Innovations unjustly charged upon the present church and state. Or An ansvver to the most materiall passages of a libellous pamphlet made by Mr. Henry Burton, and intituled An apologie of an appeale, &c. By Christopher Dow, B.D.

To the Ingenuous Reader.

THis Treatise was finished and intended for the Presse, at the beginning of Easter Terme last, at which time it was expected that M. B. and his Confederates would have had their censure: Had it then comne forth, the speed it made would, perhaps, have made some Apology for the defects of it. How∣ever, in all this delay, I wanted both leisure and will to adde or alter any thing, and resolved to let it passe in its first dresse. If it seeme incompt and lesse accurate then might haply be expected; the comfort is, that (with all faults) it is a cover fit enough for such a cup. Only one thing may seeme strange; That (having promised it). I adde no∣thing particularly of the Appeale and its Apo∣logy.

The truth is; the onely point of moment which I reserved for that part was, The Lega∣lity of the Bishops exercising their Jurisdicti∣ons in their owne names, and of their proceed∣ings in the High Commission. The rest (ex∣cepting his often repeated railings, and frivolous reasons, which I never thought worthy of any se∣rious answer) I have met with in the Sermons, and answered so far as I thought fit. Now for that point, That which was spoken in that High and Honourable Court of Star-Chamber at the Censure, and the expectation of somewhat shortly to be declared by Authority, for the full clearing of it; Made me (even when this booke was more than halfe printed) to alter my first de∣termination, and suppresse those things which I once intended to publish upon that part; judging it altogether needlesse, if not presumption, to bring my poore verdict either to second, or prevent so judiciall and authentick a decision: and (that point excepted) I held the rest not worthy a pecu∣liar Chapter. I will adde no more save the best wishes of

Thine in our common Saviour C. D.