\ • 6o 1>ire[/;idnsfor )'?'mg Chrijlimrs. great t~mptations : Where~s your gra~e, :1nd comfort and falvationJ might be much promoted by rhe focJCty of fuch a::; are w,le and gracmus and fuitable tp your Hate. To have a confiant compa- , nion to ~pen your. heart to, and joyn \~ith i~ prayer and ed!fy.in~ c~nference, and !aithfuHy help you agamfi your hns, and yet to be pat1cnt w1th you in your haJltlts, IS a mercy whJCh woddling.s .neither dcferve nor value. Dire!J. 1 6• .Djrect. 16. M. All.! cariful choice of tbt Bool<f r::>bich ,Vf!U read. Let the HulyScripturn ever have tbe preheminence, and next them , tlu foJid, lively, heavenly Treatiftr whicb bejt ex– po:md a1rd apply tbt Scripturu: and mxt tho[r, tbe credible Hi!loria, cfpeci.tUy of tbe Church, and · TraClateJ upon inferiour Scicncri aHd Arts; BHt tak_e heed of the poyfon of tbe IVritiags of falfe Teach– ··crs, lllhicb wou/rl. Ct~rrupt your Hndcrftandingi : and of vain Romancu, P/ay·hook,h and faljf Sroriti, which may bcJVitcb yoztr fantafies, and corrupt )'Ottr heart/. 9· 1. As there is a more <:xcellent appeuance of the Sririt of Gocl in the Holy Scriptures, than in any other Book whatever, fo it hath more power and fitnefs to convey the Spirir, and make us fpi– ritual, by imprinting it felf upon our hearts. As there is more of God in tt, fa in+ ill acquaint us more with God, and bring us nearer him, and make the Reader more reverent, ferious and Divine. Let Scripture be tirtl and man in your hearts and hands, and other Books be ufed as fubfervicnc w it. The endeavours of th'• Devil and Papifis to keep it from you, doth fhew that it is mofi necef– fary and dcfirable to you. And when they tell you, that aU Hmtick.f plead tbe Scriptttw, they do but tell you, that it is the common Rule or L,jw ofChrijfia;zJ, which therefore all are fain topreund: As all Lawyers and wranglers plead theLawJ of the Land, be their caufc never fo bad, and yet the Lan:1 mull not be therefore concealed or ea(\ afide ; And they do but tell you, that in their conceal~ mentor difi1onouring the Scriptures, they are wor[e than any ofthofe HeretickJ. When, they tell you that.the Scriptures are mifundcrfiood and abufed, and perverted to maintain mens errors, they might aJfo ddire that the Sun might be obfcured, becaufc the purblind do mifiakc , and Murderers and Robbers do wickedly by irs light: And that the earth might be f"bverted bccaufe it bears all evil doers ; and High-waycs fiopt up becaufe men travel! in them to do evil : And food prohibited, be– caufe it nouriilicth mens diieafes. And when they have told you truly of a Law or Rule (whether made by Pope or Council) which bad men cannot mifunderf\and or break, or ahufe and mifap. ply, than hearken to them and prefcx that Law, as that which prevcnteth the need ofany judge– ment. 9· 2 • The Writings of Divines are nothing dfe but a preaching the Gofpd ro rhe eye, as rhe vuice preacheth it to the ear. Vocal preaching bath the prehe.minence. in movin& rhe affe~ions, and be~ lng diverfified according to the flare of the CongrcgatJons wh1ch attend 1t : Th1s way the Milk cor.ned1 warJTlefi from the breafi. .But Books have rhe advantage in many other refpeCls: you·rnJ.y read an able Preacher when you have but a mean one to hear. Every Congregatitm cannot hear the moll judicious or powerful Preachers : .but every fini[Je p&{on may re.zd the Books of the rnofi paw~ erful and judicious; Preacher I may be. blenced or bamlhcd, when BooJv may be at hand; t:oo~s may be kept at a ftnaller charge than Preachers : We may choofe Books which treat of that very fubject which we ddire to hear of; but we cannot choofe what fubjed the Preacher fball treat of. Books we may have·at hand every day and hour: when we can have Sermons but fcldorn, and at fet timt_s. If SermOns be fo.rgotten, they arc gone. But a Book we may read over and over till we remember it: ana if WC forget it, may again perufe it at our pleafure, or at our lcifure. So that good Books are a very great mercy to the world : The Holy Ghofi chofc the way of writing, to prderve his Do&rinC and Laws to the Church, as knowing how eaiic and fure a way it is of keeping it fafe toall generations, .ir. comparifon of rneer Verbal Tradition, which might have made as many Contro-– verfics about the very terms, as there be memories or perfons to be the prefervers and reporters, . . . . . Books are (ifwell chofen) domethck, prefent, contlant, JUdJcJous, pcrtment, yea, and powerful SermOns: and alwayes of very great ufc to your falvation : but efpccially when Vocal preaching fail– cth, and Preachers are ignorant, ungodly or dull, or when them they arepcrfecutcd and forbid to -pieach. §. 3· You have nted of a judicious Teacher at hand, to dircll you what Books ~o ufe or to rc– fufe. for among Good Books there are fome very good that are {ound and lively: and fome are good, but meat1, and weak,and fomewhat dull: and forne arc very good in part, but have mixtures of error, or tlfe of incautelous injudicious expreffions, fitrer to punle, than edilie rh~ weak. I am loth to name any Of thdt later forts, ( ofwhich abundance have come forth: of Iare ): Bur to the young beginner in Religion, I may be bold to reco.rnmend (next to a found Catc:~hifm J Mr. Ku– thcrfords Letters, Mr. Robtrt BoltOiJT Works, Mr. Perkjn1, Mt• Whattlc}CJ, Mr. BaUo(Falth: Dr. Frejlor.r, Dr. Sibbu, Mr. Hildc,:foami, Mr. Pink.J~I Sermons, Mr. Jo. Regeri, Mr. Rich. Rogcrs, Mr.Ri.Allcn:s Mr. GurnaU, Mr. Sr:rinnoc~, Mr.1oj: Simonds: And to ftabli{h you againfi Popery, Dr. Challo11tri Crc– dof,cclef. Catbol. Dr.Fieldof the Church,Dr.Whiter Way to the Church,with theDeknc,,BilhopVjhers An{wer to the Jefuite; and ChiDingworth, with Drelincourts Summary.And for righr Principles about Rt'– demption, &c. Mr. 7'rumans Great "Propitiation ; aJad of Natural ahd Moral Impoten~y; an:d ' Mr. WiUiam
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