Beveridge: Introduction

inserted any sentences or phrases of Latin, Greek, or Hebrew, or any other language with our English, into the body of the book, but whatsoever Father or other author I quote, I translate what I so cite out of him into our own language, not tying myself to render every thing word by word, but only to give the substance of that in our language which they delivered in others. But, howsoever, to prevent those frivolous eavils that are sometimes made against translations, as also for the ease and satisfaction of intelligent readers, whatsoever testimonies of the Fathers I produce in the body of the book, I have still set down in the margent their own words, in their own language which they wrote in, such of the Greek Fathers excepted which we have only the Latin translations of. And though in the body of the book there is nothing delivered but in our own vulgar language, yet in the margent, besides the several places of scripture explained out of the oriental lan- guages, I have all along alleged the testimonies of the Fathers for the further explanation and confirmation of what is there delivered, not stuffing the margent with any quotations of modern writers, but only of the Fathers, unless it be in shewing the doctrine of the present church of Rome, which some of the Articles necessarily require. And in my quo- tations of the Fathers I am still careful not to refer the reader only to such or such places of their writings, (which sort of references I sometimes find multiplied to little or no purpose,) but to set down their words at length, which maketh that the margent sometimes swells bigger than the text itself. And in my quotations of St. Chrysostome especially, because he is so voluminous, I often cite the tome and page, viz. of Sir Henry Savile’s edition; which I here note particularly, because in the book I seldom mention the edition I made use of. And I have endeavoured so to order it, that in one place or other in the book, either in the text or margent, we may see the judgment of the primitive church upon most of the prin- cipal heads of our Christian religion.

And because for the right understanding of discourses of this nature it is very requisite to know the several ages or times wherein the Fathers cited are supposed to have lived

xii PREFACE TO THE READER.

and the councils to have been celebrated, I have at the end of the book set down a catalogue of the Fathers, councils, and other ancient authors made use of in this book, together with the several times and places wherein they flourished. Thus desiring that the most high God would be pleased so to order it, that what I have done by his strength may make for his glory and our church’s good, by helping towards the reconciling of her enemies to, and the confirming her children in those sacred truths, I commit both thee and it into his hands, who alone can lead us into all truth; without whose blessing the greatest works will be unsuccessful, whereas with it the least shall be beneficial.

UPON

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