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The PREFACE.
WHEN I first happ'ned upon this Pamphlet, and by some peculiar beautys in the style, easily discover'd it's Owner, I was, I must confess, not a little surpriz'd: I could not have imagin'd that a Man of so bigg a reputa∣tion as the Author of the Guide in Controversy; One, whose thoughts had for some years convers'd with nothing less then Oecumenical Councels, Popes and Patriarchs, should quitt all those fine amuse∣ments for the humble task of Life-writing, and drawing of Chara∣cters. 'Twas mean prey, I thought, for a Bird of his Pounces: and the Design he did it with, made it ten times more a Riddle. The Doctrines of the Reformation have, for near two Centuries, kept the field, against all Encounterers: and do's He think they may be foil'd at last by two or three little Remarks upon the Life and Actions of a single Reformer? But it look's like a Jest, when the Irregularities committed by Luther in Germany, are turn'd upon Us here in England: as if any thing that He said, or did, could affect a Church establish'd upon it's own bot∣tom, and as independent on any forreign authorities, as the Crown, Her Defender wears. Luther's Voice is indeed to Us, what oura Author term's it, the Voice of the Stranger; and tho' we are allwaies ready to wipe off the unjust aspersions cast upon him by his Enemies, yet this is what we are oblig'd to, not as Sons, but as Friends. Whenever injur'd Virtue is set upon, every Honest man is concern'd in the Quarrel. But these last Attacqu's have been so very feeble, that had we for once trusted the Cause to it's own strength, 'twould have suffer'd but little Damage. And I for my part should have done so, did I not know there were a sort of Men in the World, who have the vanity to think every thing on their side unanswerable, that do's not receive a sett Reply; tho' at the same time they are pleas'd to answer nothing themselves. They fight indeed all of 'em, like Tartars; make a bold and furious onset, and if that does not doe, they retreat in disorder, and you never hear of 'em afterwards. And this, I expect, will be the present case. The Editor of these Consi∣derations won't much care for replying, I believe; because that must be de proprio, and can't be drawn from the old store of provisions laid in by the Fraternity. But whether the Poysons were of an earlyer mixture,