(115) me defirous, to leave it even in Capital letters to pofterity, that PRACTICE IS THE EXCELLENT HELP TO BE TRULY ORTHODOX : THE PRACTI- CAL EXPERIMEMTAL PREACHERS AND PEOPLE, DO HOLD FAST THOSE TRUTHS TO -SALVATION WHICH OPINIONA- TISTS AND'MEER DISP UTERS ARE EI- THER EASILY DRAWN FROM , OR HOLD BUT SPECULAT VELY AND DE- TAIN IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS TO THEIR OWN PERDITION. Which makes me perfwade young Students ftill ( though I now apprehend it more fenfibly then ever) that it is not a lofs oftime, as fome would perfwade them, to read much our Practical Divines,but that in fuch they fhall find he truth more foundly, and foberly delivered , then in moll Di- fputers that pretend to be more exaft. And efpecially in the Aft- tinomian points and all others that are againft Chriftian experi- ence, flooktr, Bolton,Rogerf,liddelbgrio, Fenxer, and fuch like are the belt Confuters of them, that feem not direftly to meddle with the men. A Praftical experienced Defender of the Truth is highly to be valued and honored by the Church : An unfan&ified man that is Orthodox and ofable parts, may be ufeful to the Church : But if fuch be poffeffed with a zeal for their opinions, which they call the OrthodoxDoftrine, they ufuallyprove themoft unhappy mifleaders, efpecially if it be about thofe Truths that experience mull do much in difcovering. And the Godly and learned them- felves DO LOSE THAT TRUTH TOO OFTEN IN DISPUTATIONS, WHICH BEFORE THEY HELD IN SOBER PRACTICE. Itbe- ing next to impollibility for men that are not ofextraordinary fo- briety, to forbear running into extreams in the heat of oppofiti- on. I fpeak not this to diffwade men from ftudying to know the truth,or fromdefending it : But Controverfie is not alway the belt Teacher of it. And to manage Controverfie, it is but here and there a quick-fighted man that is fit for it : (0 how rare are they ) Nor inuft they meddle with it but upon urgent Caufe I fpeak this in theconfcioufnefs of my own unfitnefs, however I am drawn to it by others. But I digrefs. Conk 4
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