8 / 808
To the
leader.
herefiesarife,
or
old arerevived,
and
further flrengthened.
The convi
&ion
of
which,
is then
bet
when
their
crookedneffe
is
brought
to
the
I
#reight rule
of
Scriptures
co
be
difcovered. Befides,
new
expofitions
of
Scriptures will be ufefull,
in
refpe
&of
new
ccmptations,corruptions
in
life
and
cafes ofeonfeience,in which
the minde willnot
receiveany fatisfying refolution
,
but from
explication and
application
of
Scriptures.
Moreover,
it
is
not
unprofitable that there fhould
be
divers
Treaties
of
the
fame
portion
of
Scriptures , becaufe the fame truth
maybe
better conveyed
to
the
conceits
offome
men
by
fome
mens handling
then
others,
one man
relifhing one mans gifts
more then another
;
And
it is
not
meet
that the
glory
ofGods
goodneffe
and wifedome
fhould beobfcured,
which
fhineth in
the
variety
of
mens
gifts,
efpecially feeing
the
depth
of
Scripture
is
fuch,
that
though men had
large hearts ,
as
the
fandofthe
lea
forre,
yet
could
they not
empty
out
all
thingscontained;
for
though themaine
principles
be
not
many
, yet dedu6tions and
conclulons
are
infinite
, and
uacill
Chrills
feeond
comming to judgement, there
will
never want new
occafion
of
further
fearch
and wading
into
thefe deepes.
In
all which
refpe&s
this
Expottion ofthis
holy
man,
deferves acceptance
of
the Church,
as
fitted
to the times
(as
the wife Reader
will well
difcerne.)
Some
few
places
are not
fo full as
could be wifhed, for clearing
fome few obfcurities
;
yet
thofe thattooke
the
care
of
letting them
our,
thought it better to
let
them
paffe as
they
are,
then
be over
-bold
with
another mans
work,
in making him
fpeake what he did
not,and take them
as
they
be.
The greaten
(hall
fndematter
to
exercife rhemfelves in;
the meaner,
matter
offweet
comfort and holy inflru-
dìion,
and
all confeffe,
that
he
hath brought
fome light to
this excellent
portion
of
Scripture.
He
was
a
man
fit
for
this
raske,a
man
of
much communion
with
God,and
ac-
quaintance with
his
owne
heart, obferving
the daily
paffages
of
his
life,
and
ex-
ercifed much with fpirituall eonflidts
:
As S.`Paulin this
Epifile
never
feemeth
co farisfie
himfelfe in
advancingthe
glory
ofgrace,
andthe
vileneffe
of
man in
himfelf; So this our `Paulhad
large
conceipts
ofrhefe things,a
deepe ¡alight
into
the
teylxery
of
Gods grace,
and
mans corruption
;
he
could therefore
enter
fur
-
ther intoPauli meaning,having
received a largemeafure
of
Paulr fpirit. He
was
one that fought no great
matters
in
the
world ,
being taken
up
with comforts
andgriefes,unto
which
the
world
is a Granger
;
one
that
had
not
all
his
learning
out
of
Bookes
,
of
a
flarpe
wit,and
cleare
judgement
:
though his
meditations
were
of
a
higher tiraine
then
ordinary,
yet he
had a good
dexterity,
furthered
by his
love
to
doe good, in explaining
darke pointswith
lightfome
fimilitudes,
His
manner
of
handling quellions in this Epifile
is preffe, and Schoole- like,by
Arguments
on both
fides,
Conclufions
,
and Anfwers,
a courte
more
futable to
this purpofe
then
loofedifcourfes.
In
fencing
down
the obje&
of
Gods Predefiination,
he
fucceeds him in opi-
nion, whomhe
fhcceeded
in
place;
in
which point Divines
accord not,who in
all
other points
doe
joyntly agree againk the troublera
ofthe
Churches peace,
in
our neighbour Countries
;
for
fome would have man lye before
God
in
predefti-
nating him,as in
lapfed and
milerable
eflate;
others would
have
God
in
that
fief}
decree
CO
confider
man abfiraeted
from
fuch
refpeas, and
to
be conlidered of,
as
a creature
alterable,and capable either
of
happineffe
or mifery,and
fit
to
be difpo-
fed
of
by God, who
is
Lord ofhis owne, to any
fupernaturall
end
;
yet
both
a-
gree
in this;
Firf#,
that
there
was
an eternall
feparation
ofinen
in
Gods
purpofe,
Secondly,that
this
fidl decree
of
revering
man to
his ends,is an aet offoveraign-
tyover
his creature, and altogether
independant
of
any thing
in
the
creature, as
a
caufe
ofit,efpecially
in comparative
reprobation,
as
why he
rejeaed
lulu,
and
notPeter;
Gn
forefeene cannot be the calve, becaufe
that
was
common toboth,
and thereforecould beno
caufe
of
fevering.
Thirdly,
all
agree
inthis,
that
dam-
nation