The Preface. .[!Jap. 2. Againfl: this Rock, this Foundation of the Church, the Perfon of Chrift, and the Faith of the Church concerning it, great oppofition hath been made by the Gates ofHell. Not to ni.enti'on the rage of the Pagan world endeavouring by all effeCts of violence and cruelty to caR: the Church from this Foundation ; all the H;erefies wherewith fron1 the beginning, and for forrie.-centuries of years enfuing it \Vas .peilered, con– filled in direct and immediate oppofitions unto ·the '~ternal Truth concerning the Perfon of Chrifl:. S01ne that are fo efl:eemed indeed, never pretended unto any fobriery, but were meer effects of.delirant Imagina– tions ; yet did even they alfo one way or other derive frmn an hatred unto the Perfon ofChrift, and centred therein. Their beginning was early in the Church, even before t~e writing ofthe Gofpel by John or his ~~ tVelations, and indeed before fome of Paul's .EpifHes. Arid although their beginning \Vas but fmall, and feen1ingly contemptible, yet being full of the poifon pf the Old Serpent, they diffufed themfelves in various Dupes and fonns, until there was nothing left of Chrift, no– thing that related unto hi1n, not his Natures, Divine or 1-Ium~ne, pot their Properties nor Acbngs, not his Per– fon, nor the Union of his Natures therein, that \Vas not oppofed and affaulted by them. Efpecially fo foon as the Gofpel had fi.1bdued the ~man Empire unto Cbrift, and \Vas ovvned by the Rulers of it, the \Vhole \Yorld b \VlS
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