The Prefare. Diocefane rPrelacie (which elfe I had never been like to have gainíaid. ) At a meeting of Miniflers to debate the cafe, it fell to Mr. Coiflopber Cartwrights lot and mine tobe the Di- fputers; and the iffue of all ( that and my £hidies ) was, that i felled in the approbation of the Epilcopacy afferted by Ignatius, yea, and Cypriari, but fuck a diffent from the Fngliji frame, asIhave given account of inmy Dijj utations of Church Government. My genius was inquifitive, and earnef}ly defiroús to know the truth : my helps for Piety were greater than my helps for Learning, of which I had not much betides Books : ficknets helpt my ferioufnefs keeping me í1i11 in expectation of death. All my reverenced acquaintai-ice (fave one) cryed down Arminianfin as the Pelagian Herefie, and the Enemy of Grace : I quickly plunged my felf into the fludy of Dr. Milli, andAmefius, and Canero, and Pemble, andothers on that fubjeEt: By which my mind was felled in preju- dice againft Arminianifm , without a clear underfanding of the cafe : whereupon I felt prefently in my mind, a judge. ment of thofe that were for Arminianifm, as bad,or dangerous adverJaries to the Church ; and fpecially of the then ruling Bi- chops :. which yet I think I had not entertained , had I not taken them withal for the great Perfecutors ofGodly able MiniPers,. and feriousChriflians, not only for Ceremonies, but for holy practices of life. Being under thefe apprehenfions, when the Wars began; though the Caufe it felf lay in Civil Controvetfies, between King and Parliament, yet the thoughts that the Churchand Godlinefs it felf was deeply in danger by Perfecution and .Arminianifm, did muchmore to byafs me to the Parliaments fide, than the Civil intereíl ( which at the heart I little re- garded) : At laí1 (after two years abode in a quiet Garri- fon) upon. the Invitation of fome Orthodox CornmanderS f in Fairax's Army,, and by the Million ofan Atfembly ofDi- vines, Iwent ,(after NafebyFight) into that Army as the pro- f&Antagonift of theSalaries and Innovators, whowe all then ( too late) faw defigned thofe changes in the Church and State which they after made. I there met with fome Arminian) andmoreJntinomians : Thefe printedand preached as the Doarilpe of Free Grace, that all men muff prefently believe that they are Ele t and Juf}ified, and that ChriilRepented and Believed for them (as Saltmarjh writeth ). I had a little before engaged my felf as a Difputer againíl Univerfal Re: (a x) demptians
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