WO* A Preface to the Reader. onely urged, but a juft Analyfis of the context opened, the full fcope and drift laid down, fo that it, may appear that the words are not enforced, but of themfelves in their native ftrength commend that doctrine to us ; that of 9 e- rome, Apol. adverfus ?ovinian much takes with me, Com- rnentatoris, o f ficiurn efl, non quod ip[e velit, fed quidfenti4t il- le Tian interpretatur exponere ; Alioqui fa contraria dixerit , j non tarn interpres erit, quàm adverfaraus e us quern nititur ex- planare ; And let the impartial) and learned judge whether fomewhat more clear light is not here added to their full meaning and the adverfaries Sophifines more cleerly de- tected. Fourthly, The leaft blow which Mr.Tombes recei- ved (purpofely intended for him) was from Mr. Baxters hand, which work contains many irrefragable Arguments to affert Infants Church- Memberfhip, and Baptifin ftárn fèveral Scripture- Texts, if not of themfelves plain, yyet made plain, fo that he needs not blufh at his Title ; but he d.oth not make it his bufineffe fully to anfwer Argu- ments on the contrary ; where he is moft full, I have been moft brief; where he is more brief, I have been more large; he bath fatisfied his Reader,' hope the Reader will fay that I. have in that part done fomewhat for fatisfadion of my adverfarie. Sixthly, The beft part of this Treatife (as the advice on the top of the leaf may liignifie) is no more then a new Edition of, with an ample addition to my Birth-Pri'viledge, which above my expcdation found fo good acceptation, onely (handling it there Sermon-wife, as fixt on a ioroper Text, and here by way of Treatife,( as a branch of this do- &rive of the Covenant,i i was put to it in a great ` part to change the method and texture of it, fo that it may rather feem to thole that comparethem, a new frame with much borrowed film it, then the fame reprinted and enlarged -and there I have endeavoured Iatisfaction to -that which Mafteb
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