however laudable, can never be effected with refpect to Uniformity of Sentiment: The Caufes of fuch differing Principles, refpecting Doctrine, Worship and Ceremonies, are fo many and various, that we cannot hope for it, though, notwithstanding the fond Attachment of many to their own Sects, the most impartial Enquiry convince us that no Sect of Religion is free from juft Exceptions. There is fcarce any Church in Christendom, at this Day, that does not obtrude many Falfhoods, fuch as muft appear to any free Spirit, pure Contradictions; though delivered with the fame Gravity, Authority and Importunity that they do the Holy Oracles of GOD.* And to the fame Purpose a late ingenious Author obferves,+

"Every Institution or Syftem of Religion, drawn up and adopted by Men, however it may claim a divine Original, with regard to the more important and effential Points, has always fomething of Weaknefs and Imperfection that cleave to them, and will be apt, unless carefully guarded, to degenerate into one Extreme or the other. What Species of Devotion fo pure, noble and worthy the fupreme Being, as that which is moft fpiritual, fimple and unadorned, and which partakes leaft of the Senfes or Imagination; and yet it is found, by Experience, that Modes of Worship, founded primarily on thofe very Principles, do very naturally, among the Vulgar, mount up into Extravagance and Fanaticifm; even many of the first Reformers have given Occafion for this Kind of Reflection, which has been a real Disparagement of their Zeal, though in the Event it proved in a very great Degree useful: It partook

C 2

*More's Miftery of Godliness, Lib. 10. C. 2. §. 6. Mr. Hume.

partook ftrongly of the enthufiaftic Genius, which a little more Mixture of Ceremony, Pomp and Ornament, may feem to correct the Abuse of.

On the other Hand, a Religion attended with much of Ceremony and external Grandeur, has a very great Tendency to degenerate into Superstition. The Church of England itself, which is, perhaps, the best Medium amongst these Extremes, will be allowed, at least during the Age, or in the Discharge of the public Offices of Religion, under Archbishop Laud, to have been somewhat tinctured with a Superftition resembling the Popish, and to have paid a higher Regard to some positive Inftitutions, than the Nature of the Things strictly speaking would permit. It is the Business of an Hiftorian to remark thefe Abuses of all Kinds ; but it belongs alfo to a prudent Reader, to confine the Representations to that Age alone of which the Author treats. This would be of excellent Ufe to regulate our Ideas of feveral Sectaries; for it is a real Abfurdity to fuppofe that the Prefbyterians, Independents, Baptifts, and other Sectaries of the prefent Age, partake of all the Extravagancies. which we remark in those who bore those Appellations in the laft Century."

It is very common for Hiftorians, or other Writers, in general, to give an Account of the principal Authors who have treated on the fame Subjects; and where this is done with Judgment and Impartiality, it has an apparent Ufefulness: And this is, in fome Measure, neceffary on my Part; though I will not in the leaft attempt to raise the Credit of the prefent Hiftory, by detracting from the Merits of others. Bifhop Burnet has characterized a Variety of Authors who have given us the History

of

of the Church in general, or of the Reformation in particular, which I apprehend, without Flattery, may afford us fome Rule of Judging concerning them: Speaking of fome foreign Hiftories, he fays, "Sleidan, Thuanus, and Father Paul, are Authors of Credit and Impartiality, fo far, at least, as may be expected from Perfons of their Profeffion, as Catholics.- Sander's Hiftory of the Reformation, instead of doing Honour to it, is replete with fuch Calumnies and Falfhoods, as have tended to create Prejudices in the Minds of many, who have been weak enough to give Credit to it. Hiftory, is principally calculated to discover the Corruptions and Cruelties of the Romish Church; Lord Herbert's Hiftory is limited to the Reign of Henry VIII. and chiefly relates to civil Matters. Fuller, indeed, procured fome few scarce Papers; but in general neither entertaining nor improving.

Fox's

-Dr. Heylin wrote in a much superior Method and Stile, but was ill informed, or too much biaffed by Paffion and Prejudice against some Persons and Parties, who agitated Affairs at that Time; and in the historical Part produces few or no Vouchers for what he afferts. Some other of our Histories are delivered with fo much Alloy and Uncertainty, as has given Occafion for the Advocates of the Church of Rome to disparage the Reformation, as begun by Luft and Paffion, conducted and carried on by Ambition, and confirmed by Policy."*

To establish these Points, chiefly conftitute the Subject of the Prefaces, the Introductions, or Appendixes, to several of thofe Summaries and Defences of the Roman Catholic Faith, which have

See Bishop Burnet's Preface to his Hiftory of the Reformation.

been

been fo induftriously difperfed, in Great Britain, to Poifon the Minds of Proteftants.

Some very remarkable Productions of this Kind have come under my Notice: The Appendix to the Profeffion of Catholic Faith contain fundry Reasons for difavowing Proteftantifm, or the Reformation; though many of them fo often repeated, and confuted, that one would imagine them too trifling to be propagated at this Time, when the Neceffity of the Reformation, fo far as it was effected, and the Expediency of carrying it much farther, has been fo well defended. It confifts of the following Particulars, viz. that Martin Luther, and other Reformers, were Perfons of no Education; that they were Schifmatics; the firft Seeds of it fown by the Devil; the Inftruments, Men of worthlefs Characters, inftanced in King Henry VIII; that it was propagated by Lay Authority, further inftanced in the Acts of Queen Elizabeth; the Fruits of it a Spawn of Herefies, Diffenfions, and Variations in Religion: Thence it infers, their Religion is free from all those miferable Confequences, the fafeft to live and to die in; and that all who do not live in it, and abide faithfully in that Profeffion, are cenfured by the Church, and will ever juftly be condemned and anathematized by her Decrees, as forfaking the in- fallible Guide, and adhering to that fallible, uncertain Rule of Scripture, according to their own Interpretation of it.* But though these Attempts are not to be wondered at among Perfons who profefs themselves Papists; yet, that Proteftants themfelves fhould give a Handle to the Adverfaries of Proteftantifm, to reproach their genuine Principles, and

* Appendix to Pope Pius's Creed, printed in 1734.

the

the zealous Abettors of them, deferves to be mentioned to their Dishonour, and the Difcredit of their Hiftories.

The Ufe M. Boffuet makes of his History of the Variations of Religion in the Protestant Churches in the Low Countries, is principally this, that the only true univerfal Catholic Church, under their univerfal infallible Head, has been always invariably the fame, and confequently a Separation from her heretical and dangerous; however, in the Course of this Hiftory, it will appear that this wants Proof, and there can be no Impropriety in correcting an Hiftorian, when we find him miftaken or partial.*

Many of the Hiftorians of our own Nation have blended civil, military and ecclefiaftical Affairs together; fome have confined their Hiftory to the Church of England, others to the Church of Scotland; fome have treated only of particular Sects, others have dwelt on mere controverted Points, often in answer to their Opponents, with more of uncharitable Warmth than Argument. Many of these Historians have been of Ufe in this Compilation, though I was from thence led to conftruct this Work on what I apprehended, a more eligi

ble Plan.

With refpect to Chronology, I have aimed at the greatest Precifion and Accuracy In many remarkable Events I have followed Blair's Chronology, prefuming it was compiled with great Care, and compared and corrected by former Chronologies; and I have fometimes given the different Dates. Wherein that did not fatisfy me, I have confulted Dupin,

* See Boffuet's Variations of Religion in the Protefant Churches, 2 vol. 4to, French.