To JOHN ADAMS,

LATE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

SIR,

MEDFIELD, AUGUST 3, 1801.

IMPRESSED with a sense of

your con

defcenfion, in permitting me to prefix your name to a fecond edition of this work, I am ambitious, that the present should make its public appearance under the fame dignified and refpectable patronage.

I AM the rather induced to avail myself a fecond time of the honour, which your name hath conferred on my Compendium, fince your important talents and commanding virtues have become more confpicuous, by having been displayed from a station of greater eminence.

NOR can I forbear to boast, as an additional motive, the personal acquaintance, with which you have honoured me, and which hath brought to my own knowledge the juftice of your exalted reputation, and given me a ftriking view of the union of moral and intellectual excellence.

LONG

LONG may your country be bleft with the falutary influence of your example, while you enjoy the grateful benedictions of the virtuous and enlightened part of your fellow-citizens, and the fmiles of an approving conscience, in reflecting on your difinterefted and persevering exertions for the welfare and honour of the American republic.

To THE READER.

IT will be easily perceived, that the compiler of the following work has, with great labour and pains, ranfacked the treasures of ecclefiaftical history, ancient and modern, to bring into view what is here prefented to the public,

She claims no other merit, than that of having honeftly and impartially collected the fenfe of the different fects, as it is given by the authors, to whom the refers: nor was it a vain ambition of appearing as an author, that put her upon writing; her own fatisfaction and amufement being the only object. Having yielded however to its publication, at the defire of feveral judicious friends, fhe has alfo done violence to her own inclination, by prefixing her name.

The world has been abfurdly accustomed to entertain but a moderate opinion of female abilities, and to afcribe their pretended productions to the craft and policy of defigning men; either to excite admiration or fcreen their weakness from cenfure: whereas unbiaffed reafon muft allow, if an invidious comparison between the fexes is in any refpect juftifiable, it cannot be grounded upon a defect of natural ability, but upon the different, and perhaps faulty mode of female education; for under fimilar culture, and with equal advantages, it is far from being certain, that the female mind would not admit a measure of improvement, which would at least equal, and perhaps in many inftances eclipfe, the boafted glory of

the other fex.

There have been female writers, and hiftorians, who have been deservedly honoured in the literary world.— The celebrated Mrs. Maccauley Graham, who has

lately

lately honoured our country with her presence, is a living example.

The writer of this compendium having been from her youth fond of books, has made herself acquainted with the Greek and Latin tongues, which may fufficiently account for fo frequent a ufe of terms in thofe languages.

However the volume may be received by thofe, who are versed in the historic page, it may at least be useful and entertaining to thofe, who have neither leifure nor opportunity to perufe the numerous volumes, from which the whole is collected.-With regard to many of the ancient fects, it is well known little has been preferved, and therefore little can be here expected.-With refpect to others, fuch as defire further information, are directed by references to the volumes, and generally to the pages, where their inquifitive minds may be fatisfied.

It is truly astonishing, that fo great a variety of faith and practice should be derived, with equal confidence of their different abettors, from one and the fame revelation from heaven: but while we have the lively oracles, we are not to adopt any of the numerous fchemes of religion, further than they have a manifest foundation in the facred pages. To the law and to the teftimony; if they speak not according to this word, however fpecious their fyftems may appear, "there is no light in them.”

With cordial wifhes for the divine illumination of the Holy Spirit, by which the facred fcriptures were indited, and a univerfal prevalence of the knowledge and practice of pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father,

I am the reader's most obedient

Humble fervant,

THOMAS PRENTISS.

MEDFIELD.

Advertisement.

THE reader will be pleased to obferve,

that the following rules have been carefully adhered to through the whole of this performance.

Ift. To avoid giving the leaft preference of one denomination above another: omitting those pasfages in the authors cited, where they pafs their judgment on the sentiments, of which they give an account: confequently the making use of any fuch appellations, as Heretics, Schifmatics, Enthusiasts, Fanatics, &c. is carefully avoided.

2d. To give a few of the arguments of the principal fects, from their own authors, where they could be obtained.

3d. To endeavour to give the fentiments of every fect in the general collective fenfe of that denomination.

4th. To give the whole as much as poffible, in the words of the authors from which the compilation is made, and where that could not be done without too great prolixity, to take the utmost care not to mifreprefent the ideas.