The Preface.. the writings of the feveral Parties as we find ? Howholy , and temperate, and exceedingly indufirioits a man was Calvin if the wholemultitudeof fober,godly men that knew him may be credit- ed; or if we may believe hismofi emitant intimate acquaintance; or if we may judge by hisjudicious, pious, numerous writings : Andyet if the Paptfts may be believed ( contrary to the witnefs of a Popifb City.where be was bred) he was a ftigmatized Sodo- mite ; he wasa glutton ( that eat but once a day, and that (pa- ringly ) ; be was an idle flefhly man ( that preachedufually every day,-andwrotefo many excellent Volumes) ; and he dyed blafphemingaid calling on the Devil ( that is , in longing and prayingforhis remove to Chrifi, cryingdaily , How long Lord ! how long ! ) And how comes all this inhumane forgery about ? Why, one lying Pelagian Apoflate Bolfecke wrote it , ( whom Calvin hadfbamedfor his errours ) and a peevifh Lutherane ; Schluffelburgius hath relatedpart of it from him ; and this is fufficient warrant for the Papi , ordinarily to perfwade their followers it is true , and with feared Confciences to publifb it in their writings, though Maffonius and forme other of thefoberer fort, among themfelves ,doAame themfor theforgery. So do they byLuther, Beza, andmany more. Among ourfetves here,how certainly andcommonly is it known to all impartial men acquainted with them, that the perfons nick- named Puritans in England have been (for the moft part) a people fearing God andftuding an holy life and---of an upright converfation ; fo that the impartial didbear them witnefs , that in the 'cornersmouth, a Puritan wasone that was Integer vita., fcelerifquepurus ; and this was the reafon of theirfufered-fcorn; and that the name was the Devils common engine in this Land, to fhame people from reading and hearing Sermons, andpraying, and avoiding the common fins, andferioufly feeking their falvation A Puritan was one that [Believeth ( unfeignedly) that God is : and that he is a Rewarder of them that diligently feek him] Heb. 12.6. that firives to enter in at theftrait gate , and livesas men that believe that Heaven is worth their labour , and that Gods Kingdom and its Righteoufnefs fhould be flrft fought , Matth. 6. 3 3. Andyet if Fitz Simon and other 7 efoites, and B;ibop Bancroft, Dr. P.Heylin , Mr. Tho. Pierce andother (f) . filch
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