firft Impreffion) he fhews an humble Diffidence of his youthful Performance; and defires another Senfe might be given of his feveral Quotations, (if need required) for better Information of himself and others: I confess I saw need enough of that, at my first Perufal of his Book, and not a little wonder'd, that no friendly Hand had done that Kindness for him long before. As to my own Part, I had never walked in the unpleasant Paths of Controversy to that Day; and, befides the Consciousness of my Unfitness for it, had Averfion enough ever to fet a foot in them; but seeing none had an fwered, or was answering, (as I could hear of) fo reafonable a Defire, though Men of Letters in both Kingdoms, of our United Ifland, had declared an earnest Expectation of it, and the Holy Church of England in Particular, has reproached the Silence of her Children in an Argument that fo plainly ftruck at her Foundation; filial Obedience (I may fay) to fo faithful a Parent, moved me to use the best Endeavours I could, to vindicate her truly Apoftolical Conftitution, and to plead the Cause of injur'd Antiquity, as well as hers; for that both are truly one, in this Cafe, the im partial Reader will eafily obferve, when he fees the palpable Miftakes corrected, and the unfair Reprefentations of the Venerable Fathers of the Church (fo obvious in almost every Page of

thofe

thofe plaufible Collections) reftor'd to their genuine Sense again.

This is what may be expected here: And I am not confcious I have strain'd any one Paf fage in Antiquity, beyond the true Meaning of the venerable Authors themselves, to form a different Conftruction of it from that of the ingenious Enquirer. I should count it the worst of Sacrilege to do fo; the Goods of the Church are not fo facred as her Senfe is. What cach Quotation appeared to me, from the best Authority, and clofeft Attention I could ufe, I have fairly reprefented here; If defective in apprehending the true Senfe, or injudicious in the Inferences from them, I heartily (ubmit (in my Turn) to the Charity of better Information. For as I write with a confcientious Regard to undeceive fome, fo I am infinitely more concerned not to be deceived my felf; and I wish no greater Freedom, from Prejudice or Party, in any who read or cenfure thefe Papers, than I am confcious of in the compofing of them.

Every one too well knows, of what a large and extenfive Nature this unhappy Subject is, and that the Controverfial Books about it are fadly numerous, and full of different Schemes and Arguments, according to the Genius of Sects, and Times, and Perfons; many of which might have fallen in, with feveral Parts of this Difcourfe, had I been inclined to difpute

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(as

(as I blefs God I am not,) but I have kept clofe to the fingle Treatife before me, and that for two Reafons efpecially.

Ift. Because I heard from many Hands, that the lefs learned, and more prejudiced, Adverfa ries of the truly Primitive Church of England, have made their Boafts of it, and from its not being answer'd yet, have proclaim'd it an unanswerable Vindication of their Separation from Her.

2dly, Because I think, that all the fcatter'd Arguments and Pleas, for their unwarrantable Schifm, are reducible to fome one or other, of the great variety of Quotations cited in it. For a good Part of those mistaken Brethren (we know) with great Zeal plead, the Authority of Holy Scriptures to be clear on their Side, and these fit down contentedly, and triumph in their own Comments, and Constructions of those Holy Oracles; others pay fome Deference alfo to venerable Antiquity; and these two great Witnesses feem to be agreed upon by all, not only to give in their Evidence, but even to be Umpires for them, to determine all the Fundamental Points in Difference between them. The Reader will find the Teftimony both of one and the other fairly fumm'd up here; and I only pray he may bring a prepared Mind with

him,

him, to fit down by the Peaceful Award, which thofe Authentick Arbitrators make, for the Bleffed Union of all Chriftians, in one and the Jame Holy Catholick Church together; which individual Church of Christ, they visibly enough diftinguish for us all, from every Counterfeit Image of it, by the truly Primitive, Single, and Apoftolical Conftitution of it. And as for those who regard little, either one or the other, of these two great Authorities, but over-rule all Outward Teftimony, of God or Man, by an Inward Witness of their own, (subject to no Trial of the Holy Scriptures themselves, and impatient to hear of a vifible Church, and the Teachings of Men,) I difpute not with them; they fuperfede all that Trouble for me. ly recommend them to the Divine Compaffion for their better Inftruction, with affectionate Grief and Prayer for them.

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To the Reader I have this only to obferve farther, that fince thefe Papers were nigh wrought off the Prefs, an Ingenious Treatife came to my Hands, Intituled, The Invalidity of the Diffenting Ministry, Sc. wherein fome particular Quotations in the Enquiry, relating to the Presbyter's Power of Ordination, are judiciously explain'd, and with clear Reasoning answered to the full; which might have shorten'd my Work, and the Author's Trouble in that fingle Point, had I been fo A 4

for

fortunate as to have known it in Time: However, 'tis but one Link of the Chain of Miftakes in that whole Performance (to use that "Learned Author's Phrafe) which fell under his Confideration; and therefore lefs Offence will be taken, (I hope) if fomething like it, tho' in a more imperfect Manner, should be met with here again.

I must add for the Ingenious Enquirer's Satisfaction too, that I have all along been mindful of his frict Charge, not to wander out of the freight Bounds he fet me, of the three first Centuries of the Church; I think he will have little Reafon to complain of that. But as to the particular Editions, of the feveral Authors he quotes, I can't say I have been fo happy, as to have it in my Power, to make use of none but them, tho I gladly would have done it, in Answer to fo reasonable a Defire; but Choice of Impreffions has not always fallen in my Way. To make the best Amends I could, I think I have feldom failed, to mention the Edition I fe, which I hope will be accepted, where I could

do no more.

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