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

After such a FATHER has been so Insulted & Abused, it will be rather an Honour than otherwise unto the SON to bear him Company. Oldmixon's Chief Rage is at the Church-History of a Country, which also Dr. Mather was in some Regards, much of a Father to. And of this Church History, to pass by his Grin, that the Book is crammed full of—Acrostics; Whereas, Reader, if thou find so much as one Acrostic in all the Book—Let the Book be treated as The English Empire in America, is like to be!—I say, to pass by this, the Accuser would have it Believed, That the Church-History is very Trivial in the matter of it, Yes, by all means! The Marvellous Works of GOD in Producing and Maintaining & Afflicting and Relieving of Colonies in a Matchless manner ⟨p. xi⟩Formed upon the Noble Intentions of Pure and Undefiled Religion: The Wise Measures taken by the Best of Men, to Establish that Religion, and the bright Patterns of Living up to it, seen in the Lives of such Men; and as choice Materials as a Church-History can be composed of; These are Trivial Matters! Come then, let us go to Master Oldmixon for Important Matters. It is a Trouble unto me, to descend unto any thing so Ludicrous; But it is he and not I, that must Answer for it. In his History, wherein he rails at ours, you shalt find whole Pages Consecrated unto Long, Long, Tiresome Relations, of some that he singles out as the more Curious Events; He calls'em so. These Curious Events are, That a couple of Starved Indians (at Hudsons-Bay) went a Fishing—and then, a Hunting,—and met with only two Moose,—and—how t'was—and how the Geese flying away to the Southward, in October, the People there [such their Sagacity!] knew that hard Weather was Approaching;—and in November, [O Marvellous!] it Snow'd.—And then,—a Long tedious Narrative, how they catched Partridges, [not Wood-cocks!] yea, [An Exploit that should be told unto future Generations] Four Men in a Weeks Time killed Six & Twenty.—And then [A terrible Thing happened, as much to be Remembered as the Sicilian Earthquakes:] in December, a Boy had his Feet hurt with the Frost.—And an Hundred more such Curious Events, is this History set off withal. These it seems are the Important Matters, that are most worthy of a Room in History. A ⟨p. xii⟩Church-History furnished as aforesaid, has only Trivial Matters for you!

After such a FATHER has been so Insulted & Abused, it will be rather an Honour than otherwise unto the SON to bear him Company. Oldmixons Chief Rage is at the Church-History of a Country, which also Dr. Mather was in some Regards, much of a Father to. And of this ChurchHistory, to pass by his Grin, that the Book is cram'd full of—Acrosticks; Whereas, Reader, if thou find so much as one Acrostick in all the Book—Let the Book be treated as The English Empire in America, is like to be!—I say, to pass by this, the Accuser would have it Believed, That the Church-History is very Trivial in the matter of it, Yes, by all means! The Marvellous Works of GOD in Producing and Maintaining & Afflicting and Relieving of Colonies in a Matchless manner