I. Amongst these the first place belongs to the _Collection of Papers in the Record Office_. Besides the assistance furnished by the published calendars of Mrs. Green, extending from 1660 to 1667, I have been favoured with the use of that lady's unpublished notes down to the close of 1669; these helps have greatly facilitated my inquiries into the history of the first decade embraced within these volumes. From that period to the Revolution, I have been left with no other clue than the Office catalogue of the books and bundles chronologically arranged; and all the documents which I could find bearing on domestic affairs--and they amount to many hundreds--I have carefully examined. Although those which relate to ecclesiastical matters are by no means so numerous as those which relate to political, commercial, and other subjects, they are of very great value to the Church historian. They may be classified as follows:-- _As to the Established Church_-- i. Note-book of Sir Joseph Williamson. ii. Applications for preferments, and correspondence relating to them. iii. Private letters alluding in various ways to Church affairs. _As to Nonconformists_-- i. Informations against them, which are very numerous. ii. A spy-book, containing many curious particulars of suspected persons. iii. Correspondence containing a great number of incidental allusions to the condition of Nonconformity. The details are generally of a minute description, and would very extensively serve the purpose of biographers and local historians; but they are not without considerable value for a purpose like mine, as my foot-notes will testify. Amongst the new historical illustrations thus afforded, are those connected with the ecclesiastical aspects of the general election of 1661, with the rumoured plots of that and succeeding years, plots in which Nonconformists were accused of being involved,--the conduct of Nonconformists under their persecutions,--and the fabrication of letters with the view of involving Nonconformists in trouble--of which one striking example occurs in relation to William Baffin, and, as appears very probable, another referring to certain London ministers. There are also notices of the Indulgence of 1672, and of the case of Colledge, the Protestant Joiner, as he was called. It is apparent how much the antipathies of the two religious parties of that day were augmented by political considerations; and from the documents are also obtained many interesting and amusing glimpses of private social life.