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THE

PREFACE.

HE period of time, which the Volume now presented to the reader embraces, will exhibit the Church of Christ in a very different fituation from any, in which it appeared, during the whole course of the three first Centuries.

All

The fourth Century opens with a perfecution more systematically planned, and more artfully conducted, than thofe which Chriftians had ever known. Indeed Victory at first fhewed itself in favour of the Perfecutors, and Christianity feemed to be near an end. the Powers, of cruelty and artifice, and of violence and calumny, affociated, were exerted to the utmost in the course of these transactions; and, if the Church ftill furvived the storm, and rose more terrible from her loffes, the only reason was, because her DEFENDER is invincible.

We next behold the Church established and protected by civil Polity, and the whole system of Paganism, which had been the pride of ages, gradually diffolved, and finking into infignificance and contempt. The advantages and abuses, attendant on Chriftian Establishments, difplay themfelves, on this occafion, in a very confpicuous point of view. I have endeavoured,

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deavoured, with faithfulness and candour, to point out both, at the fame time that the regard due to truth itself, and to the characters of the most illuftrious and the most exemplary Christians in past ages, feemed to require a defence of Ecclefiaftical establishments. I hope no real lover of truth and liberty will cenfure the attempt: for it must be owned, that the most direct attacks, in the way of argument, and I wish I could fay, only in that way, have repeatedly been made against them, as if they were unchristian in their whole nature. It cannot, therefore, be reckoned unfair to defire men, freely to give to others the liberty, which they allow to themselves, if they would prove that their love of liberty is genuine and fincere.

The Arian controverfy fills almost the rest of the Century; it was my duty to give a faithful history of its rise, progress, and effects. And, if the personal character of Arians appear more criminal than many of my readers have been taught to imagine, I confidently refer them to the most authentic records of antiquity. I am not conscious of having difguifed any one fact, or exaggerated any one enormity.

But it is with far greater pleasure, that I have contemplated the fifth Century. The history of Pelagianifm I judged to be a Defideratum in our language: it was neceffary to lay it before the reader with fome degree of circumftantial

cumstantial exactness, fupported too by inconteftible documents. If the account of the writings and labours of Auguftine be thought to extend to an immoderate length, I can only fay, that the importance of the doctrines of GRACE, with their practical effects, will, perhaps, be confidered as a fufficient apology. Nothing can be introduced more pertinent to the whole design of this history, than the revival of religion, of which he was the Providential inftrument: its effects remained for many centuries: and I scarce need say to those, who have read the former volume even with fuperficial attention, that my plan often requires me to be brief, where other historians. are immoderately tedious; and to be circumftantial, where they fay little, or are filent altogether.

To fearch out the real Church from age to age, is indeed a work of much labour and difficulty; far more fo, I apprehend, than can even be conceived by those, whose studies have never been directed to this object. The Ore is precious, but it must be extracted from incredible heaps of Ecclesiastical rubbish. I cannot pretend to be clear of mistakes; but it behoved me to be as careful as I could; and I shall thankfully receive information or correction from studious perfons who have carefully investigated antiquity for themselves. I cannot, indeed, expect information or cor

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rection

rection from felf-created critics, who are carried
down the torrent of modern prejudices, and
who know no fentiments, but thofe, which
they have imbibed from authors of the pre-
fent Century.

The encouragement, which I have received
from a generous publick, induces me to per-
fevere. Besides, the peculiar advantage of a
work of this kind is, that it is capable of per-
fection, so far as it proceeds, without needing
any support from fubfequent parts. It is not
like a connected thread of argumentation,
which must be read throughout, before the full
force of any particular portion of it be dif-

cerned.

What real Christianity is, I mean to exhi-
bit hiftorically; and, in the execution of this
Plan, I hope, I fhall be found not altogether
to have disappointed the expectations of the
University of Cambridge. I reflect with pe-
culiar fatisfaction, that the University, to
which I am now fo much indebted for liberal
fupport in the publication of this work, and
in which feveral of my earlier years were spent
in ufeful ftudics, was, under Divine Provi-
dence, the principal Inftrument* of spreading
through these kingdoms at the Reformation,
that very light of Evangelical doctrine, which it
is the capital object of this history to explore.

* See Burnet's Hiftory of the Reformation, and Strype's Lives
of the Arch-Bishops, paffim.

CONTENTS.