PREFACE.

THE Library founded by HUMPHREY CHETHAM, as part of his noble Educational Charity, contains a more than ordinarily complete Collection of the Tracts published on both sides in the Roman Catholic Controversy which was waged with so much learning, ability, and argumentative skill in the latter part of the reign of Charles the Second, and throughout the whole of that of his successor.

As it appeared desirable that a specimen of the contents of this Library should be afforded by a detailed account of some portion of it, which might be easily separable from the remainder, in the series of publications which bear the honoured name of its founder, it was conceived that a Catalogue of these Tracts, taking Peck's' elaborate and valuable

1 "A complete Catalogue of all the Discourses written, both for and against Popery, in the Time of King James II. Containing in the Whole, An Account of Four hundred and Fifty seven Books and Pamphlets, a great Number of them not mentioned in the three former Catalogues. With References after each Title, for the more speedy finding of a further Account of the said Discourses, and of their Authors, in sundry Writers: And An Alphabetical List of the Writers on each Side. A Tract very necessary for these Times, and for all those who are desirous to complete their Sets of those Pieces, or would sort them to the best Advantage. Drawn up in a new Method, By Francis Peck, M.A. Rector of Godeby, near Melton in Leicestershire. Διὰ Δυσφημίας καὶ Ευφημίας. 2 Cor. vi. 8. London: Printed and Sold at St. John's Gate; by A. Dodd, without

List as its groundwork, and giving therefore a complete bibliographical view of the Controversy, would not be unacceptable to the Members of the CHETHAM SOCIETY, more especially as the List referred to has never been reprinted, and has now become exceedingly scarce. That a reprint of it was not subjoined to the late republication of Bishop Gibson's Preservative by the Reformation Society appears an unaccountable omission.

The plan adopted in the present work has been to give the Tract of Peck entire, incorporating with it whatever additions, which it will be seen at once are not slight or inconsiderable, the Editor was able to collect from the sources which have been open to him, and relieving the dryness of a mere catalogue of books by historical and bibliographical notes and references. It will be observed that all the Tracts and Books not numbered are additions to Peck's original List. The marginal letters C. L. indicate the Chetham Library, B. M. the British Museum, B. L. the Bodleian Library, T. C. D. Trinity College, Dublin, M. L. Archbishop Marsh's, Dublin, and S. C. Sion College Library, as the depositories in which the books thus marked are respectively to be found.

It is rather remarkable that scarce as Peck's Tract undoubtedly is, the Chetham Library possesses three copies of it, in which extensive MS. additions have been made,

Temple Bar; J. Stag and J. Fox, in Westminster-Hall; E. Nutt and Mrs. Cook, at the Royal Exchange. 1735. Price 23." 4to pp. 62; title, preface and contents, pp. 8. For an account of Francis Peck and his writings, see Nichols's Literary Anecdotes, vol. i. p. 507, et seqq.

partly by the Rev. John Clayton,2 M.A., Fellow of the Collegiate Church, Manchester, and partly by another annotator less known, who subscribes himself E. Syddal (vid. p. 11), and was probably the Edward Syddal or Siddal of Fallowfield, who appears in the Pedigree of the Siddal family as of Slade Hall in the Parish of Manchester. These MS. additions encouraged the Editor in his endeavours to make the List of Controversial Tracts as nearly complete as possible. Similar additions have been supplied from an interleaved copy of Peck, kindly placed at his service by the Rev. JOHN TAYLOR ALLEN, M.A., Ex-Librarian of the Chetham Library, which formerly belonged to Bishop White Kennett, and furnishes fresh proofs of the patient and laborious industry of that indefatigable writer.

But the most useful assistance which the Editor has derived from any source, and to which the present work must owe its principal value and main recommendation, is from the liberality and learned and careful research of the eminent theological scholar, JAMES HENTHORN TODd, D.D., of Trinity College, Dublin. Dr. Todd had made large collections for a second edition of Peck with a view to their being printed at the Clarendon Press, Oxford, and had proceeded as far as chap. xviii. No. 220, when, on learning that a similar publication was in progress in the Chetham Series, he most kindly placed his MS. materials in the hands. of the present Editor, in order to be made available for the

2 For an account of this able and learned man see Byrom's Remains, vol. i. part ii. p. 509.

* See Booker's Chapelry of Birch, Chetham Series, p. 136.

work now in the reader's hands.

Those who refer to the notes and additions to which the initials J. H. T. are subjoined will have no difficulty in estimating the extent of the obligation under which Dr. TODD has placed the Members of the Chetham Society and all who take an interest in the publication to which he has afforded so rich a contribution.

The Editor has much pleasure in availing himself of this opportunity of acknowledging also his obligations to the Rev. JOHN I. DREDGE1; to ROBERT TRAVERS, Esq., M.A., M.B. of Trinity College, Dublin, who on this as on other occasions has been his faithful guide and counsellor; and especially to JAMES CROSSLEY, Esq., F.S.A., President of the Chetham Society, by whose valuable counsels and suggestions the volume has been greatly benefited. He has to lament that to one zealous co-operator all expression of gratitude is now vain; the effective aid of the Rev. ROBERT RYLAND MENDHAM, B.A., of Sutton Coldfield, having been lost to him by death shortly after this volume was commenced.

In such a multitudinous series of titles it is almost impossible to avoid occasional inaccuracies, and any corrections therefore which the Editor may receive he will gladly insert and most thankfully acknowledge in the concluding part of this Catalogue.

T. J.

4 As a proof of the rarity of Peck's Catalogue, it may be mentioned that this gentleman (who possesses a large collection of the Tracts) has for years sought in vain for a copy of Peck.

PREFACE TO PECK'S CATALOGUE.

THERE being three Catalogues of this sort by three very eminent persons already printed,' the reader will be perhaps surprised at my here offering him a fourth.

But 1. The two first Catalogues were printed while the controversy was yet on foot. This appears from their very titles. The present state of the controversy. And, A continuation of the present state of the controversy. And, for this reason, neither of those two could be complete.

2. The third Catalogue (tho' it came not out 'till 1689) mentions only the writers against popery; and not all those neither by a great many. For which reason, and as it is in a manner perfectly silent as to the writers for popery, it may be said to be, tho' not so defective as the two former Catalogues in the one respect, yet much more so in the other.

3. The titles of the several discourses written by the Romanists are (so many of them as are mentioned in the two first Catalogues) so contracted and abridged, that

1 Viz. The Present State of the Controversie between the Church of England and the Church of Rome; Or, An Account of the Books written on both sides. In a Letter to a Friend. [By William Claget, D.D.] Imprimatur Guil. Needham. May 7, 1686. pp. 36, 4to Lond. 1687.

A Continuation of the Present Controversy between the Church of England and the Church of Rome. Being a full Account of the Books that have been of late written on both sides. [By William Wake.] pp. 76, Epistle, Dedic., &c., pp. 12, 4to Lond. 1688.

The Catalogue of all the Discourses published against Popery during the Reign of King James II. By the Members of the Church of England, and by the Non-conformists. With the names of the Authors of them. By Edward Gee, M.A. pp. 34, 4to Lond. 1689.

None of these Tracts are reprinted in Gibson's Preservative.-Ed.