will be feen by what wicked Arts the Popes endeavour'd to maintain their lawless Empire, and by what wife ACTS and DECREES the Synod baffled all their Intrigues, and at laft, in a very folemn Manner, fubjected them to the Authority of the Council.

BUT I ought not to anticipate the Matter in this Work, nor to enlarge here upon its Contents, fo fully explained by the learned Hiftorians Dr. Burnet and Le Clerc, in the following Preface. And that it may be thought worthy of your Acceptance, and the Tranflator of your Pardon, is the humble Hope and Prayer of,

THE

Tranflator's PREFACE

T

O fet the State of the CHURCH during the XVth Century in its true Light, and to reprefent it to the Life, no Materials could be of fo much Service as a particular Hi

story of what pass'd at the Councils of CONSTANCE and BASIL. That learned Divine, my Author, has obliged the World with an Account of both thofe Affemblies, written with that Plainnefs, Circumfpection, and Impartiality, that there's no Room to fufpect that he suffer'd himself to be byass'd by Pas fion or Prejudice *.>

By this History, the Reader will be enabled to guess at the Characters of the Popes who were at the Head of the Church for fifty Years together. He will perceive, that the Chriftians of both Sides acknowledg'd for Chrift's Vicars, Popes whom they detefted and abhorred, and who indeed were fo little worthy of the Station they enjoy'd, that feveral of them were depos'd for Herefy, Simony and Perjury; that they were Men who facrificed

The History of the Council of Bafil, which by reafon of the Author's much lamented Death, has been fomewhat retarded at the Prefs, is like to be publish'd very foon in Holland; and if this Hiftory of the Council of Conftance, which now appears

for the first Time in the English Language, has a favourable Reception, the Bookfellers, who have been at the Expence of publishing this, will be encouraged to fpare no Coft to put out that of Bafil, as foon as poffible, in the fame Language and Form.

the

the Peace and Quiet of the Church to their own private Interests and Pleasures; that they damn'd without Mercy, as far as lay in their Power, all who were not of their Obedience or Party; and that they would without Scruple have involv'd all Christendom in a bloody War upon their Score, if the fecular Princes had not been wiser than themselves, and if they had been as unconcern'd for the Temporal Interests of their Subjects, as those Popes were for their Welfare in Spirituals. But I ftop here to leave Room for the Teftimonies of two great Writers, which, tho' more might be added, are in my humble Opinion, fufficient of themselves to establish the Credit of any History whatever, and fhall refer the Reader for the reft, to the Account of the Author's Life and Writings, which is prefix'd to the Tranflation.

DR. GILBERT BURNET, late Bishop of SARUM, in his Preface to the third Volume of the Hiftory of the Reformation, gives the following Character.

THERE is another History written in French, and which, I hope, is foon to appear in our own Language, which I cannot recommend more than it deferves. It is Mr. Lenfant's Hiftory of the COUNCIL • of CONSTANCE, in which that excellent Perfon has with great Care, and a Sincerity liable to no Excepti on, given the World fo true a View of the State of the Church, and of Religion, in the Age before the • Reformation, that I know no Book so proper to prepare a Man for reading the Hiflory of the Reformation, as the attentive Perufal of that noble Work: He was indeed well furnished with a Collection of

‹ ex

'excellent Materials, gathered with great Fidelity and Industry by the learned Dr. Vander Hardt, Profeffor ‹ of Divinity in the University of Helmftadt, and pro'cured for him by the Noble Zeal and Princely Bounty of that most ferene and pious Prince Rodolph Auguft, the late Duke of Brunfwic-Wolfembuttle, who fet himself with great Care, and at a vaft Charge, to procure from all Places, the Copies of all Papers and Manuscripts that could be found, to give Light to the Proceedings of that great Affembly. That Collection amounted to fix Volumes in Folio.

From these authentick Vouchers, the History of that Council is now happily compiled. And if that learned Author can find Materials, to give us as full, and as clear a History of the Council of Bafil, as he has given of that of CONSTANCE, I know no greater 'Service can be done to the World: For by it, Popery 'will appear in its true and native Colours, free from thofe palliating Disguises, which the Progrefs of the Reformation, and the Light which by that has been given the World, has forced upon thofe of that • Communion. We have the celebrated History of the 'COUNCIL of TRENT, written with a true Sublimity of Judgment, and an unbiaffed Sincerity. But how well, and how juftly foever the History which Father Paul gave the World of that Council is esteemed, I am not afraid to compare the late Hiftory of the • COUNCIL OF CONSTANCE even to that admired Work; fo far at least, as that if it will not be allowed to be quite equal to it, yet it may be well reckoned among the best of all that have written after that noble Pat

• tern.

tern,

which the famous Venetian Fryar has given to all the Writers of Ecclefiaftical History.'

The Reader cannot have a jufter or fuller Idea of this celebrated History, than what is given by M. le Clerc of Holland, to whom the learned World is fo much oblig'd for the accurate Accounts he has published in his numerous Bibliotheques of all the most valuable Books that have appeared in the Republick of Litera

ture.

He gives a particular Account of this History of the Council of Conftance, in the fecond Article of his Bibliotheque Choifie, Vol. XXVII. from whence we have taken the following Abstract.

• THIS is an Ecclefiaftical History, which treats en'tirely of Matters relating to Doctrine and Discipline, and faithfully represents the Conduct of the Council of Conftance in general, and the particular Sentiments of those who affifted at it. The Author, who had his principal Memoirs from the Members of that Council, has fo ftrictly observed the Laws of Hiftory, with Regard to Sincerity and Impartiality, that very few Histories of the Kind can in that Respect equal it.

HE reprefents the Sentiments of the Doctors who < were in this Council, and of those who treated of it foon after, in the fame Manner as they exprefs 'em themselves, and as to Facts, his Vouchers are the pub. lick Acts, and the Authors who wrote in that Time, whom he examines with great Care, and compares with one another, in order to discover the Truth, or at least what comes nearest to it. All manner of

Readers,