Baxter - Houston-Packer Collection BT763 .B35 1655

The Preface to the Readers. Nei; in dos fantail; fed in nofmetirfos fevers Iudices fair/1ms. The main clifcouragement, that I find in writing of hard controverfies is, because there are fo few of the people (to fay nothingof Me younger or duller of the Miniftry ) that are able to make tryai, and difcern when a cause is well main tained,and when not : But a man that will confidently pour out words, how far fo ever he .Di- grefs from the Truth or mark, is as soon believed, as he that giveth the foundell Re:icons, faith Hierom (Ubi fupr. p. a 4.) Nil tarn.facile quam vilerplebeculam indo- aam Concionern linguae volubilitate decipere 5 quie qmicquid non intelligit, plus Miratur. If after all this any Brother !Ball yet confidently charge me with error, I promifehim tobe diligent in my endeavours to know the Truth : and me thinks I may exped,that whoever fochargeth me, fhould in all rea- fon have thefe Qualifications following. . That he be a man of a ftronger Judgement, and .more Discerning Head ; and not one of thole that Nazian:ZI defcribes orat. I. ( and after, p.453.) that think themielves wife enough tobe Teachers. or Con- tradid others, when they have got two or three words of Scripture : Nor fuch as have not wit for an ordinary bufinefs , andyet think that they can mailer the deepeit CT,ontroverfies. He that thinks to do this, without a piercing wit, (as well as Grace) ordinarily,thinks to fee without eyes. z..I expect that he be one that hath longer and more diligently and ferioufly exercised hirnfelf in thefe 1th.- ..dyes, then I have done. 3.. That he be one more free from prejudice and par- tiality then ram : Who, I mull needs fay, have been deeply convinced of the evil of detaining any Truth in unrigh-

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=