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Letters of BISHOP GIBSON, and BISHOP deservedly popular Letters on Infidelity; wi of those writers, a Preface, and an Index.

The Sixth Volume will consist of Dean S Discourse on Judgment, one of the best 1 most generally admired theological treati language.

The FOURTH, FIFTH, AND SIXTH VOLUMES press almost simultaneously, and may all b within four or five months.

A word relative to the CONDITIONS of the Want of reflection has in some instance murmurs at the small size of the Second supposed to be less than was stipulated in th tus. Whoever may take the trouble to ascertain that the first two volumes contain 6 or 16 more than the number promised.

The present volume, beside the additional pages (to compensate which the Fourth Vol expected to be proportionably less) contains third more printed matter than subscribe right either to demand or to expect, ow quantity of small type in the notes.

Several applications have been made volumes of the series. Justice to the dictates the course (which will be inviolabl of refusing any departure from the original

PREFACE.

Few works possess stronger claims to regard than that which is now for the first time introduced to the American public. Apart from its intrinsic merits, it comes down to us from the golden age of the reformation, with the stamp of national sanction at the time of its publication, and recommended by the undivided suffrages of the learned and pious of every intervening age. It is the production of an individual, it is true; but that individual confessedly pre-eminent for learning and eloquence in a learned age, and expressing, with mature deliberation, the avowed sense of all his brethren, under their revision, and with their unqualified approbation. It may, therefore, justly pretend to all the consideration due to the combined wisdom, learning, and piety of the Church of England in one of its brightest periods-the age of the compilers of the Book of Common Prayer,

a

The Apology of the Church of England bears nearly the same relation to that Church, that is possessed, with regard to the Lutheran Church of Germany, by its Symbolical Books. Like the latter, the Apology is a statement of doctrine and discipline put forth for the purpose of refuting the calumnious misrepresentations

"The first, and indeed the much best writer of Queen Elizabeth's time, was Bishop Jewell: the lasting honour-of the age in which he lived; who had so great a share in all that was then, particularly in compiling the second book of Homilies, that I had great reason to look on his works as a very sure Commentary on our Articles, as far as they led me," BURNET on the Articles. Preface, p. vii, viii. ed. Lond. 1819,

of the Romish Church. Like them, it is an explanation and defence of the avowed principles of the Communion of which it bears the name. Like them, it was formerly acknowledged as such by the whole body of that Communion. Like them, it was an object of bitter hostility to the enemies of reformation, and of warm defence by its supporters; serving as a rallying point to those whose faith it imbodied forth, and a centre of union against the combined efforts of the adversaries of that faith. It is to the honour of the Church of England that the comparison does not hold good throughout, and that subscription to the Apology has never, like that to the Symbolical Books in Germany, been imposed upon her clergy as a condition of admission to their sacred office-notwithstanding that efforts for that purpose have been made.

A person familiar with the publications, correspondence, and sermons of the first three years of the reign of Elizabeth, will readily perceive that JEWELL, when writing the Apology, considered himself as merely the amanuensis of his brethren, and freely employed their arguments and statements. Several productions of the years 1558 and 1559 furnish portions of its argument; in two, particularly, (the articles agreed on by the leading friends of reformation immediately after the accession of Elizabeth, and a sermon preached by JEWELL himself at Paul's Cross, in 1559 or 1560) the whole train of thought is developed; briefly and hastily, indeed, yet sufficiently at length to make it evident that they contain the first outlines of the larger work.—

Works, folio ed. p. 202, ss.-GILPIN, in his Life of Cranmer, p. 195 (quoted by Mr. ISAACSON) says, I know not on what grounds, that "Bishop Jewell laid the plan of the Apology at Strasburgh, though he did not finish it till happier times." This statement, if correct, would perfectly explain the remarkable coincidence between the sermon and the Apology.

These circumstances by no means detract from the merits of JEWELL'S work. While they lessen its pretensions to originality, they enhance its claim to respect, as the result of the combined wisdom and learning of its day, merely culled and arranged by the master hand whose name it bears.

As such the Apology was openly recognised by. those who were best acquainted with its origin and character. The biographers of JEWELL, and after them, the historians of the reformation, unanimously represent him as having undertaken the work at the instigation of his fellow bishops; principally for the purpose of conveying correct impressions of the state of religion in England to foreigners, whom the Romanists used every artifice to deceive and prejudice against the newly renovated Church. For this reason it was necessary that it should be written in Latin, the universal language; and the celebrated purity of JEWELL'S Latin style was unquestionably one of the reasons that led to his appointment. His work appears to have been perused in manuscript by several of the bishops, and among them by Archbishop Parker, and to have received their corrections, previously to its presentation to the Queen. After having passed this ordeal, a fair transcript was submitted to the inspection of Elizabeth, and, receiving her hearty approbation, was at length committed to the press. Hence the work is repeatedly spoken of as published 'set out by the Queen's authority;'

d

by authority,' or and in WALTER

"That thereby all foreign nations might understand the considerations and causes of your majesty's doings in behalf of the catholic faith" says JEWELL, in his Dedication of the Defence of the Apology to Queen Elizabeth.

d Mr. ISAACSON says that "the copy was sent to Secretary Cecil for his judgment, and the Queen's approbation, in 1561." Life of Bishop Jewell, p. lvii.

• Articles prepared for the Convocation of 1562-3.

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Apology, as an authentic statement of the p the Church of England 'offered to Christend Church, as a hostage for its adherence to t faith." Such, indeed, is the character claim the work itself," and by its author elsewher speaks of it as "containing the whole subst catholic faith confessed and freely preached all the Queen's dominions."i

The first edition appeared toward the year 1562, probably just before the mee Convocation in January 1563, (then recko and was almost immediately followed by translation, published by the direction of Parker, if not made by him. Both were circulated, at home and abroad, and in a space of time, foreign editions of the o several translations into other languages, the work extensively known upon the contin

Abroad, it met with the most flattering Being "made common to the most part of a JEWELL writes to the queen, with justifiab his dedication of the Defence, “it hath allowed of and liked by the learned and plain by their open testimonies touching th The congratulatory letter of PETER MAR author, prefixed to the Latin work, and f

Annals of the Reformation, Vol. 1. p. 249. fol. ed. "Quam Ecclesia nostra tanquam communem et religionis obsidem, palam in oculis orbis Christiani colloca by STRYPE, Annals, I. 249.

h Apology, Ch. IV. (numbered in this edition, errone i Dedication of the Defence.

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