I22 The LIFE of the Lit. I. axe. Ç3.At that time one Mr. Nathaniel Lane wrote to me to intreat me to write one flied or two for theufe of poor Families , who will not buy or read any bigger Books. Though I knew that brevity would unavoidably caufe me to leaveout much neceffarymatter, or elfe to write in á Stile fo concife and clofe as will belittle moving to any but clofe judicious Readers, yet I yielded to his per- Iwafions, and thought it mightbe better than nothing, and might be read by many that would read no larger ; and fo I wrote two Sheets for poor Families : The first containing the method and motives for the Converfion of the Ungodly. The fe- cond containing the Defcription or Character of a true Chriff:ian, or the neceffa- ry Parts ofChriftian Duty, for the dire lion of Beginners ina Godly Life. There three laft Sheets were printed by the favour of the Archbifhop's Chaplain, when the Bithop of London's Chaplain had put me out of hope of printing any more. °f.what With all thefe Writings I have troubled the World already": and there are all is except E iftles to other mens Works ; ( as one before Mn. Swinnock's Book of Re. aftred, P P tee after- generation ; one before Mn; Hopkiris Book ; one before Mr. Eedet; one before Mr. ward. Matthew Pool's Model for Advancing Learning; One before Mr. Benjamin Baxter's Book ; one before Mr.Yonatban Hanmer's Exercitation ofConfirmation ; one before Mr.Lawrence ofSicknefs; two before two of Mr. Tombs s Books ; and fome others ; (of which there are two that I muff: give fume account of) The Bookfeller being to print the Affembly's Works, with the Texts cited at length, defined me by an Eprftle to recommend it to Families : I thought it a thing arrogant and unfit for a fingle Perfon, who was none of theSynod , to put an Epiftle before their Works But when he made me know that it was thedelire of fome Reverend Miniflers, I wrote an Epiftle, but required him to put it into other mens hands, to publifh or fupprefs, according to their Judgment : but to be litre that theyprinted all or none. The Bookfeller gets Dr. Manton to put an E piffle before theBook, who inferted mine in a differing Chara&er in his own, (as mine, but not namingnie): But he leaveth out apart, which it feems, was not pleating to all When I had commended the Catechifms for the ufe of Families, I added, That [ Ihoped the Affembly intended not all in that long Confeion and rbafe Ca- techifmr, to be impofed as a Tilt of Chriftian Communion ; nor to difewn all that fcreflesh any word in it ; If they bad I could not have commended itfor any fetch ufe, though it be ufefalfor the inftrutiion of Families, &c.] All this is left out, which I thought meet to open, left I be there mifunderliood. Allo take notice that the Poem prefixedto Mr, Vines's Book of the Sacrament, wasnot printed by any order of mine. Having received the printed Book from the Stationer as a Gift, it renewed my Sorrow for the Author's Death ; which pro- voked me to write chat Poem the fame Night, in the Exercife of my Sorrow, and gave it the Donor for his Book ; and he printed it without my knowledge. § an r. Manufcripts that are yet unprinted, which lye by me , are there fol- lowing. +since r. " A Treatife in Folio, called, A Cbriftian Direftory, or Sam ofPractical HUM- printed nity, in four Tomes : The Mt called CbriftiatEtbickt; The fecond Cbriftian Becle- twice. fafticks; The third,Cbríftian Oeconnmicks; The fourth,CbriflianPoliticks. It contain- eth bare Direfbions forthe praóticeofour Duties in all there refpe&s; as Chrillians, as Church - Members, as Members of the Family, and as Members of the Com- monwealth : But there is a fut&tient Explication of the Subjeót dually remifed, and the Direftions themfelves are the Anfwers of molt ufeful Cafes ofConfcience thereabouts, though theCafes be notnamed by wayofQueftion: But where it was neceffary the Cafes are diflindtly namedand handled. My intent in writing this, was at once tofatisfie that motion fo eartieflly made by Ilifhop Ufher, mentioned in the Preface to my Call to the Unconverted , which I had been hindred from requeft which was longago doing by parts little im from Tome TranfmarineDivines, to help them to a Sum of Pradhical Divinity in the Englifh method: But though neceffary brevitypath deprived it of all life and luire of Stile, it being but a Skeleton of Practical Heads ; yet is it fo large by reafon of the multitude of things to be hand- led, that I fee it will not be of fo common a ufe as I firlt intended ir. To young Miniflers, and to the more intelligentand diligent fort ofMailersof Families, (who would have a Praetical Direhtory at hand to teach them every Chriftian Duty, and how to helpothersin the praátice) it maybe not unrerviceable a.Ano-
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