A P P E N D I X. their dominions, he would not fcruple to accept it, but be thankful to divine providence that had opened fuch a door. Would the proteUatits in France have Phut up their churches, if the anti-chriftian powers would have given them a licence to preach ? Nay, would they not have preached without any licence at all, if they had not been dragooned out of the country ? What a proteftant divine is this ! and at the fame time how miftaken ! not knowing that this grant from pope Alexander VI. the advantage of which the puritans enjoyed, had been confirmed to the univerfity by letters patents from queen ELIZABETH herfelf; a copy of which he may fee in the appendix to Mr. Strype's life of arch- bifhop Parker, p. 69. The authorities for the few remaining articles of our author's appen- dix, which relate to farts, may be feen among themarginal additions, and the mi(takes among the correftions ; but it would tire the reader's pati- ence, and anfwer no valuable purpofe,-to examine them feverally and diftinaly; efpecially, confidering that molt of them are groundlefs, and fome very trifling, and of no confequence to the credit of the hiftory. The exclamations, and lively excurfions which adorn every page of the appendix, and are levelled chiefly at the abilities and integrity of the hiftorian, Mr. N. can eafily forgive;- and every confiderate reader will difregard, as having no relation to the argument. But by the foregoing fpecimen it fufficiently appears, what an extraordinary critick Mr. N. has to deal with, and what credit fhould be given to his confident afferti- ons. When Mr. N's index and margin fails, the gentleman is loft, and immediately raifes an outcry of treachery and fa/good; but fuch com- pliments might as well have been fpared, by one who feems to have had no very long or familiar acquaintance with this period of hiflory. The chararters of archbifhop Parker and Wbitgft, which give him fo much offence, are not taken from the flattering encomiums of their biographers, but from a deliberate confideration ofthe farts upon record : let the reader put them together and form his own judgment. Upon the whole, ifMr. N. has fallen fhort of the accuracy and impartiality of an hiftorian, he is humbly of opinion, that it has not appeared by this writer's perform- ance, who has wafted a great deal of ink and paper in combating his own fhadow, without refuting the MAIN FACTS, or the author's RE- MARKS. As to the refpeEtive principles anddifcipline of thepuritans, and ofthe church of England, Mr. N. has no further concern with them than to reprefent them both in a fair light ; if he has failed in this, it is from his own weaknefs, and not from any prejudice or favour to either of the fchemes, any further than they affert the glorious caufe ofchriftian liberty, and 899
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