efteemed by the Votaries of that Church, of the greatest Authority. I have likewise endeavoured to explain or afcertain their true Senfe, from Authors of their own, well approved of by that Church, and whose Books have been licensed by public Authority; difclaiming and carefully avoiding, as much as poffible, the fallacious Gloffes, and artful. Difguifes of defigning Priefts on the one Hand, and) the Mifapprehenfions of the Vulgar on the other. For this Purpose I have confulted the most valuable Hiftories of that Church, their Conftitution, Doctrine and Ceremonies published at that remarkable Period, when the Controverfy fubfifted between many of our eminent Prelates and of their Priests and Cardinals from the Year 1682 to 1688, inclufive.

I have also made several Extracts from Dr. Middleton's Letters from Rome, wherein he has fhewn," (conformable. to feveral other Authors) that many of the Rites and Ceremonies of the Romish Church were of Heathen original, and deftitute of fuperior Authority for their Practice: In thefe Extracts, I have not thought it neceffary to Change his Language, to avoid the Reprehenfion of thofe Sentiments and Ceremonies; nor have I allowed myself to exclaim or to detail out fuch Invectives as are too generally used, but have no proper and natural Tendency to convince the Papift, or confirm the Proteftant. If I have given any Scope to Cenfure, it is in the Article of Perfecution, where it was impoffible, after reading fo many tragical Accounts of the horrid Cruelties of the Inquifition, and other inhuman Executions, to be impartial and honeft without expreffing the utmost Abhorrence and Deteftation of fuch Practices, and the Principles that led to them; a fuperficial Mention of which, will alarm every true Proteftant who has ever confidered B

the

the Value of civil and religious Liberty and knows how to prize them. With Respect to other Sentiments and Practices that are unfcriptural and merely of human Invention, I am forry to fee, in the Defences of Popery, how much they are founded upon the Authority of ancient Fathers, and that they are fo often fhewn to be confonant with fome former Practices of our established Church; with certain of the Canons, Articles, and Liturgy; which may fully convince us, that most of the Exceptionable Parts of our Articles and Liturgy arofe from the undue Veneration which the Compilers of them paid to the Fathers St. Auguftine, St. Cyprian, St. Ambrofe, &c. and likewife fufficiently demonftrate to the impartial Reader, that Antiquity is a wretched Guide to a Searcher after Truth; and that human Formularies of Faith are a chief Obstacle to real Knowledge.

As to the political Views, base Artifices, and Exactions of the Romish Priests, too much of it will appear in the Courfe of this Hiftory: An impartial Mention of them is in Fact to explode them: Particularly in the Hiftory of the State of Religion in Great Britain, from the first planting of Chriftianity, at the latter End of the VIth and Beginning of the VIIth Century, to the Middle of the XIVth Century, when Wickliffe made fome Efforts towards a Reformation. The Reader will find many remarkable Occurrences, in Refpect to the Incroachments of the Church of Rome on the Prerogatives of the British Kings, and the common. Rights of their Subjects, as well as by the grofs Corruptions of the original Purity and Simplicity of Chriftianity, as muft ever be deemed peculiar Incentives to the English Nation, to throw off that

Yoke

Yoke if poffible, and purfue a Reformation in earneft- -and at the fame Time, he will observe fuch Difficulties attending it, as must give us an high Opinion of our principal Reformers, and lead us to value our Liberties both civil and religious.

In the Hiftory of the Reformation abroad and at home, and of the State of Religion, more efpecially in the established Church, and from that remarkable Period to the Revolution, I must own I have much exceeded my intended Limits; but when I confidered, the neceffary Connection between the Reformation in the Low Countries, France, and in England, the many interefting Circumstances that occurred, in which our principal Reformers were exhibited to View (which indeed deferve to be ever preferved, and handed down to latest Posterity) and which I doubt not will be perufed by many, with Pleasure and Improvement, I was not willing to omit them.

Having mentioned Wickliffe as the Morning Star of the Reformation, I have likewife given a general Hiftory of the Period in which he lived, to the Reign of King Henry the VIIIth, the reputed Time when Proteftantifm took its Rife: In this Interval I have found many Circumftances of an interefting Nature relative to the neceffity of a Reformation, the Difficulties attending it, and likewife of incidental Occurrences contributing thereto, which, at Length, made it rife fuperior to Oppofition. How far the Reformation was intended or effected by King Henry VIII, is a Point in which even critical Hiftorians are much divided: I have therefore fought the Materials of this difficult Part of my Hiftory, from ancient MSS, as well as modern Tracts; and I have been fomewhat more diffuse in

this Part, as I have felected from two MSS, his Profeffion of Faith wrote in 1536, and Memoirs of his Character, compiled much about the fame

Time.

My next Province is to give a History of the State of Religion in the fucceffive Reigns, down to the present Time, in which I have been careful to introduce whatever has been fignal and interefting, either in the ecclefiaftical History of the established Church, or of fuch remarkable Tranfactions and Revolutions, in the civil Hiftory of this Nation, as are connected with it for more than two Hundred Years, and as the prevailing Opinions and Parties, gave Rife at different Times, to a Variety of Transactions in Council, in Parliament, and ecclefiaftic Convocations, fome of a remarkable interefting Nature, I thought them the proper Subjects of fuch an Hiftory: But as many of them are peculiar to different Denominations, that Part of them I have inferted in the refpective Hiftory of those Sects, and what properly relate to the ecclefiaftical Polity and Government of the Church of England, comes under that Head.

In the Prosecution of this Part, I have attempted fome Account of the Princes, and most eminent Prelates and Divines, whofe Lives and Writings have done Honour to the Chriftian Proteftant Church, and also of fuch as have attempted to sap the Foundation of Truth, Liberty and Virtue.

In treating of the Articles of the Church of England, I have firft given them in the established Form, contained in the Book of Common Prayer; I have then endeavoured to give their true Senfe, from fundry of the most approved Expofitions of thofe Articles, by fome diftinguished Prelates of

our

our Church, and other Divines of Note, and generally by Extracts in their own Words; fave where I have thought it might be more properly abridged, and in that Cafe I have given an Abstract, with due Regard to the Senfe and Meaning of the Author, and of the Articles in their original Form, in a Sense in which the more judicious Divines would recommend them to be understood.- -Mr. Welchman, in his Expofition of thefe Articles, pays a particular Regard to the Senfe of the ancient Fathers, St. Austin, St. Chryfoftom, St. Ignatius, Irenæus, &c. and it appears that the Language and Sentiment contained in them, are in great Measure borrowed from the Writings of thofe Lights of the primitive Church, which, by the Way, fhews the great Veneration and Esteem our firft Compilers had for Antiquity; and very often to the Neglect of more certain, effential and important Rules and Principles of Judging, concerning the Truths of the facred Scriptures: But this is only a Hint; for I must declare that I have made it a general Rule, throughout the whole of this Work, to relate Facts and defcribe Things as I found them, without attempting to animadvert thereon.

In representing the Conftitution and Doctrines of other Denominations of Chriftians, I have made it my conftant Rule to fhew that I understood the Subject, and was under no undue Biafs. Impartiality I esteemed effentially recommendatory of this Work, and the beft Apology I could make for whatever involuntary Errors and Imperfections might attend the Publication.

Throughout the Whole I have aimed at Concifenefs, as far as I judged would comport with the Plan I had in View, its Entertainment and Ufefulness;

for