INTRODUCTION.

T is not my Defign in the following Treatife, to make any Reflexion on other Churches; but this, I hope, may be faid without any Offence, that I know not any Church this Day upon

Earth, with which we may more safely communicate, than with the Church of Eng

land.

The Church of Rome is defervedly reckon'd one of the ancientest Churches in Christendom; and yet, if we may believe Baronius, one of the best of their Hiftorians, the Church of England is Senior to it more than five Years,

The Government of this Church is known to be Epifcopal: That Government, which was Instituted by Christ, and was the only Government in the Church for fifteen hundred Years after the Times of the Apoftles. And as this Church is govern'd by Bishops, fo we have had a continued Succeffion of them, from the very Beginning, to this prefent Day, as may be learned from Godwin's Catalogue of Bishops, and Parker's Antiquitates Britannica.

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Renowned Grotius fpeaking of the English Liturgy, Catechifm, Bishops, &c. ufes this Expreffion. Sure I am they agree fufficiently with the more ancient Church, from which Things we can't deny, but they in France, and the Low Countries have departed.

Ifaac Cafaubon, once Profeffor of Geneva, (whom Scaliger calls the Phenix of the Learned; Heinfius, the Sun of Knowledge; Salmafius, the incomparable Man, and the immortal Glory of his Age :) Declares, that the most intire Part of the Reformation is in England.

Forbefius, the learned Profeffor of Aberdeen, pronounces it, the most Reformed of all Reformations.

No Church can pretend to more loyal Principles, or recommend itself more to the Favour of Princes by the conftant fidelity of its Members,

Members, than the Church of England. This alfo is that Church, which enjoyed Lucius, the first Chriftian King, and had the Honour to have born in it,

the first Chrif tian Emperor and Emprefs, namely, Conftantine the Great, and the most Religious Helena.

These are great and fignal Characters, and fuch as no other Church is able to boast of; and I fhall add one greater Honour than them all, namely, that as the Religion of our Church was fealed by the Blood of King Charles the First, the firft Royal Martyr, that ever was in the World; fo at his Death he left her the richest Legacy he could, even the most honourable Character that could poffibly be bestowed on the best of Churches; for this Advice he gave to his Royal Sons, The beft Profeffion of Religion I have ever esteemed that of the Church of England; I tell you have tried it and after much Search and many Difputes, I have concluded it to be the beft in the World, as coming nearest to the Word of God for Doctrine, and to the Primitive Example for Government,

I

And because the Teftimony of an Adverfary has always been thought confiderable, let me add the Teftimony of Pope Paul the Fourth, who, as Bishop Andrews reports, made this Offer to Queen Elizabeth, that if

She would but own his Supremacy, he would confirm our Way of ferving God in all Things appertaining to his Worship, in the very fame Manner as we now do.

This certainly is a Church none of us have the least Reason to be ashamed of, and as little Reason to be afraid to own, fince we are fo well affured of their Prefent Majefties Gracious Protection and Encourage

ment.

We therefore, who are Members of fo excellent a Constitution, fhould be so fenfible of our Felicity, as to be fweetly difpofed towards our Diffenting Brethren, and fo truly kind as to strive affectionately to win them over to the fame Church.

And could they but difcern her native Luftre, this methinks fhould not be difficult. For did they once behold her in a true Light, and with Minds unprejudiced, they must easily see her fo incomparable, as to perceive her very alluring. For then, even to them, her Foundations would appear fo ftrong, her Superstructures fo stately, and her Furnitures fo very choice and Splendid, as to render her the most glorious Church in the World.

Tho', whether they can discover it or not, that's her Prerogative, and due Character, as I hope to make in fome Measure appear, by

repre

representing a few of her Excellencies and Beauties truly. And if I infist more largely upon fome, than others, I beg it may not be thought improper, provided it be done either to defend her Doctrine, or maintain her Practice, and to fhew the one Orthodox, and the other Regular, and both approvable, and deferving our Conformity thereto.