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that afcrib'd to Athanafius: As if there were no Account to be given hereafter, but the Authority of the Church were fufficient to fet afide that of our bleffed Saviour and his holy Apoftles, and to excufe all fuch Antichriftian Practices now among us. I heartily wish that your Zeal, Integrity, and Concern for true Religion, might be made an Inftrument of bringing these most important Matters to a fair and publick Examination; for then 1 easily foresee the Confequence. Pure and primitive Chriftianity must then obtain: And the Conftitutions of Chrift by his Apostles, inftead of humane Laws and Articles, must be the Standard of our religious Actions, and of our Faith alto. Which that they may foon be, is the earneft Endeavour and Prayer of,

Your most affectionate Servant,

WILL. WHISTON.

At the End of the fame Year, 1710, I first publifhed my Hiftorical Preface. It was afterwards improved, and made a real Preface to my four Volumes; which came not out till 1711. It then included, as a first Appendix, an Account of my Profecution at, and Banifhment from the Univerfity of Cambridge. But fince that Edition, this laft Account was reprinted 1718, with fome Additions; I defire the future Editions may be made from that Copy. The fame Thing is true of that Account of the Convocation's Proceedings with rela

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tion to me; which at firft was published by itself, fome confiderable Time before the End of the Year 1711. But this having been reprinted, and made The Second Appendix to my Hiftorical Preface, when it was become the real Preface to my first Volume, which was published a little before the End of that Year, thither I refer the Reader.

N. B. I also read about a Year other publick Lectures, after thofe before-mentioned, and before my Banishment from the Univerfity: Which contained an Account of all the ancient Eclipfes of the Sun and Moon, that have been preferved to us, in the very Words of the original Hiftorians. A Copy of which Lectures was repofited in the Archives of that University. Which Lectures were afterward printed, and ought to be added at the End of fome of the fore-mentioned Aftronomical, or Phyfico Mathematical Lectures.

The Reader is alfo to obferve, that I intended the Copernious, an Aftronomical Inftrument by me then first invented, and afterwards published, for the Examination of all thofe, and indeed of all the ancient Eclipfes, that could poffibly be seen in any Parts of the World, of which we have any ancient Hiftories preferv'd, and this with much greater Eafe, tho' not with quite the Exactness, than formerly by the ufual tedious Calculations; that fo no Hiftorians or Chonologers might ever be at a Lofs hereafter, for the Circumftances of fuch Eclipfes as are mentioned by any ancient Author whomsoN 3

ever.

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ever. Accordingly I calculated by it the Eclipfes of the Sun and Moon for four feveral Periods of Eclipfes, i. e. for four 18y. 11d. 7h. 43m. at the Distance each from other of 800 years, i. e. for 418 to 400 Years before; and 400 to 418, and for 1200 to 1218 years after the Chriftian Era: Befides thofe in my own Time from 1700 to 1718. A Table of which Eclipfes, 250 in Number, I have now by me not yet published; but which ought to be added to the future Additions of these Lectures, both in Latin and English.

It must have been about the Year 1711; when I was come newly to London, upon my Banishment from the Univefity, that Dr. Clarke introduced me, into the Company of the Lady Caverly, in SoboSquare; whofe Daughter by her firft Husband, had been married to Bifhop Lloyd's Son; which occafioned her Acquaintance with that great Man, and her studying the Revelation of St. John, about which fhe was greatly inquifitive. She had now living with her one Sir John Hubern, a fort of a fecondhand Husband, but fuch an one as neither owned her for his Wife, nor gave her his Name; and in fhort, as I learned afterward, was fufpected to live with her in Fornication: However, fhe being a Believer, loved to have Chriftians of good Reputation come and dine with her, fuch as the thought Dr. Bradford, Dr. Clarke, and myfelf; as Sir John Hubern, being an Unbeliever, loved to have Perfons like himself; fuch as Mr. Collins, and Dr. Tyndal, and where accordingly we used to meet, and to have frequent, but friendly Debates about the Truth of the Bible and Chriftian Religion. After fome

Time,

Time, when I was informed of this very fufpicious Affair, I was uneafy; and told Dr. Clarke that he had brought me into a Snare; and defired him to let me know whether the Lady Caverly and Sir John Hubern were married or not? his Account was blind and uncertain: That he fuppofed they had been married fomewhere beyond Sea, when she met with him in the Army, after fome aukwark Sort or other; and that they had lived as Man and Wife ever fince, tho' he would never own her for his Wife. This Account made me fo uneafy, that I could not go on with my Vifits to my own Satisfaction, till the Matter was better cleared up; and I defired to know the Bottom of it before I proceeded; of which I had a very good Opportunity foon offered, which I took hold of immediately: It was this; Dining myfelf alone with the Lady Caverly one Saturday, I happened to fay, that I defign'd the next Day to go to Bow Church, of which Dr. Bradford was Minifter, and indeed one of the beft of all the London Minifters; to stay the Communion with him. Upon which fhe faid, fhe would alfo come to the Communion with me. Whereupon I went immediately to Dr. Bradford, who knew the Report of her Living in Fornication with Sir John Hubern as well as I, and defired him to deny her the Communion upon that Report; and we would then go Home with her, and talk with Sir John about it. Dr. Bradford thanked me for my Information, and Advice, and refolved to act accordingly: So in the Morning we both came, as was agreed; and Dr. Bradford told the Lady,

that

that upon Occafion of this Scandal, he must refufe her the Communion, if she offered herself: Upon which she fell into Tears; as earnestly defiring to be owned for Sir John Hubern's Wife, but not able to compass it. After the Communion was over, the Lady carried us Home in her Coach, where we found Sir John. I foon broke the Matter to him, and told him, that Dr. Bradford had been forced to do an hard Thing to the Lady Caverly, and to refuse her the Communion, because they lived as Man and Wife, but he did not own her for his Wife. I faid that this Behaviour was unjustifiable, not only upon the Foot of Chriftianity, but of common Morality and Humanity while an Heathen ought not fo unworthily to expofe the Honour of a Lady. Sir John upon this Charge pretended to deny his living with her as Man and Wife, and made as if he only managed her Affairs, as a Lawyer, or a Friend only. I reply'd that the Lady was there, and knew it to be otherwife; and that it was no doubt but he lived with her as his Wife, as much as Dr. Bradford and myself lived with our Wives. So he found this would not bear: I added, that whatever Imperfection their had been in the Manner of their former Marriage, Dr. Bradford and myself were both Clergymen, and would either of us, if he pleased, marry them publickly again; in which I knew no harm. When he would not agree to that, I ventured to declare my own Opinion, that the Lady ought to leave him, as the most unexceptionable Way she could take in her prefent Circumftances.. Dr. Bradford was too tender in that Matter to agree with

me

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