A fuccinct and genuine Account of their original and prefent Including a general Hiftory of the REFORMATION, and so much of TO WHICH IS ADDED, A DICTIONARY of the principal Religious ORDERS, OFFICES, DAYS, By an IMPARTIAL HAND. THE SECOND EDITION. LONDON: Printed for C. HENDERSON, at the Royal Exchange; W. NICOLL, in · MDCCLXIV. 104 THE PREFACE. O improve the Understanding in any Branch of useful Knowledge, has ever been esteemed a laudable Purfuit; and every Attempt to facilitate the Propagation of Knowledge, in Proportion to the Nature and Importance of the Subject, and the Propriety of the Method, will, it is prefumed, meet with Approbation and Encouragement. To obtain a Skill in the Sciences is, indeed, the Bufinefs and Profeffion only of a few Men of distinguished Abilities; but there are many who have Capacity and Leifure to improve and enrich their Minds in various Branches of Knowledge; even the lower Order of Men have particular Callings and Concerns in Life, in which it behoves them to employ their Reason in the Use of proper Helps for their Improvement. The common Duties and Benefits of Society, which interest every Man living, as he is a focial Creature; even our particular and neceffary Relations to a Family, a Neighbourhood, or Government, oblige all Perfons to exercise their reasoning Powers in a Variety of Cafes, before they can come A 2 to Dup. EX |