The apology of the Church of England, and an epistle to one Seignior Scipio…

THO Truth and Reason may justly claim the Privilege of a kind reception, whoever brings them; yet such is the Nature of Mankind, that the Face of a Stranger is ever surveyed with a little more than ordinary Attention, as if Men thought generally that in it were the most lively Characters of what they seek to know, the Soul and Temper of a Man; now because this is not to be expected at the first sight, in Books where ⟨p. 2⟩yet it is most eagerly desired; Men have attempted to supply that defect with Pictures; and (which affords much more satisfaction) by premising the Lives and Characters of the Authors, which gives the Reader a truer and more lasting Idea of Men, than it is possible for Pencils and Colours to attain to.

THO Truth and Reason may justly claim the Priviledge of a kind reception, whoever brings them; yet such is the Nature of Mankind, that the Face of a Stranger is ever surveyed with a little more than ordinary Attention, as if Men thought generally that in it were the most lively Characters of what they seek to know, the Soul and Temper of a Man; now because this is not to be expected at the first sight, in Books where ⟨p. 2⟩yet it is most eagerly desired; Men have attempted to supply that defect with Pictures; and (which affords much more satisfaction) by premising the Lives and Characters of the Authors, which gives the Reader a truer and more lasting Idea of Men, than it is possible for Pensils and Colours to attain to.