THE HUMBLE AND EARNEST REQVEST OF THOMAS JAMES, Dr OF DIVINITY, AND SUB DEANE of the Cathedral Church of Welles, to the Church of England; for, and in the behalf of Books touching Religion.  
1 THat the Latine-fathers' works, (whereof diverse are already done) the Books of Counsels, and the body of the Canon Law, may be diligently reviewed and compared With the best Manuscripts; and the Collections and needful observations thence-from arising, printed; together with the pieces and fragments of the Father's works (if any shall be found.)  
2 That the Latin Translation of the Greek Fathers may be collationed by able and fit persons, by reason of divers Christophorsons and jesuits, that have tootoo much abused the ignorant of the tongue.  
3 That the Jndices: Expurgatory may be likewise perused, all of them, as many as can be gotten, the places forbidden to be transcribed, of which labour there is a third part at the least already taken either by me, or my procurement.  
4 That Lyra and the Gloss, the Great Bibliotheea sanctorum Patrum, Platina, Caietan, Alphonsus de Castro, and sundry others of all sorts of Authors, may be compared with former Editions, and Manuscripts (if need be) to meet with their secret Jndices Expurgatorii, which are the more dangerous, because they print, and leave out what they list, at pleasure, and yet make no words of it, neither have any Commission known for to do it.  
5 That the Authors of the middle age, that wrote in the defence of that Religion, which is now (thanks be to God) publicly established in the Church of England, for the substance thereof, may be faithfully transcribed, diligently collated, & distributed into volumes, whereof many may be made of orthod oxe-writers;; if not so many as of their Bibliotheca Patrum Probabilium: adding hereunto such Writers, as being bred and brought up in the bosom of the Roman Church saw the disorders, discovered their abuses both in doctrine and manners, and wished almost for the same reformation, that was afterward most happily wrought & brought to pass by Martin Luther and his companions: of the first sort are Wickliff, Peacocke, Gu. de S. Amore, Jo. P. Mi●orita, Normannus Anon, Nic. O●em & sundry others: of the Later kind, Wesselus', Wicelius, P. de Alliaco, Faber, Gerson, Cusarius, and such like.  
6 That the Catalogus testium veritatis, compiled by Illyricus, may be rectified out of the originals, quoting Book, Chapter, & Edition; & supplied out of the vnprinted Manuscripts.  
7 That out of all these an Anticoccius may be framed out of Fathers, and middle-aged Writers, that were in their times esteemed of the Church of Rome, and out of them only: nothing doubting but we shall be able to match, if not exceed, his two large Volumes both in greatness and goodness; quoting as before, precisely, our Editions, and doing all fide optima & antiqua, religiously and unpartially as becometh Divines.  
8 That the supposititious and Bastard Works of the Fathers, noted by Doctor Rivet, or Master Cook, or any other, may be reexamined; their exceptions scanned or weighed with indifferency, & other reasons added to their challenge, if any shall be found.  
9 That the suspected places may be viewed in the true Fathers, which are justly challenged of corruption, either by our own men, or the adversary, with the like indifference of minds, and unpartiality of judgements, being compared with the touchstone of the old Manuscripts, and printed books, which are quasi Manuscripts.  
Tenthly and lastly, the perpetual Visibility of the Church, more or less, and the History of the same Religion that we profess for the substance thereof, throughout all ages, may be showed to the Eye, noting when those Novelismes & superadditaments of the Church of Rome, came in as near as may be guessed, the time when, and parties by whom they were opposed.  
All which 10 Propositions, (needful and important as they are) I do willingly commend unto my dear Mother the Church of England, and from her to the Clergy & Gentry of this Land, to be proceeded in, as they shall see it most expedient for the common good; promising nothing but my pains to be commanded in these public services. And I make no doubt (if God will) but that all this may be effected, within some few years, if the Almighty give grace, the Rich whom God hath blessed with this worldly substance, encouragement; & the rest their prayers. Of the likelihood hereof I am the rather persuaded, because already by my own means, and small endeavours, there is almost a fourth part of the Work done in all these 10 Articles. If one alone may do so much within such a time, what may a dozen able Scholars (such as I know and could name) do within 5, 6, 7, or 8 years, which is the utmost in my conjecture?  
For the raising of the charges, which will amount to three thousand pound Stock, or three hundred pound a year at the least, (so much shall well content both me and them,) that shall be employed in this happy Work: (though if more be offered, we know well how to use and employ it to the public benefit:) and of raising such a sum as this is, I doubt not, if some one of the Clergy or Laity shall not take upon him the whole charge, as many in this Kingdom are (thanks be to God) able, and would be willing, if they either knew of the good that is likely to come unto the Church, or the Honour unto themselves, and chiefly how much this business doth concern the glory of God, the assuring of the most material points controverted, whiles there are daily questions made, & doubts arising either about the Editions, Readins, Translations, Corruptions of whole Books in Pseudepigraphous Writers, or of diverse hundreds of places in the True Books, all which difficulties will easily be avoided (as I trust) by this one Work being once well done. But that such a Stock or annual rent may be made, I doubt not; but am somewhat confident, when I see how fruitful our Religion hath been of good Works, and how many Suttons and Bodleyes, and other godly men it hath yielded, no Nation more: and herein no city, (I except not Rome herself) without the hope of pardon, guile of Confessors, and fear of Purgatory, is able to match or equalise, much less to surpass or exceed our famous City of London in the right use and end of giving as tokens of our Faith, not as the means of our salvation. What shall I speak of the Sages of our Law, or Inns of Court? but my desire is, and proposal shall be to offer this great Honour, first unto the Clergy of this Land. The Popish Clergy in France have (as I am informed) at their own charges printed the Greek Fathers, & shall not we be provoked to do the like for the Latin, and many things else that import the Weal Public of Learning? Twelve pound out of every Diocese one with another, from the Cathedral Churches, the Reverend Bishops and Clergy, will make up the sum; or if every one of the Clergy of this famous Church, will either give yearly xijᵈ, or but lend ij ᶠ, till any thing be printed, he shall have the same again with thanks, (if it be demanded,) deducted out of the Book, when any thing shall be printed; I mean this xijd d or two shillings of every hundred pound, they making their own estimates of their livings, and paying the same half yearly to the Register of every Diocese. But my intent is to desire, & not to prescribe unto my Superiors, who know better than I how to manage so weighty and important a business, resting theirs  
Wholly to command T. I. S. T. P. B. P. N.   

I Approve of the things here projected, & wish with all my heart they may take good effect  
LV. PRIDEAUX Vicecanc. S. T. D. Prof. Reg. Theol.  
ROD. KETTELL Prese Coll. S. Trinit.  
LEON. HUTTEN Aedis Christi Praebend.  
GVIL. LANGTON Coll. Magd. Praeses.  
SEBASTIANUS BENEFIELD Lecturae Margareticae Professor.  
IO. PARKEHURST Magister Coll. Ball.  
IO. RAULENSON Principalis Aulae S. Edmundi.  
IO. WILKINSON Aul. Magd. Praep.  
GVIL. PEIRS Decanus Petriburgensis.  
SAM. FELL Aedis Christi Praebend.  
THO. ILES Aulae Cervinae Principalis.  
RIC. ASTELEY Custos Coll. Omnium Animarum.  
ROB. PINCK Novi Coll. Custos.  
GU. SMYTH Coll. Wadham. Guard.  
IO. TOLSON Coll. Oriel. Praepositus.  
PAULUS' HOOD Coll. Lincoln. Rector.  
GVIL. JUXON Coll. D. IO. Praeses.