THE 



PREFACE 



JL O give some account of my doings in publishing this 

 piece, let me premise a few things. I confess I have been 

 led, by a strong propension of mind, to make inquiry into 

 the ecclesiastic affairs of this kingdom, happening especially 

 in the last century of years but one, (namely, that called 

 the sceculum refbrmatum^) when the state of religion un 

 derwent so great a change in Europe, and particularly in 

 England, And that I might herein be profitable to others 

 as well as to myself, I have been willing to communicate 

 what I have collected and discovered out of various re 

 cords and archives, as well as other old cast-by printed 

 tracts; this kind of history, especially along through the 

 reign of Queen Elizabeth, being very sparingly hitherto 

 made known to us. 



And because the hinges of public affairs have chiefly 

 turned on the management of those in eminent places and 

 offices, Biography may deservedly require its place in his 

 tory : I have had a great respect to it in the collections I 

 have made ; taking due notice of all such persons as have 

 made a figure either in the Church or State, and observing 

 as much as I could of their acts and characters ; especially 

 of such whose aims and pursuits have been just and honour 

 able. Of such I have had a mind to revive the memory, 

 and retrieve their names from being lost in perpetual obli 

 vion, by drawing up some accounts of them, taken out of 

 their own letters and papers, or elsewhere; intending to 

 offer some of them to the present age : a thing due to wor- 



