by fuch conduct: we fancy ourselves fo ENLIGHTENED, as to be without any parallels in difcernment: we are amazed, that our ancestors should fo long have been deluded by abfurdities; and, we are very little aware how much fome future age will pity or blame us for follies of which we imagine ourselves perfectly clear. J. M. CENTURY PREFACE BY THE EDITOR, · CONTAINING ANIMADVERSIONS ON Dr. HAWEIS' IMPARTIAL AND SUCCINCT HISTORY OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. ERRAT A. Page xxii. line 17, read hypocrify. xxviii. bottom, r. mentioned. in the note, for Page 327, r. Pages 225, 226, and 227. Vol. ii. Mr. M. xliii. in the note, r. Dr. H. Vol. 1. p. 359 7. 1. 23. audience. 115. the note, r. Bullet. 137. 1. 19, r. We. 176. 1. 25, r. of its. 205. in the margin, r. A. D. 117. 235. in the margin, r. A. D. 177. 302. 1. 14 r. fuperftitions,-all. 354. 1. 15. r. philofophical PREFACE TO VOLUME I. HE Editor of this fecond Edition of the § 1. Tfirft volume of the Hiftory of the Church of Chrift by the late Rev. Jofeph Milner, M. A feels it his duty to inform the public, that, fince the publication of the third volume of this work, two reafons have concurred to, retard confiderably the progress of a fourth Volume.ft. The copies of the first volume became fo very fcarce and were called for fo often, that the bookfellers preffed exceedingly for an immediate re-publication of it. -With their wishes the Editor thought it proper to comply; and by fo doing, the little leifure, which he could fpare from indifpenfable duties, has been almost entirely employed in revising and correcting this firft volume. 2dly. The decease of the Author, the worthy and beloved brother of the Editor,-has rendered it extremely difficult to prepare and fit for the Prefs fuch of the manufcripts as were intended to make a fourth volume. While the Author was alive, many doubts and obfcurities might be cleared up in a few minutes, which now coft the Editor hours and days; and, fometimes, he is at laft compelled to defift from further investigation, without fuccefs, b 2 cefs, from want of knowing the meaning of fome character of shorthand, or the proper edition to be made ufe of in confulting the authorities. If it fall pleafe Almighty God to favour him with a tolerable fhare of health, he ftill hopes to furmount most of the difficulties,-though not quite fo foon as he could with.-If the fourth volume, whenever it thall appear, fhould be thought lefs perfect than the reft, the candid reader, it is hoped, will recollect the main reafon ;-which,to the Author's relatives and intimates, is truly a melancholy one. the §2. The Editor is well perfuaded that the utility and propriety of continuing this History upon fame plan with the three volumes already publifhed, and with the fourth now in the prefs, is, by no means, fuperfeded by a late publication of the Rev. Dr. HAWEIS, which he calls an impartial and fuccinct Hiftory of the Church of Christ.-Dr. H. indeed, represents himself and Mr. Milner as cordially united in the main point: He very often commends Mr. M. in ftrong language; -and, in one place he fays, "I had hoped from him friendly rebuke where I may have erred, or, candid acquiefcence in the force of truth where it appeared."-But, if it be allowed, that the spirit of authors, and the objects they have in view, are to be collected, not fo much from profeffions, in prefaces or introductions, as from the works themfelves, no difcerning reader can poffibly be difpofed to infer much refemblance between these two writers of Ecclefiaftical hiftory.-Who can peruse Mr. M.'s volumes without being convinced, that the great object of the Author is to exhibit, in every age, the character of the real followers of Jefus Chrift, and the nature of genuine Chriftianity, confidered as a practical thing? For this purpose, |