

The
PREFACE.
into
a
wood
of
Iliflory,
that
there
they may
either win the
game.
or
end
the
chafe
:
And
if
a Minifler
of
Chrifl
be
not
armedhere,
to
confute
their
h.
iorical
forgeries,
they
will
take
it for
a
s.viaory
and
triumph, which
made
me
write
my
lull
book
againft
Johnfon
(or Terret)
to
Them
Hi-
flcricaily
the
Antiquity
of
ourChurch,
and
the
novelty
of
theirs (which
I
could with
young
Miniflers
unacquaintedwith
Church-1102y
would
penile.)
But
i
f
our
people
were tritely
acquainted
how
things have gone
in
the
Church
from
the beginning,
it
would
be
ore
of
the moll eleblual,
prefer--
vàtives again
ft
Popery, when now the
fal
tfications
are
become
itsftrength.
I
have oft thought
that
it
had
been
greater
policy
in
the Pap? s,
if
they
could, to have
burnt
all
Church
-
Hillery,
but
*daily
of
the Councils,
that
the
credit
might have depended
on their
bare
word:
For
verily
once
reading
of
Crab,
Binnius, Surius,
or
Nicolinus
would
turn
againfl
them
any
ftomack,that
is
not confirmed
in
their
own
difiaj.
But
they
have overdone
Baronius,
and
now
made
f
great
and
coltly
a
load
of
the Councils, as
that
the
deficiency
of
money,
time,
wit
and
patient
induftry, Jhall
fave
the moll
even
of
the
Priefihoed
from
the
underfiand-
ing
of
the
truth
:
And
finch
Epitomes
as
Caranza's
leave out
molt
of
the
culpable
part:
and
yet
even
filch
they
can
hardly
tolerate.
IL
The
more
moderate
French
Papifts
who
magnifieCouncils
aboue
Popes, would mane
zts
believe,
that
though Popes
arefallible
and
may
mif.
carry
,yet
GeneralCouncils,have
been
the
univerfalChurch-reprefentative;
which
have
a
Legiflative
and
udicial
V
niverfal
power,
and
that
our
concord muff
be
by
centring
in
their
decrees
5
and
all
are Schifmaticks
at
leaf,
that
taAe
not
their
Faith
and
Religion
upon
their
tru
:
But
if
men knew
that
there never was
a General
Council
of
all
the
Chriflian
Churches but
only
of
the
Empire,
and
how wofidly they
have
milarried,
it
woulddo
much to
fave
them
from all fnch
temptations.
III.
The overvaluers
of
Church
grandure,
and
.,wealth,
and
main-
tainers -of
the corrupt
fort
of
biocefane
Prelacy,
Patriarks,
&c.. write
books
and
tell
the
ignorant
confident
flories,
how
limb
a
Prelacy bath
been
in
the Church ever
(,nce
the dayes
of
the
Apo,
Rtes,
and that
all
the
Churches on
earth
contented to
it:
But
if
the
people were
acquainted with
Church
-H
fiery
they
would
know,
that
the
primitive
fix
cd
Epifropacy
was
\
Parochial,
or
every Church
affociated
for
per(onal prefent
Co
nmu
nion had
a
Bi(hop,Pre(bytery
and
Deacons
of
their
own: (urfrxed
Itinerant GeneralPafiors ,indefnitely
taking
care
of
manyChurches):And
that
it
was the
Bi
fbops
ftriving
who
fhould begreatefl,
and
turning
fingle
Churches