The `Preface to the Reader. main End and Scope, ofwhat they did : what they pretendedly or really defign'd what was the ConduEt,Tendency and Refult of their Confults and A&ions: where- in they truly failed, and how, and why ? Such things as there call for the greaten Clearnefs, Freedom and Sincerity, Pains and Judgment; and I may add, a great Concernfor"Publicly Good, which is the Ioveliefl Property, and dearefi Symptom of a large and noble Soal. Hinory fhould inform, admonifh innru&, and reclaim, reform, en- courage Men thatread it. And therefore they tiat write it fliould dJa¢ic,tlaBanedr{r, i. e. difcern thingsExcellent , and tholethings in their difference each from other, and in their importanceto the Reader ; and fo take care that nothing doubtful , falte, impertinent, mean, injurious, cloudy, or needlefly provoking or reflecting be expofed to Publick View by them ; nor any thing excef live or defeEtive, as rela- ting to the jun and worthyEnds ofHiftory. The Author of the fubfequent Hifto- ry ( now with God) had anEagle's Eye, an honer Heart, a thoughtful Soul, a fearching and confiderate Spirit, and a concerned frameof Mind to let the prefenc andfucceeding Generations duly know the real and true Rate and iffues of the Oc- currendpsand TranfaRtionsof his Age and Day ; andhow muchJudgment, Truth, and Candour appear in his following Accountsof Things, the Candid and Impar- tial Reader will eafily and quickly be refolved about. Scandals,arifing from Igno- rance and mifreportsof what related to our Church and State greatly affedted his very tender Spirit ; and the removal and prevention of them, and of what Guilt, Calamities and Judgments might or did attend chofe Scandals, was what induced Mr, Baxter to leave Pofterity thisHiftory of his Life and Times. § III. Memorable Perfons, Confultations, A&ions, and Events ( with their refpe&ive Epochs, Succeltions and Periods) are the Subjet Matter of Hinory: Propriety, clearnefs and vigourof Expreflion is what duly andgratefully reprefents the Matter to the Reader. Accurate Method gives advantage to theMemory, as well as fatisfa- &tion to the Judgment. The faithfulnefs, fulnefs, and freedom of relation conci- liates a good Reputation to the Writer by 'its convincing Influences upon the Rea- der's mind ; and thus it powerfully claims and extorts his Submillion to the evident credibility of what he erufes : and the weight and ufefulnefs of the Things rela- ted makes the Reader ferious, and concerned to obferve what he reads : for finding theMatter great, the Expreflion proper and lively, the Current of the Hinoryor- derly and exa&, and the Purpofes and Ends various and important which the Hi- Rory, fubferves, he accordingly values and ufes it as a Treafure. And from thence . heextras fuch Maxims and Principles as may greatly behead him in every Exi- gence, and in everyStation andArticle of Trait and Concern, and Negotiation. Hiftory tellsus who have been upon the Stage, how they came into Bufinefs and Truft, what was the Compafs and Import oftheir Province, what they themfelves therein fignified to others ; and what, others to them ; and what all availed to Po- sterity, and how they went off, andfo what Figure they molt deferv'd to make in the Records''of Time. § 1V. He that well confiders the Natureof Man, his Relation to God,God's governing of Man, and the Condu& of Providencepurfuant to God'sconcerns with Men, and their concerns with him, as allo the Difcipline and Interens of the Holy War with Satan, will readHiftory with a finer Eye and to better purpofe than others can. To covet,endeavour and obtain ability andfurniture from Hiftory, Philology , Divi- nity,erc. tominifter todifcurfive Entertainment, or Self.conceitednefs, Ambition, Preferment, or Reputation with Men, is a defign (when ultimate)fo mean in God's Eye, fo odious and noyfom toothers, when by them difcerned, and lò uncomforta- ble and fatal to our felves when at lan accounted for, as that no wife Man would terminate and center himfelf, or his Studies there. I have feen all forts of Learning differently placed, ufed, and iffued. I can Ray patiently ro fee the Ian Refults of all. I havefeenLearning excellently implanted in a gracious heart : (So it was in Mr. Baxter, and infeveral Prelates, and Conformins and Non-conformifts, and o- thers: it is fo at this day). I have feen it without Grace; or not foevidently un- der the influencesand conduis of Grace,as I have greatly defred it might havebeen : and here what Partiality, Malignity, Fa&ion , Domination, Supercilioufnefs and Inve&fives bath his Hiltory and other Learning miniftred unto ! Indeed fansified Learningbath a lovely Ihow: And the Learning of gracelefs Perfons hash in many lnitances and Evidences greatly befriended God's 'ravel in the Chriftian World. And
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