The Preface. (elves, they have loft their intere thefe cheinglings : And though before theyhonoured and praifed them , yet ails changed when they themfelves are changed ; and their friends muft feem to have loft their witsor honefty ( or never to have hadany ) as foon as themfelves have loft their humility and charity. Flow much am Iable tofay of this,from fad exprzence of the change .of many of my antientfriends ? Some of them are changed to a reproaching of the Scripture,Church, and Miniftry , and Ordi- nances, and to a denying of the Chriftian Faith and thefe I have loft (for theyhave loft themfelves : ) And indeed thefe have conftrainedme to withdrawfrom them my antient Love of com- placency, though I have a Love of cornpaffion to themftill. Others are fecretty enfnared by the Papifts : and thefe I have loft (though they feem to bear mefome relpeEt. ) Others are changed to opinions which they thinkmeet toHide : anti thefe lookftrange at me ; efpecially fince Iwrote againft thefe Hiders. Others are changedin thepoint of Baptifm : and thefe are greatly offended withme ,for diffentingandgiving the Reafons of my di(Pent : and what uncharitable dealings fome of them have been guilty of , (hall not now exprefs. Some of them have turned to one opinion, andfome to another , and almoft all that make thefe turns have left their Charity behind them : Some of them take up new Caufes in theiCommon-wealth : and thefe are u angry with me as the reft , becaufe I cannotfollow them in their changes. How many waies hath a man to lofe a felfifhfriend ? 1 was once be- lovedby all thefe men : and now Iam either hated, or lookt at as a;ranger (at haft) when lamwhere Iwas when Ihad their Love. If I know my heart, I Beaknot this inany great fenfe of the !oftof my own intereff, but in thefenfe of the lamentable Power and Prevalency of Self-love and felf-conceitednefs in the world. And while Iam bitterlycentused by almoft everyparty, how eafily could I recover my intereft and reputation with any one of them, if I couldbut be of their mind and fide How wife andhow honeft a man could I be with the Anabaptifts, if 'Would but be Rebaptized, and turn to them ? Aid how M4, h Ao/ci lbe valved by the Papifis , if Iwould turn td them ? The likc Itnayfay of all the other forenamed parties : For every or. r (1 3)
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