A LETTER TO A LADY FROM WILLIAM DARRELL Of the Society of JESUS. Wherein, He desires a CONFERENCE with the Gentleman who Writ Her a LETTER, Furnishing Her with Scripture Testimonies against the Principal Points and Doctrine of Popery  
ALthough I have not the Honour to know you, I take the Freedom to Trouble your Ladyship with a Letter: And because I am Ignorant of your Lodgings, I have desired the Hawkers to find them out. The occasion of giving myself the Trouble of Writing, and you of Reading this Leaf; came from a Pamphlet which took the Name of a Letter; though it deserves rather that of a Book. However Madam, call it what you please; it Proves that least, which it most Pretends: Indeed the Gentleman flings a little Scripture before your Eyes, not to Open them, but to Blind them: And yet, as much as I can gather, he desires you to Thank him for the Favour. Did time permit me, I assure your Ladyship, I could make a Retaliation, and confute with Scripture those very Points he Coroborats with it. But yet I confess Ingenuously, want of Time is not the only hindrance, a Worthier Pen has done it to my Hands. And therefore in my Opinion, 'tis a piece of the greatest Folly, to do that which is done already. If your Ladyship will not believe me, turn to the Triple-Cord, and believe your own Eyes. The Gentleman Insinuates, You are endowed with more than a Female Judgement: Use this great Talon without Prejudice and Passion, and I am sure you will see in the Book I recommend to you all the Articles of the Roman Faith, so firmly Asserted by Scriptures and Fathers, that you will Confess the Letter hath not shaken them. But if you please to follow my Advice, I will show you a shorter way to find out the Truth. You know Madam, that a cunning Artist can easily on a piece of Paper give Falsity some shadow of Truth. There is nothing more Facile, than to clip a Text, or to Daub it over with a false Varnish. Therefore if the Gentleman can spare an Afternoon, I desire him to meet me: By this means you will see whether the Author deals fairly with you and us too; that is, whether he fastens on us no other Doctrine but what our Church owns: I do not stand upon the place, but submit myself to Yours and His Conveniency. Only I desire we may have amanuensis, to avoid all Mistakes.  
1. I will desire the Gentleman to make good this. But above all, the Doctrine of Purgatory, is as Obliging and Complaisant to Flesh and Blood, as any thing can be, for this takes off all necessity of a strict and Restrained life; here is no need of Mortifying our Members upon the Earth, as the Apostles Advice was: Men need not be so fearful of pleasing their Appetites as they should be, if they were to follow the rigid Precepts of our Saviour, or St. Paul But the Epicuraean Principle will make a Man happy here, in gratifying the Lusts of the Flesh, and hereafter he shall be happy in Heaven too, if he has but been so frugal as to have a little Money to pay for a Catholic Burial, only undergoing a little Prixation or Roasting by the way.  
2. I will desire him to make out this, if they of the Church of Rome can brag of any works of Supererogation, they are such as these. The Hallowing Daggers, for the cutting off Princes that are not for their turn. The Sacrificing all they please to call Heretics, And if he cannot, I will Post him up for a Slanderer.  
3. I will not omit to ask the Gentleman, from whence he took this Doctrine. Here's a Merchant has Indulgences to sell at a reasonable rate; by virtue of which, Man may gratify the Lusts of his Flesh here, and when he dies, a small matter towards building or repairing some Religous Conventicle will purchase Masses enough to deliver him out of Purgatory.  
4. He shall convince your Ladyship to that we teach. That the Pope can at once forgive a Man all the sins he ever has committed, or ever shall be guilty of; That he can thrust a Man into Heaven for as long a time as he pleases, where he shall lie undiscovered by the Allseeing Eye of God, and at the end of that Term; be kicked into Hell. That he can forgive the sins of all that are in the Communion of the Roman Church; of all Christians if he pleases; nay, of the whole World at once.  
You see Madam, that the Charge is home, and spoken with such an Accent (as any may guests) he desires the World to believe the Papists are guilty of such Extravagances, 'Tis worth the while to examine the Accusation by word of Mouth in your Ladyship's presence: That if true, you may more detest Popery; and if false, your Correspondents Forgery and Calumny.  
Madam, at present I have only Culled these four Points, when these are decided, I will expose more: I desire you for God's sake and your own, to use all your Interest with the Gentleman for a speedy Meeting. All the streets Ring with the Letter, and the Ignorant Mobilee take the Contents for Gospel. The heat is so great against Popery, that every thing adds Fuel to the Flame; but nothing inflames our Enemies more, than such Monstrous Misrepresentations of our Doctrine; Besides your haughty Zealots take our Modesty, for Cowardice; Our Patience, for Fear; and our Silence, for a Defeat; So that I make my Address to your Ladyship, (who perchance, may be no Stranger to your Topping Gownsmen) and conjure you to tell your Friend, I am ready to meet him: And if you please to be cleared of any other Point, choose whom you please of your Leading Ministers, and you shall find me always willing to wait on them, and your Ladyship.  
But I believe you will find it more hard than you imagine, to bring us together; For those Men who had the face to Challenge Mr. Pulton in Print, and the Courage not to take notice that he accepted of the Defy, will easily bear this. However I shall be ready at your call, and am impatient to obey it, as I am to Subscribe myself  
Your Ladyship's Obedient Servant, WILLIAM DARRELL. From the Savoy July the 17. 1688