who managed the Controverfie on both fides. I have above twenty Popish Authors, which the left me, and fome of them with Marginal Notes in her own Hand. And on the other fide fhe was very well verfed in Bishop Moreton's, Archbishop Laud's, and Mr. Chillingworth's Works, and Ran chin's Review of the Concil of Trent, thought worthy to be put into English by thofe two famous Men Doctor Chriftopher Potter, and Dr. Gerard Langbaine, the great Ornaments of Queen's College in Oxford: The latter of which tranflated it into English at the request of the former, and dedicated his Tranflation to him, which he published at Oxford, 1638. Thus her Genius led her to Controverfie, and Difpute, and made her take great Delight in reading the Controverfial Pieces on both fides betwixt the Champions of the two Churches, and diligent in collecting what she liked out of our Writers. One may obferve in her Letter fome borrowed Expreffions, which he took out of the Antidote of Popery. which the Reader will find between the two Letters in the Appendix, and of which I shall hereafter give an Account. She let me copy her Letter fourteen Years ago at her own Houfe, and as foon as I had thoughts of printing it with my own, I fent her Notice of it, and asked her Confent, with Liberty to revife it: Both which she gave me, with a Commiffion to alter any thing in it I thought was not fo right, or proper, or fo clear, as it fhould be. In a Controverfial Letter written about nine and forty Years ago the Reader will imagine there must be feveral old, and now unfashionable Words, and Expreffions taken out of Authors before that time: These I took the Liberty to change for others, more in prefent use, and a little to alter the Method of her Letter, and alfo to enlarge it here, and there in a few places where I thought it was too fhort; but 1 but I have not in the leaft altered her Notions, or the Subftance of what fhe wrote, nor added any thing new to it, but an Answer to an Objection against the Church of England now very much in fashion among the Roman Catholicks: viz. That he is in Communion with no other Church. This Objection, which they think is matter of reproach, was brought, and urged to the good old Gentlewoman about three Years ago, and The fent it to me for an Answer, which I returned much the fame in effect as the Reader will find it in Page 145. That which invited me more particularly to introduce it, and the Anfwer to it in, to her Letter, was the Confideration of the Lady to whom I wrote my own Letters; for fhe made this Objection to me at a Conference we had together, as the Reader will find, p. 7. though afterwards the did not infift upon it; and not knowing if it had yet been confidered by any other Writer, I took this Occafion to infert it with the Anfwer to it, as a part of Mrs. Hopton's Letter, that if it had not a publick Anfwer before, it might have one now. I alfo took upon me to add Notes upon fome Paffages in her Letter, which perhaps if I had not mentioned, the Reader would not have thought to be hers. I have already fpoken of her Diligence in reading Books relating to the Popish Controverfie, and her making Collections out of them. And I beg leave of the Reader farther to acquaint him, that fhe was not lefs ftudious in reading Books of Devotion, and gathering the choiceft Flowers out of them. That excellent Book of Devotion without her Name, Entituled, Daily Devotions, confifting of Thanksgiv ings, &c. By an bumble Penitent, was her collection, and Compofition, of which the communicated fome few Copies in MS. by which means, as I fuppofe, it came to be printed at London for Fonathan Edwin, 1673. In the beginning of the Preface it is faid, The following Meditations, Praifes, Prayers, and and Confeffions were the Devotions of a learned, and pious Chriftian, humbly offered up in due Order. This Edition I conceive might be occafioned by a MS. Co py out of a deceafed Clergy-Man's Study, who was taken to be the Author thereof. For it was afterwards fet forth with this Title Page, The Humble Penitent, or Daily Devotions, confifting of Thanksgivings, &c. With a preparative Exercife to a good Death. To which is added, The Sacrifice of a Devout Chriftian, or Preparations to the worthy Receiving of the Bleffed Sacrament. By a late Reverend Divine of the Church of England. The Fifth Edition. London, printed for Matthew Gilliflower, 1703. In the be ginning of the Preface of this Edition the words in the former are thus altered; The following Medita tions, &c. were the Devotions of a most learned, and pious Divine of the Church of England. In this Edition the Latin Prayer at the end of the former is left out, and as to the Additional Part; The Sacri Fice of a Devout Chriftian: The true Author of the Book told me it was not of her making, nor did the know by what Hand it was done. Yet there is an Hymn at the end of it, which is taken out of the LAUDS for our Saviour's Office in the Devotions in the ancient way of Offices, of which I may now tell the World, the was the Reformer, which confirms me in my conjecture, that the DAILY DE VOTIONS confifting of Thanksgivings, &c. tho hers, was printed from a MS. of a venerable deceafed Clergy-man of Herefordshire, with whom the had intimate Correfpondence, and wholesteemed the ad mirable DEVOTIONS in the daily way of Offices, as much as fhe did. I have two more MSS. of her Compofition, both Books of Devotion, one in her own Hand, and the other an English Hexameron, tranfcribed fair, and ready for the Prefs, Entituled Meditations upon God's Works in the Creation of the World. And as fhe was a great reader, and maker of Books of Devotion: So fhe devoutly exercifed her felf every Day conftantly, and regularly in holy Offices both in her Clofet, and in her Family, and to her daily Devotions added Alms in fuch a beneficent Christian manner, as her private Almoners, and the places where the lived can better tell, and teftifie, than I can now defcribe. The Third Part of this little Book, viz. SOME QUERIES fent by a Roman Catholick to a Divine of the Church of England, was written by a learned Prieft of the Church of England, lately deceafed, Mr. Samuel Grafcome, M A. of St. Mary Magdelen's College in Cambridge. Before his Deprivation he was Rector of Sturmouth in Kent, and fince he was deprived, made and publifhed the following Treatifes against our Adverfaries of the Church of Rome. 1. The Separation of the Church of Rome from the Church of England founded upon a Selfish Intereft, Quarto, 1691. 2. CERTAMEN RELIGIOSUM, or a Difpute between a Papift, and a Proteftant, 8°. &c. 1704. 3. CONCORDIA DISCORS, or fome Animadverfions on a late Treatife, Entituled, An ESSAY for Catholick Communion, &c. Octavo, 1705. IV. An ANSWER to a Book, Entituled, A fhort, and plain way to the Church, compofed many Years fince by Richard Huddleston of the English Congregation of the Order of St. BENEDICT, and now published by his Nephew, Fobn Huddlefton of the fame Congregation to gain Profe lytes to the Church of Rome, being a neceffary preférvative for all Perfons againft POPERY, Octavo, 1703. This laft Book fo pleafed Mrs. Hopton, that The fent the Author of it, who was a Stranger to her, a Teftimony of her Approbation of it. For The knew Father Huddleflon very well, and in her Letter to me, wherein the expreffed the Satisfaction The received in reading of it, he told me, the fhould Dr. Thomas glad before he died to fee an Answer to Dr. Thomas Bayly's Book, Entituled, An End to Controverfie between the Roman Catholick, and ProteStant Religions, printed at Doway 1654. And that The would give five Pounds to encourage the Undertaker of fo. good a Work. I could not but mention this for several Reafons. First, To acquaint the World that our Adverfaries of the Church of Rome boaft very much, that this Book was never yet anfwered. Secondly, To tell my Opinion, that I think so arrogant a piece of fuch an infolent Apoftate ought not to lye for ever unchaftifed. And, Thirdly, To let the Reader know one Occafion and Motive, which invited me to join Mr. Grafcom's Answer to the Queries, and Mrs. Hopton's Letter to Father Turbeville, together with my own Letters in- | to one Book. Mr. Grafcome wrote, and published other Pieces fince he was deprived, which I cannot mention, because I have them not by me, and as to this Answer to the Queries, it was found in his own Hand-writing among his other Papers, and I have reason to think from the Force, and Plainness with which it is written, that I fhall not be blamed for preferving of it by putting it in Print. As for the ANTIDOTE against POPERY between the two Letters in the Appendix, I took it out of a Book in Octavo, with this Title Page: SACRED PRINCIPLES, SERVICES, and SOLILOQUIES, or A Manual of Devotion made up of Three Parts, &c. The Third Edition, with fome Additions. London, Printed by T. N. for John Clark, 1656. The worthy Author, who then only ftiled himself PHILOCHRISTIANUS, was Dr. WILLIAM BROUGH, who for his Piety, and Learning, as well as great Sufferings, and Loyalty, was promoted by King Charles I. to the Deanery of Glocefter, and after C b Athenæ Oxonienfes. Vol. I. Col. 485, 487. the |