fratribus, præsertim episcopis, et ministris ecclesiæ Dei, quantum ex illius gratia possumus, dandam et conferendam esse existimo, ut tandem sopiantur, vel saltem minuantur, religionis dissidia, atque ut pacem sectemur cum omnibus, et sanctimoniam. Quod ut fiat quam ocissime, faxit Deus, pacis autor et amator concordiæ. Cujus immensam misericordiam oro et obtestor, ut me in peccatis et iniquitatibus conceptum ab omni humanæ infirmitatis labe et corruptela repurget, dignumque ex indigno per magnam clementiam suam faciat, mihique passionem et immensa merita dilectissimi sui Filii Domini nostri Jesu Christi, ad delictorum meorum omnium expiationem applicet: ut quum novissima vitæ hora non improvisa venerit, ab angelis suis in sinum Abrahæ raptus, et in societate sanctorum et electorum suorum collocatus, æterna felicitate perfruar.

Hæc præfatus quæ ad religionem et animæ meæ statum ac salutem spectant, quæque Latino sermone a me dictata atque exarata sunt, reliqua, quæ ad sepulturam corporis, et bonorum meorum temporalium dispositionem attinent, sermone patrio perscribi faciam, ac perorabo.

TO THE

RIGHT HON. HENEAGE LORD FINCH,

BARON OF DAVENTRY, LORD KEEPER OF THE GREAT
SEAL OF ENGLAND.

MY LORD,

THE excellency of this book answers the greatness of its author, and perhaps the badness of the version is also proportioned to the meanness of the translator: but the English being for those that could not understand the original, that they also might be instructed by so instructive a discourse, I hope with them my good intent will excuse my fault; only my fear is, I shall want a good plea wherewith to sue out my pardon for having intituled a person of the highest honour to so poor a labour as is this of mine. My lord, these were the inducements which set me upon this attempt, it being the subject of the book to clear and assert an important truth, which is as a criterion whereby to know the sons of the Church of England from her adversaries on both hands; those that adore, and those that profane the blessed sacrament; those that destroy the visible sign, and those that deny the invisible grace; Ι thought I might justly offer it to so pious and so

B

great a son of this Church, who owned her in her most calamitous condition, and defends her in her happy and most envied restoration. I was also persuaded that the translation, bearing your illustrious name, would be thereby much recommended to many, and so become the more generally useful and I confided much in your goodness and affability, who being by birth and merits raised to a high eminency, yet do willingly condescend to things and persons of low estate.

My lord, I have only this one thing more to allege for myself, that besides the attestation of public fame, which I hear of a long time speaking loud for you, I have these many years lived in a family where your virtues being particularly known are particularly admired and honoured; so that I could not but have an extraordinary respect and veneration for your lordship, and be glad to have any occasion to express it. If these cannot clear me, I must remain guilty of having taken this opportunity of declaring myself

Your Lordship's

Most humble and most obedient Servant,

LUKE DE BEAULIEU.

THE

PUBLISHER TO THE READER.

It is now nineteen years since this historical treatise was made by the Right Reverend Father in God John Cosin, when (in the time of the late accursed rebellion) he was an exile in Paris for his loyalty and religion's sake; for being then commanded to remain in that city by his gracious Majesty that now is (who was departing into Germany by reason of a league newly made by the French king with our wicked rebels), he was also ordered by him, as he had been before by his blessed father Charles the First, a prince never enough to be commended, to perform divine offices in the royal chapel, and to endeavour to keep and confirm in the Protestant religion, professed by the Church of England, his fellowexiles, both of the royal family and others his countrymen who then lived in that place. Now the occasion of his writing this piece was this:when his gracious Majesty had chosen Cologne for the place of his residence, being solemnly invited, he visited a neighbouring potent prince of