ing fenfible," That Men of weaker Understandings, ftand in need of fhort and plain Difcourfes, fuch as they can from "their neceffary Bufinefs get time to read, “ and fuch as reading they are able to understand; and for their fakes did he publish that plain and useful Treatise abovementioned.

Those other Books which he liv'd to publish, are no less excellent in their kind; and among those I will crave leave to mention a little one, which he chofe to be distinguifh'd by in fome of his later Difcourses, tiled the Summ of Christianity, which is defervedly reckoned one of the best of its kind, that was ever printed; and hath been di stributed in great Numbers among the poorer fort of People in this, and other Counties, together with his Scripture Catechifm, no less excellent, in that judicious and pertinent Application of the Holy Scriptures, to the feveral parts of the Church Catechifm. Thefe Books were defign'd for common Ufe and Benefit, and to be purchas'd at an eafy Price for the poorer fort of People; and which, in a great meafure, did fully answer the Expectation of our Author, in thofe feveral Impreffions made of them.

The Reader fhall be troubled with no farther Account of his Treatifes, which he pub.

published in his Life. Some Account muft be now given of what is here, or fhall here. after be prefented.

He muft, in the first place, be inform'd, that there was a Defign above a Year ago. to print these Difcourfes, with several others, by a Subscription, and Proposals were made accordingly, which met with good Encouragement; but fome Difference afterwards arifing concerning the fame betwixt the Bookfeller and Editor, it hath been refolved to lay afide the Subfcription, and to publish this Volume of our Author's Works to take its fate; and if it meets with at kind Acceptance from the Publick, a fecond Volume will immediately follow, no lefs perfect than this, if not more Correct, because it will consist of fuch Difcourfes, that some time ago were Licens'd for the Prefs by the Reverend Dr. Barker and Dr. Isham, though the printing of them was fufpended for fome Reasons.

As to these Difcourfes upon the Pa rables, which are now offer'd, the Reader fhall not be prepoffefs'd with any particular Account, or Commendation of them; it is hoped that they will be able to speak for themselves, and obtain his Favour and good Acceptance. And tho the Subject matter of these Parables has been very well

handled

handled by other Writers, yet, the great compass which our Author has taken in his Explication of them, may render them as acceptable as any of thofe which have been already Printed.

The Author had confidered fome, if not most of the other Parables; but they bcing lefs perfect and intire, the Publication of them will be fufpended, if not totally omitted.

As to the other Tracts which may Compose the Second Volume, they will confift of a large Difcourfe, Entituled, The great work of a Chriftian; or, the Neceffity and Method of working out his Salvation, divided into feveral Chapters; and a large and most excellent Difcourfe of Communicating often in the Holy Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, which our Author defign'd fhou'd be printed together; and if these should not be fufficient to make up the Second Volume, one or two of thofe Sermons, which were mention'd in the former printed Propofals, will be Annex'd to them.

There will be a third Volume of Sermons, if not a fourth, upon practical Subjects, which had been fairly tranfcrib'd for the Prefs by the worthy Author. All which will be Printed in due time, if the Publisher

meet

meet with Encouragement. Befides thefe, the Author, in the laft Year of his Life, writ a large and full Explication of the Church Catechifm, and which he finish'd with great care and exactnefs, and left it to the Confideration of fome of his Brethren of the Clergy, whether it fhould be made publick; and which has been fo well approv'd by those that have perus'd it, that it is likely to fee the Light, and be publish'd by its felf.

The Reader being thus briefly acquainted with what may be expected from the Pofthumous Works of this our Pious and Reverend Author, the remaining part of the Preface fhall be fpent in giving some short Account of his Life, and which may be expected from that worthy Character which he bore in the Place and County to which he belong'd.

He was born at Rofe Caftle in Cumberland in the Year of our Lord 1633, when the Pious and Learned Dr. Potter was Bishop of Carlisle, who had been Tutor to his Father in Queens College in Oxford, and afterwards brought him to Rofe Caftle, to manage the concerns of his Temporal Estate, and which he did with that Fidelity, as to procure much favour and respect from the faid Bishop.

His

His Son Clement being Born at this place, the good Bishop was one of his Godfathers, and took care to have him Educated in his Family, which moft probably laid the Foundation of that Piety and Goodness which were fo eminently Confpicuous in him, and the early Impreffions which he receiv'd from the Bishop in matters of Religion, was that which he esteem'd the peculiar Bleffing of his Life.

The good Bishop dying at the beginning of the Civil War, Mr. Ellis, the Father, kept poffeffion of Rofe Caftle for the King, and defended it for fome confiderable time against the Rebels; but at laft was forc'd to furrender it at Difcretion, and was long detain'd Prifoner for his firm Adherence to the Royal Caufe. He fuffered very much in his own Estate, and which rendred him incapable of fending his Son to Oxford, whither he was defign'd, and when, by Age and other Qualifications, it was time for him to be admitted in that Univerfity. But it fo providentially fell out, that the Reverend Mr Barlow (afterwards Bishop of Lincoln) and Mr. Tully, Fellows of Queens College in Oxford, came to vifit their Friends in Cumberland, and finding the great ftreights which their old Friend, and Fellow Collegian, was then reduced to, and his utter Incapacity of maintaining his Son in the Univerfity (ha