7 / 808
Dr.
S
t
B
B
s
his
judgement ofthe
Author
ofthis
COMMENTARY:
in
a preface
to
the Expofition
of
the
firfi
Chapter
,
publifhed
divers
yeares agoe.
Otwithftanding
the
worldscomplaint,of the furfeit
of
Books
(haty
wits being
over forward to vent
their
unripe
and mif-
(hapen
conceits )
yet
in all ages
there hath
beene,and
will
be
neceffary
ufes
of
holy Treatifes
,
applyable
to
the variety
of
occafions
of
the time
;
becaufe
men
of
weaker conceirs,can-
not
fo
eafily
ofthemfelves
difcerne
how one truth
is
infer-
red
from
another, and proved by another,
efpecially
when
truth
is
controverted by men
of
more
fubtile
and flronger
wits.
Whereupon,
as
Godstruth hath
in
all ages
beene
oppofed
in
fome
bran-
ches
of it
;
fo
the divine providence
that
watcheth over
the
Church,
raifed up
fome
to
fence
the
truth,
and make
up
the
breach. Men
gifted proportionably
to
the
time,
and
as
well
futnifhed to
fight
Gods barrels,
as
Satans champions
have
beene
to (land
for
him
:
neither have any points ofScripture beene more
exaû-
ly difcuffed,
then thofe that
have been mot} fharply oppugned, oppofition
whet-
tingboth
mens wits and induflry, and
in
feverall
ages,
men havebeene feveral-
ly
exercifed. The ancienteft
of
the Fathers
had
to
deale
with
them
without,(the
Pagans)
and
efpeci
ally
with
proud Hereticks,
that
made
their owne
conceits
the
meaCure
of
holy
truth, believing no more then they couldcomprehend in
the ar-
ticles
ofthe
Trinity
, and
natures
ofChrift,
whence they
bent their
forces
that
way,
and for
their
matter
wrote more
Cecurely.
Not
long after,
the
enemies
of
grace,
and flatterers
of
nature, flirted
up
S.augufline
to
challenge
the
doéfrine
of
Gods predeflination and grace our
of
their
hands
,
which
he
did
with great
fucceflè,
as
fitted with grace, learning and wit, for
fuel' a
conflia,
and
no Scrip-
turesare
more
faithfully
handled by him, then thole that were wrefted by
his
oppoli
tes,
and
Inch as
made
for
the.ffrengthening
of
his
owne
cauCe
;
In other
writings
he
tooke more liberty,
his Scholars
Prof
er, Futgentius
and
others, ¡me-
read
them
(-elves
in
the fame quarrell.
In
proceffe
of
time, men
deirous
of
quiet, and
tired
with controvertes,
began
to
lay afide
the
(lady
of
Scriptures
,
and hearken after an
eafier
way
of
ending
ffrife,
by the determination
of
one man, (the
Snap
of
Rome) whom virtually
they made the wholeChurch
;
Co
the
people were
(hut
up
under ignorance and
implicite faith, which
pleafed
them
well,
as
eating
them
of
labour
of
fearch,
as
upon
the
fame irkefomeneffe
of
trouble,in the Eafleme parts, they
yeilded
to
the
confufionand
abomination
of
Mahometifme.
And
left
Scholars fhould have
nothingto
doe,
they
were let
to'tye,
and
untie
Schoole knots,and
f
pin quetfions out
of
theirown
braine,in
which brabbles they
were
fo
taken
up,
that
they
Nightly
lookedto
ocher
matters;
as
for queflions
of
weight they were
fchooled
co
refolve
all
into the
decifive
fensence
of
the
Sea
Apofiol
icke
;
the authority
of
whichtheybent their wits
to
advance
;
yet then
Wifdome
found
childrento
juflifie her
:
for Scriptures
that made
for
authority
of
Princes,
and again(' ufurpation
ofPopes,
were well cleared
by Ocean, Mar/1-
lius,
`Patavinus,and others,as thofe
of
Predeflination and Grace by ariminuufss,
Bradwardine,
and
their
followers
,
againti Pelagianifine, then
nitwit
prevailing.
At length
the
Apoftafie
of
Popery
fpread
fo
far ,
that God
in
pitty to his poore
Church, railed
up
men
of
invincible courage,
unwearied
pains,
and great skill
in Tongues and Arts, to
free
Religion, fodeepelyinchralled; from whence
it is
that
we have
fo
many
judicious
Tradtates
and
Commentaries in this latter Age;
Andyet
will
there be
neceflàry ufe
of
further fearch
into the
Scriptures, as
new
heretics
J