perverted, quite contrary to the pious and loyal intention of the author, in being made instrumental to the support of his power, who having unrighteously invaded the sovereignty, was then in actual possession of the sword: for by this time the flatterers of that great tyrant had learned by a new device, upon the bare account of Providence, without respect to the justice of the title (the only right and proper foundation) to interpret and apply to his advantage, whatsoever they found either in the Scriptures or in other writings delivered concerning the power of princes or the duty of subjects, profanely and sacrilegiously taking the name of that holy providence of God in vain, and using it only as a stalking horse to serve the lusts and interests of ambitious men.

III. When by the death of that tyrant it was hoped the black cloud that hung over us would scatter, yet was the coast for all that never a whit the clearer; but the darkness rather thickened upon us, and the danger of bringing any thing of this nature to light, was much greater than before. The tyranny still continued, though under various shapes, Proteus-like, ever and anon changing forms; mock parliaments, and other (what shall we call them?) things, for which it was hard to find names to distinguish them by. The very name of monarchy meanwhile decried and exploded as a devoted and execrable thing; and (to make short) every thing posting on desperately towards anarchy, confusion and ruin.

IV. Thus lay we in darkness and in the shadow of death, heartless and hopeless; when behold Oεòç àñò unxavis, the eternal God, who in the beginning of the creation caused light to shine out of darkness, (to manifest at once the mightiness of his power, and the riches of his mercy and compassion, in looking upon the miseries of a foolish and unthankful people, that had so highly provoked him) appeared gloriously in the mount, and

caused the light of his favourable countenance once more to shine upon us in the midst of our greatest confusions. And all this done, since men have talked so much of Providence, who (so far as appeareth by their actions) believe nothing of it, by a special hand of Providence indeed; so signal and visible (considered in all its circumstances) as if the Lord had purposely stretched out his hand to convince the bold atheists of these times, that verily there is such a thing as they call Providence, and that doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth.

V. This so blessed and unexpected a change (mutatio dextræ excelsi) amongst many other good effects tending to the happiness of this nation (if we would but keep ourselves quiet and be thankful) hath by removing the late unhappy obstructions made a way for truth and reason, which before durst scarce peep out without a disguise, to adventure abroad open faced. Which opportunity gave me the perusal of this book, brought to my hands by a gentleman of great hopes and ingenuity, and grandchild to the reverend author, in whose custody it then was. Upon the perusal whereof, I found it so full of truth and reason, and so every way answering that expectation which the known abilities of so learned an author had beforehand raised in me, that in order to the public benefit, and for the preservation of true Christian loyalty in the hearts of all my fellow-subjects, I endeavoured what in me lay to help forward the impression. It is a thing indeed very much desired by men piously zealous of the public peace, that by the prudent care of those that are in authority, some timely and effectual provisions were made for repressing the exorbitant licentiousness both of the press and pulpit, and the suppressing of seditious sermons and pamphlets; by means whereof, thousands of well meaning souls become poisoned in their judgments,

have their affections soured towards their governors, in whom they ought to rejoice, and are themselves apt to be misled into the foulest practices of disobedience and rebellion ere they be aware. In the mean time, until some further order be taken herein, it is but needful that such treatises of this nature, as carry weight and evidence with them, should be published to the world for the settling of men's judgments and consciences aright, as concerning the great duties of Christian obedience and subjection, and for the preventing of such mischiefs as must unavoidably ensue, where those so necessary points are either misrepresented by the leaders, or misunderstood by the people.

VI. For the attaining of which ends I have great reason to believe that what is here presented to view may be as effectually conducible, as any thing that hath been written, or probably can be written (at least in this present age) by any other hand, whether we respect the work or the author. In the work itself, the diligent and impartial reader, that will but bestow his hours so profitably as to take it all before him from the beginning to the end, (besides the great variety of learning and authorities which he shall meet withal all along) will easily find all to the full made good in the treatise, whatsoever is promised in the title. And then for the author himself, it is not unknown to the world what great esteem was had of his learning and moderation, and what great respect and reverence was paid to his person and judgment by the generality even of those men, whose either judgments or interests swayed them to entertain other persuasions than he had in sundry points, as well concerning the ecclesiastical as civil government. Which truly as it is a very great advantage in itself (for in this case, as in some other things, the old saying holdeth, "Duo cum faciunt idem non est idem," and many times the value the patient

setteth upon the physician advanceth the cure almost incredibly beyond what the virtue of the ingredients would have done without it:) so this reverend primate had that advantage in a very great measure, above almost all other men in the world in his time. If some men I could name should write of "the Power of Kings," and "the Duty of Subjects," with the pen and art of men and angels, with all the evidence of truth and the greatest strength of reason imaginable, it would work no more upon one sort of men in this generation, than a charm would do upon a deaf adder. Their writings would be slighted and thrown aside, decried and condemned all with a breath, without the reading of any more than the bare title page. Of so much greater force are names than things for the heightening or lessening the authority of men's writings, with such as have suffered themselves to be engaged in parties and factions, or whose judgments are forestalled with prejudices or partial affections. But this reverend author, besides his great abilities in all kinds of profitable and polite learning, his vast reading and readiness to make use of what he had read upon all оссаsions, had also by his piety and regularity of life, by his meekness and moderation, by his humble, affable and free letting himself forth to all converses, together with his facility and willingness to hold fair compliances and correspondences with those he presently conversed with, gained to himself such a general reputation with all parties, that his very name carried authority with it, and awed those very men into a reverend estimation of his person and judgment, who were yet too stiff to submit to the judgments of any person but themselves.

VII. Of the author, whose worth and abilities are so well known to the world both at home and abroad, I shall not need to say any more, nor of his other works, which (without me) will sufficiently "praise him in the

gates." All the account I am to give is of this present work, which had appeared sooner in public, but that it seemed necessary to have it fairly transcribed once more, and the transcript compared with the original, before it were sent to the press, and that, for two reasons; the one, because the auróypapov, or first copy, being close written with many additions, interlinings and references (and those sometimes very obscure and scarce discernible) almost in every page, would so have puzzled and perplexed the workmen at the press, that it had not been possible for them to have carried on the work, without much difficulty and disturbance to themselves, and no less injury and trouble to the readers, through the multitude of mistakings and misplacings of words, sentences and quotations. The other, that the original copy might not in the whole or in any part thereof, be soiled, torn, scattered or lost, whiles it was in the printer's or corrector's hands; but that the same being preserved whole and entire might remain as a record, ready to be produced and shewn under the author's own hand, whensoever it should be required, either to justify the integrity of this publication, or to satisfy any person that may suspect forgery therein, or upon any other just occasion otherwise: for posthumous writings (because many of them are such) lie all of them under the suspicion of being spurious and supposititious, or at leastwise of being moulded, interpolated and condited to the gust and palate of the publisher. To discharge myself and all that have any hand in this publication, from all such suspicion, and clear to the world our innocence in that behalf, we thought ourselves obliged to give better security than our own bare word; that if any doubt should be made of our fidelity herein, recourse might be had to the author's undoubted original copy (reserved in his granchild's hand for that purpose) for better satisfaction herein.