The Preface to the Reader. publick Welfare, into one good Conftitution and Eftabtifhment. And to my knowledge MAO are animated with the fame Defies. May not the Church of England be moreevidently beautiful, large and fafehereby ? And though Authori- ty has not yet wrought us up to this, I humblyjudge that amicable Converfation amongft thofe that attend our refpe&ive Miniftry, and among us Minifters our feives, Would Phew to all that we are propenfe to Peace and Love, and to mutual Ufefulnefs and Endearments. It feems tomemolt ftráoge and hateful , that diffe- rent Sentiments about difputable Matters, Ihould alienate Affe&ions, banifh Civili- ties of Converfation, and fcarcebe enquired into anddebated about, without !cur- rilous ltefle&ions and enflamed Paffions. Rageand force may produce Hypocrites or Adverfaries, but fcarce ever hearty, feriousConverts : But for Men to be hired, :, cheated, frighted into a Change of Sentiment , is very odd indeed. Truth and Fairhfulnefs are very valuable things ; and to me as worthyof a Commendation in a Conformift, as in aNon-conformiff, 6 vice verfd. Nor lhall i count things bet- teror worfe for the fake of Perfons in whom Imeet with theni. Truth and Good- nefs make Men worthy, but what can they derive from Men ? God bath !hewed them to us in their proper Evidence, fit for Difcovery by impartial Search, and at our peril is it to reje& them : Neither can any Man's Confidence or Paffton,' change their Nature or juftifieour Refufal or Millakes thereof. No wonder then if this Reverend Author be fo impartially free;in both his Narratives and Chara&ers; whilst thePublick lnterelt was fo much in his Eye , and lay fo preffingly on his heart. 7. Whilst fodevoted to the publickgood of Church and State, he obferved Per- fons, enquired into Things, ftudied Expedients, confulted God and Man, to know, what was the likelieft way, to heal the Wounds, and fettle the Peace and Welfare of Church and State: and how to do this regularly and fuccefsfully, was the fond. tous Inqueft and Endeavour ofhis Soul : and if he did miftake his way, it was nor wilfully, butthrough infirmity. 8. But his defeated Expe&ations and Endeavours amid![ thofe many Revolutions' in his time, from which refulted hindrances, neither few nor mean,made himmore ltri&ly to take the Minutes of Proceedings and Events, as they occurred; and fo to make fome fitRemarks thereon. And having thus furnilhed himfelfwith apt Materials and Memoirs, he at laD digefled all into this following Hiftory ; which' you have faithfully from his own Original ; abating fome corrigenda, Some little wordsfupply'd here and there which currente calamo were left out. Some !mall Chafmsto be fill'd up, whereto the current Sence directed us. And in fame Letter,' here infected, not beingby himfelf tranfcribed, the words being fomething lets le.i gible thanothers, they snuff be almoll gueffed at. Though theft were few and no way affeaing the Sence confiderably. And fume Repetitions , through the Au- thor's own forgetfulnefs, left out. But the Hiftory is entirely his, transcribed and publithedas fuch from his own Copy, whichI keepbyme for my own Vindicatiota carefully ; and as a Memorial of himfelf with me. Secondly, As to the Ilif,ory. r. Of what Concern andConfequence the Matter of it is, the patient aná dili- gent and judicious Reader may foon difeern. Weighty things, when fully, credià bly, and impartially related, do readily commend themfelves to the Reader's Ac- ceptation, and they do as readily meet therewith, where Ingenuityy and Candour da prevail. What there things are which the Hillorian mainly infffs upon , may be difcover'd quickly by readingover the Contents thereof; whereto I would refer the Reader. Fielt, Left the fink fleet or two, through their Graphical inaccuracy, fhould be offenfive to him, and fo difcourage his progreffcve Reading: The Hifto- rytakes it's rife indeed à leviufculre,from meaner things ; which (feting the Author feem'd defirous and refolv'd to infert upon Reafons heft known to himfelf) indeed I durit not blot out. Readers ( and Friends to the deceafed) may be of various Appetites and Humours ; and differentThings may have their different Relishes from varioufy difpofed Palates. Why may not Hifories take their Dart fromfmal- ler Matters, and fo proceed togreater ; as well as the material Origination of the Univerfe from its Chaos, and of Humane Bodies from their firli Dult or Seed ? I do indeed profefsmy grief and flume that they efcaped me fo inadvertently, but I was then bereavdof that Compofure in my Thoughts ( through the tremendous Hand of Godupon me otherwife, which I will not now relate) for otherwife my Caution had been greater, and fo, cliche Sheets and other Paffages more correct. I
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