12 / 476
The
PREFACE.
ref
of
worldly wealth
and
power,
nor
to
permit
them
by
f
riving,
who
fall
feem
GREATEST,
WISEST
and
BEST,
to
become
the
incendiaries
of
the Church
and
world,
and
the perferutors
of
the
belt
that
cannot
fërve their
worldliu:ef
and pride.
The
Reader
muff
Note,
i.
Th
at
though much
of
the
Hory'be
taken
from
others, the Councils
are named
and
numbred according
to
Binnius
and Crabbe :
2.
And that
becaufe
lb much
evil is
neceffarily
recited,
I
thought
it
needful
in
the beginning
and
end
to
annex
a
defence
of
the
Paftors and
their
office
and
work,
left any
f
ould
be
tempted to
think
hardly
of
Religion
and
theChurch
for
mew
abufes.
3.
And
if
Micre-
lius,
Gutlerbeth, Phili
Pareus, Funcius,
Cation,
Melan&hon,
Bu-
chotzer,
Scultetus,Pezelius,Helvicus,
or
any
other
that
I
havefeen, had
anfwered
the
ends
which
I
here
intend,
I
Jbeuld havegladlyPaved
my
felf
this
labour
and
have
refer'd
the
reader
to
them.
The
Councils
are
nowpublifbed voluminoufly,
and
many young
fiudents
want
money
and
time to
read
them
at
large.
Tofuch
this
abridgement
may not
be
unufeful
efpecially to
men
that
have
maken
the
cafe
of
the
great
hereffes
and
hereticators,
and
would
know
what
Prelacy
and
Coun-
cils
have
done
to the concord or
difiord
of
the Churches.
The
Deferip=
tion
of
the
State
of
Alexandria
recited in
the beginning
as
a
Letter
from
a.
friend,
was
from Mr.Clerkfon a
Learned
and
worthy
Minif
er
(though
ftlenced)
now
in
London.
The
Lord
pardon
and
heal our
common
faultinefs,
and
give
better
Teachers to his Churches when
we
are
dead
and
gone, who
will
take
warning
by
all
our errours
and
mifcarriages,
efpecially
to
efeape
a
weirdly
fpirit,pride,Church-
tyranny
and
fchifm,
and
feerving
the
world, the
fell"
and
the
Devil,
by
pretence
of
Authority
fromChriff.
Amen.
March31.
í680.
London;
What