Switzerland.-2. Calvin.-3. France.-4. Scotland.-5. Eng land.-6. Moravians and Waldenses.-7. Doctrinal views of the Reformed.-8. Anabaptists, or Mennonites.-9. Men- Missions of the Roman church.-2. China. 3. Japan.- 4. Protestant Missions.-5. Popish Missions in Africa and South America.-6. Protestant Missions in North America. -7. Infidelity.-8. Learning.-9. Popes. 10. Efforts of Rome to reclaim Protestants.-11. Abyssinia.-12. Monks. 13. Jesuits.-14. Dominicans and Jansenists.-15. Quietists. -16. Lutheran church.-17. Syncretism.-18. Pietism.-19 Reformed churches.-20. Arminian system.-21. Synod of Romish Missions.-2. Protestant Missions.-3. Infidelity.- 4. The Bull Unigenitus.-5. Jesuits and Jansenists.-6 Greek and Lutheran churches.-7. Moravians.-8. British churches. PREFACE. THE idea has too generally prevailed, that Hence there is perhaps no branch of knowledge, of Few branches of study would be found Switzerland.-2. Calvin.-3. France.-4. Scotland.-5. Eng land.-6. Moravians and Waldenses.-7. Doctrinal views of the Reformed.- 8. Anabaptists, or Mennonites.-9. Men- Missions of the Roman church. -2. China.-3. Japan.- 4. Protestant Missions.-5. Popish Missions in Africa and South America.-6. Protestant Missions in North America. 7. Infidelity.-8. Learning.-9. Popes.-10. Efforts of Rome to reclaim Protestants.-11. Abyssinia.-12. Monks. 13. Jesuits.-14. Dominicans and Jansenists.-15. Quietists. -16. Lutheran church.-17. Syncretism.-18. Pietism.-19 Reformed churches.-20. Arminian system.-21. Synod of PREFACE. THE idea has too generally prevailed, that church history belongs only to theologians, and that it could be neither important nor interesting to the common reader. Hence there is perhaps no branch of knowledge, of which the mass of people are more ignorant, than the history of the Church of Christ in the world. Most of our church histories are too voluminous for the generality of readers: and this is one reason, perhaps, why the subject has been so much neglected. Few branches of study would be found more interesting as an amusement; certainly none, fuller of affecting and important incident. Even the lover of romantic subjects would find many events recorded in the history of the Church, of quite as powerful in terest, as any of the dreams of fiction. how much better would it be for our youth, to employ their leisure hours, and their seasons of recreation, in storing their minds with the interesting facts developed in the history of the Church of Ged n he world, than ir And feeding their imaginations with idea fancies. How much more profitable and rational to be employed in laying up knowledge in regard to the history of the Church, that has so direct a bearing upon the happiness of man here, and his hopes and prospects hereafter, than to spend so much time, as many do, in pursuing the mere vagaries of a wild imagination, that have no real existence either in the present or the future world; and that often tend only to corrupt the heart, and disqualify the person, as well for living in this world, as for dying and going to a better! But the study of church history would be found, not only interesting and amusing, but highly profitable, in guarding and fortifying the mind against those errors that are so often introduced under the pretence of being some new discovery; but which, on examination, will be found to be only some exploded notion of a former day, brought forward with some little modification, perhaps, and under a new name. Scarcely a new notion is proached, or a new sect springs up, but they will be found to have their prototypes in some opinion, or sect of antiquity. How much a correct knowledge of the past history of the Church would be calculated to guard the minds of people from being insnared and led |