hich ought to be read to Edification) in an unknown Tongue. But he
either thought it not safe, or not convenient, or at least not
absolutely necessary to speak his Mind plainly as to that Matter.

Likewise, he particularly laugh'd at all the Species of popular and
monastical Piety; such as Prayers repeated over and over, without the
Mind, but recited by a certain Number with their_ Rosaries, _and_
Ave-Maria's, _by which, God being neglected, they expected to obtain all
Things, though none were particularly nam'd: Their_ tricenary, _and_
anniversary Masses, _nay, and all those for the Dead: The dying and
being buried in a_ Franciscan's _and_ Dominican's _Garment or Cowl, and
all the Trumpery belonging to it; and did, in a manner condemn all Sorts
of Monastical Life and Order, as practis'd among the Papists.

He shews it likewise to have been his Opinion, as to the Reliques of_
Christ, _and he and she Saints, that he judg'd the Worship of them a
vain and foolish Thing, and believ'd no Virtue to be in any of them,
nay, that the most, if not all of them, were false and counterfeit.

And to crown the Whole, he did not spare that beloved Principle and
Custom of the Papists, so zealously practis'd by them upon Protestants,
viz. the Persecution and Burning of Hereticks.

And now, of how much Use and Advantage such Things, and from such a
Person as_ Erasmus, _may be, and how much they may conduce to the
extirpating those Seeds of Popery, that may have been unhappily sown, or
may be subtilly instill'd into the Minds of uncautious Persons, under
the specious Shew of Sanctity, will, I presume, easily appear. Tho' the
Things before-mention'd may be Reason sufficient for the turning these
Colloquies of_ Erasmus _into_ English, _that so useful a Treatise may
not be a Book seal'd, either to Persons not at all, or not enough
acquainted with the_ Latin _tongue, as to read them with Edification;
yet I did it from another Motive,_ i.e. _the Benefit of such as having
been initiated, desire a more familiar Acquaintance with the_ Latin
_Tongue (as to the Speaking Part especially, to which_ Erasmus's
_Colloquies are excellently adapted) that by comparing this Version with
the Original, they may be thereby assisted, to more perfectly
understand, and familiarize themselves with those Beauties of the_ Latin
_Language, in which_ Erasmus _in these Colloquies abounds.

And for that End, I have labour'd to give such a Translation of them, as
migh