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.

The Author of the ensuing Tracts ought to be so well known to all English men, that his Name alone should have given a sufficient Commendation to any thing that can claim a descent from him: But it being now above an hundred years since his death, and his Works which were for a long time chained up in all Churches, being now superannuated or neglected, it may not be an unseasonable piece of Service to the Church, to revive the Memory of this great Man, the stout and invincible Champion of the Church of England; who losing the opportunity of sacrificing his Life for her in the Reign of Queen Mary, did it with more advantage to us, and pains to himself, under her glorious Successor, when he so freely spent himself in her Service, that having wasted his thin Body by excessive Labour and Study, he died young, but full of good Works and Glory.