubles wherewith it has pleafed Him to exercise You here; and at last to translate Yon to a Crown of Immarceffible Glory. Which is the daily and fincere Prayer of, Your most Faithful, And Obedient Servant, THO. KENN. MEDITATION Ι. F the Vanity and Uncertainty of HONOUR, Page 11 Of the Vanity of WORLDLY PLEASURES, Of the Nature and Causes of AFFLICTIONS, For Friends, and the Catholick Church, P. 132 H AVING with Grief of Heart, observed that uninterrupted Series of Affliction that has attended a very Noble Family, I have thought it my Duty, by the ensuing Meditations, to caft my Mite into this Illuftrious Treasury, and by confidering the Viciffitude and Uncertainty of all Sublunary States and Things, to offer fome fupport under that Weight of Sorrow, which Minds lefs Magnanimous than those of Perfons fo Confpicuous, would have funk under long ago. AND fince the Holy Scriptures do inform us, that afflictions rife not out of A 4 the the ground, neither does trouble spring out of the duft, it will not be unneceffary to enquire into the Caufe from whence all our great and fore Calamities arife; for as in the Cafe of a difeafed Body, to know the Cause from whence the MorbifickAffect proceeds, is accounted half the Cure; fo if by a thorough Search we can come to know the Caufe why it has pleased the Sovereign Majefty of Heaven to bring and to continue thefe Calamities upon us, it may (accompanied with the Divine Bleffing) go a great way towards the Removal of them: There being nothing more certain, than that the Way to have our offended Maker reconciled unto us, is, To fearch our hearts, and try our ways, and to turn unto him against whom we have finned; and fo may we hope he will have Mercy upon us, and fay to the proud Waves of Affliction that have fo long been rolling over our Heads, Thus far have ye gone, but ye shall proceed no farther, and here fhall your proud waves be stopped: For the fame GOD that puts a ftop to the Raging of the Sea, can |