The Primitive Practice for Preserving Truth, Encomium – To the reader
HAving with as much delight as diligence, read over this excellent Discourse, entituled, The Primitive practise for preserving Truth; and finding it richly furnished with variety of learned and select Story, eminently usefull for common information against persecution meerly for Conscience sake; I conceive it very worthy of the Presse.
John Bachiler
THE PRIMITIVE PRACTISE FOR PRESERVING TRUTH.
OR AN HISTORICALL NARRATION, Shewing what course the PRIMITIVE Church anciently, and the best Reformed Churches since have taken to suppresse Heresie and Schisme.
AND Occasionally also by way of Opposition discovering the Papall and Prelaticall courses to destroy and roote out the same truth; and the judgements of GOD which have ensued upon persecuting Princes and Prelates.
By Sir Simonds D' Ewes.
The second Impression, more exact then the former.
LONDON, Printed by M. S. for Henry Overton, and are to be sold at his Shop in Popes-head Alley.
TO THE READER.
JUDICIOUS READER,
THIS ensuing Discourse being penned by mee about eight yeeres since, not only for recreation amidst my severer studies, but as a Preparative also, by which I desired to fit my self, either for a voluntary exitement, or a necessary suffering; I intended it only for a private use: For I then residing in the County of Suffolke, which had newly groaned under the Prelaticall tyranny of Bishop Wren, as did all other parts of his Diocesse; did know that the Presse was then onelyonly open to matters of a contrary subject. But now upon the perusall thereof, conceiving that it might be of some use, in respect of the many distractions amongst us at this present, when a blessed Reformation is so neere the birth, and yet the Church seems to want strength to bring it forth, I was content to yeeld to the publishing thereof. I did at first, purposely omit the citations of those many and select Authorities, out of which this ensuing Discourse was drawn, lest the margin thereby should have swoln to a greater proportion then the Discourse it self, some whole Sections or Paragraphs being almost entirely extracted out of the Records of this Kingdome: And I have through the whole Tractat chiefly laid down the matter of fact out of Story, not only extant in print, but yet remaining also in M. S. and have lest the debate of the dogmaticall part of it, to those, whose calling and leisure is more proper for it. My many present imployments, both publike and private, did scarce permit mee to supervise it, and to amend it in some few places, which puts mee almost out of all hope ever to transmit to posterity any one of those severall great and more necessary Works I had in part collected and prepared (for the good and benefit of this Church and Kingdome) in the time of my leisure and freedome.
S. D.