esteemed by the Votaries of that Church, of the greatest Authority. I have likewise endeavoured to explain or afcertain their true Sense, from Authors of their own, well approved of by that Church, and whose Books have been licensed by public Authority; disclaiming and carefully avoiding, as much as poffible, the fallacious Glosses, and artful Disguises of designing Priests on the one Hand, and the Misapprehenfions of the Vulgar on the other. For this Purpose I have confulted the most valuable -Histories of that Church, their Conftitution, Doctrine and Ceremonies published at that remarkable Period, when the Controversy subsisted between many of our eminent Prelates and of their Priests and Cardinals from the Year 1682 to 1688, inclusive.

I have also made several Extracts from Dr. Middleton's Letters from Rome, wherein he has shewn, (conformable to several 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 these Extracts, I have not thought it neceffary to Change his Language, to avoid the Reprehenfion of those 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 Papist, 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 so many tragical Accounts of the horrid Cruelties of the Inquisition, 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 the

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the Value of civil and religious Liberty and knows how to prize them. - With Respect to other Sentiments and Practices that are unscriptural and mere- ly of human Invention, I am sorry to fee, in the Defences of Popery, how much they are founded upon the Authority of ancient-Fathers, and that they are so often shewn to be confonant with some 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 arose from the undue Veneration which the Compilers of them paid to the Fathers St. Augustine, St. Cyprian, St. Ambrofe, &c. and likewise sufficiently demonstrate 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 Course of this History: An impartial Mention of them is in Fact to explode them: Particularly in the History 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 some Efforts towards a Reformation. The Reader will find many remarkable Occurrences, in Respect 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 gross Corruptions of the original Purity and Simplicity of Chriftianity, as must ever be deemed peculiar Incentives to the English Nation, to throw off that Yoke

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Yoke if poffible, and pursue a Reformation in earnest 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 History 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 interesting Circumstances that occurred, in which our principal Reformers were exhibited to View (which indeed deferve to be ever preserved, and handed down to latest Posterity) and which I doubt not will be perused 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 History 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 Circumstances of an interesting Nature relative to the neceffity of a Reformation, the Difficulties attending it, and likewife of incidental Occurrences contributing thereto, which, at Length, made it rise superior to Opposition. How far the Reformation was intended or effected by King Henry VIII, is a Point in which even critical Historians are much divided: I have therefore fought the Materials of this difficult Part of my History, from ancient MSS, as well as modern Tracts; and I have been somewhat more diffuse in

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

Time.

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

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

In treating of the Articles of the Church of England, I have first 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 those Articles, by some diftinguished Prelates of

our

our Church, and other Divines of Note, and gene rally 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 Sense 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 Exposition of these Articles, pays a particular Regard to the Sense 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 those Lights of the primitive Church, which, by the Way, shews the great Veneration and Esteem our first 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 sacred 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 Constitution and Doctrines of other Denominations of Christians, I have made it my constant Rule to shew that I understood the Subject, and was under no undue Biafs. Impartiality I esteemed essentially recommendatory of this Work, and the best Apology I could make for whatever involuntary Errors and Imperfections might attend the Publication.

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

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