Parentator. Memoirs of remarkables in the life and the death of the ever-memorable Dr.…

I cannot but Wonder at the kind Reception which that Work has found in Scotland, and in Ireland, and in many parts of England; And the Complements which I have received upon it, (even equal to what a Sallust could have had from his Milton) from as Competent Judges of Writing as any of them, whose Malice against the Design of the Work has disposed them to decry it. It would be a Trespass upon the Laws of Modesty in me to recite them: And I must ask Pardon, […] I do so far Trespass, as to let the World know, just this one little part of my Buckler; That the Famous and Acute Mr. Alsop, in an Assembly of Ministers, when some were Proposing to make an Abridgement of that History, said upon it: It is a very Improper ⟨p. viii⟩Proposal; Tis Impossible to Abridge it! You Injure it, if you go to do it. There is nothing Superfluous in it: Instead of talking about Epitomizing of it, go do as I have done; Read all of it no less than twice over: No man that has a Relish for Piety or Variety can ever be weary of Reading it. I would not have said so much, if Bad Neighbours had not forced me to it! The Apology will be made for me, that was made for Lubbertus, when some of his Adversaries Compelled him to notify the Public with a little part of what Regards had been paid him, Effroenis Adversarij Maledicentia Modestissimoe Animoe Expressit.

I cannot but Wonder at the kind Reception which that Work has found in Scotland, and in Ireland, and in many parts of England; And the Complements which I have received upon it, (even equal to what a Salust could have had from his Milton) from as Competent Judges of Writing as any of them, whose Malice against the Design of the Work has disposed them to decry it. It would be a Trespass upon the Laws of Modesty in me to recite them: And I must ask Pardon, 〈…〉 I do so far Trespass, as to let the World know, just this one little part of my Buckler; That the Famous and Acute Mr. Alsop, in an Assembly of Ministers, when some were Proposing to make an Abridgment of that History, said upon it: It is a very Improper ⟨p. viii⟩Proposal; Tis Impossible to Abridge it! You Injure it, if you go to do it. There is nothing Superfluous in it: Instead of talking about Epitomizing of it, go do as I have done; Read all of it no less than twice over: No man that has a Relish for Piety or Variety can ever be weary of Reading it. I would not have said so much, if Bad Neighbours had not forced me to it! The Apology will be made for me, that was made for Lubbertus, when some of his Adversaries Compelled him to notify the Public with a little part of what Regards had been paid him, Effroenis Adversarij Maledicentia Modestissimoe Animoe Expressit.