To the True at'ld Faithful Congregation of CHRIsT s Univerfal CH u Rc H, with all and fingular the Members thereof, wherefoever congregated or difperfed through the. ~ealm of England, a Protdl:ation or Petition of the Author, wilhmg 'to the fame abundance of all Peace and Tranquillity, with the fpeedy coming of CH.RrsT the Spoufe, to make an end of all Mortal Mifery. ' . SOL 0 M0 N the peaceable Prince of IfraeJ, 111 we read in 1/Je third of Kings, after h1 had jin,jbed the B11ilding of the LQrds Temple ( whicb he had [even }tars in ha.nd) made hH~ Petition to the L.ord for aU th<~t fbould pray hz t he fo.id ~cm pie, or turn t~etr foe~ towa:-d it; a11d hif Reqttefl wat gra11ted, the Urd 4nfwtrl11g hun.' M w~ read 1ft the fnd ~ook, Chap. 6. I have heard (foith he) thy Prayer, and hav~ fanChfied th1s Place, ()-..c . Albertthe !:~;ffi;aM,1t~:~e~0~ 1;h~0'x~:~~~ /ha7;;!/:nt h:~~:;~:;i~1 ~~~{;;,~:~e_~~~l:ha~fe,!~,~:~~~~;~ alfo replenifoed the pme w·th };u own GlorJ. Fo~ fo we ~et1d ag~m zn tke _Boob,. aforefard,. E_t non potcrant rnimfirare propter nebulam , qma replevtt Glorta Domtm domum Domtm, 3 Rrg.t. . of ~~:n~e~;:~c ~:tf;;o~:~ fhea:~:; !jo1hee~:{,d!r~nt;;h'i:r~~~:~· b:fo '!o7J~~n!~:i:~ foe t:;~~il;~ ' fleed, after my Jevw 1ears travel about thu Ecc!ejiajitcal HiflorJ, I would mofi .humblj cra.ve of .AimightJ God t~ beflr;w hi:r blejfing HfOtJ t.he fome; that aJ the Pra1er1 of then1 w~.teh pray~d m the oult~~ard Temp~e were heard, fo aD true difPofcd mhJdJ which ftJaU refortto ~he readmg of thu prefint HiflarJ, contami11g the A81 ofC!odJ hol;. Mo~rtyu, ttnd Monummt.J cf ht~ Church, fJJ:lJ by example 1.,::~i:fLf:s' cf,;~:,',h:~~~~;~r~;e;o ;h:e:d:~;~:~~~:~;~tG:t;:,~:~ '::~/~j~is ~~:;!t, 1:hro~h Chrifi Jef1H our Lord. Amen. But M it happened. in that Temple of Solomon, that all which came thither came not to pray, hH# 'l'ltanJ to prate, fome to gaze and fee NewJ, other to tal~. 11nd wall(, (ome to buJ atJdfill, fome to carp and fnd fault, and finally Jome •lfo at the lafl to deflroy ttnd pHU doam, IH they did indeed; ( Forwhath in tbisWorld fo ftrot1£, bHt it will be impHgned? wh~tfoperftfJ, but it wiUbe ab~tftd? fo trHt, that wiU nol be co~traried f or fo cirCIImjfel11J done, whereit1 ~rang ling Theon will tiot Jet :et~/;:}:J ~/!Je~~:[o:;:Jt:Vaffi:/Js~ ~ro;;;;, 0 ::::; t: ;::r?:/J}pn~o~:~~{;H;u~::~a~a~:~on&£ 'J:::. t,eroiH a thing 11 if now adap towrzte or do a11J f,Ood, but either b1 flattering a man m11ji offend the GodlJ, or by true fPeai(ing procure hatred oftbe Wic,ksd. Of Jitch flinging Waffie.r and bu'Zzi11g Drones } had fofficicnt trial in m1 former Edition before; who if theJ had found i11 my Boo/( any jujf caHfi tu carp, or 11pon any true zeal of truth had procrcded t~gainft the ttntruths 11[ my flory, ·and ht~d broNght {if:/b:,o1!,~~J1:1;:i~c~';;;~d::;,~;_~u ~:d ;t::ejo:~·A,[,(fir~~dtt::;;::J':e~l~:u~j;e~::;1!ne;:,X dojerve to no fmqU ftc.Jd. ' · B11t then jitchAccufirs llntji beware they pi~ not the.dog, ofwhom Cicero in his Orati011Jleafzyth, which being font in · Capitol to to ftaJ awayThuves by mght, left the Thieves, and feU to barb,. at tr11e me11 WltlAjng in the day. Where trm fotillt be, there to baJ and bar4_ it not amifl. B111 tO carp where no canfe is; to fpie i11 other ftrawt, and leap over their onm block.!, lo fw~(Jow C4meb, and to firain at GmiiJ; to opprefitmt.h with IJU, and to fit up !yet for trutb; to blafpheme the dear Martyrs of Chrifl, ~tnd to Canont'Le for Saints, whom Scripture :wot~ld flarce aUow for good SuhjdJs; that k intolerable. SHe~ .b"rkjng Currs, ifthe! ~ere weU firved, WCHid be made 4 while to ftoop. B111 witb theft brawling Jlmts I ;,!lend not at thn tune much to wrajlle. . Wherefore tg leave them a whi/e,ti/1 fHrther leifore ferve me to attend 11pon them,thiH much I thoHght in the mean ftafon, bJ WaJ of Jl_roteflation or P_etition, to. write Nn~o JON, both in gepcral and p<~rticular, the true MemherJ and fattbfitl CongregaiJOtJ of ChrijiJ ChNrch, wherefoever either congng.rted togetber, or diJPer.f'td tbrougb uch d S aU the foekjng of theft Adv~rforieJ is to do wh.JJt tbt) h flanderJ and ftnifler forniifl s, to Wttbdraw the ReadtrJ ftom to pruHonifh and dejire of aU ;:~d!~!:f~~h fh: ~e~~:;,:e:,~~;;;;e:b:,i~~r~;~~h:{ oj;Z:fo ~=~~!?i;;~;~{t,r ;;z~t:;:; they ~avc or jluD hereafter exclaim agamfi the fame; but mdijferentl.J ftaJ•it~g your j~tdgmenl tiU truth be l~ted, you wi.U firft perJtfe, and then refofe; meajitring the 1mtr;tths of tbiJ Hiflory, not by the fcorzn% up o[tlmr hu11dredJ and thaufondJ of l1es which they give 011t, but tPiflly weighing the pHrpoft ofthetr dotngJaccording as JOH find, 11nd Jo to jttdgeofthe matter. . To read"') Boo/u I ,rfiJtre 11eitber one nor other. Every man tH he .feeth caufe, fo let him lii(e aJ he :~;:b~r a~a;,t:;l~~~h~£~!n~~~~:~:~;;1z_cb }j:;eif~~~ fr~~f:h::et[fo~ioi::;:J;:~c~e~ttr~~a;:r~ a ~ trtl1Jel,
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