"Jun. 12. 1660.
"Reader,--Lest whatever pseudography (as there is much thereof)
occurring to thy intentionall or accidentall view of the following
pages in this book should prove offensive to thee, I thought good
to give thee an account of what hath occasioned the same, viz. In
the woful days of the late usurper, the registring of births, not
baptisms, was injoyned and required, to give a liberty to all the
adversaries of Pedobaptisme, &c., and, besides some circumstances,
too unhandsome for the calling and person of a minister, were then
allso annexed to him that was to keep a register of all, &c.; and
so it came to passe, that persons of no learning, for many places,
were chosen by y'e parish, and ministers declined the office.