XXVI PREFACE. 



THE CHARACTERS OF A BELIEVING CHRISTIAN IN PARA 

 DOXES AND SEEMING CONTRADICTIONS, (m) 



This tract, published as it seems in the year 1615, 

 was in 1648 inserted in the Remains, and in 1730 

 in Blackburn s edition of Lord Bacon s works, (a) 

 Its authenticity seems to be very doubtful, 

 It was inserted in Blackburn s edition, after 

 the following notice : &quot; The following frag 

 ments were never acknowledged by Dr. Rawley, 

 among the genuine writings of the Lord Bacon ; 

 nor dare I say that they come up to the spirit 

 of penetration of our noble author. However, 

 as they are vouched to be authentic in an edi 

 tion of the Remains of the Lord Verulam, printed 

 1648; and as Archbishop Bancroft has reflected 

 some credit on them by a careful review, having in 

 very many instances corrected and prepared them 

 for the press, among the other unquestioned writing 

 of his lordship ; for these reasons I have assigned 

 them this place, and left every reader to form his own 

 judgment about their importance :&quot; and in a letter 

 from Dr. Parr to his legatee and biographer, E. H. 

 Barker, the doctor says, &quot; it is, however, well known, 

 that some of his fragments were not acknowledged 

 by Dr. Rawley to be genuine, though vouched to be 



(wi) In page 21 of this volume. 



(a) In Dr. Parr s annexed letter, it appears to have been 

 published in 1645 ; and in Vol. I. of Blackburn s edition, he 

 says, speaking of Archbishop Sancroft, to the characters of a 

 believing Christian in paradoxes, &c. compared with the other 

 copy, printed in 1645, I have not been able to see a copy of 

 the tract published in 1645.- B. M. 



