'TIS not the design of this Preface to commend the Author of the ensuing Treatise; his own Works do that sufficiently. He was a very Learned Gentleman, and a Justice of the Peace, of very great esteem among all men in his own Country, where he lived in full and constant Communion with the Church of England. And therefore being no Clergy-man either of one sort or the other, he is the more likely to write impartially about Schism; and being no Frequenter of any of the Dissenters Meetings, he cannot reasonably be supposed to be biased in their favour. But yet on the other hand, he was far enough from entertaining any of those Prejudices against their Persons or Assemblies, which it hath been ⟨image 4⟩the great endeavour of some to infuse into the minds of all men, but especially of the Magistracy and Gentry. He was zealously concerned for Truth and Serious Religion, not for a Party. On all occasions he showed himself to be one of a truly Christian (that is, of a Catholic) Temper, and was a sincere lover of all good men, of what Persuasion soever. He was fully convinced, and so wilt thou too, if thou diligently perusest and readest the following Discourse, that Bigotry is the dangerous Schism, the guilt whereof a man is not necessarily involved in, or secured from, by the bare being of this or that Party among us.
'TIS not the design of this Preface to commend the Author of the ensuing Treatise; his own Works do that sufficiently. He was a very Learned Gentleman, and a Justice of the Peace, of very great esteem among all men in his own Countrey, where he lived in full and constant Communion with the Church of England. And therefore being no Clergy-man either of one sort or t'other, he is the more likely to write impartially about Schism; and being no Frequenter of any of the Dissenters Meetings, he cannot reasonably be supposed to be byass'd in their favour. But yet on the other hand, he was far enough from entertaining any of those Prejudices against their Persons or Assemblies, which it hath been ⟨image 4⟩the great endeavour of some to infuse into the minds of all men, but especially of the Magistracy and Gentry. He was zealously concerned for Truth and Serious Religion, not for a Party. On all occasions he shew'd himself to be one of a truly Christian (that is, of a Catholick) Temper, and was a sincere lover of all good men, of what Persuasion soever. He was fully convinced, and so wilt thou too, if thou diligently perusest and readest the following Discourse, that Bigotry is the dangerous Schism, the guilt whereof a man is not necessarily involved in, or secured from, by the bare being of this or that Party among us.
