The Preface; Thefe are the Ends I propofe, and this is all Ihave tofayfor the publication of this Reply. In it I have concerned my Pelfonly with the ',relent times ; judging this . to be the propereft method towards the healing our Breaches, to freak of things as they are now : and leaving to others the glory of raking into the tranfaltions of former times, and heaping together hiflorical accounts of what fignifies nothing to the Caufe, but tends only to exafperate men's minds ; to open our wounds anew, and make them bleed atrefh ; to rait the pagions, and caft a cloud before thejudgment, of the Readers. I confefs I. could not anfwer to my own confcience anyfuch attempt, which naturally tends to perpetuate our divifaons. Characters are eaßly given, both bad andgood. A hiftory in favour of any one party is eafily compiled. It is eafy to pick out all the evil that appears inmenof different defgns from ourfelves, and topafs by all the good. It is eafy to furmife more evil thanwhat appears, and to produce thefe fufpicions where we want better proofs. And it is eafy, on allfides, to make harangues to move the pity and compafon,.Vf the People. Out what wounds can we heal in this way ? what
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