;

vile Brood are dazzled with the Purple, and drunk with the Cup of her Fornications Till fit for little, but the nauseous Crambe of their endless Maffes, flourisht off with fome Theatric Scenes and gaudy Apparade, To make 'em cry up the great Diana. But when got out of this Refort, in the time of his Retreat, Going forth into the Fields, and Lodging in the Villages, Cant. 7. 11. The Countrey might prove a Dame to Instruct him better than all the Virtuofi of the Town, together with the Erratic Lights of the Conclave. For in this Recefs, the Chriftian got fo far above the Circumventor, and the Scholar prov'd So much too bard for the Sophifter, That be who long bad troubled the World with his captious Difputations, came to make fome Recompence with his pious Meditations. (O fi fic Omnia!) As he is faid to part with the arrogant Doctrine of Merit on bis Death-bed, So dropt he many other wild Whims of an Apoftate Church in bis rural Sequestration, and the Contemplation of fuch a Church Above, as could not chufe, indeed, but put all thofe Abfurdities to the utmost Confufion. For I find but few touches of the old Legend, fond Superftition or Papal Corruption, in the piece now under confideration. And as for thofe remaining Fibres, I bave done him the friendly Office of Amputation; To prevent here the Propagation of any fuch Spurious Race.

His plain Latin I bave render'd in plain English; But turn'd some of his Words (I think,) into a truer Sense; and here and there, added alfo a few of my Own, to carry it fomewhat farther, if not to fignify fomewhat better, than might be meant by the Author. Where he is Out, I take caution, to fecure the Reader, as well as to stand on my own Guard. But as far as he goes Right, I decline not his Company, for the Slips, whereof I fee bim guilty: But am the better pleas'd, to find one bere fo far with me, that elsewhere is so much against me. For among all the Diverfities of Opinion, None, fure, can be Serious in any Way, which deferves the Name of Religion, but his great End must be Salvation, and his main Care, for Acquifition. Now bere, Even the Testimony of an Adverfary, (to them that Believe and know the Truth,) gives fo much Satisfaction, as adds ftill farther Confirmation.

But if fome ftand amaz'd, and others be Offended, To fee the Anti-papift promote any Writings of fo great a Stickler for the Papal Interest, I shall not Labour much, to Justify my Act from Precedent, and the Example of fuch Eminent Divines in this Church, and Zealous Defenders of its Faith against that of Rome, as have done, and to this day are do ing the Like. For, I think it needs no Apolo

to own our Christianity, in whatever Hand we find it. And as far as Rome is Chriftian, and their Religion Scriptural, it's Our own. The Apoftles Creed the fame with them as with us: And in this laft Article, which is the prefent Subject,) I know no difference.

I.

But, that we cannot swallow all the newcoin'd Articles fuperadded in their Trent-Creed, We defpife the Brutum Fulmen of their Anathema; and (for fuch their Supplements > warn 'em, from Rev. 22. 18. To take beed of a Curfe that's truly dreadful. The pure Matron, Rev. 12. That Woman, cloathed with the Sun, and Treading upon the Moon, We own for our Mother. But where they have given foul Scandal, in attempting to make her a Harlot; on whom to beget that Illegitimate breed of their notorious Innovations, Tyrannical Impofitions, Foppish Superftitions, and Idolatrous Abominations, we Leave her (fo Debauch'd,) to themselves and will be none of her Sons:

And as far as this Author has been an Advocate in any fuch Caufe, I renounce him and all bis Works; and know not, whether any other could ever entertain a Prejudice deeper than my own against him.

Yet

Yet this notwithstanding, So was I furprized and pleas'd with the perufal of bis Difcourfe concerning the Mind's Afcention to GOD, that I refolv'd to make also many of my Friends, and all common Readers, share with me in that Satisfaction; by helping him So to Speak, as every one among us Underftands: But my Defign in that being Anticipated, and notice given me, that I was Prevented, I laid afide what I had so prepar'd : That I might not be Injurious to a more worthy Tranflator, nor trouble the Publick with a fecond Service of that, which was already done much better.

But this little Manual, fince falling into my Hands, and no less than the other fuiting with my Taft; Yea, (I must needs own,) Sweetly furprizing my Mind, with the great Variety of fine Entertainments here prepar'd, in a peculiar Affecting manner; I foon renewed the fame Intention, to recompence that Fruftration, in giving my felf this pleafing Office of the like Nature; where I cannot Learn, that any one elfe (in almost a Hundred Years now fince it was Wrote,) has gone before me.

And I am not afham'd 40 own, That the Motive of my Tranflating is much the fame, as the Author tells us, bis was for the Writing: Which in the Preliminaries to his Book, he gives to the purpose following.

Out

xvii

(Out of the Dedication and Proem.)

Sand Propension to these Inferior things O great and deplorable is the human Frailty,

That unless the Mind of man be Row'd, and raised out of the dust and dirt of the Earth, to engage in the Meditation of things Above, Even Religious Hearts are here in danger to be Mir'd and Loft.

'Tis therefore no Small Favour wherewith they oblige us, who bestow their pains even all manner of ways, in Admonishing and Quickening us, to Look up, and Quarrey at Higher and better Fruitions, than any are here to be found. For by fuch means, our Hearts come to be Purged, and our Soul's Palate Rectify'd; Till the Inner-man begin to difcern the true Beauty, and to Relish the genuine Sweetness. And tbus, by degrees, the Glory of the World is Tarnish'd in our Eyes, and the Pleasures of the Flesh grow Infipid to our Taft; whereupon an Entrance is miniftred to us abundantly

to the everlafting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. 2 Pet. I. II.

Now this abundant Miniftration we may Tuppose to be made, by various Confiderations

opening