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INTRODUCTION

BY THE AUTHOR.

4

Ν

IN my Propofals for printing this "Hif

tory of the Church of Chrift" I promifed "An Ecclefiaftical History on a new Plan." The Reader therefore will naturally expect fome diftinct account of a plan, which, in a fubject fo generally known, lays claim to novelty, in order that he may judge for himself, whether it appears fufficiently interesting to engage his perufal of the work itself.

It it certain, that from our Saviour's time to the prefent, there have ever been perfons whose dispositions and lives have been formed by the rules of the New Testament; men who have been REAL, not merely NOMINAL Christians; who believed the doctrines of the Gospel, loved them because of their divine excellency, and fuffered gladly the LOSS OF ALL THINGS, THAT THEY MIGHT WIN CHRIST, AND BE FOUND IN HIM*. It is the history of these men which I propose to write. It is of no confequence, with refpect

* Philip. iii. 8, 9.

to

to my plan, nor of much importance I believe in its own nature, to what EXTERNAL Church they belonged. I intend not to enter with any nicety into an account of their rites and ceremonies, or forms of Church-government, much lefs into their fecular history. Even RELIGIOUS CONTROVERSIES fhall be omitted; except thofe, which feem to bear a relation to the effence of Chrift's religion, and of which the hiftory of his real Church requires fome account. Let not the Reader expect, that the actions of great men,-great in a fecular view I mean,will be exhibited to his notice. Nothing, but what appears to me to belong to Chrift's kingdom, fhall be admitted: genuine piety is the only thing, which I intend to celebrate.

It must have struck a careful obferver, that SUCH a history is as yet a great DESIDERATUM. Malice has been fed, even to fatiety, by the large difplays of ECCLESIASTICAL WICKEDNESS. The wildeft and the most vifionary Heretics have filled the hiftoric page; and their follies, both in principle and practice, have been deemed worthy of a particular enumeration. The internal dif fenfions of Churches have been minutely described. The intricacies and intrigues of Popery, and indeed of every other fecular

system,

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