Page images
PDF
EPUB

Impartial Examination

OF THE

FOURTH VOLUME

OF

Mr. DANIEL NEAL's
History of the PURITANS.

IN WHICH

His too great Attachment to the Ufurpations of
the Rump Parliament and Oliver Cromwell is discovered;
his Mifrepresentation of the Conduct of some of our
English Prelates detected; and many of his Mistakes in
History exposed to Publick View.

1

By ZACHARY GREY, LL.D.
Rector of Houghton-Conquest in Bedfordshire.

With a large APPENDIX of Curious Letters and Papers,
copied from the Originals, (formerly Dr. NALSON'S)
now in the Cuftody of the Rev. Dr. PHILIP WIL-
LIAMS, Prefident of St. John's College, Cambridge.

Αταλαίπωρον τοῖς Πολλοῖς ἡ ζήτησις τῆς ἀληθείας, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ ἕτοιμα
μᾶλλον τρέπονζαι.

Thucyd. de Bello Pelopon. lib. 1. p. 8. edit. H. Steph. Par. 1564.
It is their Manner, except you please their Humour in all Things, be you never
fo well learned, never so painful, so zealous, fo virtuous, all is nothing with
them, but they will deprave you, rail on you,
backbite you,
and invent Lies
of you,
and Spread falfe Rumours, as tho' you were the vileft Persons on

Earth.

Dr. Whitgift's Defence of the Answer to the Admonition, p. 423.
Spare your Pains, good Sir, they know they are wrong as well as you can tell
them: But all the Earth fhall not make them confefs an Error, or amend it.
Appendix to the third Part of the Friendly Debate, printed 1670. p. 172.

LONDO ON:

Printed by J. Bettenham: And fold by A. BETTESWORTH and
C. HITCH, at the Red-Lion in Pater-nofter-Row. 1739-

A N

Impartial Examination, &c.

H

ADI not promised Mr. Neal to give him my best Affiftance towards the (a) Correction and Improvement of his History of the Puritans, I should have thankfully declined the Office; which, though it may have its Ufe, yet takes me off from other Engagements of a much more agreeable and improving Nature: And what makes the Tafk difficult, is the great Number of Typographical Errors, which he has not (as is ufual) vouchfafed to correct by a Table of Errata.

'Tis the Obfervation of one of the most learned and correct Writers of this Age, (b) That he fcarce ever met with an Hiftorian, who does not • write true History, if you will take an Account of him from his Preface, and not be too nice in examining his Book: the first Pages are usually filled with the Care and Integrity of the Author, which are probably to be found no where else.' How far Mr. Neal falls under this Cenfure, he himself is beft able to judge; and what Care he has taken to render his Hiftory correct, the Reader may eafily discover from the many Miftakes pointed out to him in the three former Volumes.

I readily grant there are Points in History that (as to the Springs of Action) are scarce conceive

(a) Impartial Examination of Mr. Neal's third Volume, p. 243. (b) Reflections upon Learning, chap. 10. p. 127. 6th Edit. 1727. This excellent Book has met with so just an Encouragement, as to have had eight Impreffions at least.

[blocks in formation]
« EelmineJätka »