The faith of the Chvrch of England concerning Gods work on mans will pvblikely confirmed by the svbscriptions of all the famous martyrs, and divines thereof : faithfully gathered out of the authenticke records of the Chvrch / by Francis Tayler ...

TO Sir EDWARD DERING, of Surenden-Dering, in the County of Kent, Knight and Baronet; and one of the Knights chosen by that County to serve in the Commons House of Parliament.

SIR,

THat little interest I have in Kent, was the first motive that incited me to desire your worships acquaintance. And the report of your zeale, for the establishing of Religion, and our lawfull liber∣ties, encreased this desire. The courteous entertain∣ment and familiarity you have since vouchsafed me, hath made me bold to present this ensuing Treatise to the view of the world under your protection, whom God hath enabled to judge truly of it & to defend it. The truth is, that of late years, the Law and the Gos∣pell have bin so dressed, both in the Pulpit & in the Presse, that we neither knew what we beleeved, nor what we had. Our interest in heaven and in earth, were like to be both alike unknowne unto us in a lit∣tle time. The Proverbe is, Evill manners beget good Lawes. So our good God can bring good out of will. The Mystery of Babylon hath wrought

among us by upholding the Arminian tenets under colour of pulling downe Puritanes, to take away the faith of Protestants. Andrews, Bilson, Whitakers, Perkins, Calvin, Beza, have beene strange names. Peter Lumbard, Thomas Aqui∣nas, Bonaventure, have bin too familiar in our Vni∣versities and Pulpits. The silence enjoyned in Pul∣pits and Presses, hath burst out on the wrong side, while the right side might neither speake nor write. Our hope of correcting these disorders next under our great God, and our most gracious Soveraigne, is in the two Honourable Houses of Parliament, Of one of which your Worship is a member. My suit then is, that your last workes may be better then your first, and that as you have been a meanes to discover our by-paths; so you will be an instru∣ment to reduce us to our first love. Let us know what we have beleeved, that know not what wee doe beleeve. If you please to move the Honourable House, that the Records of our Church may be sear∣ched by certaine grave Divines, and the writings of our elder and soundest Writers now out of date, may be reviewed, and a summe of our Religion ever since the reformation professed, collected out of these; I suppose it will be a great meanes to quiet our troubles, and appease our differences at home, and to regaine us a good opinion with other Churches abroad; Some of which have thought so ill of us, as that they have forbidden their young Students to come into England, as I have heard from a young man of excellent parts, who adventured to come hither, being sent from Berne into Holland: I

have endeavoured to give some light to this busi∣nesse in this Treatise, wherein I shew the judgement of our Church in one maine point, upon which, all, or the most part of Arminianisme depends. I could wish I might be a shoing-horne to draw on men better able to doe the like, against all new opinions of Arminianisme, Socinianisme, and Popery, which are thought to grow secretly among us, and shew themselves by fits in Preaching and Printing. I beseech Almighty God to incline the hearts of all to whom he hath given parts, to further this great work, of setling the grounds of our Religion by a sweet Harmony. This will be for Gods glory, the honour of our Church, the good of our posterity, and the stopping of the mouths of our Adversaries, who trumpet out our dissentions for their owne advan∣tage. Sir, my request is, that you would favourably accept this small Present, and that God would blesse it to the furtherance of the publike good. So praying for the true well-fare of you, and all yours, I rest,

Clapham Febr. 20. 1641.

At your Worships service in the Lord, FRANCIS TAYLOR.