PREFACE. XXXV 



quently to the service of the church, to hear sermons, 

 to the administration of the sacrament of the blessed 

 body and blood of Christ, and died in the true 

 faith, established in the Church of England.&quot; (a) 



The internal evidence against the authenticity of 

 the Parodoxes from the style is, that 1st. They 

 in style, are in opposition to the whole tenor of 

 Lord Bacon s works, which endeavours to make 

 doubtful things clear, not clear things doubtful. (//) 



perswade the world I have none at all, as the generall scandal 

 of my profession, the natural course of my studies, the indiffer- 

 ency of mv behaviour, and discourse in matters of religion, nei 

 ther violently defending one, nor with that common ardour and 

 contention opposing another ; yet in despight hereof I dare, 

 without usurpation, assume the honorable stile of a Christian ; 

 not that I meerely owe this stile to the font, my education or 

 clime wherein I was borne as being bred up either to confirme 

 those principles my parents instilled into my unwary under 

 standing ; or by a generall consent proceed in the religion of 

 my countrey. But having, in my riper years, and confirmed 

 judgment seene and examined all, I find myselfe obliged by the 

 principles of grace, and the law of mine owne reason to embrace 

 no other name but this; neither doth herein my zeale so fare 

 make me forget the general charitie I owe unto humanity, as 

 rather to hate than pity Turkes, Infidels and (what is worse) 

 Jewes, rather contenting myself to enjoy that happy stile, than 

 maligning those who refuse so glorious a title.&quot; 



(a) Such are the words of Dr. Rawley. See ante page iii. 



(p) In some part of his works, I do not recollect where, he says, 

 &quot; I endeavour not to inflate trifles into marvails, but to reduce 

 marvails to plain things : and Rawley, in his life of Lord Bacon, 

 says, &quot; In the composing of his books he had rather drive at a 

 masculine and clear expression, than at any fineness or affecta 

 tion of phrases, and would often ask if the meaning were ex- 



