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3 Advertisement The Works of this Excellent Author need no Man’s Recommendation, nor can I think fit to pretend to give them any Advantage by mine. It shall suffice therefore barely to advertise concerning this, That it is the last Work of this Famous and Great Man, and so may be reckon’d the Product and Fruit of his utmost Improvements in Wisdom, Piety and Learning. He had consider’d it, as he thought, sufficiently, and was about to make it publick when he was prevented by a sudden Sickness; the Issue of which, at first, was doubtful, but which, in a little time, prov’d fatal. When this was expected, he left it in Charge with his Friends to publish this Work after his Death, who fulfill’d his Will in doing so. He wrote it with the Blessed Design to serve and promote Peace and Union among the Protestant Churches in Germany, and thought it might be of some Use towards this happy Effect. And then the State of the Church being much the same with us in England, as it is with them, we may reckon upon it as his Opinion or Judgment, that such an Essay or Endeavour to Reconcile and Unite Protestants, is very seasonable and proper, and may be useful to us. I thought also that it might be of Use to us in England, to understand and know the Principles and Practices of the Lutheran Churches (which are the true Protestant Churches beyond the Seas) better than for ought I can find we commonly do: And these are represented here fairly and distinctly in their true and genuine Lustre, and freed from the false and injurious Representations which are commonly made of them by their Adversaries . We may also I think see by this Book, that if any sober and judicious Persons in the Lutheran Churches have any Disesteem of the Church of England, or Prejudice against it, this comes to pass by their not knowing it exactly. Which may well be, inasmuch as it has been the Fortune of our Church to be more industriously, and more represented abroad by its Enemies than by its Friends. And I believe it 4 the divine feudal law, represented may be of great Use to us to know this. For these Reasons I thought it worth my Time and Labour, and agreeable enough with my Duty, and the earnest Desire I have, according to it, to serve Truth, and Piety, and Peace, among us, or, which includes all that in one Word, the Church of England, to turn this Book into our common Language; by which Means I judge it will become more known, and so be more useful among us than it was likely to be while it remain’d in the Original Latin. Now this is done, I pray God it may be serviceable to all those good Purposes mention’d, to whom be Glory for ever. Amen. ...

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