The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21).
Volume VIII. The Age of Dryden.
§ 5. Pearson’s Exposition of the Creed
Pearson was a notable preacher and an accurate scholar: he vindicated the authenticity of the Epistles of St. Ignatius, anticipating the labours of later scholars: he was an active bishop at Chester from 1673 to 1686. But his chief fame is due to his Exposition of the Creed, published on the eve of the restoration, which, till the last generation, remained the standard work of English theology on the subject. The character of Pearson’s writing is its learning: he was critical, elaborate, closely argumentative, replete with quotations. But his writing is never clear or flowing; he is encumbered by the weight of his knowledge, and precedent has stifled originality alike in his exposition and in his style.